Page 21

“I need something sweet,” Landry says, standing from his chair and heading to the back porch.

“I guess the game is over,” Sloane says. “Anyone up for a night swim?”

“Let’s do it.” Reid stands and stretches. Baker, Sloane, and Foster do the same.

I know that means I can’t keep her on my lap any longer, and I hate that. Corie stands and links her arm with her best friend’s, and they make their way inside.

“Come on, Cap,” Baker says. “Nothing in our contract says we can’t swim,” he teases.

“And we’re all sober,” Foster adds. “You should smile. You’re keeping our asses in line.”

“Well, all except for Landry. Dude really needs to lay off the sweets,” Reid jokes.

“This time, we can finally place the blame on Beckett.” Baker laughs. “You’re the one who bought the entire bakery.”

“They were closing, so I just bought what was left. I knew Landry would consume half of them.”

Foster points his index finger at me. “You’re enabling him.” He smirks.

“We all know that nothing would keep Landry away from food. Any kind of food, whether I brought it to his doorstep or not,” I tell them, and they all laugh because it’s the damn truth.

The back door opens, and we all turn to see Corie and Sloane, followed by Landry with a donut in his hand. My eyes scan back to Corie, and my breath stalls in my lungs. She’s in a modest one-piece bathing suit, but it does nothing to hide how fucking gorgeous she is.

I can’t do this.

I can’t sit here, watch her swim, breathe in that suit, and act as if she means nothing to me.

I have to go.

The words are on the tip of my tongue when she and Sloane stop next to me.

Sloane links her arm through mine and nods at Corie.

I watch Corie’s throat bob with her swallow, and she steps to my other side, mimicking her best friend and linking her arm with mine.

I lean into her just a little because I can’t seem to control myself where she’s concerned.

“You’re swimming with us,” Sloane announces.

“Don’t let him out of it.” Landry smirks.

“Did you put them up to this?”

Landry shrugs. “Maybe,” he says, before shoving the second half of his donut into his mouth.

“I wasn’t going to leave,” I grumble under my breath.

“No, but you would have sat in a lounger running plays through your head for next week. You’re the number one-ranked quarterback in the league, Beckett.

You’re also human, even though with how often you work out, some could debate that.

” Landry smirks. “You need to leave the game on the field. One day, you’re going to wake up and see that it’s all passed you by. ”

“What?”

“Life. Live in the moment.”

“You’re acting like I’m some kind of monk. I’m here all the time. I don’t live at the stadium.”

“During the season, you do,” Reid chimes in.

“And in the offseason, you’re still a machine,” Baker adds.

“What is this? Pick on Knox day?”

“They care about you,” Corie says from beside me. I turn to face her, giving her all of my attention. It’s not hard to do. “They just want to know you’re enjoying life.”

“My trunks are in my truck,” I tell her.

“Perfect.” Sloane releases my arm and skips over to Foster. “Corie, follow him and make sure he doesn’t chicken out.”

“Yeah, don’t let him leave,” Landry tells her.

They know what they’re doing, well, they don’t, but they made a good choice. No way am I leaving when Corie wants me to stay.

“I’ll watch him,” Corie assures them. She starts walking toward the side of the house, leading me toward my truck, and I follow her. I’m beginning to think that I would follow this woman anywhere.

When we reach the side of the house, I remove her arm from mine and wrap my arm around her shoulders. I kiss the top of her head as we continue to make our way to my truck. She doesn’t pull away, which makes me want to hold her closer.

At my truck, I don’t move to release her. Instead, I wrap both arms around her, pulling her into my chest. Briefly, I close my eyes and pretend like this isn’t wrong. That she’s mine, and I’m allowed to hold her like this without caring who might see us.

“Knox?” I pull back just enough so she can lift her head and look at me. “Your trunks,” she reminds me.

“Can’t we just stand here like this the rest of the night?” I’m only half joking. I know we can’t, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to.

“You said you wanted to kiss me.”

It’s dark, with only the light of the moon, so I can’t see her face well, but I can imagine a soft pink glow to her cheeks. “I do.”

“I think I’d like that.”

“You think?” I ask.

“I know I would, but I don’t know what this is, Knox. I told myself I was going to focus on my career. After my last breakup, I needed some time.”

“Did you love him?” I know she told Landry she didn’t, but I still need her to tell me again.

“No. It was more the idea of him. Having someone who was mine for me, not because of who my brother was. A male version of Sloane.” She laughs nervously. “With all the relationship stuff.”

“My career is my priority. It always has been, so I don’t know that I have much to offer you.”

“You have you,” she says sweetly.

“And your brother is my best friend. My teammate. He’s threatened all of us by saying that you were off-limits. It’s a non-negotiable for him.”

“Landry stepped up when we lost our mom, but he’s not my father.

He’s my brother. He can’t dictate who I kiss and who I don’t.

I know it’s complicated, and we work together, but you told me all you can think about is me, and I confess I’ve been thinking about you, too.

No matter how often I tell myself I need to put distance between us, I end up right next to you, in your lap, in your arms. I admit, it’s a nice place to be. ”

“It’s more complicated than that, Corie girl, and you know it.”

“It is, but for once, I want to be selfish. I want to know what it’s like to kiss you.

Not because you’re Knox Beckett, quarterback extraordinaire.

I want to kiss you because you’re Knox. The guy who’s always sweet to me.

The one who can make my body ache with a look or a simple touch.

I’ve never had that before, and I want it just this once, out here in the night, under the moonlight. ”

“If I kiss you. I mean, really kiss you how I’ve been craving, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop.”

“Just once.”

“I don’t think I can, Corie.” In fact, I know I can’t. With every interaction, I yearn for her more and more. Having her, tasting her fully, kissing her like she’s mine, I won’t be able to quit. I slide my hand behind her neck and lean a little closer. “I won’t be able to quit you.”

“Then don’t.”

She has no idea what she’s asking. My insides churn with indecision, and I feel my determination to stay strong starting to crumble. Who knew it would be this hard to resist this sprite of a woman? “Corie.” My voice is strained as my resolve wavers.

“Kiss me, Knox.”

I’m battling with what I want and what I know is right.

I want her, but I’m not supposed to. She’s looking at me as if I hold all the answers, and the only one I have is that I want her.

I want my best friend’s little sister, and I’m about to cross a line that should never be crossed, but she’s asking me, and no way can I push her away.

“Fuck it.” I slam my mouth down on hers, and she immediately opens for me.

She meets me stroke for stroke, and I could spend the rest of my life kissing this woman and be a very happy man.

Time hesitates and shifts to a standstill, as the distance, both physical and emotional, narrows.

The world around us seems to stop altogether, and the other thing that I notice, the only thing that matters, is Corie in my arms. Her mouth molded with mine, drinking in my kiss like it’s her lifeline.

It’s not your normal first kiss, where both parties are hesitant to learn from the other. No, this is two souls finally coming together. All the tension that’s been brewing between us releases in this kiss.

So many emotions flood my system all at once.

Relief that after all this time, I’m kissing her as if she were mine.

Wonder that this incredible woman wants me to kiss her.

Uncertainty mixed with fear because this won’t be easy.

Purpose, because I’m certain she’s mine.

My reason. I wait for the panic to set in, but it’s absent.

Probably the only emotion not running rampant through my system.

“We need to move,” I mumble against her lips and return to kissing her.

Bending, I place my hands on the backs of her thighs and lift her.

She wraps her arms and legs around me, never stopping our kiss, and then we’re on the move.

I step to the opposite side of the house, just beyond the bushes, stepping behind them.

I push her back up against the house and kiss her with everything I am.

Corie grinds down on my hard cock, and it’s in this moment that I realize that, even with the risks, she’s worth it.

This won’t be the last time I kiss Corie Reynolds.