Chapter 133
Through everything we’d ever done, every punishment, every scene- we’d played hard, we’d gone dark–but I’d never been afraid of him.
Not until now.
And
yet, I had never been harder in my life. Something was definitely
wrong with me.
****
By the time I finished classes and the endless practice drills that day, my body ached. My brain, too. But I still went straight to Aiden’s
house. Didn’t even hesitate. The contract, the rules, the routine–I
followed them like religion. And tonight, I’d wait as long as it took.
He walked in late, shirt sleeves rolled, tie undone, looking like every
fantasy I’d ever had. I sat up straighter.
“What the hell were you thinking?” He finally snapped. “You think that was funny? Do you realize what could’ve happened?”
My jaw clenched. “Fine. You wanna punish me, then do it. I know I risked us both, I screwed up, but I didn’t break the damn contract–I
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did it with you. I haven’t done anything with anyone else. It’s just
you.”
His eyes darkened. “What about Lexie? What the hell did you do with
her?”
I swallowed. So this was the root of the problem… “Nothing. That night, I told her I didn’t want to disrespect her–especially before talking to her father. Old–fashioned bullshit excuse, I know. But it got
me out of it.”
Aiden studied me, his glare sharp. “So you were being respectful?”
I shook my head. “No. I was lying. I’m not a respectful guy, Sir. I just…
I’m trying to keep up with our agreement, but it’s fucking confusing. I
can’t be with you during the week. And I can’t be with anyone else.
I’m going insane. I’m horny, and it’s hard to resist a gorgeous girl
throwing herself at you, especially when she can help me get
everything I want.”
The second it left my mouth, I regretted it. I didn’t want to sound like some opportunist, chasing whatever advantage I could. The truth was, I was willing to put myself through all this risk, this mess, just to
be with Aiden.
“Can she now?” His voice dropped, sharp. “And how’s that?”
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Shit.
I hadn’t even had the chance to tell him yet, and maybe this was the
worst time to bring it up, but I was already in too deep.
“Her dad–William Hart–he, uh…” I rubbed the back of my neck. “He
seemed interested since the donor dinner. Said he might be able to
help me out.”
Aiden cut in fast. “Why you? He hadn’t even seen you play by then.”
I swallowed. “Lexie… she recorded some of our practice. Or maybe she
just mentioned me. He trusts her judgment.”
“You mean he checked you out because his daughter wants you,”
Aiden snapped, voice like a blade.
“Maybe. But now he’s seen me. He came to the game, and he was
impressed. Lexie said he’s seriously talking about sponsorship.”
Aiden’s eyes darkened, unreadable, but his jaw flexed. “And you really
believe this?”
My chest tightened. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“Because men like Hart don’t hand out favors to strangers,” he
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snapped. “He doesn’t know you. Not your work ethic, not your grades, not a damn thing. He knows his daughter’s been smiling at you–and
that’s enough for him.”
The words stung, sharper than I expected. “So what, I’m not allowed
to believe someone thinks I’m good enough?”
“That’s not what I said-”
“Sure as hell sounded like it,” I cut in, heat rising in my face. “I bust
my ass for you, for this team, and the second someone else notices,
you act like it’s all Lexie’s fault.”
His stare was hard, unflinching. “Were you even planning on telling
me about this?”
My throat went dry. “I… I was going to. I had to… They invited me to
a dinner party next Friday.”
The silence that followed was heavier than any punishment he’d ever
given me.
415
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
