Page 25 of Mr. Irrelevant
We ride out what’s left of our releases, him dipping down and pressing gentle kisses between my shoulder blades as we attempt to recover. I can barely breathe, feeling like I just ran a marathon, when truthfully, Maddox did all the work. He loosens his grip, pulling his thumb from my body as we both lower to the mattress, him supporting his weight on one elbow so he doesn’t squish me, although I’d welcome it right now. I love how affectionate he is after sex, and the way he puts so much emphasis on taking care of me. That’s not something I ever had in my last relationship, and now that I have, I never want to go without the feeling of being held and kissed even after he’s gotten what he wanted from me.
“You did such a good job,” he murmurs, coasting his lips along my neck. “Did you like it?”
I turn my head, a satisfied smile pulling at the corners of my mouth. “I loved it. Thank you.” My heart swells in my chest as relief visibly washes over him, because it’s so obvious that he actually cares what I like.He makes me feel valued, important—and even though I’m sure it’s not necessarily his intention—loved. If I’ve learned anything from this arrangement with Maddox, it’s that guys like him are out there, and that I don’t have to settle for someone who doesn’t prioritize the things I want.
“No need to thank me, Dimes,” he says, rolling off me. I whine pathetically, making him chuckle under his breath as he sits up and tosses my phone onto the mattress next to me. “Just give me the checkmark I earned.” I lift my eyes, scoffing playfully at the cocky grin that’s plastered across his face before he stands, disappearing into the en suite bathroom to clean up. As soon as he’s out of sight, I pick up the device as fast as I can, my stomach flipping excitedly as I open my notes app and checkanal playoff the list. I hope he wasn’t kidding, and that someday we can try more than just his finger, because I definitely enjoyed it. Having him inside both of my holes at once gave me the best orgasm of my life—and it wasn’t even close.
“Ride a pierced dick, huh?” he asks from over my shoulder, causing me to slam the phone face-down onto the sheets, my eyes wide with surprise. I was so entranced by the imaginary instant replay of what we just did that I didn’t even hear him come back into the room. “Didn’t see that on the first go-around, baby. I’m intrigued…and a little scared, to be honest.”
I roll my eyes, trying not to let on how embarrassed I am. “My sister told me about this book she read where the guy was pierced, and it made us curious. So, we Googled it—not recommended, by the way—and gotmore than we bargained for with the results. We learned two things: One, most dicks are ugly, and no amount of jewelry will change that. And two, having a guy with some hardware down there looks like a really good time. So, it went on the list.”
He sucks his teeth, his smug smirk making him a zillion times hotter, even though I’m positive he’s about to say some fuckboy shit. “Well, we both know I have the prettiest dick.” He gestures to the monster in question, and like a magnet, my eyes go right to it. I try to act annoyed, but when it twitches under my attention, my brain short-circuits and all of a sudden, I’m horny again. As if he knows exactly what I’m thinking, he laughs, swiping a warm washcloth between my legs just like he always does before pulling me to my feet.
“Stop perving on me and go pee. I’m going to grab you some Twizzlers and a glass of water. Then we’ll get you into a hot bath so you aren’t sore. We need all the extra practice we can get this week. If your ex ends up in my pocket, I just might knock his ass out.”
I groan quietly. I forgot that the Renegades play the Impact here in Cleveland on Sunday. I’ve memorized our schedule backward and forward, but I’ll admit I’ve been dreading this game. Not only is Cincinnati in our division, but I hate that I have to be in the same building as Deacon. Now that I can clearly see how selfish he was during our relationship, looking at his face makes me want to punch myself for allowing it as long as I did. I’ll be lucky if I actually get to see anything that goes down on the field with how far myeyes will be rolled into the back of my head—and not in the good way, either.
Maddox chuckles at my less-than-enthusiastic response, giving my ass a quick pat before he disappears toward the kitchen. He always insists on feeding me a snack after sex, and if we aren’t cuddling, he’s doing other things to show me he cares. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t getting used to it, even though we’re supposed to be keeping things strictly physical. I know we said a relationship couldn’t work between him as the Renegades’ quarterback and me as the team’s future owner, but the reasons I had at the beginning of this arrangement feel a lot less important to me now, starting with myno football playersrule. My breakup with Deacon was messy, and even when we were together, he never really accepted me for who I am. He wanted a woman who would stand by him quietly, keeping her opinions to herself, especially when they threatened his fragile ego. Maddox is the exact opposite. He listens. He trusts that I know what I’m doing, and he’s eager to soak in all the advice I have to offer.
Aside from that, there were other reasons I made Maddox promise to keep things on a friends-with-benefits level. But again, I often find myself wondering if we could work around them. I’m not the Renegades’ owner yet. In fact, I’m not even on their payroll. Does my dad foot the bill for my lifestyle so I can focus on learning how to run the team? Yes—and I do my very best to earn every single bit of it. But if I wanted to be in a relationship with one of the players, there are no rules in place saying I can’t. The public may have thoughtsabout it, but that just means I’d have to remind them that I’m still Olivia Grant, and my number one priority will be the success of this football team.
I’m sure I’m getting ahead of myself with all of this. While I know we have an unmistakable, genuine connection, I have no idea if Maddox has feelings for me beyond the limits we set for ourselves when we agreed to sleep together. And even if he did, would I be worth the potential distraction to his career that he was trying to avoid in the first place? And if I’m not, will I be able to keep doing this without getting more attached?
Because even though I told him not to fall in love with me, I may have forgotten to take my own advice.
TWENTY-FOUR
LIVVY
“You look so fuckingsexy in my hoodie, Dimes,” Maddox says through the screen, his brows waggling suggestively. “Show me your tits.”
“Oh my God, no,” I reply, rolling my eyes while simultaneously trying to hide the same smile that threatens to break free whenever he gives me praise. “They were literally in your mouth two hours ago. You shouldn’t even be talking to me right now. You have to be at the stadium bright and early, and we both need a solid night of rest. You’re lucky I picked up this call in the first place.”
He scoffs playfully. “Like you’d pass up a chance to say goodnight to me. The fact that you steal my clothes to wear when we’re apart tells me everything I need to know.” He pushes his bottom lip into a patronizing pout, lowering his voice. “My sweet baby misses me, doesn’t she?” My core clenches and my head spins at his words, but when I look up to find the cockiest grin stretched across his face—the one that says he knowsexactlywhat that tone does to me—my shoulders drop, and I let out an annoyed growl. He barks a laugh in response, winking at me like the adorable asshole he is.
“Goodnight, Maddox,” I say, finally letting my smile break free.
“Goodnight, baby.”
I end the call, pulling up my social media app. I should probably turn in soon as well, since my sister and Bailey will be here at the crack of dawn to get ready for the game. Being that Cleveland is a drivable distance from Cincinnati, I’m expecting traffic in the city to be even more of a shitshow than normal with all the visiting fans, so we planned to start earlier just to be safe.
Promising to go to bed after a snack and a tiny little doomscroll, I stand from the couch, heading toward the kitchen. But just as I pass the entryway, the doorbell rings, stopping me in my tracks. My building has great security, so it has to be someone on my approved visitors list, which is why I don’t even think twice before setting my phone on the entry table and swinging open the door. But I immediately regret my decision when I see the last person I want anywhere near me standing on the other side.
“Hey,” Deacon drawls, my eyes going wide with shock becausewhat the fuck? On instinct, I attempt to slam the heavy wood in his face, but he pushes a large hand against it, stopping me. “Wait. I just want to talk. Give me five minutes, Liv.”
I cross my arms over my chest, narrowing my eyes. “Five minutes for what? And how did you even get uphere?” I went straight to the concierge the day we broke up and had him removed from the list, so he either snuck by security or bamboozled someone into letting him onto my floor. Either is possible since this man doesn’t have a noble bone in his body, and he always manages to come out on top even though he doesn’t deserve it.
“I told Phil that you invited me for a visit,” he says, speaking of the sweet, elderly night guard that he was always a little toobuddy-buddywith. I never understood it, but it certainly paid off for him tonight. “He was reluctant at first, but you know how convincing I can be when I want something.”
Ugh. Gross.This man is the epitome of an entitled douchebag, and now that I’m looking at it from a new perspective, I honestly have no idea what I saw in him. I press my lips into a tight line, telling him without words that I’m not falling for his bullshitPrince Charmingact. A year ago, I would’ve. But now, I can see right through it.
Sensing my indignance, he puts his hands up in surrender. “I swear. Five minutes. If you want me to leave after that, I promise I will.” His expression is pleading, unlike anything I’ve ever seen from him, and while I absolutely plan on letting whatever he has to say go in one ear and out the other, I know how persistent he is. So, I decide that letting him say his piece is the best way to ensure I won’t have to see him again.
Shifting my weight from one leg to the other, I pin him with a stern look. “Fine. Talk. But you’re not coming in.” The foot he has wedged against the door isas much of Deacon Underwood as I can handle in my space.
“Okay,” he says, taking a deep breath. Any semblance of hope I had that he’d actually be a genuine human being dies as soon as he speaks, making me seriously regret giving him the benefit of the doubt. “I’m here to tell you that Nadia and I broke up. I only dated her to make you jealous, and when I realized that you weren’t coming back, it made me think about how everything between us ended. We both said and did some shit we didn’t mean, but you can’t deny that we belong together, Liv. Let’s just forget about the past and try again.”
My jaw drops, a choked laugh getting caught in my throat. He can’t be serious. He was the one who broke up with me. He always said I was too much—that I gave offholier-than-thouvibes any time I tried to use my knowledge of the game to help others improve, himself included. I refused to water myself down for anyone—so he ended it, moving my best friend into the house I’d spent every weekend in, before all my belongings were even gone. I did my best to take the high road, telling people that we just couldn’t make it work, when in reality, I wanted to drag his name for being such an asshole. I made everyone think our breakup was amicable, which is why I still follow him on social media, but the truth is, he broke my heart. He made me think I wasn’t enough, and that fucked me up in ways that I never could’ve imagined. But thanks to Maddox, I know I’m perfect the way I am, and that someday, I’ll find a man who will be proud to have me on their arm.
