Player

by Natalie Rios

  He narrows his eyes, still skeptical. This asshole is never going to believe me and frankly, I don’t give a shit. I don’t have anything to prove to him or anyone else not named Allie Perez.

  “Look, Allie can take care of herself. If I break her heart, she’ll probably be the first in line to kick my ass. You can be the second. You should be more worried about the guy stalking your sister.”

  Schmidt’s brows pinch together. “Wait. There really is a stalker? Allie wasn’t making that shit up?”

  “Why would she make up a stalker?”

  “I don’t know, man. She likes to mess with people sometimes.” Schmidt scrubs his face and sighs. “Hell, what is with these girls? A stalker and that fuck face Jax?”

  “You worry about your sister. Let me handle Jax.”

  “And Allie?”

  “Allie’s mine.” And that’s all he needs to know about that.

  22

  Theo

  I WAKE up to soft kisses on my shoulder.

  “Hmm?” I murmur incoherently. I feel her hands on me, running down my torso until they reach my hips. Wet, open mouth kisses rain down my stomach.

  Her soft, warm body moves over mine, fingers brushing the hair across my forehead. I think I’m dreaming when I hear her whisper, “I have a surprise for you.”

  “Hmm, ‘kay.” There was a stretch of time I had this dream every night. My hands slide up to stroke her waist and, fuck. This isn’t a dream. Allie’s really in my bed, naked and straddling me. “This is real?” I ask, my eyes fluttering open and it’s then I remember she spent the night. She’s spent almost every night this week, matter of fact.

  “Sure is.” A wicked grin curves along her face. “Let me show you.”

  She pulls my boxers down and takes me out. I look down and watch as she opens her mouth wide, her lips closing around me. And sweet Jesus, that mouth. She teases me at first, sucking the tiniest bit of the tip into her mouth.

  "Allie..." My hands tangle in her hair, gently pushing her head down. But she's still in sassy mode, twirling her tongue around the tip of my head. She flattens her tongue and drags it all the way down my shaft and fuck. It's like my mind has been drained of all lucid thought.

  My hips move of their volition, bucking to drive my cock further into her mouth, until the head pokes at the back of her throat. She moans and the sound reverberates throughout my body, drawing out a groan of my own. My balls tighten and I know I'm close. Too close. And suddenly, I'm consumed with the need to be inside of her.

  Gently, I nudge her head away and pull her mouth onto mine. Devour those juicy lips of hers while I guide her wet pussy down onto my cock. She groans and I watch the pleasure come over her face, my chest swelling with pride at the knowledge I did that. I make her feel this good.

  Wrapping my hands around her waist, I move her over me. Flex my hips up to drive in deeper. Her spine arches back, her wet pussy clenching me like a vise. My eyes move up her body, landing on her face. God, she’s so perfect. Enormous brown eyes and full welcoming lips curved into a willing smile. Gorgeous, so fucking gorgeous and I want to wake up to this very sight every morning.

  The words escape my mouth just as I think them. “Move in with me.”

  She laughs, shaking her head like I said something funny. I don’t push because now’s probably not the best time to have this discussion anyway. How soon is too soon to move in together? How soon is too soon to tell her I love her? I keep my mouth clamped shut because I don’t think she’s ready to hear those words yet.

  "Is this what you need?" she gasps in between thrusts, grinding down on me hard. It's so fucking good, the wet slide of her along my cock.

  I shake my head. "You." I can feel it when she starts to come, the way her breathing changes and her muscles tense before she lets out a sweet moan. And I'm not far behind, my mind scattering, incoherent.

  I pull her tight against my chest after, wrapping my arm around her waist to keep me inside of her. Turning my face into her neck, I murmur, "You are all I need."

  Turns out, my surprise wasn’t the phenomenal morning sex. It was a silver and green tie, which she purchased to go with our growing Harry Potter collection. I’m wearing it tonight to a party at the team house.

  It’s a bye week, one of those rare weekends where we don’t have a game. And it’s Levi’s birthday, which means the beer and the shots are flowing. I wish Allie could be here, but she’s busy working on her thesis tonight.

  Guess trying out my new gift will have to wait.

  A smug smile tugs on my lips as I recall the last time I tied her up. The way she came against my tongue. Maybe she needs a reminder too. I snap a selfie of my tie and post it to Instagram with my hashtag for her, #AllieCat. Mostly, I post pictures of me working out at the gym or at practice so she can stop following Champagne Papi. But I also post pictures of the team traveling, sights we see along the way to games. It’s my way of sharing my life on the road with her.

  I snap another selfie, this one including the bottom half of my mouth. Showcasing one very seductive grin, if I do say so myself. I try to type in a caption, but my fingers are sluggish, my vision blurry. Deleting everything, I start again.

  “Yo, T!” An arm claps around my shoulder and I look over to find Sunshine flashing me a sloppy grin. He looks wasted. “Sorry about taking your girl out on a date, man. Had I known she was yours, I woulda never done it.”

  “It’s cool. Just don’t do it again.” He laughs like I’m joking. “I’m serious. I will break your jaw.”

  Sunny holds up his hands and stumbles back a bit. “You’re a better fit for her anyway.”

  “Damn right. Where’s the birthday boy?” My words run together, giving me pause. Am I drunk? Can’t be. My cup of punch is still half full.

  “Right here, asshole.” Levi nudges his elbow into my side and shit. I must be drunk if I didn’t notice him standing next to Sunshine this entire time. At 6’6 and 264 pounds, he’s hard to miss.

  I sniff my cup, which is suspiciously odorless. “Dude, what the fuck is in this?”

  Levi smiles – all smug bastard – and pats me on the back. “Everclear.”

  Grain alcohol. Which has nearly twice as much alcohol by volume as normal hard liquor. No wonder I’m shitfaced. “Warn a guy next time. I fucking drove here, asshole. How am I supposed to get home?”

  Levi shrugs. “Crash upstairs. If you had any intention of driving tonight, you wouldn’t be drinking in the first place.” True. I never drink and drive. And Levi always lets me crash on his couch. “What the fuck is that around your neck?”

  “A tie.”

  “Aren’t you a little overdressed? Since when do you wear ties to parties?”

  “Since my girlfriend started buying them for me.”

  Levi makes a cracking noise. “Pussywhipped.”

  “But it’s a fine pussy,” Sunshine interjects, earning a hard shove from me. He must be drunker than I thought because he lands on his ass. Grunting from the impact, he lies flat on his back for a few seconds. “Sorry, man. Just saying you have excellent taste in women.”

  Rolling my eyes, I stick out a hand to help him. He takes it, but makes no effort to stand. I’m about to give up when he yanks me down with him.

  Levi’s howling like a hyena at this point. I pop up from the floor and turn my anger on him. “Fuck you, asshole. At least I get to have sex whenever I want.”

  His grin widens. “So do I. And I don’t have to wear a whack ass tie to get some. What is this pattern?” He makes a grab for my tie and I shove him away. “Are those snakes?”

  “It’s for Slytherin. From Harry Potter,” I continue at his blank stare.

  “Oh yeah, Allie’s obsessed with Harry Potter,” Sunny nods, like he’s some sort of expert on Allie’s likes and dislikes. “They dressed up like Harry Potter during our date.”

  I snort. “It wasn’t a date. And we were dressed as Dramione.” More blank stares. “You know, like shipping Draco and Hermione
from the movies?”

  Sunny scratches his head. “Is that like Edward versus Jacob? Because I’ve always been team werewolf. He’s, like, genuine. Boy next door.”

  I roll my eyes. “No girl wants the boy next door, Sunny. They want the mysterious, like Edward and Draco. Christian Grey, too.”

  “Jesus fuck,” Levis groans. “What is this, my sister’s book club? Let’s go play some beer pong before our balls shrivel up.” He tugs us into the dining room where the table is already set up for a game.

  Beer pong on the dining room table. Classy, right?

  Two games later and I have to tap out. I let Mo take my spot and swap the beer for a bottle of water. Taking a spot on the couch, I tilt my head back and close my eyes. I must have dozed off for a bit because the next time I open my eyes, beer pong is over and Levi, Mo, and Sunny are nowhere to be found. Also, there’s a weight on my lap.

  Not a weight. A girl.

  “Oh my God! You’re Theo Montgomery!” Before I can stop her, she wraps her arms around me and leans in for a sloppy kiss on my cheek.

  “Whoa! What the fuck?” I shove her off me. Using the back of my hand, I wipe at my cheek. I don’t think her lips managed to connect, but still. It’s the principle. “Ever hear of personal space?”

  The girl is gushing. “Sorry, I just can’t help myself. You’re amazing! And you’re even hotter in person than on TV. I’ve been following your career forever and now you’re going pro. It’s like, wow, I’m meeting a celebrity in the making and I have zero chill right now-”

  “Yeah, take a breath maybe,” I suggest, rubbing at my droopy eyelids. Am I seeing double or are there two of them now? At least they’re both wearing clothes, if their short crop tops can even be called that.

  “You changed so much from freshman year. I mean, look at those biceps.” The other girl wraps a hand around my upper arm and gives it a squeeze.

  Irritation flaring, I shrug her off too. “Seriously, no touching.”

  They keep yammering away, something about a party at the Zeta house, but I no longer have the patience to listen. Once upon a time, I would have loved this party. Right now, I just feel annoyed. The music is suddenly too loud, the crowd too thick. And there’s way more nudity than I’m comfortable with. It’s like I’ve morphed into a grumpy old man.

  Or maybe my idea of fun has changed.

  I’m sick of this scene and all I want to do is go home and sleep. I head for the foyer, bumping into Levi and Harrison in the hallway.

  “Hey there, Sleeping Beauty-”

  “Fuck off, Sullivan.”

  Levi’s head jerks back at my tone. “What’s got your panties in a twist?”

  “Some girl tried to kiss my cheek while I was sleeping on the couch.”

  Levi blinks. “Okay. And that’s a problem because…”

  “Because I was fucking sleeping!”

  “Should have shoved her away then.”

  “I did,” I snap. “Don’t even think her lips made contact.”

  Levi and Harrison exchange a bewildered look. “So you’re freaking out because some girl kissed the air adjacent to your cheek?”

  I shake my head. It does sound ridiculous when you put it that way. Maybe the alcohol’s making me cranky. “Forget it. I’m going to call a cab.”

  “At this hour?” Harrison shakes his head. “It’s late, bro. And you’re drunk. What if someone sees you and says something to coach?”

  “What time is it?” I ask, scrubbing a hand over my face. Fuck, I’m exhausted. Clearly 5am workouts and alcohol do not mix.

  “Three. Come on, T. You can sleep it off on my couch upstairs,” Levi says. He claps an arm around my shoulder and leads the way. “Here.” I blink and realize we’re in his room. He hands me a pillow and blanket. “I plugged in your phone so it’s charging.”

  “Thanks.” I land on his couch face down and pass out.

  I wake up to a throbbing headache and the radio blasting.

  Wait. Not a radio. My phone is ringing.

  I crack a lid and the first thing I notice is that I’m not in my own bed. Right. I slept over at Levi’s last night. The next thing I notice is that Levi isn’t here. His bed is perfectly made, which means he probably didn’t spend the night in it. Then I recognize the ringtone. Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud.

  Scrambling, I reach the phone just in time. “Hey, Allie Cat.”

  “You’re late.”

  It takes me a second to figure out what she’s talking about. “Oh, shit. We were supposed to be working on our sociology homework this morning, right?”

  “Yeah. I’m at our table. And per usual, you’re late.”

  “Sorry. I got a little carried away last night. Levi spiked the punch-”

  “Unspiked punch exists in college? Like virgin punch?”

  “Not virgin, but – never mind. It’s a long story. I’ll explain later. Anyway, I was in no condition to drive so I spent the night at Levi’s house.”

  Her next words surprise me. “I know. You texted me. Even warned me you would be late today.”

  “I did?” I mentally high five myself. Holy fuck, I’m an even better boyfriend than I thought! Wait. “Are you calling me just to give me shit?”

  “Duh.”

  “Damn, woman. Can you at least lie to me and say you wanted to hear my voice?” She laughs. “Seriously, though. You’re not mad?”

  “No. I love it when you’re responsible, Mr. Montgomery.”

  “Mr. Montgomery, eh? Does that mean you’re feeling a little frisky this morning?”

  “It means I’m not wearing any underwear,” she says, her voice all breathy. Jesus Christ. My semi goes to full mast just like that. “Or a bra.”

  “Let’s hope I don’t get a ticket with the speeding I’m about to do,” I growl, quickly pulling up my pants. I don’t even remember taking them off last night. “I’ll be there in ten minutes. We study, then I buy you breakfast, then I ravish you at my place.”

  “Ravish, not debauch?”

  Jesus, I love this girl. “If we finish our homework quick enough, I’ll do both.”

  23

  Allie

  Theo: You watching the game today?

  Me: Yes.

  Theo: Ha ha, very funny.

  Me: I’m serious.

  Theo: I’m on to your sense of humor, woman. Just give me your excuse already.

  Me: Pic sent.

  Theo: HOLD UP. YOU’RE AT THE STADIUM?!?!?!

  Me: Who do you think you are? Samuel L. Jackson? Release the caps lock key.

  Theo: Is that my jersey?

  Me: Who else’s would I wear?

  Theo: I can’t believe you’re actually here. Don’t you have homework or something?

  Me: Doing it tomorrow. Today I want to watch you play. So you better win ;-)

  Theo: What do I get if I bring home the Big W? You know I like incentives.

  Me: Permission to use your Big D to give us both a Big O.

  Me: That is officially the most absurd thing I’ve ever typed, btw. Thanks for that.

  Theo: LOL well, when you put it that way…Too much pressure. You’re going to have me breaking the record for most interceptions.

  Me: *using Coach Taylor voice* Don’t quit on me and don’t you dare quit on yourself.

  Theo: You give the best pep talks, Allie Cat.

  “FIRST DOWN! FIRST DOWN!” Lia squeals beside me. “Now that’s what I call a conversion! Holy shit, your boyfriend is a genius!” She’s on her feet, hands waving about with excitement. I smile at her enthusiasm, resisting the urge to cover my ears. Lia’s not the only one happy with the latest play; the cheers from the packed eighty-thousand seater stadium are deafeningly loud. Whatever a first down is, it must be good.

  It’s my first football game and I don’t know quite how I feel about it. There’s nothing wrong with the game itself. Granted, I have no clue what’s going on down on the field, but the scoreboard says the home team is up by seven. No, what’s givi
ng me pause is the sea of orange and black behind me.

  I nervously glance around the crowd, taking in all of the signs and creative cheers coming from the female fans. One handmade poster announces THEO, I'M LEGAL! Another declares THEO! BANG ME LIKE A DRUM! And yet another one boldly begs YOU CAN TACKLE ME ANY TIME, #16!

  That last one doesn't even make sense. I may not know much about football, but I remember my conversation with Theo during our first episode of Friday Night Lights. Quarterbacks don't tackle.

  Worse yet are the whispers, groups of girls bragging about the things they’ve done with the players. And it doesn’t escape my notice how many of them are about Theo.

  “I had a threesome with Theo and one of the Pi sisters last summer,” the girl sitting directly behind me gloats. “He called it a Kappa Zeta Pi. Get it? Because I’m a Zeta and-”

  “We get it, Nikki. Fucking Theo Montgomery isn’t anything special,” the girl next to her says. “He’s had sex with, what, half the house?”

  “And the other half has sucked him off,” a third girl snickers. “Anyway, doesn’t he have a girlfriend now? He posted something on Instagram, that whole hashtag thing.”

  “Whatever,” the first girl snorts. “You know he won’t stay with her. She’s just the flavor of the month.”

  This. If there’s anything I don’t like about being with Theo, it’s this. I know he has a past and I’m not judging him for it. But I’m not going to be doing backflips when I hear about it either. Comments like that…they mess with my head. Make me doubt our relationship. Make me doubt him.

  And I don’t want to doubt him. Because without trust, this relationship is fucked.