Play Maker (Bitsberg Knights Duet)

She had no idea how sexy she was, or the way her body affected me. Even after sharing my bed, she didn’t fully realize the power and sway she held over me. Which somehow made her even more irresistible.

I’d been to New York at least a dozen times and had been on countless road trips with the team.

This trip was different, though. The city felt more alive to me. As though it were my first visit. I wasn’t ready to leave, but there wasn’t time to slow down and play tourist. No matter how much I wanted to.

We had one more game in the playoffs, and I couldn’t slow down for anything. We had to win. And I had to make that happen.

I wasn’t blind to the fact that my star power was on the rise. Rapidly. My agent had already called and received emails from other teams who could become potential suitors. Months ago, I would’ve jumped at the chance to be courted by another team. To go anywhere else. But now everything was different. I had Shelby. It was no longer just about what I wanted or where I wanted to go. If I left the Knights, I’d be leaving her too.

I squeezed my eyes closed and sucked in a long, slow breath. There was too much going on inside my head. I couldn’t keep up with it all. The final playoff game. The team. Shelby. And now, my family drama had been dredged back up to the surface of my mind. I didn’t regret telling Shelby about my past, but it was always unpleasant, no matter how necessary it felt. Talking about it with anyone sucked. Sometimes, I wondered if my mom even knew I was playing in the playoffs. If she knew we were one game away from the Super Bowl. If she would even care

Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t realize Shelby was awake, until she rolled over and traced a finger up my chest. Her hair was a beautiful mess fanned out all around her head, and her eyes sparked with mischief. She was even more beautiful without the makeup she had on the night before. “Good morning,” she said, offering me a huge smile.

I shoved the thoughts of my mom as far away as possible, sending them back to the dark corner they belonged in and rolled over to kiss Shelby and gather her back into my arms. The second her skin touched mine, it was like kindling catching and sparking into a bonfire. Shelby giggled as my cock pressed into her thigh. “That’s some kind of wakeup call you got there,” she teased.

I rocked my hips and smiled as her eyes widened. “Been cooking up all kinds of ideas over here while you were snoring away.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I did not snore.”

I laughed at her defiant pout before dropping another kiss to her sumptuous lips. “What? It was cute. No need to get so defensive.”

Shelby laughed and rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

“Maybe so, but I think you kind of like me.” Her breath hitched as I dragged a fingertip over her cheek and jawline. “God, you’re beautiful. How the hell am I supposed to get out of bed with you looking like this?”

Her lashes fluttered closed as my fingers tangled into her wild hair. “I don’t think we have to. Do we?”

I chuckled. “Tragically, yes.”

“Damn.”

I kissed her again and then dropped my lips to her ear. “But we probably have a little bit of time. I think.”

“That’s very good news,” she whispered, arching against me. Before I could reply, I sucked in a sharp breath as her fingers slid under the sheets and wrapped around my cock.

I couldn’t stifle my groan and leaned down to kiss her, checking out of reality, if only for a few minutes more.

After a long, lingering shower, we toweled off and got dressed before either of us could give into the tempting call of the comfortable bed. Shelby slipped into a pair of jeans that had me drooling along with a sweater and her thick winter coat. “Do you have time for breakfast before your flight leaves?” she asked, buttoning the front of the coat.

I pulled on my own jeans and sweatshirt. “I think so. There’s a restaurant downstairs, so I’ll see the team when they’re headed down.”

“Okay.” Shelby fluffed her hair before bending over to gather it into a ponytail.

I smiled at the concentrated look on her face as she popped back up. “You good?”

“Head rush.”

I laughed softly and went to wrap my arm around her waist. “We better get you some breakfast then, huh?”

The hotel restaurant featured a breakfast buffet, and we each piled plates with eggs, Belgian waffles, and fresh fruit before finding a quiet corner table. A waitress brought us huge cups of coffee, and we dug in, eating like we’d just ran a marathon.