Page 72 of Elite Player
That isn’t completely true, but I’m working on it, and I have to fake it to make it and all that.
Waylon’s skin mottles as if I offended him, but I barrel on. “I’m not sure what bothers you more, that I’ve moved on from you and from this town, or that I’m not hanging on your every word anymore.”
“That’s not it.”
“Then what is it?”
He flaps his hand around for a few seconds, trying and failing to come up with an explanation before Nico interrupts, bodily putting himself between Waylon and me.
“Gotta tell you, I don’t really like how you have my girl up against a wall here.”
Waylon takes in Nico’s protective posture of me and backs up a step, but he doesn’t leave. Instead, he ducks his head around Nico to find my gaze once more. “I don’t know why you’re doing this, but you don’t have to. You don’t have to pretend to be this person you’re not.”
I might be pretending to be engaged to Nico, but the person I was in this town is long gone. She’s been replaced by a new version of Josephine Atkins. One who doesn’t cower in the corner and instead takes chances. One who would much rather hang out with a goofy hockey player readingJurassic Parksmut than a boring boy who’s never outgrown his hometown.
“The only one pretending here is you and the real reason why you felt you needed to corner me. Unfortunately for you, it looks like my sister understands why too, so you’d better go fix that because I’m not going to be waiting here for a crumb of your attention. I stopped caring about you a long time ago. I suggest you do the same.”
With that, Nico takes my hand in his and escorts me away. “Atta-fucking-girl.”
Then, in the middle of the hall, in the middle of the party, in the middle of basically the whole of the town, Nico Tremblay gathers me in his arms and kisses me.
CHAPTER 21
JO
Not at all surprising,Nico managed to charm the pants off everyone at Granny’s party, while also leaving Waylon and Lizzie seething with jealousy, and Danny finally quieted from making any digs at me. So, I suppose our plan for this fake engagement worked. But as Nico strides into my apartment when we arrive back home in Philadelphia, there isn’t much fake about the way he looks at me when he shuts the door.
“I’m so proud of you,” he says, kicking off his shoes, placing them next to mine. “You showed everybody they can’t mess with you anymore.”
“Mostly because of you.”
He shakes his head, removing his zip-up. “You stood up for yourself on your own. I was only there as security.”
“Well, maybe I need to hire you for every family event.”
“Maybe.” His sky-blue eyes turn stormy as he stalks me, gaze ravenous. He glides the tip of his tongue over his bottom lip, almost as if tasting something delicious, and I wonder if he’s remembering the way he told me to be quiet in the dressing room and lowered to his knees. I tried my best not to make noise, but I’m not sure he was even aware of how he groaned when he first glided his tongue up my slit. Recalling it now, I feelmy skin prick with goose bumps. My nipples harden when I think of how he gripped my thighs, held me up and open to his mouth, and how proud he looked when he tipped his head back after I’d come, his mouth glistening.
Remembering it, I’m both excited and empty. Blood pools between my legs, heavy and almost painful, needy. For him. Before I have a chance to chicken out, I curl my hands around his neck, bringing his mouth down to mine.
“I know you have to leave tomorrow, but will you stay the night?”
His stubble scratches my jaw. “You don’t even need to ask.”
I swallow my nerves and twine my fingers into his hair. “Have sex with me?”
He exhales against my ear, his hands tightening on my waist, and it’s a long time before he lifts his attention to my face. “You sure?”
I nod.
“Not good enough, mama. I want to hear the words.”
“I’m sure. I want to have sex with you. I want…” Pressure forms behind my eyes and along my nose. “I want it to be you.”
He runs his palms along my sides and back, eyes drifting back and forth between mine as he takes a few deep breaths that make his shoulders rise and fall. I don’t know if I’ve ever witnessed Nico Tremblay unsure of himself, but he seems it now, and it calms my own nerves.
We’re in this together.
Though, from that first day in the hospital, that’s how it’s always been. He’s kept his promise to have my back, to be on my team, and always at my side. So, I’m not at all scared when he says, “I’m going to undress you now.”
