Page 31

CHAPTER 31

JUST SEX

XANDER

October

After dinner with my family, I find Bella in the living room, watching yet another anime, Princess Mononoke this time. I quickly change into a pair of gray sweatpants and cuddle up close to her on the couch. When the movie’s over and she’s queued up her next one, she tries to get up, but I hold tight.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

She clutches my arm and tugs, but I don’t let go.

“I’m thirsty,” she says. “You won’t let me go long enough to get a drink?”

“Nope.” With a grin, I hop up and lift her, guiding her legs around my waist. Instantly, goosebumps spread over my whole body. She’s dressed in nothing but my T-shirt and her panties, and her bare skin on mine makes me shiver.

I stroll into the kitchen and hold her with one arm under her ass as I open the fridge.

She tightens her hold on me, as if she’s worried I’ll drop her. “What if I fall?”

“I’ll catch you.” I set her on her feet and press my forehead to hers. “No. I take that back—I’ll never let you fall.”

Then I kiss her. The feeling of her soft mouth against mine sets my body on fire, but rather than give in to the temptation to devour her, I take a step back and grab the apple juice.

She pouts. “Turning me on and then leaving me is so unfair.”

“You said you were thirsty, so I brought you in here for a drink.”

She shrugs, taking a step back. “Sorry…it won’t happen again.”

The words leave her mouth automatically, as if I’ve sneezed and she’s saying bless you . She says it because it’s expected of her. Out of habit. And that pisses me off.

Sighing, I set the apple juice on the breakfast bar and cup her face. “You sound like a robot. I want the real woman, the one who was laughing with me a few minutes ago. The one who loves reading romance novels and watching anime. Who was making incredibly sexy faces when I was inside her this morning. Who opened up about her past and let her guard down around me. Be that girl, Bella. Please.”

Her eyes well with tears, but she blinks them back, and her lips tip up. “I will. I promise.” She tucks her hair behind her ear.

Before we head back to the living room, I grasp her wrist so I can pick her up again. When I make contact, she flinches and pulls back.

What the fuck?

I grasp her arm, more gently this time, and a little higher.

My blood turns to ice. There’s a big fucking bruise wrapped all the way around her wrist.

“Where did you get this?” I ask quietly.

Bella pulls her hand out of my grip and stares blankly at me. “I hit it when I took Milo for a walk.”

I snort as fury builds in my chest. “Try again.”

“It doesn’t matter.” She tries to skirt around me, but I block her path, caging her between me and the breakfast bar. “Xander, let me go.”

“Tell me what happened, and I will.”

“Nothing happened.” She pushes against my chest. “You’re making a big deal out of nothing.”

Unbelievable . Twisting my lips into a scowl, I study her in silence. Her behavior doesn’t make any sense. “This kind of bruise”—I take her hand again—“happens when someone snatches your wrist, hard.”

Bella tugs, but I don’t release her.

She steps closer to me, her tits pressed against my chest as she says, “Let me go.”

“Tell me what happened.”

She throws her free hand in the air. “Jake happened, okay? He was waiting for me when I left my aunt’s place. We talked, and he left,” she grinds out. “Happy now?”

With a harsh breath, I let her go. “Why wasn’t it there earlier?”

“Because I covered it up. I showered while you were gone and forgot to put concealer on again. You weren’t supposed to see it.” Bella folds her arms over her chest. “Can I go now?”

I nod and take a step to the side.

She stomps past me while I stay still, stewing in the thoughts that war inside my head. But before she has a chance to leave the kitchen, I turn. “What did he want?”

With a sigh, she stops. “He came to convince me to go to the game.”

My anger and frustration mix into a dangerous cocktail, making it impossible to think clearly. In two strides, my chest is pressed to her back. Wrapping my hand around her throat from behind, I lower my head to her ear.

“I fucking hate that you didn’t feel safe enough to tell me,” I whisper hoarsely. “Why did you hide it? You don’t trust me?”

“Xander, that’s not why.”

I whirl her around and cuff the back of her neck, keeping her close. Our gazes lock, and, like it always does, everything else disappears. Her eyes usually remind me of sapphires, but right now they’re the color of the deepest ocean. My lungs hurt; taking a deep breath is impossible. The beating of my heart echoes in my ears, loud and demanding.

“Then why?” I ask.

“I didn’t want you to know because I was afraid you’d hurt him. And if that happens, everyone will know the truth…about us,” she says.

I trace the delicate skin of her throat, my thumb hovering over the vein on her neck.

“If people found out you were fucking your teammate’s girlfriend, it would damage your reputation.”

“You’re not his girlfriend,” I argue. “He doesn’t deserve to breathe the same air as you.”

“Break or not, to the world, I am still his girlfriend, Xander.” Bella splays her hand over my heart. “If this got out, I’d be a whore who cheated on her boyfriend, and you’d be a traitor who fucked his teammate’s girl. No one would care to hear our side of the story. I don’t know the details of your contract, but it sounds an awful lot like misconduct,” she says quietly. “I know what I’m doing when it comes to Jake.”

I thread my fingers through her hair. “If he hurts you like this again, please tell me. You don’t have to deal with him on your own.”

“He won’t,” Bella says, lifting her chin. “I already asked Ben to meet me at Jake’s house immediately after the game so I can get my stuff.”

I shake my head. “If Miller feels like he’s being backed into a corner, he’ll be unpredictable. Trust me.”

Bella chews on the inside of her cheek, and I swear I see the wheels in her head turning. Then she shrugs. “Okay. Once I break up with Jake and move in with my aunt, you won’t have any reason to put up with me. You won’t need to worry about me anymore.”

I stagger back, feeling like I’ve been stabbed in the gut. “Wait…you’re moving in with your aunt?”

“She suggested it. Said I can stay with her for as long as I need.”

My heart sinks. So we’re just not going to see each other anymore?

Bella tries to untangle herself from me, but I’m not letting her. “I’m curious,” I say. “Why do you think we won’t see each other after you dump Miller?”

Her lips part, and she shifts, causing her pebbled nipples to brush my chest.

Dammit. I’m seconds away from fucking her in my kitchen.

“You told me yourself,” she says, her tone derisive. “You have no interest in a relationship. So that makes us friends who fuck, and I’m sure once I’m out of this house, you’ll have a ton of girls eager for a chance with you. You won’t even notice I’m gone.”

Wow.

The knife lodged deep in my gut twists painfully.

It shouldn’t hurt. She’s not wrong—that’s exactly what I told her. Yet I hate it. Confusion is my strongest emotion right now. I’ve never been captivated by someone like this.

Bella is absolutely not what I thought she’d be. She’s beautiful and powerful, yet tender and unassuming. She doesn’t see how incredible she is. She is kind, loyal to the people she loves, and so fucking smart.

But she’s wounded. The emotional injuries she suffered as a kid are still there. Since the moment I found out about what she endured, I couldn’t help but compare Bella to her . They’re so alike—gentle, caring, uninterested in football, and they’ve both been through so much.

And goddamn it, what if I hurt Bella the same way I hurt her?

Fuck, I still have nightmares about that night. I’m still processing it despite all the therapy.

It would ruin me if my actions ever put Bella in danger.

She’s right. We should just be friends who occasionally fuck.

It should just be sex.

I tilt her chin up to me and cover her lips with mine. She opens for me, and my tongue slips inside, curling around hers. A growl escapes my throat as I deepen our kiss. It’s fast, powerful, and hot. She turns me on so damn much, I can barely remember my own fucking name.

Dick already rock-hard, I lift her and set her on the barstool.

Her eyes snap open, and her forehead creases as I kneel in front of her, yanking her panties down with me.

“We should go to your bedroom,” she croaks.

“Fuck no. I’m starving, and the kitchen is the best place to eat.”

I put her leg on my shoulder, opening her wide for me as I plant a swift little kiss to her thigh. Then, head lowered to her cunt, I curl my tongue around her swollen clit, toying with it slowly, and when I suck it into my mouth, her hips jerk.

“Such a delicious little pussy,” I murmur.

I back off and trace a finger down her slit to her opening. She’s so wet, my finger slips inside without any resistance. Then I dive in again, lavishing her clit with my tongue. Another finger slides inside her, and she instantly fists my hair.

“Oh God, you feel so good,” she whispers breathlessly.

I suck and lick, teasing with my tongue and my teeth while I relentlessly move my fingers inside her.

Within minutes, she’s close, writhing and moaning, her pussy quivering.

“Do you want my cock inside you?” I taunt her, fucking her with my fingers and relishing the way her walls spasm around me.

“Yes,” she pants, head thrown back. “Yes, I want your cock.”

A smile curves my lips. “Then come for me, baby. All over my face and tongue. Give it to me.” I suck her clit into my mouth again, drawing a long, loud moan out of her.

Pussy pulsing, she scrabbles for purchase, grasping the breakfast bar with one hand and tightening her hold on my hair with the other. She keeps me in place like that, grinding her pussy into my face. I lap at her little nub, prolonging her orgasm as I move my fingers inside her until I feel like she’s had enough.

For now.

Standing, I drag the back of my wrist over my lips. “Open your mouth.”

Chest heaving, her pebbled nipples poking against her tee, she obeys.

I slide my fingers into her mouth, and she sucks her arousal from them, cleaning up the mess her greedy pussy made. I pop my fingers out of her mouth and capture her lips with mine.

Without breaking the kiss, she slips a hand beneath the waistband of my sweatpants and strokes me gently through my briefs. When she finally slips her fingers under the thin fabric and touches the head of my cock, I groan into her mouth.

I step back, fish a condom out of the drawer I stashed them in the last time we fucked in here, and shuck off my pants. Once I’m sheathed, I settle between her legs. Our eyes meet again, and I can’t look away. Slowly, I ease inside her, inch by inch, until she’s full.

“You feel amazing,” I murmur.

I start slow. It’s taunting, but it feels like heaven. A bead of sweat drips down my back, and my every nerve ending lights up. I straighten her legs and wrap my hands around her ankles, holding her wide open as I thrust harder, finding a new rhythm.

“God, I love the way you feel. I could live in your greedy little cunt forever. You’re doing so well, Bella,” I praise her. “Touch yourself, baby. Let me see.”

Without hesitation, she rubs circles around her clit. I watch, spellbound yet again. There’s no better view than this—her pussy swallowing my cock.

“Such a good girl you are.”

Tingles at the base of my spine signal my impending release. I grit my teeth and hold it back, putting her legs on my shoulders and inching forward until our lips collide.

I’m desperate for her.

“Xander, I’m gonna come,” she pants, damp hair clinging to her brow.

“Come for me, baby.”

I dig my fingers into her ass, my balls slapping her skin as I bury myself inside her again and again. Her walls squeeze rhythmically, her hot pussy choking the life out of me. I thrust into her hard and rough until I spill into the condom with a guttural groan.

My head spins like I’ve just consumed my favorite drug as I step back and steady myself.

Just sex.

That’s what this is supposed to be.

But it’s not enough.

Even if I’m not ready to tell her that yet.