I IGNORED THE CALLS FROM my friends on the team, though I listened to their encouraging messages about how outraged they were at my suspension. They had my back on this, but they had no say when it came to Coach Frost. What I’d done was stupid and if I kept giving him a reason to complain about me, I’d be gone soon. That was as clear as rain from the conversation we had on the phone.
“Violent conduct? I could have broken my back when he threw me into that stone wall!” I said as I paced the length of my spare room.
“You didn’t, though,” he said. “If you’d kept your head, you wouldn’t have gotten a red card and left our team down in players.”
“Their team was down a player too,” I pointed out.
“That doesn’t matter. Between pushing Ace around in the locker room and throwing a hissy fit on the pitch, you continually disappoint your team. In the end, we lost. We are now down in the league because you can’t work as a team player. You’re just like your friend Knox. He thought he was the whole team and now he’s gone.”
I bit my cheek. Knox leaving for Arsenal hadn’t been in Coach Frost’s power alone, although he had kept benching him to make him want to go. His long-term goal was to play internationally. He’d triggered the trade in his contract, and the club had chosen to take the profit and let him go, but why stop Coach when he was on a roll? Fuck. “I accept my suspension and the fine. I’m sorry I let the team down.”
He coughed and went quiet, probably expecting more of a fight, but he didn’t get one. I had already figured out it was pointless to fight with him.
“I hear L.A. Galaxy is looking for a new forward. If you can’t play with our team, maybe you could leave,” he baited.
My jaw tightened. He wanted to get me out of the way so he could try to get Javier to shine to justify that forty-million-dollar contract they’d signed him on. Not a chance. I wasn’t Knox. He’d have to do more to get rid of me. “I love New York F.C., Coach Frost. I apologize for my behavior.”
“Three-game suspension,” he said malevolently.
I clenched my jaw hard. “Three?”
“That’s right, you’re out three games. You fuck up again and you won’t be playing the rest of the season.”
All I had was my record, which so far was better than Javier’s, but that could all change in a game. I needed to lie low, do what I was told, and keep under the radar so I could get back to playing and winning.
My phone buzzed again, this time with a message from Scarlet saying she’d gotten home. I was glad to read it. She had brightened up my world when she showed up, and when I thought about her, all that was clear from what we’d shared was that she was mine. I didn’t know how it would be when we had to work together. Secrets and lies to everyone was all she had with me. She deserved better than what I could currently give her, and what did she have to look forward to with me afterward? A guy with a shaky future that might lead him to another team, maybe even out of New York. She wouldn’t get to see me at all with her packed schedule, but the thought of not having her at all made me feel sick. Shit, I didn’t want to think about that. Fuck, I must really like her. I didn’t want to think about that either.
I picked up my phone and called Knox in London. Normally, I would’ve called Lance, but I decided to delay the lecture he’d have for me on all the ways I had fucked up. The time was early in the United Kingdom, but Knox was always up at the crack of dawn to start his workout. He answered on the second ring and I filled him in on what was going on with me and the team. I decided to focus on the program and my goal to get involved in a more prominent spokesperson or promotional opportunity with the club, and of course, I had to share about Scarlet.
“Ballerina, eh?” he said, and we laughed.
“She’s more than that,” I said. “She’s strong, sweet, kind, and funny. She’s special. She’s too good for me, but everything I want. Hell, I haven’t even spent that much time with her, but every time I leave wanting to see her more. She’s so good. She makes me want to be better, to get and keep my shit together. She sees the good in me and I don’t have to be anything with her. It all just comes easy.”
“Glad I didn’t eat breakfast or it would be all over me right now.” He gagged for extra effect and we laughed again. “Damn, you got it bad. That’s good. I’m glad you finally got serious about someone.”
I smiled. I’d seen this before in Lance and Dylan. Once they’d found the one they wanted, they hadn’t wasted time fooling around. For us, we’d already done all that shit. When they’d found real love and companionship, they had happily settled down. I finally understood that, and why they wanted the same for the rest of us.
“Yeah, but it’s not all easy street,” I said. “New York Ballet is a client, so we signed those no fraternization clauses. If we’re found out, I’ll be dropped from the program. That won’t look good as this is the team’s first joint program and fundraiser, and I want to be used to represent them in other programs in the future. I just got suspended from the team, and Coach Frost already threatened to bench me the rest of the season, like he did with you. More time off won’t look good going into my renewal contract next season, on top of never getting used for anything club-related. Scarlet will get in trouble with her job too and may look bad at the ballet company because of my reputation.” Although I was mostly upfront with my feelings about not wanting more with women, I didn’t allow them to get more than sex. I’d always moved on, sometimes unkindly, if they tried for more, but it had never bothered me until I started wanting to be with Scarlet.
“You’re not going to like my suggestion,” Knox said. “But here it is: you both need to get ahead of this and come clean before someone finds out first.”
I sighed heavily. “I know, but what about Scarlet? I can’t mess her shit up.”
“You need to talk about it,” he said. “As for the potential fallout, I’ll get my agent to give you a call. He could at least protect you should you find yourself in trouble. Dylan can get you a talent agent if you are interested in doing more promotional work. In other words, we got you, man.”
I grinned. That was the thing about New York F.C—no matter where we played, we were still a team. We were about winning, but we also supported each other. Hell, we’d even turn around and help Javier if he needed it. We were lucky. As for agents, I had one I used to go over my annual contracts, but it didn’t hurt to have someone who could deal if shit hit the fan. “Yeah, go on and do that. Thank you.”
“Dylan won’t believe it when I tell him you’re trying to settle down.”
“Hey, I’m just seeing someone,” I corrected, but I was grinning like an idiot about it. I wanted to spend more time with Scarlet, more than any other woman I’d been with.
We switched the conversation and I got caught up on him and Dylan. He was having a great season with Arsenal, and Gemma was due for a cameo on Brooke’s show Sanctum. Brooke’s pregnancy was being written into the show, and Dylan had just gotten a new role in an action film.
“Let me know when your performance is on,” he said. “We’d love to come see it.”
“So you can make fun of it,” I replied, and he didn’t deny it. I told him anyway; it was for a good cause, and it would be good to see them all. Knox had not only lifted me up, he had given me a plan.
Scarlet.Ricci: Since you are unable to go to work, Michel says he is free to help you with the solo dance today
Tyler.Wilson: Will you be there?
Scarlet.Ricci: Later. I’ll be meeting up with Phillip for a coffee at his station. He had a bad night.
I exhaled. I knew from John that a bad night for a police officer meant everything went bad.
Tyler.Wilson: Is that why your mom was there?
Scarlet.Ricci: Yeah, among other things, but nothing for you to worry about
Tyler.Wilson: How are you feeling? Tell me if anything hurts. I’ll kiss it better—anywhere
Scarlet.Ricci: OMG I’m at work!
Tyler.Wilson: And I’m horny at home. Seriously, how are you feeling?
Scarlet.Ricci: I’m great
Tyler.Wilson: That’s my woman
Scarlet.Ricci: Am I really yours?
I got that weirdness in my chest. She wasn’t sure, and I’d have to go about fixing that.
Tyler.Wilson: Yes you are, even if I can’t be there for you right now. I want us to talk about this later.
Scarlet.Ricci: Okay. I’ve got to go. Here is Michel’s number.
Tyler.Wilson: Have fun.
I was looking forward to meeting Michel. Now that Scarlet was mine, I wanted to know everyone that was important to her, wanted to know she was being cared for when I couldn’t be there. I called him and made an appointment to meet in the afternoon, using the morning to work out and go over the suspension with my lawyer. Bottom line, I’d fucked up. Now I had to work to keep out of trouble.
Michel had left instructions to let me upstairs, and after giving an ID and signing in, I was at his door, where he met me with a smile. He was wearing sweats and a fitted T-shirt like I had on, though he had on ballet shoes. “What are you, a size thirteen shoe?”
“Yeah,” I said. “Good guess.”
He motioned for me to follow him in. “Priscilla will be around later to help with your lifts. For now we’ll warm up. I’m sure working with Christophe, you know the routine?”
“Oh yeah,” I said, and we laughed together.
I unzipped my jacket and followed him to a small studio. My gaze followed his over to a pair of pink leggings folded neatly on the polished wood in one of the corners. He went over and picked them up, smiling. “Scarlet. She must have been in here before she went to work this morning.”
“She’s really dedicated.” I removed my shoes and took the ones he handed me. They were soft black leather with an elastic band across the front to hold them in place.
“I’ll help make them fit better to protect your feet,” he said, looking down at them. “As for Scarlet, I agree. She has been since she was a child. My wife, Priscilla, and I were drawn to her the first time we saw her perform when she was nine. She was a natural, which is rare, and so serious.” He led me over to the barre and I followed his instructions as he moved to get me to elongate my stretches of my legs and arms.
“She’s funny too,” I said without thought. “I mean, she’s my sister’s friend, and we spent a part of our lives on the same street when we lived on Staten Island before my family moved to Manhattan.”
Michel smiled. “Yes, she mentioned your connection—in fact, in the very same way.” He let out a deep laugh. “She can be funny when she lets herself go, which is rare…well, until recently, when she started spending time with you.”
“How long have you known?” I asked quietly as I did a deep leg bend.
“A while. I hadn’t thought it serious until she asked me to help train you,” he said. “The way she spoke about you, I knew she was in love.”
My heart beat faster in my chest. I didn’t know why the thought of her loving me scared and excited me at the same time, but was it too soon? I may very well have been falling in love with her. What I told him was, “I care deeply for her too.”
“I know,” Michel said. “But the life of a dancer isn’t easy. There’s a wear on the body and spirit. She could be dancing until she’s forty, or longer. For us it meant no children, but things are different now. We choose to mentor promising dancers. In fact, Priscilla’s father mentored Scarlet’s mother, Olivia, before she gave up dancing. She was an amazing talent.”
“Oh, I didn’t know that,” I said as he moved me on to leg lifts. “It must have been hard to give up your dream.”
“Ballet is a hard career in which to achieve your dreams,” he said. “We all start out wanting to be the greatest, but then we dance for love. Having a relationship helped me through the dark times. She’ll need love when things get hard.”
I stared off, thinking about the times I’d seen Scarlet work. She stood strong under tough criticism. “Scarlet is resilient. She could do anything she wanted. I believe in her.”
He beamed. “Yes, she’s that too, and she’ll have to be. You both will, if you’re going to be together. While you could both be in trouble, I don’t wish to make you stop. I see it as good for Scarlet. She deserves a life and love. She’s like a daughter to me, and I’d like to know your intentions.”
I chewed on my lip. We hadn’t really made a commitment or even had a talk ourselves, but I still had an answer for Michel. “I’m with Scarlet any way she can be with me. I don’t want to hurt her or her career.”
“That’s exactly what I want to hear,” he said as he corrected my stance by reaching up and pulling back my shoulders. He then moved to lift my leg to stretch more. “But you’re both on borrowed time. Nothing remains hidden for long. Everything will seek to be uncovered. You should both decide soon what is right, especially you since you’re on suspension.”
I looked away from him, embarrassed. The relationship would put Scarlet at risk too. I’d need to talk to her and do whatever it took to protect her. For the moment, I told Michel, “Yeah, we will.”
He smiled. “Good. Now we work on the adagio, which is important for the pas de deux, a dance duet,” he said. “This will be important for the solo dance.” He went to the center of the room and did a demonstration. It was like he was dancing in slow motion, every movement of his body dynamic and precise. “Now you.”
We did this back and forth for what seemed like forever, my muscles stretching to their limits. I was sweating more than when I ran. He finally took a break and handed me a towel.
“I can see why Christophe is considering you for the solo,” he said. “You’re not bad, but you gave dancing up, yes?”
“Long ago. Soccer was and is my dream,” I said with a smile.
A woman with blond hair and gray streaks came in dressed in a black leotard, skirt, and pointe shoes. She walked over and kissed Michel. “He’s all warmed up.”
I grimaced. “Warmed up?”
They laughed. “Yes. We’ll start to work on the solo now.”
I made a note in my head to call for a massage when we were done, but I kept at it. We worked on the solo, though it was odd to have his wife practically molded to me. They were both oblivious, so I went with it. They were my first hurdle, and the warm-up in Scarlet’s life. Her family wasn’t going to be easy, but at least I had Michel on my side.
At the end, Michel said, “Would you please join us for dinner? You can take a shower in Scarlet’s suite.”
Priscilla touched his arm. “I think it’ll be better if he goes and comes back.”
“Yes, I agree,” I told them both. “I can be back in an hour.”
“Nonsense. You can use the shower in there,” Michel insisted. “Scarlet should be back any minute now.”
“I’ll let her know you’re in there,” Priscilla said hesitantly before quickly leaving the room.
“Then it’s settled,” Michel said.
I looked at the window. It was still bright out, but with summer, it was hard to judge. I walked over to my bag and took out my phone. “Nine o’clock,” I said incredulously. My voice echoed off the walls.
“Time flies when you’re enjoying yourself,” Michel said, laughing. “Towels are in the cabinet. It’s just across the hall.”
The room had a four-poster mahogany bed and a desk with a laptop on it. On the chair was draped a sweater I recognized as Scarlet’s, and next to it, a shirt that was mine. I laughed and shook my head. My little kleptomaniac. I’d be game to give her a good spanking. Then again, I had kept her underwear.
I got in the walk-in shower and washed, amused at using the sweet-smelling floral gel she had on the built-in tile shelf.
“Tyler,” I heard Scarlet call out. “I’ve got a shirt you can put on.”
“Come here,” I beckoned.
I wiped the glass door and saw her standing on the other side.
“I can’t be in here.”
“You can.” I turned off the water and opened the door. She had on a pale blue tank top and dark blue yoga pants. Her hair was up in a braid twisted on her head, her cheeks tinged from blushing. Her eyes were shut tight and her hands extended out front of her with my towel. I chuckled and took it from her. “Nothing you haven’t seen before.”
“Um, yes, but…” she stammered.
I stepped out and pulled her into my arms. She yelped at getting wet, but hugged me back.
I tightened my hold, my cock growing between us.
“Tyler, we can’t,” she said breathily.
“Why not?” I pulled down her yoga pants and squeezed her ass. “They know, so we don’t need to hide.”
She went stiff in my arms. “They do?”
I stopped, took her chin, and titled her head up to search her hazel eyes, which were wide with fright. I sought to put her at ease. “Michel and I talked. He’s leaving us to handle things like adults.”
“It’s not just about being adults,” she said. “It’s our work.”
“It’s us, babe—I promise we’ll work it out and handle it,” I said. Her eyes roamed all over my face then she leaned in sweetly and we kissed. Open lips, hot and intense, we went into it.
Her arms hung upon my shoulders and my hands lifted her ass to pull her hard against my body, making my cock thicken. I wasn’t ready to fuck her. I wanted to make her come first.
I spun her around and rubbed my dick against her buttocks. I was fully erect now, my breath ragged as my hand went inside her underwear. She gasped, but didn’t try to stop me. Her skin was soft and slick to the touch. She was flawless. I rubbed over her swollen clit, pushing a finger inside her. “You’re so sexy,” I purred in her ear as I worked in and out of her.
She let out a sexy moan and opened her legs as wide as they could go while trapped by her clothing. I was too turned on by her letting me do whatever I wanted to free her. I yanked up her top to cup her breasts and pinched her taut nipples. “Are you ready for me?” I moved my other hand between her thighs and fucked her with two of my fingers, real slow. She was getting wetter for me by the second.
“Tyler,” she moaned, moving her hips to my rhythm. I added another finger to stretch her tight pussy, then I crooked it to hit that sweet spot.
“Ohhhhh,” she panted as she quivered in my arms.
I kept rubbing her tits and pussy, not letting her go. Her body clamped down, and she called out my name as she came. She was hot with arousal and shaking, but she let me lick and suck her, and damn it was so fucking intoxicating.
“Hold the door,” I said as I bent her over then spread her ass to suck on her pussy from behind. I groaned. “This pussy is mine, isn’t it, Scarlet? Tell me.”
“Yes…yes, yours,” she whispered softly.
I smiled inwardly. She was still too shy to say that word, and I liked her innocence. I liked every fucking thing about her.
Standing up, I pulled her pants off completely. I sat her on the sink and opened her legs wide so my eyes could feast on how aroused she was by me. The view didn’t disappoint and had me aching to fuck her. “Hold on, sweetheart.”
She did as I told her then I lifted her long legs and placed them on my shoulders.
I eased my cock inside her and moaned. It felt heavenly. I had to grit my teeth to keep from coming, but I picked up my rhythm, stroking my cock against her clit until she came squeezing down tight. I came hard, absolute gratification roaring through my body. My Scarlet.
My breathing was heavy and my heartbeat hit my ribcage as I hugged her to me. Her legs closed around me, keeping me inside her until my cock went down and I moved to let it slip out. I helped her back onto her feet and her blissful face quickly turned to worry.
She lowered her head. “How am I going to go out and face Priscilla and Michel?”
I kissed her flushed cheeks. “By my side. I’m not embarrassed. The way I see it, they sent you in here knowing I was showering. I’d say they set it up.”
“Maybe Michel,” she said as she bit her lip.
“Stop worrying.” I gave her a tap on her sexy ass.
She hit me and giggled then we both got back in the shower and washed. When we were done, she put on a robe and I wrapped a towel around my waist. I went back to kissing her against the door leading to her bedroom. She followed my thoughts to get her on the bed and pushed on my chest. “They’re waiting for us. Maybe later.”
I grinned at the possibility. I tried to remember a time when I’d been happier, but couldn’t. Even with all the crap around me, nothing was as good as being with Scarlet. It was a perfect moment in time, and I wanted to prolong it, slow down the time we were spending together.
“They can wait a few more minutes.” I picked her up, carried her over to the bed, and kissed her deeply.