Page 19 of Maverick (Playing For Keeps #2)

MAVERICK

When Quinton mentioned wanting to talk to Reese one on one, and Stetson’s schedule just happened to put him less than an hour away, I took advantage of the opportunity.

Quinton had given me explicit permission to tell him about us—so had Reese—but I was still nervous. So much so that all I could do as sit in the middle of the bed while Quinton got ready. As he tied up his hair, he met my eyes in the mirror. “Come here, princess.”

My heart thundered and my stomach churned, but my legs still knew to obey.

Hands on my hips, Quinton leaned down to press his mouth to mine.

I hummed into the kiss, molding into every curve of his body.

The tension melted away and when I twisted my hands in his locs, my nerves settled.

Quinton cupped my jaw and tilted his head, gaining the perfect angle to plunge his tongue between my lips.

One hint of his taste, and he was breaking off the kiss.

“You’re not worried about me going out tonight, are you? ” he asked, thumb stroking my cheek.

“Not at all. I’m worried about how Stetson is going to react to Reese being back in my life.”

“Remember what I told you, princess,” he whispered, pressing his lips softly to my forehead. “If he loves you, he’s going to see that you’re happy. You are happy, right?”

I nuzzled his jaw, a contented sound vibrating up my chest. “The happiest I’ve been since this foolish trade ever happened.”

“Watch it…”

“I’m sorry,” I snickered. “I’m from Georgia; we’re supposed to hate you guys a little bit. It’s in my blood.”

An unamused grunt and one more kiss to my lips, and Quinton stepped away. “I have an idea. Sit down for me, little love.”

I perched on the edge of the mattress, and Quinton knelt down to the bottom drawer of his dresser. When he emerged with a piece of green silk in his hands, my heart rate increased even more. “Really?” I questioned, my mouth suddenly dry. “You want me to wear those out?”

“I do… You can wear whatever you want over them. No one’s going to know they’re there but me and you—and Reese, if you want.”

I stared at the panties, already knowing how the soft material would feel against my skin—and then I wondered what it would feel like underneath my clothes.

“Give me a color, princess.”

“Green,” I said without hesitation.

“On your feet, please.”

I stood and Quinton knelt on the floor, tugging my boxer briefs off before guiding my legs into the lingerie.

The moment the silky material brushed my skin, I let out a deep breath and widened my stance so he could guide them up my legs.

Quinton slipped his fingers underneath the hems, smoothing the fabric over my waist and my ass.

My cock twitched in his hand as he made sure it sat comfortably.

“Is that better, baby girl?” he husked, pressing a kiss to my hipbone.

“So much better,” I sighed. “Thank you, Daddy.”

“You’re welcome, sweetheart.” Quinton straightened to his feet and tugged me into his arms. “You know I’m just a phone call away if you need me. Reese and I can be there in an hour.”

I smiled, bringing our lips together for one last kiss. “I know.”

A couple hours later, I sat at a restaurant in the middle of Columbus waiting on Stetson.

I’d been so nervous that I’d gotten there twenty minutes early.

I’d opted to wear jeans, and the feeling of the lace rubbing against the denim was unexpected—but not unwelcome.

The delicate material brushed against my ass with every step, and the…

taboo nature of it all made it that much more thrilling.

It was a constant reminder of who put them on me, which was exactly what I needed.

It was excitement that had my leg bouncing under the table, not nerves. So I didn’t flinch when a pair of hands found my shoulders—Stetson. “Hey,” I said, standing up to give him a hug and hauling him off the ground… just like he hated .

“Put me down, you behemoth!” he laughed, wiggling and batting at my shoulders. “I know you’re happy to see me, but damn.”

I set him back on his feet, where he made a show of fixing his hair and straightening his clothes. The bear hug had caused his shirt to ride up—and a blue lace waistband peeked out from behind his jeans. Him too? “Hey, my eyes are up here.”

“This makes my news easier…” I muttered, returning to my seat.

Stetson slid into the chair across from me, crooking a brow. “What are you talking about?”

We paused to give our drink orders and when the server walked away again, my nerves kicked into gear. Glancing around me, I leaned back in my seat and pulled my panties past the waistband of my jeans. Stetson’s brows hit his hairline. “Where did you get those? ”

He whipped his phone out of his pocket, fingers flying across the screen.

“Who the hell are you texting?” I laughed.

“Levi—I need that color.” Pressing send, he set his phone face down and pinned me with a serious look. “Who put those on you?”

Heat rushed to my face and I turned my attention to a water ring on the surface of the table. “ My Daddy…” I muttered.

“Excuse me?” Stetson screeched, loud enough that people at the surrounding tables glared at us.

I shushed him. “Keep it down.”

“Then pause, rewind, and try that again. Who ?”

“Before I do, I need you to promise that your pretty little mouth stays shut.”

“Done.”

I took a deep breath, waiting until our drinks were set in front of us before I spoke again. “Remember that guy I hooked up with on my birthday?”

“I do…”

“Turned out to be Quinton Webster.”

Stetson’s blue eyes widened. “As in your teammate ?” I nodded, scrubbing the back of my neck. My cheeks were on fire, heart threatening to beat right out of my chest. “Wait—how did you not know that before?”

“I was blindfolded,” I admitted, surprised with the ease in which the words rolled off my lips. “He wasn’t. I was changing in the locker room, and he recognized my tattoo.”

“And the…” He cast a pointed glance toward my crotch. “That leather skirt I found too?”

“All him. I bought the… panties —” I whispered the word like someone was waiting in the crowd to catch me out. “But he picked them out… and the skirt was his idea.”

My best friend leaned back in his chair and scrubbed a hand over his face. “Damn, Mav. I knew you were kinky but I didn’t think you had that in you. You’re submissive?”

“Switch, actually.”

“ He’s a switch?”

“No…” I trailed my finger through some condensation on the side of my soda glass. “That’s the other thing I wanted to tell you. There’s someone else—a third.”

“You’ve got a Daddy and a sub?”

“Will you keep your voice down?” I hissed. “I don’t need this broadcasted on ESPN tomorrow… but, yes? I’m still new to this whole ‘dom’ thing.”

I hesitated long enough to be rescued—briefly—by the server coming back to take our food orders.

I talked as slowly as possible, with Stetson watching me suspiciously the entire time.

When it was his turn, I took advantage of the moment to sit back and take a deep breath.

Shuffling in my seat, I tried to remember what Quinton told me.

This was my best friend sitting in front of me.

He was the closest thing to a brother I had.

We’d been attached at the hip since we were in diapers.

My Daddy was right: All I had to do was prove to Stetson that I was happy, and he’d love me no matter what.

“It’s Reese,” I blurted the moment we were alone.

Stetson blinked. “ What’s Reese?” I stayed quiet, spinning my glass around the table. My silence served as my answer. “ Reese Taylor is your submissive.”

“Yeah…”

“The same Reese Taylor who left you crying at that draft party that I had to drag you out of?”

“Yes, Stetson, but—” He tried to cut me off, but I held up a hand to stop him. “He’s a different person than he was back then. He realizes what he did wrong, and he wants to make it right.”

This time it was Stetson’s leg that vibrated the table. I knew that bounce, and it wasn’t a nervous one. Stetson—much like Reese used to be—was a notorious hothead, with a temper that sat on a hair trigger.

But being with Levi and Barrett had calmed him more than I realized. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His leg stilled, and when those blue eyes opened again, there was nothing but concern there. “You believe him?”

“I do. And so does Quinton. I just… I had to swallow my pride and listen to him. We were both just kids back then, ones who had a lot of growing up to do. We’ve all settled into being together. I’m happy. It feels right.”

Stetson watched me, searching my face for any hint of a lie. He wouldn’t find one. “You know I’ll have to kill him this time if he hurts you, right? And you’ll be singlehandedly responsible for ending my Major League career?”

Relieved, I laughed, running a hand through my hair. “I’ll take that bet.”

My best friend let out a long breath, raising the hand he’d… strategically kept under the table until now. “And here I thought this would be the main topic of conversation.”

“This” being the diamond band on his left ring finger.

I coughed and sputtered, sending Sprite up my nose and soaking the front of my shirt. “What… wh—why have you let me sit here spouting bullshit while you have a wedding ring on your finger?” I screeched.

“ Engagement ring,” he corrected. “If you think I’d elope and miss out on being the center of attention for a day you’re horribly mist— ah !”

I lunged, yanking his hand across the table to get a closer look. The double-banded circle-cut diamonds sparkled in the dim light. It was flashy, excessive—and screamed “Stetson Holloway.”

“When?” I demanded.

He beamed from ear to ear. “Last night. The final game before the playoffs.” He launched into the story, showing me the video another player had recorded, and I sat back and latched onto every word.

It was all staged during a non-televised game.

The ump called a penalty while Stetson was at bat and when he inevitably lost his temper, the umpire spun him around to march off the field, only to find Barrett and Levi waiting on one knee.

When I saw the tears streaming down my best friend’s face, my vision grew blurry.

“Come on,” Stetson chided, taking his phone from me. “I can’t have my best man being all blubbery on my wedding day.”

“Wh—me? You want me to be your best man?”

“Well, yeah. You’re my best friend, and you were the one who convinced me to give it a shot with them. I wouldn’t have them if it weren’t for you. Who the hell else would I want standing next to me?”

How in the hell did this man expect me not to cry when he was saying shit like that? I’d been smiling so wide that my cheeks were starting to hurt. “I’d be honored.”

“Great, so here’s what I’m thinking…”

Once Stetson got going on wedding planning, he didn’t stop—but I didn’t care.

Now that we lived in different states, I didn’t get to see him very often.

We stayed at the bar until they shut, with Stetson babbling away and me taking notes on my phone.

The more he talked, however, the more I started to feel that pull.

The one that made me feel like something was missing.

The quiet drive home gave me the space I needed to think about it.

I wasn’t jealous of Stetson—not in the sense that I wanted him .

I saw how he was with his guys. The pure, genuine love in their eyes when they looked at each other, even when they thought no one was watching—and the only thing I wanted to do was run to Quinton… and Reese.

I’d spent so long trying to figure out how to have that kind of love with one person, that I didn’t realize I already had it—twice over.

I pulled up at a stoplight, where I was forced to make a decision.

Left would take me to Quinton’s place, and right would take me to mine.

My empty house, void of any true things that would make it…

a home. Earlier in the night, when I’d thought of home, it wasn’t my house that I’d thought of—it was his.

I’d hardly spent a single night in my own place since I moved in.

A quick glance at my dashboard clock made me rethink running right to him.

It was nearing three in the morning. But with Quinton… maybe.

I tried calling first, and it surprised me that he picked up quickly. “Hey, princess.” That low rumble echoed through my car, the sound acting as natural stress relief. I sighed, the tension melting from my body. “What are you doing up so late?”

“I’m on my way home. I spent the whole night talking wedding stuff with Stetson.”

“Wedding stuff?”

“Yeah—he’s engaged. ”

“What? That’s amazing.”

“We must have lost track of the time. I…” I trailed off. Was it needy to ask him to come over in the middle of the night?

“What’s wrong, baby?”

“I…” Sighing, I scrubbed a hand through my hair. Fuck it. “Can I come over?”

“Of course you can, little love. You’ve got the gate code, you never even have to ask.”

“I know, but it’s late and…”

“Spit it out.”

“Do you think Reese is awake?”

“If that’s your way of asking if he can join us, then call him and find out. I’ll make you a warm drink to settle down with.”

I let out a sigh of relief, making that left turn to Quinton’s. “That… that sounds amazing. Thank you.”

Reese took longer to answer, and I felt guilty the second he did. “I woke you up; I’m sorry. ”

“S’fine,” he mumbled, my stomach doing a flip at the sound of his sleep-laden voice. “Is everything okay?”

“Yeah… I just wanted to see if you could join me at Quinton’s place.”

“What’s wrong, Mav?”

“Nothing, I promise. I just spent the evening with a newly-engaged Stetson, and it’s got me wanting my guys close—is that a problem?” I joked.

Reese paused, and I could practically hear the smile in his voice. The sheets rustled, and I heard a sleepy stretch. “Give me like… twenty minutes.”

An hour later, I laid in between both of my men.

Reese—who’d hardly woken up enough to make the drive over—fell asleep again almost instantly and snored away on my chest. Quinton molded to my back, twisting my curls around his finger.

I hovered in that state where I was aware, but not quite awake.

Quinton kissed that sensitive spot below my ear, and I protectively tightened my arm around Reese. That was when I knew.

I was in love.