The Not-Outcast(60)
“That’s actually a job?”
I gave her a look. “Come on. You know it is.”
She only gave me a little wink. “Maybe. Maybe not, but okay. You can squash whatever’s the issue?”
Like fuck I would, but I gave her another nod.
She stood, so did I, and she held out her hand. “You’ve been playing amazing this season. You usually do, but you’re sticking out even more. I know you’ve got a contract renewal coming up in the next couple years. I’m telling you now that we aren’t letting you go anywhere. You got that?”
This was typical business stuff.
She’d say this to smooth over any feelings and as a way to stroke my ego. Some players soaked it up. Not me. My contract would be renewed if I played the same, and if my terms and their terms were all copacetic. I loved this game. I breathed this game, but underneath it all, this game was a business.
I knew that.
I also knew that Deek Fausten coming to a charity event, one that I didn’t even know about, and seeing his daughter there wouldn’t have anything to do with that contract.
But because I was still feeling it, fuuuuck him.
28
Cheyenne
Cut was coming over, and I was trying not to freak out about it.
But I was. Because I could. And I was happy, and my mind was racing, my pulse was racing, and my sweat glands were racing. I almost wished I had some wine here, but then the buzzer sounded, and a weird, calming sensation came over me.
Cut was here.
I hit the button, unlocked the door, and I was still standing there when it swung open.
He stood in the doorway, fresh from practice, and he not only had flowers in one hand, but he had dinner in the other hand. He raised up the bags. “Z-man sandwiches.”
My mouth was watering. “Yes, please.”
He moved in, putting the bags on the table, and I went around, grabbing for the other one. “Did you get—”
“I did.”
The seasoned fries were in there.
Wait.
I grabbed him, standing up, and I pressed a kiss to his mouth. “Thank you, and hi, how are you?”
He laughed, but his hand snaked around the back of my head and he held me still. “Wait.”
“Hmm?”
He pulled back, still holding me. “Are we to the kissing part yet? I mean, I think we’re moving fa—”
“Shut up.” I was laughing, but then I pulled him back down.
His mouth fit over mine, and I could’ve sighed from contentment.
Lust and pleasure, and warmth, and my toes were curling, and I was sagging in his arms. Or I felt like sagging, because my knees were getting weak and that’s such a cliché response, but it was true. Heart palpitations. Well, I already had my heart racing from before, but it was more now. It was for a whole different reason, and I couldn’t remember why I tried walking away from him…
Except I could, and a voice started to whisper in my head—I hushed her. She needed to shut up.
Then Cut’s mouth was opening over mine, his tongue moving inside, and all thoughts were silenced.
This was like the first night.
He was claiming me.
I could taste him, and I wanted him to taste me, and then I was climbing up his body. His hands went around my ass, he was palming me, and he lifted his head. “Are you—”
“Yes.” No more talking.
I squeezed my legs, starting to move against him, and he cursed into my mouth. “Fuck.”
“Yes.”
“Babe.”
He turned me, sitting me on the table. The food was shoved to the side.
I wound my legs around him, burning up from the inside out.
I made my decision at Bresko’s, before Bresko’s even. I was in. I had to be in. I had to try.
I had to let him choose, and he chose me, and he was moving down my throat, his hands moving down to my hips.
An inferno was lit inside of me.
Forget my brain.
Forget my fear.
Forget everything.
Just forget.
I wanted to forget.
I slid my fingers through his hair, grabbing ahold—BUZZ!
He stiffened.
“No,” I groaned.
BUZZ!
BUZZ!
BUZZZZZ!
His head lifted, and those eyes…those adorable eyes were filled with lust, and my heart jumped in my chest, because that’d been for me. I reached down, my thumb grazing his lip.
Simple things like that.
I could do that.
I could touch him like that.
That took my breath away.
BUZZZZZ!
“Jesus Christ.” He tore from me, stalking to the door.
I flicked my eyes upward.
Then he was hitting the button. “Who is it?”
A crackle, and then, “Melanie.”
I tensed because that wasn’t happy and fun-fucking-and-shitting Melanie. Her voice was trembling.
Cut looked back at me.
We sighed at the same time.
I started to slide from the table as he hit the button to let her in.
He raked a hand through his hair. “You okay?”
I nodded, dumbstruck from all the sensations still flooding me. My throat was full, for some reason, and a second later, we both heard Melanie hurrying down the hallway.