Page 93 of Meet Your Match
Control.
The word struck me like a lightning bolt.
Thatwas what I needed in this moment.
I knew it all would end, eventually. We would crash and burn, just like every passionate romance does.
But maybe I could avoid being hurt if I was the one driving the car.
“So,” I said when he moved to my upper back.
“So?”
“Should we talk about this?”
“About me massaging you and trying not to have a boner?”
I chuckled. “No, I mean… this. Us.” I swallowed, rolling until Vince climbed off of me. I sat up in bed, folding my legs beneath me as he crooked a sleepy smile.
“What about us?”
“Well,” I said, reaching up to fidget with the silk wrap around my hair. “Obviously, we have chemistry. We enjoy each other’s company.”
He cocked a brow.
“I think… we should keep seeing each other.” I swallowed, lifting my eyes to his. “Friends, with perks.”
I tried to read his expression then, because it changed — just slightly. He still wore a little smile, but it didn’t feel quite as genuine.
“I just mean, we have fun, we… we can keep it that way. No expectations, no promises for more. Just… sex.”
“Just sex,” he echoed.
Again, I couldn’t read him.
But he almost looked… relieved.
It made sense. Maybe he was already thinking this, listening to me fumble for words while in his head he’s like, “Well, yeah, duh.”
“I still want what we talked about last night, though,” I clarified. “If we’re going to do this, I don’t want you to have sex with anyone else. And I won’t either.”
“Damn fucking straight, you won’t.”
I arched a brow a little at his tone. “I just want us to be safe.”
Vince scratched the back of his neck, opening his mouth like he was going to say something, but I kept talking.
“I also think this is the best for both of us, professionally. I’m finally making a name for myself, Vince. I… Ireallyenjoy what I do. And I don’t want to spoil this opportunity. I don’t want to be the punchline of a joke everyone in Tampa loves to tell.”
His brows folded together at that. “And you think being seen with me would make you the butt of a joke?”
I laughed. “I mean, honestly? Yes.” I reached for him when I said the word. “You should see the comments that are already rolling in after that photo you posted of us. Everyone knows you could never actually be serious about someone like me. They’re calling me names, saying I only got this job because you wanted in my pants, telling me to let them know when you’re done with me so they can have their turn.” I shook my head. “When this is all over, I’ll go back to work, back to my life that never crossed paths with yours. And you’ll go back to being Vince Cool, with your whole career ahead of you, and the whole world at your fingertips.”
I ignored the way my stomach somersaulted as I tried to play off the nonchalance of that assessment. Because I knew that also meant he’d move on to fucking someone else into oblivion, and to waking up next to them with bed hair and a sleepy smile I wished was only for me.
Vince watched me for a long moment before he blinked and pulled his hand away from mine. He stood, giving me a beautiful morning view of his backside before he ran a hand roughly through his hair.
For a small, microscopic moment, I let myself envision an alternate universe. I imagined him turning around and shaking his head, his jaw tight as he said, “Fuck no.” I imagined him wanting me for more than just sex, wondered what it would be like to be claimed by him, to be on his arm after every game, to watch him from the box where all the wives and girlfriends sat. TheWAGs.Could I be one of them? Would he ever want me to be?
