Chapter 7 - Xavier

Xavier

I love New York.

More specifically, I love the woman scurrying through her New York flat, flushed and breathless from being thoroughly shagged after stepping out of the shower.

We’re supposed to be at some ring ceremony for her team but when I saw her standing in the bedroom wrapped in a towel and staring into the closet, it didn’t take much convincing on my part that we could be late.

I’ll steal every possible moment with her I can. The last week has already flown by in a hazy, lovesick blur. Tonight’s event will be our first actual date since I arrived.

“Almost ready, love?”

Victoria shot me an incredulous look while slipping into her heels.

Even annoyed, she’s gorgeous.

Wavy red hair. Emerald eyes glowing. And the short, fitted dress she wore? I won’t last the whole party without ravaging her in a corner or wherever I damn well please.

“I would have been ready an hour ago but someone couldn’t control themselves.”

She’s fucking adorable.

“I didn’t hear any complaints. In fact, I distinctly heard several cries for more.”

The pink blush crawling across her cheeks was so damn sexy. I wanted to trace the color with my tongue.

“Just because you’re self aware about how irresistible you are doesn’t make us any less late for this party.”

“I told you I was everyone’s type.”

She huffed, walking past me in a musky vanilla scented swirl. “And I told you I’m not everyone. Let’s go, Maddox.”

Since this was an official New York Legends event and Victoria was one of the top executives, we were treated to our own driver and car for the evening. And of course, me being me , I made sure Victoria knew exactly what I wanted to do to her and with her on the ride over.

“I’ll be surrounded by my coworkers,” she scolded in a low voice once we arrived and walked toward the Caldwell estate. “Behave.”

The rosy glow on her cheeks betrayed the futile effort she made to keep this night chaste and professional.

“Whatever you say, dirty princess,” I told her, my mouth tipping up in a smile.

The massive estate reminded me a little of Bennet’s place. It’s not as big or grandiose but it’s just as pretentious. No wonder he’s drawn to Hannah.

A few members of the press were gathered to take photos and grab interviews with the players. There was even a red carpet and one of those backdrops with sponsor names splashed across it.

My good mood soured a little when I saw Noah Tate chatting with reporters. Victoria has told me countless times I have nothing to be jealous about but still. It’s there and I’m feeling it.

I couldn’t stop my scowl watching him charm members of the media.

Tall, clean cut, all-American.

We weren’t too dissimilar physically with the tall part. I know Victoria gravitated more towards men with an edge. I filled that need for her. And I do clean up nice when the occasion calls for it.

“There she is,” the quarterback exclaimed when he saw us approaching. “Our media relations director. Victoria, come get these vultures off my back.”

Good natured laughter filled the space as reporters fawned over him. I know this game well. My media training started when I was only sixteen.

Smile. Be polite and charming. Bite your tongue. Stay on message. Don’t take the bait.

Easier said than done at that age. Now? I had reporters eating out of the palm of my hand. And from the looks of things, so did Noah.

Victoria squeezed my hand and mouthed be right back .

I stepped off to the side and watched her. One of the reporters shot a curious glance in my direction but quickly turned their attention back to Noah.

As well known as I am in England and throughout Europe, it’s a little different here in the States.

Football —the proper kind— isn’t as popular here. Yes, I still have my admirers but it doesn’t get to the frenzied level it sometimes reaches at home. Not that I’d shy away from it anyway.

Watching Victoria shine and charm the reporters filled me with pride.

She flashed me one of her demure smiles before turning her attention away.

Every fucking muscle in my body tensed when Noah rested his hand on her lower back. The casual movement looked completely normal to anyone else. Then he said something to her and she laughed. Jealousy clawed at me, shredding any trace of common sense or logic.

“Xavier, right?” a soft feminine voice said.

I tore my eyes away from them to see a pretty brunette woman standing next to me.

“I’m Tracey. We met in April after your game against the Knights. At the bar?” Her dark brown eyes watched me.

The bar. Tracey.

Oh.

“Yes, sorry, hello.” I turned on the charm. “Noah’s girlfriend.”

Her smile tightened when she nodded. “And you’re Victoria’s boyfriend.”

Fuck. I see what she did there.

“Wow. I’m a complete asshole,” I said, showing off the Maddox dimple. “Let’s start over, yeah? Pleasure to see you again Tracey…Watson, right? Enjoying the evening?”

“That English accent gets you out of trouble more often than you realize.”

“So I’ve been told.”

“I’m surprised they relegated you to the sidelines. This is usually where the girlfriends and wives wait while,” she nodded her head towards Noah, “the boys get their minute in the spotlight.”

Tracey wasn’t wrong. I’m usually the one in the spotlight. Waiting in the wings felt weird but I didn’t mind.

Fortunately we didn’t have to wait much longer. Noah sauntered over and shook my hand.

“Good seeing you, man. We’ll catch up in there for sure. I want to hear all about the big win. If you’ll excuse us, I’m starving and want to get some appetizers before the offensive linemen eat it all.”

He kissed Tracey, took her hand in his, and went inside. Victoria stood in front of me, looking effortlessly beautiful and regal. Sizing me up with a shrewd smile, she moved closer and placed a hand on my chest.

“Behave.” Liquid green eyes gazed up at me through long, dark lashes.

Not a chance.

“Is that a challenge or an order?” I asked in a deceptively soft tone.

“A request.” She placed her finger on my mouth. “Can you be a good boy for me?”

My cock stirred at the seductive rasp in her voice. The graceful sway to her hips stoked the low flames licking at my spine when she walked toward the front door. I fell into step behind her, close enough to feel the heat radiating from her body.

Be a good boy? Not tonight.

Hannah greeted us the moment we walked inside.

“I’m glad you’re both here. Bennet’s already waiting for us in the grand room.”

I caught Victoria’s eye and mouthed grand room as we followed Hannah through the hall. My redheaded beauty laughed and hooked her arm in mine. My heart swelled. This is what being on a proper date with the most perfect woman in the world is like.

My initial assumption about this palatial home wasn’t wrong. It’s not as grandiose but I’ll be damned if it didn’t rival the Logan Estate for pretentiousness. My step-mother would love all the detailed interior design. The grand room was filled with expensive pieces in polished black with gold accents. Elegant and exquisite.

There might not be royalty in the States but generational wealth is a close second. I can almost picture Hannah running through these gilded halls as a small girl.

Of course Bennet blended in perfectly with his tailored suit, noble bloodline, and smooth conversational skills. He swirled his drink in his glass and laughed at whatever Ethan Caldwell said.

“They’ll let anybody in, won’t they?” Bennet tipped his head in my direction and winked.

I rolled my eyes.

Mr. Caldwell greeted us pleasantly and then ushered everyone to the solarium.

A fucking huge solarium draped in soft lights, glass chandeliers, and flowing curtains. Dozens of tables filled one half of the room. It even had a stage and a dance floor.

As much as I appreciated design and architecture, this felt overdone.

One look at Victoria made me reconsider. She simply glowed like no one else could under all the lights. A room like this was made for her.

If I could freeze this moment, I would.

“What is it?” she asked, smiling in her captivating way.

“You’re beautiful.”

My compliment had the desired effect. Her cheeks turned pink. Victoria didn’t blush often. I loved it when she did.

We sat with Bennet and Hannah at a table not too far from the stage. Caldwell addressed the room with some brief remarks before dinner was served. Once dessert was plated, the ceremony began. Well, ceremony probably wasn’t the right word. This was a lavish party from top to bottom for a group of professional athletes who won a championship.

Hosts and hostesses dressed in formal attire carried trays of ring boxes to each table. Hannah looked over at Victoria and grinned when boxes emblazoned with the Legends logo were placed in front of them.

“Cheers to number six,” Hannah gushed.

Victoria held the box in her hands. “Crazy, right?”

A commotion a few tables over caught all of our attention. Noah stood on his chair waving a microphone in the air.

“ Legends,” he shouted into the mic. “They said we couldn’t do it. They said we were too slow, too complacent, too spoiled. But guess what?”

An answering chorus of whoops and hollers filled the room.

I glanced over at Bennet and arched an eyebrow. A ghost of a smile crossed his lips.

“ We fucking showed all of them. ” The veins in Noah’s neck popped with every word.

Mr. All-American has some fire in him. I can respect that.

I have no idea what else he shouted once people started yelling and his words became a garbled audio nightmare through the speakers.

Leaning close to Victoria, I slid my hand over her leg and asked, “Are you going to show me?”

A beautiful crimson flush crawled up her neck. “Show you what?”

“The ring.”

I was treated to a fiery stare. “I thought you said they were gaudy.”

“They are. I want to see. Show me.”

She lifted my hand off her leg and placed it on the table. Slowly, and rather seductively, she removed the rings I already wore. “Let’s see if we can make you look like a real football player,” she teased, opening the box and revealing the biggest, sparkliest ring I’ve ever seen.

A sword encrusted in rubies was mounted in six championship trophies.

“Is this supposed to be like the sword in the stone or something?” I asked.

“Something like that.” She pointed at different parts of the ring. “Everything is symbolic. The number of rubies and diamonds, the colors, what’s engraved.” Victoria slid the ring onto my finger.

“Does it have to be this bloody heavy?” I laughed, holding up my hand.

“Never felt the weight of more than two-hundred-fifty diamonds before?”

“It’s a bit much.”

“But it looks good on you.”

“Looking minted, mate,” Bennet commented, glancing up from his phone. “Mind if I steal you away from the lovely Victoria for a few minutes?”

I did mind. “Why?”

His even tone and expression gave him away. “Sponsorship opportunity. Don’t want to bore the ladies with all that.”

“Come on, Bennet,” Victoria chastised. “If you want to go make out with him in a private corner, you have my permission. You don’t have to speak in code. He’s one hell of a kisser.”

Bennet’s eyes flared with amusement. “Meet us in the hall in five minutes to join the fun.”

Hannah remained expressionless. Victoria’s face turned scarlet.

Even with their playful banter, I didn’t have a good feeling about this impending conversation. Bennet rarely interrupted a social event with business matters. This could only be about one thing.

I removed the gaudy beast of a ring, put mine back on, and stroked Victoria’s flushed cheek. “Five minutes.” She swallowed hard when my hand closed around her throat. “And then maybe I’ll let Hannah and Bennet watch me fuck you in the hallway.”

I didn’t have to look at her when I stood up to know how much that affected her.

I want you raw and untamed. Always.

Her words burned themselves into my skin that day on the beach. I’ll spend the rest of my life fulfilling all her fantasies.

Fucking Noah Tate passed by and grinned at me while I walked toward the hall. I turned in time to see him start up a conversation with my girlfriend. My hand clenched.

He’s not a threat. Let it go.

When we left the solarium and paused in the main hallway, Bennet vocalized what I already sensed.

“McKennie’s here.”

And now my night is ruined .

“Are you sure?”

Bennet showed me the text.

Alex: In Manhattan. Tell Maddox

“How long?” I asked.

“A few days. Alex says he’s been spending time at an office building in the financial district.”

“What building? I’m putting an end to this. If he goes anywhere near her again—”

“No you’re not.” Bennet’s broad-shouldered frame filled my view. “Let Alex handle it.”

I thought back to what Adam told me. He’s planning something .

“Any idea what he wants or why he’s here?”

“Not yet.”

Aggravation tunneled through my veins. I turned my attention back toward the solarium, scanning the crowd until Victoria came into view. She was still talking to Noah.

The sight of her calmed me. All the bullshit swirling around me fell away until we were the only two people who existed.

As long as I’m with her, nothing else mattered, not even knowing Jordan was in New York. In this moment, I no longer gave a shit. He wants to try and torture me with fabricated lies about what happened years ago? Let him. I’d love to see how far he gets. My only fucking priority was her.

“Xavier.” Bennet’s demanding tone irked me.

Reluctantly, I tore my eyes away from Victoria in time to see his expression cloud with displeasure.

I stared back, bored. “What.”

“Don’t do anything stupid.”

“You sound like a broken record.” I left without hesitation and returned to the only person I wanted to be with tonight.

Besides, she’s spent enough time socializing with the Legends quarterback.

“…happy to help get things rolling. I love that idea,” Tracey was saying as I wrapped an arm around Victoria’s waist.

“Get things rolling for what?” I asked.

Victoria placed her hand on my stomach and looked up at me. “Remember when I mentioned starting a foundation in Charlotte’s memory?”

I nodded.

“Tracey and Noah offered to brainstorm ideas. Tracey is a veterinarian and has quite a few contacts at shelters across the area who might benefit from donations for animal welfare.”

“And my cousin’s wife is a counselor at a mental health clinic for teens and young adults,” Noah piped up. “I’m going to reach out to her to see what clinics need the most assistance.”

Victoria’s eyes outshined the brightest lights in this room. I know how important honoring her sister is. And that’s why I refrained from snapping Noah’s neck when she smiled.

“You’re lucky to have such supportive friends.” My words iced when I emphasized friends.

Not sure why I was behaving like such a prat. Tracey and Noah seemed like nice enough people. They obviously held Victoria in high regard, otherwise they wouldn’t offer to assist her with such a personal project.

“I am,” Victoria responded. “Thank you both.”

They excused themselves to rejoin the party.

“You really have to work on your jealousy,” she scolded, sinking her fingertips into my stomach.

“I know.”

“Was that an actual admission?” she laughed, turning to stand in front of me.

“Don’t push your luck.”

“Or what?” she batted her lashes. “Maybe you should give me a stern talking to.” Her hand trailed down my stomach to the waistband of my pants. “Or we could sneak off down the hall. Find a quiet place to—”

“Tori.”

Her eyes flashed. “What’s the matter, Maddox? Performance anxiety?”

I scanned the room, noticing a set of doors leading outside. Without saying a word, I grabbed her hand and led her out to what I assumed was a patio.

It was actually a large stone terrace with wrought iron fencing and spiral topiaries. An arched entrance led deeper into a grassy area with even more shrubs and greeneries. For a second, I thought we’d walked out into the beginning of some type of maze.

Surprisingly, we were alone.

The solarium gleamed behind us, pulsing with music.

“I thought I was under orders to behave tonight,” I said quietly, pulling her close.

“You don’t want me to flirt with you?” she asked in a sweet, innocent tone.

“I like when you flirt with me. But if you tease me too much…” I let my voice trail off while I slid my hand up her thigh.

She failed at hiding a smile.

So this is the game she wants to play.

“I see.” I bent my head, hovering my mouth at her ear. “I thought fucking you before we left to come here would hold us over. Guess I was wrong.” My fingers dug into the soft flesh of her backside. “Take a few steps back.”

This wasn’t a suggestion. I released her, watching the subtle ways her body reacted to my order. The slight parting of her lips. The heavy-lidded stare pinned directly on me.

Fucking gorgeous.

I tucked my hands in my pockets.

“Dirty princess.” My tone was deceptively soft. “You are not going to get what you want.”

Defiance lit up her emerald eyes. Her chin lifted ever so slightly.

I observed and waited.

“What is it, exactly, that you think I want?” she asked with a small shake to her voice. Despite her attempt at playing coy, a deep pink bloomed on her cheeks.

Can’t say I’ve seen her blush this much since we met.

I liked it.

I liked knowing I was the one who affected her this way. The only one.

Moving with calculated steps, I approached her until we were inches apart. Instead of touching her, I caressed her with my eyes. Bold and rough, dragging my gaze from her plush lips to her full breasts, down to the soft curves of her hips.

“What you want is far too easy for me to give.”

“When has that ever stopped you?”

“This Ivy League mouth is just begging for trouble, isn’t it?”

“Maybe.”

The roughest part of me took over.

I fisted my hand in her hair, pulling hard. She moaned in surprise.

“You make such sexy little noises, Tori,” I growled in her ear. “Maybe everyone should hear what you sound like tonight. Do you think Noah wants to hear the noises you make when I’m buried deep inside you? At least he’ll finally get the hint that you belong to me . Should I remove all doubt that you’re mine and let him hear you scream my name?”

The defiance glittering in her eyes deepened to arousal when she wet her lips.

“Naughty girl. You want them to hear you.” I kept my hand in her hair but didn’t touch her anywhere else. “How surprised would all those players be if they found out their proper, well-spoken media relations director got this turned on being my little toy? Mine to play with and use as I please, wherever I please.”

Her body pressed into mine on a sigh.

This woman will be the death of me. I’d known it the moment I saw her pacing in circles on the side of the road. The death of my self-control, my self-imposed restrictions, my denial of who and what I am.

Let it die. All of it. None of it mattered. Not when her body felt this perfect against mine. Like she was tailor-made for me and no one else.

A burst of music filled the night air, pulling my attention away from Victoria. I loosened my grip on her hair.

“There you are,” Noah exclaimed from the open door. Fucking Noah . “Come back inside.”

Victoria smiled at my obvious annoyance and responded, “Be there in a few.”

I didn’t move or breathe until the door shut.

“His timing is impeccable,” I grumbled.

“There’s a reason he’s been named league MVP four times,” she deadpanned. “Do you want to finish what you were saying?”

She stared up at me with longing and something else shining in those beautiful eyes.

Whatever it was, it made my heart stutter. Part of me wanted to ravage her, tear off this dress, ruin her perfectly glossed lips, and mark her everywhere.

But I also wanted to savor her.

I slid my fingers through her hair, gentler this time. No more pulling for now. Then I trailed the pad of my thumb on her cheek, along her jaw, and over her mouth.

Victoria Chase deserves the world.

She deserves so much more than the reckless way I’ve behaved.

I refuse to repeat the mistakes of my past.