27
CROSBY
I glance at the girl sleeping soundly next to me. Something about her deep and even breathing calms everything that normally rages within. Her caramel-colored hair is spread out across the snowy white pillowcase. She really does look like an angel. Tearing my eyes away feels impossible.
After we had sex—for the second time—she fell asleep curled up in my arms almost immediately. Even though I want to be smug about exhausting her, it’s the last thing on my mind. I can’t stop thinking about what a fucking mess this has turned into. It’s one I have no idea how to solve.
How fucking ironic is it that I finally have the girl of my dreams, and now there’s a huge secret sitting between us? One that doesn’t allow me to be honest with her. I have to carefully consider everything that comes out of my mouth.
I’ve been lying awake for hours, going over all of it in my brain. Sure, I’m a football player, but I’m also a mechanical engineering student. I’m used to problem solving. It’s part of the process.
But this particular problem?
Yeah, there’s no easy solution. I’ve either got to reveal the truth or…
Ghost her as my alter ego. But I’m loath to do that. The last thing I want to do is inflict any more damage than I already have.
Let’s just say a miracle occurs and I avoid getting booted to the curb…there’s still the matter of Andrew. News that I’m with his ex will go over like a lead balloon. He’ll freaking lose his mind, and it’ll most likely destroy our friendship.
So…yeah.
It’s a real clusterfuck.
I stare sightlessly up at the ceiling as all this swirls through my head. The only way to avoid this blowing up in my face is to walk away. But how can I do that?
The answer is that I can’t. I’ve waited too damn long to have her, and now that I’ve had one small taste, there’s no way I can go without. I wasn’t kidding when I told her that she’d been claimed. Brooke McAdams belongs to me. I just need to figure out how to keep it that way.
She shifts and opens her eyes. Even though sleep still clouds her green depths, they stay fastened to mine.
“What time is it?” she asks, turning onto her side to face me before dragging the comforter over her shoulders and snuggling into it.
Could this girl be any more adorable?
I still as the silent question rolls around in my head before shoving it away.
“Really early.”
“Is something wrong?” Some of her sleepiness falls away as her expression turns wary. “Why aren’t you sleeping?”
As tempting as it is to admit the truth, I bite back the words, keeping them locked inside where they can’t fuck anything up. The last thing I want to do is destroy the intimacy we just found in each other’s arms.
“No reason.”
As her caution recedes, she reaches out and strokes her fingertips over the hard ridges of my bare chest, skimming them across taut abdominals, before sinking south of the border.
“No reason at all?” she asks, voice dipping as one brow lifts.
Well…
I hiss out a breath when her hand settles on my dick. Up until now, it had been lying prone. Dwelling on all the lies I’m caught up in will do that to a man. As soon as she touches me, those thoughts vanish and I’m rising like a champ to the occasion.
“None I can think of,” I groan.
“Hmmm. That’s too bad.”
Her fingers wrap around my length before slowly sliding down it. When she reaches the base, her grip intensifies before retracing her path in the opposite direction. Once she reaches the head of my cock, her fingers circle the tip. Round and round she swirls until it feels like I’ll lose my damn mind.
When moisture beads the tiny slit, her fingers glide over the slickness, smoothing it into my skin. Her hold intensifies as she pumps my erection. I can’t resist arching into her palm as my balls stir with the beginnings of an orgasm. I’ve had countless hand jobs, but none have ever affected me like this.
No one has ever affected me like this.
Just as I thrust into her hand, it loosens from around my girth before disappearing. My brows slam together as she rolls away, giving me her back.
“Sweet dreams.”
What the—
I blink before realizing that she’s messing with me and grab her from behind. “You little tease.”
Her shoulders shake with silent laughter as I turn her toward me. A grin simmers around the corners of her mouth.
With wide eyes, she asks, “I’m sorry, is there a problem?”
A growl rumbles up from my chest as I pounce, rolling on top of her until she’s pinned to the mattress. My cock nudges the entrance of her pussy, only to find it already slick with need. When she widens her legs, I sink inside her warmth. Not much. Just an inch or two.