Page 52 of Caught Up In You (Indigo Royal Resort)
“I’m sure you saw on the news or the Internet or wherever that I’m retiring. That I’m done playing football,” he said.
She nodded, confused. “Is that not true?”
“No, it’s true, come next season I will not be in the Liverpool squad anymore. It’s just that it’s not something that was my choice.”
“I’m confused…”
“I was dropped from the team.”
The moment of silence that followed those words made Cullen’s heart skip a beat. He couldn’t believe he had actually admitted them out loud.
The look on Leona's face was unreadable. He could tell she was still confused, but there was something else in there too. Was it pity? God, he hoped it wasn’t pity. He would be able to handle anything but pity.
“Can I ask a stupid question?” she asked, biting her bottom lip, as if she were embarrassed.
He simply nodded.
“Is that the sports equivalent to getting fired?”
The question surprised him. He hadn’t ever thought of it in those terms, but now that she phrased it that way, it made a lot more sense.
“Yes, baby, it’s the sports version of being fired. Although I guess in my case, where they publicly said I was ‘retiring,’ they made it seem more my choice, allowing me to walk away with my dignity,” he told her.
“Can they do that?”
“They can do whatever they want. It’s not like they were complete tossers about it. They are paying me out for the rest of my guaranteed contract, plus part of my option, and gave me a grand farewell. But they needed the place on the squad for some new hotshot. I’m old news,” he sighed. “Not that I can fully blame them—I’m thirty-eight, and I realize I’m not what I was ten or fifteen years ago, but still, I wasn’t ready to be done with the game.”
She wrapped her arms fully around his neck, pulling their bodies together, and squeezed. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he returned the squeeze and, damn, it felt good to have her in this kind of embrace. The feel of her body against his was comforting in ways he didn’t realize he needed, and she fit so perfectly. It was like she was cut out just to slide right in there, like a puzzle piece.
“I’m sorry, Cullen,” she said, her voice muffled from her being wrapped around him. She pulled back and rested her forehead against his, holding it there for a moment, inhaling deeply. When she pulled back completely, she looked him in the eyes. “I can't say I fully understand how the whole sports thing works, but I understand being fired. Or well, I conceptually understand being fired, because I’ve never actually been fired, and I’ve only ever really worked the one job, but I know that I live in fear of it, so I know the emotions that go into that, and…oh my God, I’m rambling…”
He kissed her lips lightly, slowing down her rapid breathing from all the words she just blurted out. She was so cute—with her brows furrowed, a nervous look in her eyes, worried she had said the wrong thing.
“You’re cute when you ramble,” he said with a little laugh. The blush that suddenly appeared on her cheeks earned another laugh, making her blush even more.
“So, now what? Can you play for someone else?”
“Well, that’s harder than it sounds. A, because they said I’m retiring so many teams are under that impression, but B, turns out a lot of other teams, even in other leagues, seem to think I’m not worth picking up.”
“Because you’re old?”
He could feel his face go stone straight as she asked the question. Did she really just call him old? He wasn’t that old…
“I am not old, Menina,” he said stoically, half scolding her.
“I mean for the game.”
“Yes, they feel I’m past my prime.”
“What does one do when they retire from being a professional athlete?”
“Lots of things, depends on the athlete,” he said, shrugging.
“Okay, so what are you going to do?” she said, pushing the issue.
“Not sure. That’s what I was talking to Oliver about this morning before you came outside. There is a coaching gig in the States that I have been offered.”
“Coaching? That’s so exciting!” she said, bouncing in his lap. Her center made contact with his semihard length with every bounce, making him harder with each movement. “I
