Chapter Twenty-One
James
Ryder’s guest bedroom was empty except for me when I woke up that morning. I’d physically locked the door after I’d removed the third prospect from the bed.
I’d gone to the room to call it an early night after Gabrielle’s call, but the door kept being shoved open as girl after girl tried to claim her trophy. It was fucking exhausting.
It was way too early to be up, as the trail of unconscious bodies lining the way to the door suggested. I made it out without being called back that time and breathed a sigh of relief as I clicked the unlock button on my keys.
I dragged a hand over the scruff on my face. I’d let it grow that week. It was itchy. I hated it. It was coming off as soon as I got home. After I’d spent some time with Harper.
Then I’d get down to making an excuse to get out of seeing Gabrielle. I had been a good boy all week. I kept my promise to myself and backed off. I had only slipped up once by sending her a picture of my chute. She hadn’t responded. No surprise there.
My dick hated me for backing off. Shit, I hated me for it, but once my mind was made up, it tended to stay that way.
I should’ve ignored Gabrielle’s call the night before, but I’d been bored as shit at Ryder’s party. None of the fake tits and faker laughs held any appeal.
Also, as soon as her name came up on my display, the weirdest fucking feeling came over me. Like she needed me. I couldn’t ignore that.
Hearing her voice had hit me harder than it should have. Way fucking harder. Then when she asked me if there was anything going on between us, I couldn’t bring myself to say no.
At the time, I’d told myself that she deserved to hear it in person and that was why I choked on the word.
The bright morning sun had burnt away the haze of alcohol and the sense of security brought on by the dark of night and shone a light on that part of me that knew that I’d lied to myself.
I didn’t know why I hadn’t been able to say the word and let her go without ever seeing her again, but it wasn’t only because she deserved to hear it in person.
My phone spun in the air and landed soundlessly back in my palms. I laid on my back on my bed, playing my own version of catch with my phone. I had to be at Gabrielle’s in an hour. I wanted to call her to cancel, but that didn’t seem fair to her.
Half an hour later, I grabbed my keys and hopped into the Rover. I was going to pick up dinner, go to her house, and tell her the truth.
“I wasn’t sure that you were going to show up,” Gabrielle said, swinging open her front door and ushering me inside.
My heart pounded at the sight of her. Fuck me; she was gorgeous.
Her soft curls were pulled into a messy ponytail. She wore no makeup, except for mascara that darkened her long lashes and accentuated her deep blue eyes. Those curves that drove me crazy were wrapped in a floral print sundress that made my fingers itch to rip it off.
My fists clenched at my sides to keep from doing just that.
You’re not a fucking caveman, Skye. Show some self-control, for fuck’s sake.
I cleared my throat. She was still waiting for my answer. “Neither was I.”
She nodded to the takeout bag I was carrying. Confusion flashed in her eyes, her brows knitted. “You brought dinner?”
“Yeah, is that a problem?”
“No, not a problem. Just a surprise.”
“Why?”
“I thought that what you’d come here to say would be over in a minute or so, not last long enough for an entire dinner. Unless the dinner is only for me and is comfort food?”
“It’s for both of us.”
“Oh.”
“Oh? Is that all I get now?” We still stood in her entrance hall. She was rooted in place, as if she’d been planted there.
“No, of course not. I’m sorry, you better come on in, then. Thanks for bringing dinner.” She reached up to scrunch her ponytail, gave me one more puzzled look, and then spun on her heel and marched into the house.
I followed her to the kitchen and set the takeout containers out on the island while she rummaged for condiments. “No problem; you wanted to talk. I thought we could eat while we do it.”
“Right.” Something was different in her voice. In the way she moved. Something was off. It took everything I had to keep from pulling her into my arms and kissing whatever troubled thoughts she was having clear out of her mind.
Just seeing her had me wanting to throw caution to the wind. Everything that had made me decide to break whatever we were doing off seemed a million miles away.
“I can’t believe that you actually came. With food, no less. I’m starving.” A smile played on her lips, bringing my Gabrielle back to me.
My Gabrielle? What the fuck. I pushed the errant thought from my mind. Hard.
We talked about nothing as we ate. By the end of the meal, she seemed genuinely happy that I was there. Strangely, I had to admit that I was happy that I was there, too. I had missed her that week, though I would never, ever admit that out loud.
“So, should we address the elephant in the room?” she asked.
“There’s an elephant? Where?” I joked, spinning in my seat and looking around wildly.
Her light laughter twisted something in my stomach. “Yeah, we probably should,” I said.
“Okay, I asked you a question last night. You told me we’d talk about it today. It’s today. It’s been fun catching up, but I think it’s about time to get to the gist of it. I’m listening.”
I whistled low and scratched at the back of my neck. “I should’ve known that you wouldn’t be taking any prisoners tonight. What do you want to know?”
“What happened on Monday?”
“Why do think something happened on Monday?”
“Generally, when people do a sudden 180, something happened to bring it on. Stop with the bullshit, James.”
People were telling me that a lot lately. I didn’t like that there were now two people in my life who could see straight through the layer of bullshit that I kept wrapped around myself. “You’re right. I was working out with Ryder, and I realized what I was risking by being with you if your dad ever found out.”
“Okay, that’s a good start. Carry on.” Her piercing gaze locked on mine. Christ, she was not making this easy.
“Do you remember that I told you that we were coming off a shitty season, and that’s why we were doing the extra stuff with some of the guys, even if it is the off-season?”
“Yes.”
One-word answers were a bad sign.
“That day that we met at your dad’s office, I was there to talk to him about restructuring my contract. I’ve been getting offers from a lot of other teams. Better offers with better teams.”
Her eyes lit up as realization set in. “That’s why he told you to come by at any time, to stay even though we were arguing about the bar exam. He thought he was losing you.”
“Yup. I’ve been honest with him about the other offers, so he thought I was leaving. I told him that I would be willing to stay if they made it worth my while. The truth is that my life is here. So is Harper’s.” I blew out a deep breath; I wasn’t used to baring my innermost thoughts. It wasn’t a feeling that I wanted to get used to, but I had to get through it.
“I don’t want to leave Miami, but if that’s the better option for Harper’s future and it puts me with a team that has an actual shot at winning the Super Bowl, I have to take it.”
She tilted her head at me, nodding in understanding. “You’re afraid that it would jeopardize whatever counteroffer is in the works if my father finds out about us. Then you’d have to leave Miami, even if you don’t really want to. You’re on the verge of having the best of both worlds, the money offered by the other teams that would secure Harper’s future, but you’d get to stay here and work at making your own team better.”
My mind swirled. My jaw dropped. I was stunned at how succinctly and precisely she had summarized my deepest feelings. Fuck, this woman was going to be a great lawyer.
“That’s exactly it. From my side, anyway. I also don’t want to risk your relationship with your father. I know that it’s more important to you than you let on. I know about his rule. I would hate to get between you two.”
Her expression softened. She hopped off her stool and walked around the island. Almost as if on instinct, my legs fell open wider to accommodate her, and I reached to wrap my arms around her as she positioned herself against me.
“Thank you for being honest with me. I know that it wasn’t easy for you.” She pressed a light kiss to my neck that had my blood running hot.
“It was easier than I thought it would be,” I surprised myself by admitting it. I wrapped her thick ponytail around my hand and pushed on. “You’re easy to talk to. You get me.”
It was a simple thing, but as I said it, I realized that it was completely and utterly true. Somehow, this beautiful woman in my arms actually got me. The real me. Too bad that it didn’t change a single fucking thing.
Her eyes fixed me with an intent look. “My turn to be honest, then. I want you, James. I have no intention of telling my father about us, and if he finds out, we’ll deal with it then.”
She took a deep breath and said the words that did change everything because I knew that they were true with every fiber of my being as she said them. “He might be pissed off as all hell, but the team is his life. He wouldn’t risk letting one of the best players he’s ever had slip through his fingers because of it. Trust me.”
I did trust her. Fuck knew why, but I did. I didn’t want whatever was between us to end just yet. I wanted her, too, and I got what I wanted.
I was suddenly hyperaware of her hands resting on my thighs, burning a hole through my jeans into my skin. I tugged at her ponytail to angle her face up.
Embers of lust burned in her eyes. I would be damned if I wasn’t going to set them on fire. I would burn the whole fucking world to the ground if that was what it took to see those eyes burning with passion as she begged me to make her come.
Her lips parted slightly. She recognized the fierce determination in my eyes and in the set of my jaw.
Fuck it all, I thought as my mouth crashed into hers.