Page 2 of Valentine Mine

luca

After cleaningup the piss and then putting the boys to bed, I trudged downstairs.If I were a drinking man, I would find a bottle and pass out for the night in my favorite chair in the family room.But I hadn’t touched a drop of booze since my freshman year of college.

Instead, I walked into the kitchen and grabbed a sports drink from the fridge.My body was sore from dealing with the toddlers.It was hard to believe I’d won a Super Bowl only a few days ago.While all my fellow teammates were off partying it up, riding floats in parades, meeting the president, I was home where I craved to be.

And yeah, hiding a little.

We’d flown straight to our home in Santa Monica the morning after the game.

After I’d announced my retirement.

Everyone had known it was coming.Even if we hadn’t won, I’d planned on this being my final year.Football was a wear-and-tear sport.I was already feeling the effects of so many years of defense.It was time to give all my energy to my wife and kids.

But the media had other ideas.While I just wanted some peace to live my life with my family, they were busy giving their two cents that no one asked for.Following my kids to school.Stalking Violet and ambushing her everywhere she went.

The media had always been obsessed with me.And then with my relationship with Violet.We were labeled the fairy-tale love story of the NFL.Fans were just as invested in our marriage as they were in my team winning.

Now that I was retired, they wanted to change that.Blame her for me quitting.Sowing controversy with bullshit like we were on the road to divorce.Their latest theory was that Vi had given me an ultimatum—football or her.

She hadn’t and never would.

But if she did, it would be her.Hands down.Every.Fucking.Time.

As I chugged my drink, I heard footsteps.I knew it was her before she even reached the door.My dick got hard, my entire body already straining toward her.She was texting one-handed, not looking up as she headed straight for the fridge.

Her blond hair was in a messy knot that was off-center, big chunks falling around her face.She wore one of my hoodies that swallowed her, one side having slipped off her shoulder, showing me she wasn’t wearing a bra.Her sleep pants were at least a decade old, so baggy they dragged on the floor.She’d forgone makeup the last few days, having been in work mode to help her mom with a project that needed to be finished for the magazine.

So fucking beautiful.

I watched her pull the water pitcher from the fridge and walk to the cabinet to retrieve a glass.Her eyes left her screen only a few times to make sure she didn’t bump into anything, but I knew she was aware I was in the room.It was in the change in her breathing, the soft sigh that left her, as if she was releasing a little of the stress that had been tightening her shoulders all day simply because we were in the same space.

While she poured her glass of water, I moved up behind her, wrapping my arms around her waist and dropping my chin on her shoulder.She smelled good, so I pressed my nose to her neck before nipping her below the ear, rubbing my hard-on over her luscious ass.

If there hadn’t been the risk of Love Bug walking in on us, I would have pushed her sweats and panties to her knees, soaked up the sight of her perfect ass, and then fucked her up against the counter.

Vi made a humming noise, leaning back into me, but didn’t drop her phone.With all the craziness of the last several weeks—the championship game, followed by weeklong press bullshit, reviewing game film, practice, then the Super Bowl and the insanity following our win—there hadn’t been much alone time for Vi and me.We’d made love, but it had been in stolen, rushed moments.

I wanted to take my time.Savor her.Worship the goddess my wife was.

“Baby.”I nipped at her ear.“Come upstairs with me.”

Feeling her tense, I frowned and was about to turn her to face me when she picked up her water and ducked under my arm.“Sorry, babe,” she called over her shoulder.“I have to get this done for Mom tonight.All hands on deck for the deadline.”

“Vi?”I called after her.

“Go to bed without me.I’m going to be up late.Unfortunately.Love you.”

I stood there, looking at the door she had disappeared through, feeling like I’d been punched in the gut.“The fuck just happened?”

CHAPTERTHREE

luca

“Uh-oh.”

I snapped out of my stupor when I heard my princess’s voice.She walked in through the back door, and I glanced at the time.Jagger had taken her and his girls to the movies, so I was expecting her home.

“Which one of the boys put that dazed look on your face, Daddy?”

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