Page 18

Chapter 17

Brooks

I’m in the pool waiting for Lia, acting like I’m much more chill about this than I am. My heart thumps and I swear it’s making waves in the water. I glance at the sliding glass door, waiting for her to walk out to the patio. Outdoor lights, dim and strewn along the trees and pergola, remind me of Lia’s place. I can’t take the credit—they were here when I moved in.

I wade through the water, trying to stretch my legs while I wait. The fatigue from the other night has faded but it’s still there. Lingering. Reminding me of the injury. I’m amazed I was about to push through to play my normal minutes, with no one wondering if I was struggling or not. The trainer caught my eye a few times and came by to stretch me when I was on the bench. Little things like that make me want to keep playing for this team forever; I’d go to war for the training and coaching staff.

In the last few weeks, it feels like everyone came through for me—the trainer, my teammates, and Lia. It was as if she looked through to the corners of myself where I keep my secrets. I know she didn’t tell anyone then, and I know she won’t now. She’s the kind of person you want working with a professional sports team.

She’s also the kind of woman I want to myself.

Just as I’m thinking about her, I hear the sliding glass door open and see Lia wrapped in the towel I left in the bathroom. Her blonde hair is in a messy bun on top of her head, and she watches the ground as she walks closer.

“Stop it. It’s perfect out here,” Lia sighs, and I stare as she takes in the patio. “I’d be out here every night if I lived somewhere like this. Even if it was freezing.” She gives me a side-eye look, slow and fucking sexy, as she loses the towel.

For fuck’s sake. I’m doing my best not to stare but it’s impossible. A light green lacy bra holds her breasts, the pink of her nipples showing through and her softness spilling over. It’s paired with a matching pair of panties—I’m betting, or hoping, it’s a thong—and my dick twitches. Her skin looks soft, almost like velvet, and her muscles flex when she walks. Her thighs are curvy and strong, and I immediately wonder what it’d be like to run my hands up and down them. My mouth. My tongue.

Then I see a tattoo on the front of her thigh, and I feel like I could pass out. It’s a vine, starting at the top of her hip and splayed across her thigh. The ink is delicate, like it’s always been part of her skin, but also bold—like you’d never forget it was there. My dick twitches as my eyes roam over her, especially her long, slender legs.

Lia scurries to the steps of the pool and I wish she’d slow down. “Do you have any tattoos?” she asks.

I cough, clearing my throat. “No, but yours is… it’s…” There are no words in my head.

She purses her lips and lets out a tiny laugh. “Thank you. Did you know that some vines can survive for centuries? They’re one of the most resilient and adaptable plants on the planet.”

Lia has needed to adapt. It’s a perfect tattoo for her and I love the excitement rolling through her words. She takes the steps into the pool, the water quickly covering her flawless fucking legs and reaching part of her tattoo. Lia’s eyes find mine and I can feel the heat from my blushed cheeks .

“Ooh, this is warm,” she sighs, the water hitting her stomach while steam surrounds her silhouette. Lia puts her whole body in, letting the water reach all the way to her chin and starts toward me. “My muscles,” she groans, “this feels so good.” Her eyes sparkle as she moves closer to me.

“It’s nice but I kind of forget about it, to be honest. Plus, I’m not home that often during the season. You know how it is,” I explain.

“How could you forget about this? It’s amazing.” The awe in her face is contagious and I’m trying to hold back a smile.

Fuck, she’s gorgeous.

“What’s that smile for?” Lia asks.

I look around, trying to decide on what to say, and I decide to go with honesty. “Oh, this is for you. All gorgeous, like that,” I gesture to her body in the pool, “at my house. Here with me.”

As the words are practically falling on top of each other and dripping out of my mouth, it’s clear I barely have any game or skill. I can’t keep anything to myself. “I’m also aware of how dumb that sounds,” I stammer, and Lia laughs as she swims towards me. “It’s just that—”

She puts a finger on my lips. “Not dumb. Not even a little bit.” Her hand goes from my mouth to the nape of my neck while she stares at me, her eyes like the lights of the pool reflecting off her own evergreen depths. Lia’s other hand circles my neck, and I put my hands on her sides, feeling her ribs. She then dips and wraps her legs around my waist, and I hold her to me.

“No, this definitely isn’t dumb,” I assure, my lips close to hers and our noses almost touching.

My hands roam down from her lower back to the delicate lace of her panties, my fingers dancing along the thin piece of fabric. Lia’s eyes lock on mine as my hands shift to her ass, nothing between her skin and mine .

My cock strains against my shorts and throbs with each touch of her. Fuck, the fabric between us is too much.

“Should we talk about this?” Lia’s words fill the sliver of space between us. “Whatever this is. You and me.” Her voice gets smaller as she continues.

“If you want to.” I lean my head back, giving her space.

“You’re okay with keeping this a secret?” she asks, searching my face for something.

“I’m okay with whatever has you coming over for dinner. And swimming in my pool.” I place a kiss on her mouth. “I’m a fairly private person and I’ll keep this a secret for as long as you need.”

She leans in, deepening the kiss and putting a little moan on my lips. Fuck. That noise. That mouth.

Lia pulls away, looking at me. “It feels like this job is a good fit for what I’m looking for long term, but so do you.”

So do you.

She immediately bites her lip. “Fuck, I don’t think I should’ve said that. I’m not trying to be all clingy and whatever but it’s, like, such a surprise we’ve met and connected, and—”

I kiss her to stop the rambling and tell her that I agree. “You’re not clingy. You’re being clear and direct, which I like.” She puts her hands through my hair and locks her eyes on mine. “If this is your secret to keep, I’ll happily do it.”

“For now.” She says it almost like a question, needing reassurance.

“For now.” I nod and let her fall into me, her head finding the crook of my neck.

“We’re doing this?” she asks, her lips close to my ear lobe. I lean into her as she nips me.

“You and me, baby. ”

Lia kisses me with urgency this time, and it feels like the walls have come down. Maybe she was holding back before?

Her arms loop around my neck and I kiss the column of her throat while she leans back, giving me space. The sheer lace has my mouth watering—her nipples, pink and pointed, underneath the fabric. My mouth finds the tops of her tits and peppers them with kisses. Lia pushes her hips further into me and arches her back, letting out a small moan which makes me smirk against her skin.

“Those noises you make. Fuck,” I groan as I drag my tongue across the top of her cleavage.

A hand goes through my hair, pulling on the dark strands to show me where she wants my mouth. A woman who can take charge? This keeps getting better and better. I move us to the bench in the pool and put her ass on the ledge.

I wondered if this would feel awkward or muted. It doesn’t. Thank god. For me, there’s not an ounce of doubt or questioning. I want her. She wants me. It’s a risk but it feels like it’s worth taking.

I step closer, letting my length hit her center. Lia’s eyes light up, wide and a bit surprised, but then she wears a devious grin.

“This ledge seems awfully practical.” She puts her hands on the sides of her legs, emphasizing while spreading them for me.

Her lips take mine and she tastes like the wine from dinner. A light breeze rushes through the trees, causing some of the leaves to fall from their branches, and my exposed skin goosebumps for a second.

I move my hips, touching her and pulling away, watching her expression as my dick touches the lace of her panties. Lia leans back, her arms resting on the edge of the pool. She moans each time I touch her, even though the fabric stays between us. When one of her hands reaches down her body until it’s under the lace, grabbing a nipple and rolling it in her own fingers, my balls tighten .

“Keep touching yourself like that,” I moan before kissing her jaw and down her throat.

She switches and is pinching the other nipple while her head tips back, her eyes closed. “Are you telling me what to do?” she asks, all breathy and needy.

“Are you listening?” I stretch the letters of the word. She nods her head. “Good girl,” I whisper into her ear. “Now reach into your panties and touch yourself.”

I step back, wanting to watch her. Without hesitation, her fingers rub down her cleavage, running over her stomach and sliding underneath the lace. I follow suit and wrap my hand around my dick. Through the water, I see when her fingers reach her clit. She releases a gasp and closes her eyes, tipping her head to the sky.

“Eyes on me,” I practically growl. I don’t want her hiding from me.

Lia’s eyes, fierce and blazing, pop open and lock on mine. Her eyelashes are thick and flutter. When she sees my hand touching myself, she bites her lower lip.

“I—” She stammers and stops.

“Tell me what you want.” I surprise myself when the words don’t sound like a suggestion, but more of a demand.

Lia sighs out a breath. “I want you.” She bites her lip and lasers a look in my direction. “I want you to touch me.”