We lie in my hotel bed, Eloise tracing the bruises on my chest after the slowest, hottest hour of her riding my cock.

“Does it hurt?” Her accent, low and soft, tickles the hair on my pecs.

I turn my face into her hair, inhaling her sweet scent. “Not as bad as it looks, promise.”

That’s a lie, but one I have to tell to get that worrisome look off her face. The one she seems to be wearing far too much lately.

Ever since the night in the parking with Mac and his boys, I can tell she’s been looking over her shoulder. Even though she solved my problems, which she didn’t have to do. True to her word, she let them run wild with her money for one week, and then shut off the cards. All in all, they took about two hundred thousand dollars … money that Eloise seemed to shrug off when my eyes had bugged out of my head. Even when I score my big professional contract, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to be that nonchalant about money.

But, they got their payday, and in exchange she’d bought their silence. What had she called it? Mutually assured destruction? Yeah, my girl was fucking smart.

A very large part of me felt like a pussy though, a coward who couldn’t fight his own battles. I’d had no way out, case in point being that they’d attacked me in a parking lot, bloodied and bruised me, while my girlfriend watched helplessly. The fact that I’d put her in a situation where a dangerous man could lay hands on her … I could fucking kill myself for that.

Since that night a week and a half ago, Eloise hasn’t left my side. We walk to every class together, eat every meal together, sleep at each other’s places every single night. The only time we part is for my practice, and then again when I had to leave with the team for the March tournament.

Two weeks of a possible eight games, if we made it through each with a win … it was college basketball on steroids. The entire grounds of the multiple arenas the games were played in were alive, living, breathing things unto themselves. Not a minute after we’d touched down I was texting Eloise, making sure she’d arrived safely as well.

I press another kiss to her hair. “Thank you for coming.”

She snuggles her warm, naked body to mine, and I feel my balls tighten up again, even after she just cleaned my clock. “Don’t be silly, I can’t wait to be a crazed fan.”

“It’s a good thing I brought my extra jersey then, for you to wear.” I look down at her, shifting my position so that we can be face-to-face.

“You didn’t! Oh, I’m so excited now.” Her smile is infectious, and I can’t help but palm her cheek and taste her lips again.

Is it insane that in the span of two short months, this woman has become my everything? For someone who doesn’t really have anyone close enough to make them feel in their life, I feel as if it’s kind of crazy for me to care so much about her. I grew up never knowing who my father was, with a mother who, at the drop of a dime, could forget my first name. My family turned their backs on us, all but my cousin, and my teammates growing up had essentially become the only close relationships I’d had.

But after confessing to Eloise, after what she’d done for me with Mac, I knew this wasn’t just a fling. Hell, I’d probably known it since the moment I’d laid eyes on her … she was the only thing I could see for miles at that encounter.

“You know I’m going to pay you back, right?” My tone is serious as sounds of rowdy basketball players filter in from the hall.

While the other guys are out enjoying the pre-tournament festivities, I couldn’t think of any other place I’d rather be but right here with her.

“You keep saying that, and I keep saying no. Seriously, Colton … I would do it a million times over.” Her blue eyes never leave mine.

I breathe out a pained sigh. “And I hate that I even had you put in that situation. Do you know how scared I was that they were going to do something to you, baby?”

She shrugs, one of the rare times I see her shy side and I love it. “That’s what you do when you care about someone.”

“No, that’s what you do when you love someone. Like the way I love you.” The words just come out, I don’t really think about them before I say them.

The air between us is frozen, her eyes darting up and searching mine. I don’t take it back, I don’t say anything at all. Because I mean it, even if this all seems like a whirlwind romance. Maybe that’s how it was always going to be for me, all at once and fast as hell or nothing at all. Meeting Eloise, all of the pieces just clicked into place.

When my girl doesn’t say anything, doesn’t return the sentiment, I change the subject. I don’t need her to say it right now, because I didn’t say it for validation. I put my feelings out there because I really mean them, and it’s time I start owning it all, everything in my life.

“So, at least you’ll have some company when I’m at practice or warmups.” I smooth her hair away from her face.

Those big blue eyes are still unsettled, but she welcomes the chance to the change our topic of conversation. “Yes, it was luck that the first game would be in Philadelphia … it will be so nice to see Nora and Asher.”

Her friends from London, who go to school in Philadelphia, will be keeping her company while I can’t. Eloise seems genuinely excited, and I realize she’s never talked about friends quite like she does when she lights up about the couple I’m soon to meet.

“Are you going to dinner with them?” I have to be at the arena in an hour to prepare for our nine o’clock game, and I already miss her.

Having the weight of Mac and his groupies off my shoulder, along with all of the dirty deeds I performed for them, feels amazing. Even though I feel immense guilt for how it happened, and that I used Eloise’s money to achieve it, I can go into this tournament with a clear head, and no anvil hanging over my skull. I can dazzle the scouts sure to be sitting in the stands, and take one step closer to achieving all of my dreams.

“Yep, they’re taking me to some meatball bar … who knows what that is. Sounds very American, so of course, I’m thrilled.”

I chuckle at her desire to try anything fried or in a red cup. “We’ll make a Yankee out of you yet.”

“As if, I’m a Brit through and through, as are they. Asher is going to grill you, I can’t wait. He’s even more devilish than I am …” Her smile is wicked.

But it makes me suspicious. “And how long have they been together? There is not some sort of history I need to know about, is there?”

Her laugh is genuine and it ends on a cackle. “Me and Asher? Oh, bloody hell, no! That boy is like my brother, my slightly devious, prick of a brother. And he’s only ever had eyes for Nora, rightfully so as she’s ace.”

“Ace?” I know what it means, but I love mocking her British slang.

Eloise rolls her eyes. “It means brilliant, excellent. Basically everything that Nora is, and in turn she makes Asher that way, too. She tamed him, you know … cut his bad boy ways to the quick and whipped him like an unruly horse. Kind of like I did to you.”

I tickle her side. “Oh yeah, who said I didn’t tame you?”

She rolls on top of me, lust pooling at the bottom of my spine again. “Okay, we tamed each other.”