Page 82 of Racing Heat

Cassie nods, raising her eyebrows in challenge. I move in slightly, angling my mouth so that I can quickly capture hers. I steal a quick kiss, then another and another. I pull her body hard, and she slams against my chest and whimpers. I keep on kissing her, almost like I’m claiming her mouth. She lets me do it, hangs on to me while I make her moan and shake.

Pulling back slightly, I look at her. “That’s the way I wish I could greet you every time I see you, people be damned.”

Her blue eyes look a bit glassy, like she’s in a daze. No words come out of her slightly parted lips.

“Have a good game. I’m hoping I get to see you later.” That earns me a nod. “And then maybe I can make you beg.”

Cassie grins at me. “Are you trying to make sure that I’m in a constant state of arousal during my game?”

“It might just be the best foreplay I’ve ever thought of.”

She shakes her head and then turns on her heel, ready to flee. I reach out and give her ass a slight smack. “You’re going to be late for warmups. Better get going.”

She shoots me a wink and is gone. Fuck, that girl is addicting.

Chapter Thirty

~CASSIE~

The cloud Jase had me walking on when I left his office has dissipated. We’re losing. The Courage are beating us three-nothing. The offense can’t get a good shot off, and the only one that Kelsey was able to send through was blocked. We’re about to be shut out. I look up at the clock and see we only have ten more minutes of this left.

It looks like Coach is going to bring in some of the subs so that others can play. Or maybe he’s hoping that a change of players will come with a change of pace. Either way, I’m thinking one of those six subs that’s standing on the line is for me. I get my wish, thankfully.

I slap hands with Jess as she comes in for me. “Go get ’em.” I say it with more enthusiasm than I feel, but she doesn’t even seem to notice.

Coach has taken out Mac, Kelsey, and Maria. The whole front line has changed—two midfielders and one back. I look over my shoulder to see that Amelia is still holding down the center-back position. Good for her. She’s been making some big plays for us today, but it hasn’t been enough. It takes more than one person to win a game, and right now, we can’t put together pieces for a goal.

I make my way to the bench and sit down. The coaches will talk to us after the game. For now, Andie, Coach Watts, and Jase are focused on the players they subbed in, looking to see how they’re going to handle the tough competition.

“Miranda, let’s go,” Jase calls over to her. “You’re going in.”

Miranda rises and grabs her gloves. “You’re taking Hendrix out?”

“Yeah, let’s give her a break. Unless you don’t want your shot?”

“No, I want it,” she says quickly, hurrying over to the line. She’s got less than seven minutes to make her mark.

I look to Hendrix. Her head is down, and her shoulders are sagging. Usually, I’d have that same feeling of being taken out, but tonight it feels welcomed. We couldn’t find our rhythm, and my shots were all blocked from the eighteen. No amount of me rushing back to help the defense mattered.

Once Hendrix is subbed out, she comes over and sits on the bench beside me. Neither of us says a word. There’s nothing to say, and this isn’t a strong showing. I look up at the crowd that’s grown since the beginning of the season; it’s dwindling fast tonight. The fans are filing out, realizing their team isn’t going to win.

Once the final buzzer sounds and we shake hands with the other team, I sit back on the bench. I slowly remove my cleats as my teammates head into the locker room. Coach Watts said he’d talk to us in a bit, but I’m lagging here on the bench. I hear Jase’s English accent as he talks to the goalies.

“Chin up, yeah?” he says. It makes me smile.

I keep my head down, hoping he walks right past me, but I’m not that lucky. He lowers himself onto the bench beside me.

“You coming?” Andie asks him.

“In a minute,” he calls after her. “I think someone is beating herself up. Just wanna have a chat and then we’ll be in.”

“Need me to stay and help?” Andie pauses and waits for his response.

“If you want to, you can, but I’ve got it.”

Silence follows and it’s still just Jase and me sitting on the bench.

“I’m not even going to ask, because I know you’re not okay,” he begins. “But it’s okay not to be. It was a rough game. Not much went our way today.”