Page 79 of Playing Dirty

Madden

Apparently I’ve taken this sneaking into Theo’s room arrangement as an open invitation, because I’m lying on his bed, scrolling mindlessly on my phone when he finally gets home from practice the following week. He doesn’t notice me at first, getting as far as dropping his bag to the floor and tossing his keys on the dresser before his gaze finally lands on me.

He damn near jumps out of his skin, spinning in a quick circle before whisper-shouting, “Goddamnit, Madden. Do you have some kind of scare kink you haven’t told me about?”

“Depends. Would you be into it?”

His brow arches and a disbelieving laugh slips out. “No. Like most people, I don’t really enjoy the feeling of my heart dropping out of my asshole.”

“Noted. No haunted houses or horror movies for Teddy Bear,” I statematter-of-factly.

An unamused glare is aimed my direction, though now I’m not sure if it’s because of the nickname or if he’s still annoyed with my scare tactics. Either way, I don’t really care. Serves him right after he cancelled on me so he and all his teammates could run around Blackmore like a bunch of heathens.

They came up empty-handed, obviously, like I knew they would. But as much as I take joy in their failed attempts at espionage, he still has to pay for his crimes.

And from the look on his face as I shove off the bed, he knows I’m here to collect.

“Wasn’t expecting company tonight, but this is a nice surprise,” he murmurs, a little smirk resting on his lips.

Oh, baby. Taunting is so not the move to make right now.

Two sage-green eyes intently track my movements as I approach, darkening to an olive shade while I close the distance between us and back him into the door, leaving little more than inches between us. His gaze never falters, even as I lift a hand and press it against the wood beside his head. My other hand slowly climbs up his chest until finally coming to rest around his throat, and the sight of my tattoos wrapped around his neck has my dick stirring to life behind my zipper.

“Nice surprise?” I echo, trailing my thumb across his pulse point. It thunders beneath my skin, proof that, no matter how calm he may seem on the surface, he’s just as affected by me as I am him.

He nods and hums softly, the sounds vibrating beneath my palm.

From the way his cock thickens behind the denim, the ridge of it pressed snuggly against my own, I have no doubt he means it.

It takes every ounce of willpower I possess to not devour him right now, pinned against the door. Kiss and tease and fuck him until he’slingering on the brink of sanity, begging for more, for mercy. Forme. Because that’s exactly what he does—drives me insane, makes me reckless and rash, and I don’t know if I love or hate it.

Probably a little of both.

I release a low hum of my own and lean in closer, inhaling the spiced scent of his skin before whispering, “I doubt you’ll feel that way once I’m done with you.”

“Oh, really?” He laughs, his chest rumbling against mine. “Someone still feeling butthurt about being cancelled on the other night?”

My nostrils flare at his clear attempt to goad me. “You’re just lucky I was the one who found you instead of one of my teammates.”

The statement clearly sparks his interest, if his follow-up question is any indication.

“Speaking of… How did you find me?”

Pure fucking luck.

My plan to listen in on their raid worked exactly how I’d hoped, though it tookwaytoo long to scan for the frequency they were communicating on. But finding Theo inside Falcon Hall after he’d called out his location was simply kismet—probably the luckiest moment of my life.

I could tell him the truth, and for a split second, I debate on doing just that.

But then I catch the glitter of mischief in Theo’s eyes as he waits for an answer, only for him to continue poking and prodding at my buttons when he doesn’t get one.

“Timberwolf got your tongue, there, MadDog? Or are you too chicken to reveal your stalking tendencies after all?”

Any thought of telling him goes right out the window thanks to that taunt, and I press him harder against the door. With a slow roll of my hips,I grind my erection into his, and it draws a little pant from the sliver of space between his parted lips.

“A good captain never reveals his secrets. Especially not to the enemy, even if he is sleeping with him.”

His head falls back against the wood, and a little moan slips out when he says, “And here I thought you didn’t take this rivalry seriously.”