Page 55 of Craving the Player

“Yeah, or maybe acouple somebody’s?” Sophie hisses, hands now placed firmly on her hips. Ican tell that she wants to walk over there and beat some sense into him so Itighten my grip on her elbow and ignore the glare beating into my temple when she whirls to face me.

Clay stays silent for afew seconds, as if he’srunning through every possible reply for the one that will piss us off the least. But unfortunately for him, there won’tbe agood enough answer when it comes to apissed off Sophie. Or me, for that matter.

“See, what happened was Ihad to take apiss and the bathrooms up front are always so dirty so Ihad to use the ones back here and then by the time Iwas on my way back out, Isaw that Tyler had you—”

“You didn’teven give it to her either, you dumbass,” Tyler grunts, snapping his attention to my bare neck before pinning Clayton with adeadly glare.

My brows pull inward as my eyes dart between them. “Give me what?”

It’sClayton who answers me, wearing asheepish smile that looks completely out of place on his clean, sharp features. “Braden’slucky chain. He gave it to me this morning and told me to have you wear it tonight. Imeant to hand it off to you in the car but Sophie distracted me.”

My lips part, becoming dry, and I’msure that Ilook as surprised as Ifeel. There’sawarm, buttery feeling wrapping me up in atight embrace while doves take flight in my belly, their wings flapping so hard Inearly reach down and place ahand on my stomach to see if Ican feel them from the outside.

“Oh,” Ibreathe, flushed all the way to my toes. “Can Istill wear it? Imean, if it’snot abig deal?”

Holy shit it’shot in here. Am Isweating? The urge to wave ahand in my face is nearly impossible to ignore. Ithought that Ihad agreater understanding of the extent of Braden’sfeelings, but Iapparently highly misjudged the depth of how much he cares for me. Iexpected to find him swimming near the top of the ocean, not deep enough that his stomach could brush the sand. The realization has my heart thumping to an off-tempo beat.

“He would string me up apole by my balls if Ididn’tlet you wear it,” Clayton snorts, reaching into the front pocket of his jeans and pulling out athick silver chain. The silver is dull, worn, and well loved. Something that feels ahell of alot like love swells inside of me before Ishove the feeling out of sight.

With tentative fingers Ipluck the chain from Clayton’soutstretched hand and hold it gently, like Iwould apiece of my great-grandmother'sfine china. Ilet it fall from one hand to the other, shivering as the cold metal tickles my palms.

The return of voices has me closing my fist around the chain as Ispin around and watch the crowds begin filing around the ring, the excited whoops and hollers making me tense up.

“Let me put it on you before you drop the damn thing and lose it,” Sophie murmurs, the pitch of her voice slightly higher than normal. Eying her with ascrutinizing look, Isee the swoon in her eyes and breathe alaugh. After I’ve dropped the chain in her open palm, Ifeel the cold bite of it over the burning skin of my throat before she quickly clasps it and moves to my side again. “There. Now let’sfind somewhere to stand before we’re stuck sandwiched between abunch of sweaty old men.”

Tyler nudges my arm and points to the empty space afew feet down the ring, directly underneath one of the giant lamps that have turned on sometime during our exchange of Braden’schain. The reminder has me reaching to the hollow of my throat and toying with the silver chain between two fingers.

Sophie and Ifollow after Tyler and Clayton as they lead the way before stopping and moving so we’re sandwiched between them. The protective stance has my eyes rolling into the back of my head as Igrin, unable to start afight about it. In all honesty, it’sarelief having these two as our bodyguards for the night. Even if Clayton isn’texactly the ideal candidate.

It only takes afew minutes for the building to fill. Hands and arms push against my back, pushing and pulling me as best they can before they’re shoved back by either Clayton or Tyler. Ican tell that the two men are becoming frustrated, but they try not to show it, keeping their mouths shut and their bodies tight.

It’snot until the ceiling lights transform from abright white to amesmerizing, shimmering gold that they break out in beaming smiles. Abrick drops in my stomach as nerves begin to buzz under my skin. But my excitement to see Braden snuffs out the nerves like wet fingers to asmall flame.

Smoke begins to crawl over our feet, slowly rising in the air until it toys with the bottoms of my leather pants. It swirls higher and higher before spilling over the edges of the boxing ring. Ispot Brooks waiting beside the entrance to the hallway closest to us, and nearly choke on an inhale when amassive, shirtless figure begins moving towards him, meeting up with him in what feels like no time at all with aset of giraffe size legs. The voices around me become louder as each dawning second passes by until my ears beg to be covered, beginning to ache with the noise.

Suddenly, two rows of beaming white teeth come into focus, and Ismile too, completely enamoured by the stunning confidence behind the star-studded smile. It’sasmile that breeds asense of victory and worship that even Ican’tignore.

There’sadeep, husky voice shooting through what sounds like amicrophone, but Iignore it, too busy watching the way Braden’smassive biceps stretch above his head and toes tap on the floor with asort of grace that Inever expected from such abig man. It probably sounds ridiculous considering boxers have incredible balance and control, but seeing the fluid way he moves his body has my mouth gaping in surprise.

Fingering the chain around my neck again, my blown gaze follows Braden as he finally makes his way into the shimmering light. Ashiny black robe hangs loosely from his shoulders, leaving his defined chest bare for all to see. My mouth waters as the individual muscles flex on their own accord, almost as if to torture me.

An unmistakable itch of jealousy worms up my body at knowing that his miraculous body is on full display. It’saridiculous feeling, considering he isn’teven mine to begin with, but that doesn’thelp settle me as much as Iwish that it would.

Forcing my eyes to move from the solid abdomen in front of me, Idrop them to the gold, mid-thigh length shorts that fit snugly to his muscular legs. The material stretches tight as he expertly hands his robe over to Brooks, who I’mbeginning to realize is his father, and pulls open the velvety ropes to climb inside the ring. My eyes become saucers when Isteal aglance at my gold attire, finally feeling the pieces fall together.

Well played, Braden. Well played.

He raises afist in the air as the excited voices continue to praise him, no doubt adding to his already enormous ego. Ican’tfind it in me to care, though. I’mtoo busy letting aheavy sense of pride shine in my eyes as Istare at him, not daring to move my gaze from his handsome face. Acheek splitting smile spreads across my face as soon as his wandering eyes clash against mine with enough emotion to pull awhimper from my throat.

Abeyond obvious, cheesy wink from my playboy boxer is all it takes to forget about everything and lift my own arms in the air to join in the excited cheers, happier than Ihave been in years.

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