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“Not yet.”
“Then stop looking,” he says, turning sideways on his stool and all but bracketing me with his knees. “Stay where you are until the off season when you have time to actually look. It’s not like you’re an imposition. I’m not planning to kick you out anytime soon.”
“We’re not talking about this here.”
“Then let’s talk about it over lunch. After we’ve both had a few more hours of sleep. I’d like to spend our day off tomorrow exploring the city with you.”
“Ground rules,” I turn and fully face him. “That’s a violation of the ground rules.”
“It’s not.” He’s smug, and I want to kiss the smirk right off his face.
“It is. No asking me out…”
“In stadiums, team facilities, or buses. You never mentioned hotel bars.”
After a deep calming breath and quick count to ten, I finish my tea in two gulps, fortifying myself with the burn at the back of my throat.
“Put it onhistab.” I tell the bartender pointing a finger at Max. “And as for you. I’m heading up the stairs.”
“Up the stairs,” he repeats.
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
The stairwell is freezing cold, but it’s the sound of the door opening as I’m between floors, and the soft echo of his footsteps that sends a shiver down my spine.
“Sutton, I really want to take you on a date tomorrow, and Irealize that it’s not the easiest thing to do, you know, because of our jobs, so I’m sorry if I broke your rule, but that’s just the way it is. I’m taking you on a date.”
“Are you asking me, or telling me?” I turn to find Max on the landing behind me, hands braced on the railing on either side of him. He’s still in his post-game travel clothes of tailored charcoal pants and a crisp white dress shirt that hugs his shoulders and biceps. His collar is open just enough to reveal some of the ink on his chest, and his sleeves are rolled up enough to show me where that ink leads. He’s winding me up and he knows it.
“Asking you,” he sighs, shoulders sagging. “Because I know that telling you won’t get me anywhere.”
“You’re right,” I laugh, walking down a couple of steps as he walks up and meets me in the middle. “It won’t get you anywhere.”
We’re standing a step apart, and I have the high ground, making it easy to brace myself on his shoulders and dip my head low for a kiss. His hand curls around the back of my neck and draws me closer, deepening the kiss. There’s not enough room for us both on the narrow step but Maxwell maneuvers us so that we’re standing on the same level, giving himself enough leverage to take control and I lose myself in his touch. So much so that I miss the sound of a door opening somewhere in the stairwell until it’s too late.
“Oh…uh…sorry.” It’s Nico.
It could’ve been worse, but it still isn’t great. Maxwell bundles me against his chest and turns so that we’re facing away from Nico, but he can’t unsee what he just saw.
“The ice machine on our floor isn’t working,” he stammers. “I just wanted some ice…”
“You’re fine, Nico,” Max’s words are clipped, annoyance in his voice. “Just don’t…”
“Iwon’t.”
Nico steps past us, down to the next floor to get ice and I pull back from Max, my cheeks flaming as I head up the steps to the third floor landing, Max on my heels as I push open the door and step into the hall.
“We can’t do that again,” I tell him. “If the wrong person were to catch us…”
“We’d be fine,” he insists. And I whirl on him, just before the door to my room. Slipping the key in the lock I push open the door and shove Max into the room.
“Youwould be fine,” I tell him, anger creeping into my words. “I would be the female coach who fraternized with one of her players, causing people to further question my place in this league.”
“Sutton,” Max takes a step closer as I take a step back. I can’t let him touch me, not now. “I meant it when I said I don’t want us to be a secret.”
“That’s great for you Max, because if it gets out, you’d bethe man.You’d get slaps on the back and high fives and whatever else. You know what I’d get? Handed a box for my belongings and a security escort off the premises.”
