Page 11 of Mr. Irrelevant
I sink into the couch cushions, leaning my head on his broad shoulder with a sigh. It’s probably not a great idea to be cuddling up to him, considering the camera is off and this is really us, but he’s feeling defeated right now, and I want him to know he’s not alone. To my surprise, he loops an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close and making warmth bloom to life throughout my body. I swear, it feels likeI’ve known him for years with how comfortable it is, and how eager I am to get him back to the determined, positive guy I’ve been spending my midnights with.
“You’re so much more, Maddox,” I tell him. “I see it, and soon enough, they’ll be eating their words. One day, you’ll hoist that trophy over your head while the entire city screams your name, and I can’t wait to watch it all happen.”
His cheek presses to the top of my head, and he hums contentedly. His fingertips skate up and down my arm as we sit in silence for several minutes, while visions of him with black and purple confetti raining down as he takes it all in play in my mind. I’ll get him there, no matter what it takes.
“Thank you, Dimes,” he says, breaking me from my daydream. “I’ve had a lot of coaches come and go, but I don’t think any of them have ever believed in me the way you do.” I smile softly, grateful that he can’t see it with the way my cheeks warm and pinken. Idobelieve in him. I think we’re building something special with the entire team. It’s just going to take the world some time to see it, too. “Also, none of them have ever fake dry-humped me on my couch before, so that’s a point in theWincolumn for you.”
I choke on a laugh, playfully slapping his chest as I pull away. He chuckles, not letting me go far before yanking me back into his side. I relent, melting under his arm again, not hating the way it feels to be held like this. “First of all, I didnotdry hump you. What are we, teenagers? Nobody does that anymore. And secondly,that was strictly business, so I have something to shut Deacon up with if he doesn’t stop acting like an idiot.”
“Wowwwww,” he says, drawing out the word. “I almost feel bad for you if you haven’t had a good old fashioned dry hump recently. It’s a very underrated type of foreplay, and one I happen to excel at.” I stifle the pathetic whine that threatens to give away just how sad my sex life has been, even before Deacon and I split. I wasn’t lying when I said there was no romance in our relationship, which lasted just over a year—and there definitely wasn’t any type of sexual exploration or adventure. I had a whole list of things I was curious about, which he refused to even hear. It wasn’t a dealbreaker for me or anything, but it would’ve been nice to try something new every now and then.
Desperate to change the subject so I can stop thinking about all the things heexcels at, I switch back into football mode, gesturing toward the TV. “I think we’re good for tonight. You played a great game, and as far as I’m concerned, you were robbed. I hope every one of those refs steps on a Lego.” His quiet laugh rumbles against me. “See if you can do some check-down drills with your receivers at practice tomorrow. Until your line gets stronger, you need to work on getting the pass off before the pocket collapses.”
“You got it, Coach,” he replies. “Can I walk you to your car?” I nod, and we both stand, making our way through the house. Gathering my stuff, I lead him out the front door, stopping when we get to the driver’s side of my Mercedes. As weird as it is, my instinct is to hug him goodbye, but with all the lines we crossedtonight—on camera and off—that’s probably not a great idea. We can be friends, but I also need to remember what’s most important here…showing the city that the Rock City Renegades are a force to be reckoned with. We may not be ready to make a playoff run today, but we’ll get there, and we’ll make them proud.
I grip the door handle, hesitating for a moment before giving him a tight smile and pulling it open. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.” He shoves his hands into his pockets, backing away as I lower myself down into the seat and look up. His mouth opens and closes as if he wants to say something, but he doesn’t. He just nods his head in affirmation, reaching out and carefully closing me inside. Only then does he return my smile, and my heart beats wildly in my chest as I face forward, missing him already, even though he’s only about two feet away. I exhale a shaky breath, pushing the ignition button and slowly driving away, trying to make sense of what I’m feeling, and racking my brain for a way to stop it.
ELEVEN
MADDOX
“There he is!”Theo says as I enter the VIP section of Club Tilt, the only bar the guys come to since there’s a separate floor for high-profile patrons. It’s not that we think we deserve different treatment than the people downstairs—at leastIdon’t—but it’s nice not to be swarmed by fans when we’re attempting to bond. Since we’re a new team and we haven’t gotten to spend much time together off the field, we’ve been doing our best to meet up once a week in a non-work setting. We don’t do a lot of drinking because we usually have practice in the morning, but it’s a nice reminder that there are other things in life besides football.
“What’s up?” I ask, slapping my hand against his and pulling him into a bro-hug. I make my rounds, greeting all the guys who made it out, including Emmett, who I’m surprised to see. He’s a nice guy and an amazing receiver, but he doesn’t talk much and always wears an expression that makes you wonder whose murder he’s plotting. But again…nice guy.
“We were just getting ready to order drinks,” Theo replies, a toothy grin blooming across his face. He’s the kind of guy girls love taking home to their parents, with his boyish features and golden retriever personality. I’ve seen a zillion women hit on him here, yet he never takes them up on their offers for a night of fun—which I can’t really judge, since I haven’t found much time for it, either. That’s probably why Livvy had me fighting not to blow in my pants the other night when she was straddling my lap.
In hindsight, it was all a pretty dumb idea. I mean, yeah, I ended up with a gorgeous blonde in the palm of my hands, but it had me feeling things I know I shouldn’t for the owner’s daughter—the woman who’s risking a lot to help me get better by doing it behind her father’s back. Even though it started out innocent, strictly to give her some ammunition for Deacon, I think we both experiencedsomethingmore than just two friends being petty. For a split second, I forgot about the rolling camera as I got lost in the way she felt pressed against me. It felt so real that it took all my self-control not to lean in for a kiss before she got in her car and drove away. But I’m glad I managed, because that would’ve really fucked shit up.
Thankfully, this week has flown by, and our midnight meetups haven’t been awkward at all, despite the two times we’ve found ourselves getting much closer to each other than we should’ve. I think it’s because everything feels so natural with her—like we’ve known each other a hell of a lot longer than the few weeks we have. I’m actually missing the way shebreaks my balls as I look at my watch, realizing that if it weren’t for her insisting I take a break before we travel to St. Louis tomorrow, we’d be together right now. She gave me a whole speech about how bonding with my team is equally as important as getting reps in on the practice field, so I promised I’d hit the bar and have some fun tonight since we don’t have to be at the airport until noon.
“Oh, shit,” Theo mumbles from the seat beside me, breaking me from my thoughts of Livvy just as an adorable redhead in a short plaid skirt moves our way with a tray of drinks balanced on her hand.
“Hey, guys! How are we doing tonight?” she says in greeting, her eyes bouncing around our table before lingering on Theo, who looks absolutely terrified. I watch as he swallows, nervously smiling up at her with an awkward wave. I can’t help but laugh to myself at how he went from the loudest guy in the room to a frozen ball of nerves over this tiny girl who can’t be more than five foot three.
I look to my cornerback, giving him time to answer, but he’s been waving like a moron for a solid thirty seconds, so I put us all out of our misery with a response. “Doing great. How about yourself?”
“Livin’ the dream,” she replies with a wink. “I tried to remember everyone’s drink order from last time, but let me know if I got it wrong or if you want something different.” One by one, she sets bottles and glasses down in front of their respective owners, shocking us all when she doesn’t get a single one mixed up. “And a whiskey sour for you,” she says to Theo, and I swearlittle hearts appear like a halo over his head. I make a mental note to ask him about her the next time we’re alone, as he thanks her quietly and she takes off toward the bar. When she passes the stairway, Jett and his girlfriend, Bailey, come into view. I met her briefly after our last game, and we all urged her to join him on our next night out. As much as this time is for the guys, it’s important to include their partners, as well. Behind every great athlete is a significant other who makes huge sacrifices so they can do what they love, and they’re as much a part of our family as we are. Leaving them out of these things just seems wrong, even if some of us, like Theo and me, are still single.
“Glad you could join us, JK,” I say, shaking his hand before bringing my attention to the beautiful brunette on his arm. Bailey Hart is the epitome of a WAG, offering the kind of love and support to Jett that makes me almost wish I had a girl of my own. But I don’t have the luxury of focusing on anything but my job. I certainly haven’t earned a permanent spot in the starting lineup—or even on the Renegades roster beyond this year—so tying myself down now would be a terrible idea.
“How’s the job hunt going, Bailey?” I ask, making a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. She was on the first flight to Cleveland when Jett was traded here from Boston, and I know she left behind a job at a successful spa in Florida to be with him.
“Actually,” she replies, holding her chin up confidently, “I just got hired to do glam for Olivia and Sydney Grant. Their dad owns the Renegades, andsince they’re on camera a lot, they needed some extra hands on deck for games and other events.” The sound of Liv’s name has me going rigid for a moment, but I recover quickly, reminding myself that nobody here is aware of how I know her.
I clear my throat. “That’s cool. Have you met them yet?” I should quit while I’m ahead, before I accidentally word vomit and tell them I’ve been spending my nights sneaking around with the older of the two behind everyone’s back. But for some reason, Iwantto talk about her. I want to know what she does when we aren’t together.
“Yes!” she says, her expression brightening even more. “We went for coffee yesterday. They’re hilarious, and their skin is flawless. I can’t wait to work with them. As a matter of fact”— she looks around— “Livvy told me they were coming here tonight. Maybe we’ll run into them.”
My chest pulls tight. She’s here? In this club? Other than the stadium parking lot and the one time at my house, I’ve never seen her outside of our meetings at the practice field—and even then, she was dressed in leggings. I wonder what she wears on a night out. As much as I should mind my own business, I’m dying to know.
Jett and Bailey take off toward the downstairs dance floor, and I use that as my excuse to peer over the railing, where the entire place is blanketed in flashing lights. Electronic music booms from the speakers, while people move to the beat, dancing and grinding against one another. I can’t help but wonder if she’d even beable to get away with being down there without anyone noticing her and invading her space because of who she is. Then again, it isn’t very well-lit, so who knows?
My eyes slowly scan the area, looking for her familiar head of golden blonde hair, as if I’d be able to find her in a sea of people. I keep my posture relaxed, leisurely sipping my beer so I don’t look like I’m up to no good. But on the inside, my heart beats erratically at the idea of seeing her right now.
It only takes a few minutes for me to find her, my gaze locking on like a magnet with the most powerful attraction. I couldn’t rip myself away if I wanted to, watching as she sensually moves her body to the music. She sways her hips, bringing her arms up above her head and making her already short dress even shorter. I swallow thickly, staring like a fucking creep, because she’sbreathtaking. She doesn’t give a shit that there are hundreds of people around. She’s dancing like she’s all alone—and I’m up here wishing she was doing it just for me. I imagine us being the only ones in the room, me sitting in a chair as she puts on a show, running her hands up and down her gorgeous curves until I can’t possibly go another second without touching her. I’d reach out and pull her down to straddle me just like she did on my couch, only this time, I’d make sure she felt how hard I was from having her pressed against me. Then, I’d grip her hips and slide her back and forth over my impossibly hard cock, showing her how a real man can make her come from the dry humping she claimed couldn’t get the job done. She’d soak whatever tiny underwear she was wearing under her dress, beggingfor more until I finally put us both out of our misery and licked her from ass to clit.
Fuuuuuuck.
