The Striker: Gods of the Game

“Today is not the day for you to make that assertion.” I frowned. Hmm. Fair enough. “How was the car ride?” Scarlett asked. “I see you’re not sporting any fresh bruises, which is a good thing.” “It was fine. Quiet.” I ran a lazy hand over her thigh beneath the table. Her skin heated beneath…

I chuckled. I couldn’t wait for Rafael to try to explain away his black eye. His ego was probably more bruised than his face, and he deserved every second of discomfort. You did not go around grabbing women against their will. Period. “Thank you for protecting my sister,” Vincent added stiffly. The stadium had truly…

“How’s Vicky?” I asked even more pointedly. Vicky was the reality TV star he’d started dating almost immediately after our breakup. “C’mon, Scar. You know I’m not with her anymore.” I hated when people called me Scar. “Actually, I don’t.” I shrugged. “I don’t keep up with news about you. Sorry.” Rafael’s expression clouded. He…

“That smug bastard.” Vincent seethed beside me. “Look at him. He thinks they’re going to win.” Rafael gave us a mocking two-finger salute from across the pitch, his smirk firmly back in place. “Over my dead body.” My hand curled into a fist. “Let’s take him down.” A vicious smile slashed across Vincent’s face. “Best…

“No shit. I meant what he’s doing here, at the match.” They were the first words we’d exchanged all day. We’d greeted each other with stiff nods in the locker room, and I suppose I had to thank him later for agreeing to play at the last minute. However, I preferred to live in denial…

At least the paps weren’t here. They didn’t know Vincent would be playing today, and they clearly thought a charity match for kids wasn’t a ripe breeding ground for scandal. “Calling your brother to play a match with his rival-slash-your secret lover is a boss move,” Brooklyn whispered. “You have balls. I respect it. You…

“Just curious.” He cracked a small smile. “Anyway, I didn’t come all this way just to yell at you about Clive-though this conversation would be a lot longer if you really were dating him.” I figured as much. Vincent was as capable of yelling over the phone as he was in person. “Do you have…

“We have a problem.” Finley removed his hat and rubbed a hand over his bald pate, his frustration visible through the screen. “Simon injured his foot and won’t be able to play tomorrow.””Shit.” I swallowed a longer litany of curses. “What about our backups?” It was Friday night, and the big charity match kicked off…

I hadn’t wanted to leave my brother alone in case he picked up on the clues scattered around the flat-the men’s shoes in the entryway, the two half-empty glasses on the kitchen counter-but I had to warn Asher so he didn’t wander out looking for pizza. “Sorry for the wait. I had to, um, find…

In that moment, we were the only people on earth. However, my languorous exploration of her body came to a brief halt when Scarlett sank deeper against my chest and shifted in a way that rubbed directly over my cock. Heat raced to my groin. I gritted my teeth. I was rock-hard, but I forced…