Page 106 of Blindside Sinner

I pull it together, tame my dick down, then head down to the living room where Viv is waiting, Sloan’s panties on her lap. I smile remembering how much fun I had taking the damned thing off her.

“You trying out new undergarments, Beck?”

“Don’t you wish, Viv? Doesn’t fit me, unfortunately.” I lean against the doorjamb and fold my arms over my chest. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to talk to you about your assistant.”

“You mean Sloan?” I’m playing stupid because I can. Because how is she going to call me out on it? She doesn’t have a shred of evidence and she knows it. “She’s great. Makes sure I eat my veggies every day. And that I get to practice on time. That I keep up with my cardio.” I nod. “Yes, ma’am. She’s great.”

“Are you fucking her?”

My voice comes out cold enough to freeze the faucet. “Don’t you dare ask me a fucking question like that, Vivian.”

She folds her arms to mirror mine. “I’ll fire her, Beck.”

“Why do you care, Viv?”

“I care because you need to focus. I don’t have to tell you how close you were to being released. And with your history, the rumor mill in the league, it’s going to take a lot of goals to get you back into the superstar tier where you think you belong.”

I just shrug again.

It’s enough to hear her talk like this to remember why things are the way they are. Viv’s arrogance is always accompanied by a smirk. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t mind letting her go. There wasn’t room enough in our relationship for her ego. Mine’s big enough for both of us.

“I told her that sleeping with you wouldn’t do her any good in the raise department.” She shakes her head. “I’ll let her go today and I’ll travel with the team to Portland in her place.”

“No,” I snarl, “you won’t. I’m taking Sloan. She’s a great assistant. And we aren’t sleeping together.” I let my arms uncross and fall by my sides. “Once again, you’ve let your imagination run away with you, Viv. It’s almost offensive how little you think of me. Now, if there’s nothing else you need, I’d like for you to get the fuck out of my house.”

I walk her to the door. This is handled—for now, anyway. And that’s enough.

“Keep me in the loop, Beck. If she steps out of line…” She drags a finger across the lower part of her throat.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Will do.” I shut the door on her and retreat to the kitchen. Sloan is waiting at the counter, a glass of orange juice in front of her.

“Well, well, well, Mr. Pants on Fire.”

I take it she was listening. “Couple things.” I hold up my hand. “First, if you want, I can call her back and we can confess the truth. Your call.”

She shakes her head frantically. “No, no. We can do this your way.”

“I thought so.” She’s so fucking adorable when she gives in. “Second…” I untie the string at the waistband of my joggers. “If my pants are on fire, all I can say is that a good assistant—as in, the kind of assistant I just described you as—would take them off and save my fine ass from scarring.”

“You think you have a fine ass?” She stands and saunters toward me, hips swaying wide with every step.

“So I’ve been told once or twice.”

She slides her hand down the back of the joggers for a handful of my butt cheek. “Indeed.” She gives a squeeze. “If we didn’t have a bus to catch and showers to take, I’d take a look myself to confirm.”

“We could save time, you know,” I suggest. “Shower together. It’s good for the planet, too.”

“Or you could take a shower in your room and I could take a shower in mine, and, tonight, when we get to Portland, you can be very surprised by what I’m wearing underneath my clothes.” She grins. “Or maybe what I’mnotwearing. Who knows?”

I groan as my dick jumps right back to life. “Deal.”

The woman knows how to press all my buttons.

But this is just infatuation, that’s all. Sometimes, when I get with a new chick, I get more into the sex in the beginning thanmight be healthy or wise. It’ll taper. It always does. This won’t be different.

Probably.

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