15. Bunch of Dicks

We walked into my house, Willa"s hand clasped tightly in mine. I had every intention of taking her directly up to my room, stripping her naked, and finding a whole lot more of her kinks. I"d already downloaded a half dozen romances so that I could properly study what turned her on. I acquired them upon Trixie"s recommendations, and she guaranteed they were what she called spicy. Chris assured me that was an incredibly good thing.

"Look, superstar." Willa pulled my hand to stop me from going up the stairs. "I know exactly what your plan is right now, and I am equally excited, but all I"ve had to eat today is very fancy junk food and alcoholic childhood drinks, so if you don"t feed me something with actual nutritional content and protein, I will either pass out on you or throw up on you. Neither of which is particularly sexy."

While she was right about my sole focus being to take her to bed, a deep sense of contentment washed over me at her request that I feed her. The weekend in Miami had been a whirlwind of emotions, both on and off the field, but having her want something so... domestic from me made everything feel even more right.

"So you"re saying a bowl of cereal isn"t going to cut it?" I usually ate out on Sundays with the guys, and the service I paid for meals prepped specifically for professional athletes didn"t deliver until tomorrow. Which meant I had diddly squat in the fridge and cupboards.

"I am definitely saying that. I was thinking poké?"

She was never anything but interesting. "I don"t know what that is, but you haven"t steered me wrong with the other international cuisine you"ve subjected me to, so let"s do it."

"It"s basically a sushi bowl." Willa shrugged.

Huh. Interesting. "Right. Cool."

Willa gave me some side-eye. "Hayes, are you telling me you haven"t ever had sushi?"

I was more of a chicken and rice guy, but I liked fish fine. Salmon and trout were pretty common in my diet. Although that was cooked. "I hear it"s good protein."

We"d barely settled onto the couch, takeout menus pulled up on our phones, when a knock at the door popped our peaceful bubble. Frowning, I disentangled myself from Willa"s legs across my lap and padded over to answer it.

Alexander Fucking Rosemount stood on the other side, a six-pack of beer dangling from his hand and a too-bright smile plastered on his face. "Hey, man. I was just in the neighborhood and thought I"d stop by to congratulate you on the big win."

Caught off guard, I stepped aside to let him in. Xander"s gaze landed on Willa, and I saw a flicker of a few too many emotions flash across his face for me to read before he quickly masked it with a sheepish expression.

"Oh, hey, Willabean," His tone was forcibly casual, and I hoped it was because he really was trying to come grips with me dating his sister. "Didn"t expect to see you here."

Willa shifted uncomfortably, and she scooted to the other side of the couch. "Yeah, we just got back from Miami. Hayes invited me over to get a bite to eat. We were about to order poké."

"Right, of course." Xander hefted the six-pack, his eyes never leaving mine. "Well, I brought some tasty beverages that would go with the food."

I exchanged a loaded glance with Willa. I knew it would mean a lot to her if Xander and I weren"t at odds with each other. He saw every second of that and rubbed a hand along the scruff on his chin.

"And you know, it"s been ages since we"ve hung out, and I figured I ought to be the one to, uh, fix that."

I just wasn"t sure I trusted that this peace offering was the true nature of Xander"s impromptu visit. But what could I do? Telling him to get out because I had plans to make his sister come half a dozen times while I learned exactly how she liked her pussy eaten was probably not the right move here.

So, with a resigned sigh, I gestured for him to take a seat. "Yeah, it has been a while. I"m always down to catch up with an old friend."

Xander gave me a tentative smile and cracked open a couple of beers for us. Even though he knew I didn"t drink much and never during the season. It was a peace offering and I"d take it. He launched into a story about our high school glory days, and Willa excused herself to the kitchen.

"Let me get some glasses for the beer, Xan. We"re grownups and drinking legally now." I shot him some finger guns, trying to act all casual. I was anything but as I followed Willa into the kitchen.

"I"m so sorry," she murmured, taking a step back when I tried to draw her into my arms. "I had no idea he would just show up at your house like this. But I should have guessed he"d do something. No way he didn"t see me at the game today."

I gave her the space her body language was screaming at me to allow her. This was not how I thought this evening would go either. "It"s not your fault. Maybe he"s actually trying. That would be good, right?"

"Maybe." She rubbed her chin in exactly the same way Xan had. "He"s actually a good guy when he wants to be."

I gauged the look on her face, and when I got a hopeful smile back, I pressed a kiss to her hair, breathing in her sweet scent. "Then let"s hope he wants to be."

I grabbed some tall glasses out of the cupboard, and we rejoined Xander in the living room.

"Let"s get some of Willa"s fancy pants fish food, huh?"

As the night wore on and the beer flowed, mostly into Xander"s glass, he grew increasingly nostalgic, rehashing old memories and inside jokes. It was clear he was trying to remind me of our past bond.

When Willa yawned, the exhaustion of the weekend catching up with her, I seized the opportunity to send Xander on his way.

"Hey, man, it"s been great catching up, but Willa and I had a long weekend. We should probably call it a night." I stood and extended a hand to help him up from the couch.

Xander blinked up at me blearily. "Oh, yeah, totally get it. I should... I should go."

He stumbled as he stood, nearly knocking over the coffee table. Shit. He was drunk. I should have paid more attention to how much he was drinking.

Willa shook her head and stood up, inserting herself under his arm to act like a crutch. "Actually, Xan, why don"t I take you home? You"re in no shape to drive."

Xander waved her off, his words slurring slightly. "Nah, "m fine. I can... I can crash here, right, Hayes? Jus" like old times?"

Fuck. I hid my grimace, hating the situation he"d just created. But one look at Willa"s pleading face and I knew Xander was sleeping here, in my house. I couldn"t take her upstairs and fuck her brains out with him here, no matter how much I wanted to.

"Of course, man. Let me just grab you some blankets."

I stomped off to rummage through the hallway closet. I wasn"t even sure I had any random bedding. Eventually, I found a Mustangs logo blanket still in the package that I must have gotten as part of my welcome to the team. This would have to do.

I heard Willa"s soft murmurs as she helped Xander settle onto the couch. She was the one who was good. She knew just as well as I did that her brother was probably here to sabotage what we had going, and she was still kind to him in his inebriated state. I was feeling less kind. He"d better not puke on my carpet.

When I returned with the blanket, Xander was already snoring softly, his beer-induced slumber claiming him. Willa looked up at me, her expression a mix of apology and exhaustion. "I should probably just go home."

I nodded, understanding even as disappointment curled in my gut. "I"ll walk you over."

The short trek through my backyard to Willa"s house was silent, and I seriously contemplated asking her if I could stay with her tonight. We were greeted at her door by Seven, who instantly wrapped himself around her legs and meowed like he was telling her about every little thing that had happened while she was gone. She picked him up and cuddled him in her arms.

I was not jealous of a cat. I was not.

"This isn"t how I wanted tonight to go." She had the cutest little pout.

I cupped her face in my hands, my thumb brushing cross her pouty bottom lip. "We"ll have plenty of other nights, just you and me. Xander"s antics can"t change what we have happening between us."

She leaned into my touch, a shaky sigh escaping her lips. "I know. I just... I feel like now he"s trying to put you in a position to choose between him and me."

I shook my head, my gaze fierce and unwavering. "There"s no choice to make, Willa. It"s you. It will always be you."

I kissed her, pouring every ounce of love and certainty into the press of my lips. I only broke the kiss when Seven squirmed between us and howled out a warning meow. Once again, Willa had me breathless and flushed. I rested my forehead against hers.

"Get some sleep, flower. I"ll call you in the morning." And every morning until I didn"t have to because she was in my bed.

She nodded and turned but spun back, dropping Seven and pulling me down, stealing one last kiss before slipping inside. I walked back to my house, breathing in cold November air to cool the heat beating through my veins.

Xander"s interference, whether it was well intentioned or not, was a complication I hadn"t anticipated, a wrench in the gears of my carefully laid plans.

I was falling in love with Willa, and I wasn"t going to let anyone, not even one of my oldest friends, if that"s even what he was, stand in the way of our happiness.

Game on, brother. Game on.

The next morning, I woke up with Seven between my knees. "Are you trying to remind me of what I missed out on with your owner last night, cat?"

Rude.

Also, I was giving up on trying to figure out how he kept getting in my house. He clearly went where he wanted to regardless of the opinions of the humans who cared about him. He stretched, and I shot my hand down to protect my junk and/or thighs from his claws. He happily stuck them into the flesh of my fingers. Good thing I had callouses from years of catching footballs.

I padded downstairs with Seven in tow, quietly in case Xander was still zonked out on my couch. But it seemed he left before I even got up. I wanted to believe he was working through his issues with me, but the text from Willa I woke up to didn"t bode well.

Willa: I think Xan's really mad I went to Miami with you.

I got Seven a bowl of water and a handful of treats I"d ordered off Amazon because I thought they"d probably come in handy. Then I showered, grabbed my gear, and in fifteen minutes flat, I walked into Willa"s coffee shop before practice. Partly for her weak coffee, mostly because I wanted to see my girl to start my day off right.

Willa looked up from the chalkboard sign she was making with cat-themed drinks for the upcoming date with the rescue organization. I"d almost forgotten about that. She flashed me a smile that did more for me than any caffeine ever would. "Hey, you."

I leaned across the counter for a quick kiss. "Morning, beautiful. Your cat is at my house, and I figured I"d just leave him there. I put out a bowl of water, but I guess I should get some cat food if he"s going to be a frequent visitor."

She sighed and chuckled. "I think he"s trying to assimilate you. Xander still passed out on your couch? I don"t think he"ll be feeling too great when he wakes up."

I shook my head, sliding onto a stool. "He was gone when I got up. I"m... not sure he was as drunk as he seemed."

Willa reached across the counter, taking my hand in hers. "Xander"s a dick, but he"s going through some stuff this year, and the idea of us together is stupidly tough for him."

"At least we don"t have to sneak around anymore."I ran my thumb across her knuckles, marveling at how perfectly her hand fit in mine. I was dying to see what other parts of us would fit together.

Her eyes flared and she waggled one eyebrow at me. "That part was kind of fun. But I"d trade it if Xander could see how happy you make me."

Zings of electricity zipped up and down my spine. Hells to the yeah, I made her happy. Touchdown Mustang.

"He will." I brought her hand up to press a kiss to her palm. "I promise to give him lots of opportunities because I"ll be right here, being the best boyfriend I can be to you."

Willa"s eyebrows shot up, a surprised, awkward laugh escaping her. "Boyfriend, huh?"

Oh, she wanted to tease me again, did she? Too bad for her because I"d recently discovered I liked it. I dropped my voice and lowered my mouth to hers but didn"t quite kiss her. "Tell me I"m not your boyfriend, Willa. Just try it and see what happens."

"Why are you so freaking hot? It makes it very hard to resist you." She gave a soft contented hum and pressed her cheek against mine. "I"m just going to focus on living in the moment, you know? Not put too many labels on things."

Wait... was she teasing? It certainly didn"t have the same effect as her teasing in the bedroom. Damn.

The bell above the door jingled, and a man in a blue jumpsuit stepped inside, a toolbox in hand. "Ahem, hope I"m not interrupting anything, but do you need an espresso machine repair?"

"Yes, I do." Willa gave me a quick kiss on the cheek... the fucking cheek, and then waved him over. "I"m so glad you"re here. We"re already behind on reopening."

"I"m gonna head to practice." And figure out what the fuck just happened. "Call you later?"

She blew me a kiss. "Definitely. Have a good practice, superstar."

Was Willa really still being resistant to making things official between us? Did she not see a future with me? But she"d just told me I made her happy.

I needed advice, and not from a book or website this time. Back to the love guru for me.

The moment I got to the locker room, I sought out Everett immediately. He took one look at my face and sighed, slinging an arm around my shoulders.

"Alright, little bro. Lay it on me. What"s got you looking like someone just told you they discontinued your favorite protein powder?"

I took a deep breath, steeling myself. "How do you know if a girl is in love with you or not?"

His eyes widened, a slow grin spreading across his face. "Well, well, well. You"ve finally decided to quit ignoring my relationship advice, huh?"

I elbowed him in the ribs, hard. "Don"t make me regret this."

He laughed, holding up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. Tell me what"s going on with you and the lovely Willa."

I started telling him, but before I got very far into the story, Chris and Dec had joined us too. This was a whole damn team meeting, but if there was anyone I trusted, it should be the men I looked up to, and at least two of them had found the loves of their lives.

When I finished talking about how Willa had started off telling me not to get attached because she wasn"t going to be around long, and how Xan was acting like a dick, and that damn no-labels comment this morning, it was quiet for a long moment.

Declan laid a hand on my shoulder. "Take her up to the cabin and don"t let her out of bed until she"s had a hundred and two orgasms. Worked for me."

"Nah." Chris shook his head at us both. "You don"t need to take her away. Just bend her over the kitchen table, or the couch, or her desk, or?—"

I held up a hand. "Dude, I get it."

Dec and Chris looked at each other and chuckled. Everett rolled his eyes at both of them. "Like these two chuckleheads didn"t come to me begging for help to win their girls over, and was my advice for them about sex?"

They each shook their heads. Bunch of dicks.

"Hayes, I"m gonna be straight with you." Everett sat on the bench and laced up his cleats. "Relationships are messy, complicated things. There"s always going to be obstacles, whether it"s disapproving friends or family members or just fucking life getting in the way."

I sighed. This was not what I was hoping to hear. Maybe I would take Chris"s advice. I didn"t think we could get away with a trip up to the mountains. I ran a hand through my hair. "So what do I do?"

Everett stood and grabbed his helmet, and then shoved mine at me. "You fight for her, man. You show her every day that she"s your priority, your endgame. And most importantly, you communicate with her. Tell her how you feel, what you want. Don"t let fear hold you back."

Well... fuck. Yeah, that was the right plan, and we all knew it.

I loved her, and it was time I made sure she knew it.

That lightning struck me again, this time directly to the chest, burning through every cell in my body, lighting me up like a firecracker. I fucking loved her.

I. Loved. Willa Rosemount.

This wasn"t some crush, and it certainly wasn"t a fling. I was in love, and tonight I was going to tell her... while I bent her over the kitchen table and gave her a hundred and three orgasms.