Game for Marriage by Karen Erickson Page A

reception. Let me throw a party for you. Oh, I know, let’s do a belated wedding shower. We can all buy you trashy lingerie and get you drunk. Then you can tell us how fantastic Jared is in bed.”
    Okay, that last sentence made her nervous. The last thing she wanted to talk about was how great Jared was in bed. “I don’t want you to have to go to all that trouble.” And all the trashy lingerie would go to waste.
    “I want to. Sounds fun. I’ll see you later at the restaurant, okay? You’d better be wearing something amazing.”
    “I’m nervous about it. Can I send you a picture of the dress so you can tell me if it’s awful or not?”
    “I’m sure it’s gorgeous but yes, send me a pic. Toodles.”
    Sheridan went back to the bathroom, new iPhone in hand an unexpected gift from Jared. She snapped a pic, texted the photo to Willow, and waited anxiously for her answer.
    Freaking amazing, I’m sure Jared loves it was Willow’s reply.
    Crap. She really, really hoped Jared would love it. She wanted his approval. Didn’t want to look like a world-class screw-up on their first night out together, especially at Charlie Monroe’s restaurant. The owner of the Hawks was volatile, especially when it came to his team. One wrong move and Jared might feel the wrath.
    The night had to be perfect. She had to be on her game.
    She didn’t have a choice.
    …
    Jared paced the living room, glancing at his watch yet again. Women. What the hell was taking Sheridan so long? They needed to leave. Soon. If they were late, Charlie would have his ass. And Coach Walsh would be standing right behind him, ready to finish off whatever Charlie left over.
    His coach had ridden him hard the last few days. His shoulder was killing him, not that he’d tell a soul. And that damn Flynn Foley was launching balls like they were nothing, throwing them farther with a neat little spin. It was fucking killing Jared, watching that go down.
    And Jim Walsh freaking knew it.
    He was tired of their concern. Tired of seeing it in their faces, hearing it in their voices. They already prepped him that he wasn’t going to play much on Sunday. It was a preseason game, so that was the tactic they usually took, but he wanted to play. Fuck, he needed to play. He needed a win that weekend. Not just on the field but off as well.
    “How do I look?”
    Sheridan’s sweet voice pushed him out of his thoughts and he turned, going completely still as he drank her in.
    The dress was short. Strapless. And appeared to be completely covered in gold sequins. They matched the color of her hair, hell, even the color of her eyes, making her look as if she glowed. Her hair was down, which he preferred, cascading in effortless waves down her back and his ring flashed on her finger as she waved a hand at him. “It’s bad, huh?”
    He slowly shook his head. “Definitely not bad.”
    “Is it too tight? Too short?”
    Yes and yes but he loved it. Though he wasn’t sure if he wanted anyone else to see her in that dress. “You look…” He was at a loss for words.
    “Stupid? Too much gold? Hookerish?”
    Okay, she was stressing out for absolutely no reason. “Hot,” he finished with a slight smile.
    “Oh.” Her cheeks turned pink, which he thought was cute as hell. “Thank you.”
    “How do I look?” He held out his arms. He wore black trousers and a white dress shirt, open at the collar. He’d thought about wearing a suit but knew he’d be uncomfortable. Contemplated throwing on a tie but thought, the hell with it .
    “Good.” She cleared her throat, her gaze gobbling him up. “Great.”
    The heat in her eyes was answer enough. Despite the fake marriage deal, they had chemistry brewing between them. There was no denying it. “Are you ready to go?”
    She nodded, all that pretty, golden hair sliding across her bare shoulders. As she approached him, he caught a shiny glint on her skin and realized she must’ve sprayed herself with some of that shimmery stuff women