Page 14 of Deserving Maddie

"When my normally upbeat and happy teammate starts looking like someone took away his favorite toy. How's that for an answer?”

Apollo didn't know just how accurate that description was. Maddie wasn't a toy, but he did feel like she was taken away from him before he was ready to let go. Apollo didn't need to know that, though.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're such a fucking liar. Want to know how I know that? You keep shifting your eyes. We taught you better than that. What the fuck, man? Spill. What's going on?"

He wasn't getting out of this. He could try to talk circles around Apollo for hours, but it wouldn't work. Falcon, maybe. The man had no patience. But not Apollo. He would wait him out for days if that's what it took.

"I met a woman. Well, sorta."

"What do you mean sorta? Either you met her or you didn't. Unless you're stalking her and that wouldn't be cool. Plus, it's not like you can't get other women. From what Trista likes to say, there is no shortage of women knocking on your door."

Damn Trista and her big mouth.

"No, I'm not stalking her. Geesh, what kind of guy do you take me for? Oh, and Trista needs to learn how to keep her mouth shut."

"Fat chance of that happening, but that doesn't answer my question. So if you're not stalking this woman, then why are you saying sorta?"

Ray had no idea if he wanted to have this conversation but it didn't look like he was being given the option. When did this become his life? When did his teammates decide that they needed to corner him in his office and have heart-to-hearts?

"Fine," he huffed. "Yes, I met a woman. It was at a bar, just like every other time. Except when I brought her back to my place, she was the one to sneak out on me in the middle of the night."

"So she walked out and now you're sitting here thinking about her."

"Again, sorta."

Apollo didn't say anything. His friend just sat back in the chair with his eyebrow cocked. Likely waiting for him to continue.

"I saw her again. Only this time it was at the grocery store and she wasn't alone." Ray held up his hand when it looked like Apollo was about to say something not-so-nice. "Not a husband. Two kids. She's a mother of two and never said anything."

"Uh, pretty sure she wanted to just be a one-night stand with you. It makes sense that she wouldn't tell you about her kids."

"Oh, I agree. Which is why, despite still thinking about her, I assumed I would never hear from her again. Then she showed up two nights ago at my house and explained she was interested in a certain type of … arrangement."

Realization dawned on Apollo's normally neutral face.

"She only wants to fuck. Nothing more."

"Bingo." Ray leaned back in his own chair and rubbed his eyes underneath his glasses.

"And now that she's the one who requested that type of arrangement, you're not sure you can do it."

"It's completely bizarre, I know. Before Maddie, just the thought of a woman in my bed for more than one night gave me hives. And now I've had Maddie twice, and the thought of being nothing more than just a plaything for her makes me want to smash something."

He sounded like a whining brat; complaining that a woman only wanted him for sex after years of doing the same to them. The irony wasn't lost on him.

"Did you tell her that?"

"Hell no, and chance her running away?" He shook his head. "She seemed pretty adamant it was that or nothing. And the thought of not seeing her again would be worse."

"Sounds to me like you really like this woman."

Did he? Or was it the challenge, as Trista said? Growing up, he knew relationships weren't his thing. His father never learned how to keep it in his pants and his mother cheated just to get back at his father. It was a toxic cycle Ray wanted no part of. Marriage wasn't for him, and if he refused to get married, then having kids was definitely not in the cards.

"Did you not hear me when I said she had kids?"

"So? Does that make her less desirable because she's a mother?"

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