I’d gone in to check on Huey before I turned in for the night, and heard a low hum. It was almost too low to hear, but I had great hearing from a decade in foster care. At first, I’d convinced myself that it was just her brushing her teeth with an electric toothbrush. People did that.
But then I heard the unmistakable sound of a swallowed moan, slightly muffled, like she was trying to be quiet. And I’d stilled, like a statue. It had suddenly made sense why Huey’s nursery door had been shut.
I hadn’t been able to move. Even just thinking about that sweet, soft noise made my dick ache, and I stroked it harder and faster, imagining it was Nova’s tight cunt wrapped around my dick.
What made it better—or worse—was that I could’ve sworn she said my name as she came. As those muffled cries turned into one long moan of release, I would’ve bet my fortune on the fact that it was my name she’d breathed. Had she been thinking about me as she fucked herself? God, even the thought made me pump harder and faster until I was shooting my load all over my bathroom tiles.
I was so, so fucked.
Drying myself off, and still cursing my lack of control, I threw on some jeans and a light blue button-down. Running some product through my hair, I decided that was enough to go visit Muss. Of everyone in the team, Rigby and River were closest to their team captain. He was a nice guy, who’d been in the league for a long time. Sometimes that made people arrogant, but Muss was a genuine person who cared about the team, and also about the players in it. He loved hockey, but he loved his wife and kids even more.
I respected him, and there were very few people I could say that about.
I made it back downstairs in seventeen minutes, and everyone was waiting for me in the kitchen. Rigby and River were having a beer, and Huey was already strapped into his car seat. Nova was laughing at something Rigby was saying, her body leaning in close to his as she joked back. Their arms touched, his fingers brushed across her hip.
And jealousy was like a punch in the balls.
River was watching them from the other side of the island countertop, his eyes lingering on Rigby’s hand too. Feeling my eyes, he turned, and I saw the reflection of my own feelings in his expression. Envy. Jealousy, even.
Something had happened between Rigby and Nova, and it was fucking bad, bad news for us all. Even though it was what we’d wanted.
“Let’s go. We’re late.”
Nova stopped laughing at my tone, which was probably a little colder than I’d intended, but Rigby, that little fuck, just turned and smiled wider at me. “No worries, Dev. We’re just waiting on you. On both of you.”
River frowned. “I’ve been here the whole time.”
Rigby just shook his head, shooting me a crooked smile. I didn’t think he meant for the dinner party. I was pretty sure he meant something a little more serious. I didn’t want to think about what I couldn’t have, so I just scowled at him and strode toward the garage.
This day needed to be over already.
ChapterEighteen
NOVA
Clint and Julieta Vanmussenlived on a huge estate, but it wasn’t flashy. A single-storey place, it had sprawling grounds, with everything from trampolines and swing sets to what I thought might be a half-pipe. The gardens were beautiful, and judging by the dirty, grass-covered boots by the front door, they actually did their own gardening.
There was the general commotion of children inside the house. Rigby was grinning as he rang the doorbell, and a huge man with a shock of white-blond hair answered it quickly. His smile was wide and straight as he took in our small group.
“Cooper, Engman! Hey, Dev. Good to see you, man,” he said, thrusting out his hand for a shake before his eyes settled on me. Then they softened. “You must be Nova. The boys speak highly of you. I’m Clint.” He put out a hand, and I shook it.
Clint must have been in his late thirties, and he was still a handsome man. Not as hot as the men I lived with, and maybe his attractiveness had nothing to do with his square jaw and everything to do with the warmth that came off him in waves.
“Thank you for inviting us to your home. The guys say great things about you too, when they aren’t cursing you out for being a taskmaster.”
Rigby gave me a mock disapproving look. “Hey, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas, babe.” He hefted the car seat in his arms. “This is Huey, the most perfect baby in the universe.”
Julieta appeared behind her husband. She had wavy dark hair and eyes that seemed almost too big for her face, but they sparkled like she was up to mischief, in a good way. “Did someone say baby?”
Clint rolled his eyes. “Julieta has baby fever, like we haven’t been changing diapers consistently for the last seven years. At this rate, I should just buy shares in a company. I blame you guys; she's been talking about it since the game Nova and Huey came to last week.”
Julieta elbowed her husband. “You don’t seem to mind the baby-making practice,” she said with an arched brow. She reached over and hugged me. “So good to see you, Nova. And you, handsome little man, look how cute you are,” she murmured at Huey before looking around at the guys. “Are you and Dev doing matching outfits already?”
Dev flushed as he looked down at his outfit. He did kind of match Huey, with his blue button-down and dark jeans. “Accident,” he grunted, and Julieta laughed.
“Sure it was, big guy. I’m not judging. I think it's just adorable. Come on inside, I’m stealing your girl for wine time. I stopped breastfeeding this week and Mama needs to get wine drunk ASAP. Your girl is going to help me out. You guys are on kid duty.” She patted her husband on the butt before pulling me into the kitchen. She turned to me, one eyebrow raised. “I have serious questions for you, girl.”
Oh shit.