Chapter 10: Locker Room Rendezvous

Tatum's POV

Sammie and I are a giggling mess as we leave the sky box, joining the throng of fans leaving the stadium now that the game has finished. My hands are gripped firmly around Sammie's waist as we try to hold each other up on our jelly legs. In our tipsy state, finding the locker room in this crowded place is going to be harder than I thought.

Sammie suggested that I call my dad to come collect us from the sky box and guide us through the maze that is this stadium, but I told her I was confident that I could get us there. I also didn't want to annoy my dad after the game had just finished; he was likely going to be busy with the team doing whatever they do after the game.

But as we bump into fans, giggling and trying to walk on steady feet, I'm starting to regret that decision.

Someway, somehow, a man named Mike found Sammie and me slumped against the wall next to one of the women's bathrooms laughing as we tried to figure out where we were meant to be going. He didn't question our tipsy state or why we were laughing so much and guided us in the right direction. We walked through a door labeled 'Authorized Personnel Only' and down several hallways before loud voices filtered through my ears, signaling we had arrived at the locker room.

"Remember what I said earlier about Phoenix," Sammie whispers in my ear as we follow Mike, a very tall, and broad-shouldered man, into the locker room. "If you wanna get it, get it."

I playfully roll my eyes at Sammie. I understand she is coming from a good place and wants me to be happy, but I can't just 'get it' from Nico if that's not what he wants. I was just a one-night stand to him, and that's fine since I was more than a willing participant. He is the type of guy who could get any girl that he wants, so I need to remind myself of that fact. I'm just like any other girl in his eyes.

The room is packed with team members gathering around someone in the form of a circle. Messy gym bags with clothes and other items spilling out of them are lying haphazardly beside the lockers lining the walls, and the slight smell of body odor hits me as we move around to the back of the room to get a better view of what is happening inside the circle.

"You did amazing out there tonight, Cats!" my dad cheers from inside the circle. "Every single one of you contributed to that win tonight, and I couldn't be prouder as a coach to see us off to a great start to the season with a win."

The team members clap and cheer, some even smacking the other on the a*s which has me and Sammie looking at each other with smiles. I've always wanted to know what goes on inside a sporting team's locker room and I think I'm about to witness it firsthand.

"I would like to thank our star pitcher, Phoenix, for the phenomenal effort he put in tonight, and of course, to the rest of you who make this team functional. None of us would be here without any of you, so thank you!"

Sammie and I clap with the rest of the team members, watching as the crowd disperses and everyone begins moving toward the exit of the locker room.

I frown. "Where is everyone going?"

"To the spa room to cool down after the game and relax their bodies," Mike answers. I had forgotten he was still standing beside us. "Coach is going to go with them, as do I as one of the trainers and physical therapists for the team, so I'll leave you two ladies here to do…whatever."

Mike walks away, leaving us to watch as the team files out of the room. My eyes scan the locker room trying to find those ocean-blue eyes, tousled hair, and thick, veiny arms–

"Oh my f*cking God, who is that?" Sammie squeals from beside me, forcing my attention to where her finger is pointed at.

I spot Nico sitting on a bench in front of one of the lockers as he riffles through his bag, and to the right of him is a man standing over him whom I have never seen before. He is absolutely stunning though with his damp brown hair that is longer on top and trimmed around the edges, pale green eyes that remind me of moss, and an eyebrow piercing that shimmers under the fluorescent lights above. His height makes him appear like he can touch the sky and his lean body is just as toned as Nico's.

I can guess that he is the man Sammie is referring to.

With my eyes glued on Nico's back, watching as his taut muscles ripple beneath tanned skin, I shrug my shoulders. "I don't know, Sammie. Why don't you go find out?"

"He is so hot," Sammie murmurs, "like a Greek God."

I unlatch her hand from around my arm and push her in their direction. "Just go and talk to him. What's the worst that could happen?"

Sammie stammers, unable to form words. Whether it's from being tipsy or speechless in the presence of this man, I'm not sure. But before she can take a step forward, the man claps Nico on the back and walks toward the exit of the locker room.

Sammie stares at me wide-eyed and all I can do is encourage her to follow him. I'd much rather she chase this man than that w*nker she went on a date with. At least if this man breaks her heart, I know I have access to him via my father.

To my surprise, Sammie follows the stunning man out of the room, leaving Nico and me alone. My heart is racing in my chest as I walk toward him. Why am I so nervous to talk to him? Is it because I'm still disappointed that he didn't respond to my text? Or because we had a one-night stand and now we keep running into each other, defeating the purpose of a one-night stand? Ugh, this is so annoying. Get a grip, Tatum.

"Tate, it's good to see you again," Nico's husky voice stops me in my tracks.

"H-How did you know I was still here?" I stammer, staring at his back.

Nico turns to look over his shoulder, his ocean eyes looking my body up and down, making me shiver under his intense gaze. "I could smell you. I don't know anyone else who smells so strongly of lavender and something so sweet it makes my head spin."

I blush at his words and move to stand in front of him, unable to meet his gaze peering up at me. To say that I'm shocked by his words would be an understatement. The fact that he remembers what I smell like after only meeting three times is impressive and very… sweet. Which is ironic given the topic of conversation. I want to tell him that his cologne makes me want to lean into his neck and inhale as much of it as I can, but maybe that might be taking it too far.

I clear my throat and clasp my hands in front of me, willing the alcohol to shoot a boost of confidence through my veins. I wasn't this nervous when I first met Nico and we shared a wild, sensual night, or when we had a few drinks together at Mario's during our second meeting. So why the f*ck is he making me so nervous right now?

"Did you enjoy the game tonight?" Nico asks after I fail to form words and we stood in silence for a moment. It wasn't awkward, thankfully.

My eyes watched Nico's large, veiny hands as they skilfully unwrapped the tape from around his hands, his eyes never leaving mine. "Ye-Yeah, I did. You played very well."

"'Very well?'" Nico mimics my words and smiles. "I'm glad you thought so. If I had known you were coming tonight, I would've made the effort to say hello before the game."

I frown, confused by what he's saying. "I did tell you I was coming tonight." Nico's turned-down eyebrows and pinched forehead encourages me to elaborate. "I texted you a couple of days ago to say that my friend and I were coming to watch the game. Did you… not get it?"

Nico shakes his head and drops the unraveled tape into his open gym, resting his elbows on his knees. "Tate, if I had gotten a text from you, I would've answered it."

I want to believe him, but I know for a fact that I did text him, so why didn't he receive it? I shake my head softly not wanting to think too deeply about it. All that matters is that I'm here with him now.

"Water under the bridge," I say with a smile, trying to lighten the mood and show that the unanswered text is not important.

Nico smiles and stands to his feet, the muscles in his arms rippling as he pulls a jacket over his shoulders. The Cats' baseball logo is displayed proudly on the right side of his chest. "I'm surprised that your dad let you come to the game, let alone the locker room after the warning he gave everyone."

Now it's my turn to frown. "What warning?"

Nico's eyes hold mine for a brief moment before they widen as if he realized something. "Oh… you didn't know?"

"Know what, Nico?"

Nico runs a hand through his messy curls, pushing them away from his forehead before releasing them, making them fall into his eyes. "Coach gave a warning to the team saying that you're off limits."

My mouth falls open and suddenly my chest is filled with annoyance and frustration. I shouldn't be surprised that my dad warned the team against dating me after having visited him at work the one time under his wishes, but I am. It's more than him being overprotective of me. He's been trying to control what I do with my career and now he's trying to control whom I date when it's none of his business.

I chose to stay away from Nico because I knew my dad wouldn't be happy about it, but now I just want to say f*ck it because he went behind my back trying to dictate who I can and cannot date without my knowledge, and that pisses me off. I should be able to have the freedom of doing whatever I want with my life without the scrutiny of what my dad will think.

It could be the alcohol talking, but I think I've been suppressing these feelings for a while now and the alcohol is helping to bring them to light.

Without saying a word, I grab Nico by the open flaps of his jacket and pull his tall frame down to meet my awaiting lips. A surprised gasp leaves my lips at the feeling of him against me, warm, inviting, and oh-so-f*cking delicious.

Nico brings his hands up to rest on my shoulders, pulling away softly to catch his breath. "Tate, we can't do this. What about your–"

"I don't care about his warning," I breathe heavily. "I want you, Nico. Now."

Nico's bright eyes darken a shade, and an emotion crosses them that I can't put my finger on and honestly don't have time to care. It's as if he's trying to decide whether this is a good idea or not.

I need this f*cking man now. Heat pools between my thighs and I clench them tightly out of instinct.

"F*ck it," Nico grunts, attaching his lips to mine once more.

An excited squeal leaves my lips when Nico wraps his large hands around the back of my thighs and hoists me off the ground. Instinctively, I wrap my legs around his waist and hold on for dear f*cking life as Nico begins walking, but I'm too distracted by his lips on my neck to notice where we're going.

Nico kicks open a door and soon we're standing in a room that's almost pitch black save for a little light bulb on the roof. My back is pressed against a metal storage shelf filled with bags of baseball equipment, I can assume, while Nico is quick to fiddle with the fly on my jean shorts. I groan in response, holding onto his toned shoulders for support.

Once the fly is down, Nico's fingers dive right in, moving my panties to the side to run his fingers down my slick folds. "F*ck," Nico grunts. "You're so wet for me."

I throw my head back as a shuddered cry leaves my lips at the sensation. I'll never get used to Nico's dirty talk or the way he makes me feel. It's as if this man is the drug I'm addicted to and I just can't get enough of him and how he makes me feel.

Nico clamps his hand over my mouth while his fingers continue to play with my core, eliciting more cries of pleasure from me, but they're now muffled.

I bite back a moan when Nico runs his nose along the base of my neck, his warm breath fanning against my tender skin as he moves his lips to my ears. "Now, now, Tate, you need to be quiet. You wouldn't want someone to hear us, hmm? Or does the thought of being caught turn you on?"

I want to cry out but his hand over my mouth would make that difficult, so instead, I nod in response, making Nico's eyes light up.

"Such a naughty girl," he whispers, moving to slip two fingers inside of me. I throw my head back, another muffled scream caught by Nico's hand.

The sound of footsteps entering the locker room doesn't halt Nico's movements as we both listen to who just walked in. My eyes find Nico's and he shoots me a cheeky grin and continues his assault.

"Phoenix?" I hear a man's voice call into the room. Who is that?

"I know they were both here when I left, so I don't know where they could've gone." It's Sammie.

My eyes widen. Oh, sh*t, they're looking for us. All it would take is for them to search the room, walk into this equipment room, and find Nico's fingers bottomed out inside of me. The thought turns me on more than it should. Damn, Nico was right.

"Maybe we'll check the catering room," the man suggests, and I listen intently to their footsteps as they leave the room.

I don't have time to feel relief because the pressure in my core is building and I feel as though I'm about to tip over the edge at any second. But before that can happen, Nico retracts his fingers and lowers me to the ground, making me groan in frustration. I was so f*cking close. I watch in amazement as Nico swipes his tongue up his slick fingers, his lust-filled eyes never leaving mine.

"Now, Tate, did you think I was going to let you have all the fun? We're only just getting started," he grinned, and my eyes traveled down to eye the evident bulge in his athletic shorts, making me swallow hard.

It's this moment right here, with this glorious man standing as hard as a rock for me, ready to take me in this tiny a*s room, that makes me realize I can't stay away from him, despite the warning given by my father.

I'm completely enthralled by Phoenix f*cking Reid and I can't see myself being able to walk away from him.