I rub my hands over my face. “I’d lost my mom, hated my dad for no good reason, and I was in a relationship that might’ve looked good on the outside but now I see how incredibly flawed it was. I’m not trying to dismiss your feelings, but Liza you had no reason to be jealous. Not everything is as shiny as it appears on the surface.”
“I know.” She wipes her eyes with a napkin. “Like I said, I see how dumb it was now. I don’t know what happened to make me feel so vindictive. It made me feel powerful, having his attention on me when he was yours.”
I frown. I know I should be mad, hurt even, but as I look at her all I feel is sorry for her.
“I think it’s really sad you felt that way, Liza. You’re all those things you think of me. And we both deserved better than Todd.”
Her lips twitch. “He was a prick, wasn’t he?”
“The worst.”
“You never miss him?”
“Not at all.” I smile, thinking of Cole.
As if my thoughts have conjured him, I see him walk into the shop. He must sense me staring at him, because our eyes connect, and he grins. He strides back to the table, oblivious to Liza and bends down, kissing me in front of everyone. I swear I hear a girl a table over gasp.
“Hey, beautiful. What are you doing here?”
I wave a hand toward Liza. “Catching up with an old friend. What about you?”
“I have a meeting with a scout for Atlanta.”
“Really?” My eyes widen. “Cole, that’s amazing! Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Nerves,” he admits with a shaky smile. Extending a hand to Liza, he says, “Hi, I’m Cole. Zoey’s…” He looks to me, like he’s seeking clarification before he blurts out, “boyfriend.”
I press my lips together, trying to hide my smile, but it makes me happy to hear him say that.
The girl who swore off men, especially basketball players, fell for one.
Oh, the irony.
I suppose fate knew better than me.
After the introductions are done, he gives me another kiss before ordering and sitting at a table to wait for the scout.
“He’s hot.” Liza looks over her shoulder at him.
“Don’t even think about it,” I joke, her jaw dropping.
“I-No-I-I wouldn’t.”
“I’m kidding.” I take a sip of my drink.
“Right.” Her cheeks are bright red. “Anyway, I guess I’ll let you go. I just wanted you to know that I’m sorry.”
“I forgive you.”
She exhales a weighted breath and starts crying again. “You have no idea how badly I needed to hear that.”
Reaching across the table, I take her hand and give it a small squeeze. “Don’t ever let another douchebag like Todd get in your way. You’re worth more than him.”
“Thank you.” She stands, cradling her coffee cup. “Good luck with everything, life, I guess.”
I laugh. “You too.”
I watch her leave and wait for her to disappear from my sight before I get up to go. A man has joined Cole, and as I walk out, I give him a sly thumbs up. His tense shoulders relax, and he gives me a tiny nod.
Pushing the door open, I step out into the cold so I can head to my parked car.
Once again, my name is called after me and I jerk to a stop looking around.
Teddy jogs over from a group of guys, most faces I recognize. Cree lifts his hand in a wave, and I wave back.
“What’s up, T?”
Teddy pushes his shaggy brown hair out of his eyes. “Cole’s birthday is the twelfth—” I jerk my head back at this news, since Cole hasn’t mentioned his birthday is a few days away. “—and I was thinking we could throw him a surprise party.”
“Oh.” I rub my lips together. “Um … sure. What were you thinking?” I can’t believe he didn’t tell me about his birthday.
“Cree’s down to have it at his place. Cole’s not a big partier so we’ll try to keep it small, but you know how it is once word gets out.”
“Right.”
“Any ideas on something he’d like?”
I think for a moment. “Root beer floats.”
“Ah, of course.” He grins. “Thanks for your help, Zoey. Cree and I will handle everything. Just get the birthday boy to his place by eight.”
“O-Okay,” I stutter, still taken by surprise that it’s Cole’s birthday in just a few days.
“See you later.” Teddy throws his arms around me in a hug I barely have time to return before he’s jogging back to join the guys.
I finally make it to my car and drive home. I’m not going to allow myself to obsess over why he might not have told me, but I sure as hell will be asking him as soon as I see him.
An hour or so later I hear the door open, but I don’t move from where I’m lying in my bed, staring at the last sentence I wrote on my paper that’s due Friday. I haven’t written another word in the last twenty minutes. I’m brain dead.
Cole strolls down the hallway and walks into my bedroom. He moves my laptop off my bed to my desk and then lies on top of me, hugging me.
“Cole,” I giggle, shoving at his muscular shoulder, “you’re squishing me.”
“Needed to hold you,” he murmurs into my chest.
“How’d your meeting go?” I massage the back of his neck.
“Good. I think. There’s no really knowing.” He looks at me, hesitating, before he says, “You didn’t freak out when I called myself your boyfriend.”
My fingers still. “No. I didn’t.”
“Are you okay with that? With being my girlfriend?”
“Yeah, I am.”
“Even if I get drafted somewhere like Atlanta?”
I shrug. “I’m not afraid of long distance and after I graduate in another year, I’ll be applying for a DPT program and I don’t have to do that here.” I trace the shape of his lips.
“You’re really okay with this?”
“Do you want me to run away screaming from us?”
“God no.”
“Good, because I don’t plan on going anywhere.” Being with Cole is the most natural thing in the world and I refuse to ruin it with unnecessary overthinking and obsessing. “Now,” I hold his chin, “why didn’t you tell me your birthday is in a few days?”
“It’s just a birthday.”
I shake my head. “It’s not just a birthday. It’s yours. I want to do something for you, get you something special.”
His hold on me tightens and he lays the side of his head on my chest. “All I want is you.”
I close my eyes. It’s not an I love you, it’s too soon for that, but it sounds pretty damn perfect.
“All I want is you, too.”
He places his hands on the bed, holding his weight above me. He kisses me and I sink further into the mattress, a moan rumbling in my throat from the pressure of his body above mine. I tug at his shirt, wanting it gone, and he sits up getting rid of the offending piece of clothing. With it out of the way I trace my fingers over his smooth warm skin as he kisses me.
“I want to make love to you,” he murmurs, into my neck before pressing his lips there.
I gasp at the feel of his erection pressing into my center. I wish I could dissolve my clothes so I could feel him all over right this second.
“Then do it.” I sound breathless as he peppers kisses over my collarbone and between my breasts. I changed into a tank top and shorts when I got to the apartment. We keep it nice and warm, and I hate wearing layers.
He chuckles, the sound vibrating against my skin. “Oh, I’m going to baby. Tonight. Tomorrow. The rest of our lives.”
I gulp at the teasing promise in his voice.
His fingers skate beneath my tank and he hisses when he finds me not wearing a bra. He cups my left breast, playing with the nipple.
“Cole,” I practically beg, writhing beneath him.
His brown eyes sparkle in the light of my room. “Beg,” he challenges. “Beg all you want but I’m taking
this slow.”
I whimper when his hot wet mouth closes over my breast through the cotton fabric. My core pulses with its own heartbeat.
My breaths are shaky, and I squeeze my eyes shut as he gives my other breast the same treatment.
My body wiggles beneath him and I can tell from his self-satisfied smirk that he loves knowing he’s driving me insane.
He undresses me slowly, like I’m his very own present he’s unwrapping.
He kisses every inch of my body, ignoring my pleas, and when he finally sinks into my body I nearly orgasm then and there. He rocks into me leisurely, like we have all the time in the world. I suppose we do. My nails rake down his chest to the base of his cock and he shudders, gritting his teeth.
“Zoey,” he pants my name, our hips meeting stroke for stroke. “Fuck, yes, baby. That’s it. Yes. You feel so good.” He rubs my clit, and I was already so close that I go off, my body shaking. I bite my lip, trying to keep my noises quiet but Cole plucks my lip from between my teeth. “Let me hear you, baby.”
He spreads my legs open wider, laying his body on top of mine. Our chests are plastered together, damp with perspiration. I wrap my arm around his back, holding us together as I rock my hips.
He speeds up his thrusts, unable to hold back a second longer, and comes, shuddering against me. His orgasm triggers another for me and we come down from our high together.
He smooths my hair back from my forehead. Our eyes locked.
He doesn’t say those three words. He knows I’m not ready.
But I see them.
I feel them.
27
Cole
“Why are we at Cree’s?” I ask when Zoey parks her car outside of the darkened house. “I thought we were going to dinner?”
All I want to do for my birthday is take my girl out and then go home and make love to her until we’re both exhausted.
She reaches over, squeezing my thigh. “I told you, I left my coat here the last party they had. You know, the one you dragged me out of.” She smiles.
I never knew you could feel a smile, but I do hers. It lights up the darkest parts of me.
“Right,” I sigh, reaching for the door handle. “I’ll go with you.”
The house is dark, but Cree’s car and Murray’s—who also lives here—is in the driveway.
Zoey slips out of the car, tucking her keys into the pocket of her tightly fitted black jeans. She looks incredible in those and a lacy top with a leather jacket. Since she has that jacket, I have no idea why it’s pertinent that she gets her other coat tonight. I could easily pick it up tomorrow for her.
She doesn’t bother knocking on the door, instead reaching for the knob and swinging it open.
Before I can ask her how she knew it would be open, lights turn on, blinding me, and there are shouts of, “SURPRISE!”
Several people pop those confetti things and blue and white pieces of paper float through the air, landing on me, Zoey, and the floor.
Teddy stands in the center of our friends holding a sheet cake that says Happy Birthday Cole with the Avengers on it.
I’m definitely surprised, that’s for sure.
“Wow, thanks, guys.”
Zoey smiles up at me, her eyes questioning. It’s obvious she was worried about this plan, no doubt executed by Teddy. I jerk my head in a nod, letting her know it’s okay. Sure, I was looking forward to dinner just the two of us, but this is nice too. These friends of mine are practically like family and who knows where I’ll be celebrating my birthday next year.
Someone cranks up the music, drinks are brought out, and we dig into the cake. As the night wears on there are even root beer floats.
“Isn’t this great?” Teddy asks, dancing around Zoey and me with a Zombie Dust in his hand. The golden retriever energy radiating off of him is astronomical. When someone finally captures his attention, and he falls in love it’ll be something to see.
“You did a fabulous job.” Zoey moves her body languidly against mine and I bite back a groan. She’s turning me on and there’s nothing I can do about it, except maybe drag her out of here to the bathroom for a quickie but she deserves more than a quick bathroom fuck. “The streamers are great.” She waves her hand at the ceiling where blue and white streamers are taped across the entire length.
“Maybe I’ll go into party planning,” Teddy muses, shaking his hips to the Shakira song. “You know, if I don’t get my inheritance and I’m barred from the family business.”
“What is your family business?” I ask. He never says much about it.
“Mostly just being a lazy prick bastard and letting others do the hard work.”
I don’t think he’s talking about the business.
He moves away and Zoey wraps her arms around my neck, the two of us slow dancing like two middle school teenagers to the cover of Time After Time by Quietdrive.
“Are you sure this is okay?” She rubs her thumb back and forth against my neck.
“Best birthday ever.”
She beams and stands on her tiptoes. “Don’t worry, when we get home, I have something else planned for you.”
“And what’s that?” I arch a brow, my hands lowering from her waist to her ass.
“You. Me. A bubble bath. And chocolate syrup.”
“Chocolate syrup, huh?”
“Yes.” She smirks. “You’re going to lick it off me, and the bubble bath is for easy clean up.”
I lower my mouth to hers, kissing her deeply. One of our friends whistles. Teddy yells, “Ew, get a room Mom and Dad!”
“You’re perfect,” I whisper in her ear.
She shakes her head firmly. “No, I’m not. No one is. We all make mistakes and do and say things we wish we wouldn’t have. Perfection is a construct to force us to try to fit in, but I don’t want to fit someone else’s mold. I just want to be me. Imperfect, me.”
I press my forehead to hers. “I like imperfect you.”
“I like you, too.”
Across the room I catch Mascen pulling Rory onto his lap on the couch. She giggles, curling into his body and he whispers something that makes her blush.
I had no idea a year ago that Zoey would come crashing into my life.
And I wouldn’t change a fucking thing.
28
Zoey
There’s an away game this weekend, and I’m already dreading Cole being gone for it. I’ve fallen hard and fast for the basketball player.
We pull up outside of my dad’s house in Cole’s truck. I didn’t tell my dad I was bringing him, just that I was bringing someone, but I don’t want to keep my relationship with Cole a secret from him. It’s not good for me as his daughter, nor Cole as his player.
And let’s be real, my dad probably already suspects who it is. He’s been dropping enough hints about thinking Cole and I have more going on than just roommates.
Cole reaches over and squeezes my knee after he parks the truck. “It’s going to be fine. Breathe, Zoey.”
I blow out a breath, forcing a smile. It’s not that I think my dad will be mad about me dating one of his players, but our relationship is still being stitched back together and I don’t want to make it even rockier than it is.
Cole gets out and I’m frozen in the passenger seat. He eases open the truck door, but it still squeals in protest.
“Zoey?” He prompts and I meet his gaze. “You and me. Together. We got this.”
I nod, heart racing.
Why am I so nervous?
I wasn’t this nervous when I told him about Todd.
Because back then you didn’t care what he thought, my conscience reminds me.
Cole takes my hand, entwining our fingers, and we walk up to the door.
He looks down at me with a reassuring smile before he pushes the doorbell.
You’d think as the guy he’d be freaking out more. This is my dad after all. But he seems cool as a cucumber.
“I want to get it!”
“No! Let m
e get the door!”
The front door swings open revealing my two little brothers.
“Whoa.” Isaac’s head leans back. “You’re so tall.” He looks at Cole with an awestruck expression.
Gabriel smacks him on the arm. “That’s Cole. We know him.”
“We know him?”
“Yeah.”
“But why is he here?”
Cole and I laugh, amused by the conversation being carried out in front of us.
“Because he’s my boyfriend,” I interrupt my bickering siblings.
In sync they both cross their arms over their small chests. “Boyfriend, huh?” Gabriel narrows his eyes.
I shake my head. Apparently even brothers this young are overprotective.
“Are you going to let us in or not?” I try to stifle my laugh.
“I guess.” Isaac steps aside, opening the door wider. “I’ve got my eye on you.”
Cole cocks his head to the side. “You don’t remember playing basketball with me?”
“Of course, I do,” Gabriel scoffs, rolling his eyes as he pushes the door closed. “But that doesn’t mean you’re worthy of my sister. She’s a princess.”
“Yeah,” Isaac pipes in, “Zo-Zo is the best.”
“Boys what’s going on?” My dad comes around the corner from where I know his office is.
“Oooh,” Isaac drawls, eyeing Cole. “You’re in trouble now, Mister.”
Both boys take off running, probably for their playroom.
“Hey, Dad.” I take Cole’s hand and we meet him at the end of the foyer. “I hope it’s okay I brought Cole.”
He arches a brow. “You brought my player.” He pauses. “Your roommate. And?”
“And my boyfriend.” I smile up at Cole. It feels good to say that. I know I need to open up to him about my ex, explain the situation, so he understands that trusting him with my heart is a big deal.
My dad tries to hide his smile. “Can’t say I didn’t expect this after what I saw at the hospital.”
“Nothing was going on then,” I insist, and he throws up a hand.
“You don’t need to defend yourself. I’m not mad at you, Zoey. Or you either.” He looks at Cole. “All I’m saying is, that I’m not stupid. I’m your dad. I saw the way you two looked at each other. You might not have known it then. But I did.” He taps the side of his head. “I want you to be happy, Zo-Bug. It’s what I’ve always wanted.”
Nice Guys Don't Win (A College Sport's Romance) Page 20
