Chapter 8
FINLEY
When I woke up the following morning, I felt where Rhodes had been the night before.
But I had zero regrets over giving him my virginity.
Not even with how fast things had moved between us.
When you found the right man, it was sensible to make the timing fit.
Or at least that was my story, and I was sticking to it.
I let out a soft moan as I snuggled in his embrace, and his arms tightened around me. His beard scraped the sensitive skin on my neck as he murmured, “You feeling okay, baby? I should’ve run you a bath last night. It would’ve eased the aches.”
“I’m good.” I rolled in his embrace and smiled at him. “Just a tiny bit sore.”
He pressed his lips in a flat line. “I hate that I hurt you.”
“It couldn’t be helped, and you more than made up for it with all of the orgasms you gave me.”
Stroking his palm down my spine, he cupped my butt with his large hand. “I love hearing you scream my name as much as I do knowing that I’m the only man who’s ever gotten to see you like that. Or felt your sweet pussy gripping his cock.”
My cheeks filled with heat, and I buried my face in his chest with a groan. “You can’t talk like that, or else I’ll be tempted to do something my body isn’t quite ready for again yet.”
“We can’t have that.” He brushed his lips against mine. “I guess it’s a good thing my teammates will be here soon. It’ll help me keep my hands off you.”
“Your teammates?” I echoed, wiggling out of his hold to sit up. Pressing the sheet against my chest, I gaped down at him. “What do you mean, soon?”
“Don’t worry, baby. They won’t be here for another hour. Plenty of time for us to get up, shower, and get dressed.” He tugged on the sheet until it pooled at my waist. “It’ll be a damn shame to cover these perfect tits, but no way in hell does anyone get to see them but me.”
“Okay, but I shouldn’t even be here when they arrive,” I pointed out. “If your teammates know about us, Lennox might find out.”
His brows drew together, and his hand slid to grip my hip. “I don’t like keeping us a secret. You’re mine, and I want everyone to know it.”
“Only for a little while longer.” I pressed my fingers against his forehead, soothing the wrinkle that had popped up in the middle. “After you win the big game and get another championship ring.”
“I get your reasoning, but it doesn’t sit well with me.” He brushed his thumb over my ring finger on my left hand, and butterflies swirled in my belly. “I want to shout it from the fucking rooftop that you’re mine, Finley.”
“I want that, too,” I reassured him. “What I don’t want is to mess up your chance to make it to the big game because of some unnecessary drama with my uncle.”
“Never thought I’d say this, but I’ve won the championship already. I could handle never making it to the big game again if that’s what it took to have you in my life.”
There was no missing the sincerity shining from his dark eyes, and my breath caught in my throat at the weightiness of his words.
“You have no idea how much I appreciate you saying that, but you deserve both—another championship ring and me. I’m not going anywhere, so you don’t have to worry about that.
And your teammates shouldn’t have to pay the price for us being together.
They need you to be on your game if the Nighthawks are going to win. ”
“Damn, I hate that you have a point.”
Flopping down against the mattress, I scooted closer and twined my arms around his neck. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s a damn good thing there are only a few more weeks until we win the championship, and I can claim my real prize…you,” he grumbled.
I hated making Rhodes feel as though he was a secret I was keeping, but I loved how easily he talked about our future together. “Although we haven’t gone public with our relationship yet, I hope you don’t have any doubts about me being yours.”
“Not even a little bit.” He brushed his lips against mine. “Which is why I made it clear last night before I popped your cherry—there’s no going back.”
“Now that we’ve got that settled, I should get up so I can get out of here before any of your teammates arrive.” What I really wanted was to cuddle in bed with Rhodes all day, but that sadly wasn’t an option. Not until the off-season.
“I also have no doubt that we can trust my friends to keep their mouths shut until the time is right to fill your uncle in on the fact that you’re mine,” he insisted.
“You’re sure?” I asked as hope that my day with him didn’t have to end so soon started to build.
“Yup.” He nodded, beaming a confident smile at me.
“Brady is my best friend. He’d never do anything to hurt me.
Gage has proven time and time again that he has my back on the field.
He wouldn’t do something to cross it off the field, either.
And Talia is head over heels for Brady. With the lure of double dates in her future, she’ll be rooting for us. ”
“You really want me to meet them?”
“I don’t just want it, I need it,” he clarified. “It’ll help tame the possessive beast inside me that’s raging over the fact that we can’t be out in the open yet.”
There was only one answer I could give him. “Then I’ll stay.”
“Thanks for putting your trust in me, baby. It means a lot to me.”
Thinking about the state of his fridge when I’d gotten a peek inside last night—after we devoured most of the cheesecake and learning how hungry sex could make you—I scrambled off the mattress.
“We better get moving so we have enough time to figure out what we’re feeding your friends.
There isn’t much football party food around here. ”
“I have it all under control.” Getting off the bed to head into his walk-in closet, Rhodes explained, “The caterer should drop off my order in about fifteen minutes. When you’re out of the shower, everything will be here.”
He handed me a Nighthawks sweatshirt several sizes too big for me but had his name and number on the back. “That’s one way to announce to your friends that we’re together.”
“So will the fact that I can’t keep my hands off you,” he pointed out as he tugged on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt.
I discovered that he hadn’t been exaggerating when his friends arrived, and Rhodes barely left my side. He stuck close while we greeted Brady, Talia, and Gage—none of whom seemed surprised to find me here.
Watching a game with three professional players was an interesting experience.
Their knowledge of the sport blew me away, and I’d been around football forever.
But hanging out with Talia was even better.
We hit it off right away. She was only a couple of years younger than me, had only been with Brady for a few months, and was one of the kindest people I’d ever met.
And she was just as in love with Brady as Rhodes had said.
Which was good since she was already carrying his baby.
Something that could be true for me as well since Rhodes hadn’t used a condom last night.
I probably should’ve been terrified by the possibility, but watching how Talia cupped her barely noticeable belly had only filled me with envy.
And seeing Brady place his hand over hers before he walked with her to the door was one of the sweetest things ever.
“It was wonderful to meet you.” Talia beamed a smile at me. “I hope we get the chance to hang out again soon.”
“See, I told you she’d be excited about the chance to double date,” Rhodes teased as he flung his arm around my shoulders.
“Definitely,” Talia confirmed with a nod, her gaze darting toward Gage. “Now we just need to find this guy a girlfriend, and we could make it a triple date.”
“Yeah…nope,” Gage muttered, giving us a quick wave goodbye before stomping toward the elevator.
“Quit tormenting my teammates, baby,” Brady chided as they followed Gage.
Rhodes didn’t wait for the elevator doors to slide closed before he slammed the door shut and pressed my back against the hard surface.
“Fuck, I swear that was the longest game ever. All I could think about during the fourth quarter was getting you naked and beneath me again, even if it’s only to eat your pussy because you’re too sore for anything else. ”
“Good news.” I twined my arms around his neck. “I’m not feeling any pain, so there’s no need to hold back.”