He clears his throat, shifting his gaze back to the road. “If you recall, I didn’t leave you much choice. But even if you asked, I would’ve gone with you.”
“Say what you want, but you agreed thinking it was a family reunion. I appreciate that.”
He flashes me another grin, but it slowly dissolves as the tone turns serious. “I’m glad I was there. You needed the support.”
“I feel I need to apologize for Drake’s personal attacks.”
“Nah, I’m a big boy. I’m still shocked your ex is a fucking baseball player.”
“His ego matches his skill. I was just a toy for him. We dated for several months, but he never committed to me.”
“What do you mean? Like he had other girls.”
I suck in a deep breath, wondering how much to divulge. The whole situation is so embarrassing. “Yep. Sad part is, I knew but didn’t care. Well, I thought he’d settle down eventually. Every cleat chaser’s dream.”
“That night at the party, you stood up for the girl Isabella was slamming.” He says this more as a statement, as if he’s contemplating his thoughts. “Do you see yourself as one? A cleat chaser, I mean.”
“Sort of, I guess. I mean, not really because the only guy I wanted was Drake. But I got to know those girls, ya know.” His grip on my thigh tightens and heats the need already burning inside me. “They’re people with the same hopes and dreams as everyone else.”
“Isabella comes from a wealthy family. Sometimes, she forgets not everyone has it as easy.”
The way he stands up for me may be honorable, but talking about past relationships is the last thing I want to do. “Let’s quit talking about our exes.”
“She’s not an ex. We’ve never dated.”
Oh, but she wants to. “Fair enough. Let’s not talk about your friend and my ex.”
“Fine by me. The guy’s a class-one jerk. Hope we never end up on the same team.”
A soft chuckle fills the cab. “You’ll do well wherever you go.”
He grows silent as his stare becomes distant. Every once in a while, I get the distinct feeling he isn’t as thrilled to be drafted as he should be. But that doesn’t make sense. The need to ask burns the edge of my tongue, but the subject seems taboo at the moment.
He pulls into the parking lot adjacent to the dorms and shuts his truck off. “I’ll walk you to the dorm.”
I nod and wait for him to open the passenger door. Braxton chastised me earlier for not waiting, but in my defense, I’m not used to this type of treatment. According to Mom, chivalry died in the eighties.
Braxton grabs my hand to help me out of the truck and doesn’t let go as we make our way to the dorm. The moon shines brightly, but the stars are minimal. They’re always minimal.
“One thing I miss is stargazing.”
“Yeah?”
“Back in junior high, my class took a field trip to the Edelman Planetarium in New Jersey.” I smile at the bittersweet memory. “It was an overnight trip, and we had to fundraise for the expenses. I came up short in sales. Where most kids’ parents covered their shortfalls, mine couldn’t, not with AJ still in college. I didn’t want Mom to feel bad, so I told her the trip was canceled.”
“You didn’t get to go?”
I shook my head. “No. I remember the day when everyone left. I was so sad. I ran home from school and cried in my room. AJ called and he knew right away something was wrong. After some cajoling, he pulled the reason out of me. Of course, he told Mom. Anyway, for my birthday, they got me a planetarium projector. I loved that thing. It projected the constellations on my bedroom ceiling. I’d stare at the ‘stars’ for hours.”
We stop walking when we reach the door. He draws me toward him and runs his hands down along my curves until they nestle around my waist. The move catches me by surprise, and I don’t respond quick enough to free my trapped hands. With nowhere to put them, I rest my palms against his hard chest. It’s not a bad place to be all things considered. Firm and tone. I bet he looks incredible naked hovering over me instead of on my phone. The uptick in his breathing matches mine, and I don’t even realize I’m palming his pecs until his small moan cuts into my fantasy of having this ridiculous shirt removed.
“Do you still look at it?”
“Hmm?” I ask, too confused, too lost in the sensation that is everything Braxton. I’ll never admit how many times I’ve looked at the photo.
“The projector. Do you still view the stars?”
Oh, the constellations.
Relieved he hasn’t become psychic and read my internal thoughts, I shake my head. “Before moving here, I placed it among a few other things in a box and marked it ‘good stuff.’ AJ hired movers, and I thought they loaded it into the moving van.”
“Uh-oh. I sense a disaster.” His fingertips brush along the curves of my ass as he gives an encouraging squeeze.
“Yep. Mom had boxed some stuff for donation and AJ mistook my scribbles for Goodwill. It wasn’t until we moved out there that I realized the box was gone.” I slump against his torso. “At least, that’s what we think happened anyway.”
“That sucks.”
It really does, but I don’t want to dwell on my silly obsession. “Thanks.”
“I’m sorry you lost your stars, and I hate that you didn’t get to the planetarium.”
“Me too, but I’ll get there someday.”
His usually vivid blue eyes are darker, fiercer as he looks down at me. “This has been the best fake date in the history of fake dates.”
“Has it now?” I smile up at him, his gaze dipping to my lips.
“Mmm, it has. I’ve been on a few. Even had one land me in a gossip column.”
“Is that so?” My stomach plummets as guilt churns inside threatening to spoil this moment “I’m so sor—”
I’m cut off by his lips meeting mine. The guilt that only seconds ago teetered on the brink of spilling over eases as desire rips through me, overpowering every other competitive feeling. My hands clench the fabric of his shirt as I part my mouth. I want him. Every piece of him.
And I greedily take the part he gives as our tongues connect.
Our kiss starts slow and sensual with hints of attraction, but there is no mistaking our need for one another.
Braxton deepens the kiss, his hands working in a frenzy as if he can’t get enough of me. I feel his touch everywhere. On my back. On the exposed skin of my arms. Chills skate across my body despite the warm California air. My own hands move across his body, exploring every hard ridge and line I can soak up.
He grabs a fistful of hair and tugs, exposing the side of my neck. He breaks the kiss just long enough to see the lust coating his eyes. He places open-mouthed kisses along the line of my shoulder and up to the sensitive area nestled right behind my ear.
A low sensual sound that’s way more telling than I’d like escapes my mouth.
“Hmm, someone needs touched,” he murmurs against my skin.
I do. I really, really do. I don’t voice that out loud. Instead, I utter something that sounds like agreeance.
“What would I find if I was to slide my fingers inside you?”
Oh, God, that dirty mouth of his.
“I bet I’d find you warm and wet,” he says when my answer is nothing more than a gasp. “Mmm, I should go before I get carried away.” The timbre of his voice is low with a hint of protest my body feels.
“Your sister went to stay with her friend Cindy.”
His breath hitches. I don’t know why I said that. Well, I know why, but I can’t believe those words fell so easily from my mouth. Given our circumstances, I should want to take things slow, but I can’t help it. I want Braxton. Need him.
“What are you saying?” he asks, breathily.
“You know what I’m saying.” My words hang in the air. I watch anticipation come to a head as he mentally debates what to do.
He caves.
With a swift grab of my hand, he pulls me inside the bui
lding, and we make our way to the elevator. The wait is excruciatingly long as he rubs the pad of his fingers over the delicate parts of my skin.
The air inside the elevator hums with electricity as we rise to the ninth floor. He holds my body so close I can feel his arousal press against my backside. The door slides open, and we’re silent as we make our way to the room.
As soon as we’re through the door, his lips find mine again, and the heat from earlier slams into me. It’s like we can’t get enough of each other. The previous arguing, the constant back and forth, all comes to a halt as we join together. Am I ready for this next step again? I feel ready. Every inch of my body craves him. I just don’t want regrets in the morning because I don’t know exactly what is going on between us.
“I need this ridiculous shirt off.” I pull at the bottom as the cutest laugh vibrates out of him. He takes my lead and tugs the shirt over his head. Toeing off our shoes, we work the rest of our clothes off between kisses.
When we’re finally naked, we back away and drink each other in for a beat. Appreciation coats his eyes as he gives me a once-over. If I had to guess, his look matches mine because Braxton is a thing of beauty. Pure masculine muscle
“Christ, Cara. You’re fucking amazing.” He closes the gap between us, my breasts brushing against his chest, our gaze connecting. “Not only are you smart and witty, but you’ve also got a body that’s positively sinful.”
As the words tumble from his mouth, something deep inside me shifts. For the past year, I’ve tried to hide my body. Ashamed by it even. It sounds stupid to be ashamed of a body other people would kill for but all I’ve ever been known for is a good lay. Or a sex symbol. There’s so much more to me than the body God molded, and Braxton is the only person to make me actually see that.
He skims the pads of his fingers down the line of my collarbone and down my chest until he cups my breast in the palm of his hand. His arousal pressing against my belly tells me he’s enjoying this as much as me.
My legs buckle as he leans down and traces the tip of his tongue around my areola causing both nipples to form harder peaks. A slight lick, a small nibble, has me practically convulsing around him, but when his mouth clamps the entire nub and sucks with just the right amount of pressure, I almost come undone and latch onto his chest to keep upright. With one more lick, he moves to the other side and repeats the gesture. The sensations drive me crazy, and to keep from going over the edge, I explore every ridge and every valley his delicious torso has to offer.
“How ready are you for me?” It’s a rhetorical question, one I don’t want to answer. He doesn’t wait for a reply. Instead, he plants open-mouthed kisses along the underside of my jaw, sliding his hand down my stomach. When he reaches the apex of my thighs, he ever so lightly spreads my legs far enough for him to sink one finger inside. “Christ, you’re so wet.”
I reply with a moan, and when his finger moves back and forth, all I mutter is his name. His lips find mine while my hands rummage through the soft strands of his hair as he deepens the kiss, still pumping back and forth. My insides coil, tightening to the point of spilling over. My walls clamp around his fingers. I’m just on the edge. So close. And he pulls his fingers out.
“What are you doing?” I screech, not at all ashamed. I need this orgasm.
“Punishing you for setting me up.” A sly grin crosses his mouth as he lifts me up off the floor, my legs clamping firmly around his waist, my arms bracing his shoulders. He carries me to the bed, and once he lays me down, the intense look in his eyes stirs something inside me. I don’t care if this is a mistake or not. I want him.
He grabs a foil wrapper from his wallet, and I wait, my body humming with anticipation as he slides the condom on. When he repositions himself between my legs, he confesses, “I was serious when I said this before, but I’ve wanted you since the day you ran into the pole.”
I laugh despite the seriousness of the situation. “I must’ve looked so sexy.”
The corners of his mouth tug upward. “Okay, maybe it wasn’t right at that moment.”
“Braxton?”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up and kiss me.” Fuck me.
His grin slides into that sexy smirk he wears so well, and then his lips join mine. All humor dies as want sears into every facet of my brain and thoughts. My body still buzzes with need from the almost orgasm he gave me. He pushes inside me. The fullness, the perfect way my body molds to him, is too much. At that moment, he unknowingly claims me. I know I’m all his.
Instead of fearing what that means, I give myself over to the sensations zinging along my body. To the feel of his muscles flexing beneath my touch. To the feel of my own muscles tightening around him as he plunges in and out.
I feel everything Braxton.
He grabs my hand and intertwines our fingers as he continues to drive into me. Our moans. The grind of his hips against mine. The hidden secret behind his look as if he wants to say so much more. All of it fuels this desire between us. My body responds so openly, so rapidly as the intensity escalates to a level I know exists in the best fantasies.
My body writhes beneath him. I’m so close.
“I’m not going to hold out much longer. You feel so fucking incredible.” It’s a warning, but he has nothing to worry about. I’m there.
“Braxton,” I say, his name a plea as he moves faster.
I explode into tiny pieces of ecstasy, surrendering myself to him. As I come down from the high, I realize I don’t know our next step, but it doesn’t matter. Right now, I’m as content as I’ve ever been. I just hope I didn’t make the same mistake as before.
Chapter Thirty-One
BRAXTON
It isn’t often I wake to a beautiful girl next to me in bed. In fact, that never happens. I always split before morning, fearing that crushing sensation of being trapped. But that isn’t happening. All I feel is contentment—well, that and horniness. My morning wood wouldn’t turn away Cara’s attention, but with the sun peeking through the blinds and Cara’s body tucked to my side, lying here feels right. What we shared last night, watching the game, meeting her brother, and having mind-blowing sex, has my mind reeling. I could stay next to her all day.
My roommates don’t understand how I can forgive her so easily. I’m not going to lie, this past week has been hell, but she had her reasons. They’ll come around. Noah’s more confused than anything since he knows my stance on relationships. Or what used to be my view. The line between casual hookup and relationship status may have blurred, but wanting her in my life is crystal clear.
Cara stirs. The sheet covering her shoulder slips enough to show me some side boob. Before I can get my full creep on, she flops her arm across my chest and snuggles closer to me. Unable to keep from touching her, I run my fingertips over her silky-smooth skin.
Her appreciative moans vibrate against my skin. My mind immediately reverts to last night—to the moment she came beneath me. Her body writhing and the look of pure ecstasy sketched across her face as my dick pumped inside her. What a beautiful, glorious sight. My half chub now stands full and erect. I look away, trying to focus on something else—anything else. The tactic works when my gaze lands on my sister’s string of photos.
“Hmm, I didn’t realize you look at me every morning.”
Cara rests her chin on my chest and follows my stare. “Things I didn’t think through when I had your sister move in.”
I chuckle. God help me, I really like this girl. “I had fun last night.”
Her eyebrow pops. “I sure hope so.”
“I meant with the game and meeting your brother and his friends.” I give her a slight pinch that makes her giggle.
“I did too.” Her smile fades into a pained expression. I wrap my arms around her, hoping my embrace stops the guilt festering inside her.
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Stew about things we can’t change.”
“But I feel so bad
.” Her words come out strangulated.
“Don’t.” I wish that command would be enough for her to feel better. I don’t want to have this conversation now, not when last night was perfect, but there won’t be any normalcy between us until we hash this out. The teardrop falling on my chest all but confirms this. “Hey, look at me.”
My chest squeezes when she turns those glistening eyes toward me. “Our past decisions don’t define us. Am I happy with what you did? No. But guess what?”
“What?”
“I’m not happy with how I handled it either.”
Her mouth presses into a thin line as if not wanting to believe me.
“I’m serious. If you haven’t figured me out by now, I have a tendency to overreact. Was I within reason? Sure. I mean, you did imply I was a speed fucker.”
A laugh escapes, but she’s quick to cover her mouth. I slip the sheet all the way off and move on top of her.
“You think it was funny, huh?” I rub my hands along her sides as she squirms. “I was called Quick Draw McGraw for weeks.”
“I can attest to that not being true.”
“I want a full editorial spread informing everyone I’m this great lover.”
The gleam is back in her eyes. “You want me to add how you have a magical dick that brings nothing but pleasure for hours?”
“Now that’s a plan.” And my dick agrees. He’s growing hard again thinking about the pleasure I can bring her. “You know what else is a plan?”
She bites her lip and shakes her head. So freaking cute.
“Me having breakfast.”
Her eyes widen as I slide between the junction of her legs.
“Wait!” she screeches. “I need to freshen up first.”
“Mmm, no, babe. I want to taste everything I did to you last night.”
Her mouth falls slack, but she doesn’t protest. Instead, she rests her head back on the pillow. I barely hear the faint, “Oh, boy,” as I grin against her pussy that smells like desire and me. The scent is intoxicating. I didn’t get a chance to savor her last night, greedily taking her after what felt like an eternity of waiting to have her again.
Swinging Strike (Cessna U Wildcats Book 1) Page 22
