Maddie

The following night before I'm supposed to start my new job, I'm a nervous freaking wreck.

Why am I so nervous about this? It's typical to have nerves before starting something new. I'm aware of this, but my hands are shaky, and my palms were sweaty all throughout feeding Izzy dinner.

Maybe it's because I didn't have Cameron beside me this weekend to calm my irrational fears. He's always been my voice of reason—a solid rock in the midst of my whirlwind of a mind. He'd know the right things to say. That's partly why I kept glancing at the door every five seconds while trying to feed Izzy dinner. I knew he wouldn't get home until later since he took a red-eye flight back.

I don't think my nerves stem only from starting this job. It's likely due to all the new changes occurring in my life that I have no control over. We don't have a house to call our own yet, and tomorrow is Nina's first day. Without having a room for her to stay in, she might quit.

Also, although I've tried pushing this fear to the deepest corners of my mind, I can't help but wonder if all of this is for nothing. Katie has my future in the palm of her hands with that video of me. With one click, she could destroy everything I've worked so hard for. This job that I'm so excited to start? I might not even have it come tomorrow, a week, or a month from now. Every single day I feel like I'm holding my breath. The minute I wake, I check my phone and all social media outlets, hoping it won't be the day I'll kiss my career goodbye.

"Maddie?"

Oh, god.

I hadn't even realized I'd been sitting on the couch, completely zoned out. My anxiety is so loud I didn't hear him come in. The baby monitor is beside me, projecting the image of my peacefully sleeping daughter. Sinking back further into the cushions, I rub tiredly at my eyes. "I'm sorry," I admit.

"Are you okay?" He asks.

In a pair of grey sweatpants and a fitted white T-shirt, he's the definition of a masterpiece. His curls are falling slightly on his forehead, in need of a haircut, but he makes messy hair sexy somehow. I'm pretty sure this man could make anything look sexy.

He sets his duffel bag on the ground and joins me on the couch, tugging me onto his lap. The smell of mint floods my nose... His scent. The familiarity of it makes it easier for me to breathe. "Talk to me," he presses. "Did something happen while I was gone?"

I shake my head. "I've just been thinking about the Katie situation."

His body grows tense beneath me. "We're going to figure it out."

"How? Even the private investigator you hired hasn't found anything on her yet. How are we going to find that video and delete it, Cam? Face it. She could very well hold this over our heads for eternity."

What does she even want? Is the fame and the popularity truly that important to her? There must be other men out there who seek the same things as her. They may not be as famous, but they'd still help her. Then again, she has leverage on Cameron. Why rope someone lower in status into this when she could have the hottest athlete in the world at her beck and call?

Cam grips my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. The sharpness and determination in them take my breath away. His eyes are a forest I want to get lost in and never return from. "I promise you I will find a way out of this. Until then, I want you to have your first day tomorrow and think of no one else but yourself. You've worked so hard for this, Mads. You deserve to enjoy every second of it."

"I know that," I start, "but it's easier said than done."

"You can't let her win. We can't let her win. Making this work long-distance was a sacrifice we both made, and it was all for this. For you to get opportunities like these and live out your dreams. I'm not going to keep looking over my shoulder day in and day out in fear of her and what her next request will be. I refuse to give her the satisfaction, you know?"

I nod in defeat, understanding he's right. Being paranoid like this is exactly what she wants, and although I'm petrified she'll release the video, I don't want her to control my thoughts. Like Cameron, I refuse to give her that satisfaction.

"I'm sorry for making this about me when I should be asking if you're okay." I watched his game last night, and they lost only by three due to a last-minute field goal by the other team. Regardless of whether or not he played perfectly, which he damn near did, any loss his team has he takes upon his shoulders. He takes responsibility for everyone's failures, not just his, and that's what makes him a true leader.

He shrugs as if it's not bothering him, but I know better. "It's fine. Tomorrow we'll probably go over the tapes, point out the errors, and then work our ass off to fix it. It's only the beginning of the season. We still have time."

"You played great," I say with a cheeky grin.

Pulling me further against him, he rolls his eyes, tucking a stray curl behind my ear. "You say that every time, Mads. I definitely wasn't at my best last night."

"Seemed good to me."

He arches a thick brow. "Coming from someone who hates football. I don't understand why you watch me play when you find the sport and all sports boring."

"And miss your ass being hugged in those tight pants? I will never miss a game of yours, baby." He knows I watch his games for more than just that reason. He's supported me through every twist and turn in my career. Football does make me want to fall asleep, but during Cam's games, I'm focused. If he came home complaining about a play he made, I wanted to know what he was referring to. I wanted to be interested in his career just as much as he is in mine.

"My ass can't be that intriguing for you to watch an entire game."

Now it's my turn to arch a brow. "Have you seen your ass? Maya and Ethan were out at a restaurant watching the game and texted me three times about how the women were talking about it the entire time they were there."

In the blink of an eye, Cam flips me onto my back, and the sheer force in it makes my head spin. I can feel every hard inch of his body on mine, leaving me no room to breathe. However, unlike the breathlessness anxiety brings me, I enjoy the kind Cam gives. He grabs one of my legs to wrap it around his back, pressing him further against me. I'm utter mush when he brings his lips to my ear and whispers, "Luckily, you're the only one who gets to see it, right?"

Well, technically not since the entire world has seen his sex tape. I wonder if the women were talking about that, too. Maya probably had the sense not to bring it up if they were.

"Only one who gets to touch it," he corrects.

"I know. I'm a lucky woman, aren't I?"

"Not as lucky as me..." Glancing down between us, he eyes my breasts with nothing but heady lust.

"Cam," I deadpan. "You're literally one of the most famous people in the world right now, and I'm..."

"About to be a doctor who will save lives? If we're comparing the two, you're far cooler than me. I toss a ball around for a living, Mads. No matter what society tends to idolize, please know that without you and others like you, the entire world wouldn't be able to function properly."

Damn him and his clever way with words. Then again, he's always been good with them. Back in high school, he was cocky and arrogant, but he knew how to talk to women. His voice sounds like honey combined with a drop of whiskey. He could make an ad for dentures sound seductive if he tried hard enough.

The sweetness of his confession swells my heart, and that drop of whiskey in his voice causes the blood to thrum beneath my skin. I run my fingers through his curls and then over his chiseled jawline, stopping at his full bottom lip. "Can't we agree that we're both lucky?"

His mouth tilts up into a grin before he dips his finger into the neckline of my t-shirt, exposing more cleavage. I'm not wearing a bra, and the knowledge of that causes Cam to chuckle. "I'm an athlete, Mads," he says, pushing his hand against my flesh. His fingers graze my nipple, and I arch my back from the rush of pleasure it sends from the top of my head all the way to my toes. "Do you know what that means?"

I'm surely not capable of speaking. All I can do is shake my head and whimper when he gently pinches and rearranges his body to sink between my thighs. "You know me well enough to realize I will never accept a tie. And in this specific competition over who is luckier?" He kisses my inner thighs, which are bare since I'm in a t-shirt and nothing else, and I swear I'll stop breathing from the expression on his face. The same determined sharpness stares back at me, but in a completely different way than a few minutes ago. "Know that I will always win, Mads."