Page 29

Chapter 28

Brooks

As soon as my teammates wanted to go out to the bar, I knew I was staying in. I kept checking the time on my phone, doing the math for how long it’d been since Lia had left.

The elevator doors open and I know where I’m going—it’s not my room. I stand in front of Lia’s door—which was information I had to finesse the front desk staff to get—and look around. There’s no one. The hallway is completely empty.

For now.

I knock on the door, matching the thudding of my heartbeat.

Lia opens the door and her eyes settle onto mine, a smirk pulling on one side of her lips. She’s wearing gray pajamas, a matching set with a lace tank top and tiny shorts, which draws attention to her legs—the ones I dream about kissing up and down. Her blonde hair is damp and wavy.

“What are you doing here?” she asks softly.

“Had to see you. Wasn’t an option.” The answer comes out quickly, and I kind of wish my mouth had held onto the words a second longer.

“Not an option? Dramatic much?” she laughs, tilting her head.

I nod in agreement and say, “No. I spent the team dinner thinking about you. About how we were on the same floor.”

She tries not to smile as she steps closer to me, leaning against the door frame. Lia goes to speak, but the ding of the elevator has us looking to the doors .

Jalen walks out, taking two or three steps before looking up from his phone.

Caught .

It’s like time is frozen for a few seconds, or however long it actually takes for Jalen to look between us, smile and step back, pushing the button for the elevator. The doors open and he mutters, “Tsk, tsk, tsk. Thought you were going to bed, Brooks.” He emphasizes ‘bed’ with a twinge of ‘disappointed dad’ and a side of ‘friend giving you shit.’ Jalen crosses his arms and grins while the door shuts.

“Well, fuck,” Lia groans, covering her eyes with her arm.

“Don’t worry about it. He already knew. He’s just being Jalen.” I try to reassure her but don’t know if this is the time to tell her I told our secret.

“That could’ve been anyone,” she protests. Her eyes dart up and down the hallway, looking for others.

I let out a sigh, glancing up at the ceiling while shifting my weight. “You’re right. I should go,” I practically whisper.

I don’t even turn my body all the way before Lia grabs a handful of my shirt and pulls me to her.

“Get in here,” she orders, her nose scrunched and eyes fucking sparkling.

The door shuts behind me and she’s still holding my shirt.

“You were unreal tonight,” Lia laughs, looking at her feet before settling her gaze on me. I can almost see her relax, bit by bit, until she lets go of my shirt and her hands fall to her sides.

“Me? You’re the one who has NBA teams donating to local animal shelters.”

Lia’s lips pull into a real smile, the type that makes her glow. Before I can say anything else, her arms wrap around my neck and our lips meet .

Maybe it’s more like a crash, because there’s something behind this. This kiss. This moment. This fucking woman.

My hands find her waist, her hips pushing into me as I move until I’m grabbing her ass through these tiny, perfect shorts. She smirks against me and I squeeze, grabbing a handful of her soft skin in my hands.

I walk us further into the room. Her legs hit the bed and she stops, offering me a wicked grin before reaching for the bottom of her tank top and lifting it up and over her head.

Lia watches as I take her in before she falls back onto the mattress. Her hair splays all around her, those tempting blonde locks a mess on the white of the comforter. A hand reaches up to her breasts and she squeezes a nipple, rolling it back and forth between her fingers.

“Fuck. Do you know how hot that is?” My voice is raspy as I put a knee on each side of her legs. Once I’m straddling her, I hover my body right above hers before our lips connect. I lick the seam of her lips and when she opens, I taste her, bringing my dick to full attention.

I’m right next to her—right here—but it doesn’t seem close enough. I need to touch more. Taste more.

More .

My lips find the nipple she isn’t touching and I flick my tongue, feeling Lia respond underneath me. She arches her lower back, pushing up and away from the mattress while she moans.

Fucking perfect.

I let my tongue dance on the top of her tits, covering as much of her skin as I can. My hand lightly presses on her stomach, moving down until I’m touching her through her shorts.

“Wait. Too many clothes,” Lia pants as she props herself up on her elbows .

I stand and step away from the bed, grabbing my shirt and lifting it up and over. Next, I unbutton my jeans and pull them down, stepping out until I’m only in my briefs with my cock straining against the fabric.

“All this. It’s cruel. Like, it’s unfair how hot you are,” Lia murmurs while taking me in, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love it. Not what she said, but the way she said it, because it sounds like how I imagine talking about her.

She sits up, tucking her feet under her ass before putting the weight forward on her arms. Now on all fours, Lia looks at me and starts to crawl.

I bite my lip and try to memorize every single fucking detail. Her messy blonde hair thrown over her shoulder, her eyes looking up at me like that, the swell of her pink lips. I take a mental photo—a series of them, really. Lia is crawling to me and it’s something I’ll remember, and go back to for personal use, for a long time.

She’s in front of me, reaching for the front of my briefs. I help to pull them down. The bead of precum gives me away, just in case it wasn’t clear how hot she fucking is. She smiles as she reaches for the base of my shaft, her thumb brushing the head. Lia leans forward, putting the head on her lips before slowly opening her mouth.

Her tongue swirls on my most sensitive part as her hands move on me in slow strokes. She pulls me out of her mouth with a pop of her lips, and I eagerly laugh, putting my hands on my hips. I don’t want to get too aggressive, and I feel like I barely trust myself.

She glances up at me, her lips resting on the tip of my cock as her hands release my shaft. I’m missing the pressure until her hands find my balls. She cups them and I moan, “Fuck. That feels so good.”

Lia takes me in her mouth, sucking and turning her head, still using a hand to balance herself on the bed. I start moving my hips further into her, trying to get more, and she gladly takes me. When she gags, I reach for her face and bend down to kiss her.

“If you keep going, you’re going to be disappointed,” I groan as I bite her lower lip.

“I owe you. For the pool,” Lia replies matter-of-factly.

She thinks she owes me? What in the actual fuck?

I put my finger under her chin and lift, my eyes searching her face for the sign of a joke or a laugh. When I don’t find one, I sternly state, “Let’s make something clear—we don’t keep score. You don’t owe me anything.” I push a hard kiss to her mouth before she can respond. I break it and finish my thought. “As if having you in my pool, the way I did, wasn’t for me? I'm not sure what kind of men you’ve been with, but I don’t think we’re the same.”

Lia lets out a breath, trying to tip her head down, but I won’t let her.

“Got it?" I ask sternly.

“Got it,” she answers, raw honesty on the edge of her quiet voice.

She sits back on her heels, pushing her bottom lip up against her teeth. I grab her waist, lift, and lightly toss her on the bed. It must catch her off guard because she lets out a yelp before moving her hair away from her eyes.

“As much as I love that wicked mouth of yours, the first time we do this, I want to come inside you,” I admit.

She nods as her chest rises and falls quickly, like she’s trying to catch her breath.

I look between us and ask, “Is this okay?”

Lia’s voice is breathy and full when she says, “Yes.”

Without hesitation, I reach into my jeans, which are strewn on the floor, to get the condom I put in my pocket and set it on the bedside table—just in case.

“Now, let me see you, baby.”