“It would be nice to be wanted for me, not my job. Especially since I might not have it much longer.”
My heart clenched at his vulnerable admission. I knew he wouldn’t want me to acknowledge his slip, so I leaned over to slap his stomach playfully but lost my balance, falling heavily against his chest. His arm banded around my back. His breath whispered over the strands of my hair, sending shivers down my spine. “Easy, tiger. These abs are hard as steel. You might hurt yourself.”
Laughing at the return of the old teasing Jonah, I placed a palm on his hard chest, pushing myself up. The heat of his body singed my skin. “Oh yeah?”
Was I flirting? Why was my voice so high-pitched? Why did I sound so out of breath? I shifted back to my seat; my skin prickled from the chill of the air now that I wasn’t touching him.
“I can’t do leg work, so I do extra upper body and ab exercises.” His grin was lazy and slow, one I’d seen him use on women at bars before. Even though I knew it was an act he put on to pick up women and not a glimpse into him, it still made me feel warm and tingly all over. I’d known he was handsome and charming, but I’d placed him in the playboy category, never taking him seriously.
“It’s not like you were slacking before.” My voice was slightly breathy, and I couldn’t blame it on the alcohol. Other than my warm cheeks, I didn’t feel out of control. Just slightly buzzed from having Jonah’s focus on me.
There was no mistaking his broad shoulders and bulging biceps. The guys kept themselves in top shape, and it showed.
With one hand on the bottle of beer, the other one slid lower, resting over his stomach. I wanted to squeeze my eyes against the vision of him unzipping his jeans to fist his cock.
There were beads of sweat on my forehead and my neck prickled with awareness. I wanted to ask him if he was warm, but I was sure it was just me. I swallowed some water, hoping it would cool me off.
A slow smile spread over his face, bordering on cocky.
I was falling under Jonah’s spell, and it didn’t feel manufactured, not when I remembered the vulnerability on his face when he talked about his injury and his fears for the future.
This thing between us felt different, heightened because I knew he wouldn’t act this way if he were sober. Reid had warned him away from me. Jonah probably wouldn’t jeopardize his relationship with his teammate and co-captain. Spending time together when it was forbidden felt a little naughty.
“Why are you still here?” Jonah asked.
“I don’t know.” I could have said I was worried about him, but he wouldn’t like that. I could have said I liked spending time with him, but that would be admitting too much. I didn’t want to be another one of those women desperate for his attention.
He shifted his arm from the back of my chair to my shoulders, leaning in close. All I could hear was a roaring in my ears, the blood pumping through my veins. His scent, leather and soap, surrounded me. He was so big everywhere. I felt protected, safe with him.
Any mention of me being off-limits dissipated. I couldn’t remember why being with Jonah was bad when it felt so good. His lips brushed my neck and ear, my skin tingled with awareness. His hand tangled in my hair, tugging so my face turned to his. There was a second I could have said no, but refusing him never entered my mind. When he turned his attention on me rather than football, he was potent. His lips touched mine lightly, pleading for entry. My lips parted. He shifted closer, tightening his arm around me as his tongue moved with more confidence.
Tingles ran down my spine. My skin heated with every pass of his tongue and the tightening of his fingers in my hair. I wanted more. More of Jonah, his heat, his strength. What would it be like to be with him? It would be so much better than the guys I’d wasted my time on in high school and college. He was all man.
Yet I couldn’t help but wonder if I was merely a distraction for him or a way to sabotage his friendship with Reid.
When his fingers tightened in my hair, I couldn’t care less about the whys. I wanted him. I wanted to straddle his thighs and grind on his cock. I wanted to ask if he wanted to get out of here. I hadn’t felt this wild or out of control since my parents died.
With a groan, he pulled back, running a hand through his hair; his expression was filled with regret. “You’re my teammate’s assistant. You’re like his little sister. I can’t go there.”
I cringed at his reference to me as a little sister. I’d never been that. It made me feel small.
The sense of loss was acute. He’d unraveled himself from me so easily. Like what just happened meant nothing. He was used to bar hookups. How could I have fallen into his arms and under his charm so easily?
I couldn’t believe I’d acted so carelessly. Getting involved with a player would jeopardize my job, but, in the moment, I hadn’t cared. I was reckless.
Read it on my shop or on other retailers!
I’m music royalty.
Part of Hollywood’s elite.
It’s a perk of being the only daughter of Gabe Colt and Chris Decker.
Except, no one knows my fathers are together.
They kept their marriage private along with their children.
What should you do when you accidentally call 911 and a deputy shows up at your apartment? Definitely NOT accuse him of being a stripper.
It never fails that I always get into awkward situations like accusing the deputy at my front door of being a stripper and then asking if he’s going to arrest me when he shows up at school the next day…to pick up his nephew.
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