Page 48 of Playing Dirty (Leighton U #4)

Theo

March

Sun streams in through my blinds, pulling me from sleep far sooner than I’d like on a Friday morning.

As I stir, I’m aware of something weighing me down, making it so I can’t move more than a few inches without feeling restrained.

It’s only when I blink away the haze and look down, spotting a familiar, tattooed arm resting over my waist, that I realize what’s going on.

Madden slept over last night.

The heat of his chest radiates into my back, and I subconsciously sink deeper into his calming embrace. His arm tightens around me while he nuzzles his face against the back of my neck, only to let out a soft, content hum; the sound causing my heart to stumble in my chest.

But then he speaks, and the organ may as well drop straight out of my asshole .

“I think I forgot to set an alarm.”

I instantly bolt upright, grabbing my phone from the nightstand to check the time. Madden shifts into a sitting position behind me to look over my shoulder at the screen, only to press a kiss to the side of my neck. “Relax, it’s only eight. Neither of us have class before ten.”

“Yeah, it’s eight. You were supposed to be gone two hours ago.” I’m out of bed a second later, shooting him a glare as I head for my closet. “Why is it that you were up at the crack of dawn in Vermont, but it’s impossible for me to get you out of bed when you stay over?”

“Let’s see. In Vermont, I was terrified that I might wake up and find myself accidentally cuddling you or something. Which we both know would’ve been a huge fucking problem, so I just…didn’t sleep.”

The statement gives me pause, and I do a double take in his direction. “Wait, really?”

He shrugs and nods. “I mean, I slept a little, but it was better than the alternative. And obviously waking up with my hands on you isn’t something I worry about anymore.”

Damn. That’s…really sweet.

Unfortunately, this really isn’t the time for me to unpack my feelings about his admission, not when I need to figure out how the hell I’m getting him out of this house without being spotted.

Of course, it doesn’t help matters that he’s still in my bed, amusement written all over his face while he watches me dress in a panic.

“So help me God, Madden. If you don’t get out of my bed and go home in the next five minutes, you will never see me naked again,” I hiss while shoving my feet through a pair of jeans.

He raises his hands in surrender instantly, though he can’t help himself from laughing as he makes a show of climbing from my bed .

“Happy?”

“Immensely,” I mutter sarcastically.

Two seconds later, I’m fully clothed and heading over to open my window for him, but he grabs me by the wrist before I can even flick the latch.

“It’s broad daylight. Sneaking out the window is only gonna draw more attention.”

Shit, he might have a point.

Glancing at his half-dressed form, I let out an annoyed huff and work through an option for plan B. Which, unfortunately, is hoping and praying like hell that no one is downstairs when I try to sneak him out the front door.

“Fine. Get dressed, and I’ll go check if the coast is clear.”

He shakes his head, another little laugh coming out while he grabs his shirt from the floor. “Go figure. The first time I get to use a door, I’m still sneaking through it like your dirty little secret.”

“Yeah, it’s hilarious,” I mutter, not at all amused.

Stepping out in the hall, I take a quick peek down the stairs to find the living room and kitchen are both empty.

Perfect.

I know Kason already left for the NFL Combine this weekend, and Camden should be at practice by now. I’m pretty sure Logan has a class first thing on Fridays too, so I only have to worry about Holden and Phoenix coming upstairs at the worst time possible.

Still not the best odds, but I’ll take it over all five of them being home.

Madden is dressed, bag in hand, and ready to make a break for it when I close us both back in my bedroom a few seconds later.

“Well? The window or the door?” he asks, but I notice the teasing tone is gone .

Guess he finally realized how serious this actually is.

“No one is down there, but you’ll still have to sneak out in case one of them is home.”

He rolls his eyes, and I can sense his irritation. I just don’t have it in me to worry about both right now.

“Maybe it’s time we move the sleepovers to my place instead.”

I nod in agreement and silently motion for him to follow me. There’s not a chance I wanna go through this kind of panic again; I don’t care if it means spending every goddamn night in enemy territory to avoid it.

Together, we tiptoe our way down the stairs and across the living room toward the front door. Every creak the floorboards make beneath my feet has my anxiety spiking, ratcheting up my heartrate to the point where I think it might actually explode.

Meanwhile, Madden is glancing around like he’s getting a fucking tour of the place.

“Damn, this is nice,” he whispers, and I shoot him one of those you’ve gotta be kidding me looks over my shoulder.

“Really? Right now?”

“If you weren’t hell-bent on keeping me locked in your room, I wouldn’t feel the need for commentary,” he bites back.

As quietly as I can, I flick open the lock on the front door and send up a silent prayer for no one to be in the midst of coming into the house.

“I’ll lock the door behind you. Don’t stop for anyone until you get to your car.” I turn to look at him, finding him already staring back at me when I murmur, “Good luck this weekend.”

There’s a flicker in those hazel eyes, causing them to soften around the edges. “One more week, and I get to see you on the other side of the field.”

He presses his lips to mine in a quick kiss, and though I want to kill him for lingering longer than necessary, I still have to force myself to not reel him in and keep him here longer.

Then he’s out of the house, but not without shooting his attention back at me as he heads down the front steps. The corner of my mouth curls into a smile as I close the door behind him, firmly flicking the lock into place before I sigh in relief.

Relief that is obscenely short lived, because a knock on the front door less than a minute later has my stomach twisting itself back into knots. Panic and irritation battle for dominance as I quickly bolt over and unlock it, ready to absolutely ream Madden a new asshole for being so reckless.

“Seriously? I said sneak —” I pause, frowning when I realize the dark-haired guy on the other side of the door isn’t Madden. “Oh. Sorry, you’re not who I thought you were.”

The guy blinks at me a couple times before shaking his head and asking, “Is Kason here?”

My brows hike up instantly, not expecting this turn of events.

“Maybe. Who the hell are you?” I ask, though, if my suspicions are correct, then this must be the ex-roommate—the one he had before moving in with us last month.

“I’m Kason’s—”

“What’s going…Hayes?” Phoenix’s voice comes from behind me. I glance over my shoulder to find his head popping through the door. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for Kason, apparently,” I supply.

Phoenix’s gaze bounces between me and the guy— Hayes —before replying, “Kason’s not here.”

“Do you know when he’ll be back? I can wait if—”

“He won’t be back ‘til Monday,” Phoenix cuts in, frowning. “He’s down in Indianapolis for the Combine.”

Hayes’s face gives away every bit of disappointment he must be feeling right now, and honestly, I kinda feel bad for the guy. But seeing as Phoenix has this handled and I don’t really need to be here for this conversation, I should probably head back in—

“The guy who just left. Is he…was he here for Kason?”

My stomach clenches involuntarily at the mention of Madden, because there’s literally no one else Hayes could have seen leaving the house within the minute Madden did.

I’m about to lie through my teeth that no one was here, but I don’t get the chance before Phoenix asks, “What guy are you talking about?”

“Dark haired, lots of tattoos. His name is Madden.”

Fuuuck me so fucking hard right now.

Phoenix has a shit-eating grin on his face when he looks at me. “That’s a question for you to answer, Theo.”

I grimace, feeling the weight of the lies and secrets crashing down around me beneath Phoenix’s scrutiny, and I offer the best explanation I can on the spot.

“Madden’s my stepbrother. He was just here to deal with…parent stuff.”

Phoenix hums, and I can hear the amusement in his voice when he murmurs, “Parent stuff. At barely eight in the morning. Sounds logical.”

I don’t even have to look at him to know he’s not buying what I’m selling. Hell, I wouldn’t buy it, because what the fuck kind of excuse was that? A toddler could come up with something more believable.

My flight instincts kick in, and I take the only path of escape I can think of: deflection.

“I’m gonna let you two talk,” I murmur slowly before slipping back into the house .

Deep down, I know it’s only delaying the inevitable, but I need a second to gather my thoughts. Because right now, the only thing they’re screaming is that I’m screwed.

Twenty minutes pass before the sound of the front door clicking draws my attention up from where I’ve been cooking breakfast. As expected, it’s Phoenix coming back in from his chat with Hayes, and the moment he spots me in the kitchen, he heads my direction.

“So what was that about?” I ask, arching a brow.

“Oh no. That little disasterpiece can wait,” he says, tossing a thumb over his shoulder at the front door. “You, on the other hand, need to spill. Right fucking now.”

I was expecting him to give me the third degree once he got back inside, but it doesn’t stop my heart from racing now that the moment is here. Yet I still do my best to play off the dread pumping through my veins.

“What?” I ask, mustering the best laugh I can.