Off Limits

2 Theo

"Hey," her soft voice responds. Those pretty eyes of hers roam over my face before quickly taking in my entire body before returning to my eyes. I'm not sure if she realizes she does it or if she simply can't help it but her eyes roam over me every single time I see her and it makes me smile. Something that I haven't done much in a long time.

I clear my throat trying to get back on track as to why I stopped over. "I just wanted to let you know that I won't be here for the next few days, we have away games so I'll be gone a bit so if you and the kids want to use the main house feel free, I left a key under the mat for you."

Her face wilts a little before the smile returns to her face and she nods. "Oh, okay, thanks. I think we'll be okay here. Thank you so much for letting us stay here again Theo, I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"Stop," I say putting my hand up. We've had this conversation a million times already but Teagan is so sweet and set in her ways she brings it up all the time. "I don't need you to repay me, I just want you and the kids to be happy. You needed a place to stay and I have plenty of room," I shrug, "besides, Koda and I enjoy the company."

That smile of hers, the one where her eyes mist like she's about to cry, returns full force. "Well thank you, again. I'm not sure I'll ever stop thanking you." Her eyes widen for a split second, "Oh, what are you doing about Koda while you're away?"

I give her a shrug forgetting that we still don't know each other very well even though it feels like the complete opposite when I'm around her. "My grandma stops by when I'm at away games to take care of him. Sometimes I drop him off at her place, she has a nice farm about an hour outside of the city where he can run around and chase some of her chickens."

"That actually sounds really lovely."

"It is. I loved growing up there with all the land and animals. I can take you and the kids there one day to see it if you'd like. I'm sure the twins would love to go horseback riding...that is if it's okay with you." 

"Oh, you don't have to do that."

"Teagan please, I want to. You'd be doing me a favor by joining me the next time I take a trip out there. Besides, my G-mom would love to meet you guys and she'd sure as hell love to hang out with the twins, she's always on me about when am I going to make her a great-grandma, maybe bringing them she'll get a little taste and stop bugging me about it."

Teagan laughs at that, shaking her head. "Alright. As long as I don't have work I'm in. I'm sure the kids would love it and I've always loved the idea of farm life so maybe seeing what it's truly like will help me figure out if that's a life I can see in my future."

"Oh yeah?"

She shrugs biting at the corner of her lip and my eyes zero in on it. The first time I saw her in that bar that was one of the first things I noticed about her; those plump pink lips. A timer goes off somewhere in the house and she turns around toward it. "Shoot, I have to get the kids up and ready for school but thank you for letting me know you'll be gone, I appreciate it. And thank you for getting us a ride to the metro, you've been doing so much for us I don't know what to do to repa-,"

"Teagan, seriously, stop. You're already repaying me so stop asking." When her eyebrow rose in question I took my chance to step back and change the subject. I didn't need to reveal anything, it might scare her off and I've already said too much. 

"All I'm going to say is you're welcome and you have my number if you need anything." she smiled and nodded, gripping the edge of the door almost as if she didn't want to say goodbye to me just as much as I didn't want to say goodbye to her. This feeling was different, a yearning I never felt before. I never wanted something more than football but Teagan McKenna was coming in close. "Alright," I pointed over my shoulder, "better let you get the munchkins up. I gotta get going. I'll see you soon."

"Okay, drive safe and good luck on your games."

I smiled at her, watching those beautiful eyes of hers track my every step backward, and I couldn't help it. I said, "Thanks, beautiful," before waving goodbye and turning my back to her heading toward my car. When I got in I silently cursed myself because I knew damn well I shouldn't be putting myself in this position. Not when she has two kids and I might be getting traded. 

No, no matter how hot Teagan was or how she made me feel I had to remember that she was off limits. I couldn't do anything to screw up her life until I figured out just how screwed up mine was at the moment.