19. Evie

Chapter 19

Evie

"Do you think she'd like brunch at the Winchester?" I asked.

Dakota smirked, holding up her champagne flute containing a mimosa. "She's not picky. So long as there's booze. Hell, we could probably do it at Pipes, and she'd love it."

"Yeah, that's a hard pass." I couldn't stop the full-body shudder at the memory of Bristol's singing.

Tessa and Dakota laughed out loud, both having been witness to Bristol's unique vocal stylings.

The team was out of town, which meant Bristol had gone with them as part of the traveling press pack. That gave us the perfect opportunity to plan her bridal shower thrown by the Speed WAGs.

"But seriously"—Dakota sat back in the booth we occupied in a quaint little breakfast spot in an up-and-coming Indy suburb—"it sounds girly, with just a touch of class, and I think it's perfect for her. Great idea, Evie."

"I'll call them this afternoon to see if they can fit us in before the playoffs. Dakota, you've got her registry info, right?"

"Yep. I'll send that over as soon as I'm back at my computer."

"Thanks. As soon as I have that and we confirm a date with the hotel, I can get the details to the rest of the ladies, and we should be good to go."

Tessa nudged me gently with an elbow. "You're so good at all this."

I shrugged. "It's like riding a bike. I used to handle all this back when Maddox was the captain." Letting out a wry laugh, I joked, "Never would have thought I'd be planning a shower for the girl who finally got the team's resident bachelor to settle down."

Dakota leaned her arms on the table, a smile creeping onto her face. "It's crazy how well they work together, even with the age gap."

Nodding, I agreed, "Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes."

"Well, well. What have we here?" A voice akin to nails on a chalkboard had me wincing.

We all turned to peer up at the woman who had interrupted our peaceful gathering.

"What do you want, Juliana?" Dakota narrowed her eyes.

"I should think it would be obvious." Juliana folded her arms beneath her fake breasts, putting her cleavage on display through the top of her sports bra. She looked like she'd recently come from the gym—bleach blonde hair set in a high ponytail, wearing skintight workout pants that matched the bra, with only a light zip-up overtop. I could only imagine she was worried that Saint would drop her ass like a bad habit if she so much as gained a pound, considering how she'd always gone out of her way to remark on my size.

"Spit it out." I rolled my eyes, not in the mood for her antics.

"I came to join the party planning committee." Juliana plastered a saccharine smile on her face.

"Sorry, darlin'"—I made sure to match her fake sweetness—"planning is done by ladies attached to leadership. Last I checked, Saint doesn't have a letter on his jersey."

That struck a nerve because her dark eyes narrowed into thin slits. But she must have remembered her objective and quickly schooled her features. It didn't have quite the desired effect because her attempt at a smile looked more like a grimace.

"I was hoping you might make an exception, seeing as I'm the most senior WAG."

Tessa was quick to correct her. "No, I believe that would be Evie. Which is fitting, seeing as she's the captain's wife."

Juliana wasn't ready to go down without a fight and countered, "If you remove the four years she was gone, I've got her beat."

"Sorry, it doesn't work that way," I shut her down.

Her temper finally got the better of her, and she snapped, venom dripping from every word. "You all can't just waltz in here and take charge. Not when I've been here the whole time. And don't get me started on the reporter."

"That reporter has a name." Dakota's icy tone had me shivering.

Juliana scoffed. "Yeah, well, rumor has it that Maddox didn't even know it the first time he fucked her."

My jaw dropped open, but Dakota shoved to her feet, getting up in Juliana's personal space. "And you wonder why no one likes you." She pointed to the door. "Why don't you get out of here before you dig the hole any deeper."

A flush of red crept up Juliana's neck, and she spun on her heels and stormed off.

Dakota dropped back into her seat with a heavy exhale. "She's such a witch."

"I feel sorry for her," Tessa said softly, and our eyes shifted to her.

"You shouldn't. She's a miserable human being and tries to drag everyone down with her," I huffed.

Tessa's lips twisted. "That's kinda my point. She must be hurting inside to lash out like that."

Dakota cut in. "Maybe, but that doesn't give her the right to badmouth other people."

"That's true," Tessa conceded. "All I'm saying is, you never know what someone is struggling with."

"Ugh," I groaned. "Leave it to the mom of the group to have perspective."

"It's those darn kiddie cartoons. They're always hiding life lessons in those things."

We all burst out laughing. She wasn't wrong.

When we calmed down, Dakota directed her next question at Tessa. "So, are you guys planning to get away during the All-Pro Break?"

Tessa sipped her mimosa, nodding. "Yeah, we're gonna take the kids down to Florida. I'd prefer the Caribbean, but we've been so busy juggling two kids that we haven't gotten around to applying for a passport for Bailey."

"Send me pics, especially if you make it to the beach," I begged.

"Of course. Ollie's my little water baby."

My heart swelled, thinking of the sweet little boy I'd made such a connection with.

"And who knows, maybe someday, the fans will like your husband a little less, and you guys can come with us," she teased.

I winked. "Maybe I can convince him to fake an injury next year."

"Oh yeah, Maddox will just love you for that," Dakota snickered.

"And with my luck, they'll send Asher in his place," Tessa added.

"Hmm." I tapped my chin. "Didn't think this one through."

"How about this? We plan a summer trip instead?"

"Yes!" Dakota cried. "You guys could come up to our new lake house in Minnesota. We've got tons of space."

I held my glass up, and the other two ladies touched theirs to mine. "A lakeside summer retreat it is."

Tipsy, I stepped out of the backseat of the car, sighing when the warm desert air wrapped around me like a blanket.

Jenner held his hand out for me, but I ignored it, instead snuggling right into his chest. It vibrated with his chuckle, tickling my face, and I giggled loudly.

"Okay. Guess we're gonna need help with the bags because you are two handfuls this morning, wife."

"Mmm. Handfuls," I purred. "You know I love when you squeeze my ass."

"Heads up, Jenner," Braxton called out, and the next thing I heard was a sharp crack near my ear, making me jump.

"What in the world?" I shrieked.

"Water, baby. You gotta hydrate." He pressed a bottle of water to my lips, and I sucked down the cool liquid greedily. Maybe he had a point. I'd lost count of the refills my champagne flute had seen on the flight to Vegas.

Dakota's voice spoke next. "Let her know we'll be by the pool most of the afternoon. When she's feeling up to it, she should join us."

I perked up. "Ooh. The pool? Let's go now!"

Jenner banded his arms around me as I tried to flee his hold. "Maybe a nap and more water first, babe. Don't need you drowning on me."

My lower lip pushed out in a pout. "You're no fun."

His lips brushed over my temple. "I will gladly hold the title of party pooper if it means keeping you alive long enough to meet our little girl."

I gave an exaggerated sigh. "Fine. You win."

Over my head, he told our travel partners, "We'll catch you later. I'm gonna get her upstairs."

My vision swam slightly as Jenner urged me through the casino floor toward the elevator bank. His grip around my waist was tight enough that I leaned into him, knowing he would support me as I swayed.

Twin sliding doors pulled back to reveal an empty elevator, and I got an idea. The second we were enclosed inside and the carriage began its ascent toward our floor, I spun around, using two hands to shove at Jenner's chest.

Usually, my muscular husband was immovable, but the element of surprise worked in my favor, and he stumbled back, slamming against the mirrored wall. Taking advantage of his shocked state, I pounced, gripping two fistfuls of his auburn tresses and pulling his lips down to mine.

Jenner groaned, his lips parting enough that I could slip my tongue inside. Fuck, he tasted like whiskey, and a bolt of lust shot straight between my thighs.

Speaking of thighs . . .

I edged my knee between Jenner's, so I could grind my core against his toned thigh, seeking relief. I was throbbing, desperate and needy for him. There was no doubt he'd blame my sudden horniness on my intoxicated state, but I knew better. I was hot for him all the time but was better at hiding it in public when I was sober.

"Evie." Jenner tore his mouth away, panting. "We can't do this here."

My hand skimmed down his chest, cupping his erection through his jeans, making him hiss. "Don't tell me you don't want this."

"Fuck." His forehead pressed to mine. "Cameras, babe. They have video feeds inside the elevators. No one gets to see you but me."

Ugh. I hated it when he was the voice of reason. But I had to admit that I wasn't looking to have a low-budget sex tape of us circulating on the internet.

The elevator came to a stop, the doors opening.

"This is our floor," Jenner remarked, steering me down the hallway.

An app on his phone acted as the key when he tapped it against the sensor above the doorknob. A digital unlocking sounded, and he pushed the door open to our suite.

I pulled from his grasp when the view from the massive window caught my eye. The Las Vegas Strip was laid out before us, the flat desert landscape making it easy to see for miles beyond the city to the mountains in the distance.

"Just think of how beautiful this will look at night," I breathed.

Arms encircled my waist as lips pressed against my neck. "Not more beautiful than you, baby."

I turned around to face him, smirking. "Then maybe you'll just have to fuck me up against it tonight so I can enjoy the view while you make me scream."

"I could be persuaded," he murmured, dusting kisses along my jaw until he reached a sensitive spot behind my ear. "But first, you need to rest. Sleep off some of that champagne."

Pulling away, I yanked off my tank top.

Jenner's head dropped back on a groan. "Evie."

"What?" I teased. "I need to shower off the plane before I get into bed."

He stepped back, eyeing me. "Oh yeah?"

"Mmhmm." Biting my lip, I shimmied out of my leggings, leaving me only in a bra and panties. "Join me."

Fire lit up in his coffee-colored eyes, and he dragged a hand over his mouth. "You're gonna be the death of me, woman."

Sauntering toward the ensuite bathroom with an exaggerated sway of my hips, I shot back over my shoulder, "But what a way to go."

"Fuck it." His words came out rough, and a shiver rolled down my spine.

Jenner ripped off his T-shirt, stalking after me in only his jeans, looking like something out of a sexy photoshoot. I was so turned on by the sight that I was probably going to explode the minute he touched me.

Dangerously close to overheating from a combination of lust and alcohol, I elected to keep the water cool when turning on the shower. The last thing I needed was to pass out and ruin the sexy fun we were about to have.

Stepping out of my panties, I unclipped my bra, letting it slide to the ground. My breasts ached when they spilled free, so I gripped them, plucking the nipples as a moan flew past my lips.

"Starting without me?" Jenner teased from behind.

I spun around in time to see his jeans fall away, revealing his cock, standing thick and proud. Saliva filled my mouth, and even though I was desperate for a taste, I had another idea.

Stepping under the spray of water, I sighed in relief as it cooled my heated skin. It only granted me a temporary reprieve as a burning hot wall of muscle pressed against my back.

My head lolled onto Jenner's shoulder on a moan, my ass rubbing against his stiff cock.

"How do you want me, baby?"

God, I loved it when he let me take charge.

A wicked grin curved on my lips as I pumped some of the hotel-provided body wash into my hands, rubbing them together to work up a lather. Spinning around, I dropped to my knees, working the slippery soap over my breasts and into the valley between.

When I pushed my boobs together, it became clear what I wanted, and Jenner's eyebrows rose. "Yeah?"

My head bobbed, and I licked my lips. "Fuck my tits, baby."

A deep groan echoed off the shower walls, and Jenner gripped his cock, stroking it a few times before feeding it into the tight space between my breasts.

Towering above me, he braced one hand on the shower wall as he gave the first shallow thrust of his hips. His free hand fisted in my hair and tugged, forcing me to meet his burning gaze.

"You look so goddamn hot on your knees for me, Evie." The ache between my thighs intensified at his words, and I shifted restlessly as he increased his pace.

Breathless, I tried to push him over the edge. "Mark me, Jenner. Come all over my face."

His balls slapped against my stomach as he slammed his cock between my breasts harder and harder.

"Stick out your tongue," he commanded, releasing his grasp on my hair.

Obeying, I opened wide, anxiously awaiting the moment he unraveled.

"I can't hold back anymore, baby." Those were Jenner's only words of warning as thick ropes of cum shot wildly onto my neck, my tongue, and my cheeks before sliding down my wet flesh and onto my cleavage.

Jenner's eyes were closed, and his chest heaved. "Jesus. You're fucking incredible, you know that?"

His praise warmed me from head to toe, and I beamed up at him. Releasing my hold on my breasts, I rose to standing.

Cupping his face, I peppered kisses along his jaw. "You're not so bad yourself."

Hands anchored on my hips, and he rasped, "Your turn. Then naptime."

"So bossy," I teased.

Jenner barked out a laugh. "You fucking love it when I tell you what to do."

I bit back a smirk. He wasn't wrong.

I'd gladly let him boss me around for the rest of our lives.

"Evie! Over here!" Dakota's voice shouted the minute I stepped into the pool area of the resort we were staying in for All-Pro weekend.

Feeling refreshed after an orgasm and a nap, my sunglass-covered eyes scanned until I found her lounging beneath a shaded cabana with a blonde woman.

My flip-flops slapped on the concrete as I made my way over to the pair.

Dakota gave me a knowing grin. "That nap must have been amazing. You're glowing."

Heat rushed to my cheeks, and I nodded. "It was good."

"Mine, too." She winked. Gesturing to the woman beside her, Dakota said, "I know some of the guys know each other already, but have you met my sister-in-law, Natalie?"

"No." I smiled. "This is my first time at one of these things. It's nice to meet you, Natalie."

"Join us." Natalie patted the massive bed beneath the canopy. "Jaxon gets selected for the All-Pro game a lot but seems to have bad timing with injuries and hasn't made it to one in years, so this is a first for me, too."

Dropping my bag, I took a seat, reclining back onto my elbows. "Thank God they sent us somewhere warm. I might've cried if we were spending the weekend in Salt Lake City."

"I'll drink to that," Dakota chirped, signaling to a nearby member of the staff that we wanted to place an order.

I knew I shouldn't imbibe after how sloppy I'd gotten on complimentary champagne during the flight, but invisible peer pressure got to me. I didn't want to be the wet blanket not drinking when my companions were, so I agreed to a round of margaritas.

One round turned into two, and the three of us were feeling relaxed, lounging beneath the cabana. That was, until a young voice cried out, "Mommy!"

Natalie groaned, sitting up. "It was nice while it lasted."

Wet footsteps on concrete reached my ears, and I pushed onto my elbows in time to see a raven-haired toddler throw himself into Natalie's open arms.

"Sorry, Mom." My eyes shifted to a teenager with black hair twisted into a messy bun at the edge of the pool. "I kept him busy for as long as I could."

"It's all right, Amelia. It was only a matter of time." The teenager turned away and glided through the pool until she reached a group of children of varying ages.

"Max, my main man!" Dakota's chipper voice spoke from my other side as she reached an arm over my torso to offer the toddler a fist bump. Instead of returning the gesture, the little boy buried his wet face in his mother's chest.

Natalie let out a weary sigh. "I took for granted how much the older ones clung to their dad. I hardly get a moment of peace with this one. He only wants me. All. The. Time."

I couldn't help but smile, knowing that if our little girl wanted to cling to me 24/7, that would be just fine with me. After how long we'd waited to become parents, I was intent on showering her with all the love I had to give.

"How old is he?" Before she could answer, I mused, "Doesn't look much older than Ollie."

Head tilting to the side, Natalie asked, "Who's Ollie?"

"Asher Lawson's little guy," Dakota explained.

"Ah, I see." Natalie ran her hand through her son's black hair. "Max, here, turned three in October, but he's small for his age." Her lips twisted in thought. "Or maybe he's not. It's hard to tell sometimes. My nephew was born the same day, and he's a tank, almost as big as Charlie, my six-year-old daughter."

"Mommy! I wanna swim!" Max cried.

"Guess we're getting wet today, ladies. How about another round to take the edge off?" she suggested.

Dakota agreed before I could decline. I guess one more wouldn't hurt, right?

Scooping the little boy into her arms, Natalie made her way to the stairs at the shallow end of the pool. Dakota and I followed suit, accepting our third margaritas in plastic cups from a poolside server as we stood in waist-high water.

"He's precious," I said to Natalie, sipping my drink.

Max was wrapped around her chest like a koala, and I could tell she was exhausted, but she smiled down at the little boy. "Thank you. He was the last piece of our family we didn't know we were missing."

Dakota laughed, saying to me, "The first day I met Natalie was when Max was born. She was all hopped up on pain meds and about damn near jumped out of bed to strangle Jaxon when he suggested they have more."

Natalie huffed, "Five is plenty. Thank you very much."

Once upon a time, I'd pictured Jenner and me with a large family. We'd been so young when we began trying and were blessed with the means to support a gaggle of children, but it wasn't in the cards. The adoption process had been so emotionally draining that I wasn't sure I would want to go through it again. I would be perfectly content with one child. It was more than I thought we would ever have.

"How about you, Evie? Have you and Jenner ever considered starting a family?"

It was a perfectly innocuous question, coming from someone who'd had no trouble getting pregnant on their own multiple times. Most people didn't think twice when asking a couple about their private family planning. They couldn't understand how painful it was to dig at that open wound if they'd never struggled. I couldn't count the number of times I'd had to offer a tight smile when someone noted how long Jenner and I had been married and asked when we would start having babies.

But for the first time in nearly a decade, the question didn't make my heart hurt.

"Actually, Jenner and Evie are adopting," Dakota answered before I could.

Natalie's brown eyes widened as she realized her unintentional misstep. "Oh. I didn't realize." A brilliant smile grew on her face. "I think it's wonderful you're exploring a non-traditional route to parenthood. There are so many children out there who need a loving home."

I returned her smile. "We're really excited about it."

Without warning, something slammed into the back of my head, and I yelped as pain radiated through my skull. My drink fell into the water, and my hand flew up to cradle where the injury had occurred.

"Beau Alexander Slate!" Natalie yelled, making me wince.

A remorseful voice came in reply. "I'm really sorry, Mom. But Jameson kept throwing it over my head, saying I couldn't get it past him."

"You come over here right now and apologize to Mrs. Knight," she demanded.

Tenderly touching the spot where apparently I'd been beaned with a football, I expected to have a bump there later, but thankfully, it would be well hidden under my hair.

"Knight, like Jenner Knight?" A boy who was maybe ten or eleven, with the same dark hair as his siblings, entered my field of vision.

"Beau . . ." Natalie's voice carried a hint of warning. "I have half a mind to not let you out on the ice tomorrow night after what you just did."

His dark brown eyes grew wide, and his lower lip trembled. The poor thing looked like he was about to cry. "I'm real sorry, ma'am."

Blowing out a heavy breath, Natalie added, "I'm sorry, too, Evie. Their sibling rivalry has been off the charts lately. Jameson thinks he's too cool for his little brother, being in high school while Beau's still in elementary school. A five-year gap doesn't seem huge when they're little, but it's starting to hurt now."

I gave the boy a kind smile. "No harm done. I know a thing or two about getting in a tussle with your brother. But I can promise you, when you're both grown-ups, you'll find that you forget about all the fights and become friends."

Beau gave me a doubtful look, but with age came wisdom, and I had no doubt that he and his brother would form a closer bond when they were both older.

"Are you really Jenner's Knight's wife?" he asked me shyly.

Nodding in confirmation, I replied, "Sure am."

"He's pretty good, but my dad's better."

I bit back a laugh at his loyalty to his father because his mom was not amused.

"Beau! Where are your manners?" Natalie cried. "You're dangerously close to strike three. And the more you push it, the more I consider counting the first strike as two; it was that bad."

Dakota threw her arm over the boy's shoulders. "Don't worry, bud. I bet if you agreed to wear a Slate Speed jersey, Uncle Braxton could get you an ice pass for the skills competition."

"Nothing like being undermined in front of your kids," Natalie grumbled.

"Aw, come on, Nat. It's part of the perks of being the fun aunt—letting them do all the things their parents tell them they can't."

"Pretty sure you're supposed to do it behind my back."

"Kinda hard to do that when it's going to be on national television." Dakota smirked.

Beau beamed up at me. "Just wait until my best friend, Knox, sees me out there. He's going to be soooooo jealous his dad didn't get picked for the All-Pro Game. But someday, we'll both be out there for real. We're both gonna go pro like our dads and play for the same team."

I raised an impressed eyebrow. "Well, with confidence like that, I bet you will."

He swam away, and I opened my mouth to tell Natalie how adorable he was when a wave of dizziness crashed over me suddenly. I reached a steadying hand toward the pool's edge, shaking my head, hoping it would pass.

"Evie, are you okay?" Dakota's concerned voice broke through my fuzzy brain.

Closing my eyes, I nodded, but then a rush of heat stole over me as my stomach lurched, and I bolted from the pool. On unsteady feet, in urgent need of a restroom, I scanned the area for a sign indicating its direction. The nausea grew too insistent, and I knew I was out of time, so I went for the next closest thing: the trash can.

Stumbling forward, I gripped the sides as everything I'd eaten that day made a sudden reappearance. Heaving uncontrollably, I heard Natalie and Dakota talking about calling Jenner. With my head in a trash can, I begged them not to, knowing he would be headed out soon to the fan meet-and-greet to kick off All-Pro weekend.

I'd just had too much to drink. I would survive. Even if it didn't exactly feel like it at the moment.