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Chapter ten

Silas

Savor that ice cream one lick at a time.

The day turned out way better than I could’ve imagined.

I knew everyone would get along well, I just hadn’t expected it to be like this.

Cecilia and Morgan have been glued to each other’s side from the moment they met, talking on and on as if they’d known each other their entire lives.

Even Clay has warmed up to her, asking her questions about her life and joking with her.

Clay is a pretty reserved guy and often comes off as unapproachable, that is, until you actually get to know him, then he turns into this big teddy with a heart of gold.

If there’s anyone in my life that I trust with anything, including my girl, it’s him.

So, seeing them get along like this makes me feel elated.

Dinner was delicious as usual. If Morgan ever quit her job, I could definitely see her becoming a chef. After cleaning up the kitchen, we all came outside by the fire pit with beers and warm blankets, given the chilly nights settling on us.

Each couple is resting on opposite sides of the outdoor U-shaped sectional.

I’m currently sitting sideways with my legs up on the couch and spread wide, while Cecilia is seated between them with the back of her head resting against my chest. A big, heavy blanket covers us up, keeping us nice and warm.

Every time she talks or laughs, I can feel the sound vibrating through me. It’s paradise.

“You ready for this season, Hayes?” Clay asks, nodding my way.

“Yeah, I think this one might be ours. I’m feeling pretty lucky this year,” I say to him, but smile down at Cecilia as she looks back at me, our eyes locking together.

One of my hands is placed under the blanket, resting over her stomach. Her shirt has untucked from her pants and risen slightly, giving my pinkie finger access to her smooth skin. I move it delicately back and forth over the exposed area, causing her to shiver slightly.

“Making it to the Cup has nothing to do with luck. It’s about strategy, teamwork, and effort. Giving our all at every game—that’s what’ll get us far. And for that to work, your head needs to be in the game. You above everyone else,” Clay tells me sternly, his hard gray eyes boring into mine.

I know what he’s saying. As captain, it’s my job to always be my best, to pump up my teammates, be a great leader, and be one hundred percent focused. And with our last practice, I was anything but. It may not have been a game, but it shouldn’t be any different.

“Yeah, I know. Don’t worry about it,” I say earnestly, maintaining eye contact so he can see just how much I mean it.

I tighten my hold on Cecilia, bringing her in closer to me and resuming my hand motion over her warm skin. My little finger brushes against the waistband of her jeans, causing an audible intake of air from her. I can see the slight tremble in her hand where she holds her bottle.

She readjusts herself, pushing further into my groin as she turns her head slowly from side to side, nestling against my chest. My heart rate picks up, blood flowing south into regions it shouldn’t at this moment.

My hand tightens on her, ceasing her movements. “Minnie, I’m gonna need you to stop doing that,” I murmur into her ear through clenched teeth.

“Doing what?” she asks quietly.

I try to concentrate on anything but her, but then she wiggles again, and all control is lost. The little tease.

I can feel myself swelling gradually against the lower section of her back, and surely she can feel it, too.

But the genuine tone in her voice tells me otherwise. She has no idea what she’s doing to me.

“ That . Don’t do that because you’re about to get an unrequested surprise.”

She shifts and turns herself more my way, making her hips move again, and this time directly on my growing erection. “What are you ta—”

Her words die, and I can pinpoint the exact moment she feels me—eyes growing wide and mouth opening as she gasps. A red hue rushes to her cheeks while she stares at me in a frozen state, not knowing how to proceed from this particular predicament.

She moves away slightly and mumbles, “I’m so sorry.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart. Nothing to feel embarrassed about. If anything, I’m the one who should be embarrassed for my lack of control,” I say with a chuckle.

A small smile takes over her lips. “Well, you did try to warn me,” she says with a giggle.

I pass my fingers through her hair, cradling the side of her head. “Let’s go home, it’s getting pretty late.” I love the way it sounds. Home. I only wish her home was also mine .

“Okay,” she says quietly, a glimmer shining in her eyes with the glow from the moonlight.

After collecting the empty bottles and storing the blankets, the girls exchange numbers, then we wish goodnight to my friends and head to my car.

Cecilia is quiet on the drive back, looking out her window most of the drive.

Our hands are locked together, but her focus is elsewhere. She seems nervous and contemplative.

We reach my parking spot and step out of the car, then climb the main elevator and make our way up to her floor.

Her free hand fidgets the whole time, and the closer we get to her door, the more intense it becomes as she chews on her lower lip.

She’s been avoiding eye contact from the moment we left the car, her nerves clearly getting the best of her.

Once we stand in front of her door, I grab hold of her waist and bring her to me, an inch between us, chests almost touching.

“Cecilia, breathe.” She lets out a deep exhale while staring at my chest, refusing to look at me. “Talk to me, baby. What’s going on in that beautiful mind?”

Her gaze finally lifts to mine, and I can see the worry in them, the uncertainty, and all I want to do is take it away.

“I just... I like you, Silas, and I want to keep seeing where this goes. But I...” She bites her lip again, breathing in and out before continuing. “I don’t want to rush into things.”

One side of my mouth tips up, offering her a side smile.

She’s adorable. I circle one arm around her waist and press her body into mine, erasing that last inch between us.

My other hand slides through her hair as I try to soothe her worries.

She places both her hands on my chest, our position intimate to any onlookers.

Her head is fully craned back while mine is lowered, as it feels like our gazes reach into each other’s souls.

Our lips are inches away from one another.

All it would take is to lower myself a fraction, and I’d finally get to discover those puffy lips.

But I don’t. Instead, I tell her what she needs to hear.

“I like you, too, Minnie. A lot, if you haven’t noticed.

” My smirk grows before returning my features to a serious expression.

“But I never want you to feel like I’m pressuring you, because that’s not the case.

There’s no need to rush anything. I’ll wait as long as you need, until you’re ready to take things further. ”

I lower my voice to a whisper as I continue. “But when something’s bothering you, or if I make you feel a way you don’t like, then you need to tell me so that I can make it better. Okay? Promise me you’ll tell me when that happens?”

“I promise,” she sighs, closing her eyes. Looking peaceful, she rests her head on my chest, content with my response to her concern .

“Now go rest, we had a busy day. You must be exhausted,” I whisper into her hair before applying a tender kiss. “Goodnight, Minnie.”

“Goodnight, Big Guy.”

I wait until she enters the condo and locks the door behind her before stepping away. As I make my way back to my place, I’m already excited for our next encounter, thinking of ways to make her mine.

It’s wooing time.

CECILIA

~ The Following Day ~

“Why are you here?” Emma’s voice startles me out of my sleep as she sits at the end of my bed.

My eyes narrow with confusion. “Why am I in my own bed?”

“Yes!” She rolls her eyes. “Why didn’t you spend the night with that hunk of a man?”

Oh, now it makes more sense. I sit up against the headboard and giggle, shaking my head. “Because unlike you, I like to take my time. You know, savor my ice cream one lick at a time.”

“And did you lick that ice cream last night?” she asks, wiggling her brows.

I laugh at her question and throw a pillow her way. “No, I did not.”

She throws the pillow back at me as she lies down on my bed. I lower myself back down as well and lay beside her. “But you had a good time?” she asks me.

This is what I love about Emma. As much as she can joke around and be super inappropriate, she always makes sure that I’m all right, showing concern and love like a mother would.

I sigh and smile up at the ceiling. “Yeah, it was really fun. We went to his friend’s house and decorated their place for Halloween.

Then we had dinner and spent some time by the fire before he brought me home.

By the way, I had no idea people decorated that much for holidays.

Like it was... A LOT, ” I say, thinking back to all the storage bins we emptied, plus the inflatable and mechanical characters we put up.

“YOU WENT TO CLAY BURKLEY’S HOUSE!?” Emma yells incredulously into my ears.

“Jesus fucking Christ, Em! I’m literally right beside you! Fuck, I think you busted my eardrum,” I say in a harsh tone as I rub my assaulted ear.

“Oh, don’t be dramatic.” She rolls her eyes at me once more.

“ ME? Dramatic? Have we entered an alternate reality I’m not aware of?”

“Whatever. Back to the important stuff, you were in Clay Burkley’s house? With Clay Burkley?” The look she gives me is a mix of shock and excitement.

“Yes, he was there, so was his wife. But wait, how did you know that’s who I was talking about?”