by Ali Parker
“Oh God,” I breathed involuntarily.
Easton chuckled. The deep rumbling in his chest vibrated through the bed beneath me, and I felt like a damsel in his big, strong arms. I liked it. I liked it a lot.
I pressed my head down hard into the pillow behind me. He rolled his tongue over my clit, nice and slow, and earned himself a delighted sigh from my lips. I didn’t have to look down to know he was smiling.
My whole body tingled with pleasure. When he slid a finger inside me, the intensity doubled. I gripped the sheets at my sides as my back arched. He pressed down with his finger and swept his tongue up and down my clit in long gentle strokes. My legs began to tremble, and I gave in to the brewing explosion in my center.
My orgasm was blinding. I squeezed my eyes closed as it broke over me. Easton never ceased his relentless worship of my pussy, and every caress of his tongue had me whimpering as I was reduced to a puddle beneath him.
And then there was someone else on the bed with me. Someone familiar. Dark hair. The smell of pine and rainwater. Blue eyes.
Joshua.
“Wait—” I tried to say, but he placed a finger on my lips and stroked my hair off my forehead. I watched, transfixed by him as he pulled his white T-shirt over his head. His body glistened, even though we were in near darkness in the bedroom, and muscle rippled at his sides as he leaned over to kiss me.
All the while, Easton was still kissing, licking, and suckling between my legs. And fucking me with his finger. It was all too much.
“I can’t,” I whispered.
Joshua silenced me with another deep kiss. And then another. “Yes, you can. Let us make you feel good, Piper. Just close your eyes.”
I didn’t want to close my eyes. I wanted to watch him. I wanted to watch them both.
I looked down at Easton. His eyes locked with mine as he eased another finger inside me. He smiled, and I hung my head back, letting out a sigh as my muscles turned to butter. I heard Joshua undo his belt beside me.
I licked my lips and waited.
* * *
“What the fuck?” I hissed, sitting bolt upright in bed.
My skin was drenched in cold sweat. My breathing was sharp and ragged, and bloody hell, I was pretty freaking sure I’d left a small puddle on my bed sheets.
I pressed a hand to my forehead and fought to steady my breathing. “What the hell was that?”
Easton and Joshua—together—with me.
I swallowed. My subconscious was a very naughty girl, it would seem.
Not just your subconscious, Piper. Look at you. You’re too turned on for your own good.
Seething at my own dirty thoughts, I ripped the blankets off, hopped down from the bed, and marched to the bathroom, deliberately not looking back to see if there was in fact a wet spot on the bed sheets. I turned the shower on, stripped out of my sleep set, and hopped in, letting the beads of water dance off my skin as I slicked my hair back and closed my eyes.
I’d never had a dream like that before. It was wrong. Dirty. Inappropriate. And oh so sexy.
Stop it, Piper. You get one of them. Not all of them. And even one is more than you’ll end up with. The million dollars is the prize. Not a damn orgy.
I licked the water off my lips as I massaged shampoo into my scalp and then conditioner. I had to forget all about the dream because that was all it was. A dream. It wasn’t my body and my mind trying to show me what I really wanted.
Joshua.
I shook my head as I dried off. I’d had my time with Joshua. I couldn’t bring him into every relationship I had over the course of the year. It wasn’t fair to the other men, and it was clearly unhealthy for me. Sex had never been something I lusted after so hard until him. And now? Well, now I wanted it almost all the time.
Apparently, I wanted it with Easton, too. Our kiss on the boat yesterday had been enough to seal that impulse.
Once I dried off, I went back into the bedroom and dressed in some cute loungewear: a pair of loose, wide-legged gray sweats and a sheer white tee. Underneath, I wore a lace pink bralette and matching panties. Not to impress Easton if he happened to strip me out of my clothes, but to feel cute. At least, that was what I told myself.
Then I opened my bedroom door.
At my feet was an open box filled with Dolphins paraphernalia. I crouched down and sifted through the jerseys, ball caps, tank tops, tees, shorts, leggings, sweat pants, and foam finger. I laughed and shook my head. He had really gone all out.
I put the box on my bed and followed the sound of music down the hall to a half-open door. I peered around the edge of it into Easton’s home gym, where I saw him lifting weights with his back to me.
He was shirtless. Sweat covered his entire torso in glistening beads. His hair was matted to his forehead with it, and I could hear his sharp breaths as he pumped the iron. His jaw was clenched, the muscles flexing, and I couldn’t take my eyes off his swollen shoulders, traps, and biceps.
I swallowed. He’s a God.
He dropped the weights. I dodged back behind the door, not wanting him to catch me watching him work out with my tongue lolling out of my mouth like a fan girl.
When I heard him start working again, I tiptoed away down the hall.
Chapter 13
Easton
Piper stood on the sidelines about ten feet away from the cheerleaders, who were gathered in a tight circle as they prepared for their pregame routine. From my spot in the tunnel leading out of our locker room, I could tell she was nervous.
She constantly shifted her weight from side to side and looked around. Her hair was curly from the braids she slept in and slicked back in a high, bouncy ponytail. She had on tons of items from the box of paraphernalia I’d left at her door yesterday morning: a pair of black leggings that said Dolphins in capital letters up the side of her leg, the jersey which turned out to be a bit too big on her so she’d tied it in a knot at her hip, and the bomber jacket and baseball cap.
She suited the sportswear really well. I was more than a little aware of all the other guys on the team and the men in the first few rows of the bleachers checking her out. I couldn’t blame them. She was fine as hell.
And she was mine.
Well, sort of. She was mine until the end of February. And then she’d be sent off to be with some other guy.
I hoped whoever he was fell short compared to me. Maybe she’d get stuck with the photographer. He’d be a big letdown after her fast-paced time in my company.
The cheerleaders took to the field. Piper crossed her arms under her chest and watched as the routine started. There were plenty of jumps and twirls, and within the first thirty seconds, the cheerleaders had Piper clapping for them and smiling.
I was relieved to see her settling into the environment. On the way to the game, she’d told me she had never been to a football game. She’d never been to a sports game in general.
The stakes were high. We had to win. There was no way I was going to lose with her there, especially since this was her first experience. I wanted her to feel the thrill of cheering for the winning team, of cheering for me.
After the cheerleaders finished up, the announcers called in both teams, and we took to the field. The crowd went wild, chanting our names and numbers as they got to their feet and stomped their heels in the stands.
Piper caught my eye as I jogged past to meet up with our coaches at our bench. She gave me a sweet smile, and I waved back, knowing she couldn’t see my smile through my helmet.
The first half hour went by in a blur. My attention shifted from Piper to the game. The boys and I didn’t hold back, and when half time rolled around, we had a fairly comfortable lead.
I jogged to the bench and downed half a bottle of water. Piper, who my coaches had allowed to join us at the benches, made her way through the giant bodies of my teammates and came over to me.
“You’re kicking ass out there,” she said.
I pulled my helmet off and flashed her a smile as I caugh
t my breath. “Thanks. We’re only halfway through. Things can still change.”
She gave me a knowing smile. “Spoken like a true athlete who knows the game is never won until it’s over.”
I laughed and reached out to put a hand on her hip. She leaned into my touch. “What do you say you and me get the hell out of here after? Just the two of us?”
She blinked. “The team is going out after. You don’t want to go with them? They invited us.”
I frowned. “Who invited you?”
She smiled sheepishly. “Brett.”
“Of course he did,” I said, looking around for my friend. “Up to you, Piper. I’m game for either. Which would you rather do?”
“Honestly?” she asked, clasping her hands together in front of herself and rocking her hips side to side almost bashfully.
I nodded.
Her smile broadened, and her cheeks turned pink. “I’d like to get out of here, just us.”
My chest swelled with warmth. “Then that’s exactly what we’ll do. I have to get back to the coach. Watch yourself with these guys, all right? They can be a little handsy when they see something they like.”
“Everyone has been very gentlemanly.”
I smirked as I put my helmet back on. “Right. Well, still. Keep a wary eye out.”
She tapped her right cheek with her index finger just below her eye. “Will do, Mr. Quarterback.”
I turned to head over to meet my coach.
“Hey, Easton?” she called after me.
I turned back toward her. Her smile was pure menace, and it nearly gave me a hard-on right then and there, which would have been horrifying.
She bit her bottom lip. “Your ass looks great in those pants.”
My laughter burst out of me, and she giggled too, teasing me with how damn cute she was.
It was hard to keep my eye on the ball after that. All I wanted to do for the rest of the game was steal glances in Piper’s direction. Whenever I was on the field, I could feel her eyes glued to me, and when we scored, she screamed my name like my own personal cheerleader.
Nothing had ever felt better than that.
When I scored a touchdown in the last quarter, she was the first person I looked to. She leapt into the air and threw her fist up like a true football fan. My name on her lips reached me all the way across the field, and I relished in that more than I did the celebratory dances and tackles from my teammates.
Brett threw an arm around my shoulder as we headed back to the line to kick for the extra point. “I wish that girl wasn’t yours, man. She’s the full package.”
“Yeah, I don’t know if I’d call her mine,” I said. Not yet, at least.
“Don’t let any of the others hear you say that. I think every single one of these boys has been checking her out since she set foot on the field. How could they not?”
“So long as they keep their hands and their words to themselves.”
Brett laughed and clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Nobody is stupid enough to make a move on her, man. They all know she’s with you. Have you heard her screaming your name? The whole fucking stadium knows she’s with you.”
I was glad for my helmet. I didn’t want Brett to see how big I was smiling.
* * *
We won the game by twenty-five points. Piper milled around with the team as I hurried into the locker room to shower and change. Then I met her back out on the field to drag her away from some of the guys who were trying to get a word in with her. She was polite as hell and indulged all of them, talking about whatever it was they wanted to talk about with her.
Her eyes lit up when I arrived at her side and entwined my fingers with hers. “Should we get the hell out of here? I’m starving.”
She nodded as she gazed up at me. “I could eat a horse.”
“I should have had someone bring you a hotdog down or something.”
Piper shrugged. “I’d rather eat together.”
We made our way off the field, and I checked her out for the thousandth time. “The Dolphins attire suits you. You look like a lifelong fan.”
She looked down at herself. “I should hope so. I think I officially own every single item of merchandise your team sells.”
“Not every item.”
We made our way out to the parking lot where Raj would be waiting for us, and she arched an eyebrow. “How is that possible?”
“There are still dozens of things I could have got you. Water bottles. Sneakers. Socks. A beanie. Gloves. Earrings. Headband. Sweatshirts. A coffee mug. Pretty sure you could get a license plate frame too.”
Piper giggled and shook her head. “I think I have enough. Thank you, though. And I don’t have a car.”
“Glad I didn’t go for the full package then.”
We continued to goof around in the back seat of the car as Raj drove us to one of my favorite restaurants in the city. It was a hole in the wall pasta joint that I often frequented after a game. The carbs were much needed, and the place was never very busy.
The drive was much different than the one we’d shared on the way to the marina two days ago. There were no long pauses of silence between us. We talked and laughed the whole way. She asked questions about the game, things she didn’t understand or wasn’t sure of. I broke it all down for her, and she listened in rapture, leaning in close and gazing into my eyes as I explained the rules she hadn’t figured out on her own.
For the most part, she had made sense of it all while watching from the sidelines. She hadn’t been afraid to ask the other players nearby what certain calls were and some of the terminology. I was impressed. She showed more interest in the game than any girl I’d been with, and she didn’t just smile and nod as I talked. She was engaged, curious.
Piper was a game changer.
We arrived at the restaurant just after eight in the evening. As expected, it wasn’t all that busy. Raj came in with us and ordered himself a bowl of pasta at Piper’s insistence. When he was done eating, he went back out to wait at the car to give us some time alone.
“How long has he worked for you?” Piper asked as she finished off her bowl of creamy marinara pasta.
“About four years.”
“That’s a long time.”
“He’s good at what he does. And we spend a lot of time together. I’m lucky I found him.”
“Does he know you feel that way?” she asked.
I frowned. “I don’t know. I never really thought about it.”
She shrugged and pushed her plate away when she was done eating. “It’s never too late to let him know.”
“What sort of angel are you?”
Piper giggled and crossed one leg over the other. “Are you trying to charm your way into my heart, superstar?”
“I don’t know. Is it working?”
Her smile was devious and sexy as hell. “Perhaps.”
I was about to pull my chair up alongside hers when a teenage boy came and stood beside our table. He had a napkin and a black marker in his hand, and he couldn’t have been older than fourteen. His eyes were big and wide as he stared at me, and his mouth worked to form words that didn’t seem like they would ever come.
I waited patiently. I was used to this.
Then he finally managed to say, “Hi, I’m a big fan. Could you sign this please?” He held out the napkin to me.
I took his pen and bowed over the napkin, signing my name. “What’s your name, kid?”
“Brian.”
“Do you play?”
Brian nodded vigorously.
“What position?”
He licked his lips. “Um. I’m more of a backup player. I spend most of my time on the bench.”
I wrote his name on the napkin, along with the words, “From one fan of the game to another, keep playing.” I handed him back the napkin and pen. “That’s where I started too, Brian. If you want to get out on the field, take care of yourself, eat well, and exercise. Work hard in school. Love your parents hard. It will
work out for you.”
Brian’s smile was like a child on Christmas morning. His face turned bright red. “Thanks, Mr. Price.”
He turned on his heel and rushed to the other side of the restaurant to rejoin his family at their table. His mother, a tired-looking brunette with a pretty smile, waved over to me and mouthed a silent “thank you”.
I turned back to Piper, who was watching me with a smile on her lips.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing. I just like watching you.”
Truth be told, I liked having her watch me, especially when she looked at me like that. Like she couldn’t see any of the bad that I knew lay deep inside me—the greed, anger, resentment.
All she saw was a pro-ball player who cared about his young fans. A guy with a big heart and passion for the game.
She saw the guy I wanted to be.
Chapter 14
Piper
“I can’t believe I’m almost a week into this already,” I said into my phone. I had it squished between my cheek and shoulder as I stirred the simmering pasta sauce on Easton’s stove.
Janie was on the other end of the line. “That’s a good thing, right? It means you’re having a good time?”
I shrugged and nearly dropped the phone into the sauce. “Hold on. I’m going to put you on speaker.”
It was already February sixth. Easton was out of the house for a team meeting, and I’d decided to take advantage of the empty house to prepare a nice homecooked meal for him. I went straight for the basics and what I did best, pasta. I was making a rich marinara sauce from scratch, filled with roasted peppers, sautéed onions, fire grilled tomatoes, and a whole lot of garlic and Italian seasoning. The smells made my mouth water as I put my phone on the counter and tapped the speaker button.
“All right. Can you hear me okay, Janie?”
“Yep. Crystal clear. So you’re having a good time?”
I thought back on my first week with Easton. “Yes, I’m enjoying myself much more than I thought I would, actually. When I first met him, I made some assumptions about his character, and I think I was really wrong about him.”