Chapter 2

"Ugh. What am I doing here?" I kicked at a tuft of grass beneath my feet. "It's muddy. You know I don't do mud, JJ."

"That's not strictly true. We went to that spa and had that mud treatment with Dexter, remember?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, that doesn't count." Picking at one of the glittery threads that had come loose in my jumper, I frowned down at my feet. "These boots were expensive."

JJ shook his head. "I know. Why do you think I'm wearing these old shoes?" We both stared down at his pristine blood-orange-and-black Nikes, and at the same time, we both started laughing. When we'd recovered, JJ elbowed me. "We're here because you said to me, and I quote, ‘I want to see if the hot football boy is as hot as I remember. Please, JJ, as one of my best friends, it's your responsibility to?—'"

Covering his mouth with my free hand, I slid into his lap. "Shush. Now cuddle me. I'm cold."

"Fuck's sake, Nic." He rolled his eyes but wrapped his arms around me anyway, and I huddled into my new personal windshield as we turned to watch the action on the field. Field? Pitch? Whatever it was called. I loved footballers—I mean, have you seen their legs?—but my knowledge of the game was lacking. Whatever. I was here to see one hot boy…well, him and the rest of the London Southwark University first team, because, hello, hot footballers, and so the actual logistics of the game were irrelevant. Why hadn't I ever come to watch a game before this? Or invited myself to one of the student house parties at JJ's house, for that matter? All this time I'd wasted. I hadn't even met Ander until recently, and he'd been JJ's housemate since their first year at uni.

I wasn't wasting any more time.

"There they are!" Rubbing my hands together as the team filed onto the field-or-maybe-pitch, I eyed the line of players. "Hey, JJ. Is it called a field or a pitch?"

"It's a pitch."

My head whipped around to see the cute guy that I'd noticed at Revolve a few times. Nathan…no, Noah. "Thanks, Noah."

"You're welcome." He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "I knew barely anything about football before I got together with Liam. Hated it, in fact. But some of the knowledge has finally sunk in, I guess. And it's nice to watch my boyfriend running around the pitch in his shorts."

"Yes!" I held up my hand for a high-five, and he obliged me, laughing. "Finally, someone who understands why I'm here. It had better be worth it."

"It will be," Noah and JJ both said at the same time. But I didn't bother replying, because there my footballer was. Okay, he didn't know he was mine yet, but he'd definitely been interested in me in the club, and I was maybe sixty to sixty-five percent certain that it hadn't been the alcohol.

My gaze scanned over his face to begin with, because as much as I admired his body, his face had been the first thing I'd noticed in the club. That chiselled jawline with a shadow of stubble, messy brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. He was so hot, he took my breath away. And then he smiled, and he had dimples, and I think I whined aloud or something when I saw them, which was kind of embarrassing, but dimples were like my kryptonite. I wanted to lick him.

Anyway. JJ had warned me that the group of guys were all part of the LSU football team, and they were most likely straight—and why was Ander bringing straight boys to our club? But I'd never been one to turn down a challenge, and so I'd gone and planted myself in his lap. Up close, he was even sexier, with lovely thick thighs to balance me on, and strong arms to wrap around me. Not that he'd wrapped them around me. Yet. He'd been drunk, and a mixture of amused and bemused to find me in his lap. I hadn't realised just how drunk he was until I was up close, and…yeah…I probably shouldn't have been quite so direct when I'd propositioned him.

But no matter. Now I'd ascertained that yes, he was just as hot as I remembered, I'd dazzle him with my…my everything. Who could resist?

Back to watching him. So. To recap. Sexy face, nice strong thighs and arms. What else? I needed a closer look at his torso, but I was sure it would be just as lickable as the rest of him, and oh, his ass was pretty. Muscular with a good curve. Perfect for biting.

"I want to bite his ass," I announced to JJ.

"Of course you do, babe." He sighed. "You do realise that he might not be interested in guys, right?"

"Of course I do. I'm not stupid. I know what I saw in the club. There was no mistaking the look in his eye."

"I hope you're right. But even if you're not, it's not the end of the world. You've got no shortage of admirers. And me. You'll always have me."

"Love you." Twisting in JJ's lap, I pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Your face is so cold!"

"Love you too. Why wouldn't it be cold? It's twelve degrees or something. You're okay—you've got me to warm you up. I don't have anyone to warm me up." He paused, then added, "Not today, anyway."

"No, but you've got no shortage of admirers." I repeated his words back to him.

"That's true." His lips curved into a smile, but it soon disappeared. "Not necessarily the one I want, though."

"JJ. If there's anyone that doesn't want you back, then they're either the straightest person to ever be straight, they're in a committed relationship, or they're too stupid to realise what a catch you are." Because JJ was the best.

"Thanks, babe." The smile reappeared on his face, although it seemed a little sad.

"Back to my admirers," I said, because it was clear that he needed a change of subject. "My subs have been a bit stagnant lately. I need to boost them. Can you think of anything I could do to, y'know, get more interest?"

"Subs?" a voice said from my left. When I turned around, there was Noah with his brows raised, not even bothering to hide the fact he'd been blatantly listening in to my conversation with JJ.

"Subs. Yeah. I have a FanBoyzOnly account. You know. It's basically OnlyFans, but it's purely gay content. Or gay for pay." Shaking my head, I sighed. "Those little cockteasers."

"FBO? Wow." Noah's eyes widened. "So, what do you do? Like, uh, solo or couple stuff?"

Well, I never needed an excuse to talk about myself. Except—I glanced up at the pitch, and oh. My football player had the ball, and he was running down the pitch, past some other players from the opposite team, and he looked glorious. His leg drew back, and I heard a soft thump as his boot connected with the ball, and he sent it sailing over some other players' heads, right to Ander. Ander kicked, and then the ball was suddenly in the goal, and everyone was shouting and cheering. I jumped to my feet along with everyone else—or everyone supporting LSU—clapping and cheering.

"Did you see? My footballer did that! He helped Ander score!" I bounced up and down on the balls of my feet, smiling so hard my cheeks ached. I suddenly understood why people sat through ninety-plus minutes at the side of a freezing cold pitch, because this moment was euphoric. Not like orgasm-level euphoric, but maybe similar in a different way. Or, like, imagine a giant orgy where everyone came at the same time and you just all had a rush at once… Hmmm. No. That was highly unlikely to happen. Not that I'd personally know. Despite my sexual experience, I'd only actually been to one orgy. It wasn't really my thing. Too many people. But to each his own, or whatever.

I shook my head. Stop getting sidetracked by sex. Back to my footballer. Waving my hand in the air in the hope that he'd see me, I kept my gaze on him, watching as the team all congratulated each other and clapped the small crowd of supporters. My footballer's gaze scanned the stands, and then he saw me.

A jolt went through my body, like I'd been shocked with one of those heart starter things. My footballer's eyes widened, his brow creasing, and his mouth opened. The expression on his face was definitely disbelief. He blinked a couple of times, and then he smiled.

At me.

A smile, just for me, complete with dimples.

"Catch me, JJ. I'm swooning." My knees felt weak. How could a smile have such an effect on me?

"Drama queen," he murmured in my ear, but he placed a steadying hand on the small of my back. "Looks like you caught his attention."

"It does, doesn't it?" The action began again, and my footballer tore his gaze away from me as the players focused on the ball, but I couldn't stop my smile. Taking my seat on JJ's lap once again, I turned back to Noah, although I kept tracking my player as the game went on. My heart was still racing, and I attempted to calm myself by taking a deep, even breath. "You asked me what I did. My content's mostly solo. Posing for photos, vanilla stuff, toys, whatever. But every now and then I do a collab with some of the other content creators on the site. We'll usually take a day and do a load of different scenes, and then feed them to our subscribers over a period of time. We build up the hype, do little teasers on our social media, and then by the time we post the photos and videos, we've hopefully got enough interest for both our current subs and potential new ones."

"That's so interesting." Noah grinned at me. "I could've done with that knowledge at the beginning of the semester. I had a money problem for a bit, and I happened to run into Liam's car while that was going on." He nodded his head towards his boyfriend, who was currently jogging down the side of the pitch. "Although whatever he tells you, it was his fault."

"I would've liked to have seen Liam's face when he saw you on FanBoyzOnly," came a voice from the other side of Noah. Elliot peered around him, grinning at us.

"Me too." JJ smirked, glancing at where Liam was on the pitch. "I'll never forget his face when he saw me flirting with you that time in the student union. He looked like he was trying to murder me with his eyes."

Following JJ's gaze, Noah shook his head. "Hey. He's not that bad. Yeah, he's a bit possessive still, but nothing like he was. He's much more secure with everything now. You know, that whole thing was a lot for him. He wasn't out back then, and he couldn't tell anyone that he wanted me. You know what it was like. Now he's…he knows I love him, and I'd never want anyone else. He's mine, and I'm his, and nothing's gonna change that fact. We can both be open about it, and I think—no, I know—he's much happier now, right?"

JJ and Elliot both nodded. "He's different now," Elliot said. "Definitely happier. More easy-going. He had a hard time of it, but when he came to that party and came out to pretty much everyone all at once, and announced that he wanted to be with you, I could see it so clearly. It was like he'd had this huge weight on him, and then it was just…gone."

I stared at Elliot, enraptured. "That sounds so romantic."

"It was." Noah's mouth curved into a small, soft smile. "He's just…he's the best."

"Look at you, all loved up. Elliot and Ander, too. Who's going to be next?" JJ wondered aloud. There was something in his voice…

I glanced up at him. There was a faraway look in his eyes. Did he…no. JJ wasn't the type to want to be with one person only. Surely not? But maybe…

"Hey." Angling my head so I could speak without being overheard by the others, I said, "Anything you want to talk about?"

Biting down on his lip, he shook his head. "No. Not… No." He smiled down at me. "Thanks, though."

"Anytime. You know I'm here if you need me."

"I know. You're a good friend."

We returned our attention to the game…well, I returned my attention to my football player, and before I knew it, it was half-time. Sadly, my footballer didn't come over, because apparently, they didn't walk around chatting with the supporters during their fifteen-minute break. Instead, I passed the time brainstorming with JJ about ways to boost my subscribers, and before I knew it, the whistle was blowing to announce the second half.

We had another forty-five minutes to sit through, and during that time, LSU scored another three goals. The atmosphere was electric, and I couldn't stop smiling. This was fun. I decided I'd like to come back again, and not only for reasons relating to my footballer.

When the final whistle blew and the players left the pitch, JJ cleared his throat. "Nic, I need to go. I'm sorry, but I've got to see G. Do you want to leave too, or are you going to hang around?"

"I know. G comes first. Give her my love." Pressing a quick kiss to his cheek, I grinned at him. "Of course I'm going to hang around. I still haven't spoken to my football player yet."

Climbing off him, I stretched, working out the kinks in my muscles. He tugged his phone from his pocket, waving it in my face. "Text me later with all the details. Don't leave anything out."

"I will. Wish me luck."

"You don't need luck, babe." He gave me a quick hug, dropping a kiss on top of my head. "Talk later. And watch out for the mud."

"Thanks for reminding me."

When JJ had gone, I followed Noah and Elliot to the building where we'd meet the players. Without my JJ windshield, I found myself shivering. It was my fault for not wearing a coat, but I wanted to get my footballer's attention, and how could I do that if I was hiding my best assets?

The doors opened, and I held my breath, rising onto my tiptoes to see the players coming out. I enjoyed being short, except for moments like this, when I couldn't see. And when I was trying to get things out of the kitchen cupboard.

But then, there he was. No longer in his football kit, but in the softest-looking black zip-up hoodie with the LSU team logo and indigo jeans that hugged his legs, all finished with a pair of bright white Nikes. His gaze scanned the crowd again, and when he noticed me, his eyes widened and his brow furrowed, just like they'd done before.

I took a step towards him, and another, until I was standing in front of him.

"Hi."

"Hi. You're here. I mean, what are you doing here? Not that I mind—" Cutting himself off, he scrubbed his hand across his face. "Sorry. I just wasn't expecting to see you here. You've never been here before. Or have you? I've only just started playing for this team. I just?—"

A wide smile spread across my face. He was so fucking cute, all flustered and unsure. I loved it. As if he wasn't already attractive enough, he now had to add this cuteness to his repertoire.

"It's my first time at a football match, and I came to see you," I told him. There was no point in beating around the bush.

"Me? Why?"

"Because I think you're hot, and I think you might be interested in me."

He blinked, and a flush appeared on his cheekbones. "Uh…okay. This is…" Shaking his head, he huffed out a laugh. "Unexpected. Okay." Chewing on his lip, he studied me for a moment, before he sighed. "Look, you want to go somewhere and talk, or something?"

I wanted to do something that involved our mouths, but talking wasn't it. Still, better to tread carefully when he was clearly unsure about my being here.

"Okay. Where should we go? Any suggestions?"

"What about The Coffee Collective? It's just around the corner…or we can just walk around, if you prefer."

"I'll buy you a coffee," I decided. "Lead the way."

His brows rose. "Bossy little thing, aren't you?"

I opened my mouth to protest, then immediately closed it. It was true. Instead, I said, "We should exchange names. In case you forgot, I'm Niccolò. You can call me that. Or Nic. Or baby. Or whatever you want, as long as it's nice."

Shoving his hands into his pockets, he grinned down at me. "I had a lot to drink that night, but I remember your name, and I'm pretty sure you told me the same thing in the club. I'm Bennett. But you can call me Ben if you want. Most people do."

Good. He hadn't been too drunk to remember, then. "Ben." Returning his smile, I clapped my hands together. "Let's go. Because I don't know if you've noticed, but it's freezing, and I'm in serious danger of getting frostbite here. You don't want that on your conscience, do you?"

He had the audacity to laugh at me. Allowing a heavy-looking duffel bag to drop from his shoulder, he crouched down and opened it up. "Here you go. This should keep you warm for now."

My mouth fell open as he basically shoved a large bundle of soft fabric into my arms. When I shook it out, my mouth opened even further. It was a sky-blue hoodie with the LSU logo on the front. The number fourteen and letters spelling out "Archer"—Bennett's surname?—were emblazoned across the back in large block lettering. "Is this your football hoodie?"

"Yeah." Zipping up his bag, he rose to his feet. "You don't have to wear it, but it'll keep you warmer than that jumper you're wearing." His eyes flicked to my form-fitting fine-knit black jumper that was shot through with threads of glittering silver and blue, and his tongue darted out to lick his lips. I did a little pirouette, which made him laugh again, but I wasn't about to pass up the chance of having him ogle me.

"Like what you see?"

"You're a menace," he muttered, shaking his head as he hoisted his duffel bag onto his shoulder. "Come on, let's get that coffee."

Drawing the hoodie down over my head, I snuggled into the thick, soft cotton. It was far too big for me, of course, but it just meant that I was that much warmer. The warmth didn't matter to me anymore, though, because I was wearing Bennett's football hoodie. With his name and number on it. There was no mistaking who it belonged to.

I bit back my smile, because if I let it out, it would become a deranged grin. We fell into step, and I noticed he shortened his stride, so I didn't have to speed walk to keep up with his pace. Another thing tall people usually forgot about.

"You're new to the team, then?" It was probably best to start the conversation with something easy. He already knew why I was here, and now I had to put him at ease before I reeled him in. Hopefully.

"Yeah. I was on the second team before, but they had a reshuffle, and me and Pete—another guy from the second team—got promoted to the main team."

"I don't know much about football. But you were great. Very sexy and, you know, the ball things you did. You were good at those."

Another laugh. "I'm glad you think so."

"You do? So you are interested in me?"

He stopped walking. We were still on campus, partway across a bit where there was grass and trees and benches on either side of us. Branches curved over our heads, making a dappled pattern on the paved path where the sunlight shone through them.

"Honestly. I… You're… Has anyone told you that you're incredibly forward?" Without waiting for a reply, he went on. "Look, I don't know what you want from me. I think—" Cutting himself off with a groan, he removed his hands from his pockets, rubbing his palm across his face. "Fuck. I don't know what to say," he mumbled through his fingers.

Stepping up to him, I wrapped my hand around his wrist, gently tugging it away from his face. His cheeks were red, and his eyes were screwed shut. I wanted to kiss him so badly, but now was not the time nor the place, and maybe it never would be—although he hadn't actually told me he wasn't interested yet. What I needed was to reassure him. Despite my overwhelming attraction to him, the last thing I wanted was to make him uncomfortable or try to force anything.

"Ben. It's okay. I know I'm forward, but I won't push you for anything you don't want or you're not ready for. You don't have to tell me anything, either, I promise. I just thought we had a moment in the club, and like I said, you're hotter than the sun or some kind of nuclear explosion, so…you know. I thought I'd see if you wanted to take it anywhere."

His eyes had remained shut throughout my little speech, but finally he opened them, focusing that intent blue gaze on me. "You're really something else," he murmured. Tugging his wrist from my unresisting grip, he shoved his hands back into his pockets. Biting down on his lip, he stared at me for a moment before he sighed. "Come on. Let's start with coffee, okay?"

"We can start with coffee."