by J. S. Cooper
“Are you ready, Alice?” Aiden said sarcastically as he stared at me. “Or would you like us to wait while you discuss your sex life?”
“Please go ahead,” I squeaked out and glared at him. Insufferable pig. I looked away from him, angry that I had somehow turned back to my teenage self around him. I was older now. More confident. More capable. I wasn’t some immature little teenager anymore. I was an adult, and I wasn’t going to allow Aiden to make me feel like some naughty little kid. At least, not outside of the bedroom.
***
“I’m glad you’re on my team.” Henry smiled at me as we stood at the end of the field, panting.
“Me too.” I smiled and took a deep breath. My heart was racing from all the running, and I just wanted to collapse onto the ground.
“The other team seems to be way too serious.” He laughed and we watched as Aiden and Xander kept throwing the ball back and forth.
“I don’t know how Aiden and Xander wound up on the same team.” I laughed. “It almost seems unfair. Though I’m glad because that means I’m not paired with either of them.”
“Poor Liv.” Henry grinned and we watched as she kept yelling at the two men to pass her the ball.
“I know.” I laughed. “Do you think we should run down there and try and grab the flags?”
“Nah, not yet.” He shook his head. “Our teammates can handle the defense for now. Seems like you still need to catch your breath.”
“Yeah.” I nodded, not feeling embarrassed that he’d noticed what bad shape I was in. “I guess that’s what I get for working in an office.”
“What do you do?” he asked curiously.
“Nothing fun.” I laughed. “I’m an assistant, secretary, receptionist for a real estate company.” I made a face. “It’s boring, but it pays the bills until I can do what I want to do.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I’d love to be an actress.” I smiled at him. “Isn’t that what everyone says that works as an assistant?”
“No, I think that’s what baristas normally say.”
“True,” I agreed and sighed. “Okay, that was a bit of a lie. I don’t really want to be an actress.”
“Oh?” He looked confused. “That’s a weird lie.”
“I know.” I shook my head. “I’m an idiot. It just sounded more glorious than what I really want to do.”
“What’s that, then?” He scratched his forehead. “Let me guess.”
“Okay, then, guess.” I smiled.
“You want to be a preservationist and preserve insects?”
“Eww, no.” I giggled.
“Okay, let me guess again.” He pursed his lips and looked thoughtful, his green eyes alive with humor as he gazed at me. “You want to model lingerie at Victoria’s Secret?”
“No!” I said emphatically, and he laughed.
“A man can hope.” He winked at me and I could feel myself blushing. Was he flirting with me?
“That’s never going to happen. That would be my worst nightmare.”
“What would be your worst nightmare?” Liv came running towards me, her face a deep red and her eyes looking crazy and wild from all the exercise.
“Me being a lingerie model.”
“What?” She stopped dead in her tracks and started laughing. “Who’s gone and offered you that job, then?”
“No one offered me that job.” I shook my head and rolled my eyes. “Henry was just saying that—”
“Liv!” Aiden ran up to us and shouted at his sister. “Stop bloody talking.” He glared at her and blew his whistle. “Everyone stop!”
“What’s up with the whistle?” Liv looked confused as all the players came to a halt. “What’s going on?”
“That’s what I want to know.” Aiden frowned and gazed at me for a second before looking away. “Alice and Henry aren’t doing anything, and now you’re just standing there talking as well. Are you guys sure you want to be a part of these games?”
“I was playing!” Liv shouted. “I just stopped because Alice was telling me about her offer to be a lingerie model.”
“I didn’t say I was offered that job.” I groaned.
“I think there has been some confusion,” Henry spoke up. “Alice hasn’t been offered that as a job yet, it’s just her dream job to be a lingerie model at Victoria’s Secret.”
“No, it’s not!” I screeched and looked at Aiden beseechingly. “Henry asked me if I wanted to model lingerie, and I said no.”
“I don’t care what the two of you talk about.” Aiden’s eyes narrowed as he gazed at me and shook his head. “Save your personal talk for after the game is done.”
“I … ugh.” I closed my mouth in frustration. “I am playing. I was just trying to catch my breath because I was feeling a little tired from all the running back and forth.”
“Maybe you can take her to your gym and help her work out,” Liv suggested. “What do you say, Aiden?”
“I guess.” He frowned, and my heart thudded at the thought of some one-on-one time with Aiden.
“You can come to my gym if you want.” Henry grinned at me. “I make a great personal trainer.”
“Oh, thanks.” I looked at him with wide eyes. This wasn’t part of the plan. I’d thought that Henry was just being nice to me, but now I wasn’t so sure. Was he flirting with me for real?
“I think it would be fun.” He winked at me. “Plus, then we can finish this conversation without having a whistle blown at us.”
“Finish what conversation?” Aiden’s eyes narrowed and he took a step towards us.
“Alice was telling me what she wants to be when she grows up.” Henry smiled, seemingly unaware of the fact that Aiden wasn’t looking very happy.
“She wants to be a casting agent for reality show TV stars.” Aiden glanced at me as he spoke. “Though it kills me to call anyone who goes on a reality TV show a star.”
“How did you know that?” I asked him in surprise.
“How could I not know that?” He shrugged. “You’ve mentioned it a billion times.”
“I didn’t know you ever bothered listening to me,” I said softly.
“I always listen to you, Alice,” he said, his eyes boring into mine intensely. However, I couldn’t figure out what his gaze was telling me. Did he listen to me because he liked me or because I just talked too much?
“So that’s why you said actress?” Henry put his arm around my shoulder, and I wanted to groan as Aiden pursed his lips and took a step back. I could see Liv’s eyes gleaming at me with joy and excitement. She seemed to be the only one loving this little chat.
“Yeah, actress seemed a more dignified answer than casting for The Bachelor.” I smiled at him, my face reddening as he rubbed the top of my shoulders innocently. Or at least, I thought he was rubbing them innocently.
“I don’t know.” He laughed. “Both seem to be pretty naughty professions.”
“Naughty?” I looked at him with a curious expression. “Why naughty?”
“Are you two ready to play?” Xander interrupted this time, his green eyes looking at me with disapproval.
“I’ve been ready,” I said in reply. “It wasn’t me who stopped the game, it was Aiden.”
“Yeah, Xander. It was Aiden who blew his whistle, like some sort of trumped-up referee.” Liv glared at Xander. “This is just meant to be a friendly game. This isn’t the NFL.”
“They don’t play flag football in the NFL,” Xander replied to her with an amused smile.
“Exactly,” she said with an annoyed expression. “This isn’t the NFL.”
“Liv, if you and Alice don’t want to play flag football, then you can both just leave.” Aiden spoke up this time and my heart stopped. “When we’re playing the game, we should be playing the game. We aren’t here to hear about your sex lives or the sexy lingerie you’re buying. Or how much you need to work out because you can’t keep up with the rest of us.”
I gasped at his words and
my mouth fell open. My face was hot with humiliation, and I glared at his smug and superior expression. Was he calling me a fat ass?
“Aiden, you’re such a pompous jerk.” Liv just shook her head and then looked at Xander. “And you’re an asshole.”
“I’m an asshole?” He put his hands up in the air. “I didn’t even say anything.”
“Exactly. How could you let Aiden speak to us like that?”
“What?” Xander sounded frustrated. I was about to cut in and say something when Henry cleared his throat loudly.
“Look, guys, this is my fault,” he said smoothly. “I was the one talking to Alice and monopolizing her time. I won’t do it on the field anymore. I’ll just wait until we go out for drinks later.”
“Whatever,” Aiden said and then blew his whistle again. “If everyone is ready to begin playing again, maybe we can get back to the game.”
“We were playing the game before you stopped us, Aiden,” Liv said loudly. “I think we’re all ready to get back to something other than you trying to boss us around.”
“Grow up, Liv.” Aiden rolled his eyes. “I thought you’d start acting your age now that you have a boyfriend.”
“Excuse me?” Liv walked over to him, and I watched as Xander grabbed her around the waist and pulled her towards him and whispered something in her ear. She turned to me then and gave me an exasperated look as if to say, “Why do you want to date my brother again? He’s a big old jerk.”
And then, because the day was going so perfectly already, my luck got even better. “I’m here, folks!” A loud boyish voice echoed across the field, and we all turned to watch as Scott came running towards us, a huge grin on his handsome face. My stomach flipped anxiously as he ran directly towards me. This was the last thing that I needed. I was supposed to be making Aiden jealous and antsy with random guys, not his sister’s boyfriend’s rich brother or his own brother. I could still remember the night that Aiden had spotted Scott kissing me, and I wanted to scream out in frustration. Why was this happening to me? Why was it that the guys I didn’t want paying attention to me were circling around me like vultures?
“Hey, Alice.” Scott stopped right next to me and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“Hey,” I said weakly, and I gazed at Aiden quickly. He was staring at me with a closed expression on his face, and I offered him a small smile, which he didn’t return.
“I heard you were going to be playing so I—”
“Eeeep!” Aiden blew his whistle loudly and interrupted Scott. “Scott, you can be on Alice’s team. And you guys can talk later. At the bar.” He looked at me then and smirked slightly. “Just remember to take a number, though, as Henry’s already got his ticket ready to talk to her first.” And with that he blew his whistle again and turned around. I could tell that everyone on the field, except for Liv, Xander and I, was confused about what was going on. All I could think about was getting back at Aiden for being such a prickhead. I was going to pay once I got him into my bed, of course. I thought back to what Xander had said about Aiden being a Dom, and I knew then exactly what I was going to try and do. I was going to make Aiden think I wanted to submit to him, but instead of letting him dominate me, I was going to tease him until he begged me to stop. Only then would I be able to wipe that smug little smirk from his way-too-handsome face.
“Next game, we need to kick their asses,” Liv whispered in my ear as she glared at her brother.
“Yup,” I said back to her. “Next game, we need to show them that we girls can kick ass at football as well.”
Chapter Six
The Way to a Man’s Lap Is Through a Horror Movie
“Argh, my muscles are still sore from football.” I groaned as my calf muscles tingled. “Why am I in such bad shape?”
“So am I.” Liv made a face. “We need to start working out.”
“That doesn’t sound like fun.” I made a face at her.
“We’ll go to the gym and walk on the treadmill,” she said and nodded to herself. “And maybe we can practice throwing the football at the park.”
“Why?”
“So we can practice,” she said. “I want us to show up and just totally dominate the game. We need to show Aiden and Xander that we aren’t just weak, unsporty girls. I totally didn’t appreciate how they basically excluded me from every play.”
“I know,” I agreed. “That was so uncool.”
“Yeah, we need to show those boys that girls can kick ass in sports as well.”
“I guess so.” I sighed and stretched my legs out. “Though I don’t know I will ever kick ass in football.”
“Yes, you will, Alice. You need to have a positive mental attitude.”
“I’m trying,” I said and sighed. “I mean, I’m still trying to have a positive attitude about Aiden and me getting together.”
“About that …” Liv said and grinned. “Let’s go over the plan.” She looked down at her notepad and then back up at me. “I’m going to invite Aiden over to watch a movie as a way for us to make up for the argument that went down.” She made a face. “He thinks that we were inappropriate on the football field yesterday and that we shouldn’t argue like that in front of others.”
“Since when has he cared about being an ass in front of others?” I was surprised, but pleased to hear that he was going to be coming over.
“Since he realized I’m not a little kid anymore.” She laughed. “Anyway, I’m going to tell him to bring a movie and a bottle of wine and that is how he can make it up to me.”
“But you’re not going to be here, right?” I said, trying to confirm that the plan was the same as this morning.
“Yeah, well, I’ll be here when he arrives, but just before the movie starts, I’m going to leave abruptly because Xander is going to need me.”
“He knows he’s going to need you, right?” I asked skeptically; I wasn’t sure we could count on Xander following through in helping us with our plan.
“Trust me, he knows he’s going to need me.” She grinned. “I told him to call me at eight p.m. on the dot. I’ll talk to him and then leave and then you and Aiden can watch the movie. I told Aiden to get a horror movie—”
“Oh no, you know I hate horror movies.” I groaned.
“That’s why I told him to bring one. You’ll scream and jump into his arms, and he’ll protect you.”
“Protect me from the TV?”
“Well, he’ll put his arm around you to comfort you from the scariness on the screen or whatever, and you can snuggle into his arms.” Liv sounded impatient. “Come on, Alice, you know how it goes. You’re the one who taught me the horror-movie trick.”
“I know.” I sighed. “I just don’t think it will work on Aiden.”
“It works on all men.” Liv grinned. “Even guys who are totally into themselves and have significant others; though it’s unlikely to lead to kissing and messing around with them.”
“It’s unlikely to lead to kissing for me and Aiden, either.”
“Alice,” Liv sighed. “Just go with it, please.”
“Fine.” I shrugged. “I’ll watch a horror movie with him, but I just hope he doesn’t feel like he was tricked and leave. He didn’t exactly seem like he was into me at the football game.”
“We were running up and down a field, he didn’t have time to flirt.”
“I guess so.” I laughed. “Let’s be real, Liv. What he was doing was the opposite of flirting.”
“He was just being a typical macho jealous guy.” Liv rolled her eyes. “Trust me, he’s into you. Even Xander thinks he’s into you. Though he still hasn’t told me that he told you that Aiden was a Dom.” She looked annoyed. “And I hinted around it as well.”
“Oh, Alice.” I shook my head. “You’re not meant to know, remember?” I played with my hair for a few seconds and then continued talking. “And Xander really does think Aiden’s into me?” I asked hopefully.
“Yes.” She grinned. “Thou
gh he also thinks Scott and Henry are into you, too. Oh and that other guy as well, what’s-his-face.”
“Who is what’s-his-face?”
“Jackson. The one guy who kept trying to tackle you.”
“Oh, the tall guy with the crooked nose and bleach-blond hair?” I made a face. “I swear he was trying to grab my tits.”
“Yup, him.” Liv laughed. “He tried to do that to me, too, and Xander elbowed him.”
“Oh, Xander!” I laughed.
“Yeah.” She giggled. “I love it when he acts all jealous. Anyway, back to what I was going to say. This is the perfect opportunity for you to mention that you’ve always been interested in experimenting.”
“Experimenting?” I frowned. “With what? Drugs?”
“No, silly.” Liv laughed and shook her head. “Experimenting in the bedroom.”
“Oh.” My face went red. “You think I should tell him I want to know what it’s like to be a sub?” I bit my lower lip. “Isn’t it too soon for me to be bringing that up?”
“Yes, it’s too soon. No way should you mention anything about wanting to be a sub.” She shuddered and made a face. “That’s way too obvious and honestly, I don’t want to think of you and my brother in a Dom and sub relationship.” Her voice grew as melodramatic as it had the morning after game night when I’d told her what Xander had told me.
“So what should I say?”
“Just say something like, you’ve always been intrigued by couples in alternative lifestyles and you wish you could meet a man who could possess and dominate you.”
“I’m not saying that.” I gave her a look and laughed. “In fact, there is no way in hell I’m saying anything close to that. That’s just as bad as me talking about being a sub and him being a Dom.”
“I think it sounds good,” Liv said with a sigh. “But fine, maybe say, I wish I could meet a man that likes to take charge.”
“Eh.” I groaned. “That just sounds like I’m asking him to take me to the bedroom.”
“Don’t you want him to do that?” She winked at me.