Page 5 of The Playmaker
Women have no place in my life. I don’t trust them, and I have a sister to raise. But Avery is different. She didn’t want to seduce me or try to trick me into liking her. She was kinda rude, and more than a little self-confident.
I smirk as I remember the feel of her hard nipples pressed against me. She’s a firecracker, standing up to me like that.
I wish I could feel her press against me now with no watching eyes and no stiff suit jacket between us. Fuck, my cock starts to twitch thinking of her. This is not like me.
I turn around and let the spray of hot water wash down my shoulders. Those warm brown eyes of hers looking up at me without backing down do something to me. The heat of arousal makes me blood pound… straight to my member.
What the hell.
I imagine her on her knees looking up at me, taking my length into her mouth, those rosy lips of hers circling my girth, humming as swallows me in her mouth. I can feel the softness of her hair as I grasp it, the way her hand holds onto my thigh for support. My balls tighten as my own hand strokes my shaft.
She’s special. She’s got to be. No woman has made me look twice in years. Until her.
I can see those curves of hers baring before me, inch byinch. And then, I grunt as a wave of pleasure releases from me.
I’m left standing in the shower alone, lost in my fantasy of the one type of woman I should never under any circumstances allow near me: a journalist like her, hungry for a career breaking story.
Minutes later, my self-control back in place, I adjust the collar of my shirt, slinging my designer duffel bag over my shoulder.
“Peace, man,” Hawk says, fist bumping me. “I’ll see ya tomorrow at the gym.”
I nod once at him, then one of the young players calls out, “Bro, Carter. We’re going out for a drink. Come with?”
I can see it coming—another long season of excuses. I don’t “go out.” Not with my kid sister counting on me the way she does. No one on this team other than Coach and Hawk know about Riley. And I plan to keep it that way.
“Leave the old man alone. He’s earned a night of scotch and Wagyu made by his private chef in his penthouse,” Hawk exaggerates my lifestyle to get the guy off my back. “One day when you’re as old and rich as Jax here, you’ll do the same.”
Hawk thwacks me on my back and continues as I walk out, “I, on the other hand, am just man child enough to go out with you knuckleheads. Where to, boys?”
I chuckle as a ring of whoops and hollers fills the locker room. That’s Hawk for you—the dude always has my back.
“I’m literally old enough to order alcohol in England,” my sixteen-going-on-grounded-forever sister pouts.
She’s sitting with her arms crossed in the passenger seat of my Aston Martin. She’s been on my case to let her have a social media account. But I know what she doesn’t: the world is full of predators who would love to take advantage of her.
And not just old men, either, but fake friends who would use her to try to get to me, or long lost family who weren’t there for us when our parents died, or, worst of all, the media who would salivate at the chance to be the first to break the news that I have a secret little sister I’ve been hiding from them for the past decade of my career.
Yeah. Definitely not an option.
“Sorry, kiddo,” I say. “Not gonna happen.”
“You literally just want me to be a nun and live in your penthouse saying prayers and shunning the world, Jax!” she whines. “It is so not fair.”
I pretend to consider her words. “You know, Riles, that is not a bad idea. When would you like to take your vows?” I wink at her.
“Ugh! You are so annoying.” She turns to pout through the car’s side window.
“Don’t be like that, Riley.” My voice is softer now. “I know it feels like I’m hiding you, but I just want to keep you safe.”
“Right,” she mutters, having heard it all before. “I’m not a kid anymore. You can’t control me forever.”
Hearing her say that is like a knife to my heart. I love my sister more than anything.
Maybe one day she’ll understand.
“Hey,” I say as we pull up to the prestigious ballet studio’s side entrance, a top notch training school for girls where money buys you privacy and discretion.
I reach out and squeeze her arm. Reluctantly she looks at me with her green eyes that match mine.
