Quarterback Sneak (Red Zone Rivals #3)(45)

Holden nipped at my earlobe, making my eyelids flutter shut. “Someone needs to punish you for being such a tease.”

“You wish,” I shot back.

Without warning, the hand he had on my hip shot lower, splaying my thigh before he ran it up, up, up. I gasped when he slid that hand so confidently between my legs, my entire body quivering as he shoved my lace thong to the side and ran the length of his middle and forefinger along my center. It happened so quickly, only as long as his heavy exhale into my ear, but the searing magnitude of it lingered as he withdrew and lifted his fingers to rest in front of me.

I shivered at the loss, at the fact that it had happened at all, my breath ragged as Holden rubbed his fingers together before spreading them apart, evidence of how wet I was shining on his skin under the brief flash of neon lights.

He smiled against the back of my neck, pressing a soft, feather-like kiss there before he whispered, “Apparently, you wish.”

My eyelids fluttered, knees weakening, and then all at once, Holden broke contact from me. He released my hips, his chest breaking from where it was against my back and letting a cold rush of air sweep in. I didn’t realize why he’d done it until we were swarmed by more members of the team, and slowly, without another word, Holden made his way off the dance floor.

I just stood there, frozen in place.

Burning from the inside out.

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Holden



I couldn’t sleep.

Of course, I couldn’t sleep.

Not a single part of me was surprised, not after the intense game against South Hartford, the one we pulled out only by a last-minute field goal. Not after going out until almost three in the morning with the team to celebrate.

And certainly not after having Julep pressed against me, her ass grinding against my cock as I slid my fingers between her legs and found proof of how much she wanted me, too.

When we’d made it back to the hotel, my roommates had passed out immediately. Leo was so drunk I had to carry him inside and throw his ass on our bed, and he sprawled out like a starfish. I’d somehow managed to make room for myself after I brushed my teeth, but then I’d only laid there wide awake for an hour, replaying every second and dissecting every word uttered between me and Julep.

It was just after four in the morning when I gave up on sleeping and changed into my Under Armour compression shorts — which was the closest thing I had to swim trunks — and headed to the indoor pool.

It was just late enough, or rather early enough in the morning, that it was open. I was the only one there, which was no surprise to me, and I tore off my t-shirt and hung it along with a towel over the back of one of the lounge chairs. Then, I dove in, and started swimming laps.

The first few did nothing to tame my mind. The water was warm, the pool heated, and I almost wished it was freezing so as to shock the anxiety right out of me.

Eventually, my breathing intensified, the muscles of my arms and legs and core firing to life. I was careful with my shoulder, making sure not to do anything that triggered it, but I was happily surprised to find it so unbothered.

I was ready to play.

I knew it, Coach knew it.

And yet still, he held me back.

For a brief moment, it was those thoughts that plagued me, and I swam a few laps mulling over how long it would be before I’d be back on the field. But eventually, my thoughts drifted back to Julep.

I didn’t know what we were doing. I didn’t know what had possessed me to follow her out onto that dance floor, to test the distance between us so carefully before jumping in so carelessly. We’d been surrounded by the team. Anyone could have seen, could have found just enough evidence to rat me out to Coach. Not that I thought any of them would, but it was still a dangerous game to play.

And yet, I couldn’t leave her alone.

No matter the risk involved, no matter how I tried to pretend like she didn’t exist — I craved her. Not in the way you crave a cigarette or a beer, either, but in the way you crave a tall glass of ice water after a grueling workout.

I didn’t just want to touch her.

I needed to.

And therefore, I couldn’t hold myself back.

I kicked off the wall hard on my next lap, grinding my teeth. Because the fact of the matter was that I had to hold myself back. I had to figure out a way to snuff this aching desire for her before it chewed me up and spit me out on the other side of my shattered dream.

Football was everything to me. It always had been.

I couldn’t throw that all away.

I tried to cement that into my thick skull as I swam, and finally, my arms and legs burned enough that I stopped and came up for air.

I was in the deep end, and I hung my arms over the edge of the pool, chest heaving with every breath I struggled to take. My heart was racing, body on fire with the intensity of the workout. But I felt good — sated in the way only a brutal cardio session could warrant.

“Impressive.”

I startled, whipping around at the unexpected voice that nearly made me jump out of my fucking skin.

And there she was, Julep Lee, sitting on the edge of the other end of the pool in a thong and sports bra with her bare feet swinging idly in the water.

I couldn’t help the way my eyes trailed slowly up the length of her, over her exposed thighs and abdomen, the lines of her collarbone, all the way up to her eyes that were watching me just as carefully. She held my gaze for a moment before quickly tying her hair up in a knot on top of her head, and then she pressed her palms into the tile on either side of her hips, carefully lifting.