Play Maker(56)

“I think I’ve heard of them,” Nicole told me.

“They’re really great,” I smoothed my hand over her hip. “They have some amazing programs that I’m going to be involved with. As well as helping with fundraising. Though it’s the hands-on stuff that I’m most excited about.” I paused. “They actually want me to focus on their programs that help foster kids with special needs.”

Nicole’s eyes went wide and she sat up. “Really?”

“Yeah.” I leaned back against the pillows. “Apparently there were some photos taken the night of the game that ended up in the tabloids. Pictures of me and Mikey that I guess they thought were my attempts at image rehab.”

I watched her face and could tell she was trying to keep it neutral, but a bit of worry was visible.

“I told the charity he was a friend and not a prop,” I told her and saw her expression relax. “But I’m glad they want me to work with their special needs kids. Seeing how you are with Mikey showed me how important it is for them to have a support system.”

I hadn’t meant to get so heavy and earnest all of a sudden, but I didn’t regret it. Because it was true. There were lots of reasons I considered Nicole to be so extraordinary. Her dedication towards her brother was only one such reason.

Her smile was a little watery, but before she could say anything there was a knock.

“Room service,” came a voice from the other side of the door.

I pulled on my jeans and retrieved our second serving of waffles that day. Nicole grabbed a robe and we had a picnic on the bed, just like we had done a few days ago. These waffles smelled amazing, and I was pretty sure that the competition back at Roscoe’s had been rigged, but I wasn’t going to complain. In fact, I was pretty sure that this moment, right now, was damn near perfect. A gorgeous woman, great waffles, what more could a man ask for?

Before Nicole could take a bite, I reached over and snagged the cherry from the top of her dish.

“Hey!” She tried to grab it away from me, but I popped it into my mouth before she could. She crossed her arms. “Your loss,” she informed me. “Though, I thought you of all people would be interested in what I could do with a cherry stem.”

My cock stirred. There was no way I was missing this. Without a word, I handed the cherry from my waffle over.

Grinning, she popped it in her mouth and I could see her jaw working. After a few seconds, she parted her lips and revealed a cherry stem tied in a perfect knot sitting on her tongue.

“Fuck,” I groaned, my cock fully awake now.

She put the stem on the plate, next to her waffle and picked up her fork and knife. “I chew a lot of gum,” she reminded me. “My tongue is well exercised.”

I just stared at her for a moment before reaching over and grabbing the plate of waffles. With my own plate in my other hand, I walked over to the dresser and put them down. When I turned, she was sitting there, her utensils still raised, a wicked quirk to her eyebrow.

“You can’t expect me to just sit and eat after doing that,” I informed her.

She glanced down, where my cock was straining against my jeans’ zipper and casually put down her fork and knife.

“I suppose waffles can wait.” She grinned and beckoned me with a single finger. I was on her before my pants hit the floor. Oh yeah. I was never going to get enough of this woman.





33





Nicole





I had never been so happy. For the first time since I was a kid, someone was taking care of me. And that someone was sexy as hell with an accent that made me melt each time he said my name. And other much less innocent things.

On the surface, not much in my life had changed over the past few weeks. I still worked my usual long hours at the bar, still spent my days off with my brother and Maya, but now James was there. And he found ways to make every day a little easier and a whole lot better. After work he’d be there. Sometimes to drive me home, sometimes to take me upstairs and make love to me until I couldn’t see straight. He was completely respectful of my schedule and when I said I had to be home to put Mikey to bed, he took me home. Though I had been trying my best to let my mom take on more responsibility when it came to Mikey and his routine. Already, I could see that it was making a difference in their relationship. My mom began to anticipate Mikey’s needs and he started teaching her about Doctor Who.

Even my mom liked James. At first she kept checking the tabloids, looking for our names or our pictures, but she hadn’t been able to find anything. Somehow, we were left alone. I never saw a photographer of any sort. James didn’t say anything, but I knew that he must have done something to keep them off our tail. And I appreciated that. Because from what I had gathered about the way he’d been living in London, he was rarely left alone in that way.

But things were quiet and good. All of us were happier.

It might not have been fair to attribute all of that to James, but he was making a difference in our lives, especially with the thoughtful gifts he enjoyed giving. He arranged for a service to pick up our laundry each week so I didn’t have to spend the entire morning of my days off at the laundromat. He bought Mikey a new TV so he could see the characters in the video game more clearly and he got my mom the brand new cleaning supplies that she had been putting off buying for her business so she could help me pay rent.