Playing to Win (The Players)
Playing to Win: Chapter 36

It’s like this for a month. Four glorious weeks of illicit meetings with Ace behind closed doors. Always at my place because for some reason, Natalie is never around much anymore. When I see her on those rare occasions and ask her about it, she always gives me some off-hand excuse about classes and work and how she doesn’t have a lot of time with her intense schedule, and I eventually stopped asking because I felt bad.

I’m over here having the absolute time of my life, while she’s working her ass off and I have major guilt.

But I don’t feel guilty enough to stop because why would I? Ace Townsend is, frankly put, a sex god.

And he’s my sex god.

His unwavering interest in me is giving me the self-confidence boost I never knew I needed. That this gorgeous, athletic, smart, everyone-wants-him man is interested in me and no one else?

It’s heady stuff. His attention toward me makes me feel like I could possibly conquer the world.

When I came back to my home state to attend college at CU, I wasn’t feeling that confident. More like I believed I was a complete failure. I left Colorado in the hopes to replace a different life and I couldn’t cut it.

I was low. Even feeling a little alone. My parents are in California. My sister took off and is living her best life as a devoted NFL girlfriend, and my brother is actually in the NFL. They’re living our parents’ life while I felt like a giant fuck-up.

Well, not anymore. Now I’m on top of the world. I have a handsome, sexy, successful man who’s totally into me and I’m doing well in my classes. And at my job.

Ugh, my job. I need to stop reminding myself.

That’s the only difficult part. The sneaking around and keeping our relationship under wraps. It hasn’t been easy for Ace. He’s offering up all sorts of excuses to his teammates and his roommates as to why he can’t hang out or why he’s always leaving and I think it’s wearing on him.

I know it would wear on me.

It’s almost a relief when he has an away game because then we’re forced not to see each other for a little while. Despite it being absolute torture and I can’t stand being away from him for too long, it’s also a lesson in learning how to be adults and deal with separation in a mature manner.

Okay, that sounds like a load of crap, but I’m trying to convince myself that I’m growing up.

My biggest issue currently is lying to Gwen. We’ve become even closer these last few weeks and she’s been telling me everything about her and Eric. I’ve become her relationship guru, which is hilarious because I don’t know shit about having a real relationship, but Gwen has put all her trust and faith in me. Any bit of advice I dole out, she takes it. She believes in it. She believes in me.

And that hurts. It cuts to the bone. I watch her and Eric fall for each other harder as every single day passes, and I’m jealous. They don’t have to hide their feelings. Everyone can know, though I doubt very much Marilee is aware of it—or anyone else who’s part of the athletic department administration.

There aren’t any rules or clauses in the agreement that we signed that say they can’t be in a relationship, so they’re safe. Unlike me.

I want to tell Gwen the truth about me and Ace, but I’m so scared that she’s such a little rule follower, she might end up confessing our sins.

And I know I would get fired.

It’s late at night and I’m trying to concentrate on writing a paper that’s due next week, but I can’t focus for shit, so I give up and leave my room to grab a snack. I know there’s ranch dip in the fridge and a new bag of potato chips on the kitchen counter, and while it’s almost eleven at night and the last thing I need is to consume a bunch of sodium before I go to bed, I’m still creeping down the hall. Heading for the kitchen, I pause, an unfamiliar sound making me go completely still.

What…what is that?

I crane my head toward the living room, my heart pounding in my throat. The lights are off. I didn’t think Natalie was home yet but is that…is that her?

And is that noise I’m hearing the sound of lips connecting. Parting. Reconnecting?

The rustle of clothing, a soft moan flits through the air and I realize someone is making out.

In our living room.

Feeling brazen, I march into the living room and reach for the nearest lamp, flicking it on. Sucking in a shocked gasp of horror when I see who’s wrapped up around each other on our couch, their mouths fused, hands in each other’s hair.

My roommate and…

Big D?

Derek?

They break away from each other at the same time, Natalie ducking her head against Derek’s barrel chest, while he grins at me, his cheeks ruddy. Like he’s…what?

Embarrassed?

“Yo, Maguire.”

“What the hell are you doing here?” I practically scream.

He lets go of Natalie and rubs at the corner of his mouth, contemplating me. “Um, what’s it look like to you?”

Is he seriously the one asking me questions? Please.

“Are you two hooking up? On my couch?” I am screeching. And I sort of don’t care because I’m absolutely floored by this turn of events.

Natalie lifts her head, and I take in her flushed face and bright eyes. “We’re not hooking up.”

“Then what would you call it?”

“Kissing on the couch?” Derek offers. I glare at him and he goes quiet.

“I thought you hated this guy,” I say to Natalie, lowering my voice like we’re sharing secrets with him sitting right there.

“Hey,” Derek protests, sounding offended.

“Shush,” I tell him before I turn to Nat. “Seriously, what’s going on?”

Natalie’s expression turns sheepish and she leans her head against Derek’s chest, a faint smile curling her lips. “We’re…dating.”

My mouth drops open. “You’re kidding.”

“Afraid not.”

“You don’t got faith in me, Rubes?”

“Oh my God, do not call me that,” I tell Derek. It sounds too close to pubes. “And no, I have zero faith in you. You’re a player. You’ve said that from the moment I met you.”

“Well, I’m a changed man thanks to Natalie.” He slings his thick arm around Natalie’s shoulders, nearly engulfing her as he tugs her close and drops a sweet kiss on her forehead. “We’ve been seeing each other for a month.”

A month?

“I think a little longer,” Natalie corrects him. “Six weeks?”

So basically as long as Ace and I have been seeing each other. This is…

This is wild.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I ask Nat, kind of hurt, though I have no right to be.

After all, I haven’t told her much about me and Ace beyond that one initial hookup. I declared I was on a man ban and never brought him up again.

“I don’t know. I was a little embarrassed. Not of you, babe.” She pats Derek’s meaty bicep. “Just of our situation. We both have reputations we’re not exactly proud of. Plus, we tried the fuck buddies thing last year and it sort of fell apart.”

“Okayyyyyy.”

“We wanted to take this slow and make sure it would actually work before we made any big announcements,” Natalie explains. “I just—I didn’t expect to tell you like this. When you catch us kissing in the living room.”

“I didn’t know what was happening,” I admit. “I was just coming out here to get a snack.”

Her smile is rueful. “Sorry.”

“Hope it wasn’t the bag of potato chips you wanted to snack on,” Derek says.

I groan. “You ate them?”

He nods, looking guilty. “Sorry. Nat brought me over here to feed me. There’s no food in our house.”

“That’s not true.” Natalie nudges him in the ribs. “Well, he’s right about the lack of food at his place but we came over here because I forgot my laptop and I have a paper due in the morning.”

“And you got distracted enough to start making out on our couch?”

“After I caught him eating our chips.” She indicates the crumpled bag I didn’t notice before that’s discarded on our coffee table.

“Derek, you owe me a bag of Lay’s Potato Chips,” I demand.

“Yes, ma’am.” He salutes me, jumping to his feet and offering his hand to Natalie. “Ready to go, babe?”

She takes his hand and he pulls her up, hauling her into his arms, kissing her right in front of me. All lovey dovey and sweet and my goodness, my brain is confused by all of this.

It’s Big D we’re talking about here. And Natalie. The two people I never believed could be serious are…

Serious.

Who knew?

I watch them leave, trying to shove aside the weird emotions swirling inside me while they blatantly touch and flirt with each other right in front of me. What they have is what I want. What I wish I had.

With Ace.

The moment they’re gone, I’m grabbing my phone and sending Ace a text.

Me: You awake?

He answers almost immediately.

Acey Baby: Yep. You okay?

I smile, touched by his concern. I love that’s the first thing he asks. He really is sweet.

And a complete savage in bed.

Lucky me.

Me: I’m bored, hungry and horny.

Acey Baby: Is this a cry for help?

Me: Yes.

Should I ask him to come over?

Yes. Yes, I should.

Me: Come over.

Acey Baby: What are you hungry for?

Me: Surprise me.

Acey Baby: You really want me to come over?

Me: I’m alone and a little hungry. I need protection. And food.

Acey Baby: I’ll be right over.