Page 29 of Overtime

“Oh yeah?” A smug grin tugs at his lips that I know about his press.

“Yeah. A guy at the airport didn’t believe me when I said I knew you. Not that I can blame him, we don’t exactly look like friends.”

“Or fuck buddies.” He grins wider and it makes me realize he’s gotten us way off track.

“So no women in your room? Or no women at all?”

“At all. Not lately.” The terseness is back, and he leaves the room. I follow him as he makes a fast clip back toward the kitchen.

“Oh I thought you just meant no relationships. I see why they call you Priest now.”

“Yes. You going to taunt me now too?” He turns away from me, looking in the fridge rather than at me.

“No. If I did, I’d be a hypocrite,” I say, leaning on the marbled counter.

He glances up. “How so?”

“No men at all lately.” I shrug.

His brow shoots up. “You expect me to believe that you don’t have a roster right now?”

“I mean, I have a roster, but it’s badly out of date and most of it is really just a phone sex roster.”

“A phone sex roster?”

“Yes. I’m insanely busy. On the road a lot. Sometimes phone sex is all there is.”

“Why do you need a roster for that? Wouldn’t one guy be sufficient?”

“I mean, he might be busy. Or not into whatever I’m in the mood for that night. Or maybe his dirty talk isn’t on point. You know?” I shrug. “You don’t have a phone sex roster? Or just a roster a mile long, period? In case you decide to break your streak?”

“The fame means it’s hard to trust most of the women I meet. Imagine what a phone sex recording of the highest-paid QB in the league would go for on the tabloid market.”

“I don’t think they care about how much you’re paid. I think they’d pay extra for how sexy your voice is.”

“You think my voice is sexy?” He looks at me like it’s a strange thing to say, but his lip quivers with a smile.

“Uh yeah… You’d definitely be at the top of my phone sex roster if you were an option.”

“But I’m not an option?”

I look down at the counter, pondering that. “I don’t know. Would it violate our rules, or is that technically a loophole?”

“Technically a loophole, I think. We wouldn’t be touching or having actual sex, so…”

“So maybe an option.”

“Maybe?”

“We’ll see how you do with these photos. Speaking of, do you want to get started?”

“Sure, but I need some dinner. I can order something and have it delivered?”

“That sounds good. I didn’t eat much at the stadium.”

He hands me some menus, and we pour over them for a few minutes until we decide on sandwiches and fruit. He puts in the order while I finish getting the camera equipment ready. I strip down to my panties in the process and put on a robe I brought with me, because the sooner we get this over and the more professional I act about it—the less likely this is to turn into a deep pit of temptation. As much as I want to use this opportunity to tease him and try to get him to break, I know if he doesn’t, I definitely will. Because he’s relentless and I’m not about to lose this game we’re playing.

FIFTEEN