Page 16 of Maverick (Playing For Keeps #2)

REESE

Still on my knees, I peered up at Maverick through wet lashes. His chest heaved up and down with each breath, flushed red from exertion. The color continued up his neck, tinting his cheeks in a familiar rosy color.

I used to be able to do that to him .

I shook my head to clear it. I couldn’t get lost in what used to be.

He belonged to someone else now—our captain .

Remembering the instructions I’d been given, I stood and dug Maverick’s body wash from his shower kit.

“You don’t have to,” he muttered, so quietly that I almost didn’t hear him.

Loading up a washcloth, I stepped back into the shower stall.

“I don’t know about you,” I started, throat tight as I closed in behind him, gently cleaning the new tattoo on his back, “but I don’t exactly want to get on Quinton’s bad side.

They call him Diesel for a reason.” My knee ached, which I’d gone down on when Maverick dropped me to the ground.

“Though you might be able to give him a run for his money. ”

Maverick scoffed and shook his head, slowly relaxing in my touch. “I should have put it together.”

“What do you mean?”

He spun, letting me drag the washcloth over his toned shoulders.

His cheeks turned a deeper shade of pink, and his eyes sparkled in a way that I’d never seen before.

“I um… Quinton and I hooked up in the back room of a club. I was blindfolded, so I couldn’t see him. I only had a name to go by: Diesel.”

“Until he became ‘Daddy.’”

Maverick turned his gaze to the tile at our feet. “Between that and the size of him, I should have put it together.”

“Mav?”

“Hm?”

He tipped his head back to wet his hair under the spray and I knelt, scrubbing the cloth over his legs.

The sight of the muscles flexing in his thighs threatened to have lust break through the incredibly intimate moment we were sharing and reluctantly, I shoved it away.

My cock still hung heavy, denied the release I so desperately needed—especially after seeing those two together—but now wasn’t the time.

“I’m sorry.” Deep, forest green eyes peered down at me, glossy with unshed tears.

Water poured over his shoulders and streamed over his face.

Or was he crying after all? “I know that doesn’t even begin to make up for what I did to you, but… I’m sorry.”

Ashamed of my past actions, I couldn’t look at him. I busied myself watching the suds swirl down the drain until a warm palm met my cheek and tilted my head. Maverick’s thumb brushed my cheekbone, his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. “That’s a start.”

He dropped his hand then, and we fell silent.

He allowed me to finish washing him while he scrubbed the black mop of curls on his head.

They sprung to life when they were wet, bringing that youthful look to his face.

It had been the entire reason I’d fallen for him in the first place.

Standing back, I took advantage of the moment to admire him.

Water sluiced down his body, creating a map for my eyes to follow.

The soap rinsed away, revealing inch by inch of flawless, olive-toned skin.

At a certain time of the year—such as now—he tanned in a way that made me want to explore every inch of him with my tongue.

In the past, that bothered me. Now? I shamelessly drank him in. To hell with anyone who had a problem with it.

The muscles in his legs and biceps rippled beneath the skin as he moved. He’d never had much body hair, save for the light smattering on his lower belly that drew my eyes south, right to his cock that jumped beneath the attention.

“I can feel you staring,” he laughed.

I swallowed, my throat unexpectedly dry. “You shouldn’t be giving me such a show if you don’t want to be watched.”

Blushing, Mav cut his eyes to me before shutting the water off. “Could you?—”

I already had his towel in my hand. Years of stolen moments and midnight showers had me in tune to his routine and lucky for me, it hadn’t changed. With a grateful smile, he accepted it and scrubbed his face dry. “Give me a minute?”

“Sure.”

After I got dressed, I found Quinton in the locker room scrolling on his phone. “I’m ordering food,” he said when he noticed me. “You hungry?”

I nodded, feeling uncharacteristically bashful.

Quinton Webster was a hard man to read. He was typically all business on the field.

We’d never even been able to guess his romantic interests, much less seen him with a partner around.

To know that he’d happened to stumble into a hookup with Maverick in the back room of some club kicked up butterflies in my stomach.

Or maybe that was the way he watched me like I’d be his next meal .

His dark brown eyes tracked my every move, like a predator stalking its prey as I crossed the room to snag a seat at another bench. “Here,” he said, patting the space next to him instead.

I was not a nervous person—even when it came to him.

We’d been teammates for years. In that moment, however, my heart thundered and my mouth went dry.

Still, my legs carried me to him, and I sat where he’d asked me to.

Then, surprising the shit out of me, he wrapped an arm around my waist and tugged me close.

The noise that came out of me then could only be described as a squeak.

“I’m not going to bite,” he laughed.

“Yeah, right,” I scoffed. “I saw what you did to Maverick’s neck back there.”

Quinton shrugged. “He asked nicely.” Sobering, he added, “I know this might feel strange for you, but that was intense. We probably won’t be making friendship bracelets in the near future, but I’m not going to be a bad Dom and refuse aftercare.”

“What has he told you? About college?” When I didn’t get an answer, I raised my head to see Quinton watching me—and I fought the urge to squirm.

“That’s not my story to tell, Reese.” Maverick entered the room then, twisting his towel around in his hands.

His skin was still flush, warm from the water and…

well. His presence commanded Quinton’s attention, and he extended his other arm, beckoning his princess closer in a soothing tone that almost made me jealous.

“But we are going to sit here until the two of you work through your shit. Scene aside, we’re teammates, and I can’t have the two of you acting like teenagers on the field.

So, I’m going to feed you, make sure you’re both okay, and we’re going to talk this out. Understood?”

I only nodded, where Maverick offered a quiet, “Yes, Daddy.” And the sound of it made my stomach flip. Quinton eyed me suspiciously, like he could sense my inner turmoil.

I hadn’t known I could be submissive—I didn’t always like being told what to do but when it came to Mav…

Well, I’d do just about anything to make up for my foolish behavior.

Besides, when he started ordering me around?

Especially in that soft, tender way that he did just about everything in… it was hot.

The three of us seemed to come to a quiet understanding, moving to the meeting room to have lunch. It didn’t seem like Maverick’s place was entirely set up yet, and it was no secret that Quinton was extremely territorial—which made me curious as to why he was so open to sharing Mav .

Maverick had always needed a softer touch.

College-aged Reese stupidly thought that meant he was soft.

Concurrently, I also thought that being soft was a bad thing.

It was only after Maverick wised up and kicked me to the curb that I realized how much I missed it.

I came out, and the dating scene in Tuscaloosa was…

less than desirable. The men that were big enough were too…

bro, and the ones that had that tender, teddy-bear touch weren’t…

They weren’t Maverick. Nobody was.

Even as we ate, and Quinton offered gentle touches to his back, Mav kept a hand on my knee, thumb stroking the inside of my thigh. The move was so tender, so caring that it nearly brought tears to my eyes.

It was Quinton’s idea to save the intense conversation for after we’d been fed.

It hadn’t escaped me that he kept glancing my way, replacing my water the moment it was empty and offering me seconds when I’d finished my food.

As he massaged the back of Mav’s neck, Maverick sighed, and something occurred to me.

It was only when Quinton excused himself from the room that I was able to find my words.

“Mav, can I ask you something?” He nodded, drink halfway to his lips. “Did… you come twice earlier?”

Color rushed to his cheeks so quickly that I was surprised he didn’t faint. I’d never seen someone turn that red before. He finally uttered a quiet, “no,” but it was little more than a squeak.

I set my fork down, giving Maverick my undivided attention. Whatever he was about to tell me, it was going to be good. “Spit it out, Crawford,” I teased.

Quinton returned, raising a brow at me. “What’d you do to make him turn that color?”

“I asked him if he came twice earlier…”

An ear-to-ear grin curled Quinton’s lips thin.

He beamed, sliding his attention to Maverick as he took his seat again.

“Probably felt like you did. Didn’t it, princess?

” If it were at all possible, Maverick cheeks deepened even further.

Quinton placed a reassuring hand on Mav’s thigh.

“You don’t have to tell him if you don’t want to. ”

Now I was extra curious, but Quinton was right. I’d done enough damage to Maverick in the past. I wasn’t going to force him into anything. These past years without him, and the ache in my heart when he strolled onto our field that day solidified the fact that he was calling the shots now.

“I…” Mav cleared his throat. He picked at the label on his water bottle, gazing up at Quinton for guidance. Something he saw in the man’s eyes must have given him courage. “I had a lot to drink during the game…”

He trailed off, groaning and hiding his face in his hands.

Leaving me to put the pieces together. My eyes followed Quinton’s gaze to the water bottle.

I took in the quirk to his lips, the way Maverick squirmed in his seat.

Combine that with the sounds he’d made in the shower, and the words he’d whispered before he came undone—the ones he probably thought I hadn’t heard.

“ I can’t hold it anymore. ”

Oh, shit . “You pissed yourself?”

Maverick groaned and slid down in his seat.

I wasn’t sure how much hiding he thought he could do but damn, he was really trying.

My attention flickered between the two men, waiting for someone to confirm my suspicions.

Quinton said nothing, watching Maverick with that look that had me wriggling in my seat.

When Mav peered through his fingers at me, the sparkle in his eyes gave me my answer.

I’d heard stories of people getting fucked until their bladder gave out but I hadn’t tried it—I never trusted anyone enough.

But I trusted him . On some level, I always had.

“It felt that good?”

Cheeks still bright, Maverick nodded and pushed his food around his plate. “It felt really good.” Then he added, “Please don’t make fun of me for it.”

Cue my heart cracking in two. But before I could open my mouth to argue, Quinton beat me to it. “Look at him, sweetheart.”

Those deep green eyes turned my way. My heart raced. My hands itched to reach out and feel the heat of his body beneath my palms, but I refrained, swallowing against a suddenly dry mouth.

“He’s curious,” Quinton finished, flattening a large hand over Maverick’s stomach. “He wants to know what you felt.”

“I wouldn’t suggest trying that with him,” Maverick said. “He’s grumpy as fuck when he has to pee.”

“Hey!” Now my face was on fire.

“Oh, I know. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of sitting next to him on road trips.

” Quinton leaned into Maverick nice and close, lowering his voice.

“So I also happen to know that if you did try it with him, he’ll give you one hell of a show.

” Mav’s lips curled into a wicked smile.

I couldn’t breathe. Was my face as red as it felt?

I shrank back in my seat. “Especially if he’s had?—”

“Alright! I interjected. “Alright, alright.” I didn’t think I could take anymore. I’d combust on the spot.

Maverick relaxed into his Daddy, letting the man throw an arm around his shoulders. “I couldn’t help but notice you said he’d give me a show,” Mav said, turning into Quinton’s neck. “Won’t you be involved?”

“I could be, if that’s what you both wanted.” Quinton glanced at me. “But that also means you two need to get along. Are you ready to talk about it? ”

I already knew my answer and in order to keep from blurting it out, I rolled my bottom lip between my teeth. Maverick regarded me, pretty eyes turning sad and I vowed in that moment that it would be the last time he ever looked that way because of something I’d done.

Finally, he nodded, and I muffled my sigh of relief. “Yeah, let’s talk about it.”