Page 109 of Leave Me Broken

Janelle jumps up and Payson is right behind her. My hand that was stroking her thigh falls. I grab her arm instead. “Have you all forgotten the rules I passed out at the beginning of the season?”

Monica takes her seat next to Payson. “Come on, Coach, we’re on vacation.”

“Yeah, besides, you really think we listen the rest of the time anyway?” Janelle snorts an ugly sound.

My frown deepens. “I expect you respect your coach, yes.”

Payson giggles. “We respect you. But your rules suck. You already got rid of the boyfriend one.” Her eyes twinkle knowing I never enforced that between us. “Drop the rabbit food one for the week, please?” She bites that bottom lip that I love.

I pull her down so only she will hear what I have to say. “Eat your chocolate, babygirl. But when we are done here, I’m getting my dessert back at the hotel room. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Daddy.” Her whisper shoots straight to my dick. I let go of her arm and drop it to my lap. She giggles again, then her and Janelle are gone, basically running toward the dessert table.

“You ever heard of the word subtle?” Monica asks, stuffing a chocolate marshmallow into her mouth at the same time.

“Yes, not a fan.”

Her dark lips pull into a smile. “You know like, all our families are here?”

I am aware. That’s why I sat us at the table farthest from them. The teams are all sat in the middle with the families and the rest of the coaches surrounding the outside of the room. “Yes.”

Monica shrugs. “Okay. As long as you know.”

I steal a look at Janelle and Payson standing at the table, no doubt grabbing enough food to make them sick. I meant my warning. I’ve not properly licked Payson’s pussy in far too long and I’m starved. So if she makes herself sick, then it will be a very miserable night for her. I know this will be one of the few nights we might get alone. Ronni is coming tomorrow and plans on staying in the hotel room with Janelle and Payson. I know she hasn’t seen her friend in a while so I will give them their time together.

“Can I ask you a question?”

Monica pauses with a pineapple halfway to her mouth. I let her chew and swallow. “What’s up?”

“What do you think of Payson’s friend, Ronni? I’ve not met her and am curious.”

Her eyes shrink with suspicion. “You could just ask Payson. They have known each other the longest of all of us. Well, besides Alyssa. Think they might be tied.”

“Payson doesn’t ever seem to want to discuss the third to their trio.” I’ve not let it bother me much since I have more on my mind, but with her coming around tomorrow, it has me on edge. I know models and what their life is like. I don’t want Payson exposed to that. We are trying to heal from so many other things without the influence of a drugged-out model with an eating disorder.

“This isn’t because you heard she’s a model, right? Like you’re not going to up and leave Payson for her best friend? Ronni might be a model, but Payson has curves any of us sticks would kill for.”

Payson has curves any female would kill for. “Most certainly not. I am only interested in Payson.”

“Okay, but if you’re lying, Janelle will kill you.” Yeah, I do not doubt that. “But Ronni is . . . cool. She’s different than those two, though.” She nods her head in the direction I know Payson and Janelle are.

“How?”

“Janelle and Payson are like platonic soulmates.” I do not enjoy my woman being placed in a soulmate category with anyone but me, but I cannot argue with her claim. “They move in sync. They can read each other’s minds with a single look, like a full-on conversation with a few eyebrow twitches.” I have seen this firsthand; it’s jarring.

“Ronni is not the same?”

She shrugs. “I never thought so. I felt like they were friends because they grew up being friends, not because they wanted to be. Don’t say I said this but it always felt like Ronni had a secret she was hiding.”

I thank Monica and allow her to finish her food and conversation with Emika so I can think. I was hoping Monica would ease my mind, but she did the opposite. A secret. I’m not sure what kind of secret a teenage girl can hold. What am I thinking? Of course I am. I’m dating Payson Murphy. The girl who holds too many secrets.

Janelle is like the sunshine for Payson’s dark life. By the sounds of it, Ronni might be more like a freak snowstorm in March.

The next time I look at Payson, it’s not just Janelle by her side. It’s the waiters. I clamp my hand onto the side of the table. Janelle is all boyish smiles and keeps touching her fluffy hair, obviously flirting. Payson is hardly paying them attention, but it does nothing to calm the anger growing inside me. Especially when Payson turns her back to them and one guy nudges the other with wide eyes.

That’s my ass on my girl, and I’ll be dammed if I allow anyone else to gawk at it. I push from my chair.

My anger only grows with each step until I’m ready to rip someone’s head off.

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