Page 35 of Under the Lights (The Big Boys of BRU #2)

Twenty Eight

Sierra/Dom

Sierra

He was gone when I woke up the next morning, which I couldn’t really be upset about, considering our first night together.

No, this was for the best. Keeping distance was key. By letting him into my bed, I had given him an inch; now I had to make sure that he didn’t take a mile.

Even if a stupid part of me wanted him to.

My tumbler wasn’t where I usually set it to dry, and I searched the kitchen frantically for its bright teal color. It was nowhere to be seen, so I took a big jar out of the cabinet to use instead.

I was already annoyed at the way my morning was starting — I was a notorious spiller and needed lid-security.

Opening the fridge, I stopped in my tracks. There was my tumbler. I picked it up and gave it a shake, hearing the distinct clink of ice against metal. Did he …?

Hurriedly, I set it down on the counter, unscrewing the lid and peering inside. Looked like my iced chai latte. I gave it a sniff — smelled like it, too. After I popped the lid back on, I took a tentative sip.

That motherfucker .

Why did he know how to make my favorite drink? Even the sugar-free vanilla syrup in it was measured just right.

I drank it while getting ready for class, each sip fueling the chaos in my head. The rational part of me clung to the distance like a lifeline, screaming, Don’t be stupid .

But the rest — the needy, cracked, secretly aching part of me — was starting to betray me.

I hated not knowing what was real with him. Hated that I kind of believed he cared. I wanted to believe it. And I couldn’t afford to.

Not again.

My phone buzzed, as if on cue.

DOM: Good morning! Enjoy your drink

SIERRA: Thanks for that. Hope it doesn’t have that extra pump of insanity you always seem to add to yours

DOM: Nah, only an extra dash of love :)

SIERRA: Ah, I thought something tasted off.

DOM: Yeah, I’m sure you did. Nothing quite tastes like my brand of love

My eyebrows shot up in surprise. I needed to stop this. The conversation was definitely going in the wrong direction. He was throwing the L-word around. If that wasn’t dangerous territory, what was?

Whatever was going on between us now could only be physical, nothing else. It was just sex. Stress-relief, one might say. I deserved some of that, and he was right about one thing … we had undeniable chemistry.

That’s why you get all tingly when he calls you his, huh? , asked that pesky voice in the back of my head that always seemed to show up when I was second-guessing myself.

SIERRA: Oh, that’s what that bitter taste was?

DOM: Nope. Some of your denial must’ve accidentally gotten in there as well

SIERRA: You’re incorrigible

DOM: You love it.

DOM: Have a beautiful day. Maybe I’ll see you around.

SIERRA: I’ll be the blonde, sprinting the other way.

DOM: Didn’t I tell you? I always catch you.

I threw the phone on my bed like it had personally betrayed me. This was so not good.

***

Dom

Why weren’t there more people here? This was fucking incredible; these stands should be filled with a crowd cheering them on.

And I wasn’t just saying that because my girl was wearing those little shorts that made her ass look absolutely phenomenal. Although it sure as hell was a bonus point.

Following her every move across this court, I was transfixed. She was fierce grace, controlled strength, and all I could see. Memorizing every line and curve of her body, I watched her as intently as though I were studying game tape.

Sierra was moving like a force of nature. Every muscle, every move, sharp and fierce. Her body cut through the air like an unstoppable force, and my chest tightened, almost like I could feel her power through the distance.

My heart pounded, hard enough to drown out everything else. I was caught in her gravitational pull, unable to look away, even though I wanted to crawl closer, touch that fire.

The crowd roared, but all I heard was the pulse behind my eyes — hot, desperate, raw. Her ponytail whipped around as she nailed that serve, and I wanted to snatch it, pull her close, make her mine.

But no. I had to play it cool. Tuck the crazy back in, keep the obsession on a leash.

When the game ended, the adrenaline in my veins twisted into something darker. Something like hunger .

She stepped out of the locker room, her hair pulled back, skin glowing from the shower, calm but with that same fire simmering beneath the surface. She moved with purpose, eager to get away from everyone … and especially from me.

But I was already there, lurking in the shadows just beyond the door, tracking her every move like a predator locked onto its prey. My heart pounded hard, wild and raw, claws scraping against the cage I tried to keep it in.

She was mine to watch. Mine to want. And no matter how careful I was to stay quiet, inside I was a beast, breath ragged, and desperate to close the distance.

I stepped out just as she pushed through the exit, the cool night air brushing her skin. Standing in her path as if it were fate.

Her eyes flicked up, sharp and suspicious. “You again.”

I let a slow, dark grin spread across my face, my voice low and rough. “Thought you might want a ride.”

She didn’t smile. Just leveled me with a look that landed somewhere between annoyance and something far more delicious. “You always just happen to be around, don’t you?”

I shrugged, stepping a little closer. “Guess I’m not great at subtle.” My eyes dipped to her mouth, lingered, then climbed back up to meet hers. “Or maybe I just like being near you more than I should.”

She said nothing.

Because she didn’t need to.

I wasn’t going anywhere .

Sierra consumed my every waking thought, but I was careful not to disclose the extent of my obsession. It would just give her another reason to run.

Well, another reason to try and run. She had no idea that she’d strayed too far and was already trapped in my clutches. I just hadn’t closed in yet.

I had to operate with caution, making sure I didn’t spook her before I’d put enough cracks in her walls.

My Goddess was a jumpy, skittish thing once her feelings got involved — and I had no doubt they were involved by now. She was just too scared, too stubborn to admit it.

Waiting for her to get to where I already was wasn’t a problem. She told me not to catch feelings. So I didn’t.

I dove headfirst into them and hoped she’d learn how to swim before I drowned us both.