“Oh, come on.” He turned in his stool, so he was directly facing her. “You can’t tease me like that and not follow through.”
“It was stupid, and she has a big mouth. You’ll laugh at me.”
He leaned forward, his eyes catching hers. “Now you have to tell me. Come on, just spit it out. I can guarantee I’ve heard worse in the locker room.”
Mia sighed. “You’re not gonna let this go, are you?”
“Nope. I’m a sportsman. I never let anything go. If I want something, I go for it. And I don’t give up until I get it.”
She was silent for a moment. The air crackled between them. She looked at him through those thick, pretty lashes.
“She said I need to get under a guy to get over the breakup. That I should use…um…somebody as a rehab guy. To get me ready for dating.”
“A rehab guy?”
“She’s stupid. And young.”
“Like sex rehab?” He grinned at her, propping his chin on his elbow as he leaned closer. He rested his foot on the rung of her stool. “I get that. Kind of like when I get an injury.” Or most injuries, but he wasn’t going to think about that. “We go to physio, keep working it until the injury’s gone, then we get back on the field.”
“I guess that’s what she meant. As I said, she’s an idiot.” Her hair fell in front of her face again. This time he reached out and tucked it behind her ear, his fingers trailing along the soft skin of her neck.
Her breathing hitched and she looked up at him, her pupils dilating.
Yeah, she felt this. Whatever it was between them. The air around them was so thick he could almost touch it.
“You want to try it now?” he asked softly.
“What?” Her voice was thick. Low.
“A kiss. Just one. See if you’re ready to move on.” He played with the ends of her hair, rubbing the glossy locks between his fingers. “Nothing more than that. Unless you want more.”
Her gaze dipped to his lips, and she bit down on her own. “It won’t mean anything?”
“Nothing at all. Just a little rehab. That’s all.”
“Okay.” She blushed. “Yeah, I could do that.”
He slid his foot around the leg of her stool, and pulled it closer, until their knees were touching. “I gotta warn you,” he told her, cupping her head with his palm, “I’ll probably ruin you for anybody else.”
She laughed, and the tension around her dispelled. He grinned back at her, liking the way her giggles sounded. A little rough, a little breathy, and a whole lot of sexy.
He leaned closer, his thumb drawing tiny circles on her neck. Her lips parted, and he could feel the warmth of her breath against his cheek. She tipped her head back, the movement almost subconscious, as though she was opening herself up to him, ready for his mouth.
The pulse between his thighs was strong. Constant. He brushed his lips against her jaw, and she sighed. Her fingers curled around his neck as he kissed and sucked at her skin, her body arching on the stool as his lips slid up to hers.
He paused for a moment, tasting the anticipation in the air. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, pulling his gaze, making him admire the curve of her breasts as they pushed against the thin t-shirt.
He pulled her against him, pressing his mouth to hers, groaning loudly when he felt how soft they were. How pliant. She curled her arms around his neck, arching her body against his, and he swore he could feel the tightness of her nipples against his chest.
With a sweep of his tongue against the seam of her lips, he encouraged her to part them. His fingers flexed around her neck as their tongues slid together, sending a pulse of electricity through his body. Mia moaned as he deepened the kiss, his fingers tracing her spine, until his palm pressed against the small of her back.
Her breath escaped in small pants. He slid his hands beneath her behind and hitched her off her stool, sliding her along his legs until she was straddling his lap. She rolled her hips, her body grinding against his, and the sweet friction made him want to strip her right here, right now. Her hips were moving rhythmically, her arms tight around his neck, her mouth taking everything he had to offer.
And then her phone rang.
Abruptly, she pulled away, leaving only cool air against his lips. He touched them, and watched as she pulled her phone out of her pocket with shaking fingers, swallowing hard as she read the screen.
“I need to take this.” Her voice sounded ragged.