“Manly.” Cass set down the silverware on the table and grunted in agreement. Then he pounded his chest. It was too much, and Marian broke up laughing.
“Where do you want to sit?” Cass asked her, looking up and down the table. Like everything else in the house, including the two owners, the table was huge. It could seat at least twenty. Ridiculous.
Marian didn’t answer; she just picked up a giant hammered-silver bowl from the middle of the table. She carried it over to the sideboard and set it down.
“What are you doing?” Beau asked, watching her with a frown.
Cass was already smiling before she said, “Making room to sit down. This table is big enough. And far too formal for you two.”
“You want to sit on the table?” Beau asked with a laugh. “You got it.” He pulled out a chair and then held out his hand. Marian took it and climbed onto the table. She sat down cross-legged and Beau hopped up and sat down next to her. “Shove the food over here,” he told Cass.
“Yes, sir,” Cass said. “Whatever you want.” He pushed all the takeout cartons next to Beau and then he climbed up. Reaching over, he snagged a fork and handed it to Marian. “Your fork, my lady,” he said. “We just have crispy duck and moo shu pork. Too fancy for you?”
“No egg rolls?” she asked in disappointment. “I thought we ordered egg rolls.” Cass grabbed a container, opened it, and held it out so she could see inside. “Egg rolls,” she said, and pulled one out and put it on her plate.
“They get kind of soggy in the container,” Cass warned. “Want me to warm them up in the oven?”
“You are very domestic,” Marian teased him. “I had no idea you knew how an oven worked.”
“You’d be surprised at the things I know,” Cass said, waggling his brows.
“None of that,” Beau growled. “This is not a romantic dinner. Just friends having takeout. We agreed.”
Cass groaned as he carried the egg rolls back into the kitchen. “Don’t remind me,” he yelled back at them.
“Thank you,” Marian said quietly, scooping moo shu pork onto her plate, not looking at Beau.
“You’re welcome,” he said. “But I can’t hold him off forever, you know. He’s a very determined son of a bitch.”
“So am I,” she said firmly. “And I am determined not to screw up the team by getting involved with you two.”
Cass came back to the table and she steered the conversation away from their relationship status. “Mike is thrilled about Beau going viral. He said he almost had a heart attack when he saw the story on the NFL Network last night. He almost choked to death on his dinner with no one to give him the Heimlich.” Both Beau and Cass laughed. Mike was a notorious workaholic and loner. “He thinks you’re a player who’s going to shine under the spotlight,” she said to Beau. “What do you think?”
Beau grimaced. “I’ve been under the spotlight. I’m a little too tarnished to shine.”
“Nonsense,” she said, and she meant it. “I think you’re going to be brilliant. There’s going to be a lot of media attention on you now.” She’d been thinking about what that meant for her all day. There would definitely be no romance now, not with the press scrutinizing Beau’s every move. He and Cass hated that sex tape and what it had done to their lives. They tried hard to keep their personal lives out of the limelight. No wonder Beau was reminding Cass they were going to remain nothing more than friends. A three-way romance was absolutely out of the question. And it was stupid of her to feel so let down at the thought, since she’d already told them so last night.
Before Beau could answer, there was a knock at the front door and Rebels quarterback Tyler Oakes came in without waiting for an invitation. “Hey, guys!” he called out to them. “I’m here! You said eight, right?”
Chapter 5
Marian turned and looked at Cass and then Beau. Cass felt like a deer in the headlights. “Um,
“Where do you want to sit?” Cass asked her, looking up and down the table. Like everything else in the house, including the two owners, the table was huge. It could seat at least twenty. Ridiculous.
Marian didn’t answer; she just picked up a giant hammered-silver bowl from the middle of the table. She carried it over to the sideboard and set it down.
“What are you doing?” Beau asked, watching her with a frown.
Cass was already smiling before she said, “Making room to sit down. This table is big enough. And far too formal for you two.”
“You want to sit on the table?” Beau asked with a laugh. “You got it.” He pulled out a chair and then held out his hand. Marian took it and climbed onto the table. She sat down cross-legged and Beau hopped up and sat down next to her. “Shove the food over here,” he told Cass.
“Yes, sir,” Cass said. “Whatever you want.” He pushed all the takeout cartons next to Beau and then he climbed up. Reaching over, he snagged a fork and handed it to Marian. “Your fork, my lady,” he said. “We just have crispy duck and moo shu pork. Too fancy for you?”
“No egg rolls?” she asked in disappointment. “I thought we ordered egg rolls.” Cass grabbed a container, opened it, and held it out so she could see inside. “Egg rolls,” she said, and pulled one out and put it on her plate.
“They get kind of soggy in the container,” Cass warned. “Want me to warm them up in the oven?”
“You are very domestic,” Marian teased him. “I had no idea you knew how an oven worked.”
“You’d be surprised at the things I know,” Cass said, waggling his brows.
“None of that,” Beau growled. “This is not a romantic dinner. Just friends having takeout. We agreed.”
Cass groaned as he carried the egg rolls back into the kitchen. “Don’t remind me,” he yelled back at them.
“Thank you,” Marian said quietly, scooping moo shu pork onto her plate, not looking at Beau.
“You’re welcome,” he said. “But I can’t hold him off forever, you know. He’s a very determined son of a bitch.”
“So am I,” she said firmly. “And I am determined not to screw up the team by getting involved with you two.”
Cass came back to the table and she steered the conversation away from their relationship status. “Mike is thrilled about Beau going viral. He said he almost had a heart attack when he saw the story on the NFL Network last night. He almost choked to death on his dinner with no one to give him the Heimlich.” Both Beau and Cass laughed. Mike was a notorious workaholic and loner. “He thinks you’re a player who’s going to shine under the spotlight,” she said to Beau. “What do you think?”
Beau grimaced. “I’ve been under the spotlight. I’m a little too tarnished to shine.”
“Nonsense,” she said, and she meant it. “I think you’re going to be brilliant. There’s going to be a lot of media attention on you now.” She’d been thinking about what that meant for her all day. There would definitely be no romance now, not with the press scrutinizing Beau’s every move. He and Cass hated that sex tape and what it had done to their lives. They tried hard to keep their personal lives out of the limelight. No wonder Beau was reminding Cass they were going to remain nothing more than friends. A three-way romance was absolutely out of the question. And it was stupid of her to feel so let down at the thought, since she’d already told them so last night.
Before Beau could answer, there was a knock at the front door and Rebels quarterback Tyler Oakes came in without waiting for an invitation. “Hey, guys!” he called out to them. “I’m here! You said eight, right?”
Chapter 5
Marian turned and looked at Cass and then Beau. Cass felt like a deer in the headlights. “Um,
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