Heat engulfs me and it takes a few seconds for me to remember where I am, and to remember what happened yesterday. I’m at Nova’s, in his bed, in his arms. He loves me, like I love him, and maybe by some miracle we will be able to make this thing between us work. I’m not sure what repercussions Brad will face, or what my father will want to do about them, but right now I am in heaven and I won’t let anyone ruin that.
I shift in Nova’s hold, making him stir, and barely a moment passes before he sleepily grumbles, “If you try to leave without saying goodbye again, I’m will fuck you so hard that you won’t even be able to walk.”
His delicious threat makes me shiver, even with the heat of his bare skin against me, and it makes him pull me in even closer as he buries his nose into my hair and inhales. “As tempting as that sounds,” I start with a smile. “I was hoping for some food before we go back to fucking.”
That has his attention, his head rising from where it’s buried in my neck as his eyes slowly blink open. “Are you hungry, baby? What do you need?” There isn’t a sexual edge to his words, he is completely serious, but as his morning erection presses against my hip, I can’t help but feel my other appetite wake up.
“Now that you mention it, maybe fucking until I can’t walk should take precedence.” I turn in his hold, pressing myself against him in search of friction and he laughs.
“My girl is horny in the mornings, I will have to remember that,” he replies with a cheeky smile, but to my dismay, he rolls his body off of mine and moves towards the end of the bed.
“Where are you going?” I grumble, annoyed that he isn’t already ravishing me.
He laughs again. “To get my girl some food,” he shrugs causally, as if he has no idea the effect he has on me. “Are you coming?” he asks, turning towards me as he tosses me a pair of his boxer shorts that apparently he didn’t have on hand last night.
“Clearly not,” I grumble under my breath, taking the shorts from him and slipping them on, and all he does is laugh at my bad mood.
When I try to stomp away from him to head downstairs, he catches me, pressing me forward into his bedroom door and bringing his mouth to my ear, as his hand slips beneath the boxers I am wearing, and cupping my entire pussy. “Don’t worry, Princess, after you’ve eaten and refueled, it will be my turn.” He swipes his fingers up and down my slit, making my entire body come alive as he coats them in my juices. Again to my dismay he pulls away far too quickly, and when I turn to flip him off, he is sinking his coated fingers into his mouth. “And trust me when I say, I am completely famished.”
The blush lights me up from the inside out, making him laugh, as he spins me around once more and leads us downstairs to the kitchen. To my surprise, the rest of the house is already awake. Archer and Alexander are both drinking coffee at the breakfast bar, and Jake is sitting on the sofa with his girlfriend. All of them look our way as we enter, and from the shit-eating grin across Archer’s face, I’m sure he already gave them a play by play of our reunion.
“Good morning, love birds,” he sing-songs, eyeing us both with a cocky smirk. “Sounds like you had quite the catch up.”
My blush deepens, especially as I catch Alexander’s stare, which he diverts immediately. I wonder if it will ever not be awkward between us? When I turn back to Nova and find him completely focused on him, I guess it won’t be any time soon. “Knock it off,” he warns his best friend, moving to make us both a cup of coffee, which I gratefully accept.
“You’re the one I heard knocking it off, Captain,” he replies with a smirk. “Oh god, Captain, yes please, Captain, right there, Captain,” he moans, humping Alexander’s leg with disturbingly accurate thrusts.
“I always knew I was your type,” is all their goalie replies, still avoiding my gaze, making Archer roll his eyes.
“You wish, Alexander, you were just the closest thing to me.” He pushes away from him and moves back to his chair. “I’d have done it to baby Peters here if I didn’t think Nova would gut me with a fork.” He gestures towards me and I feel Nova bristle at my side. He’s gonna have to get used to these kinds of jabs from his teammates if we are going to make it anywhere, otherwise they will eat him alive.
I know boys like this, I grew up with boys like this, and they make their jokes and share some playful banter, but they can be easily handled.
Before Nova can say anything, I step in. “Oh please, Archer, like you could handle all the inches I’ve heard Alexander is packing.” I make sure to keep my focus on him, and not let it travel to the two others now staring at me slack-jawed. I’m sure they both remember how well I handled it. “You might have to do some jaw workouts first,” I add sweetly with a smile.
Archer groans, “No, not you too, Mads.” He looks betrayed which I am finding amusing, especially as he gives me puppy dog eyes. “Come on, fess up, all the dick jokes can’t just be about Reign, you have to have heard what I’ve got going on too.”
This time my own smile turns wicked as I joke, “Oh, I don’t feel comfortable discussing other people’s shortcomings, there are ladies present.” The other three guys, and Jake’s girlfriend all crack up, especially as Archer’s jaw drops at my statement and I add, “Oh yes, keep up that kind of practice and you’ll be able to satisfy Alexander in no time.”
Another round of laughs as Archer points at his best friend. “You caught yourself a wicked little thing,” he grumbles, just as the doorbell rings and he stomps off to answer it.
Nova spins me around and presses me into the kitchen island. “He’s right, you are a wicked little thing aren’t you.” It’s not a question, especially not one I could answer when I feel his thick length hardening between us.
“Yes,” I breathe, turning delirious with need for him as I add, “You better watch out, I bite.”
His gaze darkens. “Oh, I am counting on it, Princess.” His lips lower to mine but before he can capture them, a throat loudly clears beside us.
We both turn our heads at the same time to find Josh staring at us, an impassive stare covering his face. “Maddie, can I borrow you for a moment please?” His tone is clipped and I can tell how hard it is for him to be here, and I instantly feel bad for not responding to his messages and turning off my phone.
Slipping from Nova’s hold, and ignoring my brother’s stare as it takes in my clothes, or lack of, I gesture for him to follow me back outside, and to my surprise Nova follows. Once we get there, my brother looks between the two of us, and before any kind of showdown can occur I cut in, “Whatever you need to say, you can say in front of him.”
Josh sighs, looking so tired and vulnerable in this moment that fear grips me entirely. “We need to go and see Dad,” he starts, and before I can refute he adds, “now.”
Nova stiffens beside me, but I slip my hand in his as I keep my focus on my brother. “Okay, I just need to go home and get dressed.”
As I say that, he holds out a bag towards me. “I got Hallie to pack you some fresh clothes,” he says with another sigh. “You know what she is like so there are about seven outfits in there.” That makes me smile, and I take the bag from him, thanking him.
No other words are said as I slip back inside and head up to Nova’s room to get dressed. He doesn’t say anything either, just watches me get ready while also pulling on his own clothes at the same time. When I move to leave he holds out his hand and asks, “Ready?” When I frown he smiles, “You didn’t really think I was letting you go without me, did you?”
A feeling like I have never experienced floods my insides. He’s coming with me. I’ve never had anyone have my back outside of Hallie and my brother, and this is so new to me that I’m not even sure how to react. Nova crosses the room and pulls me into his arms. “It’s you and me now, Princess.” All at once the love I have for him blooms even more and I just nod, letting him lead me back outside to my brother.
Nova and I take my car, following Josh to our parents’ estate, and I can tell the closer we get, the more on guard Nova becomes. Yet still, just like last night, his hand remains entwined with mine. By the time we are pulling up it’s almost lunch time, and I am nervous for whatever awaits me inside.
Their housekeeper answers the door and advises us that our father is waiting in his office. I can tell from the tone of her voice that the mood awaiting us isn’t good, but it’s now or never. Tightening Nova’s hand in mine, we follow Josh down the long, elegant hallway until we reach my father’s haven.
When we push inside, my father’s eyes rise from whatever he is working on, and there isn’t even a hint of surprise that flashes across his stare as he takes in Nova by my side. We wait in silence as he finishes what he is doing, before he looks at me and sighs, “Your brother said you were busy.” He’s angry, that much I can tell, but still I keep my head up high.
“I had things that needed my attention,” I reply smoothly, not letting him get to me, not with Nova and my brother by my side. “Plus I thought you would be busy handling your situation.”
A smirk pulls at the corner of his mouth and for a second I think he might be proud of me for standing up for myself, but he quickly covers it. “The situation is handled, and as I can see you have already found yourself a new match that I suppose I can deem worthy enough.” I almost scoff at his words, and Nova is crushing my fingers between his, no doubt biting his tongue so hard he can probably taste blood. “Thankfully your brother has more of a keen interest in keeping our family name in-tact, and he has stepped in to take your place.”
That instantly shatters the armor I wrapped around myself before coming in here, as my head snaps towards my brother. “Stepped in? What does that mean?” I ask, looking at my brother with nothing but confusion, but he keeps his gaze locked on our father.
“I will do my duty,” is all he replies boredly, looking as if he would rather be anywhere else but here, yet I know my brother better than that. He may be standing in a casual manner, but his spine is snapped straight. His words may be laced in disinterest, but his jaw is locked. What the hell is going on?
With my brother ignoring my existence, I look back to my father, who looks gleeful to give me my answer. “Joshua here has agreed to further the family business by marrying someone of my choice,” my father beams, and I feel as if all the air has been emptied from the room.
“What?” I gasp in shock. “No, please,” I start, but Joshua finally snaps.
“Enough, Maddie, it’s already done.”
My mouth snaps shut, and Nova’s thumb starts to rub small gentle circles across the top of my hand in an attempt to soothe me, as my body goes to war against itself. My breathing comes in quick pants, as I fight with the feeling of relief of being able to be with Nova, and regret of forcing my brother to take my place.
Whatever words are exchanged next go right over my head, and the next thing I know, Nova is leading us back outside with Josh hot on our heels. It isn’t until we are almost back at our cars that I snap. “You did this, didn’t you? You got rid of Brad and offered yourself up on a platter.”
His eyes flick to Nova’s, clearly not wanting to have this conversation in front of him, but it’s too late for that. “I was never going to let you marry Bradley Thorne, Maddie. Not him or anyone else that you didn’t choose.” His words are gentle, laced with the only kind of family love I have ever known.
“Why? Why did you have to save me?” I ask, tears forming in my eyes in both happiness and sadness, and my brother’s tough facade breaks as he steps towards me.
“Because you love him, Maddie,” he starts, not even looking in Nova’s direction as he refers to him. “And because you’re my sister and I love you too. I’d do anything for you, you know that.”
The tears spill onto my cheeks as I sniff, “And I’d let you, but not this.”
My brother smiles. “I’ll be fine, Mads. I’m not like you, I don’t let myself feel things as mundane as love,” he jokes, pulling me in for a hug and wiping away my tears. When he pulls back there is a sparkle in his eye that tells me he really is okay with this. “I’ll take my pick from a list of rich hot girls and make one of them my wife. I mean, how hard can it be to fake it with someone?” he shrugs like it’s nothing at all, but little does he know, they will become his famous last words.
Nova and I watch him climb back into his car and drive away, and before I can say anything, Nova is pushing me into the side of my car and claiming my mouth as his. He kisses me until I run out of breath, and when he pulls back I feel eyes watching us from inside the house, but I know he doesn’t care.
“How about my girl lets me take her out to eat, and then lets me eat her out?” he asks with a smirk, walking me around to the drivers side of my car and opening my door for me.
I roll my eyes. “You’re disgusting,” I scoff playfully, and he smiles.
“If I’m so disgusting, why are you clenching your thighs for me, baby?” he asks, leaning in to drop his mouth to my ear. “Don’t worry, you can wrap them around my head later.” Then he is pulling back and slamming my door closed.
Fuck it feels good to be his girl.
