Fucking hell. I knew Ella was visiting over Thanksgiving. Grey had told me that. But he was taking her out for fine dining and buying her expensive gifts? While sitting on the sectional, I propped my booted foot on the coffee table and leaned back. Was he expected to…holy fuck, how would I handle it if he stayed the night with her? As my heart stung, I rubbed the heel of my hand across it. This situation between us had to cool down. We’d only agreed to be friends with benefits. I inhaled deeply. But we also agreed not to hook up with anyone else. Was Ella technically a hookup if he was expected to be her fucking boyfriend? Maybe she didn’t count. It didn’t seem fair.
“Malik.” Grey strode from the hallway, his forehead wrinkling and lips pressed into a flat line. “I’m sorry.” He dropped in beside me, hooking an arm around my neck, hugging me. “I don’t want to take her anywhere. I want nothing to do with her.” His voice cracked.
The sting in my heart melted away, and I wrapped an arm around his torso. “I know.” But did I? Fuck, this was Grey. He wouldn’t lie to me. Brushing a hand across his back, I said, “Talk to me.”
With a deep breath, he freed me and straightened. “The last time I spoke with my dad, he asked me to take Ella to the best restaurants and to buy her something nice.” His gaze searched my face as he grasped my hands in his. “She has a friend going to school here, and she suggested you come along with her friend.”
“Like a double date?” I balked. How could I watch him date this girl? It would be torture. But then, so would sitting around at home while he was out with Ella. What was worse? “I-I don’t know.”
Dipping his head, he said, “Yeah, I sort of told Ella that you were dating someone and that might not work out.” His gaze found mine. “I was jealous. I didn’t want to see you on a date with her friend.”
Jealous? My brows rose. I guess I should come clean with him. “I…it hurts to think about you seeing Ella over the holiday.” It would have been so nice to spend it together, like in the fucking Hallmark movies. God, I had it bad. “I think I’m jealous of her.”
“Malik, you shouldn’t be. I don’t want her. I want you.” He kissed the back of my hand. “I only want you.”
“But then why…” I fucking knew why. He had to keep his father happy. What if he didn’t make the draft? What would happen to us? No, he’d make the draft. With a hard swallow, I said, “Tell you what, let Ella know I’m free. I’ll, uh, go on these dates with you.” A sharp pain raced across my chest. I could do this. Then we could monitor each other, as fucked up as it sounded.
He eyed me. “Are you sure?” Leaning into me, he rested his head on my shoulder. “I don’t want to see you kissing her friend.”
“You think I want to see you kissing Ella? Dude, it goes both ways here.” I slipped my hand from his and placed it across his cheek. “At least if we’re together, we might play footsie under thetable and know that any interaction with the girls is just an act, right?”
“Yeah.” He kissed my neck. “Thank you for understanding, Malik. You have no idea how much I hate this.”
“Oh, I think I do.” I chuckled. “Because I hate this too.” If only he could stand up to his father. I worried my lower lip. Where the hell was this thing between us leading? We’d have to talk about it at some point. Perhaps we were both too scared to talk about it. “Hey, it’s only two months away. We have an entire football season to focus on before Thanksgiving. Let’s focus on that.”
“Yeah.” He lifted his head, his sad gaze meeting mine. “We’re rooming together this weekend.” The corner of his mouth tugged up.
“We are.” With a wag of my brows, I said, “Do you want to bring a plug?” Talking sex with him was so much easier than this other bullshit.
“Now, that’s a thought.” Grabbing my nape, he came in for a heated kiss and then pressed his forehead against mine. “I’m looking forward to spending time with you on the road.”
“Me too.” Emotion swelled in my heart. I wouldn’t lose him to Ella. What we had was too special. I had to remember that. “I’ll give you pointers on how to deal with Mississippi’s defense once Coach goes over the footage.”
“I knew you would.” He pressed a soft kiss on my lips and straightened. “Popcorn for the movies?”
“Hell yes.” As a grin teased my lips, I sank into the couch. I’d have another day of him doting on me.
It had beenone hell of a week, working with our trainer in the gym to rehabilitate my ankle, then classes and finally coming home to Grey every night for meals, studying and bedroom activities. I’d noticed more texting going on, but I figured I’d stay out of it. He was only doing what he had to do.
We’d traveled to Mississippi State, home of the bulldogs and I’d gone over my thoughts with Grey on the plane and bus ride to our hotel about how best to handle the Bulldog defensive lineman. I peeked at Grey in his seat beside the bus window, his arms folded across his chest and the bill of his baseball cap covering his face while he napped.
He seemed so peaceful at this moment. Later he’d be anything but. I’d brought the plug, and he wanted to wear it through dinner. The dirty fucker. My lips tugged on one side. Afterward, we’d have one hell of a time in our room. My cock stirred, and I adjusted it as it plumped in my shorts. Time hadn’t slowed his sexual appetite one bit. And I loved him even more for it.
The bus stopped at a colonial-style brick hotel, green grass all around it with the late-afternoon sun flickering off the leaves in the trees. This location had actual trees, not spindly ones with thorns like in Arizona. It’d be hot as fuck at the game with the humidity here though. “Hey.” I poked Grey in the side.
“Are we here?” As he straightened, he set his cap backward on his head and looked around. “Damn, I was having a great dream.”
“Yeah? Of what?” I smirked. He talked little about dreams.
He came in close and lifted the hem of his team shirt, showing off his hard dick, stretching toward his hip. “You were sucking my dick,” he whispered and waggled his brows.
“Dude.” Scoffing a chuckle, I shook my head. Why was I not surprised? “You'd better cover that thing. We need to get off the bus.”
Tex stood in front of us and stepped into the aisle, along with Masters. Up-nodding at me, he said, “What the hell are you two whispering about?”
“Nothing.” With a peek at Grey, I rose with my backpack and followed Tex and Masters through the bus with Grey behind me.
We grabbed our duffels from the bus’s baggage compartment and headed through the humid air into the comfort of the air-conditioned hotel lobby. I stood with Tex, Masters and Grey, making note of the lobby bar with leather lounge chairs and dark woods. Maybe following the game tomorrow night, if we won, Coach would let us celebrate with a few beers.