Page 35 of Playmaker

I don’t know why I’m surprised when Cameron grips my chin to tilt my eyes to his and says, “I haveneverfinished that quickly before. It’s embarrassing as hell, to be honest.” He’s always been able to read me better than most, and reassurance was exactly what I needed. It may not be the answer toallof my problems, but it’s helping.

“Between yesterday and this morning you’re having a lot of embarrassing moments. Do I really get to you that much?”

“You stayed the night . . .” He trails off, placing a gentle kiss on my neck. “Trust me when I say I wouldn’t have allowed that if I didn’t find you absolutely addicting, okay?” His hands slide down to my waist, and suddenly I find it hard to breathe from the fluttering sensation in my chest.

“You fell asleep,” I counter. “You didn’t exactly have a choice about whether or not I slept here.”

He arches a brow. “How do you think you got between my legs in the first place? And where do you think that blanket came from?” He points to the fuzzy black lump on the floor. “I woke up around five. It’s my usual time for training, but I fell back asleep with you instead.”

I blink not once, but twice. “You missed training? For me?”

“Well, it was certainly worth it.” With a lazy grin he twirls a stray ringlet of mine, something he seems to enjoy doing a lot.

“But your dad . . .” His training is on a strict regimen, one his dad keeps up with frequently. If Cameron gets off track, I don’t want to be the reason for that. Going to the NFL has been both of their dream since his mom passed. “I don’t want to be a distraction.”

He sits up on the couch to shrug his briefs back on. “Let me handle my dad, all right? Besides, I’m not straying from the regimen. Only switching my gym mornings to nights instead. It’s not a big deal. Truthfully, I thought you would be more upset about me distractingyou, considering you have a big test to study for.”

I shrug. “It’s not until next year. I was using this time to get a head start, and I know you think that makes me abore, but—”

He cracks a smile, and I can’t help but check him out when he rises to his feet. His abs are as glorious as ever, but my eyes stray to the dusting of hair beneath his belly button, which is a trail that leads right to the cock I’ve now had my mouth on. It’s a double-edged sword, really. I’m upset I’ve seen it because of the rush of desire it brings, but I’m also glad because of the rush of desire it brings.

“You’re not a bore,” he says, snapping me back to the present. “I only called you that to mess with you. You’re studying to become a fucking doctor. It takes a lot of resilience, and there’s no one more self-disciplined than you. I can’twaitto see you graduate at the top of your class, Mads.”

His speech carries a sentiment I thought had disappeared from him forever, but maybe the boy I knew six years ago is finding his way out after being hidden for so long. I’m busy blinking through my tears when he drops to his knees on the floor directly in front of me, wearing a devilish grin.

How can I go from crying to panting in the span of five seconds?

“Now I’m assuming you’ve got places to be since you never reached out to your parents, right?”

I nod, my eyes straying to the gold chain still dangling from his neck. I’m incapable of breathing properly when he taps my hips to lift up, and in seconds he’s stripped me of my underwear and sweatpants, eyeing me like a man deprived of food for days.

“Let me finger fuck you like the princess you are before you have to leave then, yeah?”

With an eageryes, I throw my head back against the couch and am screaming his name in the matter of minutes while he brings me to a state of total and utter ecstasy. His face buried between my thighs feelsright, and as much as I try to ignore it, as much as I try to avoid it, one gnawing, lingering thought remains.

In nine days, this is all coming to an end.

Fourteen

Cameron

“Two more,” I instruct. “You can do it.”

Ethan’s arms are trembling beneath the bar he’s holding. A bead of sweat trails down his forehead from the struggle, and when he shakes his head to tap out, I quickly step in to help him lift the bar back into position.

“Fuck, I hate this shit.” He’s gasping for air as he finds his water bottle and then practically chugs the entire thing.

“You’re the one who wanted to tag along to my training session,” I remind him.

“Because I need to get back in shape. It’s been years since I played football.”

I adjust the weights on the bar so that they’re heavier and lie down on the bench to start my set. “Are you trying to get into shape foryourselfor for Maya?”

The silence that follows my question says more than he ever could. “Look, Maya is into you already, in case you haven’t figured that out yet. You’re a healthy guy, Ethan. You don’t need to have a fucking eight pack to score her, she’s made that clear, so what’s with being all self-conscious? You never used to be like this.” Back in high school, Ethan was my twin. We thrived on getting girls, partying, drinking, and doing dumb shit we weren’t supposed to do. He was my wingman, and I was his, but then he chose to go to community college rather than pursue football like me, and without that common denominator, we drifted apart. Now, he’s nothing like the guy I used to know in high school. It’s not that I don’t still enjoy hanging out with him, but it’s been weird getting to know thenewhim. The version where he prefers video games to going out, smoking weed to relax rather than getting fucked-up drinking, and the version who almost shits his pants over a girl’s opinion of him.

“We spoke a bit on the boat, but she didn’t come right out and say she was interested.” He takes another swig of water before he adds, “I’m uncomfortable because I’ve seen her exes, and I’m nothing like them. I’m terrified to make the first move until I know for certain she’s into me, and I haven’t gotten that sign yet.”

“You—” I grunt from the weight, starting another rep. “You wantherto make the first move? Ethan, be serious.”

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