Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82543 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82543 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 413(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
My muscles turn to jelly and can barely hold me up as I empty into the condom.
Levi grabs the back of my head and pulls me down on top of him so my entire weight is against him and my head is buried in his shoulder.
Before I have to pull out of him, I rotate my hips slowly, drawing out every last ripple of pleasure I can.
Then we’re both still.
Silent.
But the buzz in my veins is loud.
Levi taps my shoulder. “Peyton?”
“Mm?”
“Your phone’s vibrating on the floor somewhere.”
Shit. I guess it’s not my veins buzzing after all.
Slowly, I pull away from Levi and climb off the bed, stumbling to the bathroom to get rid of the condom. Levi joins me a few seconds later and runs a face cloth under some water to wipe himself down.
He smiles sheepishly at me, and it’s so fucking cute I can’t help pulling him against me and kissing him softly.
“You should check your phone,” he says when I pull back.
“I should.” I don’t want to, but I need to.
I haven’t told Levi yet, and I really don’t want to have to break the news to him, but my impromptu public kiss has already gone viral.
Once upon a time, coming out like this would be scandalous. Now, it’s not shocking, but it is still news. I remember my parents saying one day in the future, no one will have to come out because it will be so widely accepted.
But today is not that day.
Not to mention the entire coaching staff losing their heads over pulling a stunt like that when I know we’re supposed to be on our best behavior. Especially when media is involved. We have so many more rules than professional players that any little misstep can cause the team pain.
For instance, when someone scores a touchdown in the NFL, they might dance, spike the ball, or even leap into the stands to celebrate. Sure, they’re fined if they cross the line into lewd behavior, but if we so much as do a shimmy or a fist pump, we’re penalized fifteen yards on the next play.
Something as crazy as running up the stands to kiss a random boy … yeah, I know why my phone is going off. I’m just too scared to answer it.
I lean in and kiss the top of Levi’s hair before facing the music, but as soon as I put my underwear back on and pick up my phone to a million notifications, I’m filled with the urge to power it down because that’s a whole bucket of nope.
The blowup does make me realize I need to talk to Levi about it, though, or he might leave this apartment in the morning and walk into an ambush of questions.
Levi walks out of the bathroom and moves to his dresser. “Who was it?”
“Who wasn’t it?” I mutter.
He takes a fresh pair of underwear out and slips them on. “What does that mean?”
“I … I think we need to talk.”
“Is this because of the kiss? Has it blown up?”
I take a deep breath, but my words still come out in a rush. “It has, and as much as I wish I could say I regret it, I don’t. But I will regret it if you’re brought into the media circus it’s bound to bring. It was really poor timing, but before the game, Pop said something that really resonated with me. That no matter what, no matter who I’m dating, the media spotlight will always be on me because of where I came from. Who my parents are. And when I made that final pass that won us the game, I wanted everything Pop said I could have if I chose it. I could have football and a relationship with a man. So I did a selfish thing that will impact you, and I really should have spoken to you first, and—”
Levi steps forward and cuts off my rambling with his mouth on mine. His lips are soft and reassuring, and when he pulls back, he’s smiling. “That was a moment I will never, ever forget, and if you had asked me beforehand, the only thing holding me back would have been concern over how it would affect you.”
My lips quirk on one side. “I’m going to hold you to that when the media are relentlessly trying to get you to talk to them.”
He leaves the room and comes back with his phone. “Nothing yet.”
“Let’s enjoy the peace while we can.”
“So, we’re doing this? You and me? Is this dating or …” His cheeks flush. “I know you said you don’t do relationships, and you need to focus on football—”
“This is different.”
“Why?”
I press my lips together, trying to find the right words. “Because you understand me. You don’t see me as Marcus Talon’s son or the next NFL superstar. You see the insecure boy who’s under so much pressure to do well, and … you take me away from all of it. From the beginning, even that night back in high school, you’ve been more than a way to relieve some stress. I want to be with you, and I’ve never felt that for anyone before.” I close the gap between us again and lower my forehead to his and breathe him in. “In the same way art and California has been your escape, you’re that for me.”