Chapter 19 - Xavier

Xavier

V ictoria nudged me with her elbow and gestured toward Cade as we walked through one of the chateau lounges. “He looks cozy.”

I followed her gaze and noticed my friend in his element, basking in female attention. He sat on the couch with two of the three young women who’d been fawning over him at the stadium.

I guess the other one didn’t make it.

Oh wait. There’s the third.

She walked over and positioned herself comfortably on his lap. The expression on his face when he caught us looking said it all. The more, the merrier.

I grinned at Cade and gently pulled Victoria through the crowd toward another room. The post-match party was in full swing. Most of my teammates were milling about, along with a good mix of celebrities, models, and influencers. I knew quite a few of them. Some more than others.

In fact, two women eyed me with interest. One was a random hook up I’d had last summer.

The other was Phoebe. Shit . Her demeanor soured when she spotted Victoria.

I steered us clear of encountering a potentially awkward situation.

The last thing Victoria needed was to have her nose rubbed in my previous flings.

We ended up in the butler’s kitchen, which was empty. Victoria hopped up on the counter and pulled me closer. I wedged myself between her legs, wrapping my arms around her waist.

“Do all soccer players rent castles in France to impress select female fans?” she asked, running her fingers through my hair.

“Maybe. But to be fair, those fans did travel to come see us play. It’s the least we can do to thank them.”

My smart ass remark was rewarded with a sharp poke in my side.

“Ow. Not into castles, city princess?”

“I love castles. How many of these parties would you go to after a game?”

“A few.”

“Lies. You went to all of them.” She leaned close and kissed my forehead. “Would you be here right now if I hadn’t flown out to see you?”

“Probably. But I would have found an empty room to call you so I could hear your voice while I stroked myself. I like this better.” I grabbed her hips. “I can fuck you for real.”

Her cheeks flushed but a half-hearted smile tugged at her mouth. Honestly, seeing her like this upset me more than I expected.

“What’s wrong, love?”

She didn’t answer straight away. Her silence hung over us for several long, uncomfortable seconds. All I could think about was her car getting trashed and me not being there to protect her. And probably being the reason why all this happened in the first place.

Her beautiful, delicate features twisted into a frown. Annoyance flashed through her eyes when she finally looked at me.

“Weird stuff has been…” Her lips pressed together. “Maybe I’m paranoid but I think someone might be stalking me.”

Rage.

Atomic levels of rage.

I used every public relations skill I’ve learned to sound calm and even. “Why do you think that?”

Victoria shrugged and pulled me into a tight hug. I held her in a vice-like grip. She’s not one to show so much vulnerability.

I know your weakness now. I’ll find her.

Panic flooded my body. What have I done ?

“Stalking is too dramatic. But I have been getting random texts. And today, one of them had a photo attached of me and Hannah at brunch. I don’t know how they got my number.”

This was not fucking okay. “Was there a message?”

“Yeah.” She loosened our embrace, sounding nervous. “ Never know who’s watching . It reminded me of—”

Her mouth clamped shut.

“Reminded you of what?” I tried like hell to remain calm and comforting.

“Nothing.” A small head shake. “It’s nothing.”

“Victoria.” I curled my fingers under her chin. “Tell me.”

She fidgeted with her necklace, appearing distracted. Several beats passed before she spoke.

“There’s just been a lot of annoying shit happening this summer. Text messages, my car got vandalized, some guy groped me at dinner and—”

“You were groped ? What guy ?” Fury crackled through my veins. Taking a breath, I softened the edge of my voice from a command to a request. “What guy?”

“Some asshole propositioned Hannah and I at dinner the other night. He wanted to buy us drinks. We said no thanks. Then he invited us to a sex club.”

My hand clenched.

Stay calm.

“He told me he had a feeling I’d know about it because of the way I looked.”

The muscle in my jaw ticked.

I will flay this bastard alive .

“Then he grabbed me. I shoved him and said he had a small dick. He called me an entitled bitch. I told him to go back to the cave he crawled out from. The end.”

The last part cleared some of the turbulent thoughts running wild in my mind. I was actually impressed by her audaciousness.

“That’s my girl.” I ran a thumb over the elegant line of her jaw. “Do you think he’s behind the texts?”

“No, but I did see the valet hand him an envelope when we left. I assumed there was money in it.” Her tone sharpened. “We were at a trendy restaurant in Manhattan. Certain groups of people know who we are. The players hang out there. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that someone wants to harass either Hannah or myself.”

Victoria closed her eyes and exhaled in frustration before leaning back against the cabinets. A chill set in at the loss of her warmth. When she looked at me, my heart sank. Her expression hardened.

“And if you could fucking tell Bennet fucking Logan to stay the fuck out of my fucking business, I’d appreciate it.”

I waited a beat before responding. “That’s a lot of fucks to give, love.”

Silence.

She glared at me in disbelief, opening her mouth to say something. I was the picture of perfect neutrality. Her lips pressed together, twisting into a reluctant smile. Small, and not what I’d call happy, but better than a scowl.

“That’s the most I’ve heard you swear at one time since we met. Your Ivy League mouth is quite unladylike.”

“Sorry.”

“What did I say about apologizing for things you don’t have to apologize for?” I spread my arms. “Come here.”

She melted into my embrace. I stroked her back, inhaling her warm, sensual scent. “What did he do?”

Her fingers slid into my hair, tugging gently. The sensation tightened my groin.

“A package was delivered to my hotel suite after I arrived. It was a mistake since that fu— since Bennet changed our reservations without asking.”

I nuzzled into her neck, kissing the soft skin. “He changed your reservations? I take it that’s offense number one.”

“The package was meant for Hannah. But that’s not what annoyed me.”

“What else happened?”

“He overheard Hannah and I talking about the guy from the restaurant. I hadn’t told her about what I saw with the valet.”

Typical .

I caressed down her arm. “Is there more?”

“I just…one thing I always prided myself on was the ability to take care of my own shit. I don’t ask for help unless I’ve reached the end of my rope.” Victoria’s eyes met mine. “It’s always been a struggle for me to let anyone in. Meeting you changed some of that but…I’m not willing to surrender my independence.”

“Marcus.” Fucking Bennet . “Offense number two?”

“I really don’t want someone shadowing me.”

I started to respond and paused.

Gently. I had to approach this topic gently.

“Maybe you and I can figure something out regarding Marcus.” Another soft sweep of my fingers grazed her arm. “After what’s happened with your car and that—” I scowled “— guy touching you, I’d feel better knowing someone had your back when I’m not there.”

Discerning eyes flicked over my placid expression. “You and I can work on this. Not your friend. I know you guys are like brothers but I don’t want him sticking his nose in our business.”

“For what it’s worth, Bennet doesn’t always tell me what he has going on. And if he suspected any of this has to do with Jordan, he wouldn’t tell me because he knows I’ll lose my shit and do something stupid.”

Fuck. Meant to keep that last part on the inside.

“If he is behind this,” she bit out, “I’ll join you in doing something stupid. That asshole still has to pay for what he did to my sister.”

Despite her fiery energy, a note of nervousness ran beneath her declaration. The fierce need to protect her consumed me.

“He will. I promise you that.”

Although my tone remained comforting, I was a ticking time bomb.

Targeted texts and a bottom-feeder who put his hands on her.

The thought of that fucking guy touching Victoria, let alone breathing in her presence, turned my blood to acid.

This whole scenario reeked of Jordan’s influence but I couldn’t prove it.

At least not yet.

“I wanted tonight to be about us.” She frowned. “I wish we could go back to Lake George.”

The air thickened with an electric charge so powerful it dissolved some of the tension between us.

“Me too, love.”

Our eyes locked, filled with memories of our secluded weekend together. The welcome change in atmosphere dragged us away from our unpleasant situation.

No smashed car.

No frantic speeding through London.

No strange guys who can’t keep their fucking hands to themselves.

Just us.

Victoria’s lips parted on a soft exhale. I cupped the back of her neck, massaging it with my thumb in long, languid strokes. The reality of her was so addicting and raw and consuming. A living, breathing drug.

Before her, football was my drug of choice. I constantly chased the high of adoration and winning. I still wanted all that. But now?

Now I desperately craved beautiful smiles and bright laughter. Warmth, grace, and light, all packaged in the most stunning creature I’ve ever seen.

Victoria’s hand slid under my shirt. Her touch was hot and real and felt so bloody good.

“I have a confession.”

“Tell me.” I continued my lazy strokes along the back of her neck.

The warmth of her hand traveled over my stomach. “I bought you a present.”

Not sure if I shivered from her touch or the idea of a surprise gift. I don’t even like surprises. “Really? What did I do to deserve one?”

I dipped my head. Our mouths hovered close. She buried her other hand in my hair again.

“Nothing. I just saw it and thought of you,” she replied, pressing her lips to mine.

Elation surged through me when she teased my mouth with her tongue, deepening our kiss. So did a healthy dose of lust and my usual urge to take her any way I pleased.

She hooked her legs around my waist, making it easier for her to feel how much I wanted her. My cock has been a rod of steel since I saw her at the stadium. I kissed her harder, more possessive.

Pulling on her hair, I roughly positioned her head so I could plunder the softness of her mouth.

The silkiness of her tongue caressed mine, savoring me.

“You are going to be the death of me,” I rasped on her lips. “I will never be able to get enough of you.”

The sound of her laugh filled every broken part of me. “Looks like you have your work cut out, Maddox.”

“I do.” A full smile curved my mouth. “I like seeing you this way.”

“What way? Sitting on a counter in the servant’s quarters of an old French castle?”

“No.” I squeezed her waist, eliciting a squeal. “Looking hot as fuck in my jersey. And kissing me, of course.”

“Oh, right. Kissing you.” She bit down on my lip, drawing a low moan out of me. “Your admirers out there might not agree with the kissing part.”

“Do you think I care?”

Her fingers hooked into the waistband of my jeans. “No. Just wanted to put it out there that I noticed.”

The casual tone didn’t mask the visible tension lining Victoria’s shoulders. She’s seen how other women interacted with me in public, specifically fans and former one night stands. They always tend to touch me and lay it on pretty thick with the flirting.

A smile played on my lips.

“Are you jealous?” A deceptive softness wrapped around my low, mocking tone.

Victoria’s eyes narrowed as she placed her hands in her lap. “Should I be?”

“That’s not an answer.”

“Your former sexual conquests aren’t my concern.” Indifference colored her words but the emotions swirling in the depths of her eyes told me otherwise.

She’s jealous .

“Maybe, but I want you to ask me anyway.”

Her lashes dipped before sweeping up, revealing a heated stare. “Which one?”

Victoria played this game well. She already knew the answer. She just wanted to hear me say it.

“The brunette.”

An eyebrow arched. “The one who had her hands all over you on the sideline.”

Well-played, city princess .

“Oh, you saw that,” I confirmed in a cool tone. “I thought you were too busy laughing at Liam’s stories.”

Victoria’s aggravated grunt vibrated in her chest. Pride lit a defiant fuse in her eyes. “Seems we both still have a lot of work to do when it comes to jealousy.” A hard swallow disrupted the delicate lines of her throat. “But like I said, your former sexual conquests aren’t my concern.”

Astuteness stretched her features taut. Victoria’s intelligence and power of observation always impressed me. She could play off being aloof or nonchalant but I know she has questions. A few have already tumbled out of her in the months since we met.

I always planned to have these conversations with her as we deepened our relationship and explored our limits together. My biggest desire was for her to find ways to approach me with her curiosities.

I’d seen flashes of it in some of our encounters. Our tryst in the maze comes to mind. Victoria was not shy about what she liked or what she wanted. I loved that about her.

“Ask me what you really want to know, Tori.”

Subtle changes cycled through her features as she worked through and figured out what she wanted to say. Dilating pupils, faint traces of pink staining her cheeks, a nervous swallow.

“Was she ever with you at Bennet’s parties?”

The vulnerability beneath her question pulled a dark smile out of me.

“Yes.” I brushed a stray piece of hair out of her eyes. “That’s not all you want to ask, is it?”

“I can figure out the rest.”

“Can you?” My hands rested on her thighs. “Tell me what you think you know.”

Our bodies were so close I could feel the heat radiating off her. When I stroked along her wrist, I felt the rapid beating of her pulse. I lifted her hand, kissing the frantic rhythm.

She watched me, drinking in my deliberate movements.

Another kiss on the wrist.

Another stroke along her jaw.

“Tell me.”

A long stretch of silence followed. I simply studied her, memorizing every detail; the controlled rise and fall of her chest with each breath, and the flecks of jade sparking and burning in her emerald eyes.

“She’s seen you in ways I haven’t.” Her voice trembled slightly. “Ways I want to see you.”

“Is that what you think?” I wrapped one hand around her neck. “Nobody has seen me the way you do. Nobody ever will.”

“You took her to—”

“She went to Bennet’s parties. I didn’t take her as a guest. She did more networking there than anything else.”

“But you did fuck her.” Icicles pierced each word.

I held her wrist. Circling my fingers around it, I slowly rubbed my thumb until I felt her pulse and pressed the metal ring I wore into her silky skin.

“Ask me what you really want to know, Victoria.” My repeated request came out slower, more dangerous.

Pouty, full lips formed a tense line as an internal battle waged. Staring at me with severity, she fisted my shirt. “Have you done things with her I only fantasize about doing with you?”

There it was. There’s the fire I’ve been waiting to see.

“No.”

“Prove it.” Her teeth dug into her lush lower lip, and the desire to take her overpowered me.