Chapter 15
FIFTEEN
SYDNEY
ME:
Did you see the comments on your latest post? I knew they’d start to come around.
STEELE:
My favorite one was GadesFan216, telling me to eat a bag of dicks, then go fuck myself. Or RCR4ever, who called your dad a brainless hack for signing me. Truly feeling the love.
ME:
OK, so other than those, a lot of what I saw was actually pretty positive. Baby steps, Harlow. You can’t win them over in a day.
Also, are you even aware of the filth in your DMs? I didn’t open anything, but the previews that came up in my notifications were more than enough. Do women really send you nudes that often?
STEELE:
No clue. I told you. I delete them.
ME:
You expect me to believe that people willingly show you their tits, and you don’t look? That sounds made up.
STEELE:
I don’t expect you to believe it, but it’s the truth. I’d rather get that stuff at the club where there are NDAs and everyone knows the score before we even meet. It’s safer that way.
I’d open nudes from you, though. In case you were thinking of sending any.
ME:
Not a chance.
“Who’s got you smiling like that, Syd?” Bailey asks, startling me.
I slam my phone face down on the counter, bringing my wide eyes up to find everyone in the room staring at me.
Their expressions are masked in confusion, which is probably due to the way I was just completely lost in my conversation with Steele.
“Nobody,” I rush out, sweeping a hand out dismissively. “Just Anita with an update on Angus. He got a haircut today, and they gave him a new bandana.”
“He’s so cute,” Livvy says, tossing back what’s left at the bottom of her wine glass.
It’s girls’ night, our weekly meetup at Bailey’s house, where we sit around in her spa room, get drunk, do skin care, and catch up with one another.
It’s not always easy to get everyone in the same place with our busy schedules, but we make it a priority not to miss this.
The guys usually hang out somewhere to watch whatever sporting event is broadcasting, but tonight, they’re just upstairs in Jett’s new theater room, probably going over tape in preparation for this Sunday’s preseason game.
“Okay,” Finley sighs as she makes her way down the stairs.
“Norah is fed and sleeping in her daddy’s arms, which means it’s my turn.
I’m breaking out all of a sudden, and it’s driving me crazy.
” She hops up onto Bailey’s treatment table, looking over at my sister.
“Liv, Maddox wants to see you. He said he’ll be quick.
Something about throwing off his plant foot. ”
Livvy rolls her eyes, standing from the plush chair she’s been curled up in all night. “We’ve gone over this about a thousand times. What’s one more, right?” We all laugh as she hustles out of the room, and as soon as we hear the door close, multiple sets of eyes are on me.
“Anita?” Stella says, looking down her nose at me. “That wasn’t a cute dog smile. That was an I want your dick smile. Who is he, and why are you hiding him?”
My eyes go wide, the back of my neck prickling with heat. “What? No, it wasn’t.”
“Yes, it definitely was,” Bailey chimes in. “And the way you put your phone down like it was on fire screamed suspicion. Give us the tea, Sydney.”
Shit.
I look over at Finley, who knows about my night at the club with Steele.
I can tell she’s holding back a cringe, questioning whether or not I’m going to open up to the girls like I did to her.
I know she’s a vault, and if I wanted to fib my way out of this by playing dumb, she’d go along with it.
But I’m not doing anything wrong, really.
I didn’t know who Steele was prior to sleeping with him, and I haven’t crossed any lines since that night. Not technically.
I chew on the inside of my cheek, looking at the door that remains closed at the top of the stairs.
It’s one thing to tell these guys about everything that went down, but I definitely don’t want my sister to know.
It’ll just make things weird—not to mention, I’d have to reveal where I met him in the first place.
“You have to promise me you won’t say anything to Liv. Or the guys,” I hurry out. “I don’t want them to know yet. It’s…complicated.”
Stella looks to Bailey, then Finley, then back to me.
Her expression softens. “Syd. We would never.” I trust these women with my life, and I know my secrets are safe with them.
We may not have decades of friendship under our belts, but the bond we’ve created over the past couple of years is unbreakable.
We have each other’s backs, no matter what, and I know I’ll feel a lot better if I get everything off my chest.
“I guess I should preface this by telling you that I’m a regular member at The Velvet Curve, since it’s a pretty important part of the story.
You’re always joking about how I’m not submissive and like to take charge…
and you couldn’t be more right. I’m a domme, and I go there at least a couple times a month. ”
Bailey picks up her drink from the counter, sitting down next to Stella on the couch as I continue.
“About three weeks ago, I decided to get a room and blow off some steam. It was the night before I was supposed to meet with Steele for the first time. You were all busy, and I was itching for some fun. So, I went.
“I ended up with a new guy. Someone I hadn’t played with before, and who was new to the city. He was exactly my type—tattooed, pierced, hot as fuck—and it was legitimately the best sex I’ve ever had. I almost broke my no kissing right away rule and couldn’t stop thinking about him for hours.
“We didn’t exchange any personal information, but he told me how he’d been transferred to Cleveland for work.
He was really unhappy about the new company, saying how his co-workers were a joke and didn’t know what it was like to succeed.
I felt really bad for him, but I thought maybe we could enjoy each other’s company until it was time for him to move on.
Well, imagine my surprise when that same guy walked into my dad’s office the next day and introduced himself as Steele Harlow. ”
Stella gasps, her mouth gaping. “Shut up! You fucked him, and now you have to work together?”
I sigh. “Yeah. At first, he was a total asshole, so it was easy to stay mad at him and keep things strictly professional. But I’m starting to see small pieces of the guy who held me and joked around in that room, and…
I don’t know. I just think there’s more under the surface that he doesn’t show the world. ”
“Do you like him?” Finley asks, since that would be a new development for her.
And honestly, I don’t know how to answer.
The Steele I met at the club is someone I could’ve seen myself connecting with on a deeper level.
But how much of that was a lie? Or were the things he said about the team just fueled by frustration and resentment over the situation?
I have no idea who he really is, and that makes it impossible to know how I feel.
“No,” I reply, because it’s easier than saying I may not hate someone who spoke poorly about the people I care for most, even if there’s a possibility that it was all just a front.
“I just think he might be a little misunderstood. He’s in a new city all by himself.
The guys haven’t exactly rolled out the red carpet to make him feel welcome—rightfully so, by the way—but I’m sure that once you peel the layers back, Steele’s a good guy.
When Livvy was trying to sell my dad on the pickup, I heard her say what a good teammate he was in Miami.
I just wish we could bring that out of him here.
Plus, it’ll make my job easier if the fans see that he’s fitting in.
They’re still pretty divided in the comments section. ”
Stella lifts a brow. “Syd, you realize every one of those men upstairs is not only terrified of you, but that they also respect the fuck out of you, right? Not to mention, you’re the first to drop whatever you’re doing when one of them needs something.
Just tell them to start inviting Steele when they hang out.
They’ll do it, even if they don’t really want to.
Family means helping one another, no matter what. ”
“You think?” I say, scrunching my nose. It’s a lot to ask, considering the trouble Steele caused before we signed him, but I do think it’ll get the fans on board, maybe even before the preseason ends.
That means people will stop questioning my father’s decision-making abilities and buy more tickets and jerseys.
I imagine it would be a big deal for Steele to see some of our die-hards with his name and number across their backs.
“For sure,” Finley answers. “Actually, Theo said they’ve been playing really well together, and that Steele hasn’t been as closed off as he was when he arrived. I think it might be good for everyone to bond more, and you could get some great content for social media at the same time.”
I pull my lips to one side in contemplation.
It’s actually not a bad idea, as long as all the guys get along.
I know Theo, Jett, and Austin will be friendly.
Maddox, too. Emmett takes a little longer to warm up to people, but I’m sure Stella could make sure he’s in an extra good mood beforehand—we all know she has her ways.
“Okay, fine,” I reply on a hopeful exhale. “Let’s give it a try.”