Forbidden Jocks [the step-brother series]

MORNING PRACTICE- Daxton

DAXTON POV

The kitchen was quiet, save for the soft hum of the refrigerator and the occasional clink of glass as Henry and I went through our morning routine. The sky outside was still a deep shade of blue, with just the faintest hint of dawn peeking over the horizon. It was early, earlier than usual, but I liked it that way. Less noise, fewer distractions, just the steady rhythm of another day starting.

I watched as Henry poured protein powder into the blender, his movements precise and focused. He didn’t say a word, and neither did I. We didn’t need to. The silence between us was comfortable, filled with unspoken understanding. We’d been doing this for as long as I could remember—waking up before the sun, hitting the gym, pushing our bodies to the limit before the rest of the world even opened their eyes.

As the blender whirred to life, I leaned against the counter, my thoughts drifting back to the night before. Hanging out with Maria had been...nice. More than nice, actually. It was easy to be around her, and that was a dangerous thing. I couldn’t afford distractions, not with everything I had going on, but Maria was becoming impossible to ignore. Especially when she was wearing those damn yoga pants that hugged every curve of her body.

I gritted my teeth, trying to shake the image from my mind. The last thing I needed was to walk into the locker room with a hard-on. Deep breaths, I told myself, focusing on the mundane task of pouring the shake into my cup. Deep breaths and the thought of Jack’s hairy ass. That did the trick.

“Ready?” Henry’s voice broke through my thoughts. He was already at the door, his keys in hand, looking at me with that expectant expression he always had when he was in a hurry.

“Yeah, let’s go.” I grabbed my bag and followed him out, the cool morning air hitting my face as we stepped into the garage. The drive to campus was just as quiet as the kitchen had been. Henry was focused on the road, his expression neutral, but I knew him well enough to sense the simmering impatience beneath the surface. He hated being anything other than the first to arrive at the gym. It was like a personal insult to him if anyone else beat us there. Egomaniac.

I stared out the window, trying to clear my mind, but all I could think about was Maria. Hanging out with her last night had been comfortable, almost too comfortable. And seeing her in those yoga pants, with that tight, round ass... Damn it. I needed to focus. I couldn’t walk into practice with my head full of thoughts about her, or worse, walk into the locker room with a hard-on. That would definitely not go over well.

By the time we pulled into the parking lot, I’d managed to get myself under control. But when I saw the number of cars already there, I couldn’t help but groan inwardly. Henry was going to be pissed. He loved being the first to arrive, the first on the court, like it was some kind of mark of superiority. I could already see the tension in his jaw as he parked the car.

As soon as we walked into the locker room, the atmosphere was thick with the usual pre-practice banter, but it all stopped for a moment when that i***t Blake saw us coming. He smirked, his eyes lighting up with that annoying gleam he got whenever he thought he was being clever.

“Henry, you’re late, man,” Blake teased, his voice dripping with mock concern. “I was starting to think you lost your edge.”

Henry shot him a look that could’ve killed on the spot, his blue eyes narrowed to slits. Served him right, I thought, resisting the urge to smirk myself. Henry hated being ribbed about anything, especially when it came to his punctuality. It was like poking a bear with a stick—stupid and asking for trouble.

We quickly changed and hit the court, the tension from earlier dissolving as we got into the rhythm of practice. The drills were intense, as always, pushing us to the limit. But that was what I loved about basketball—the way it demanded every ounce of focus, every bit of energy. For those hours on the court, nothing else mattered. Not school, not family, not even the complicated feelings swirling in my head about Maria.

Sweat poured down my face as we ran through the last set of drills, my muscles burning with the effort. But it felt good, the kind of pain that came with knowing you were getting stronger, faster, better. When Coach finally called it, I was drenched, my breath coming in ragged gasps, but I felt alive, my mind clearer than it had been in days.

We hit the showers, the hot water pounding away the last remnants of exhaustion. As I stood there, letting the water wash over me, I found my thoughts drifting back to Maria again. I couldn’t stop thinking about her, about how she’d looked last night, and how I’d caught her stealing glances at Henry and me. Was it my imagination, or had there been something more in those looks? Something that made my chest tighten and my gut clench.

“Let’s grab breakfast at that café,” Henry suggested as we were getting dressed, his tone casual, but I could see the glint in his eyes. The same café we’d taken Maria to yesterday. “You know, the one Maria works at?”

“Yeah, sure,” I replied, trying to sound nonchalant even though my mind was already racing. Henry wasn’t suggesting this out of the blue. He wanted to see how that manager—James, was it?—would act around Maria this morning. I wanted to see it too, to see if the guy was just friendly, or if he was trying to get closer to her in a way that had nothing to do with work.

The drive to the café was quiet, but this time, the silence was loaded with anticipation. When we pulled up and walked inside, the first thing I saw was Maria, flushed and smiling nervously as she talked to someone.

Blake. What the hell was Blake doing here? And why was he talking to her like that?

I didn’t even have to look at Henry to know he was just as pissed as I was. My jaw clenched, and I felt a surge of something hot and possessive coil in my chest. Seeing Maria like that, with someone else... It was wrong. She was ours.

I walked over, my steps slow and deliberate, trying to keep my cool. But the closer I got, the more I wanted to rip Blake’s head off for even thinking he could get close to her.

"Maria," I called out, my voice low and steady, but there was no mistaking the edge in it. She turned, her eyes widening slightly when she saw us. Blake looked up too, and for a split second, I saw something flicker in his eyes—fear, maybe? Good. He should be scared.

“Dax, Henry,” she greeted us, her voice a little too bright, too forced. She was nervous, and that made me even more determined to find out what the hell was going on. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Just grabbing some breakfast before class,” I replied, my gaze flicking briefly to Blake before settling back on her. “Didn’t know you had the first shift this morning. Could’ve given you a lift.”

“Yeah, I, uh, didn’t want to bother you guys,” she said, her cheeks flushing even more.

“Not a bother,” Henry chimed in, his voice smooth but with that underlying tension I knew so well. He was pissed, but he was keeping it together—for now.

Blake's eyes shifted between Maria and us, curiosity gleaming in them. "So, how do you guys know Maria? You have classes together or something?"

Henry’s response was quick, his voice edged with a possessive undertone. "She’s our... stepsister." The words hung in the air, and I watched as Blake’s eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, the realization dawning on him.

"Stepsister, huh?" Blake said, his gaze sliding back to Maria with renewed interest. Oh, hell no. I could practically see the gears turning in his head, the idea of hitting on her suddenly becoming all too tempting.

He started to say something, his lips curling into a smirk as he opened his mouth. "Hey, Maria, how about—"

But before he could finish, James appeared out of nowhere, sliding smoothly into the conversation with an almost too-casual ease. "Maria," he said, his voice firm, cutting off Blake mid-sentence, "why don’t you go take the order at that table near the entrance?" He pointed to a group of girls who had just walked in, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Maria looked between us, hesitation flickering in her eyes, but she nodded and hurried off to do as she was told. I watched her go, the tension in my chest tightening.

As soon as she was out of earshot, James turned to us, his expression hardening. "So," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly, "what can I get you guys for breakfast? Or did you just come in to mess with Maria?"

Was he serious? I exchanged a quick glance with Henry, who looked just as taken aback as I was. The nerve of this guy. I felt a flare of irritation, my protective instincts surging to the surface.

"Just breakfast," Henry said smoothly, but there was an unmistakable edge in his voice. He didn’t like being challenged, especially not by some café manager who didn’t know his place.

James didn’t seem fazed, though. He just stood there, waiting for our order with a look that made it clear he wasn’t going anywhere until we gave him an answer. The way he spoke, the way he sent Maria away like that... it rubbed me the wrong way.

"Yeah," I added, trying to keep my voice steady. "We’ll take whatever’s on special."

James nodded curtly, scribbling something down on his notepad. "I’ll get that out to you in a minute." He glanced in Maria’s direction, then back at us, as if to say, Stay away from her. Then he turned and walked back to the counter, leaving us with a heavy silence.

I clenched my fists under the table, trying to rein in the surge of protectiveness that was threatening to boil over. No one talked to us like that, especially not about Maria. And Blake, that i***t, was still sitting there with a smug grin on his face, probably thinking of ways to worm his way back into Maria’s good graces.

Henry seemed to sense my agitation. He leaned in slightly, his voice low and laced with warning. "We need to keep an eye on this."

"Yeah," I muttered, my gaze fixed on where Maria was now taking the girls’ order. "No one messes with our … family."

Henry nodded, his eyes dark with resolve. It was an unspoken agreement between us. Maria might not know it, but she was ours to protect, and anyone who tried to get too close was going to have to deal with us.

Blake might have been stupid enough to try his luck, but we weren’t about to let that slide. And James... well, he’d better watch his step. Because no matter what his intentions were, Maria was off-limits.

We both sat back in our chairs, the tension still crackling between us as we waited for our food. This wasn’t over, not by a long shot. But for now, we’d play it cool. We had time, and we weren’t going to let anyone—Blake, James, or anyone else—get the upper hand.