Page 45 of The Penalty

Xavier was holding court with Noah, Jax, and Dante, regaling them with a story. And he looked like he was enjoying himself. Obviously, he loved to be the center of attention. That part doesn’t surprise me.

But the way his face lit up as he spoke? Mesmerizing.

Oh my God.

Is he laughing and high-fiving with Noah?

Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to see this.

Peaceful warmth spread through my chest.

Charlotte.

“Yeah, okay,” I whispered, putting my hand on my heart. “I see what you’re doing.”

The familiar sting of sadness and guilt threatened to overtake me. Wrestling with what happened to her when we were teenagers always lingered deep in my soul. Some days were easier than others. Moments like this always brought me unexpected peace.

Inhaling slow, I walked toward my boyfriend and his brand new buddies.

“…bowling or duck-duck-goose,” Jax was saying. “We like to keep the touchdown celebrations fun.”

I caught Xavier’s eye and smiled. He motioned for me to come closer.

“I preferred when you all did leap frog,” I told Jax, leaning my back against Xavier’s chest. His knuckles rasped across the front of my dress until the warmth of his hand rested on my stomach. I laced my fingers through his, relishing the soft rumble of satisfaction vibrating from him.

“We have a whole list of new ones for this season,” Dante quipped.

“Is Hannah still around?” Noah asked me. “I really wanted to get this photo.”

I shook my head. “She left. It’ll have to be just the three of you.”

“And you,” Noah emphasized. “That was the plan.” He took out his phone and looked at Xavier. “Would you mind taking it for us?”

I waited for the inevitable tensing of muscles or a deep sigh or something. Much to my surprise, Xavier pressed a kiss to my neck and responded, “I’d be happy to.”

The second I stepped away from him, I studied his expression.

Friendly. Relaxed. Handsome as sin.

An eyebrow arched. “Do I have something on my face, love?”

“Um, uh, nope,” I stammered a bit. “Just wanted to make sure it was actually you and not a clone.”

“I see.” A knowing smile played on his lips. “Your friends are waiting.”

I walked over to the guys, opting to stand between Dante and Noah. Of course, they both put their arms around me. Xavier didn’t bat an eye. He simply pointed the phone at us and took the picture. Then he took one of just the three of them.

“Would you mind if your guy joins us for a picture, Victoria? How cool is it to have the best quarterback, tight ends, and goalkeeper the world has ever seen all together.”

“So cool.” I answered Noah before looking Xavier dead in the eye. “All these egos crammed together in one photo is definitely unmatched.”

His gaze swept over me in one heated motion filled with promises, sin, and filthy fantasies. I took the phone from him and grinned.

The four of them actually looked great together. And Noah’s right. They are some of the best athletes in the world.

I took a few pictures and handed the phone to my quarterback. Jax and Dante thanked us and returned to their dates.

Noah lingered for a few minutes.

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