Three hours at the gym with Rye and there was still no reply from Matt. The more time that passed, the more annoyed I became. I kept telling myself that maybe he hadn’t replied because he simply hadn’t heard anything. He’d call when he had news. But Matt was my agent for a reason. The only thing my father had given me that I’d kept, because he was too valuable to give up. He was reliable, always kept me informed, and continuously pushed for my success. It wasn’t normal for him not to be in touch, and that worried me. Something inside of me—call it a gut instinct or whatever—told me that something was seriously wrong.

I was a decent player. I did as I was told, made the right calls when it came to the team. But it wasn’t fresh news that the injury I’d suffered at the beginning of the season had set me back. Even cleared for fitness, I was still unable to play the full ninety minutes. Although I continued to train daily and hit the gym, my knee never seemed to recover. Scoring was becoming a distant memory, despite the team coach telling me that it would just take time to regain full fitness. I wasn’t naïve. All anyone really cared about was results. That’s what it all came down to. Maybe even why Winslow F.C. were so quick to grant me an early release from the club should I want one, pretty much branding me a liability. I wasn’t ready to throw it all away, though. Football was all I’d ever known. All I’d ever been good at. And fuck if I’d let anyone take it from me.

When I left Riley at the gym, I told him I would meet up with him once I showered and changed. I didn’t. I was too wired to go home. I knew I’d only be pacing the floor waiting to hear something, so I went for a run. When that hadn’t worked, I’d limped back to the house in pain. Once the throbbing eased enough that I could put pressure on my knee again, I showered before crashing out on the sofa with just a towel around my waist to keep me covered and a cold bottle of beer in my hand. I hardly drank during football season. I was struggling enough to get back to full strength without alcohol tainting my system. Now the season was over, though, I could drink without paying the price for it the next day.

I was flicking through the cable channels, trying desperately to find something that wouldn’t add to the depression I was quickly sinking into, when my phone vibrated on the small square coffee table beside me. I glanced down briefly before picking it up, praying to God it was Matt. It wasn’t. Even so, a small sense of hope filled my chest as I stared down at the screen before me… because it was Mel.

I blew out a long breath and sank back against the leather sofa.

My eyes widened. It was obvious she wanted me. Her eyes had told me so last night, even though the words that left her mouth said different. But I hadn’t expected her to message me, let alone change her mind so quickly.

If she was willing to hand herself over to me knowing full well nothing more could ever come from it, then who was I to turn her down? Not many women were capable of satisfying me. At least with Mel I knew what I was getting.

Outside? “Fuck!” I jumped up, roughly pushing my hands through my damp hair. She was outside. And my parents were at home. Taylor was at home. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I cursed as I threw on a shirt and slipped on some boxers before shoving my feet into my trainers. My feet were pounding down the pathway quicker than lightning. Coach would be fucking impressed. I laughed to myself as I continued tearing up the pathway that ran at the side of the house

My parents hated Mel. After what she’d done to Taylor and Lola, I couldn’t really blame them. If they knew she was on their property, it would top them off. And I didn’t even want to think what Taylor would do if he knew she was there. The dickhead in me wished he’d come out and spot her. Knowing his ego, he would probably think she was there for him.

I knew Mel had guts, but I wouldn’t have believed she’d have the audacity to show up after everything she’d put them through.

As I approached the gate separating the backyard from the front yard, I carefully released the catch, trying desperately not to draw attention to myself—or her—as the gate creaked with each movement. I pushed it open fully, which seemed to dull the sound. When I blinked into the darkness, I spotted her standing against the wall. She was biting her thumbnail nervously, and only when our eyes met in the dark space around us did she drop her hand. I reached for it without a word and pulled her to me before closing the gate behind us. Her fingers tightened around mine as I guided her down the pathway, her tiny footsteps quickening as she tried to keep up with mine.

Once we were safely inside, I pushed her back against the door. She let out a gasp at my roughness and stiffened in shock, her eyes widening before she blinked up at me.

I pinned her arms above her head and pressed against her. I was already hard, but when her tongue flicked across her bottom lip causing it to glisten in the dimly lit room, my erection became unbearable.

My eyes lingered on her mouth, desperate to taste her.

“How did you know I was home?” I asked, cutting through the silence.

“I didn’t.” Her voice was barely a whisper as her eyes dropped to my mouth and stayed there.

“I guess you got lucky.”

“No, you did,” she retorted with that smart mouth of hers.

Then I lost it.

I had my hands grappling at her waist and her legs around mine in seconds. Our bodies were wound so tightly together that we were practically breathing as one. When I looked at her face, her dark brown eyes met mine and widened, so unsure yet flickering with a hunger that matched my own. Then, without a second thought, I crushed my mouth to hers.

Her legs tightened around me, her back arching off of the oak door as she moaned into my mouth, the noise lost as my heartbeat thudded in my ears. I slipped my tongue inside her mouth, exploring, tasting everything she had to offer. I was a starved man, desperate for the girl before him.

Mel’s tongue met mine with the same hunger and urgency, our breaths mingling together as we continued to torture one another with increased intensity. When I released her hands from above her head, her fingers latched into my hair, tugging and pulling at the short strands as I cupped the back of her neck, deepening the kiss.

My dick was impossibly hard now, fighting to break free and take what it wanted. It didn’t help my situation when her hips ground against my own, her heated core hitting right where it needed to make her pant in want. As much as it hurt to pull away, I did. With our mouths still connected, I lowered her feet to the floor, my fingers brushing her hip as I did.

When I pushed her vest high up on her neck, exposing her braless chest, she shivered in my arms. “Jake…” she moaned against me.

“No bra?” I growled, my teeth grazing her bottom lip.

Mel whimpered in response, her hands finding the hem of my shirt and lifting. I helped her ease it up and only broke our kiss as I tugged the shirt over my head and discarded it on the floor beside my feet. I did the same to the thin vest top that was bunched around her neck.

I gazed down at her in awe. It was as though I was seeing her for the very first time. The way her chest rose and fell, her round, plump tits pushing up as she breathed in deeply. I made a noise that resembled a raging animal and palmed her breasts with both hands, heat and the buzz of electricity dancing around us as I began to lose myself in the moment.

I continued to gaze down at her, my teeth dragging across my lip. “Stay the night with me.”

Timidity. Something else I had never seen from Mel. Not even around Taylor. But it was all I could see. She bit her lip shyly and nodded.

That was all it took for me to haul her into my arms and carry her to my bedroom. Her arms wrapped tightly around my neck as her mouth traced a line across my collar bone. When I reached the edge of the bed, I cupped the back of her head again and lowered her to the mattress, my knees firmly planted between her thighs as I leant over. My fingers slid to wrap around her neck as I lowered my mouth to hers again and used my free hand to unbutton her white, skin-tight jeans.

Mel tugged on my bottom lip as I shifted the material from her hips, down her thighs. I pulled back, taking her in before I pulled her legs free of the denim. Her eyes never left mine as I peeled away the thin piece of material that covered her pussy. A part of me wanted to take my time, to savour every moment. But I couldn’t. It was as if a hidden need inside of me had forced its way to the forefront of my mind until burying myself inside of her was all I could think about.

“Fuck,” I cursed as I tossed the underwear aside. “You don’t know how much I need this. You...” I didn’t have time to process what I’d just said for long before I settled myself between her thighs and pushed them farther apart, exposing her completely.

When I lowered my mouth to her centre, she sucked in a sharp breath, her thighs shaking as I pushed my tongue inside of her. “I love how wet you are,” I ground out, already missing the sweet taste of her on my tongue.

Knowing I’d lose it if I continued, I pulled back and forced myself to gain some measure of control again. I shook my head as if ridding myself of something, and slipped a finger inside her entrance before lowering my mouth to hers again. “Can you taste that? So fuckin’ sweet.”

“Jake, please…” she moaned against me as I pushed another finger inside of her. Long, steady strokes that caused her back to arch off the mattress. I knew she was close.

I slipped my fingers out of her warmth and hooked them inside my boxers before removing them. Nothing could have prepared me for what came next.

Nothing.

I sank inside of her, filling her up, almost forgetting to breathe as I took her mouth and drove my hips back and forth. Her hips met mine with each thrust, her pants and groans matching my own as we found our release together. Tomorrow, it would be like nothing had happened. But right then, I didn’t want to forget or miss a single second of it as I followed each wave of pleasure until the very end.