Page 154 of Offside

“What are you doing for childcare on road trips?” Maren asked. No weight to it, just a question.

“I had a sitter, but she didn’t work out. For this trip? My neighbor. She’s good, Iris trusts her. It’s a lot to ask for ten days straight. I’ve been thinking about a nanny. Someone Iris knows or might be able to know fast. Someone who gets what this schedule looks like—the road trips, the late games, the whole thing.” He stared at his beer. “Someone who makes Iris feel like the center of things even when I can’t be there. But it’s hard to trust someone with your kid when their own mother is flaky.”

“I can see that,” Maren said. “She needs that consistency more than most kids would.”

Eli nodded slowly.

“You’ll find the right person,” Maren said.

Something in Eli’s jaw moved. “Yeah,” he said. “That’s the part I’m working on.”

Cole, who had been listening despite all appearances, caught my eye across the table. I gave him a small nod. Neither of us said anything about it. That was the locker room. A group of men who had learned each other’s frequencies and knew when to push and when to sit with something.

Later, back at the hotel, Maren was cross-legged on the bed with her laptop when I came out of the bathroom.

She set the laptop aside and stood. "I want something.” She was wearing nothing but a tank top and tiny little sleep shorts.

"Okay."

"You're going to have to let me have it." Her voice was low, almost husky.

Every part of me came online at once as she took her shirt off, revealing her perfect round breasts. "You can have anything you want, baby." Saliva pooled in my mouth.

“Okay good,” she grinned as she slid her shorts down.

I walked to her, raising my hands to touch what was mine. She kissed me. Slow, thorough, and then she moved down.

My hand went to her shoulder. Instinct. The same reach I made every time, to turn her, to take control back, to run this.

She caught my wrist.

"No," she said, against my bare chest.

I let go.

"Good," she said, quiet, and she pushed me to lay back. The heat in her stare was mesmerizing and I wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but I would give her anything she wanted.

She moved slow.

Her mouth moved down my throat. My collarbone. My sternum, my ribs, the line of muscle at my hip that made my breathing come apart when she found it. She pulled on the waistband of my joggers, and I grabbed her wrist, my dick hard as stone.

“Solsken…” I breathed out the word.

“Yes?” She looked up at me from under her dark lashes, her pouty lips forming a wicked grin.

“Do you want to suck my cock?” I asked her, almost surprised, and yet delighted and intrigued at this unexpected turn of events.

She pressed her lips together and nodded. “Mmhmm.”

Jesus Christ. She is the sexiest woman I’ve ever seen in my fucking life.

I let go of her wrist, and she pulled the waistband down and I lifted for her without being asked and her hand closed around me and I brought my forearm across my mouth. Holy fuck.

"Okay?" she said.

"Yes." Wrecked, I swallowed. "Do it. Wrap those beautiful lips around my cock."

She stroked once, slow, watching my face in the low light. My mouth was half open, watching this beautiful woman crawl over me with a predatory, hungry gaze.