Glitz & Goals (Venom Next Gen #2)

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Vivian

Grady clambers to his feet and extends one hand toward me. “Grady Metcalfe. Vicious, self-serving head coach.”

I imagine that I can hear choirs of angels all around me, trilling their message in heavenly tones: What the fuck? What the fuck? What the fu-uh-uh-uk?

I smile and take his hand. “Vivian Abbott,” I tell him.

“Great to, uh. Nice to, uh.” Grady coughs and takes a quick sip of his beer. “So, this would make you Viktor’s sister and my goalie coach’s daughter. Awesome. Hello.”

Viktor whistles. “Shit, guys. Coach’s crabby face is back. We need a distraction. Camden, prepare to puke.”

Camden looks from my face to Grady’s. “But he said…”

The rest of the guys have picked up on the weird vibes and are tensed like gazelles ready to flee from an incoming pride of lions.

“Read the room,” Viktor hisses. Louder, he adds, “Who wants a beer?”

The team scatters toward the buffet table, leaving Grady and me by ourselves at the center of a circle of abandoned chairs. Dot and Sofia make sure to catch my eye as they retreat, and I wonder what my face is doing, because I must look… pissed, probably. Grady following me to the Mona Lisa was one thing, but this feels shady as shit.

Like he manipulated me to get in my pants.

As soon as they’re gone, I take a step closer to him and lower my voice to a growl. “What is this?” I demand.

Grady’s eyes flutter shut for a moment. “I was kind of hoping it might be a bad dream, but I’m guessing it’s not. Are you really Noah’s daughter? You don’t look that much alike.”

His words are like a jab to the ribs, but the way they roll off his tongue tells me that he really doesn’t know my story, which is its own kind of relief. “Sure am,” I tell him because that’s all he needs to know.

“I had no idea.” Grady pinches the bridge of his nose. “Is that why you were in the arena that day?”

“He left his tablet at home,” I explain. “And he wanted to impress you, so… yeah.”

“That explains some things.” He pauses for a beat. “Although I guess I still have questions.”

“About the tail?”

“That, too. But also, who did you think I was?”

I lift one shoulder in a noncommittal gesture. “Scout. The press. Vendor. Investor. Agent. Someone new to the front office. I see dozens of new faces every time I’m there. But I knew you were too old to be a player.”

“Ouch.” Grady laughs, but it’s weak at best. “Listen, I understand if this is a dealbreaker, but…” His throat bobs.

I think of how he was last night, how he never pushed things too far. How he tried to give me exactly what I wanted. We had chemistry, dammit. It was some of the best sex of my life.

And not just the sex. He was kind, too. Affectionate. Thoughtful. And he knows my family. Usually, that would sound like too much commitment, but seeing him here among my people makes me think it could be nice to have a guy in my life who isn’t constantly trying to measure dicks against my dad. Being the son of a pro athlete can put a lot of pressure on them to perform, but being a hall of fame goalie’s daughter comes with its own challenges. I’ve hooked up with guys who were more excited about my dad’s career than about anything to do with my life. At the very least, Grady isn’t like that.

“It’s not a dealbreaker,” I say.

Grady’s shoulders slump with relief. “It’s not? Thank God. Scout’s honor, I had no idea who you were. Until right now, I only had your first name. But I don’t want this to be over before it’s barely begun.”

I nod my agreement. “Same.”

Grady takes a deep breath. “So… now what?”

“We play it cool,” I say. “Take things slow. Maybe get to know more about each other so that we don’t get any more nasty surprises.”

Grady bobs his head. “You’re right. And we’re going to be on the road for the next ten days. That’ll give us some space. So, can I call and text?”

I smile. “I’d be pissed if you didn’t. Now, let’s eat. Otherwise people are going to talk. As far as they’re concerned, we don’t know each other well enough to even be having this interaction.”

We go our separate ways. I end up in a long conversation with Sofia and Dot, mostly about Sofia’s prospective jewelry business.

“I’m not sure I’m ready for the grand opening,” she frets. “What if I’m not prepared? Or what if I’m overprepared and my business is a bust?”

“Deep breaths,” Dot urges. “You’re fine. If you have to pivot, you will. You’ve got a safety net.”

Sofia wrings her hands. She turns to me. “I’ve always been impressed by the fact that you’re self-employed, but I don’t know how you got things off the ground without going crazy. There’s so much to learn! All the bookkeeping and stocking management and… and I’m going to have to hire help…”

I lay a hand on her shoulder. “Dot’s right, Sof. You’ll do fine. You’re thorough, and I get that, but there’s going to be a learning curve for everyone starting out in a new venture.”

My watch buzzes, and I sneak a quick peek at my messages. There’s a new text from Grady.

Grady : This is me, giving you space.

I smile to myself and look up. Grady’s standing by the back door. As I watch, he slips his phone back into his pocket and drops his bottle into the recycling.

I message him back from my watch account, which uses my universal username in the chat.

VivaLaViv : You’re really good at it.

Dot’s talking about some influencer she’s obsessed with, and Sofia chimes in to talk about livestreams. I don’t spend a lot of time on socials with streaming platforms—I have a life of my own, thank you very much—so I mostly listen. Their conversation is punctuated by messages from Grady that keep me suitably entertained.

Grady : I could give you more space at my place later.

VivaLaViv : I’m leaving to meet friends at 9pm. I always leave the parties before anyone gets too drunk or too wild and tries to hook up with me.

VivaLaViv : After all, I babysat half the team. I already know too much.

Grady : Oh. That’s why you’ve seen their dicks.

I bite back a laugh.

VivaLaViv : Excuse me???

Grady : Never mind. Want to meet up later? You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now.

VivaLaViv : I have something of an idea. Imagine how badly I want to be kissed.

VivaLaViv : But you’re giving me space, remember? So you’ll have to wait.

Grady catches my eye from the other side of the party. He pouts for about two seconds before turning back to Ranger. I wonder what they’re talking about over there.

All of a sudden, it’s just too much.

The party hums around us, but all I feel is his eyes. Every time I glance up, Grady is already watching me, his gaze dark and smoldering. Images flash through my brain. His head between my legs. His cock in my mouth. Whenever I try to focus on the conversation in front of me, I hear his voice across the space, that deep, commanding rumble that makes my skin heat.

This is ridiculous.

I need to take a beat. A reprieve from the weight of him pressing against my every thought.

I slip through the patio door and into the kitchen, weaving through the familiar house with ease. I grew up here—I know every creaky floorboard, every hiding spot, every room that offers a moment of solitude. But before I can decide where to escape to, a firm hand wraps around my wrist and tugs me to a stop.

Grady.

I spin, but before I can protest, he steps into my space, crowding me back until my spine hits the doorframe of Dad’s infamous library. His scent—clean and masculine, with the faintest hint of the aftershave I was breathing in all night—is suffocating in the best way.

“You were going to leave me hanging?” His voice is low, husky. It sends a shiver down my spine.

“I was just taking a little breather,” I say, but even I can hear how weak it sounds.

Grady makes a sound that’s almost a chuckle, but there’s no humor in it. Just heat. Just frustration. “You’re all I can think about. The way your pussy tastes on my tongue. The way your pretty eyes water when I fuck your throat. Did you know that, Vivian?”

“No, I didn’t.”

His lips twitch like he’s about to argue, but then his eyes drop to my mouth, and I know—I know—he’s about to ruin me.

And I want to be ruined.

He reaches behind him and locks the door. Then his fingers brush along my jaw before he tilts my chin up. “Vivian,” he murmurs.

That’s all he says. Just my name.

Then his mouth is on mine.

It’s not tentative. It’s not polite. It’s hunger and frustration and pure, undiluted want. It’s him staking a claim, even though I haven’t decided if I want to be claimed. His hands are strong, splayed across my lower back, pulling me into him, while mine clutch at his shoulders, desperate to hold on.

His erection juts against the soft skin of my thigh, and I grind against it.

I normally don’t do this. I don’t let myself feel this much. But Grady is all-consuming, and I don’t stand a chance.

He kisses me deeper, tilting my head so he can taste me, stealing every last rational thought from my mind. I can feel the tension in his body, the way he’s holding back, even though I know he wants more.

And God help me—I want more, too.

I break away first, chest heaving, lips tingling. “We should get back before someone notices we’re gone.”

Grady presses his forehead to mine, eyes still closed. He takes a steadying breath, then chuckles softly. “You’re gonna be the death of me.”

I swallow hard and force myself to smile, like I’m unaffected, like my whole world hasn’t just tilted on its axis. “Yeah?”

His laugh is warm, but as I pull away, his fingers skim over my wrist, just enough to make me shiver.

And I hate myself for it, but I already miss his touch.

I straighten my clothes, press a hand to my warm face, and head back into the party. My head says this was nothing. Just a kiss. Just a moment.

But my heart?

My heart is starting to realize I might be in trouble.

* * *

“Bitch, you’re glowing!” Mia squeals, even before I reach our usual table. She leaps up from the booth and throws her arms around me for a hug. “Viv, I missed you! ”

“You saw me earlier today,” I remind her.

Jaime, still seated in the booth, snickers. “Yeah, but we didn’t get a chance to talk at work. You were too busy trying to fix that puppet.”

“Ugh, that fucking puppet.” I guide Mia back to the booth and slide in beside her. She snuggles up to me and rests her head on my shoulder. She’s such a lightweight, and she always gets cuddly when she drinks. I pat her head. “How many have you had?”

“We did shots,” Mia mumbles. She already sounds sleepy, although to be fair, we’ve all had an exhausting week. “We did a peach ring, and… um… Jaime, what was the one that’s really three shots?”

“A stoplight,” Jaime says.

“You’ve done four shots already?” I glare at Jaime. “No wonder she’s like this.”

“I ordered a water,” Mia protests. “And appetizers. I’m fine.”

Sure enough, the server arrives with a round of waters and an enormous app sampler. Mia immediately digs in, her earlier sleepiness forgotten in light of the promise of cheese sticks and fried pickles.

“So,” Jaime says, almost casually, “is there a reason you were in such good spirits today?”

I reach for a stuffed potato skin. “I climbed the tree.”

Around a mouthful of cheese stick, Mia blurts, “Ferioufly?”

“Chew your food, you little hellion,” Jaime scolds. To me, he says, “So you found him, I take it? Your mystery man?”

“He found me,” I correct.

Mia wolfs down the rest of her cheese stick. “Details! I need details!”

“I had him cook me dinner. Actually, I’m pretty sure Viktor cooked me dinner. Either way, we had amazing sex. I came seven times. He made me breakfast.”

Mia’s hands fly to her face. She looks like the kid from the cover of Home Alone. “You came seven times! And you spent the night!”

Jaime whistles. “You never spend the night.”

I click my tongue at both of them. “Well, I also have a rule against the walk of shame. I don’t do that either. And the fam was in the backyard with friends, so I chose the lesser of two evils.”

“So what’s the catch?” Jaime asks.

“Well…” I look back and forth between them. “So there was this party at my parents’ place to welcome the new Venom coach who just got hired.”

“Oh, my God.” Mia bounces in her seat.

“And it turns out, he’s the coach.”

“Oh, my God.”

“Too good,” Jaime says. “Were you totally obvious?”

“I hope not.” I take a pickle chip, but I don’t bite into it right away.

“Are you gonna date him?” Mia demands.

I blow a raspberry. “Um, no. For one thing, I don’t date. Plus, he’s my dad’s boss. And my brother’s coach.”

“But you’re gonna keep fucking, right?” Jaime asks.

“He’s giving me space.” My watch jingles, and I look down at the preview. I smile when I see who it’s from.

“They’re gonna keep fucking,” Mia confirms. “But this calls for a celebration. We’re getting mind erasers.”

I whip my head toward her. “I thought you were done for the night.”

“Hell, no. I have the power of fried cheese on my side. I’m just getting started. Now, while we wait for the server…” Mia rubs her hands together. “Tell me all about this sexy coach. Does he know his way around a clitoris?”

Jaime puts one finger up. Then he quickly adds six more. “Um… she came seven times!”

I shiver involuntarily. “Definitely.”

“Hell, yeah.” Mia holds up her hand for a high five. “Sounds like a keeper already.”