Dirty Player (The Dirty Suburbs Book 2)

by Cassie-Ann L. Miller

  I swallow hard. “I’m sorry this had to happen, Grace. I never meant to hurt your sister. I love—” I stop myself abruptly. Confessing the contents of my soul to Grace won’t do me any good. I just have to accept Faith’s decision.

  She eyes me scoldingly and leans in close, speaking in a hushed tone. “Listen to me, mister. Don’t go making declarations you can’t back up. Don’t make confessions in the heat of the moment if you know they aren’t true.” Then, she takes a step back. “But if you really do love my sister, don’t you dare walk away and leave her with a broken heart.”

  This little woman’s words shake me to the core. I don’t say anything. I’m not sure what to say. A few days ago, I was hell-bent on finding a way to put Faith behind me and move on. But now, I know that she’s my wife. And I don’t want to fight these feelings. I want to give her everything even if I’m not sure I know how to be the man she needs.

  Emotions are a bitch!

  “Hun, I’m gonna get going,” Grace says as Faith comes back into the room, wiping her hands on the back of her pants. “Call me when you’re finished at the lawyer’s office.”

  Faith nods and her sister looks at me. “It was nice meeting you, Maxwell.” She finally gives me her hand and a trace of a smile. It’s like her eyes are speaking to me as we shake hands. She’s telling me to do right by her sister. And then, she’s out the door.

  I turn to face Faith. My beautiful, beautiful wife. It’s all still sinking in.

  I stick my hands into my back pockets and rock back onto my heels. “So…”

  Faith’s weary eyes meet mine. “So…”

  “Looks like we’re married, huh?” I give her an impish smile.

  She buries her face in her hands. “I’m so sorry, Maxwell,” she says, her voice cracking. “You were just trying to help me out and I brought you a whole world of trouble.”

  I pull her hands from her face and look into her magnificent eyes. “Don’t apologize, Faith. You brought me a whole world of joy. And fun. I grew more in the week that we spent together than I did in the twenty years before that. Meeting you was the best thing that could have happened to me.”

  “You’re a good guy,” she says as she cups her hand on my cheek. She draws a pained breath as she pulls away. “Now, come on. Let’s go fix this mess.”

  I nod with a weak smile. My heart splits in two as I grab her coat off of the coatrack by the door and slip it around her shoulders. Then, we walk out the door.

  Chapter 39

  Faith

  The drive to Prescott’s office was quiet and weird. So was the short time in his waiting room.

  I trail wordlessly behind Maxwell as one of the law firm’s secretaries leads us to a conference room. She introduced herself as Sanaya, I think. She’s tall with amazing hair and cheekbones carved out of stone. She moves with grace and confidence like she’s never had a WTF moment in her life. She talks on and on, apologizing for our wait, explaining that the receptionist took an unexpected sick day, informing us that Prescott is currently on the way back from court. Maxwell offers her polite responses and tries to carry a gracious conversation. But quite frankly, I don’t care what she’s talking about.

  I’m numb.

  I’m on my way to end my marriage to a man that I’m insanely in love with, a man I’m insanely incompatible with. It’s crazy. Just a few days ago, I thought that Maxwell was out of my life for good. I thought that our adventure was over and that I’d never see him again. And now, here I am.

  Y’know what they say; what happens in Vegas kicks your ass all the way to your divorce attorney’s office.

  I take a seat at one end of the table and to my surprise, Maxwell sits right next to me. He’s taking this a lot better than I’d imagined he would. I’d expected him to freak out. After all, he’s repelled by the idea of having a serious girlfriend, let alone a wife. But he’s been calm about this whole thing. He probably realizes that I’m stressed out enough for the both of us.

  Sanaya leaves the room briefly before returning with a teapot, three cups and a platter of cookies that she sets down in the middle of the table. She apologizes again for Prescott’s tardiness and assures us that he’ll be here as soon as possible.

  We sit in an awkward silence that’s foreign to me. I fiddle with my fingernails just to give my hands something to do. Maxwell taps his finger rhythmically against the table, glancing blankly around the room. This isn’t us. We aren’t awkward together. We click. We have fun. We’re anything but awkward. This moment is breaking my heart all over again.

  I exhale a shaky breath. Maxwell reaches out and takes my hand. His gaze hooks onto mine and the feelings in my chest threaten to overpower me. He doesn’t say anything. He just holds my hand in silence and understanding as we wait. All the while, I sit there praying for a miracle, praying for a way to be able to keep him.

  But my prayers go unanswered and soon enough, the door bursts open. “Faith, so good to see you,” Prescott says as he hurries into the room.

  I half-stand and shake his hand. “Hi Prescott. Likewise.”

  “Sorry I’m late. Judge Tucker was on the bench today and he’s a wordy bastard.” He shrugs out of his coat and hangs it on the rack in the corner of the room. “Maxwell, I suppose?” He sets his briefcase down as he rounds the table.

  Maxwell nods curtly, his mouth drawn into a tight line as he accepts the lawyer’s outstretched hand. “Good to meet you.”

  Prescott takes a seat opposite us and pops open the tabs on his briefcase (which looks like he stole it off the set of a 1970s detective show). “Okay, guys,” the lawyer says hurriedly as he sets a sheaf of papers down in front of each of us, “we discussed this annulment agreement in detail during our conference call the other day but if you have any questions before we get it all signed, I’d be happy to answer them.”

  I turn to Maxwell and our eyes lock. And now that it’s real, now that this annulment is about to happen, the terror in his eyes is suddenly as real as the terror I feel deep inside of me. It’s far worse than the look he was wearing that day when he found out that he’d been dropped from the Boomerangs. His skin is pale, his breathing is shallow. He looks downright terrified.

  But he doesn’t say anything. So, I swallow the lump in my throat and bring my eyes to Prescott. “We don’t have any questions.”

  He actually looks relieved. He probably just wants to get this over with so he can return his attention to the piles of casework shoved into his briefcase. “Okay, great!” He slides a pen in my direction. “You just need to sign here,” he points to a blank line on the second page of the document, “and here.” His finger taps a spot toward the end.

  I lick my bottom lip nervously and throw a final look toward Maxwell. This is it. This is how it all ends. My fingers tremble visibly as I take the pen. You can do this, Faith. You can do this. Still, my hand freezes over the page for a long moment. Okay, do it. What are you waiting for?

  Just as the tip of the pen hits the empty signature line, Maxwell reaches out and grabs my hand. “Wait!”

  The movement is so sudden that Prescott jolts. My heart kicks up in my chest as my eyes travel to his.

  Maxwell swallows hard, his jaw tense, his hand still clutching mine. “Just wait a minute…”

  “Is there a problem?” Prescott asks, adjusting the tie around his neck.

  Maxwell shoots him a look. “I need a moment,” he says sharply.

  “Is there something you’d like me to explain, maybe?” Prescott is trying to be helpful.

  Maxwell just glares at him. “I need a moment alone with my wife.”

  Prescott arches an eyebrow, glancing between Maxwell and me. After an instant of hesitation, he pushes away from the table. “Of course. I’ll be in my office.” He tips his head in the direction of the conference phone on the end of the table. “Dial three-three-six when you’re ready.”

  Maxwell waits until Prescott leaves and then he turns to me. “I think we’re rushing this.” His
stare is intense and resolute.

  I feel my stomach twisting into knots. “What?” That’s all I can manage to say.

  Maxwell looks even surer of himself now. “I don’t want to sign these damn annulment papers, Faith.” He folds his thick arms across his chest defiantly. “I’m not signing them.”

  My eyes go wide and the skin at the back of my neck prickles. “What are you saying, Maxwell?”

  His lips curl into a cocky grin. "I'm saying that I’m your husband. You're my wife. But I want to be your man, Faith. I want you to give me a chance." He looks at me, those pastel blue eyes full of love.

  My heart is beating a thousand miles a minute now. “Please don’t do this. Don’t make this harder than it already is –”

  He cuts me off. “No, Faith. I’m not signing those papers. You haven’t even given me a chance. I want a shot with you. A real shot.”

  I shake my head in disbelief. “This isn’t a game, Maxwell. This is real life. You don’t get to have a turn just to see if you like it. We can’t just play house until you change your mind.” I stand and walk toward the window. I need some space. If I’m too close to him right now, I’ll do something stupid.

  And of course, he gets right up and follows me. “This isn’t a game to me, Doll Face. Nothing has ever been more real. You and me. We’re the real deal.”

  I look away from him. “This is insane,” I mutter, half to myself. “I’m looking for love. Real, true, lasting love. And despite the way I feel about you, I can’t be married to someone who doesn’t believe in commitment, someone who doesn’t believe in relationships.”

  “I love you, Faith. I do.” My chest tightens and my head spins as he says the words that sound like magic to my bleeding heart. His eyes plead with me. “And you love me. You’ve told me that!”

  “That was a mistake!” I insist with a stomp as tears come to my eyes.

  He shakes his head. “No this – this annulment – is a mistake.”

  We fall silent for a while as I absorb his words. It’s taking everything in me to not just jump into his arms right now and kiss him and tell him that I want forever with him. But it’s my impulsiveness that put us in this situation to begin with. I don’t want to keep perpetuating my mistakes.

  And this marriage is a mistake, right? It’s just another one of my bad decisions…right?

  Maxwell grabs me by the wrists. "Don't pretend that we don't matter. Stop pretending that this—" his chin motions to the space between us, "—isn't important. Because it is. It’s monumental. I’m who you've been looking for, Doll Face, and you're everything I didn't know I needed. Fate pushed us together. One drunken night in Vegas and we got married. We were supposed to get married, Faith. You were supposed to be my wife. I feel that with every atom of my being."

  The tears are pouring down my face now. A dam of emotion has ripped wide open in my chest. Because he’s right. What we have between us feels pretty fucking monumental to me, too.

  My tongue swipes nervously across my bottom lip as I think back to my New Year’s resolution. I promised myself that I wouldn’t jump into anything again without thinking it through. I don’t have a great track record when it comes to my decision-making process. I look up into Maxwell’s eyes and ask, “How do you know it’s real?”

  His lips curve softly. "There's a lot going on in my world these days. Most of it is unpleasant. But you give me a reason to smile, Faith. You were there with me through one of the most difficult moments of my life and you were the sunshine I looked forward to every single day. Being with you shined a spotlight on how shallow I've been all this time. Women. Fame. Cars. Money. Those aren't the things that give life meaning. But handing out toys to those kids at Christmas and seeing you in the kitchen with my mom, taking you dancing on New Years’ Eve…All I’m saying is you give me a reason to smile, baby. Am I scared? Yes. But do I want you? More. Than. Anything. I love you, Doll Face."

  I feel light and airy hearing his words. "I like being the reason you smile. I love you, too."

  He comes close and laces his fingers through mine. My heart is so full that it might just burst. I wish so badly that things were as simple as he’s making them out to be, but they aren’t.

  “What about your career?” I ask. “You don’t even know when you’ll sign a contract or what team you’ll be playing—”

  He presses a finger to my lips, silencing me. His face drops close to mine and I can feel the emotion pulsing between us when he says, “It doesn’t matter where I play. It doesn’t matter what they pay me. The only team I need is me and you, Doll Face…I love you.”

  I’m speechless. No one has ever spoken more sincere words to me, no one has ever been so genuine. This man loves me as flawed and quirky as I am. He wants me to be his wife.

  “So have I beaten through all of your objections, Mrs. Masters?” he asks with that damn smirk I’ve come to love.

  I nod slowly as my smile spreads from ear-to-ear. "Yes, you’ve beaten through my objections,” I say as my arms wrap around his neck. “Now, come make out with me, asshole."

  My husband takes a step closer and I grab his collar, pulling my husband in for a greedy kiss. When he slides both hands over the curve of my back and squeezes a fistful of my ass, I smile into the kiss. I run my hands over his short hair as he pushes me back onto the conference table. He collapses on top of me and the annulment documents go fluttering to the floor. We glance at the mess of papers now on the carpet and titter at the irony of it.

  My fingers touch his chin, tilting his face back toward mine. “Kiss me again, baby,” I mutter against his lips.

  His mouth molds to mine and mine to his, and our feverish bodies press against each other. And he whispers silly love words against my flesh. And it feels like home.

  I can definitely do this for the rest of my life.

  Chapter 40

  Faith

  I pad back into the living room holding two glasses of cold water. Wearing nothing but my husband’s new Iowa Paragons jersey and a smile.

  Yeah, my husband. I love the sound of that.

  I can hear Paul barking over the phone. He’s always barking. That guy’s blood pressure is probably more volatile than the stock market. I shake my head and give Maxwell a knowing smile as I hand him a glass and settle on my shabby old couch next to him. He wears a playful glint in his eye as he sets his glass on my stomach and slowly moves it down over my pelvis before pressing it into the always-sensitive space between my thighs.

  I hiss at the rousing sensation. My nipples harden instantly and I shudder softly. Maxwell grins victoriously before reaching over and taking a nipple between his lips. He loves the fact that only he can make my body respond so desperately. I try not to moan as my pussy begins to drool in anticipation.

  Paul’s rant grows louder and his anger seeps into the room. Maxwell takes a calming breath before he speaks. "Paul, the team can wait. Training can wait. 'Cause right now, my priority is taking my beautiful wife on our honeymoon."

  The room falls silent as Maxwell disconnects the call with a smirk. I gawp at him. “Did you really just hang up on your agent?” He shrugs. “What if the Paragons drop you, Maxwell?” I press.

  After weeks of negotiations with various teams, he finally accepted a deal with Iowa’s new football franchise a few days ago. I couldn’t be more thrilled that he’ll be playing in the state just next door. That way, I don’t have to uproot my life here in Reyfield. Actually, with Iowa being just a few hours’ drive away from here, Maxwell will be moving to Reyfield in just a few weeks. We’ve already started house hunting but for now, my humble abode is our little love shack. Anyway, now is not the time for him to start being unruly again.

  He dismisses my concern with a flick of the wrist. “Ah, Paul is melodramatic. It’s always the end of the world with him.”

  “But babe…” I give him a look and he knows exactly what I mean. We’ve got a good thing going now that he’s playing for Iowa and I don’t want him to fuck
it up by misbehaving again.

  He sighs and looks at me with subtle disappointment. “You still don’t get it, do you?”

  “What?” I ask, confused.

  “I was serious when I said that you and me are the only team I need. You come first, babe. You’re my number one priority.”

  Warmth fills my chest and I swallow back the upsurge of emotions, trying to chase away the tears misting my eyes. “Baby…”

  Damn, this is the man of my fucking dreams.

  I spent countless years hoping and wishing and settling and compromising and doing crazy shit because I never thought I’d find a man who makes me feel like this. And then, Maxwell Masters swaggered into my life, with his bravado and his good looks and his maddening charm. Now, my heart is putty in his hands but I’m not afraid because there is no one else that I could trust so completely with this little heart of mine.