Page 10 of Maverick (Playing For Keeps #2)

QUINTON

No one saw me hovering outside Maverick’s bedroom. At least, I thought so.

After showering off the sand and grime from the beach, I snuck up to the third floor to escape the noise.

I hadn’t expected Reese to be sneaking into the room that had been reserved for Maverick.

It was the only way I could ensure that he’d be on the trip.

After a grueling two weeks of training, I couldn’t imagine going away for the weekend without him, even if he hadn’t chosen me to share his bed that night.

I had to admit that seeing his reaction to Reese’s arrival amused me.

Sure, there were nerves in those pretty green eyes, but he’d settled into gently teasing Reese like nothing had ever happened between the two of them.

I was fully prepared to shut myself away and give them their privacy, but then I heard the thunk against the door and crept closer.

I had to make sure they weren’t fighting, right?

Rhythmic pants and moans seeped through the doorway, and my brows hit my hairline.

They most definitely were not fighting.

I told myself to walk away… I really did, but I was frozen in place. Keeping a close eye on my surroundings, I leaned against the wall next to the door, prepared to hear those noises get even louder. Especially when Maverick ordered Reese to his knees.

I coughed then, my cock hardening so quickly that I swayed on the spot from the rush of blood.

I wonder if he knew he was a switch. Likely not, since I could practically feel his hesitance through the barrier that separated us.

I heard hushed whispers, but I couldn’t quite make out what they were saying, not with the thundering music downstairs.

Thinking that things might fizzle out, I turned toward my own bedroom again…

Only for a groan to distract me. Something was definitely going on behind that door. Still, I rushed into my room, shutting myself inside and willing my erection to go down. The idea of Maverick dominating Reese Taylor had me hard enough to cut through steel.

After a few deep breaths, I realized that it wasn’t going to work—not with the mental image of those two together running through my head.

I made sure the hallway was clear and tiptoed over to the other room. The music threatened to drown them out, but I was too in tune to my princess. The groan that echoed through the wood? I knew that sound. After all, I’d been the one to draw that from him when he was riding my cock.

I collapsed against the wall, palming my erection through my pants. My pulse thundered in time to the music.

I shuffled closer, my fingers slipping behind my waistband almost of their own volition.

Was that…

Moaning, I brought my hand up to my mouth and spat in my palm before shoving it back into my pants.

Reese was definitely gagging. I knew the sounds of a blow job when I heard one.

Maverick’s wordless praise grew louder, faster as he neared his inevitable orgasm—and I did the same.

My hand shuttled over my cock, rough from the lack of lubrication but I was too far gone to care. I needed to come, and I needed to do it with Maverick. I heard him whisper that he was close and picked up my speed. Reese coughed and sputtered, and then Maverick shouted his release.

I gritted my teeth, come splashing against the inside of my pants. I heard the moment Reese gasped for air, and the idea that he possibly swallowed nearly built a second wave of pleasure. Oversensitivity slammed into me, and I tugged my hand free.

Panting, I quickly cleaned up, making it behind my bedroom door just in time to see Maverick check the floor. When Reese darted across to the bathroom, I relaxed against the wall and let out a slow, deep breath.

Those boys were going to be the death of me.

Naturally, I was the first one to wake up.

Telling Maverick that I was a rough sleeper hadn’t been a lie.

It was one of the reasons I insisted on sleeping apart from him—I’d just keep him awake with all my tossing and turning.

I started some coffee and claimed my cup, knowing that the carafe would quickly disappear once the other guys were awake.

Taking advantage of the quiet, I took my drink out to the back deck.

The sun was just rising over the ocean, painting the picture in warm shades of pink and orange.

I took a deep inhale of the fresh, salty air, knowing I’d miss it once I was back in Auburn—I always did.

Seagulls cawed overhead and waves crashed against the shore.

Playing pro sports meant that I had a bigger family than most. I already had a large family with quite a few siblings and all the cousins, but the men on my team mattered to me just as much.

I loved the noise and the chaos, but I’d learned to enjoy the quiet moments like this.

With the start of the season less than forty-eight hours away and now with a pretty little princess keeping my hands full, peaceful moments were sure to become few and far between.

Especially with Reese Taylor involved.

I’d come from a fairly traditional family, but I’d turned out to be anything but.

Sure, I valued some of my family’s beliefs, but traditional monogamy was never one of them.

From the time I could walk it became about who I would marry and the kind of family I would lead.

They didn’t bat an eye when I came out, only switched from talking about women to talking about men.

I dated. Of course I did, but never felt the need to settle down. First it was because of my studies, then it became about the game—I couldn’t have any distractions.

Then Maverick strolled into that club. Even before he waltzed his way right onto my team, I knew I’d never be able to get him out of my system.

I would have changed the rules for him. If he wanted a committed relationship, then I would have made that happen for him.

As it was, he seemed to want more than just me, and I was just as fine with that.

The back door slid open, jolting me from my thoughts.

My first instinct was to be annoyed that my quiet time had been interrupted but when I found Maverick standing there, sleep-mussed and wearing nothing but pajamas, I couldn’t help but smile.

I’d quickly gathered that he wasn’t a morning person, judging by the sluggish way he rubbed his eyes, clinging to his cup of coffee like a lifeline.

“I’m not interrupting, am I?” he husked.

“Not at all.” Instead of sitting down, he sidled right up to me and I instinctively opened my arm for him.

“This okay?”

“More than okay.” Given the privacy, I pressed a kiss to his forehead. “How’d you sleep?”

“Rough. Reese clung to me like an octopus and it was like cuddling with a radiator.” Maverick peered up at me, that beautiful blush creeping over his cheeks. He likely never had to look up to anyone. Green eyes meeting mine, he swallowed hard. “We hooked up last night.”

“I know,” I said simply, taking a sip of my coffee. “I heard you.”

“You did? I was that loud?”

I laughed. “No, sweetheart. I was walking past the door. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to put those noises together.

I see the way you two look at each other—I did the first time you showed up on the field.

I figured the two of you would end up fighting or fucking eventually.

Since we got the fighting out of the way… ”

Maverick’s cheeks deepened in color. “You’re not upset?”

“About you hooking up? Not at all—that was hot as fuck. I meant it when I said we don’t have to be exclusive. All I ask is to be kept in the loop. That fighting, however…” I tightened my hold on him, rubbing my palm over his back.

He hummed and leaned into the touch. “I know. I’ll do better. I promise.”

Since we were still alone, Maverick leaned against my shoulder, sipping at his drink and staring out over the ocean. With nothing but the waves crashing around us, I jolted when he finally spoke. “Can I stay with you tonight? When we get back to Auburn?”

Yep, this pretty boy was settled nice and cozy under my skin.

“Of course you can, princess.”

Monday marked the first preseason game, and it would be the one chance to prove that all of our training had been worth it. The Yellowhammers weren’t near the top of the league by any means but if we worked our asses off, we had a real shot at making the playoffs.

Unfortunately, it was also the beginning of August. In most of the country, temperatures were starting to change. Leaves were beginning to change color; you’d often note that crisp chill to the early morning air that meant fall was on its way.

Not in Alabama, or the entirety of the southeast for that matter. It was like that part of the country banded together and decided to get hotter in August. The Gulf Coast in particular was a different kind of miserable with the insufferable humidity.

Some might think that I’d be used to it after being born and raised in Alabama, but that was the furthest thing from the truth—for anyone. Heat made people angry, no matter how accustomed you were. Blood boiled and tempers flared—and that was without any lingering tension between two people.

It wasn’t lost on me that Reese and Maverick hadn’t even attempted to speak to each other, but I saw the looks when they thought no one was paying attention.

Those two were far from finished with what they’d started in that bedroom.

Of course, I hadn’t asked Maverick about it either.

By the time we got back to Auburn, it was all we could do to throw ourselves in the shower and crawl into bed.

Surprisingly, even after the warnings of how rough a sleeper I was, he demanded that I stay with him.

And for the first time in a long time, I slept like a baby.

I only awoke when Maverick did, batting his pretty lashes at me until I joined him in the shower—where he convinced me into trading hand jobs, which made us both ten minutes late to practice.

Luckily, most of the guys were still recovering from the weekend away, so no one batted an eye.

In the minutes before the first game of the season, nerves were to be expected—even for some of the more seasoned players.

Regardless of how long you’d been doing it, everyone had a ritual. Some prayed, some prepared a specific meal or relied on a special playlist or TV show.

Me? I needed complete silence. That charged feeling in the locker room didn’t do me any good.

So, I found myself hiding away in that empty office.

It wasn’t entirely unheard of for me to find a quiet room, but seeing Maverick and Reese toss each other longing glances from across the room was a distraction that I didn’t need.

But I wasn’t jealous. In fact, it was the exact opposite. I wanted to drag them somewhere private and demand that they re-enact exactly what happened.

I’d set a timer on my phone, which had ten minutes left on it. We’d gotten lucky—our first game had been scheduled against the Georgia Bobcats for weeks. A last-minute switch changed that, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t seen the relief on Maverick’s face when it was announced.

Trades were common in the world of pro sports, and they were often beyond our control, but I couldn’t even begin to imagine what Maverick could have been going through.

After all, I’d been drafted to my dream team as well.

I was born and raised in Auburn, and I couldn’t imagine being anywhere else.

When you worked in such a demanding career, you learned to accept that it might mean long stretches away from your family, but to be ripped away from your comfort zone and thrown into a place that held so much heartache?

That had to be the worst kind of torture.

I squeezed my eyes shut. Now wasn’t the time. When we stepped onto that field, Maverick and I couldn’t be anything. We had a job to do.

With six minutes left on my timer, I leaned back in the chair and shut my eyes.

I couldn’t focus with a bunch of noise, so playing music or watching TV—hell even playing a mindless game with some of the other guys wasn’t enough to help me relax.

Years ago, when I was just a rookie, the team therapist helped me lean into meditation as a way to clear my head.

If I was focused on mindfulness and breathing, there wasn’t room for anything else.

By the time my alarm went off, I felt much calmer.

I left the office and as I locked up, the rest of the team had made their way through the halls to the tunnels.

Instead of falling to the back like I wanted to, I weaved my way to the front with the other captains, but not without tossing a grin to Maverick.

He wore his heart on his sleeve, and his apprehension on his face.

My entire body ached to draw him into my arms.

Later , I promised myself. No matter the outcome of this game, Maverick was mine the second it was over.

“Webster, you’re calling the first coin toss!”

“Yes, Coach,” I called, strapping on my helmet.

I could already feel that the stadium was packed.

Footfalls echoed around me, the roar of the crowd already permeating through the tunnel.

The rest of the guys were already getting pumped and with the vibrations continuing up through my chest, I began to feel the same.

Since we were on home turf, it was our fight song that blared through the speakers.

My heart thumped with every beat of the music.

Chanting kicked up around me and with the signal from the head coach, our quarterback charged forward, and we burst through the tunnel.