Page 33 of Her Player

I lapped her salted goodness off her skin and watched as her lips parted, her eyes watching my mouth’s every movement.

“Mmmm,” I hummed as I pulled her thumb from between my lips, “delicious.”

Nope.

I was a goner.

I wanted her taste on my lips every night. I wanted it before every game. As a reward for every win. As a punishment for every fight. As a promise for every goal. And as I lay there in bed with her, gazing deeply into those gorgeous gray eyes, I knew what I had to do.

Whatever it cost me. Whatever the league did. Whatever the press did when they finally figured it out. I was already hers. The math had been done for three years. I was just waiting for her to be ready to do it too.

“Rhett?”

Her soft voice pulled me out of the recesses of my mind. “Yeah, Miss C?”

She laid her head on the edge of her pillow, not invading mine, but definitely attempting to get close. My grin spread across my mouth as I captured her leg in between mine, pulling that pillowy thigh of hers in between my muscles. Her hips seated softly against me. Our breath, coating each other’s faces as I slipped to the edge of my pillow as well.

Our noses were only inches from one another before her whispered voice poured forth.

“I don’t know how to fix this for my daughter.”

I reached out and cupped her cheek. “One day at a time, okay, sweet girl?”

She swallowed hard. “Why is that always the answer when things go to shit? One day at a time?”

I had a feeling she was talking about something deeper than what we were going through. But I stayed with her just the same. “Because sometimes, that’s all you can do.”

Her eyes grew unfocused before she brought them back to my face. “My mom would know what to do if she were here. She always knew what to do.”

I clocked the past tense. “How long has she been gone?”

She studied me for a bit before swallowing hard. “Long time now.”

“I’m sorry, Victoria.”

She just shook her head, and I didn’t like that we were ending the conversation there. I brought my hand to her face and straightened her glasses with one finger. She went still under my hand the way she always did, like she hadn’t decided yet whether to let me.

“Were you close to your mom?” I asked.

She nodded softly. “She was my best friend. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you close with your mother? I don’t normally see family congratulating you after the games or anything.”

I grinned. “You watch me after the games?”

She rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean, Rhett.”

I chuckled softly. “I bet you noticed I don’t set aside tickets for family, either.”

Her face fell flat. “Shush.”

I couldn’t help but chuckle again. But then I answered her. “I’m not too close with my family, to be honest.”

She blinked. “Why’s that?”

I shrugged softly. “Mom left when I was young. Dad was pretty absent and heartbroken after that. I kind of just… learned how to be on my own.”