Out Of Bounds (Brit Boys Sports Romance Book 3)

by J. H. Croix

  She spun her chair to face me again, her eyebrows lifting in question. She was a slender woman, her features sharp and defined, softened only by the kindness in her eyes. I hoped I could count on her kindness to get me through this.

  I took a deep breath, adjusted my glasses and forced myself to speak. “I can’t quite believe I’m about to say this, but I had dinner twice with a patient I operated on last month. I know it shouldn’t have happened, and I don’t have any good reason other than he kept asking me. I decided I should come talk to you about it because I don’t want to cause problems, and I’m worried it will. If I’m in trouble, please just tell me now.” My words tumbled out in a rush, and I only stopped when I ran out of breath.

  I adjusted my glasses again and then twisted my hands together in my lap. I had to force myself to look back at her. Dr. Adams’ expression had gone flat—which I knew to mean she was thinking something, but she was trying to keep it from showing. My stomach was churning so hard, I prayed I wouldn’t actually vomit. I couldn’t believe how stupid I’d been. All my life, I’d been one of the ‘good girls.’ I never got in trouble at school, I never had a grade lower than an A, and I followed the rules everywhere I went. I was that person who actually came to a full stop at stop signs in the middle of nowhere. Which is why I couldn’t quite believe how much I’d lost my mind over Liam. Until I’d seen that damn photo, I’d been stumbling about in a daze. Oh, I’d been worried about the boundaries I was crossing, but to say I’d been in a bit of a haze of lust was an understatement. The photo had been like ice water dumped on my head.

  Dr. Adams’ expression shifted from flat to bemused. She leaned back in her chair and drummed her fingers on the desk. “Let me guess. Liam Reed?”

  My cheeks got hot instantly. I swallowed and nodded. “How…?”

  “I happened to see him in the gym with Tim the other day. You were on your way out and his eyes were glued to you.” She took a breath, her gaze sobering again. “I obviously don’t need to tell you this was definitely not a good choice.”

  My gut kept churning away, and I swallowed. Oh, I knew perfectly well what I’d done was not a good choice. That was putting it mildly.

  “I know. I don’t know what I was thinking. I won’t see him again and if I’m fired, just tell me now.”

  Dr. Adams sighed. “Olivia, I’m not firing you. The ethics on this aren’t as black and white as you might think. There is a suggested guideline that doctors shouldn’t pursue a romantic relationship until more than six months have passed since they treated a patient. Obviously, it’s only been about six weeks, and Liam is still a patient with the clinic. I know he’s formally discharged from surgical care, but we’re on shaky ground if we pretend like you have nothing to do with his care. If he experiences any complications, you would be the consulting physician. That’s not an option now. I’ll need to set it up in the system so you have no access to his health records, and I’ll need to talk with Tim to make sure he doesn’t seek you out for additional consultation. If Liam has any future need for follow up, you cannot treat him. I know you’re not going to like it, but I will notify the clinic board. They may decide to formally reprimand you, and I obviously have to write you up. The worst case here would be a formal reprimand, but the clinic will only want to do damage control. Liam is a consenting adult and clearly pursued you. If it were any other scenario, it wouldn’t matter how valuable you are to the clinic. If you’re worried about your medical license, the only worry you have there is if Liam decides to file a complaint. I’m guessing that won’t be a problem. As for your employment status, I’m shocked, but it doesn’t change the fact I trust you completely as a doctor and don’t doubt your ability to provide excellent care. It speaks highly of you that you came to me. I’d rather find out from you than another way.”

  My heart was still racing and my stomach churning madly, but I managed to take a deep breath and nod. Relief washed through me. Not because she didn’t fire me, but because I’d finally gotten it off my chest. I’d have to face the music with the clinic board, but I could handle that. I twisted my hands and wiped them on my scrubs again. I wasn’t sure what else to say. It had taken all of my wherewithal to get through the last bit, and I didn’t have it in me to think much more.

  Dr. Adams saved me by shifting focus slightly. “Forgive me if I’m being too personal here, but it’s so unlike you to do something like this, I can’t help but wonder what Liam means to you.”

  My heart set off on another gallop. Liam meant way too much to me, and I had no idea what to do about any of it. I looked over at Dr. Adams and almost burst into tears. Her perceptive gaze met mine, and she sighed softly. “Oh, I see. Well, if you’re going to set yourself up for an HR write up and a board reprimand, it might as well be for someone who matters.” My mouth fell open, but I snapped it shut. I didn’t know what to think of everyone around me so easily honing in on how much Liam had gotten to me. For a moment, I thought she might say more, but she didn’t. After a few beats of quiet, she spun in her chair. “Let’s look at those numbers.”

  ***

  A few hours later, I walked home through the light rain. It was chilly, and I’d forgotten my raincoat at the clinic. I started shivering as soon as my thin cotton scrubs got wet, but I doggedly kept walking, figuring it was only a fifteen-minute walk. After my meeting with Dr. Adams, the rest of the day had gone by in a blur. I was beyond relieved I’d finally talked with her. Yet, my brain had promptly shifted gears to worrying about what to do about my feelings for Liam. He wasn’t just some guy. I was terrified I might be falling in love with him and guessed that was the furthest thing from his mind. The usual me would want to box myself away from him, but oddly I wanted to see him, as if he could somehow make me feel better. How I’d been so stupid to fall for an internationally famous footballer with women all over the world lusting after him, I didn’t know. I had enough sense to know he’d likely pursued me because I tried to turn him down. Once the novelty of that wore off, his attention would drift elsewhere.

  I was looking down at the sidewalk as I walked up to my building, idly counting the cracks as I stepped over them. I fumbled for my keys, but my hands were cold and my keys fell in a clatter to the ground. I leaned over to pick them up, but not before a man’s hand curled over them, a hand I recognized the second I saw it. Liam had sexy hands, hands that sent shivers through me in more ways than one—strong, nimble and slightly battered with a few scars. My breath caught, and I whipped my head up, straightening to find Liam standing beside the door. I’d been so out of it, I hadn’t even noticed him. His black hair was damp, his blue eyes bright in the rainy gray light. His mouth curled at one corner. “Hello luv. You’re all wet.”

  I ran a hand over my damp hair. Curls were escaping willy-nilly. I felt about as attractive as a lump of mud in my scrubs after a long day at work, an emotionally draining meeting with my boss, and my mind stuck on the hamster wheel of Liam. Yet, I was so happy to see him, I smiled. His return grin was wide and like the sun coming out after days of rain. “You shan’t chase me off just yet. I decided since you kept coming up with your reasons for being too busy, I’d drop by your flat. Shall we go up then?”

  I didn’t even hesitate and nodded. When I tried to fit the key in the door, my hands were cold enough, they weren’t working too well. Liam stepped beside me and curled his warm hand over mine. “Let me get it.”

  Shivering in the wet cold, I nodded and handed him the keys. He had us through the door quickly and placed a warm palm on my back as we walked up the stairs. He didn’t say anything, and I didn’t know what to say. The day had been so full of stressful and confusing feelings, I wanted nothing more than to get warm and dry and curl up beside him.

  Once we were in my apartment, I looked toward him. His eyes coasted over me. “You’re shivering. Shower for you,” he said matter-of-factly.

  Next thing I knew, he’d peeled me out of my scrubs and started the shower. There was nothing sexual about his touch,
and it was strangely comforting. He chucked his own clothes off at the last minute and followed me into the shower. With the steaming water running over me, I finally started to thaw. We traded the soap, and I turned to face him. All of the sudden, tears welled and a sob broke from me.

  Chapter 23

  Liam

  Olivia’s looked over at me, her dark lashes spiky and her green eyes luminous in the steam. The moment I’d seen her walking toward her building, I’d known something was off. Her shoulders had been hunched against the rain, her eyes weary when she’d first seen me, exuding a sense of vulnerability. Just now, pain and confusion flashed in her eyes. The soap slipped from her hands, falling to the shower floor with a thump, and she burst into tears, burying her face in her hands.

  I didn’t even stop to think. All I knew was I would do anything to erase her pain. I wrapped her in my arms, sliding my hand up and down her back in slow passes and murmuring against her hair. Water sluiced over us and steam billowed around us as I held her. She slowly lowered her hands, relaxing in my hold and slipping her arms around my waist. She trembled slightly, but her sobs slowed by degrees, and I finally felt her take a deep breath. She’d buried her face in my chest and slowly lifted it. I loosened my hold and leaned back enough to look down at her. A bolt of pain slashed me—her pain was my pain. I didn’t have to know what it was about. Her eyes held mine in the misty air.

  My chest felt tight, and my heart started to pound hard and fast. Olivia slid her hands around my waist, sliding across my slippery skin and up my chest. The air around us felt electrified. Whatever she’d been feeling appeared to have eased. Her gaze locked with mine, dark and intent. I was becoming accustomed to my inability to control anything that happened with her. Just now, part of me held onto the worry about what had caused her to burst into tears. Me, the man who’d never wanted a woman to read too much into anything, was worrying Olivia would think it was all about sex.

  My body, on the other hand, thought it was bloody perfect to have Olivia’s hands exploring me. Her touch became rushed and frantic, almost as if she wanted to lose herself. I reached for her, but she dodged, her lips following her hands. My breath came out in a hiss when she placed a palm on my chest and firmly pushed me. My back collided with the cool tile wall as she shimmied down and curled her hand around my cock, which had gone rock hard in a matter of seconds the moment the energy between us shifted.

  She glanced up through her wet lashes, her eyes locking to mine, as she leaned forward and dragged her tongue along the underside of my cock. My head fell to the tile wall with a thunk as her mouth closed over me, and she set to drive me completely mindless.

  If there was one thing I’d come to learn about Olivia was she approached things thoroughly. I had enough sense to know she hadn’t become so well-known as a surgeon by chance. No, I was certain she’d been a straight A-plus student, which naturally lent itself to the understanding she was a woman of focus and intent. Just now, that focus and intent was pointed like a laser at me. Or more specifically, my cock. And holy hell was that the best thing ever. In the entire universe. Her warm, wet mouth took me in again and again with her tongue driving me mad in between with long, slow strokes. I was close, so close to release, but I needed to be inside of her.

  I reached for her, pulling her up more roughly than I intended, but I was so far gone, all I could think about was getting as close as possible to her. I lifted her against me. She gratified me by instantly winding her legs around me. I could feel the slick heat of her against me and gritted my teeth. I hadn’t thought far enough ahead to cart condoms into the shower.

  “Olivia. Wait,” I bit out when she tightened her legs around my hips and arched against me.

  She lightly bit my neck and mumbled something. I pushed the glass door open with my shoulder, juggling her against me.

  “Where are you going?” she asked, leaning back to look at me.

  I was in almost physical pain from holding back, but I managed to speak. “Condom.”

  Her eyes widened, a smile spreading. “Right there,” she said, pointing to a basket hanging from the showerhead. Shampoo and other assorted bath products were overflowing, but I certainly didn’t see any condoms. She reached over my shoulder and shoved the shampoo out of the way, coming up with a condom. In seconds, she tore the packet open, and I positioned my cock at her entrance. I forced myself to wait because I needed to see her.

  I brushed a wet curl out of her eyes. “Olivia.”

  Her eyes lifted to meet mine, and she curled her legs more tightly around me. Our gazes stayed locked together as I sank slowly inside her. Her eyes widened when I seated myself fully within her creamy clench. A wave of emotion crested within me, and I pulled her closer until our bodies were plastered together. Our skin was slick from the hot water raining down over us. Her nipples were taut and felt so damn good against my chest, I almost came without even moving. But I needed to move, needed to feel her release. With the wall behind me and her twined around me, I couldn’t move much, but I didn’t need to. We rocked slowly together. Her channel throbbed as soft pants and cries came from her. Lust was coiled so tightly inside me, the pressure built and built until she arched against me and cried out. My release followed hers with a raw shout as her channel tightened and pulsed around me.

  Her head fell against my shoulder. I held her close and closed my eyes, savoring the feel of her surrounding me. After several long moments, we untangled ourselves, climbed out of the shower and dried off. Whatever had been weighing on Olivia earlier seemed to have dissipated. She dressed in soft fleece pants and a top, made hot chocolate and nudged me into bed with her, all of which I was perfectly happy to go along with.

  “On my way home, all I wanted was to get warm and dry.” She paused and bit her lip, her cheeks flushing slightly. I loved it. “I got more than I bargained for, but I still want warm, so we’re watching TV in here.”

  She dragged extra pillows into her bedroom from the couch and piled them high. I lay in bed later, listening to Olivia’s steady breathing as she slept beside me. She was definitely warm and dry, and my heart was tripping uncertainly along this road I’d never taken. I was still wondering what had put the pain in Olivia’s eyes earlier, but hadn’t wanted to push. There was also the rather inconvenient fact I had next to no clue how to navigate this emotional terrain. It wasn’t something I’d dealt with before and it set me back on my heels. I liked to feel in control and most of my life I did. Being a world-class athlete, no matter the sport in question, meant a level of commitment, concentration and discipline, all of which signified control on a meta level. I was entirely comfortable feeling as if I was master of the play on the pitch, which dominated my life.

  Whatever this was with Olivia had shaken me because I felt out of control, tumbling along in forces of desire and emotion. The last few months of my life in general had shaken me, what with my mother’s sudden death, being signed to a new team in another country, and being sidelined by my knee injury. Of all of those events, my mother’s death and my feelings for Olivia shared the most because they involved my heart. The trade and my knee were things I could manage. My emotions, well they were something else altogether.

  When Olivia shifted onto her side, her lush bottom bumping against my hip, I rolled to face her and pulled her close against me, nuzzling into the soft curve of her neck. I fell asleep breathing in the scent of her.

  Chapter 24

  Olivia

  At the sound of a knock on my office door, I called out for whomever it was to come in. Tim Maxwell stepped inside, closing the door behind him. Tim was one of our best physical therapists and rehab coaches. We had plenty of PT’s on staff with incredible skill, yet Tim’s way of approaching clients took his care to the next level. He wasn’t intimidated by pro athletes and had absolutely no problem standing up to them if they tried to push their recovery too fast. He was also one of the nicest guys I knew and a friend. I wouldn’t usually feel the slightest bit of anxiety abou
t seeing him, yet I knew it was likely Dr. Adams had pulled him aside to inform him he couldn’t consult with me about Liam.

  “Hey Tim. How’s it going?” I asked, striving to keep my anxiety from bubbling up too much.

  He sat down across from my desk and eyed me for a long moment, which served only to spin the anxiety faster inside. “So, I understand I’m not to consult with you if any complications arise with Liam Reed’s recovery.”

  I adjusted my glasses and nodded. My relief at talking to Dr. Adams didn’t keep me from beating myself up for even being in this mess to begin with. I’d promised myself I’d find a way to end whatever it was I was doing with Liam, and instead I’d spent another night with him. I swatted those thoughts away and focused on the moment. Marshaling, my composure, I met Tim’s gaze. “That’s right.”

  A slow smile spread across Tim’s face. “I never thought you’d be the one in this situation. How’d Dr. Adams handle it when you talked with her?”

  “As well as could be expected. I’m just praying whatever the clinic board does isn’t too awful,” I said with a sigh.

  Tim’s smile faded. “They’ll do something, but you won’t lose your position here. You’re too valuable, and you did the right thing by going to Dr. Adams.” He paused, his gaze considering. “You surprised me, but it didn’t surprise me a bit the man in question happened to be Liam. That man can hardly keep his eyes off of you. I must admit I warned him off. Liam’s a nice guy, but I’d hate to see you get hurt. I don’t think he’d mean to hurt you, but he’s one of Britain’s favorite heartthrobs and on his way to that here in Seattle. Don’t suppose you’d tell me if this is serious?”