Page 32 of The False Start (Off the Bench)

Chapter Twenty-Two

CAL

I wake up warm, too warm. And I can’t breathe.

I spit out the mouthful of hair I’d half swallowed and try to catch my bearings.

Lila is sleeping soundly, her leg thrown over mine, and her arm is belted around my waist. I smile to myself, enjoying the feeling of being wrapped in her embrace, even as I replay the events of last night in my mind.

Her taste, the little whimpers of pleasure I pulled from her, the way she clenched down on my fingers.

I can’t help but imagine just how good she would feel milking my cock.

Bloody hell.

I run my free hand over my face, wiping the sleep from my eyes and trying to avoid any semblance of bed head. With horror I realize I’m standing at half-mast. While not uncommon in the morning, Lila’s limbs being so close to my cock is raising the flag, so it seems.

I reach for her knee, intending to ease it off my lower half. Just as I make contact, she gives a little groan, and I glance down to her face still lying on my chest. Her eyes flutter open, slowly meeting mine, and she gives a tentative smile.

“Morning sleepyhead,” I joke, pushing up into a sitting position and letting her slide off into the middle of the bed.

“Good morning,” she yawns, stretching. “What time is it?”

“Uh . . .” I grab my phone from the nightstand and splutter. “It’s nearly ten.”

She blinks at me in surprise. “I thought we were leaving early?”

“I guess I forgot to set an alarm.” Shit. I have two missed calls from Theo, and one unknown number with a voicemail. I listen to it quickly.

“The car is here. They picked it up early this morning and dropped it off.”

“Oh good. I guess we should head out then.”

“Do you want breakfast first?” I ask. There’s something in the gentleman handbook somewhere about feeding a woman breakfast after a night of escapades , right?

“Let’s just stop for coffee on the road somewhere, I don’t really want to risk running into any of the other guests.” She shudders.

“Yeah, sounds good to me.” I stand and cross to the en suite. “I’ll get dressed and then go heat up the car.”

I’m nearly ready when I remember the reason that I can’t find my shirt is that a half-naked girl is still wearing it in the bed I just left. I step out of the bathroom in just my jeans.

“I, uh, might need my shirt.” I say, sheepishly, hand scratching the back of my neck.

“Oh, right.” She hops up. “I’ll change now then.” She scampers around me into the bathroom, snapping the door shut with a click.

I swipe through my messages, one from Mother wishing me a “Happy Thanksgiving or whatever excuse for celebrations Americans are using these days.” I chuckle to myself. She never did get over my love of the States.

Lila tosses my shirt to me through a crack in the door, and I have to suppress the urge to try for a peak of exposed skin beyond. She’s dressed and back out of the bathroom before I can fully set my mind back to normal.

“Were you going to put it on?” she asks, looking pointedly at the shirt I’m holding.

I flush and tug it on. “Er, I got distracted.”

“By what?”

I shrug. “You ready?”

She stares at me with confusion, but lets it drop and heads for the door.

My car is waiting in the small parking lot next to the bed-and-breakfast, and I exhale with relief.

Part of me didn’t think it’d actually be here, that the address would be wrong or the company would’ve brought the wrong car or somehow totaled it in transit.

But there it sits, no worse for wear than when we’d left the city yesterday other than mud coating the back wheel wells.

As we settle in the car, I’m reminded of the torture on the drive up—trying not to reach over and touch her knee—but it’s right there now. And with the physical barriers removed, at least partially, I could do it now.

I hold my breath, and slowly reach my hand over, giving her time to shift positions if she wants.

Touchdown! The announcer screams in my head. I squeeze her knee gently and look over from the road to find her giving me a soft smile. She blushes when I catch her eye, and I grin, shooting her a wink.

We cover the rest of the drive like that, in a much more comfortable silence than the ride up. I’m not exactly sure where it leaves us, but I’ll settle for casual touches if that’s all she’s willing to give me.

I turn down the private drive and glance at Lila as the house comes into view. Her eyes have turned as big as saucers, and I chuckle.

“It is a bit ostentatious, isn’t it?” I quip.

“It’s enormous. I thought this was just a lake house.” She stares up in wonder.

“Well, it is technically on the lake.” I point to Lake Superior, visible just over the carriage house.

She blows out a breath and shakes her head. “You guys are both professional athletes, and I know Katie’s family is pretty well off but still. For some reason I expected a cabin and some bunkbeds.”

I can’t help it and burst out laughing.

“Love, we went to private boarding school together. We’re all well off.” I park the car, ignoring the clench in my chest that she hadn’t looked up my net worth already. That she would’ve still wanted to come even if we were all sharing bunkbeds in a cabin.

I walk around to open her door. “Come on. I’ll give you a tour.” She’s still in some kind of impressed shock but lets me pull her out of the car, following me into the house once I’ve grabbed our bags from the boot.

As we’re walking up the wide staircase through the garden, the front double doors fly open.

“There you are!” Theo shouts down at us. “Took you long enough to get here.”

I roll my eyes as he bounds down the stairs, Katie right on his heels to embrace Lila.

“Oi, mate, little help over here?” I call to him, holding up Lila’s bag.

“Nah, man, you’ve got it.” He shoots me a wink, before taking her arm and leading her back into the house.

God, he’s a prick, but at least he’s a laugh sometimes.

I follow them inside, trailing behind and watching Lila take it all in.

She’s clearly trying to play it cool, to seem like this is all normal, but Theo likes to show off, and she’s the perfect target today.

“Are your folks around?” I ask, intending to say hello.

“They’re in Singapore for the month. I think Maggie might drop in though.” He shrugs. “You’ll be in your usual room, and I put Lila across the hall from you. I grunt in acknowledgement and head up the large main staircase to the room I’ve stayed in since we were kids.

London was too far to fly home for short breaks during the school year, and while New York would have been closer, being alone with Father wasn’t something I ever sought out.

Theo invited me once for the Thanksgiving holidays when he realized I was planning to stay at school, and I never looked back.

We spent most of that time at this lake house, and it’s become something of a home away from home after all these years.

I haven’t been back since I was drafted to New York, and I let the memories and nostalgia wash over me as I pace the halls.

My room is unchanged. The dark blue bedspread and pale wooden furniture is so different from my condo in Chicago but comforting all the same.

I drop my bag on the bed, crossing the hall to the room Lila would be staying in for the next couple days.

I push open the door and am momentarily caught off guard by the abundance of pink covering most of the room.

I set her suitcase just inside the threshold before returning to my own room, deciding a shower and fresh change of clothes might be in order.

A short while later, I’m dressed in fresh clothes and am headed to rejoin the group as Lila comes into view.

“Oh, there you are.”

“Miss me already?” I ask, unable to keep the smirk off my face.

“ Theo misses you already.” She laughs. “He was wondering where you got off to. We just finished the tour, and I was going to try to change into some new clothes, but I see you beat me to the idea.”

“I usually try not to wear the exact same outfit for longer than 30 hours straight. Though I can definitely see the appeal.” I joke and am rewarded with a small giggle.

“Ah, yes, I quite agree,” she says in a very bad British accent.

I laugh. “Well enjoy your room, I put your suitcase just inside the door.” She opens it, and I can’t help but continue. “When you’re back down I’ll show you my favorite parts of the house. Theo most likely skipped the most important ones.”

“If I can even find my way back down. I might have to call you just for directions.”

“At your service.” I give her a small, mock bow. “But seriously, if you do get lost just text me or scream really loudly and one of us will come find you.”

“Good to know it’s not completely soundproofed then.”

“It’s soundproofed enough.” I say offhandedly, thinking of her small moans last night. She flushes, and steps quickly inside her room.

“See you down there,” she says before she closes the door behind her.

I wonder how many more times I have to make her come before I’ll be invited in instead of shut out. I run my hand down my face to physically wipe the want from my eyes before making my way down to where I know Theo and Katie will be in the game room.

“So . . .” Katie leers at me the moment I sink onto the couch.

“So what?”

“Your little overnight adventure?” she prods.

“What about it?” I ask as nonchalantly as I can.

She scoffs.

“I know you’re going to ask her the second you’re alone. Why would I deprive you of that joy?”

Theo snorts and hands me a beer, but Katie just rolls her eyes.

“You care about her, right?” she asks.

“Obviously.”

That must be enough for her inquisition because she lets it drop and turns on the TV.

By the time Lila joins us, I’m on my second beer and Katie is fully invested in season one of Gossip Girl .

Lila scrunches her nose at the TV and grabs a High Noon from the wet bar. “Blech, season one Chuck.” Katie laughs. “At least skip forward a bit.”