Quarterback Keeper (Fall Lake Ballers #1)

Chapter Fifteen

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

KYLIAN

G ia’s gaze found my lips, and I couldn’t deny how much I wanted her. Each day with her, it was harder than the last to keep my hands to myself. She was still angry. I couldn’t blame her. I was too. Part of me longed for jealousy to be what had prompted her strong reaction to Melanie. I didn’t know what I would have done if the roles were reversed. Probably smashed the guy’s face in.

I slid my hand along the slender curve of her neck to cup her nape, drawing her closer, testing for resistance. There was none. She came willingly, and I felt like I’d won.

A shiver of anticipation raced through me as I lifted my head toward hers. I wanted to taste her lips more than my next breath. Her eyelids fluttered closed as my lips grazed hers. She returned my kiss. Soft at first, tentative. When her arms wrapped around my neck, her fingers buried in my hair, I deepened the kiss, devouring her lips, reveling in her taste. Her response was instantaneous. The passion between us was electric, explosive. I angled her head, tasting her fully. So fucking sweet. When she shifted her hips, creating friction, I strained to push into her, hating the clothing barrier.

A moan slipped from her throat, reverberating through me and unleashing any restraint I thought I had. I needed her, and my control was threadbare. But it was our first kiss, and I fought my insatiable hunger and eased back. My breath crashed against hers.

I traced the curve of her soft cheek, a swell of possessiveness flaring in me at the sight of her kiss-swollen lips. Her lids rose, gifting me a view of her dazed bright-blue eyes.

“I’ve tried to deny how you make me feel. Gia, after that kiss, I can’t. I want you, but I won’t push you to do more than you’re ready for.”

Gia

I trembled at the way Kylian looked at me. Butterflies erupted in my stomach. I’d wanted to do this for myself, and the way he made me feel could keep me warm at night when I had to move on eventually. I trusted him. The decision was made, and I eased back on the mattress, creating much-needed distance between us. He reluctantly released me.

On shaky legs, I stood at the edge of the bed and whipped off my shirt then shimmied out of my leggings, needing the control. It was my decision, and making it sent a wave of power surging through me. “I want you too.”

He practically levitated off the bed and was in front of me in a flash. I sucked in a breath and willed my body’s fight-or-flight to cease and desist.

He noted my flinch and paused. “What is it?” His hands stilled from undoing his shirt’s buttons.

I shook my head, hating how specific movements brought unbridled fear. It was a learned behavior bestowed on me from Dayton. But he wasn’t there, and I wasn’t afraid of Kylian—not like that. He wouldn’t hurt me physically. The uncontrollable learned response just hit me at times. Intimacy didn’t scare me, only certain fast movements that triggered me. I straightened my spine and shoved away the remnants of my urge to flee as I lost myself in the sight of the incredible man and athlete before me. Concern swam through his expressive eyes.

“You just startled me. I’m okay.” I laid my hand on his chest, refusing to let Dayton come between us or my decision to be with Kylian. “Promise.”

Kylian didn’t move, his gaze dancing over my face. “Gia, we don’t have to do anything. I don’t want to pressure you.”

His willingness to stop, no matter how hard he was—I’d noted the way he strained against his zipper—warmed me. How he’d felt moments ago, pressed against me, chased the last of my chill away. I shook my head and eased closer. My fingers deftly undid the first few buttons of his shirt before I let my gaze meet and hold his. I let him see my desire burning for him.

“Only if you’re sure.” He closed what remained of the distance between us and rested his hand over my fluttering pulse at the base of my neck.

My lips parted as I eased his shirt from his shoulders. The feel of his skin, all that corded muscle bunching and flexing beneath my touch, quickened my breath. All I could do was nod.

Another second passed before he gave in with a groan then bent and trailed kisses from my jawline down my neck while I explored the well-defined contours of his chest, the skin taut under my touch. He tore the rest of his clothes off then peeled my panties from my body.

He turned us, and the mattress pressed at the back of my thighs. As if I weighed nothing, he lifted me then laid me on the bed, his hungry gaze heating every inch of me.

“You’re so beautiful.”

He joined me, and with excruciating slowness, his hand moved up the outer side of my thigh. His lips captured mine, brushing back and forth until I moaned, and he deepened the kiss. I slid my hand around his back, urging him closer, the sensations addictive.

I explored his body in the silvery moonlight streaming through the porthole, desperate to experience all of him. I moaned, quivering with need as he broke our kiss only to press his lips to my thundering pulse. His teeth scraped the sensitive skin on my neck. I panted from his every caress. His large hands cupped my ass, and he ground his length against my core. I cried out from the delicious pressure, hooking a leg over his hip. He was close to my entrance but didn’t give in, no matter how much I squirmed.

He rolled one nipple between his fingers before filling his palm with the weight of my breast. Want heated my core as it softened, plumping for him. He trailed his fingers up the inside of my thigh. When he traced my seam, I cried out again. He teased and circled my sensitive bundle of nerves, driving me close to the edge, only to stop.

When his fingers dipped between my folds, I gasped at the burst of sensations. Arching into him as he teased my clit then dipped his finger inside, I panted, hypersensitive to his every touch. He increased the tempo, and I thrust my hips to meet him.

“Please.” I needed more of him.

His fingers played me, and I thrashed, trembling from his touch. Passion built between us until I thought I couldn’t take much more. My climax was so close. The hard press of him so near my entrance tormented me. I needed him to enter me, desperate for fullness.

My fingers trailed over his skin, loving the leashed strength that jumped and bulged from his muscles at my touch. A wicked thought urged me to turn the tables. Fair play and all that, since he wasn’t filling me as I wanted. I wrapped my fingers around his thick length. His body stilled. I pumped my hand in a slow caress. A deep moan reverberated from his chest, vibrating against my skin before escaping his lips.

Our gazes clashed and held. Want pulsed in his dilated pupils. Heat exploded in my core from the intensity of his desire for me, slicking the way for his entry. I arched my back, desperate for him to fill me.

He grabbed his wallet and withdrew a condom. As he rolled it on, I teetered there, wanting to curse him for bringing me to the brink of release before easing off. Then he aligned his hard length with my entrance before he pushed inside and thrust deeply. I arched my back higher to meet him as feverish nerve impulses detonated from the contact. Our lips clashed together in a drugging kiss. My head swam from the sensations cresting inside. It was too much, yet not enough.

With each powerful penetration, I clung to him, his corded muscles shifting beneath my hands. He increased the pace, then his hand slipped between us, dipping between my folds and tracing gentle circles on my clit. I exploded, my climax stealing my breath and clenching like a vise around him. With a roar, he followed.

I could feel the echo of his heart pounding against mine as we lay together, catching our breath. What had happened between us shook me to my core. What was that? I’d never experienced such bliss with a man before him. Warmth spread through me, and I glanced at his chiseled features.

A slow smile curved his firm lips before he pressed a kiss to mine. When he shifted to his side, I mourned the loss of him. He rolled off the bed and pulled me to my feet. As he disposed of the condom, I cleaned up and slipped into a pair of panties. We climbed back into bed, and he tucked me against his side.

I lay in his arms, content, and my eyelids grew heavy. I’d let my guard down with him and had been rewarded well. Trust wasn’t something I gave lightly. Not anymore. The realization that I trusted him completely was nothing short of a miracle. With that revelation, I laid my palm over his heart and used his chest as a pillow, enjoying just being with him in the moment.

Kylian

G ia lay sprawled across my body, her cheek on my chest. I traced circles over the intricate daisy tattoo on the silky skin of her inner wrist while the gentle rocking of the boat lured us toward sleep. Our legs were tangled together, and her toes curled from my touch.

“For the record, Melanie means nothing to me, and you never have to worry about me cheating.” My gut clenched at the confession. I didn’t like sharing it, but she deserved to know. When she’d confronted me about Melanie, the hurt in her eyes hadn’t escaped my notice. “I grew up watching my father break my mother’s heart. The divorce was a long time coming but no less brutal. It shattered my mom. I would never do that to a person.”

She lifted her head from my chest and pushed higher so we were eye to eye. Then her lips were on mine, soft and inviting. All it took with her was one touch, and my body came alive. I was there for it.

I tugged her panties off then flipped her so she was underneath me. Her legs wrapped around my waist. I pressed against the heat of her entrance and had just enough sense to reach for my wallet. She laughed as I fumbled for a condom. Once it was on, I slid inside to the addictive sound of her moan.

Much later, we took turns in the bathroom, and I disposed of the condom. Then I tucked her against my side as I climbed back into bed. I wanted more time with her. With so many responsibilities for school, football, and my mom, sharing something we both loved was something I could give Gia. It was a part of me, and from how she’d talked about her uncle, it was also important to her. “We have a home game in two weeks. Do you want to go? Ares’s mom and nephew will be there. You could sit with them.”

“Really?” She pushed herself up onto an elbow and grinned at me. “Okay. I would love to.”

“I’ll leave the SUV with you and catch a ride with my roommates. I’ll text you a picture of where your seat will be.”

She worried her lip with her teeth, her gorgeous blue eyes sparkling with excitement before she settled back into my arms.

The night had started terribly, but being there with Gia… something had clicked. It felt like where we were supposed to be, at least for the time being. Falling asleep with her in my arms was the most natural thing I’d ever done.