“You’ll survive. I’m sure Amber would appreciate having the house to herself so she can work on her assignments.”
I’d been thinking the same thing. “Yeah, I might see if Gran wants to come with Ivy and me, and we’ll head to Eumundi Market or something.” A market was not a place I’d usually suggest going to, but the beach was out, as Gran wasn’t great on sand. Plus there’d be plenty to see at the market that would keep my niece entertained.
While the market was a tourist trap, I still felt unbelievably invisible since being home. The luxury of being free to wander a market or head to a restaurant or stroll one of the local beaches was hard to pass by.
Being a pro basketball player had afforded me little in the form of privacy. It was why I was such a homebody, and the guys razzed me for not going out more. But the whole public figure stuff blew my mind, even now. Other than my first year of getting a little carried away with earnings and my ego growing a little uncomfortably, it didn’t take me long to remember to be the man Gran raised me to be. And me being a dickhead to my kid sister on her single visit had a lot to do with that wake-up call too, especially when she’d demanded to go home early.
Since then, frugal and private was my middle name, and Jayden and Sutton loved ribbing me for being such a Scrooge. Not only that, but I legit tended to only hang out if going to someone’s home.
Nate standing naked before heading to the bathroom cut off all thoughts. Well, apart from the attention I gave his tanned skin and the smattering of hair on his thighs, leading so perfectly to his ass.
“Eyes off and get ice and make coffee,” he threw over his shoulder.
I groaned. “You haven’t even kissed me.”
Nate paused at the open bathroom door, having turned so I got the best view in the world. I made a show of my gaze eating him up.
“Andthatis why there’s no chance I can kiss you now without my mouth falling on your dick.” He sighed and looked as disgruntled as I felt, especially when his cock hardened. “Seriously, Ryan, eyes off the goods. You’re impossible.” He stepped away, closing the bathroom door behind him, leaving me chuckling and considering suggesting we stayed at his place tonight.
I loved sucking and jacking him off. It was the best feeling in the world, and when we sixty-nined, it was fucking magic. But having the chance to ride him, something we’d been reluctant to do while being under the same roof as my family, was something I was desperate for.
The prep, the mess, the bite of pain I’d already experienced with the hours of foreplay... I groaned just thinking about his cock. All that would be worth me giving him something I never had given before.
I finally got my butt into gear and got on a call with Micky. For the past hour, it felt like I’d been hit by a steamroller. It was no lie yesterday when I’d told Nate contracts were beyond confusing.
At the end of the day, I didn’t have a no-trade clause, and while the team wanted me agreeable to the trade, they didn’t need my permission. Saying that, Minnesota was in talks with Vegas, and it wasn’t a done deal. Yet.
“I think it would be a really good move for you, Ryan,” Micky said for easily the tenth time. “You know they’ve made it to the playoffs this year, and last year they got through to the conference semifinals.”
I nodded into the camera, acknowledging they were a good, strong team. “And they’re thinking of trading O’Hare for me?” I clarified. The more I thought about it, the more it made sense for both teams. O’Hare was a forward with impressive averages. Offensively speaking, the trade would work. And they needed the driving force of a younger guy like him to no doubt free up cash with the trade. While he didn’t have as much court time as me, I expected he also wanted the break and the chance to prove himself.
“That’s right.” Micky paused and sat forward in his chair. “You’ve got good notice here, and it’s not midseason. I’ve gotta ask, Ryan, why aren’t you all over this and as excited as hell?”
I rubbed a weary hand over my face, knowing I should be ecstatic about this. The reality was I couldn’t do anything about the trade. Not only that, but Micky was also correct. It was rare to be in the loop so quickly. Plus it was a strong team, making it more likely we could make a real go of it next year.
I exhaled and glanced at Micky. “This is good, Micky. Thanks for the heads-up.”
“Yes.” He clapped his hands and cheered loudly. “You focus on riding kangaroos or whatever it is you get up to down there.”
I rolled my eyes at him but smirked, some of his excitement beginning to rub off on me.
“I’ll let you know if the meeting’s going ahead in the morning, your tonight, right?”
“Sure, I’ll keep my phone on me.”
“Turn it up nice and loud, okay, kid? I’ll let you know any news as soon as I hear anything. Talk soon.” Without preamble, he signed off.
Collapsing back on the chair, I placed my phone on the table. My head buzzed, every part of me overwhelmed with the possibility. A trade seriously messed up any grand plans I considered with Nate, specifically having the support of my friends, but it wasn’t all bad, right?
Standing, I headed to find Gran and found her outside on the veranda with Ivy. “Hey, Gran, before we head out, you mind if I borrow the car to go see Nate real quick?”
“The keys are in the pot near the house phone.” Pausing from playing with my niece, she peered over at me. “Everything okay?”
“I think so. I’ll tell you all about it when I get back. I’ll be an hour, tops.”
She waved me off. “You’ll be fine for a couple of hours, as this sweet girl is ready for a nap.”
After kissing Gran’s cheek, I grabbed the keys, trying like hell to focus on the drive rather than the trade news filling my head. By the time I arrived at the store, I practically vibrated, and I had no idea why. Beyond that, I needed to see Nate.
