Play Me (Brit Boys Sports Romance Book 4)

by J. H. Croix

“13 Coins.”

  Daisy’s eyes widened. She knew how much time I’d spent there with my parents because she’d gone along with us many times before they died. She also knew it was their anniversary restaurant. “Whoa. That’s kind of, well, meaningful.”

  I started winding a napkin around my index finger. “Maybe. Liam obviously didn’t know anything about the place.” Because I was uncomfortable with even thinking about that, I pushed ahead. “Anyway, so we had dinner and then, well, he spent the night.”

  Daisy’s eyes searched my face. “Are you okay?”

  I shrugged, my chest tightening with a small knot of anxiety. I didn’t know if I was okay. Was it okay to miss Liam as much as I did when we’d only spent one night together? Was it okay for me to wish he were someone other than an internationally famous footballer who was listed in betting books for reasons that had nothing to do with sports? Was it okay to suddenly rethink all of my preconceived notions about men and relationships and wish for something I’d never wanted? Was it okay that my body was so attuned to anything about Liam that all I had to do was think of him and heat slid through my veins, butterflies amassed in my belly, and my panties got wet? For example, right now.

  With those questions tumbling through my mind, I looked over to find Daisy’s warm brown eyes on mine. “Oh,” she said softly. “You like him, I mean, you really like him. Don’t get so stressed about it. He really likes you too. I could tell.”

  “How could you tell?” I asked, nearly breathless for her answer and wondering what to do about how much her answer mattered to me. I wasn’t prone to breathlessness over, well, anyone. I didn’t enjoy being tossed like a kite in the winds of my emotions.

  At that moment, our food arrived. I’d chosen a red curry chicken with cashews, while Daisy had gone for drunken noodles. Once our waitress departed again, I looked over at Daisy. She took a bite of food and held her chopsticks up while she chewed. After a swallow of water, she leaned back. “Just the way he looked at you. It’s not like I know him well, but there’s those looks that are all about sex and then the looks that are more. His was more.”

  I took a deep breath and let it out with a sigh. “I think I’ve completely lost my mind.”

  Daisy grinned. “Nah. You’re human. I always knew you had it in you, I just wondered who might get under your skin.”

  I stared at Daisy, that uncertainty I was trying so hard to beat back rising inside again. Everything I was feeling startled me so. Unable to think clearly, I swatted my confusion away and rolled my eyes. “Fine. So what should I do?”

  “See him as much as you can,” Daisy said with a firm nod. “I mean, he’s so easy on the eyes you might as well get every minute you can. I’m getting the idea you’re not going to give me any details since you skipped right over that, but I’m guessing he wasn’t boring in bed.” Her sly smile sent another rush of heat up my cheeks.

  “Definitely not.”

  “I’ll stop by your place tomorrow and make sure you’re stocked up on those condoms.”

  I burst out laughing. When I managed to stop, I shook my head. “We only used one of yours and you left them everywhere last time.”

  “Yeah, and you threw away half of them.”

  Conversation started to move on, but I had one more worry I couldn’t seem to shake. “Do you really think it’s okay that I did this with a really, really recent patient?”

  “Former patient. It’s been weeks since his surgery, and he’s officially no longer your responsibility,” Daisy said between bites, waving her chopsticks in the air for emphasis.

  “Right, but…”

  Daisy shook her head empathically. “Oh stop it! Moving on. Bradley at work offered us tickets to a Stars game. I was thinking we should go together. You could see Liam play and I can ogle the rest of the team. Whaddya think?”

  “Liam won’t be playing for a while, but it’d be fun to go anyway. Shouldn’t you go with Bradley? I mean, they’re his tickets.”

  “Bradley’ll be there, but he has four tickets, so I figure it’s maybe you, me and Harper.”

  “You sure Bradley wants a group date?”

  Bradley was Daisy’s ‘friends with benefits’ friend. I was never quite sure how to interpret what that meant.

  Daisy shrugged. “I know it doesn’t make sense to you, but we really are just friends. If he cared about whether I brought anyone with me, he certainly wouldn’t have offered up the tickets. Plus, Liam should be back to playing by then. It’s for a game over three months out. Those tickets sell like wildfire and it’s all because of Liam and the other players they signed from London. The Stars finally have a real chance.”

  The idea of seeing Liam play sent my belly in a somersault. This should have knocked some sense into me. Although most of my surgeries involved professional athletes, it was safe to say I didn’t feel too passionate about sports of any kind. It was more of a clinical interest, a curiosity about how the body worked and what was necessary for a particular player to play in peak form. It was all about getting them back to their best. Those screaming fans—not me. But the thought of watching Liam in action sent a hot shiver up my spine.

  Chapter 17

  Liam

  I stepped off the treadmill and snagged the towel hanging on the handlebar, wiping my face and draping the towel over my shoulder. Tim stepped off the treadmill beside me, his eyes traveling up and down my body. Being a professional athlete had me accustomed to constant perusal in an impersonal sense by coaching staff and the like.

  “How’s the knee feeling?” he asked.

  I flexed my knee and leaned my weight on it. “Great, actually. Honestly, the only time I notice much difference anymore is right when I get out of bed. Takes a minute to loosen up.” It was going on a month since my surgery, which amazed me when I thought about it. If it weren’t for my near obsession with Olivia, I surmised the time would be dragging, yet she gave me plenty to think about. I was also busy with PT, attending team meetings and observing practices. I might be a bit restless, but I wasn’t bored.

  I grabbed the water bottle Tim handed over and guzzled most of it down. I’d just put in a good thirty minutes on the combo treadmill he had me using daily. He’d gradually begun to up the intervals, adding more intensity to the workout. This was only one part of what we did daily. I spent so much time with Tim, I’d gotten to know him quite well. I thanked the stars I liked the guy, otherwise these would be some long days.

  Tim gestured for me to follow him over to another part of the gym in the clinic. They had an entire area filled with pulleys and whatnot to build strength. Football, at least the kind I played, didn’t necessitate the bulk American football players needed, so I wasn’t buried in the weights section like a few others working out at the clinic. I was starting to get impatient to be back in play. But I’d quickly discovered following Tim’s recommendations seemed to be working like a charm, so I hewed to his plodding pace.

  I was in the middle of some stretches, when Tim paused what he was saying when someone said his name. At the sound of Olivia’s voice, a prickle ran up my spine and a smile bloomed inside and out. Every so often the surgeons passed through the workout area, yet this was the first time Olivia had been in here when I was. I slowly stood from where I’d been seated on the mats and turned to see her walking our direction. Her eyes widened slightly when she saw me. It had been almost a week since I’d seen her, what with her sidestepping me every time I tried to persuade her to see me again. My body tightened at the memory of the last time I had seen her—buried deep inside of her with her pulsing around me. Oh yes, that had been one of the best mornings I’d ever had, following one of the best nights.

  She was wearing a skirt again, a narrow, fitted skirt that came to her knees. A perfectly respectable skirt, nothing even the slightest bit naughty about it. All I could think about was the last time I saw her in perhaps that very same skirt with it shoved up around her thighs and my fingers stroking into h
er slick channel. As before, she wore a simple blouse over the skirt, buttoned as far as it could go without choking her, and a white lab coat. She must be in consult mode today, instead of seeing patients for surgery.

  She stopped in front of us and reached up to adjust her glasses. Her curls were tightly pulled back with only one wild curl escaping and tangling around her glasses. Tim rested his hands on his hips. “Dr. Bowen, what brings you here?”

  “I need a few minutes to check in about the surgery from yesterday morning. He’s scheduled to meet with you tomorrow afternoon. I’m booked for the rest of today, so I wanted to make sure we scheduled a time to meet before you see him.”

  “Of course. Let me check my schedule,” Tim replied, pulling his smartphone out of his pocket. I assumed he was checking his calendar.

  Olivia’s eyes flicked to me, the first time she actually looked at me since she reached us. The moment our gazes connected, it was as if a match lit the air between us. My cock hardened, and a subtle flush rose on her cheeks.

  “Hello Dr. Bowen,” I said with a wink and almost burst out laughing when the flush on her cheeks deepened to cherry red. I figured my best bet was to behave as I usually would, and I loved to flirt. Tim would think nothing of it.

  She adjusted her glasses again and swallowed audibly. “Hello Liam. It looks like you’re recovering quite nicely.”

  Tim glanced up from his phone. “He’s doing great. He’s definitely on track to meet our goal of getting him back in action within three months.” He tapped his phone. “Let’s check in tomorrow first thing. Will 7:30 work for you?” he asked, looking to Olivia.

  She nodded and started to say something. I knew she’d likely move right along after that, so I cut in. “Dr. Bowen, I meant to ask something.” She snapped her mouth shut, her eyes narrowing on me. I loved it when she looked all proper and annoyed with me. The air around us fairly crackled with the tension emanating from her and damn did it turn me on. “I’ve been doing some reading to make sure I can move things along. I understand I might need to be careful about putting pressure on my knee. Can you clarify what that means? Does it relate to my actual playing or…?” I let my words trail off. I’d just bloody lied about reading anything of the sort, but I wanted to tease Olivia. She’d insisted on riding me the other night, all because she didn’t want me to put any pressure on my knee. She could ride me to madness again and again if it meant I was buried deep inside of her.

  She shifted her legs, and the flush on her cheeks deepened. If I hadn’t been so attuned to her, I might not have noticed that she rubbed her thighs together, making me wonder if she was as wet as I was hard. Her eyes flicked to Tim, but he was distracted and texting something on his phone. Her gaze swung back to me, her cheeks still cherry red. “Not knowing what you were reading, I can’t speak specifically to that. Generally speaking, pressure on your knee would come from extending it too much in this healing stage, or actual pressure, such as kneeling on it,” she finally said.

  “Ah. Well that’s helpful. I’ll be certain to be careful about that.” I almost grinned because it was so fun to tease her, yet I’d put myself in a bad state with wanting her so badly just now. I needed to ease up if only not to make a fool of myself.

  Tim glanced up and slipped his phone back in his pocket. “Sorry about the interruption there.” He glanced between us, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Did you need anything else?” he asked, his question directed to Olivia. “If not, we’ll get back to work.”

  “That was all. Thank you.” Olivia held still for a moment before giving her head a little shake and turning away. I watched her hips sway with her steps under her tidy, proper skirt and thought again about yanking it up and bending her over.

  After she exited the room, Tim cleared his throat. I had lost track of time and felt a little lost myself. Olivia did that to me. Tim words startled me.

  “Dr. Bowen is one of the best surgeons here and one of the nicest people I know. Seeing the way you’re looking at her, I’m going to flat out tell you I’ll personally kick your ass if you hurt her. She’s not a woman to tease with,” Tim said bluntly.

  I met his gaze head on, trying to control my expression even though he’d startled me. I considered what to say. I was coming to learn my life was now divided. There was ‘before Olivia’ time and ‘after Olivia’ time. Before Olivia, I’d have shrugged and carried on, easily letting go of any fantasies I had. Easy come, easy go. After Olivia, I wondered how to make sense of the jumble of feelings swirling inside me. I couldn’t even fathom hurting her, but then what the bloody hell did that mean? I loved teasing her, but not the way he meant. I knew I couldn’t tell him what had transpired between us. I didn’t think Tim would care for the reasons Olivia thought, but I knew it would bother her, so I wouldn’t say a word. I called upon my usual swagger and shrugged, aiming for casual. “Just enjoying the view.”

  Tim arched a brow. “Fair enough, but cut it out. Dr. Bowen won’t appreciate it.”

  No. No, she most certainly wouldn’t and didn’t…unless we were alone. I shrugged again and got back to my stretching.

  A few hours later when the sky was turning wispy gray and the streetlights flickered on as I walked the few blocks to my apartment, I stopped on the sidewalk and slipped my phone out. I’d tried to find Olivia as I was leaving the clinic, but her office was dark and I didn’t trust myself to try to find her in the examination area. Our brief encounter in the gym had sent my body into hours of longing and lust. Much as I didn’t give a bloody damn if anyone saw us together, I knew she did, and I respected that.

  I pulled her number up and texted her.

  I’m not above groveling if that’s what’s required to see you again.

  I leaned against the building closest to me and watched the busy street as I waited to see if she’d reply. When I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, I pulled it out.

  Don’t be so dramatic. How about tomorrow?

  Tonight. Please.

  I stared at the screen, waiting impatiently as the dots blinked at me, indicating she was typing.

  Okay. In an hour. Where?

  Your place to start. Leave your hair up.

  I’d abandoned any sense within myself and freely admitted I loved her hair. I especially loved seeing it all tidy and then making it wild and messy.

  Are you serious?! It’s my hair.

  And I love it. See you in an hour.

  I didn’t wait to see if she had anything to add and pushed off the building to stop by my flat first.

  Within moments, I walked into the flat I shared with Alex and headed straight for my room. I’d showered at the clinic, but figured perhaps I could bother to change. Alex gave a wave from where he sat on the couch watching game tapes. I quickly changed and returned to the living room, plunking down beside him on the couch. I glanced at the screen and almost flinched. He was watching one of the games we lost back in London. I knew the team we’d lost to was scheduled to play our new team here in Seattle for an exhibition game, so it made perfect sense for him to watch. The Stars had yet to play this team, so we didn’t have the option to watch prior matches. The only reason they were playing was for the press. American pro teams didn’t play British pro teams unless it was for exhibition. It was painful to try to watch. I’d been so bloody out of it. Mum’s death had thrown me for a loop of the worst sort. I watched as I missed the critical pass that allowed the opposing team to steal the ball.

  Alex hit pause and glanced to me. “How’d PT go today?”

  “Good, I guess. Tim thinks I’m on track to be back in play on time.”

  Alex held my gaze and nodded slowly. “Good. You’re not too gimpy,” he said with a slow grin.

  I punched him lightly in the shoulder. “Not so much.” I nodded toward the frozen screen. “Think the team’s ready for those blokes?”

  Alex ran a hand through his hair and leaned back into the couch. “Think so. We need you though. Matt’s doing his best, but he’s not you.”
<
br />   Alex was referring to Matt Brady, the backup player for my position on the team. I liked Matt, and he was a solid player. I wasn’t much for rating my skills against a teammate, but I knew Matt didn’t play at the level I did. My chest tightened and that anxiety I’d thought mostly banished rose inside. It was impossible not to wonder if I’d make it back to form and be able to play the way I had before. With my PT progress, I felt good, but I had enough sense to know I wouldn’t know until I was back in play. I took a slow breath and tried to push the anxiety away. “Right. He’s got some solid skills. He can get the team through this patch if you guys make some adjustments.”

  Alex nodded. “Right. Working on it.” He paused to take a long pull from the beer he had sitting on the coffee table. “Where you headed?” he asked when he set his beer down again.

  “Dinner with Olivia.” Alex wasn’t too nosy for a mate, but it was pointless to hide much from him. He knew me too bloody well.

  He held my gaze for a long moment and nodded slowly. “Since when do you take a girl out more than once?”

  “Since Olivia,” I said simply.

  He chuckled softly. “Right, mate. Here I was worried about her and now I’m wondering if I need to worry about you.”

  I shifted my shoulders and eyed him. “No need to worry, mate.”

  Alex arched a brow, but he didn’t add anything. I ignored the thread of discomfort rising inside. There was ‘before Olivia’ and ‘after Olivia,’ and I hadn’t a clue how to navigate the disquieting feelings swirling inside.

  Chapter 18

  Olivia

  I glared at the mirror after another failed attempt to make my curls behave. Liam had asked me to leave my hair up, and I’d proceeded to spend close to a half hour dallying with my hair. First, I decided I was going to leave it down out of spite. It got under my skin to have him tell me what to do with my hair. Yet, it turned me on, sweet hell did it turn me on. So then, I decided I’d put it back up. I wore my hair in a knot almost every day, so this should have taken me no more than a few minutes. My hair was being naughty and fighting every attempt to tame it. I never should have taken it down. There was this one curl that kept popping out every which way. I ran my hand under the water and smoothed the curl into place, knowing full well it would likely unwind itself as soon as it dried.