Page 46 of Home Town Advantage (Fourth Quarter Fever #1)

He shrugs. “Divorce sucks. I know ours wasn’t the worst, but it’s still hard and always painful.

No one enters into a marriage planning to get divorced.

She made mistakes. I made mistakes. We made mistakes.

These past few years have given me a little perspective.

I took her for granted. There are things I wish I had said and done differently.

If you ever find the right one, Vance, don’t hold back.

We’re cut from the same cloth, you and me.

We internalize. We let things happen around us.

Don’t be a bystander in your life. Take the bull by the horns. ”

I nod. “I understand. It’s good advice. Are you dating yet? It’s been a long time now.” Coach garners so much attention for his good looks. I’m sure he has women lined up to date him. I smirk. “Are you on any dating apps?”

He raises his eyebrow. “Vance, I still use an address book because I don’t trust my phone not to lose telephone numbers in that magical cloud in the sky that holds them. Do you really think I would trust a nerd sitting behind a screen to find me the right woman?”

I let out a small laugh. Of course he thinks matches on dating apps are done by actual people.

He blows out a breath. “Would I sound too much like your generation if I told you it’s complicated?”

I chuckle. “You sure would.”

He smiles. “Well, it is. There’s a woman I’ve been quietly seeing. I like her. A lot. But Pierce isn’t out of the house yet, and Kennedy loves to bust my balls.”

“If it makes you feel any better, Kennedy busts everyone’s balls, especially Daylen’s. The two of them go at it all the time.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Hmm. Interesting. She’s a handful, that one.

She practically lived in timeout as a kid.

Let me tell you something,” he points at me, “timeout does shit. You all grew up with a stupid timeout as the worst punishment imaginable. You know what my generation got? We got a belt to the ass. Marks for weeks or months to remind us of what we did wrong. Hell, I think I still have a few marks on my ass from my father’s belt.

I’d be jailed if I did that to my kids.”

I nod. “True. Don’t sweat it. Kennedy isn’t all bad. You see what a selfless teammate she is. She’s become super tight with Sulley, and Sulley is probably the most wonderful, morally sound person I know.”

He studies me carefully. “Anything I should know about you two?”

I crack a smile. “It’s complicated.”

He lets out a laugh. “Of course it is. Listen, I brought you here tonight because I respect you.”

“I respect you too, Coach.”

He nods. “Thank you. It means a lot coming from a quality kid like you. I’m telling you something that would cost me my job. Can I trust it to stay between us?”

“Of course.”

He exhales a long breath. “Management wants to win, and they want to win now, as in this year.”

I shrug. That’s not news. “Understandable. We all want to win.”

“It’s more than that, Vance.” He takes a sip of his wine and swallows it down. “If we don’t win it all this year, I’m out. They’ll fire me.”

My head starts spinning. “What? That’s insane. You’re the winningest coach in Camels’ franchise history. You played for the Camels. You are the damn Philadelphia Camels. You’re irreplaceable. You tell them that I won’t play for any other coach. Ever.”

He takes another sip. This one is a lot longer. “That means a lot to me, I hope you know that. But ? —”

“But what?”

“It’s not just me who will be out.” He has a pained expression on his face. He doesn’t want to say the words out loud.

I sit back in my chair, completely flabbergasted.

I feel gobsmacked. “I’ve given my all to this organization.

Blood, sweat, tears. I’ve played injured.

I’ve restructured contracts.” I give him a knowing look.

He’s one of only a small handful of people who know I agreed to less money to make sure Daylen got to stay.

Something I was assured Daylen would never find out.

“I know, son. I’m as disgusted as you are, but after six straight early exits in the playoffs, they’re sick of it. It’s all or nothing this year. They’ve laid down the gauntlet.”

“I see.” I shake my head in disbelief. “Why are you telling me this, especially if you’re not supposed to?”

“I don’t give a flying fuck about me. I’ve achieved everything I wanted in this sport and more.

I’ve been working hard toward a better balance in my life.

Football has cost me too much already. If this is my last year, I can live with that.

It’s you who I care about. You’re the reason I’m still here.

I know you always give it your all, but if I didn’t tell you to leave every single thing on the field this year, I don’t know that I could live with myself if it doesn’t go our way.

In football and in life, it’s important to leave everything on the field. You don’t want to have any regrets.”

SULLEY

It’s early in the morning. Our new season starts tonight. I’m so excited I can hardly contain myself. I’m in an old Camels’ T-shirt that Vance left here last week. I love smelling him when we sleep apart, which isn’t that often.

He had dinner with his coach last night. I told him not to come over afterward. If he did, we’d go at it for hours, and I needed to get a good night’s sleep before our first game.

I’m in my kitchen, about to brew my morning coffee, when my doorbell rings. That’s odd. It’s super early. Who could it be at this hour?

I open the front door and see Vance in gray sweatpants and a T-shirt. I’ve never once seen him in sweatpants. I examine him and realize why. He has a giant, and I mean giant, boner sticking out.

I can’t help but smile as I stare at it. “Are you okay, killer? It hasn’t even been twenty-four hours since we last had sex. Can’t you rein that in?”

He exhales a long breath. “Beau. Fucking. Fudd. He made us all those boner shakes yesterday. I was awakened at one in the morning with the hardest, most painful boner of my life.”

I burst out laughing. Leaning forward, holding my stomach, hyperventilating type of laughter.

“It’s not funny. I’ve jerked off four times. He won’t go down.”

My laughter only gets louder. “This is a riot. Did he make them for everyone on the team?”

He nods. “Yes.”

“Is everyone reacting like this?”

He shrugs in obvious frustration. “I don’t fucking know!” His hand is practically shaking, and his brow is covered in sweat. “Please help me. I need to fuck you.”

I cross my arms and raise an eyebrow. “Hmm. I’m intrigued. How many orgasms are you going to give me?”

He places his hands together in prayer. “As many as you want. I swear. I’ve come four times in the past five hours. I’m confident you’ll be the one asking for mercy by the end.”

I bite my lip. “I might be up for a little unnecessary roughness, QB1. I can’t wait to check out the product of a boner shake boner.”

I smile as I grab his shirt and smash my mouth to his. He immediately lifts me, so my legs wrap around him. His hands move straight to my ass and squeeze it.

He’s kissing me like he might never be able to do it again. And his big hands are moving everywhere. He’s so frantic for me. He always is. I love it.

His hard length moves through my soft center. He’s like a rock. I can’t help but grind against the python as he manages to get me aching for him in no time.

Suddenly, the hairs on my neck raise, and I realize where we are. We’re on my front stoop. I get paranoid, feeling like I’m being watched. Breaking our kiss, I look around but don’t see anyone. “Let’s get inside and take care of business.”

“Thank fuck,” he breathes.

He walks us into the house in a rush, closing the door behind him. My shirt is discarded before he takes his first full step inside, and he buries his face in my breasts.

I tap his arm. “Put me down. I need to see what I’m getting myself into. I’m not going into this experiment blind.”

He places me down, and I examine him again. I do love him in his trademark jeans, but Vance McCaffrey in gray sweatpants has my nipples hardening and a throb building between my legs. The massive boner only adds to the allure. I bite back my smile while I ask, “Why no jeans?”

“Are you for real?” He points at the tent in his pants. “I couldn’t fit this monster into jeans right now.”

I giggle. “I’m so excited to see the product of the infamous boner shake. Drop trou, Vile Vance.”

Without any hesitation, he removes his T-shirt and then his sweatpants and boxer briefs at once.

I have to cover my mouth as I gasp in shock.

“Oh my god! It’s enormous!” It’s always big, but it’s…

it’s…angry. So fucking angry. It’s red and purple.

The veins look like they’re moving under his skin; that’s how much blood is flowing through them.

His tip is oozing. What in the fuck is in those shakes?

I point at it. “No freakin’ way. Keep that thing away from me. You’re going to finally split me in half this time. For real. I have to play tonight. I need to be able to both walk and run.”

He whimpers as he squeezes his cock. “Please. I’ll do anything. I need relief.”

He looks so pathetic.

“Fine, but I’m sucking you off the first time.”

A small smile forms on his lips. “Yeah…so…I’m not going to argue with that.”

I giggle as I drop to my knees and inhale a deep breath. I’m going to need all the oxygen I can get.

Two hours later, we’re panting as we lie naked on top of what’s left of my dining room table.

Yep, we broke my brand-new table. He fucked me like a man possessed.

Over and over and over again. On every surface of the house, with the finale coming on my dining room table.

It came crashing down with us on top. We burst into laughter, but I’m just happy neither of us got hurt.

Well, I might be hurt. I haven’t attempted to walk yet.

He reaches his hand over and rubs my bare stomach. Breathing heavily, he says, “I owe you a new dining room table. Totally worth every penny. Thanks for helping me. I think he’s finally down.”

Also breathing heavily, I respond, “He’s now come seven times in seven hours. He’s got to be exhausted.”

Vance lets out a laugh. “That boner shake is no joke. Why do people pay for erectile dysfunction meds? All they need is a Beau Fudd boner shake.”

I giggle. “Truth. Don’t drink it ever again. I don’t have the energy for it. What if I wasn’t home?” I jokingly ask.

His face turns serious. “Then I would have gone back to my house and jerked off again. I wouldn’t have gone to someone else, if that’s what you’re asking.”

I shake my head. “It wasn’t. Vance, we’re not together. You’re free to be with other women.” I run my fingers through my tangled hair. “I guess if you’re messing around with other people, just let me know so we can use condoms. I don’t want to be at any risk.”

He turns and cups my face. “Someone else? Sulley, there is no one else. There never will be.” He licks his lips. “Don’t you know how I feel about you? Can’t you sense it with every kiss? Every touch? I lov?—”

“Don’t say it,” I interrupt while sitting up abruptly. “Don’t you dare say that to me, Vance McCaffrey. You know it’s not like that for us and never will be. We had a deal.”

The fact is, I’m falling for him too, but I don’t want to be. No matter how he acts with me, he’s still the man who betrayed my brother. And I know he’s hiding something from me. I feel it in my bones.

He sits up and takes my hand. “Why can’t it be like that for us? I know you have feelings for me too. You’re lying to yourself if you say you don’t feel what’s happening between us. It’s special. We’re special.”

My eyes fill with tears. “Because you lie to me. You hide things. Tell me right now. Tell me what went down with you and Maddie. I want all the details. Even the hard-to-hear ones.”

His jaw tightens. For a brief moment, his lips twitch like he’s going to say something real but then thinks better of it. He drops his head. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

My anger rises. “Right. You won’t trust me with the truth, but you ask me to trust you with my heart? To love you? Love needs action. Trust needs proof. Sorry needs change.”

Tears spill over my eyes. I’ve been so good about not crying over Vance McCaffrey for months. I’ve tried to simply enjoy our casual encounters. It’s all come crashing to a halt.

I shake my head, feeling the anger rising to the surface. “How dare you throw heavy shit at me on my opening day.”

He sighs. “Again, I’m sorry.” He winces.

“You know what? I’m not sorry. I love you, Sullivan Aisling.

I’ve loved you for a long time but feared saying anything.

I was afraid you’d react exactly how you’re reacting.

I’m not going to be ashamed to admit it.

I’m leaving it all on the field.” He places his hand over his heart.

“Love isn’t conditional. I unconditionally love you, flaws and all.

Can’t you love me despite my flaws? Despite past mistakes I may have made? ”

I shake my head and croak out, “It’s more than a few minor flaws, and you know it. We’ve existed in this alternate bubble for months. One that doesn’t reflect the reality of our situation. Maybe I let it get too far or allowed it to go on for too long. Maybe it’s time to end things between us.”

“No,” he barks out as he stands and begins to angrily and silently pull on his boxer briefs and sweatpants.

“Is there a follow-up to the no , or has the king spoken the rule of the land?” I ask with a sharp edge in my tone.

He slides his T-shirt back over his head with a murderous look on his face as he yells, “I do not accept your suggestion that we end our relationship. I don’t want that, and I know in my heart you don’t either.

We will never be over because I know we are meant to be together.

I knew it six years ago and I know it now. ”

“Meant to be together? You can’t be serious.”

He straightens his shoulders and puffs out his chest. “I know for a fact that I will never love another woman the way I love you. I would marry you today if you wanted to. That’s how fucking serious I am.

” He points at me. “We’re not over. We can continue this song and dance if you want, the one where we say out loud that it’s nothing but physical, but we’re both just falling deeper.

I’m fucking thirty-two. I know what’s real and what’s not. We. Are. Real.”

He makes his way toward the front door but momentarily turns back to me. “I’ll see you tonight at your game. I’ll be the one wearing the jersey of the love of my life.”

He walks out the door and slams it, leaving me speechless.