Chapter 18
HUDSON
With my hands in my jean pockets, I lean against the door pane to stare at the woman in my bed. It’s the kind of view a guy could get used to. Piper is wearing one of my old hoodies, legs bare, and her knees are up which means the glimpse of bare skin confirms she only has a thong on.
She tosses her tablet to the side as she looks up to greet me with warm eyes and a welcoming smile. “There you are.”
“Making yourself at home?” I smirk and head into my bedroom while I take off my t-shirt and jeans. My body is drained, but I have a woman who is beckoning me to fall into her arms between the sheets.
Piper doesn’t move, instead lying there waiting, watching, and looking confident that she is supposed to be the queen of my bed, and pats the spot next to her to invite me to join her. “I knew you would be late, and I just wanted a cozy night to catch up on emails.”
I set my knee on the bed and crawl to her to steal a kiss. “I was waiting for this.” I speak against her lips before the tips of our tongues touch for a little tease.
Her hands come up to frame my face. “You seem tired.”
A short laugh escapes me. “I’ve been up since five and it’s now almost eleven. This is usual as we prepare for pre-season games.”
“You drove?”
“I have a driver for the next few weeks. There is no way I’m driving this late after a long day, plus I can use the drive to go over notes for tomorrow’s training.”
“Come to bed. I’ll massage your shoulders.” Her thumb swirls on my cheek.
I would love to collapse on the mattress, but I’m a man who survived a day of sun, running up and down a field, and standing around with sweaty guys needing a lecture. I give her a peck on the lips real quick. “A two-minute shower then I’m back.”
Piper pretends to pout and grabs my arm as I leave. “I can be of assistance.”
“Oh, I know you can, but I’ll be fast,” I promise.
She nods in agreement.
The moment, I get the shower on, dim the lights, and throw some music on the Bluetooth, I’m regretting not dragging Piper in here.
But I need a few minutes to myself after this day, and even the drive back wasn’t peaceful, as one of my assistant coaches had sent a long email that I needed to process.
My evening shower is a sort of ritual to turn off my football brain and refocus on other aspects of my life.
Warm water cascades down my body as soon as I step in.
A deep breath and I can already feel the thoughts float into my head about the fact that Piper is here and finding a routine at my house with ease.
But a few hours every night are not enough.
I’m asking a lot that she always comes here to Lake Spark, but I get the impression she prefers it here to the city anyhow.
Then again, once the season starts, then my time here will also be minimal.
Turning the water off, I grab a towel, and two minutes later I’m back to my bed. Piper is now only in my t-shirt. In fact, I think she has been wearing my clothes at night more than her own line of pajamas that she designed.
Piper pulls open the duvet to offer me a spot while I grab a pair of boxer briefs, never breaking our gaze.
“Kept the bed warm,” she proudly states.
It’s only a second after my ass hits the mattress that Piper is on top of me, straddling me, with her hands resting on my shoulders as I sit against the headboard. Despite her warm heat on top of my dick, she isn’t even being sexual. She’s caring.
Her fingers begin to knead into my shoulders. “Is it always like this? You’re a little tense.”
“This is normal. It’s long days now, and when games start, it’s a little less long but more pressure. Welcome to my life for the next six months.” I rub my hands along her forearms and take in how good it feels to have someone massaging me with purpose.
“I have to say that it sounds awful, but you seem to enjoy your job. It’s just… maybe I’m beginning to really understand why you haven’t had time for… other things.” She’s acting sheepish, but I know what she means.
I stop her from massaging me further and have to smirk at her thought. “As in a relationship?”
A knowing grin is faint on her lips. “Maybe that is what I was getting at.”
I comb my fingers through her hair because her lush brown locks frame her face and it’s slightly distracting, as I just want to wrap her hair around my hand and pull her mouth to mine. “Partly, yes. But if you put in the effort then it can work. I never wanted to put in the effort… until now.”
Piper shimmies closer to my body, causing my cock to twitch, but I stay on point and pull her closer to me to wrap her tightly in my arms.
“Summer training is over in a week,” she says, “then it’s pre-season games and then game season where you stay in a hotel the night before home games too.” She’s showing off her knowledge that is a mix of what I’ve told her and exploring the internet.
“I hate that time isn’t on our side, we only have small windows. Speaking of which, stop by the stadium tomorrow for lunch,” I suggest.
Her face freezes for a brief second. “Oh, I kind of planned to do my usual coffee in town, walk around, and some old lady mentioned they have a drawing class by the gazebo every day during the summer.”
My eyes raise to her, and I’m kind of taken aback that she’s pushing back. “Piper.”
“Hudson,” she returns my authoritarian tone.
“I don’t like this avoidance. I’ve been patient, but now is the time to rip the band-aid off and tell April. Besides, I want to see you more outside of our bubble. Soon, I won’t be at Lake Spark as much.”
Her lips quirk out, and she seems sad by that thought. “I’ll miss it here.”
“Using me for my house,” I joke.
She playfully pushes my shoulder. “I like it here. The home you built, the man who lives here. When I’m here with you, it’s our own little world.”
“We get to have the whole world as ours if you speed up the avoidance of truth with my niece issue. And my house is your house, so use it even if I’m away.”
Her eyes turn appreciative. “Thank you, and I hear what you’re saying about April. I just wanted to give her time, nor did I want to flaunt my romantic life to her when her own combusted.”
Another reason that I can’t seem to be angry, only annoyed. Piper has a heart of gold and doesn’t want to hurt her best friend. But in the process, I’m drowning in limbo and it’s no fun.
“Soon, Piper,” I nearly chide.
“I hear you. I promise.”
“Good, because I told the team publicist to expect you at some of our events and games,” I inform her confidently.
“W-what?” she nearly shrieks.
A cocky smirk tilts on the corner of my mouth. “You heard me.”
Her face lightens gently, and she glances at her fingers drawing circles against my chest. “It’s a big deal, Hudson. It puts me in the public eye, and I’m not used to that.” There’s more to it, I hear it in her voice, but I don’t press.
“I respect that, but that is kind of what you sign up for when you’re with me.” I lean down to kiss her fingers.
“You keep your son out of the press,” she is quick to remind me.
“True. But it’s easier. The press is a little too eager to know my romantic life. Hell, if I have to stand through another photo shoot for a bachelor coach article then I may have to punish you for that,” I say in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Piper rolls her eyes. “How about we save this talk for tomorrow when we’re not as tired?”
I study her for a second, and she has a valid point because my eyes desperately want to close. “Sure.”
“You can slide into me whenever you want,” she offers with a mischievous sly grin.
We both begin to shuffle around to get comfortable for the night. “That is some offer. You know I may just take you up on it at 4:55 in the morning before my alarm goes off.”
“Sounds like a perfect way to wake up.”
We both lie on our sides and face one another, her leg hooking over my hip and our hands resting on one another.
“Everything is perfect when I’m with you,” I faintly whisper.
Her lips twitch which informs me that the statement affected her. “Can’t argue with that.”
For tonight, that’s enough.
Walking out onto the field, I notice the group congregating near the twenty-yard line, a mix of football players in practice uniforms and women all cooing in a circle.
I glance up at the stands, as we now have open practices which means fans can watch, and in this very moment, they’re all standing and taking photos.
“What in the world is going on?” I ask Arnold who is by my side. It was lunch break for an hour, but we just ate in my office to discuss the team.
Arnold smiles and tips his head in the direction of the group.
“Jefferson’s wife had a baby the other week, remember?
Even scheduled the induction on our day off.
” My eyes go wide, as that is some commitment, although not the first time that I heard of a player’s wife doing that if the stork decides to deliver a baby during season.
“His wife must have brought the baby to visit.”
That explains why everyone seems to be in a good mood.
Often, players have their partners or family watching practice or stopping by.
Jesus, Smith’s wife drives me crazy when she stops by without fail to kiss her husband, take a selfie, and post it online.
Mostly because I seriously doubt her intentions of real love and wonder if she is more interested in the fame.
But truthfully, I know there is a twinge of jealousy inside of me that a twenty-four-year-old linebacker gets something that I don’t—a romantic relationship.
I glance toward the parking lot, and disappointment flickers inside my stomach because Piper didn’t stop by.
In reality, it’s probably for the best because it was a tight window of time and I needed to work anyhow.
But even a kiss would have given me a little extra energy and pep.