Her lips, her smell and the softness of her skin, all of her- every beautiful, delicious inch could have been mine tonight.

Could have, but wasn't because Tim had an important soccer match tomorrow, playing against one of the schools in the area, and the nerves got the better of him. My brother wanted cuddles, and I wanted Sky.

It took the little dude two hours to fall asleep, and now I lay in my bed, wide awake and frustrated. Sky wanted more, and leaving her without it had been a wrong move, but my hands were tied.

I had obligations, and taking care of Tim was one of them. What if Sky got tired of it?

On the other hand, I wanted to make the experience memorable for her. She deserved lit candles, and all night I would devote to pleasuring her in every way I had been picturing for weeks.

I wanted her to moan my name and not fear being heard. It would be our special night, where we would enjoy being with each other. I didn't want us to rush - not when Sky had never felt what I knew she'd feel when we were together. As close as I was to stripping her bare and putting my hands and lips on her, it wouldn't have been the way it should have.

And then, there were my nagging suspicions, rearing their ugly heads after I'd spent the previous night reading about abuse and trauma. I wanted to give Sky a chance to talk to me before we got closer because I desperately wanted to be wrong.

I didn't know how I would handle the situation if that bastard did something unforgivable, but I knew myself. Trust was everything to me. For the first time since my cheating high school girlfriend and I broke up, I found myself wanting to be in a relationship, but it wouldn't happen if Sky refused to be honest.

Suspicions and doubts would erode the fragile connection we'd created. More than that, I could unknowingly do something that would hurt her. I would hate it if she ran away from me like she'd done several times.

Letting out a deep breath, I covered my eyes with my forearm and ordered myself to relax, push the images of the blue-eyed girl out of my mind, and get much-needed sleep.

***

In the morning, I took a quick shower and dressed for work before going to the kitchen to get our breakfast ready. Sky was still asleep. I knew she didn't have her first lecture and would stay in bed longer.

Having made some orange juice, I poured it into three glasses and placed one of them on a tray together with a bowl of oatmeal with fruit and yogurt and a cup of coffee - black, no sugar, no cream. The way Sky liked it.

Then, I grabbed a notepad and tore off a page. Thinking for a moment, I wrote, 'sorry for yesterday. I owe you the biggest O in the history of Os' on the paper square, and put the note next to Sky's breakfast.

Tim entered the kitchen, then, still in his pajama, with his hair sticking out in all directions.

"Morning, buddy," I greeted my brother. "Today's the big day, huh? I thought you'd be dressed by now."

Tim frowned and then sighed. "What if we lose, Liam?"

"It will be alright, just try to do your best and enjoy the match. It's just a game, Tim. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Now, sit down and let me give you your breakfast."

I turned around and faced the counter, pouring some milk over my brother's cereal, my mind already in overdrive, focused on the long day ahead. Aiden, Ellie, and Sky would go with me to see Tim play soccer in the afternoon. Before that, I had a meeting with a customer and another with the guy who knew a great deal about wills.

"I owe you the biggest O I heard Tim mutter as he read the words that weren't meant for him from the note. "What do you owe Sky, Liam?" my brother asked, and I wanted the ground to swallow me whole as I pretended to be fascinated by the bowl with superheroes on it.

"An orange," I blurted out. "I owe Sky a big orange."

Tim giggled. "Why would Sky want an orange when she has orange juice?"

"It's different," I said, placing the bowl in front of my brother. "Now, eat if you don't want to be late for school."

I grabbed the tray, ready to leave the kitchen, and take it to Sky's bedroom. I had barely made a few steps when I felt Tim pat my back. Turning around, I saw a big orange in his hand.

"You forgot the most important thing, Liam."

***

Excited chatter filled the air around us as Tim, and I sat in the bleachers before his match.

Aiden, Ellie, and Sky were yet to arrive. Both girls had afternoon lectures, and Aiden was at a meeting downtown. Victor let me leave the office earlier to help my brother get ready for the game.

Tim dangled his feet, observing the pitch. "Liam," he called me, "how are kids made?"

I nearly dropped my phone as I focused my eyes on my little brother. My mind was surely in the gutter, imagining things. "What?"

"I asked you how kids were made."

"Why do you want to know?"

"You always tell me not to answer you with another question, Liam. Antoine asked me if I knew, and I said I would ask you."

I cleared my throat. "Well...um...okay. When two people love each other, they um...want to have babies."

Tim rolled his eyes. "I know, but how?"

"Well, you need something from a man and something from a woman. When those two things are joined, a baby is made."

"What two things, Liam?"

"Um...the cells that carry genetic information of both parents. Two cells become one, and a baby is formed."

Tim frowned. "Interesting, but maybe you have to buy me the same book Antoine has. It said you needed a penis and a vagina to make those cells meet. I'm sorry you didn't know, Liam."

I didn't know whether I had to laugh or cry when Tim gave me a hug and then rushed toward his coach, who motioned for my brother to come closer.

"Hey there!" I heard Aiden's voice and then saw him and the girls. "I was afraid we wouldn't make it here on time, man. It's about to start, right?"

"Yeah. Come on; I saved you the seats."

I kissed Ellie's cheek and then Sky's, hating that I couldn't press my mouth to hers instead.

Aiden sat down with Ellie by his side, immediately drawing his arm around her shoulders.

Sky looked at me, failing to bite back a grin. "The biggest O, huh?" she whispered.

"That's right, sweetheart. You'd better get ready," I said in her ear and pressed a quick kiss below it, positive that our friends didn't notice.

Soon, the bleachers got crammed with parents, friends, and relatives of the kids from both schools. The match started.

"Go, Tim!" Sky yelled, jumping off her seat when my brother gained possession of the ball and ran forward, dodging a couple of other kids who tried to steal the ball from him.

"Pass it!" This time, the words came from Aiden, who didn't tear his eyes away from the pitch.

Aiden was right. The gates were too far to score. Risking it might not be smart. A pass to another striker closer to the gates was a more secure move.

I saw Tim glance at me. Then, he kicked the ball. Gasps were heard when it flew over the goal line. Tim scored the first goal for the team, making the rest of his teammates rush over to him and squeeze him in a hug.

"Well-done, buddy!" I yelled, my voice drowning in the noise around me. Somehow, Tim heard me, giving me a thumbs-up before the match restarted.

The other team didn't have a chance. Tim scored one more goal, and the third one came from one of his teammates.

"They are so damn good," Aiden said when the game finished, and the kids went to take a shower and get changed.

"No kidding," I replied. "Tim told me his school took soccer seriously, but I didn't realize how good the level was."

"Great game, buddy!" Aiden high-fived my brother when he was back.

"Thank you, Aiden." Tim grinned before accepting a tight hug from Sky and then Ellie.

I crouched down next to my brother and ruffled his hair. "I'm proud of you. Great match."

"Thank you." Tim smiled. "Are we going to eat soon? I'm hungry."

Chuckling, I rose to my feet. "How about right now?"

"We are gonna celebrate," said Aiden. "Does pizza sound good?"

"Yeah," Tim replied, his eyes sparkling.

"Let's go, then."

I grabbed my laptop bag from the chair and got ready to leave when a man in a suit came up to me. "Good afternoon. Are you the boy's father?"

Aiden threw a glance in my direction with his eyebrows bunched up. Tim was talking to Sky and missed the exchange.

"Go ahead and wait next to the car," I said to my friend. "I'll be there in a few."

Aiden nodded, taking Ellie's hand in his. Sky hugged Tim, who swiveled his head around to look at me before the four of them sauntered away.

I refocused my attention on the man next to me.

"Tim is my brother. I'm his guardian. And you are..."

"My name is Andre. I represent Paris Saint-Germain Football Club."

"Liam," I said, shaking his hand.

The man reached into the pocket of his coat and pulled out a card. "My credentials and contact details are here. I was watching your brother play. Have you heard of our Player Development Program?"

I shook my head, unsure of what direction the conversation would take.

"Right. It's a program for children to improve their football skills. Not the academy, because they need to be thirteen to be accepted, but we train the kids and see if they can enter the professional team. Is it something your brother will be interested in?"

"He loves soccer," I said. "I guess I will have to ask him."

"Can I have your email so I can send you the details? We can get in touch later and discuss the offer if that's something you might consider."

"Sure." I nodded and pulled my card out of my wallet, extending it to the man.

"Wonderful." He smiled. "I'll email everything to you within an hour. It was nice meeting you."

"Likewise."

As soon as Andre left, I rushed to the place where I'd parked my car, spotting the girls, my brother, and my friend next to the vehicle on the parking lot.

"We can ride in my car," said Aiden. "Is everything alright?"

I nodded. "Let's go; everyone must be starving."

Aiden drove to a cozy Italian restaurant. We ordered pizza and dug into our food as soon as it was on the table. I smiled at my brother, who ate more than I thought he would, grinning every now and then, undoubtedly thinking about his team's victory. I, in turn, was mulling over the man's offer.

When we got home, Aiden and Ellie stayed with us to have a couple of drinks. Exhausted after the match, Tim went to bed early.

I took a bottle of wine and some snacks, and the four of us settled on the living room couch.

Aiden poured the wine into our glasses. "So, who was the guy?" he asked, handing me my drink.

"A talent scout from PSG," I said.

Aiden's eyes flared. "The football club? Are you kidding me?"

I shook my head. "I checked his credentials. Everything seems legit."

"What did he want?"

I grabbed my phone from the coffee table and pulled up the email app. "Read this, and tell me what you guys think."

The girls moved closer to Aiden and started to read.

"No fucking way," my buddy muttered. "That's amazing. They want to train Tim, and he might enter their professional team later."

"Yeah," I said.

"You don't sound convinced."

"I'm still shocked, I guess. How many kids get an offer like that?"

"Very few," said Ellie. "Why do you doubt?"

"I've never thought about this career choice for him," I replied, glancing at Sky. She had yet to say something, and her opinion was the one I wanted to hear the most.

"But he likes soccer," said Ellie.

"Yeah, but as a hobby. He enjoys playing, but it doesn't require the same level of commitment."

Aiden shrugged. "So what, man? He can give it a try and decide if he likes it enough to consider doing it professionally if it comes to this. For now, it's training."

"What do you think?" I asked Sky.

She smiled at me, taking a small sip from her wine glass. "I'm with Aiden. You have to take things one step at a time. The program looks good; it wouldn't hurt to try. I bet Tim would be excited if he knew."

"I'm sure of it," said Ellie. "Please, don't be one of those people who reject an offer just because it's not conventional. Painting isn't, and here I am, hoping to make it work. If Tim is good at it, he'll benefit from the offer."

I chuckled. "I'm not one of those. It's just unexpected, that's it."

"Some of the best things are," said Sky, smiling at me as if she was passing me a message only I could understand.

"Cheers to the offer," said Aiden, raising his glass. "Think about it, but I think you should say yes."

We had drinks and chatted some more. As soon as our friends were gone, I pulled Sky to me and drew my arms around her, pressing a kiss to her neck.

"Will Tim need cuddles tonight?" she whispered.

Chuckling, I stroked her back. "I'd say he won't, but you never know."

Sky moved her hand to the nape of my neck and then pressed her lips to mine. "I was hoping you'd want to be with me tonight."

I loved this straightforward, bolder side of her. "Come here," I said, taking her hand in mine and leading the way to her bedroom.

Sitting on Sky's bed, I made her lower herself onto my lap.

"I want to be with you," I said. "But I also want to make it special. I want us to be alone."

"We hardly ever are." Sky chuckled, resting her head on my shoulder.

Tightening my hold on her, I sighed. "True. But Tim is going on a trip with his class in a few days, Thursday to Sunday. So, I was thinking about doing something special then. "What do you say?"

Sky whispered, "Okay." Then, she sought my lips with hers, kissing me with more passion than ever.

"You're not making it easy, sweetheart," I said, breaking the kiss and moving my hand under the thin fabric of Sky's tee to stroke her stomach.

"I'm making it hard." She giggled, shifting on my lap.

"Painfully hard." I bit her shoulder lightly and licked her neck, moving my lips to Sky's earlobe and sucking it into my mouth. "So hard, sweetheart," I whispered, enjoying the small gasps leaving her lips.

"I need cuddles tonight," Sky said, kissing my mouth again.

"And I need to give them to you."

Then, another thing on my mind urged me to cup Sky's cheek in my palm and make her look at me.

"Before I cuddle you, I need to know something."

"What?" asked Sky.

I stroked her jaw with my thumb. "If there is something important that you haven't told me, I need you to do it. If there's something I should know, can you promise you will be honest with me and tell me whatever it is before we get closer?"

Sky lowered her eyes for a second. Then, she grabbed the back of my neck and pulled my face to hers. Her tongue darted out, and she licked my bottom lip before kissing me as she'd never done before.

I fell onto the bed with her on top of me and cupped her ass with my palms, letting the wet, fiery kiss and her closeness consume me, swallow me whole and make me forget everything but her.

Everything but her and the promise I didn't hear Sky make.