Page 12 of Full Court Crush

“Wow. A nice, low-pressure job then?” Keira laughed.

“Definitely. What about you? What else do you do, besides basketball?”

“Just basketball,” Keira said quietly. “I’ve not been back long enough to find another job, so…” She mentally kicked herself.

“Sorry, of course. I didn’t think.”

That explains a lot.

Amelia knew how much she was getting paid to play basketball, and that it wasn’t enough to live off.

“It’s okay. I majored in marketing and communications, so I’m hoping to find a job in that field.”

They lapsed again into silence. Amelia thrummed her fingers on the steering wheel, wondering if it would be rude to turn on the radio to fill the quiet. She needed something to distract her from Keira’s proximity, and the way she’d looked at her when their eyes met. She really hadn’t thought this far ahead when she chased Keira down in the restaurant.

I’m just being a good captain.

They pulled up to another set of traffic lights as it started to rain. The heavy drops tapped the windshield for a few seconds, then became a deluge. On the pavement, coolly clothed partygoers were suddenly scrambling as the warm summer rain soaked everything in sight.

“I’m definitely glad of the lift now.” Keira chuckled, her gaze on the pedestrians scattering into nearby shops like startled cats.

“That’s Welsh weather for you.”

They talked about the upcoming basketball season and how Keira found playing in America for the remainder of the drive. Basketball felt like a safe topic. It was, technically, a professional topic, now they were a professional team. And yet, as they approached Howard Gardens, Amelia wanted to keep driving. And talking.

“Which house is yours?” she asked, scanning around. Relaxed, chatty Keira disappeared, and tense Keira returned.

“You can just drop me here, thanks. If my dad sees you, he’ll insist on inviting you in, and it’ll be a whole thing.”

Amelia thought about arguing, but something in the tone of Keira’s voice made her decide against it, and she parked the car instead.

“Thanks again for the lift,” Keira said, undoing her seatbelt and climbing out of the car.

“No problem.” Amelia smiled, and Keira shut the door. She watched her walk away in her wing mirror, until Keira had rounded a corner and gone out of sight. It took Amelia a few seconds to snap out of her daze and start driving again. A warmth spread through her that had nothing to do with the heated seats. She tried not to think about what it meant.

Maybe Lucy is right. You just need to get laid. But when would she have time for that? She barely had time to see her friends. Amelia turned onto the main road and headed home. Her mind drifted to the small vibrator she kept in her bedside drawer. That would have to do.

Chapter 5

Keira

Keirabentover,handson her thighs, gasping for air. Coach Grant had finished their session with a free throw drill: take ten free throws, and for every free throw they missed, they had to run a shuttle. Keira was grateful she only missed two; poor Sienna’s nerves got the better of her and she was still going, having missed six. The entire team cheered her on as she crossed the baseline for the final time.

“All right, come in,” Coach Grant called from the centre circle. Amelia, who hadn’t missed any free throws, stood by her side.

“Good work, everyone. I was really impressed with the intensity you all trained with tonight. Keep it up.”

The intensity they’d trained with had turned Keira’s legs to jelly, rather than well-toned muscle. Everyone else around the circle looked similarly dishevelled. Even Amelia, though that wasn’t much of a surprise. Amelia seemed to work twice as hard as everyone else.

“Just a reminder, our monthly strength and conditioning testing starts next week,” Coach Grant added.

Keira saw Sienna, who stood across from her, immediately pale, despite her crimson cheeks.

“It’s nothing to worry about,” Coach Grant continued, her gaze flicking towards Sienna then back. “It’s just a tool to identify any areas we need to focus on, both as individuals and as a team. And a little friendly competition never hurt,” Coach Grant finished with a smirk.

“What’s the point? Amelia will kick all our asses, like always,” Lucy joked, making the rest of the circle chuckle. Keira noticed Amelia, though, turned her eyes to the floor, and her cheeks reddened.

“Let stopping her be your motivation then, Adams,” Coach Grant continued, in a needling tone.