Page 17 of Hidden Plays (Desert Football #1)

EIGHT

HOLDEN

I was in deep with JJ. I had to give this my all, but was unsure where to begin.

How did you date the same sex? Were there different rules?

I ambled to my bed and sat on the edge, my knee protesting.

Would my therapist know anything about it?

I didn’t have anyone to talk to, and the other queer guys on the team were off limits unless I wanted to out myself. I wasn’t ready for that.

As I fell onto the bed on my back and stared at the ceiling, an idea formed in my head. I’d been a fake boyfriend, maybe I could talk to one of the queer players on the team under the guise of having a friend who was having a queer awakening? Holden, you’re a genius.

But which one? I pushed my lips sideways. “Eli.” A smirk crept across my face. Eli was kind, open and not as close to JJ as Casey was. Plus, he was a linebacker and not someone I trained directly.

Aching floated across my knee. I had to update the coaching staff about what happened. I’d do it at dinner and rest until then.

An hour later, I shuffled into the conference room the hotel had set up for our team dinner.

The coaching staff sat at one round table, along with the other trainers and medic. Coach Bowden caught my eye and stood. “Holden?”

“Yeah, Coach.” I did my best to walk without a limp, but still hobbled a little. As I passed JJ, warmth filled my chest, and I gave him a knowing grin.

“What happened?” Coach Barlow turned and looked me up and down.

“I slipped on some water in the lobby and overextended my knee. It’ll be okay, just needs a few days of rest and ice.” I dropped into a chair at the table.

“Are you sure? Maybe you should have it looked at.” Coach Bowden lowered his brows and wiped his hands on a napkin.

“No, it’s fine.” In fact, I’d endured worse after slipping since the surgeries. I eyed the food laid out on long silver platters on the tables along the wall. Fuck, I’d have to stand up again.

JJ appeared at my side, his hand on my chair back and leaning in close. “What can I get you to eat?” Worrying his lower lip, he glanced toward my knee brace. “There’s chicken or steak, salad, asparagus, a pasta dish and?—”

“Chicken and pasta with a little salad, please?” I peeked around the table. Did this look weird to them? But they assigned me to JJ, so maybe not.

“Sure.” He strode to the food table and grabbed a plate from the stack.

Unfolding my linen napkin, I placed it on my lap.

“Looks like you’ve settled things with Matthews.” Coach Bowden sipped some water from a glass.

“Yeah, we have an understanding.” My chest stiffened. What would he think if he knew what we were doing outside of football? Would it look unprofessional? Would they fire me? I scratched my brow. Jesus, I might put my new future on the line .

JJ returned with a plate of food and set it in front of me. “Here you go. Let me know if you need anything else.”

“Thanks.” Pursing my lips, I kept my head down. If I looked at him, would my feelings for him be visible? How would I hide this?

He glanced around the table. “Or, let one of these guys know.” With a pat on my back, he strolled to his table and sat beside Casey.

I glanced behind me at JJ’s table. Eli sat opposite him. I had to talk to him without JJ knowing.

At the game, it was all business. I sat on the sideline, watching play after play.

JJ was on fire tonight, playing a phenomenal game, scoring two touchdowns in the first half alone.

Was our relationship good for his game? If things went sour, would it hurt his career?

As usual, I’d put a lot of pressure on myself.

It’s what I did, and it made me the talented quarterback I’d been.

But I knew it wasn’t always healthy for me.

We led by a touchdown with thirty yards to the goal line in the last quarter. The game could still go either way. The offensive line was on the field, and Casey readied for the snap.

After calling out to the team, Casey grabbed the ball and stepped backward, looking for an opening, holding the ball above his shoulder.

JJ dashed out and cut into the center of the field with a lineman hot on his heels.

No way Casey would pass to him. It was too dangerous.

In a split second, Casey tucked the ball and sped down the center of the field, head lowered and twisting around UCLA players.

JJ sprinted toward Casey.

With a short toss, Casey snuck the ball to JJ, who swiveled on his heels and broke away down the right sideline. He sidestepped, almost running out-of-bounds while a UCLA safety lunged at him, but he kept on, the ball tucked into his side.

I hopped from my chair, bouncing on one leg, screaming with the team and pumping my fist. “Go, Matthews, you’ve got this!”

As JJ scrambled into the end zone, he held the ball over his head and pranced.

Damn, he was a skilled player, and maybe he could be mine. My chest swelled.

After handing the ball to a ref, he ripped his helmet off and jogged to me, a wide smile gracing his lips, and side-hugged me. “My hip feels great. It’s all because of you.” He leaned in close, whispering, “Babe.”

Coach Barlow turned to us and lifted a brow. “Well, whatever you two are doing, keep it up. It’s working.”

If only Coach knew. “Thanks, Coach.” With my cheeks flaming, I beamed at JJ. Maybe it really would all work out in the end.

After the fanfare of the game, we’d gotten back to the hotel, and I lay on my bed, icing my knee. There had been no time to spend with JJ, since we were constantly surrounded. Tapping filtered through my room. Was someone at my door? The tapping grew louder.

Was it the hotel manager again? With a huff, I threw the ice pack off my knee and limped to the door. As I swung it open, my heart jolted.

JJ stood in the hallway in fresh team sweats, his dark hair falling in damp waves around his wide, stark blue eyes. “Hey.” He shifted his feet. “Can I, uh, come in?” He held up two cans of beer.

“Yeah.” I hopped to the side. Was Casey aware, and if so, what excuse did JJ use? And where the hell had he gotten the beer? “I’m happy you’re here, but what about your friends? ”

“What about them?” He wandered inside and sat on the edge of my bed. “Casey’s fast asleep, and I didn’t see anyone else on the way here.” He snicked a can open and set the other on the nightstand. “I figured we deserved a little alone time and a celebration after the game.”

I hobbled to the bed and carefully crawled into my original space, propping my knee on a pillow and sliding the ice pack over it. “I have to admit, the beer looks pretty good.” I picked up the can and opened it.

“What about me?” Wagging his brows, he sipped his beer.

My gaze trailed over his body, the way he filled out his sweats, his thick arms and shoulders and long legs. I’d made the moves on him earlier, but now I didn’t know what to do. Was he here for sex? “Want to watch TV?” I grabbed the remote from the mattress, resting opposite JJ.

“Sure.” He climbed up, edging into my side, his gaze affixed to my mouth. “I gotta admit, I can’t stop thinking about what we did today.”

“Yeah? I can’t either.” All aspects of it. I drank some beer. The cool bubbles soothed my nerves. He was so close again. Did being with a guy mean a lot more sex? My cock stirred as my balls prickled with heat. Maybe I should be direct. “JJ, are you here for sex?”

He dropped his jaw. “Um…yes?” Dipping his head, he chuckled and fingered the pull tab on his beer. “Can I help it if you turn me on?” His darkened gaze crept to mine. “I mean, you’re so…” He brushed his hand over my cheek and tucked my bang behind my ear. “You have a pierced ear now.”

“I do.” His touch tickled my skin. I wanted more of it. “I got it pierced with my mom. We went for drinks once after the surgeries, and she told me I’d look good with it. So, she got a piercing on the same side, well, another piercing since her ears are already?—”

He skimmed his fingers along my jaw and slid his tongue along his upper lip. “What is it about you? I feel connected.” He traced my Adam’s apple. “More than I should.”

I lowered in the bed and lifted my shirt, exposing my stomach. I wanted his touch all over me. “JJ, touch me some more. Everywhere.”

As his throat bobbed, he set his beer on the nightstand and lifted my shirt up and off, throwing it to the ground. “Can I take off the joggers too?” He shimmied his own shirt off.

Was I ready to be naked with him? But I had underwear on. As my cock swelled, I rasped, “Yeah, sure.”

He moved my ice pack to the mattress and grabbed the band of my joggers. “Lift.”

As I raised my hips, he slid them down and off, careful of my knee. When he was done, he sat on tucked legs, skimming his hands up my abs and to my pecs, tilting his head, his gaze chasing the movement. “You have a nice body. Better than in high school.”

My breath hitched as his fingers brushed my nipples. “Yeah? I’ve put on some muscle since then. I’ve worked hard at?—”

He softly pinched my nipple.

A shock of pleasure wound from my chest to my dick, and it jerked. “Oh, fuck.” Damn, what was he doing to me?

A small smirk curled his lips. “You like that?” He leaned down and flicked his tongue over the hard nub.

“I-I do.” My aching cock pushed at the band of my briefs. JJ knew things. I had a feeling he wanted to show me everything.

He left my nipple and licked down the center groove of my abs, all the way to my navel, his head tipped, and gaze locked on mine. I tensed my stomach as heat shivered over my skin. Would he give me head? Was I ready for that? “JJ, what are you doing?”

“I’m exploring. Does it feel good?” He dipped his fingers under the band of my briefs, swiping precum across the tip of my cock.