Authors: Marian Tee
Silver’s jaw hardened, and a muscle started ticking when he saw Lace clutch at another guy.
She looked at Eva. Shouldn’t the other woman be mad now? Hadn’t Silver just called her a fuck buddy in public? Didn’t she mind?
But Eva only smiled at Lace.
Apparently not.
Her gaze never straying from Lace’s face, Eva stroked Silver’s cheek, her lush red lips curving as she pouted. “Naughty boy. You’re not supposed to call me that even if it’s true.”
Lace clutched at Anonymous Male’s arm harder.
“Sweetheart, are you all right?”
“Don’t call her that,” Silver snarled.
Fury flashed in Eva’s eyes. “Why do you care? I was the one in your bed last night—”
Lace looked up at her companion.
He was a very good-looking man, almost as handsome as Silver March,
Lace thought numbly, in her very biased opinion. But right now, she didn’t really give a damn about his looks or anyone else’s. Right now, she just needed someone to help her walk out of this shithole before she fell apart.
“Could you please take me away?”
SILVER
She was free to do whatever she wanted.
He told himself the words over and over, reminding himself that it was over between him and Lace. She was just too young, and he was tired of running after her. But then he saw Gabriel taking her hand—
He stood corrected.
Lace was free to do anything
but
leave with another man.
In a second, he had released Eva. “I’m sorry,” he told her abruptly before going after Lace.
“What do you mean you’re sorry?” Eva screeched from behind.
Not bothering to look back, Silver caught hold of Lace’s hand. “Where do you think you’re going?” The first touch of his fingers seemed to work like a trigger. Lace suddenly turned into a hellcat, kicking and hissing for him to let her go.
Around them, cameras started clicking, but Silver didn’t give a damn. All that mattered was keeping his woman in his possession.
“Let go of me!”
Behind them, Eva was screaming. “Come back!”
“Yes,” Lace hissed at Silver. “Go back to your
fuck buddy
!” Unshed tears shone in her pretty eyes. The sight of them made him furious and guilty at the same time because he knew she was only glaring at him to stop herself from crying.
Damn her.
It wasn’t fucking fair that just the sight of her tears wrecked all his defenses, making him feel something that he had been doing his damnedest to kill.
For a moment, it was as if the whole world melted into the blackness, leaving just the two of them alone.
Ah, dammit.
He really did love her still, and this girl, his little rebellious lamb.
She loved him, too.
Struggling to keep his voice even, he said harshly, “You’re not going anywhere.” Behind her, he caught sight of his brother, who was frowning. Silver nodded at Steel, an acknowledgment that he had everything under control. And he did. He only had to see her again, and it was just like when they had first met.
One look into her eyes and he knew that even though she had said a lot of shitty things about him, they had been all for show. Even though she had practically ground his heart under the sole of her hundred-dollar Nikes, everything she did – it had been all for show.
She was in love with him.
And since she was in love with him, it was easy to forgive her on the spot. He had to. He didn’t take girls he hated to bed, after all.
That was his next objective, right after he figured out how to get Lace to come with him quietly.
“Are you okay with leaving with him?” Silver heard Gabriel ask.
And that. Getting Gabriel out of the picture was of top priority, too.
When he saw Lace turn to the other man in question, Silver gritted out, “Over my dead body.”
She glared at him. “Why do you care?”
“Of course I damn care,” he roared back. He tugged her towards him again, his fury mounting when she still insisted on resisting. Like fuck he’d let her go. She was the one who came to him. Now, she had to bear the fucking consequences.
“
Why?
” Lace spat. “Why would you care when you already have
that
?” She turned to Gabriel again. “Please—”
“Leave us alone, Gabriel.” Silver’s gaze collided with Gabriel’s, both men sizing each other up.
“Who is this girl to you?” Gabriel asked him in Dutch.
“The woman I love,” he said shortly.
Gabriel blinked. “Ah.” He gazed down at Lace with regret. “I’m afraid this is not a battle I can fight for you.”
Silver gritted his teeth when Lace tried to hold on to the European prince. “No, no, whatever he said, it’s a lie.”
“It’s not.”
“What did you say anyway?” she cried out, still trying to hold on to Gabriel.
Watching her, he said simply, “I told him you’re the woman I love.”
Lace’s hands fell from Gabriel’s arm.
This time, when he took her hand, she didn’t protest. Behind them, Eva was still screeching, but one nod from him and his guards prevented her from even reaching him.
“You fucking bastard, you just used me, didn’t you?”
Silver flinched.
He had.
When he glanced down at Lace, she had a sick look on her face. Tightening his hold on her hand, he walked more swiftly, heading to the closest exit. Outside the ballroom, he took her to the powder room, knowing his guards would ensure they would not be interrupted.
When he turned to her, his little lamb asked in a halting voice, “You really…did it with her?”
It was clear in her eyes she wanted him to say ‘no’. That she would rather he even lied.
Silver let out a ragged sigh. She really was young, his little lamb.
But…
even so, she was the one who owned his heart, and because of that, Silver knew he owed her the truth, even if it hurt.
“Yes.”
Lace stumbled back.
He reached for her, but when she stiffened, he stilled. “Lace—”
She was blinking her eyes furiously. “I’m just trying to understand…”
“What did you expect?” he demanded savagely. “I practically begged you to love me, and you threw it back in my face.”
“I
know
!”
She was crying now, and he couldn’t bear it.
He pulled her into his arms, tightening his hold when she tried to get out of his embrace. “I’m sorry,” Silver said hoarsely against her hair.
“You’re. Such. An. Asshole.”
“I know that, too.”
“I can’t…I can’t even think of doing it with any other guy,” she sobbed against his shirt.
“I know.” He stroked her hair away from her face. “I’m sorry.” He looked into her eyes, wanting her to see he meant it, would rather slit his wrist than hurt her like that again. “I wish I could say the same, but…I wanted to hurt you back.”
Lace sobbed, “Such. An. Asshole.”
He winced, but then he felt her moving, her hands cupping his face.
She told him shakily, “But…I…I love you anyway.”
First Secret
One month later
Silver March, you asshole.
She glared at him even as she bit her lip hard, doing her best not to make a sound while he bounced her up and down on his cock. Restroom sex was hard, and it wasn’t just because of the cramped space. It was even harder when at any moment, her boys could barge in and figure out why it was taking her ten minutes – and counting – to pee.
Silver only grinned, and the wicked glint in his eyes told her he was in the mood to torture her even more.
A second later, he was flipping her around, her back against his. She let out a silent moan as he impaled her on his cock once more, but that wasn’t the end. As he lifted her up and down, Lace could also feel his hand moving, fingers grazing her tender skin—
Oh. My. Gaaaaaaaaaaawd—
Pushing her legs wide open, leaving them dangling over his on each side, Silver reached for her clit from behind and started to flick it in tandem with his fingers tweaking her aching nipple and his cock pounding in and out of her pussy.
She twisted around to look at him, and he took advantage by covering her mouth with his. It was the most unbelievable sensation, being kissed, fondled, and fucked. In moments, she was coming, her moans and his groans swallowed in their kiss as she writhed and jerked while his cock continued to ram into her soaking flesh.
“
Finally.”
Ivan shook his head resignedly when she emerged from the restroom six minutes later, not a single strand of hair out of place.
Before she could answer, the other players were calling out greetings to Silver, who was entering the complex from the main doors. Her cheeks flushed at the sight of him, but she did her best to sound surprised as she said, “March.”
His smile was angelic. “Wyndham.” He took a seat at the first row of bleachers. Even though her team always invited him to sit on the bench, Silver never did sit with them. It was as if he knew without being told that there were lines which were best left uncrossed.
Silver never interrupted either when she was coaching, but she could always feel his gaze on her, whatever she was doing.
When she came back to him, he patted his lap.
She froze. And then she shook her head very quickly. “Are you kidding?” she hissed.
But Silver was a very patient man. He looked at her and then patted his lap again. “We’re going to do this until you agree.”
Shit. Since she knew by now he wasn’t the type to bluff, she reluctantly headed towards him, dragging her feet and finally lowering herself on his lap, her back stiff.
“I want you again,” he whispered into her ear.
Lace turned red. “Will you please not talk about—”
“Coach?”
She tried to get off Silver’s lap, but he didn’t let her, his arm around her waist locking her to him.
Shit.
He was clearly in asshole mode again. She turned towards Vasyl. “What is it?”
“You think we can go for that alley oop play?”
She frowned. “No.”
Her point guard grimaced. “Why not?”
“It’s too soon, plus there’s the fact that your ankle still hasn’t fully healed—”
“It’s okay now,” Vasyl said, stiffening at the mention of his injury.
“No. It’s not.” When he opened his mouth to argue, she scowled. “No, and that’s final. I’m only thinking about what’s best for you so stop glaring at me, you ungrateful jerk. If you want your career to last beyond college, then you need to listen to your elders. If I say you need to rest, then you need to fucking rest—”
“Coach?”
Her tirade came to a huffing stop. “What?” she snapped. It was so exhausting to get mad. Damn these boys for being so stubborn.
“I get what you’re saying, but…” Vasyl smirked. “It’s hard to take you seriously when you’re sitting on a guy’s lap like you’re about to be his dessert.”
Lace turned red. “Y-you—”
In the middle of dribbling his way to the back court, Alexio paused in front of them, grinning. “Coach?”
That grin…did she even want to hear what this little punk had to say?
“You were really good earlier at pretending you didn’t know March was coming. You almost had us convinced, but…” He looked at her shirt pointedly. “Since I don’t think you need to take your shirt off just to pee…”
Lace slowly looked down at her shirt.
Ah, fuck.
She had worn it inside out.