The Player

by Aliyah Burke

  Working his back foot into position, he held the angry glare of his pretend girlfriend’s, very real brother. Bring it.

  Mitchell did. More that once. Beyond the ringing in his ears when he got slammed into by the angry brother, he could hear Jason yelling encouraging words to Mitchell.

  All he could do was lie there while Mitchell took his sweet time climbing off him. A knee in the junk combined with a “Keep your fucking lips off of and away from my sister” seemed to be the only thing that was consistent. Well, that and how often a train called Mitchell slammed into him.

  One of the times he got up, he stole a look to the sideline. Faye wasn’t even watching him, she was tucked in close to one of the defensive assistant coaches, talking. Jealousy blasted him out of the backfield and he shook his head, trying to dispel it.

  He wasn’t supposed to get jealous. Faye was a means to an end. So what if she’d filled out and looked like a lush, sexy creature. This was about his career, not finding Mrs. Right.

  Angry now by his wayward thoughts, he scowled as he went back into the huddle. And he wanted to hit something.

  “Give the ball to Eric,” he said, cracking his neck. “They’ll think it’s coming to me again.”

  The worked out the play and he got back to his spot, Mitchell again eyeing him. Flexing the fingers of his right hand, Kaeden watched him in return. Yeah, it was about to get ugly.

  The moment Mitchell realized the ball wasn’t coming to Kaeden, he changed gears, but he was ready for him and lowered his shoulder to throw a block. Mitchell went down. Kaeden went down with him.

  “Fucker!”

  They rolled around, trading blows until coach and some other players pulled them apart.

  “I’m guessing this has to do with HP putting it to your little sister?” He paused for a moment. “Yeah, like I give a fuck. If she’s going to be that much of an issue, I’ll ban her from practice. I’m not a talk show host, I’m not going to get into feelings, because the only one I give a fuck about is the one I will have when we host that fucking championship trophy.” He exhaled loudly. “Figure it out but while you run. I want fifteen laps. Full gear, minus helmets. Why am I still looking at your ugly mugs?”

  He and Mitchell fell into step as they began their laps.

  “I hate you.”

  Kaeden didn’t even respond. He was already exhausted and now he had to do more running. As they passed the water, both men tossed over their helmets. He took the opportunity to look over to where Faye had been, her lips were set in a mutinous line and he knew she was going to chew him another one as well.

  “Going to say anything?”

  “What’s to say, Mitchell? You made you stance on this clear. You’ve pissed off your sister, hurt her feelings and you’re trying to kill me because she is helping me out of a jam. It’s not like I’ve fucked her.”

  “Do not say that word in the same sentence as my sister.” The growled order came as they turned a corner.

  “She’s doing me a favor. It’s called playing it up for the media.”

  “You’re going to hurt her.”

  “Like you’re doing now, by being the world’s biggest asshole to her?”

  Mitchell scoffed. “I’m not a fucking child. Christ, I’m older than her.”

  “And yet,” he said, tone softer than normal, “she feels the need to protect you. Both of us.”

  “I love my sister, Kaeden. You and I, we’ve been friends almost as long as she’s been my sister.”

  Facts.

  They didn’t speak for the next few laps. Each time he passed Faye, he cut his gaze to her, she sat there, lips still pressed in a thin line, that, the only sign of her displeasure.

  “I will kill you if you hurt her.”

  “You know me, Mitchell. You know that I look after her like family.”

  Except when she walked into my house the other day, nothing familial came to mind, other than her naked and barefoot, with my ring on her finger. And my being able to fuck her. There. Other places and whenever I wanted. She was mine. Is, she is mine.

  Thankfully, his mind had enough sense to keep that from Mitchell. He could state with certainty, if those words passed his lips right now, there would be another fight on the field, and he would most likely end up losing. For there wasn’t a single shred of doubt, no matter how much of an ass Mitchell was, he was her brother and he would defend her, even if he and Faye were on the outs.

  On their last lap around, he found Faye the moment they turned the corner, and he could see her. Jealously surged as he watched her with not one, but two of the guys around her. Then anger because the two there, were the ones he’d heard talking shit about her before. Andy and Daryll.

  The moment he could, he struck out to her side, needing to be there. He didn’t understand the possessiveness, but he wasn’t fighting it. Until he figured out what was between him and Faye, he was playing up this boyfriend bit to the best of his ability.

  “Hey baby.” He strolled up to the three of them with as much calm as he could, even though he vibrated with danger.

  Faye had seen him finish running with Mitchell and kept track of his progress to her. Desperate to ignore the happy dancing her lady bits were doing as he neared, she did her best to focus on the conversation with the two around her. It didn’t matter, her body knew Kaeden was nearing and since he was the one for her, it wasn’t listening to anything she was trying to lay down as rules. There were none when it came to Kaeden Archer. At least not for her.

  And the majority of the female population if all those images can be trusted of the ones he’s shagged.

  There was a subtle shift in his demeanor as he neared. She noticed the waves of anger rolling off him.

  What the fuck is his problem? I’m the one who was commanded to come down here.

  Were she to be honest with herself, she should figure out if she was more pissed by his command or that she jumped to it and came down even though she had other things to do and places to be.

  Tipping her face up, she lost her breath when his lips were there to meet hers. A trembling sigh slipped free as his tongue dipped in as if it had the right to be there. When he finally pulled away, his eyes swirled with heat and his large hand settled along the nape of her neck in a decidedly possessive hold.

  Those blue eyes smoldered then cooled as he looked to the two who were beside her. The way he watched them, had her wondering if there was something ugly between them.

  “What are you two doing over here?”

  Yep, it wasn’t her imagination, there was more than a bit of hostility to his tone. She didn’t move, just waited while they got whatever issues there were out of the way. Right now, she planned on enjoying his light caresses on the back of her neck. something about his touch, both soothed and aroused her. The way he held her, made her feel wanted. The way those calluses skimmed along her skin, only made her realize how long it had been since she’d been with a man.

  Daryll and Andy walked off and he sat beside her, straddling the bench, his hand still retaining possession of her nape.

  Making sure there were no listening ears nearby, she cut her gaze to him and cursed ever falling for this bad boy.

  “What was so fucking important I had to rush over here?”

  His lips kicked up in a panty melting grin. One that pissed her off because she didn’t have a shred of doubt, he used it with every female that had something he wanted. Granted, most of those he probably didn’t even need that, just look at them and they handed over their panties and dropped to their knees, to give him whatever he wanted.

  She snorted and he lifted an eyebrow.

  “You’re my girlfriend, you are supposed to be here waiting for me.”

  There he was. The asshole who used to annoy her with her brother. Pasting a smile on her face, she reached up with her hand and circled it around his wrist, seconds later, her nails dug into his flesh.

  “Take your hand off me. I said I would help you and I will at these
events you seem keen on attending to maintain that you are keeping to the straight and narrow, but make no mistake, Kaeden Archer, I’m not a sports bunny who will drop to her knees just because you flash a smile or wink. I have a life and I have things to do.”

  Whether she moved his hand or he did, she released him once his touch was off her neck. But Faye wasn’t so lucky. He gripped her chin instead, his thumb skimming her lower lip as his gaze heated once more.

  “Who knew you were into scratching? Can’t wait until that’s on my back, and trust me, Faye Reynolds, I am well aware you’re not like the typical woman who hangs out here. And I for one cannot wait until you drop to your knees before me, I’ve had dreams about watching my cock slide in and out of those lips. Both sets.” Another stroke of his thumb pad. “You’re all that much more dangerous.” He kissed her and she would have fallen to the bench if she’d not already been seated. “Let’s get some food and talk strategy.”

  Her body didn’t help her out of this predicament. All it focused on was his words so all she saw was herself on her knees sucking his cock, or him fucking her. Okay, so it was a conglomeration of both.

  “Get food and talk strategy.”

  He held out his hand to help her up and she allowed him to assist. Only once she was up, he didn’t release her hand just led her off the stands, past the reporters that he ignored and into their tunnel for the facility’s practice center.

  “Where do you want to eat?”

  She wasn’t able to focus solely on his wording because his thumb was doing this small circular thing on her hand and it was driving her batty. All these emotions and feels were pouring out of her.

  And that’s just from him rubbing his thumb along my skin.

  If she’d not been sure how much trouble she was in to agree to this before. She was beginning to get a glimpse now.

  So. Fucking. Much.

  “Faye?”

  She tugged her hand free and faced him, the wall at her back. Crossing her arms, she struggled not to notice him noticing her breasts as the movement lifted them.

  “Can the shit, Kaeden. I have things to do. You cannot just order me about and think I’m going to jump when you say so. I told you this before. I came this time because I was an idiot but it’s not going to happen again.”

  His mouth on hers cut off her tirade and to be honest, she quite enjoyed his method. He coaxed her tongue out to dance with his even as he stepped close, his lower half brushing along hers. His substantial erection pushing into her.

  She whimpered and gripped the sleeves of his jersey, needing both him and the wall to stay upright. Voices rose and fell, along some joking that she could pick out Kaeden’s name but that was it. When he drew back, she was flustered. She may hate the fact but there it was.

  He gave her a smile and skimmed his fingers along her cheek, even as he blocked her in with one arm, his thick thigh wedging between hers.

  “If I’d known you kissed like this, Faye, we never would have made it out of that small town.”

  He’d put space between them before she could even begin to digest his words. Kaeden took her hand and walked her down to the locker rooms. Outside them, he tipped his head inside and winked.

  “Showers are huge, wanna come wash my back?”

  Grateful for the familiar teasing that helped solidify the ground beneath her, she shook her head.

  “I’ll wait here.”

  “Can’t blame a guy for trying. Be right back.”

  Her smile stayed in place until he was in the locker room and she was alone in the hallway. She took the few moments she had, she knew it wouldn’t be long, to get her composure back. With aimless smiles and nods at the ones who passed her, she didn’t realize her brother was before her until he kicked her foot, snapping her from her thoughts.

  “What?”

  He scowled at her and had she not been related to him, she would have run screaming for another state. Well aware this was the look on his face when he was suited up, looking to faceplate anyone who got between him and his end goal of sacking the quarterback, she almost felt for his opponents.

  “You need to stop this.” He crossed his arms, making those massive tatted arms flex.

  “How about we go back to where you wanted me out of your life, and you do the same to me. Keep in your lane, Mitchell.”

  “You’re not getting it. That man is going to chew you up and spit you out. He doesn’t give a fuck about anything other than the game. You’re just a means to an end.”

  “You say this to me like I didn’t grow up with both of you. I’m going into this well aware of who and what he is. Give me a bit of credit, Mitchell.”

  “You had a thing for him when we were kids.”

  “Kids, Mitchell. I’m pretty sure you’re not ten and I’m not five anymore. Nor in high school. Give me a bit of credit. I’m not some weak-willed floozy who is going to suck his cock just because he flashes it.”

  Which is a lie, I totally would.

  “There goes what I was planning on giving you for dessert.”

  Kaeden sauntered over to them and draped his arm around her.

  Of course he heard that. “Let’s go.” Walking away without another word to her brother, she just wanted to get going. This façade was taking more out of her than she’d intended to let it.

  He jogged up to her, calling her name.

  At the doors, just after she pushed through, he whipped her around to the wall and bracketed her in.

  Fuck him for smelling so good. Pulling from the reserves she didn’t know she had, she waited, so grateful for her first boss who had always been on her about fixing her face, so people wouldn’t know what she was thinking. She utilized that knowledge now.

  “Talk to me, Faye. What’s going on?”

  “I thought we were getting food and strategizing.”

  He held her gaze, those blue eyes piercing with their intensity. Almost as if he searched for something. An answer, she’d not given him. Or maybe he was better than she’d thought and he was in her head pilfering her private thoughts.

  “I’ll talk to Mitchell, tell him to leave you alone.”

  “I don’t need you butting in. He’ll get over it. Where are we meeting?”

  “No no, we’re going together. I had someone drop me off this morning so I could ride with you.” He dipped his head and nipped her lower lip. “Or ride you, not sure how this sentence is supposed to sound right now.”

  She never should have gone along with this craziness.

  Chapter Six

  Kaeden smacked his alarm, tempted to send the offender all the way across the room. It had interrupted his perfect dream of him having Faye how he wanted her. Naked. On him, taking his cock, on her knees or splayed out before him so he could feast on her.

  Fuck!

  She’s going to taste amazing.

  She’d been dancing for him in his dream, and he’d been so fucking turned on, his cock still hurt. Right now, he had to get up and head to work. Tonight, there was the first charity event that they were attending together.

  Faye in a dress. Faye in heels.

  Christ, if he kept down this road, he was going to cum without touching his cock. Tossing off the blankets, he padded to his shower and turned it on. Dick still stiff and hard, aching, he gripped it and fisted himself.

  Stepping into the water, he closed his eyes and pulled one out, thinking of big brown eyes watching him as he sank between her legs, filling her, stretching her.

  That did it and he shuddered as he came, shooting his load all over the wall of the shower. Cleaning it and himself up, he dried off then dressed. Fucking four in the morning, he wanted to get to the gym early and get a few laps in before they really began training for the day. Drinking down his protein shake, he rinsed out the glass and left it in the dishwasher then headed for his keys.

  The day putzed by, he was anxious and irritable when they finally got to leave. He’d texted and called Faye numerous times, but she never
answered once. In fact, the last thing she’d said to him was when she dropped him off at his place with a ‘I know we have to arrive together, so I’ll be here by seven.’ That was it, she drove off as if she couldn’t be away from him fast enough.

  He slowed as he headed for his car. Does she not like me the same way she used to?

  No, he couldn’t believe that. She loved him, had for years. Always would. It was Faye, after all.

  “Archer!”

  Mitchell. Most others called him HP even off the gridiron, but Mitchell called him by his last name when he was pissed off. As, he remained.

  The large man fell into step beside him as he continued walking to his car.

  “What? I have to get home and ready for tonight. The ice bath and massage took longer than expected.”

  “Where’s my sister?”

  “The fuck man. I’m not getting into your squabble. Didn’t when we were kids, not doing it now.”

  “Did you fuck her last night? I went by her place around eight and she wasn’t there.”

  “We had dinner and then went our separate ways.” No matter how much he wanted to fuck her. And the bigger question is where had she been when Mitchell went by? Had she been out with someone else? That rugby fuck?

  “I’m going to kill you when you hurt her.”

  He paused by his Jeep. “Don’t you mean if?”

  “No asshole. When. We both know she had a huge crush on you all growing up. Hell, she still does, I’m sure and because of that, you will take advantage of her but your need for your old lifestyle will come back and you’ll fuck it up. In doing so, you hurt her. When that happens. I get to hurt you.”

  “I’m not that much of an asshole, Mitchell. The three of us grew up together. Give me a bit of fucking credit here.”

  “Not when it comes to my sister.”

  He growled and pushed into him, not caring where they were. “Listen to me you fuck. You hurt her enough when you snapped at her and told her to stay out of your life. That’s on you. She’s the one pulling away because you told her to back off. I’m telling you the same goddamn thing. Back off. Stay out of our business.”