Only Work, No Play (Tough Games Book 1)

by Cora Reilly

  I couldn’t be naked in front of him in bright daylight.

  Xavier sat up, but he didn’t release the blankets, and he was too heavy for me to free them without his cooperation.

  “Don’t hide yourself from me, Evie.”

  I swallowed, and said as firmly as my emotions allowed, “Give me that blanket, Xavier.” Then added softly, “Please.”

  He swung out of bed and I wrenched the blankets toward myself, wrapping them around myself before I stood. I made sure everything was covered in a satisfying way before I dared to move, but Xavier was in my way. He had absolutely no trouble strutting around in his birthday suit. “We need to work on this,” he said quietly, cupping my cheek.

  My brows pulled together. “On what?”

  “On your confidence.”

  Easy for him to say. I had seen the photos of him as a kid and teenager. He had always been an athlete, and now he was pure male gorgeousness. “Not today,” I said lightly and quickly maneuvered past Xavier and down the stairs, barely avoiding breaking my neck as my foot tangled in the blanket. I caught my fall with a tight grip on the handle. Xavier shot me a look.

  Ignoring him, I rushed toward my purse and fumbled for my phone. My heart halted when I saw the time. It was almost 9:40, and the team had a press conference on the pit at ten.

  “Oh shit, we’re late!” I hissed. “Xavier, get dressed! And stop the staring!”

  He chuckled. “Bossy.” But he moved into his bedroom. I collected my own clothes from the floor in the living room and bedroom, then hurried into the bathroom. There was no time for excessive grooming. If Xavier was late for this press conference, his coach would kill him, and me.

  My jeans blouse and chino pants weren’t really the outfit I’d have chosen for a press conference. To make matters worse, my blouse was wrinkled and I couldn’t find my panties. I tried my best to smooth out the wrinkles and brush my hair with my fingers as I headed out of the bathroom. Xavier was dressed in his white training shorts and a red sweatshirt. He didn’t look like he’d had a rough night. Of course, he had years of practice cleaning up after sex, and he had fresh clothes at his disposal.

  Xavier chuckled. “You look a bit worse for wear.”

  I glanced down at myself. “I don’t have time to go home and change.”

  Xavier kissed me. “You’re fine.”

  We headed downstairs, where I grabbed my purse before we hurried toward Xavier’s car and raced off. We were lucky we didn’t get pulled over considering all the traffic rules we broke on our way.

  We arrived at the training ground five minutes too late. Xavier parked his car smack in the middle of the parking lot, so none of his teammates would be able to get out, and shoved the door open. I followed after him as he stalked toward the gathered team and the press, all the while trying to brief him on the attending journalists. Most of them were sports journalists but there were a few prone to asking compromising questions, and Xavier was prone to compromising answers.

  Heads turned our way, eyes latching on to Xavier before they moved on to me, and I almost cringed when I caught Connor’s raised eyebrows and Fiona’s shocked expression. The journalists didn’t look too impressed with me either, and a few seemed amused.

  Was it that obvious what had happened between Xavier and me?

  I tried to stop myself from blushing, which was a losing battle. The coach narrowed his eyes at Xavier, before he frowned at me.

  I moved to the back of the journalists as Xavier joined his team in the front.

  “Now that we’re finally complete, we can begin,” Coach said in annoyance.

  Fiona tried to catch my eyes from her spot beside the team. As a cheerleader her place was in the front. She would kick my ass the moment we were alone. I had promised her to stay away from Xavier, and now I had slept with him two more times. But things had changed.

  Suddenly something dawned on me. Xavier hadn’t held my hand or given any kind of indication that we were together. For everyone around us, it looked like I was one of his playthings.

  My stomach tightened. I barely listened to the questions of the sport journalists, but then Maya Nowak spoke up, directing her question at Xavier. She was a journalist Xavier had banged a few weeks back, and who had written a few less favorable articles about him after that. “Some people wonder how you manage to focus on sports considering the nights you spend partying and your other escapades.”

  Xavier smirked. “I have an assistant who keeps me in line.” My stomach began to plummet. Then he added, “Who also happens to be my girlfriend, who will stop future escapades.” He looked at me and so did everyone else. The journalists actually twisted their heads around to stare straight at me, and a few of the photographers took photos.

  Connor and Fiona looked at Xavier as if he’d grown a second head.

  It took me a moment to gather my wits about me and smile.

  “That’s all very interesting,” Coach Brennan drawled. “But we are here for rugby, not gossip.”

  Xavier winked, and a tiny part of me rejoiced at him making us public, but the other part worried about everyone’s reactions. Maya regarded me like I was a bug she wanted to squash, and she probably wasn’t the only one who wouldn’t be happy that Xavier had chosen someone like me.

  A witch hunt was about to begin.

  Maya wasn’t the one I should have been worried about. Fiona was the one who looked like she wanted to chase me with a pitchfork, and maybe poke Xavier’s privates with it repeatedly. I perched on the bench, watching their public training and bearing her silent anger. Maybe I deserved it. Blake gave me a quick smile when our eyes met, but there was nothing flirty about it anymore. He was a good sport about the whole thing and I had to admit, he was a guy I might have fallen for if Xavier hadn’t gotten in the way.

  The second the cheerleading training was over Fiona made a beeline for me. I knew running was futile. Fiona was fitter than me and fueled by anger. She’d catch me.

  She stopped right in front of me and put her hands on her hips. “I hope this is a joke.”

  “Good morning to you too,” I chirped.

  She didn’t crack a smile. “I spent an entire day and night drying your tears after that asshat popped your cherry, and now you’re his girlfriend?”

  “Shhh,” I hissed, looking around. “Can you please lower your voice? I don’t think everyone needs to know about my private affairs.”

  “That’s the right word. Affair. Do you really think Xavier’s being serious? He’s lazy. He doesn’t want to lose an assistant and thinks why not sweeten the deal by getting nasty with you as well.”

  “Sit,” I ordered and pointed at the spot beside me, tired of her treating me like a child. If I wanted to get nasty with Xavier, in or outside of a relationship, that was my decision.

  Fiona sank down.

  “Listen, Fiona, I know you mean well, but you left me alone for over two years when I needed you the most, and in that time I learned to take care of myself. I don’t need your protection.”

  Hurt flashed on her face and I felt bad instantly. I took her hand. “That came out harsher than I meant it to. I appreciate how protective you are, but I need you to trust me. I know what I’m doing. Xavier and I discussed this.”

  She still looked doubtful but nodded. “I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt for now, even if he doesn’t deserve it.”

  “You are?” This seemed too understanding for the Fiona I knew. She didn’t give in that easily.

  “I really hope this works out. I don’t want you to get hurt. If he cheats on you, I’ll shove one of my stiletto heels up his arrogant ass.”

  “I don’t think he’ll cheat on me,” I said, and it was true. Xavier would end it before that happened.

  “That’s what I always thought,” she muttered.

  “You never really talked to me about what happened with Aiden.”

  Her face closed off, but then she sighed. “Maybe tonight. Make sure to get me drunk. It’ll make
things easier.”

  “Red or white?”

  “A chardonnay.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Less carbs?”

  “No, tasty,” she said with a grin.

  Coach Brennan walked toward us. “Can I have a quick word with you?”

  “Sure,” I said hesitantly.

  Fiona got up. “I won’t disturb you.”

  “I was very concerned when I heard that Xavier was looking for a new assistant.”

  Where had he heard that? My God, rugby players were the worst gossips.

  “I hope his statement today means I won’t have to worry about it anymore. That boy needs you.”

  He was the only one who called Xavier “boy.” Built like a bull himself and twice Xavier’s age, he was probably the only one who could pull it off.

  “I’ll stay where I am. Kicking Xavier’s ass into gear is too much fun.”

  He laughed.

  My smile died on my lips when I noticed Fiona slipping into the changing rooms, and a moment later Connor leaving. I couldn’t believe her!

  Connor shook his head. “Are you sure about this, Xavier? I really like Evie, and I don’t want her to get hurt. She’s a nice girl.”

  She wasn’t just a nice girl. She was an amazing girl. “I really like Evie, too, and hurting her is the last thing I want,” I said, for once not cracking a joke.

  Connor nodded. “Fiona won’t take your word for it. She’s furious.”

  “I saw her face. She looks like she wants to play ping pong with my balls.”

  “Probably.”

  “She’ll have to deal. Evie is a grown-up and can make her own decisions,” I said as I headed for the shower. As usual I took my sweet-ass time, until I heard a high-pitched voice.

  “I need a word with Xavier,” Fiona said.

  “Maybe you should take some time to cool off.”

  I could imagine how Connor was trying to placate his girlfriend, and I also knew it wouldn’t work.

  “I don’t need time to cool off. I need to talk to the asshat. Give us a moment.”

  I didn’t hear the next few words, but I turned off the shower and stepped out. Fiona stood with her arms crossed against the wall, glaring at me.

  She didn’t seem to care a flying fuck about my nakedness, and if she thought I had trouble having a conversation in my birthday suit, then she didn’t know me at all.

  “Fiona, what a pleasant surprise,” I said, mirroring her stance against the shower wall.

  Her lips curled and she threw the towel she was holding at my head. “You have no shame.”

  I caught it before it could slap me in the mouth and wrapped it around my waist. “You pranced into our changing room and disturbed my shower.”

  “What was that?”

  “What was what?”

  “You know what I mean! Why did you tell the press that you were dating my sister?”

  “Because it’s the truth. Evie and I have been going out for a few days now.”

  Fiona frowned. “Is this some kind of game to you? A new form of entertainment to keep the press busy? Evie isn’t your toy.”

  Anger surged through me. I straightened. “Maybe you think you are the only one who cares about Evie, but you are fucking wrong. Your sister isn’t a game or toy to me or whatever else you think, and you underestimate her greatly if you think she’d let me treat her like that. Evie can take care of herself. Fuck, she even managed to take care of me.”

  Fiona’s face seemed a tad less hostile, but that might have been the flickering light. “So you really mean it?”

  “I mean it,” I said with a sigh. “Your sister is the funniest, kindest, snarkiest woman I know.”

  “She is,” Fiona agreed softly.

  “I’m going to do anything I can to treat her right, Fiona.”

  Fiona nodded, and I was pretty sure her eyes watered a little. Of course she had to ruin our moment. “Make it up to her for that shitty first time you gave her, that’s all I ask. Your mouth has to be good for more than bullshit talk.”

  I cocked one eyebrow and smiled arrogantly. “Evie finds my mouth very entertaining, trust me.”

  Fiona surprised me even more by grinning. She came closer and patted my shoulder. “Good for you, and good for her.”

  She turned on her heel, her long hair slapping me in the face, and stalked toward the door. “And I will castrate you with my fake nails if you hurt her, just so you know.”

  “Duly noted,” I muttered before she sauntered outside.

  Someone knocked, then Evie’s voice rang out. “Xavier, are you okay?”

  I began laughing.

  She poked her head in. “What’s so funny? I was worried Fiona might have strangled you with a towel, and here you are all merry.”

  “I’d be even merrier if you’d come in and shower with me,” I said as I dropped the towel to give her a good view at my already growing cock. Evie flushed and dragged her gaze back up to mine as I stopped in front of her. I touched her cheek and kissed her slowly. “Come on, Evie. Help a guy out here.”

  She pulled back, sighing, then shook her head. “I don’t want people to get the wrong impression.”

  “What impression? You are my girlfriend, and trust me, if they want to get the wrong impression they’ll make sure to get it even if you don’t give them reason for it.”

  “Still. This is still fresh. I don’t want to give the press more ammunition than absolutely necessary.”

  “Okay,” I said, then heaved a monumental sigh. “I might take a bit longer so I can wank myself off.”

  Evie groaned. “Now I won’t be able to get that image out of my head.”

  I flashed her a grin. “Ask your sister for a spare pair of panties. I’m sure she’s got plenty of them lying around in her locker for all the eye-fucking happening between her and Connor.”

  “Another image that will haunt me. Have fun,” she said with a laugh, then closed the door in my face. I leaned my forehead against the cool surface, smiling like a fucking imbecile. That woman was too good to be true.

  Xavier’s twenty-fifth birthday party was scheduled for tonight. I’d spent weeks inviting guests and the press, testing catering services (completely selfless on my part), and searching for the perfect location, only to have Xavier tell me this morning that he wished we could spend it somewhere alone, but sadly that wasn’t going to happen.

  I wasn’t too eager for the party either because the guest list included about two dozen women who had their eyes set on Xavier, and whom he had chosen as guests specifically as potential conquests before we had started dating. Now we were a couple, and all these women would probably still descend on him like a locust swarm.

  Fiona had groomed me to perfection. She had smoothed my naturally curly hair with a hair iron, only to curl it with a curling iron afterwards. It didn’t even make sense, but she insisted it was crucial to give my curls the necessary sheen.

  The shininess of my hair was the least of my worries.

  “This is the first time you and Xavier will appear at a public event as a couple,” Fiona said gently as she applied my lipstick, then perched on the corner of the vanity.

  “Yeah,” I admitted. “When I sent out the guest lists, we weren’t a couple yet, and there will be many single females making an appearance.”

  Fiona gave a shrug. “He’s with you now, so it shouldn’t matter.”

  “Do you really think I can hold someone like Xavier? He could have any girl he wants.”

  Fiona gripped my shoulders. “The question is if he can hold you, because I’m still not convinced he deserves you. He can thank his lucky stars that you gave him another chance after he popped your cherry so rudely.”

  “He didn’t pop it rudely. What came afterward was rude, but nothing I hadn’t expected.”

  “Yeah, well. I haven’t forgiven him for that stunt yet. I’m angry for the both of us since you don’t have the necessary bitchiness to hold on to grudges.”

  I laughed.
“Did you just insult or compliment me?”

  “Both,” Fiona said with a grin.

  “Only you,” I muttered.

  She sobered. “He’s good to you?”

  I had lost count of the times she’d asked me that question since the press conference a few days ago. “He is. He is patient and gentle and loving and funny.”

  Fiona sighed. “Good Lord.” Then she smirked. “And how’s the sex? I mean with all the practice he’s had he should be a grenade in bed. Or is he one of those who only ever cared about themselves, so they don’t know how to please a woman?”

  I stood. “I’m not sure I want to have that kind of conversation.”

  “Come on, give me something.”

  I could feel my cheeks heating. “He’s very considerate.” Then because I couldn’t hold it in, “And I just can’t keep my hands off him. Everything he does feels amazing.”

  Fiona smirked. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”

  I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been this nervous.

  The bell rang and Fiona jumped up from the vanity. “It’s Xavier. Oh, his chin is going to hit the floor.”

  I stood and allowed myself one more look in the mirror. The tight black leather skirt reached from my waist to my knees with a slit on the left up to my thigh, and the wrap-around top in a shimmery green material had a low V neckline. The black sling-back heels made my legs appear much longer than they were.

  “Come now,” Fiona urged. “You look fabulous.”

  My eyes slid over Fiona’s tight dress, but for once I didn’t try to compare us. With a nervous smile, I walked past her and toward the stairs. I wasn’t even halfway down when Xavier spotted me, and Fiona had been right: his lips parted and his eyes widened, and he looked at me as if I was the sexiest woman to have ever walked on earth. Xavier in his dark suit with the white shirt, no tie, looked perfectly handsome as well.