Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 77051 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77051 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 385(@200wpm)___ 308(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Nope. I hadn’t thought about that before at all.
Clearly, I still had feelings when it came to Patrick Whitt. The years hadn’t changed anything except that ever since college, when I’d fucked around with a few guys, I could admit he got my dick hard.
We watched ESPN for a while so we could get caught up on who won their games before we hit the sack. Four came way too early, most of us half-dead and quiet as we headed for the airport and then back to Denver.
My house was smaller than most of the guys’ in the league. It already felt too empty, too quiet, so I couldn’t imagine if I had a mansion like some folks did. Sure, I couldn’t pretend it wasn’t bigger than anything I’d lived in when I was growing up, but it was a modest, four-bedroom house, which was big enough that if shit ever went down, my mama and my sisters could stay with me. Not having them around was why things felt too quiet. When we were together, we were always giving each other shit. That was how the Tuckers rolled.
I changed and went on a quick jog before heading back home and soaking in an ice bath that nearly froze my dick off.
Once I was dressed and ready for the day, I called Andre, the little brother I’d been assigned through a program for at-risk youth.
It was important to me to give back, to help kids who had grown up like me, without a father, whether it was from them being a deadbeat like my sperm donor or dead like the man who had been my dad in the ways that mattered.
“Hey, bro. What’s up?” I asked when he answered.
“Chillin’. I watched the game last night. You’re the fuckin’ man.”
“What did we say about cursing?”
He grumbled. “Please, it’s not like you don’t do it.”
He had a point, but I was also grown. “There’s a time and a place. Also, it’s disrespectful to curse in front of people who are older than you.”
“You’re right, I forgot you’re older than dirt,” Andre teased, chuckling. The little shit liked to give me hell, but I couldn’t pretend like I didn’t enjoy it. The fact that he felt comfortable enough to do so was important to me. Andre also didn’t treat me like I was famous, which I also loved. To him, I was a positive role model who cared about him, and there wasn’t a title more important than that.
We chatted for a little while and made plans to hang out before I ended the call.
We didn’t have practice today, so I grabbed my notebooks, settled in on the couch, and spent the rest of the day studying film for our upcoming games.
Our offense wasn’t going to run itself.
And later, when I climbed in the bed and beat off, there was a pair of pretty blue eyes and an annoying, regal jawline in my head.
3
WHITT
The woman was a ten. Muscular and fit, with a smile that dazzled—one she’d been aiming in my direction since we’d arrived at Sway earlier. She was vaguely familiar, too, so as I finally slid into a pocket of space at the bar where she was sitting to make my move, I cocked my head. “Where do we know each other from?”
She laughed. “That’s your line?”
“It’s genuine curiosity.”
“If you’re wondering if we’ve slept together, I can assure you we haven’t.”
“Ouch.” I placed a hand over my heart. “These assumptions wound me.”
“I’m almost certain they don’t, Patrick Whitt.” She extended her hand, blue eyes sparkling. “Monica Laprese.”
“Monica…” I drawled, trying to place her before the lightbulb went off in my head. “The trainer.” She had a badass fitness-focused IG that had become popular over the last few years with its emphasis on healthy bodies of all sizes—not just skinny bodies—which happened to be right up my alley. I’d had enough skinny debutante types foisted on me in my formative years to last a lifetime. Not that there was anything wrong with that, but I just kinda appreciated a woman who looked like she would go head-to-head with me on some wings, could possibly kick my ass, and didn’t care about being a size zero. “Damn, I really love your channel and all the work you’re doing. Cool content.”
It was her turn to cock her head at me. “Alright, that’s a little better.”
“That wasn’t a line.”
Monica grinned. “I know. That’s the part that made it better. Want to sit?”
I glanced behind me. A bunch of my Royals teammates had taken over one of the bar’s VIP sections earlier but had scattered over the course of the night as the drinks flowed. No one was gonna even notice I was gone at this point, and I wasn’t exactly known for being the team’s Mr. Congeniality. So I sat.