Page 21 of Triple Power Play 3
That’s what she told me when he was her bodyguard and couldn’t keep his hands off her. Shocker: I was right about there being something between them, about him desiring her.
I lose my patience and clench my fists. “Just fucking answer me!”
“What do you want me to say?” She raises her palms, her frustration reflecting mine. “When we were apart, he took care of me. I relied on him. I needed someone, and he was there for me.”
“That was his job! To take care of you, not fall in love with you!” I grind my molars. I have the urge to reread the texts, to analyze every detail, but that’ll only infuriate me further.
Of course, he wants her. Aurora has a way of making a man feel like a god: her softness, her affection, her vulnerability. He won’t go away easily, especially if she refuses to tell him to, and neither will Ethan.
Both of them want Reece here. My gut churns and my head spins. I need some air. I move toward the edge of the bed.
“Please don’t leave.” She cups my face and slips between my legs to block my path. “I choose you.” Her gaze locks with mine. “I love you. I’d do anything to go back.” Her lip quivers. “I would have stayed. I never would’ve left LA.” Tears cling to her long lashes. “I should have stayed,” she cries. “This never would’ve happened.”
Gutted all over again, I pull her onto my lap and bury my face in her neck. “No, baby. This was all me. All Kyle.”
“I’m terrified of losing you,” she sobs, her hands gripping my shoulders.
“You won’t. It’s you and me, always. The world could burn to the fucking ground, and I wouldn’t care as long as I had you.” I swallow the hard lump in my throat and lift my head. “But I need to know. Do you like him? Do you want him?”
She readjusts in my lap and rests her forehead on mine. “I like him. I enjoy spending time with him, but I don’t want to fuck him, if that’s what you’re asking.”
I’m a guy and demisexual. I likeveryfew people, none of whom I want to fuck—wait, that’s not entirely true. Ethan is confusing, since we technically have sex together. Right? Is that the same? I’m not sure, but it reinforces my point:I like him, but I don’t want to fuck himto me sounds likeI don’t want to fuck him…yet.
Yup, that’s precisely what that means, and Reece knows it.
Sucks to be him. Even if she likes him, even if we need him, she’ll always be mine. “What are you doing tomorrow?”
Ethan didn’t come home again. I could tell it bothered Aurora. She went right to sleep after we talked and was quiet all morning. Shit, his absence upset me, and given the Reece situation, I feel it’s necessary to take drastic measures. I sure as fuck don’t want the Viking replacing Ethan in our bed.
I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Today, I spoiled Aurora, cheered her up and solidified my position. We’re staying at the team hotel tonight after the game, where Coach can no longeravoid us, and currently, I’m searching the locker rooms for the missing piece of our throuple.
Practice was brutal. He didnotgo easy on me. Every inch of my body hurts, and I’m slow because of it.
Since being drugged, I’ve avoided all workout supplements and protein powders. I can’t even bring myself to take over-the-counter pain medication. It’s foolish, but my stomach clenches whenever I think about it. What if I accidentally trigger a relapse? I won’t risk losing Aurora and the baby again.
Three more days on the road, two games remaining—Long Island and Boston. I need something to keep going, or I’ll play like shit. Just my luck, I find Doc lounging in the visitor’s training room, Coach in a plush chair next to him.
I knock on the open door to get their attention. “Hey, I’m glad I caught you both. I’m not feeling well.”
Doc pushes his glasses higher on his nose and rises from his seat. “What’s going on?”
“I’m dragging. Everything hurts. I need some hydration.”
“Late night?” Ethan asks, his voice flat, laced with annoyance.
I drop into the chair beside him. “Nope, not at all. Just fucking sore.”
Sensing the tension, Doc glances between us. “What do you think, Coach?”
“I don’t have a problem with it. Stick to the regulations.”
The room falls silent as Doc sets up the vitamin drip. Once I’m hooked up and we’re alone, I ask Ethan, “Have you talked to her?”
He shoots me a side-eye. “She’s been busy with you, remember?”
“Hasn’t stopped you any other time. Have you tried? Or are you still running scared?”
A sneer forms on his upper lip. “I’m not running. Things went too far, and I’m giving her space.”
