Page 4

Chapter 3

Brooks

The restaurant is empty besides the staff cleaning up for the night. I knew it was late, but had no idea it was this late. Our laughs fill in the cracks between the sounds of dishes being stacked, chairs being scooted in, and employees finishing their shift.

I can’t stop staring at Lia. She’s unreal. It's cliché to say she’s unlike anyone I've ever met, but it’s the fucking truth. We were talking about basketball defensive sets and specific offensive plays; she asked questions that some of my teammates probably haven’t even wondered about. She’s smart, confident, and it’s such a turn on.

It’s surprising how she made me want to share. It’s not that I’m some sort of recluse, but there’s an internal brick wall I’ve built, reinforced, and sometimes restructured. Lately, people who cross that brick wall are few… even for a night. I’m not saying I want to tell her my deepest darkest secrets or anything, but the brick feels more pliable than it usually does.

Her eyes are a fierce shade of green, like fresh pine trees in the spring sun. I’m not sure I’ve ever met someone with blonde hair and green eyes. For some reason, it fits perfectly with what I know about her so far.

And her laugh. She laughs like she means it, kind of loud but in the best way. She doesn’t cover her mouth or try to stifle it. She gave me her number an hour into the date, and if that isn’t a good sign, I don’t know what is.

Lia recrosses her legs and one of her heels catches my eye. Black. Strappy .

“I can’t believe someone tried making you feel bad for wearing those. You look so fucking good,” I blurt out.

Her cheeks flush as she smiles through the compliment, and it warms my chest.

Pushing the button on the side of her phone, Lia’s eyes go wide. “It’s after midnight. I should get going. I’m teaching yoga tomorrow morning. Well, technically, this morning.” She grabs her purse and holds it in her lap.

“Wait, I thought you work at a bakery?” I ask, making sure I have my details right.

Lia stands and answers, “Yes. I work a few odd jobs. Kind of in between a main source of income right now.”

She puts her hand in mine as we walk out. The staff tell us goodnight, and if I wasn’t a regular, I'd feel bad. The valet has already pulled my car to the front, considering it was the only one left.

“Do you need a ride?”

“My place is only a ten-minute walk. It’s fine,” she says, tipping her head toward her direction of home.

There’s no way I’m letting her walk this late—not in those heels and not alone. I'm sure she can handle herself but driving her isn’t a problem at all. Plus, I really fucking want to.

“I don’t doubt that, but you don’t need to walk. I have a perfectly open passenger seat for you.” I open the car door, gesturing inside.

Lia’s lips press together in a thin line. She looks from my car to the direction towards her place, then back to me. It’s like she’s looking for a reason to say no.

“Please get in the car, Lia,” I press, holding the passenger door open.

“If you’re sure.” She slides into the passenger seat, and I close the door.

The drive is only a few minutes, but Lia launches into a conversation about a rival NBA team. She’s trying to get me to dish on players—are they as bad as she thinks? I’m belly laughing at her honesty and borderline ruthlessness. I love it. Lia is a perfect surprise for tonight. I don’t think she knows this, but she was the distraction I desperately needed.

“I’m over here,” Lia explains and points to an apartment building ahead.

I pull over and get out of the car.

“Are you really going to walk me to my door?” Her cheeks are pink and scrunched with a grin.

I put a hand to my chest. “Absolutely. Proper date etiquette is important to me.”

We walk the short distance from the street to her apartment building and I follow her all the way to her door. There’s no lobby or central building; instead, everyone has a door facing the outside—sort of like a multi-floor motel. When we hear people screaming, some from inside their own apartment and some from the mostly open hallway, Lia doesn’t turn to me or say anything, almost like this is the norm. Paint peels from the walls and garbage bags sit outside some tenant’s doors.

This place is a bit rough around the edges—not that I’m judging—and I'm thankful she let me walk her back. She stops in front of a door and I’m relieved that no one is outside, hanging around, at any of the apartments near hers. Maybe she has good neighbors? I can only hope.

“Well, this was unexpected and sort of amazing,” Lia admits, her eyes almost sparkling under less-than-stellar lighting. I’ve never known anyone who looks this good under fluorescents.

I take a small step forward. “Yes. Here’s to Randall being a complete dick bag.” She laughs at the jab, and it warms me from the inside out. “I feel like I owe him a thank you card or something. ”

Lia rolls her eyes. “That man deserves nothing. Thanks for turning my night around.” She leans in closer, her lips perfectly pink, and all I can think about is how badly I want to kiss her.

I can’t remember the last time I had a date like this. Easy. Fun. Where I’m sad to see it end. One where they aren’t asking me for basketball tickets halfway through or if I can introduce them to someone I was recently photographed with. It seems like my presence is enough and she doesn’t need anything else from me.

Fuck it. I’m going for it.

Slowly I close the space between us, giving Lia time to back up if she wants to. Placing two fingers under her chin, I tip her face to mine and put my lips to hers. Time drags, but the second our lips touch, it’s like a spark of energy hits my bloodstream. Any ounce of tiredness is immediately replaced with the possibility of more time with her.

My heart beats quick and light—I can hear it in my ears. I bet she could feel it if her hands were on my chest. The thought of her touching me that way has me needing more.

Her tongue sweeps along the seam of my lips and when I open, Lia lets out a sound that could bring me to my knees. It’s like a half moan mixed with a laugh—I want to bottle it and keep it forever.

My hands move to her hair as I walk us back until she’s flush against her apartment door. She takes her hands and grabs the front of my shirt, pulling me closer to her. I let my hands run down her side, ending on her lower back, at the top of her ass.

“Your hands. God. They feel too good.” Lia breaks the kiss as she leans closer to me, and I let them fall an inch or two farther. Her voice is breathy, shallow, and quiet which makes my dick strain against my pants.

I have a handful of her ass as I kiss down her neck. There’s more for me to grab than I can hold onto and it’s ridiculously hot.

Fuck .

She hitches one of her legs and I grab her thigh, digging my fingers into the skin. Her hips push forward, her back arching from the door, and I press my mouth to the top of her breasts. I pepper them with kisses before letting my tongue drag across. Tasting her.

A door slamming above us brings me back to the fact that we’re in public. We pull away and Lia looks at me, her fingers touching her swollen lips.

“Do you want to come in?” Lia reaches in her bag for her keys.

Yes. A resounding yes. But as I’m about to answer, there’s a pull at the pit of my stomach. It’s the restraint I wish I didn’t have.

“I do, but… fuck. I can’t believe I'm about to say this.” I pull at my neck and catch her eyes with mine. “I haven’t felt like this in a long time. I kind of don’t want to ruin it. Like, I want to take you out—for real.”

Lia steps in, grabs a handful of my shirt, and places a soft kiss on my mouth. “Then take me out, for real. You have my number,” she insists while putting the key in the lock and opening the door.

“You got it,” I reply as she steps in and stands in the still-open door. I kiss her one last time and pull away.

“Good luck on Saturday. You’re going to be great,” Lia murmurs while closing the door.

For a moment, I awkwardly stand in front of her apartment. She knows I'm going to play for the first time in a long time and didn’t bring it up until the very end. It could’ve easily become the focus of our night, but it didn’t.

Fuck. It makes me like her even more.