He looks up at me then, lips pulling into a sad, crooked smile. “Austin might be a bit of an asshole,” he says softly, “but I’m a Grade A, heartless son of a bitch.”
“Bullshit.” I shift closer on the bed until I can reach him. I take his warm hands in mine. “You love casting yourself as the villain in your own fairy tale, but I do not buy it. I never have. A heartless son of a bitch would not be losing sleep over a player’s wellbeing. He would not be tearing himself apart over decisions he made when he was at his lowest.”
He opens his mouth to argue. “But?—”
“No.” I squeeze his hands, grounding him. “Furthermore, a heartless son of a bitch could not do the job you do the way you do it. You think you are this big, bad monster everyone is afraid of, but people do not follow monsters the way your team follows you. They respect you. They trust you. They know you care about them, even when you’re hard on them. You want what is best for them and for the team, and they know that.”
I take a breath and soften my voice. “So what if you aren’t the warm, cuddly mascot. They have Otto for that. You cankeep calling yourself the big bad wolf if it helps you sleep at night, but I don’t believe it. Your players don’t believe it either. And yes, Austin is a good guy who deserves to be happy. But here is the part you keep forgetting, Coach. You are also a good guy. Yes, you have flaws. We all do. We can grab a notebook and write them all down if you want. You’re stubborn. You’re a hardass. You hold people to almost impossible standards. You don’t have favourites, which might be a warning sign for serial killers but I haven’t looked into it. You are all these things. And also a good guy. And you deserve to be happy too.”
Something breaks in his expression.
In one swift motion, Arthur reaches out and pulls me into his lap. He holds me against his chest, arms firm and protective, and I feel his heartbeat beneath the layers of fabric. My arms slide around his neck and our foreheads come together. We don’t speak. We don’t move. We just sit there, breathing each other in, letting the moment settle.
“I do not deserve you,” he murmurs.
I start to protest, but he cuts me off. “I know I don’t. And right now, I don’t care. I want you too damn much. So I guess we can add selfish to my list of flaws.”
He buries his face against my neck, inhaling deeply.
“At this rate,” I say softly, “we’re going to need a bigger notebook.”
I feel his smile curve against my skin.
“Done.” He lifts his head just enough to look at me. “Now, do you still want to switch rooms?”
“No.” I let my gaze wander deliberately around the massive suite. The soft lighting. The floor to ceiling windows. “My room is perfect. If anything, your room is too big.”
He arches a brow.
“I am absolutely adding high maintenance to the list.” I continue.
“High maintenance?” He tries to glare, but the effort is half hearted. There is laughter dancing in his eyes.
“Uh, yeah. Newsflash. You’re kind of bougie.”
“What the fuck is bougie?”
I grin. “It’s fine. You’re just a bit of a snob who has grown very accustomed to your life of luxury.”
His arms tighten around me, pulling me closer against him. “That is rich,” he murmurs. “Coming from the woman who looks like she just stepped off a sailboat. What’s the problem, Boss? Did the yacht club run out of caviar?”
I laugh and squirm, but he does not let me go. “I’ve never eaten caviar.”
He wrinkles his nose. “It’s overrated. It has nothing on your grilled cheese.”
“Well,” I say lightly, tilting my head, “it is hard to beat buttery bread and melted brie.”
“Mmm.”
The sound is low. Appreciative. It lands right in my stomach.
It hits me then that he probably hasn’t eaten in hours. The game. The adrenaline. The emotional wreckage. “You must be starving,” I say softly. “I can order something if you know what you want.”
He doesn’t answer right away.
Instead, his gaze drops to my mouth. Then lower. Slow. Intent. One of his hands traces lazy circles on my back while the other slides beneath the hem of my sweater, warm fingers skimming the bare skin of my stomach.
A slow, dangerous smile spreads across his face.
