All In_ Paying to Play(25)

"Fine," I relent.

"Good, thank you," he responds on an exhale and his shoulders relax. "I'm leaving Saturday afternoon, so we can do some PR shit when I get back Monday."

"Guess I'll see you then," I mutter before he nods and takes off. As soon as he leaves the office, I call my dad to tell him he'll have to take my mom with him to New Orleans instead.

"Addison, you two haven't been seen together all week. Not that I've personally missed the PDAs, but Jerry's not happy. Have you two gone out since Sunday?"

"Yes," I lie.

"Uh-huh. Well, either way, you have to go with us this Sunday. That's a non-negotiable. Jerry said girlfriends travel to see their boyfriends play, especially when it's a game this close. Besides, away games are when that idiot gets in the most trouble with sluts."

Jake with sluts? I don't like the idea of that at all. Maybe I should go to keep him out of trouble. He won't even have to know I'm there until after the game, so I won't make him play like shit as he claimed.

"All right. I'll meet you at the airport Sunday morning," I finally agree.

"We're going with Jerry on his private jet, and he wants to leave by ten. Be there by nine at the latest."

"See you then," I agree.





Chapter Twelve


Jake

I've never seen Zack act like this before. First I thought he was going to kill me yesterday when he showed up at my house, attacking me, asking me what I said to Natalie at the photo shoot for the breast cancer calendar. He was a complete mess. Now, the tiny blonde woman is sitting on his lap in first class while the two come damn close to practically fucking each other.

And my first thought seeing them making out across the aisle? I wish Addy was here. How fucking stupid is that?

Zack's holding his girl like he doesn't plan to ever let her go. The way he looks at her...it's like he's the happiest man in the world.

Noticing me gawking, he flips me the bird with a smile. He's not the least bit ashamed that all the guys on the team know he's pathetically pussy whipped. Hell, if it's that damn good, maybe it's worth it. Anything is better than how miserable I've been since Addy left. I look out the window into the clouds, wondering what's she's doing. At least she's staying safe and sound in Charlotte, so I don’t have to worry about her.

Just like every time here lately that I think about her, I can't help but remember how fucking sexy she was in the revealing black teddy and thigh highs Sunday night. Oh hell, why'd I say no? Oh yeah, because I don't want to get kicked out of the NFL.

But there's nothing wrong with imagining how amazing it would have been to have things go another way. What would she have done if I’d said yes? Got on her knees? Climbed on my lap? Not knowing may drive me fucking insane. I spend the rest of the two hour flight thinking about each and every one of those scenarios in explicit detail.

…

Zack was on fire tonight. I had two touchdown receptions and enough receiving yards to probably bump my numbers up to the second best wide receiver in the entire league. The home fans stayed quiet the whole first half, and by the second the stands started clearing out with our twenty-four point lead.

After showers we loaded up on our rental buses and headed back to the hotel to celebrate with a late dinner. Zack and his girl are nowhere to be found, and I know he's taken her upstairs instead of a slut for the first time ever. I don't even think about messing with the fangirls that came up to us as the guys and I wait for a table in the hotel lobby. It isn’t just because of the threat they pose to my contract, either. No, there's another woman on my mind tonight. A raven haired beauty with golden eyes who is at this very moment watching me from across the room.

Oh God.

…

Addison

I'd been hesitating, wondering how Jake would react to me being here when he caught me staring at him. At first his eyes widened in surprise. Then I waited for the anger that I figured was coming. Instead he bolted into the men's bathroom. Um, okay. I hadn't been expecting that response. Sure, I'd hoped he'd be happy to see me, even if I was bracing myself for the anger.

Determined to wait him out, I head over to stand next to the bathroom door. And wait. Then wait some more. When a man in a gray jacket pushes open the door to go inside, the sounds of someone retching echoes and escapes. Is that Jake? Is he sick? When the same man in gray comes out I glance around to make sure no one's watching and then slip in through the door.

It's a small, one stall and two urinal bathroom that's thankfully kept spotless by the staff here. Quietly moving in farther, the door to the stall is open and inside it I find Jake, on his knees, hugging the toilet a second before he starts throwing up again. It's a horrendous sound, and I instantly sympathize.