21. Dia

TWENTY-ONE

"You just look like a fuckboy," I say to Dalton as I sip on my fancy latte in Blaze and Mads' kitchen. They recently upgraded from his old, barely used coffee maker that he had when she moved in. My best friend loves coffee more than anyone, so his little machine was only going to cut it for so long.

The four of us have been sitting here for most of the morning, just talking and making jokes back and forth. Dalton still hasn't been cleared by the team doctors to return to workouts, so Blaze has been skipping them this week to hang out with us. I love these moments. When there's nowhere to be and nobody waiting around the corner to jump out and ruin our day. The guys came up from their light workout about an hour ago and plopped down at the kitchen table, where we've been sitting ever since.

Dalton turns his head, raising a brow. "What does that even mean?" he asks with a scoff.

"Look at you," I reply, waving my hand vaguely. "All leaned back, manspreading, taking up way too much room at the table. You're…imposing."

I'm obviously messing with him. I love our banter. Just because we're married and Blaze and Mads know about it, doesn't mean I'm going to stop picking on Dalton. If I'm being honest, he looks hot as fuck over there, with his short gym shorts, tight t-shirt, and backwards hat. If we weren't in front of our best friends, I'd definitely consider hopping on and taking a ride. But we are, so I'll just hurl some playful insults at him instead. God knows it's like foreplay for him.

"You look like the kind of guy who meets a woman and immediately tells her you have the biggest dick on the team," I say.

"No way," he answers immediately, shaking his head emphatically. "That's Maverick. I have the second biggest dick on the team." He shoots me a cocky wink.

Blaze huffs a sarcastic laugh from the other side of the table, before raising a suspicious eyebrow in Dalton's direction.

"Okay, fine," he says, obviously busted. "I have the third biggest dick."

"Good thing Tanner isn't here to check your work," Blaze laughs. "Have you talked to him at all, by the way? I know he's been going back and forth to his hometown for the last couple of weeks, but I've barely spoken with him."

Dalton shakes his head. "Nope. Not a single call or text since the night of Benton's debut. We win the big game and he just forgets about us. Classic QB1," he jokes.

Tanner is probably one of the nicest guys I've ever met, albeit one of the most mysterious. He always seems to pop up when anyone needs help. So, it's weird that we haven't seen him in a while. The guys have been going to the practice facility a few times a week to train, and he hasn't even shown up there, aside from a couple of days. He's the captain of the team, and from what the guys say, he's always the first one there and the last to leave. So, it's a little strange that he's been missing.

"Okay," I say, unable to hold in my thoughts anymore. "Back to Maverick's huge cock."

"Heeeeeere we go," Mads says with an annoyed sigh.

I look at her, raising my brows. "What? Aren't you a little curious? Bella is so small. How does he not rip her to shreds every time they fuck?" I happen to think it's a very valid question, but they all stare back at me like they can't believe I'm saying any of this out loud.

"My wife, everyone," Dalton deadpans. "Talking about another dude's dick right in front of me."

I roll my eyes, sitting back in my seat and crossing my arms over my chest. "I was just wondering," I mumble. "Like, the mechanics of it all."

Dalton reaches over, yanking me by the arm and pulling me onto his lap. "The only Blizzard dick you need to be worrying about is mine," he warns. He leans in, lowering his voice so that even I can barely hear it. "If you think I won't put you over my knee in front of them, you're dead wrong, Wifey. Try me," he whispers, making me immediately rethink my topic of conversation. I know my cheeks are blushing by the way Mads looks back at me with a sly smile stretched across her face.

I'd never say it out loud, but if I do have a match in this world, Dalton is one hundred percent it. The way he puts me in my place like no one else can, even surprises me sometimes. But it's also exhilarating. It's nice not having to be in charge all of the time. I know I can't get used to it, but I'm not hating the way it feels when he takes the control like this. An ache forms between my legs, like it always does when he threatens to spank me. I kind of wish we were alone right now, so I could test the waters and see how far he'd let me go before he actually did it.

I've had a lot of time to think about what it might be like if I moved back in with him for the remainder of our marriage, but it always ends up with me talking myself out of it because I already know I'm starting to get attached. The more time I spend with him, the harder it'll be when it's over. The last thing I need when I'm trying to create a new life in a new city, is to fall into another depression caused by missing someone who I let myself have feelings for. I need to remember what it's like to stand on my own two feet. And I am absolutely positive that, if I moved back into Dalton's place, he wouldn't just sit back and let me do that. He really is a perfect husband. He just wants to show me what it's like to have someone who cares for me unconditionally. And I have no doubt that he really, truly does, but I can do it myself. That's the thought that always stops me from giving in, even though in the back of my mind, I want to.

Our six weeks will be up soon. As nervous as I am about whatever my future has in store, I know that I can always count on myself. That's how it's always been, and that's what I want. Let's just hope I can pull it all off without either of us getting our hearts broken beyond repair in the end.