The Way We Play (Bradford Boys #2)

Chapter 19

19

Zane

W alking from the house down to the restaurant after stopping off for a quick shower, I notice my universe seems to have shifted. I actually feel different. Garrett would be the first to point out I’ve had sex for the first time in who knows when, but it’s more than that.

My shoulders aren’t tense. In fact, all of the tension I’ve been carrying in my upper back and neck is noticeably absent. It’s like I’ve been released from a cage. My jaw isn’t tight, and I have a peculiar urge to smile.

It’s weird.

I feel good.

Stopping mid-way, I think about all the Buddhist philosophy I spent so much time studying in the hospital. I breathe deeply. I recall the idea of letting go of control. Is that what’s going on?

Lifting my eyes over the silvery tin roof of the restaurant, out to the bay, I study the horizon lit up from the recent disappearance of the sun. It’s not completely dark yet. The water remains golden. In fact, the whole sky is a deep, blood-orange, and a lone, brown pelican glides just above the placid surface.

It sends my mind filtering through everything that happened today. The day was a freaking fever dream. Miss Gina drove away in that car, and we passed through a portal. I’m surprised I had the bearings to realize we had to return to the real world.

When we got to the house, as soon as I parked, Rachel had her hand on the door, ready to hop out of the Jeep to find her brother.

She leaned over to give me a quick kiss on the lips, but I caught her face, holding her still for a beat, holding her close for a better kiss, something a little slower, a little warmer. I wasn’t ready to let her go just yet. I didn’t want the vision to end.

She blinked up at me, and my chest tightened.

Rachel’s green eyes shine like the sun rising over the meadow when we take the horses out on a dewy spring morning. When I look into them, I see peace. The battle momentarily stops, and I escape the noise. I see something I’ve been afraid to allow myself to see.

She’s ripping my carefully crafted script to shreds. No attachments, no one gets hurt. It’s been my guiding principle since my injury. Don’t get too close. Never get too close.

Only, I can’t seem to stop myself. If today was any indication, I only want more of her. I don’t know what to do with this or what it means for the future. I’m all mixed up inside, because as relaxed and at peace as I am, I can’t help looking over my shoulder.

It’s the reality I’ve come to accept as soon as I think all is well.

“I love this kind of sunset.” Logan’s deep voice draws me out of my turmoil. “I’ve only ever seen it here.”

“It’s pretty,” I agree.

Although, not as pretty as the pair of green eyes I lost myself in all day long.

“I was thinking about our Thanksgiving show,” he continues as we walk down to the Coot-Shoot. “The Pirates always have a game on Black Friday. We could ask Garrett to drop in and tell us what to expect.”

“They’re probably not headed to the Playoffs this year.” I glance at him, thinking about how the Pirates haven’t bounced back since he retired.

I know it weighs on him, but I’m not so sure my younger brother’s heart is in the game as much as it used to be either. Logan’s retirement seems to have started a chain reaction.

“Yeah, but we always get a bump when we have Garrett on the show. I think listeners like hearing you brothers talk.” He holds the door for me. “Maybe we could ask Jack to sit in as well. He’s really good on the mic, and I like including the local kids. He fielded a good team this year.”

“Jack’s good at everything.” I grin, thinking about my eldest brother.

The sound of laughter echoes from the kitchen, and Logan nods in that direction. “What do you think is going on in there?”

“I can’t even begin to guess.” My smile widens, and we head to the double doors. “It could be anything.”

“I like seeing you smile, brother.” Logan grips my shoulder, giving it a shake. “Feels like the start of something good.”

“Yeah, maybe.” I can’t quite commit to that yet.

Optimism is a tricky bitch. I’ve dared to go there so many times, only to have it thrown in my face.

The first time was Thanksgiving, twelve years ago. I dared to think we’d survived, that our future was bright, that we’d rounded a corner, and I ended all of that. Hurting Dylan was a wound I couldn’t shake, no matter how many times she let me off the hook.

Karma took care of that. Karma is my enemy, I’ve learned, and I’d do good to remember it. My stomach twists painfully at the thought, and I remember lying in that hospital bed almost two years ago.

When that game started, I sat on the bench watching the guys play, thinking I’d found my place. I wasn’t sure at first, but things were good. I liked where I was, and I could see a promising future.

It was the last game I played.

Logan walks ahead of me into the restaurant, and I consider what experience has taught me. Getting close to Rachel feels like a risk. I can only watch things play out so many times before I start to believe them.

“Hey!” Her sweet voice greets me as I enter the double doors, and my hesitation evaporates.

Good intentions aside, I can’t resist Rachel Wells. She’s in my blood, and I can’t be without her. Hell, I’m thinking long-term thoughts about this girl.

“Hey.” My voice is low, and I know that goofy smile is on my face again.

They’re all going to see it, but good thing for me, the only big mouths who would give me a hard time are Garrett and Hendrix. And they’re not here.

“I was starting to think you’d stay at the house.” She’s not touching me, but the energy between us is so strong, it might be visible to the naked eye.

She’s being very respectful of my space, and I know it’s because this is all so new. As much as people have been pushing us together, she won’t do anything presumptive. She’ll let me take the lead, and it makes me want to wrap both my arms around her and pull her to me.

I want to plant a kiss on her right here in front of everybody.

“I still need dinner.” I gaze down at her, lifting my finger to trace a stray lock of hair off her cheek and behind her ear.

Can’t she see how important she is to me? Why wouldn’t I come down here to see her?

Blinking away, a soft laugh puffs through her lips. Her cheeks flush as if she’s embarrassed, and she’s so fucking adorable.

“Dylan said Eddie Nashville has been at the pool tables since Allie dropped him off. He’s playing like it’s a science experiment, memorizing every move.”

“If I know your brother, he’s going to wipe the floor with all the other players next Sunday.”

Placing her hand over her forehead, she looks up at me. “I think he might!”

“Why would he do something if he’s not going to be the best at it?”

“Uncle Zee!” Kimmie Joy dances in front of me holding up her hands, and I automatically reach down to swing her onto my hip. “Ed won’t let me play pool. He said I have to wait until after the tournament. He said it’s important because it’s for the horses.”

She puts her little head on my shoulder, and I glance down at her rosebud pout. It’s funny how much she looks like Dylan as a little girl, considering she only has half of Jack’s genes. Still, it kind of makes me spoil her a little, like she’s a second chance.

Second chances … The thought takes hold in my mind.

“Austin could teach you.” Even if I want to spoil her, I’d rather spend time with Rachel.

“Aussie said he has to play football. He doesn’t have time anymore.” She scrubs her face against my shoulder. “He never has time anymore.”

I give her a little bounce. “I bet Smokey is lonely now that everybody’s playing pool and football. You know he hasn’t been away from his family very long.”

Her dark, curly head pops up immediately. “I’d better check on him! We can play together!”

She wiggles, and I put her down, watching her take off running in the direction of the kitchen. When I straighten, Rachel’s eyebrow is arched, and her arms are crossed.

“What?” I’m not sure I’m ready to hear this.

“You’re a real expert when it comes to kids.”

“Is that so?” I take a step closer, and she puts her hands on my waist .

“She might be a little spoiled, but you handled that situation. Nice work.”

“Are you saying I got out of spending time with my precious niece?”

“Absolutely.”

I laugh, ready to lean in and kiss her good, when I hear my sister’s voice behind us. “Time to wrap it up, people. We’re closing for the night.”

“Only my sister would shut down the restaurant at nine p.m. on a Friday,” I murmur in her ear.

“To be fair, Thursdays are the big nights here, and everybody’s at the high school game.” She gives my hand a squeeze. “I’ll collect the pool-shark and see you back at the house.”

“Did you eat dinner?”

“Yes, Daddy, I had a whole cheeseburger.” That sassy little Daddy hits me in a way I don’t expect.

Reaching out, I catch her by the waist. “That sounds pretty good. I might have you say that again when I’m inside you.”

Her eyes flare, and her cheeks flush red. “Watch what you wish for. It might come true.”

Leaning back, I’m still smiling, slowly shaking my head as I watch her walk away, that cute little ass swaying in the direction of the pool tables.

The house is quiet, and I’m lying in my bed doing my best to relax, get some sleep. One thing is on my mind—sneaking across the hall into Rachel’s bedroom. One thing is stopping me: Eddie Nashville.

I’m pretty sure if I go to her, we’ll wake her brother. I toss and turn a little longer, then I remember Edward sleeps in headphones sometimes.

Sitting up in the bed, I’m ready to make my move when I hear a soft tap on the door. I’m across the room in an instant, carefully opening the door. When I look down and see her standing in the dark hallway, I open it at once, catching her wrist, and pulling her inside before quickly shutting it again.

“Hey.” Her back is against the door, and I’m looking down at her sweet lips.

“Hey.” You’d think I’d run a marathon with the way I’m panting.

We’re both breathing fast, and without another word, I lean down to kiss her. She exhales one of those soft little noises, and her arms wrap around my neck. In a sweep, I lift her off her feet, opening her mouth with mine, and curling our tongues together.

The semi I’ve been struggling with is fully hard, and I carry her to the bed, putting a knee on it before lowering her to her back. She’s wearing nothing but a thin, long-sleeved tee, and I can see her nipples pointing through the fabric, rising quickly with her breath.

Leaning down, I cover one with my mouth, pulling the stiff peak firmly through the cotton fabric, sliding my teeth over it as she squirms and quietly moans beneath me.

“Zane…” She threads her fingers in my hair, and I rise higher, covering her mouth with mine again, meeting her hungry kisses with my own.

She reaches for the hem of my tee, pulling it higher, and I lean back to whip it over my head. Her eyes darken as they slide down my body, and my cock tents my joggers.

Bending down, I speak in her ear. “I was on my way to you when you appeared.”

She cups my jaws in her hands, turning her face to whisper, “You said you’d always come for me.”

“I will.” I reach down to lift her shirt higher, helping her sit up, so she can remove it completely.

She lies back again, and my breath catches at the sight of her beautiful, naked body in the middle of my bed. A shy smile curls her lips as I study her soft form .

Resting on my elbows, I cup the sides of her breasts, pulling them together so I can suck and nibble them. Her back arches, and she exhales another little moan.

“I made sure Edward was sleeping in his headphones before I came here,” she sighs.

It’s all I need to know. Moving lower, I catch the sides of her tiny scrap of underwear, yanking them down her legs and tossing them aside. I’m on my knees, and I wrap my arms around her legs, leaning forward and covering her with my mouth.

Her moan is louder now, and I slide my tongue all over her clit, circling with my tongue, giving it a little suck. Her ass bucks in my hands, and her hands are in my hair.

She’s riding my face even though she’s on her back, and I slide one hand up, reaching higher to pinch and pull her tight nipples. Her body jerks, and her hips begin to quiver.

Soft, undulating noises pant rhythmically from her chest, and I feel when her body starts to break, when her orgasm shocks and shudders in her thighs. Moving my mouth to the crease of her leg, I kiss her skin, and she jumps with another moan.

I shove my pants down, allowing my cock to spring free while she’s still glowing.

“Can you take a little more?” We had sex all day, and I don’t want to cause her discomfort.

She stretches out both hands, curling her fingers and hissing, “Yes.”

It makes me smile, and I move higher, between her thighs, reaching down to align my cock with her entrance.

In one long drive, I’m seated deep inside her. She moans, and her hips move beneath me. Her inner muscles quiver and squeeze my cock, and the feeling of her orgasm fluttering all around me has me shooting to the edge so fast.

“Fuck, Rachel…” I’m like a teenager, rather than a thirty-something-year-old man. “I’m going to come.”

Thrusting my hips, I lose myself in the soft warmth of her body, the slippery heat of her core, and her soft lips at my ear, kissing and biting.

“You feel so good,” she whispers, and I realize her hips are rocking with mine.

Sliding my arms under her shoulders, I turn us quickly, so she’s on top. Her blonde hair falls all around us, and she leans forward to place her palms on my chest as she rides me.

Her eyes are closed, and her thighs slide up and down my hips. Lifting my hands, I trace my fingers lightly over her ass, and she jumps, moving in a staccato way as her second orgasm surges through her body.

“Oh!” She cries, and I push higher, giving her all of me as her muscles flutter around my cock. “You make me come so hard.”

The thread I was hanging onto breaks, and I squeeze my eyes shut as my ass tightens, as the climax I’ve been holding back rips through me. A roar is in my throat, and I nearly choke, doing my best to keep it quiet.

My cock jerks and pulses into her. My back lifts off the bed, and Rachel exhales another whimpering moan, riding me like I’m a wild horse.

It’s so intense, I’m pretty sure I leave my body briefly. Wrapping my arms around her, I hold onto her as my anchor to this world. My eyes are still closed as the air moves in and out of my lungs, as I fall back through space to this room, in my bed, her naked body flush with mine.

Already she feels like home. I could be here forever and die a happy man. All thoughts of risk and rules have left my mind, and all I want is her, Rachel Wells.

She wiggles, and I release my grip on her. Sliding off me, she faces me in the bed, and I roll onto my side to study her flushed cheeks lifted with her grin.

“It keeps getting better,” she whispers, and now I’m smiling.

I’m pretty sure I’ve smiled more today than I have in two years—possibly longer. “Hold that thought.”

Hopping out of the bed, I open the door and carefully peek into the dark hall. It’s empty and silent, so I step across into the bathroom, grab a washcloth and hold it under the cool water.

When I return, she hasn’t moved, and I go to her, carefully cleaning up our mess. This time she lets me. After our first time, she probably made the right decision to take a quick bath.

Setting the cloth aside, I pull her to me in a hug. I smooth my hand down the line of her back. I inhale the sweet honeysuckle in her hair. She snuggles closer to me the way she did when we were dancing, the way she did when we made love.

She’s a perfect fit, and the mad protectiveness twisting in my chest won’t let go. I’ll never be able to let her go.

We stay wrapped in each other’s arms, breathing each other’s air until I begin to doze. She’s so still, I think she’s asleep, but she pulls back.

“I’d better sleep in my room just in case.” She moves to the edge of the bed, looking over her shoulder at me.

Her hair hangs long down her back, and when she stands to step into her underwear, I can’t help squeezing her cute little ass.

“Zane!” She laughs, skipping away, closer to my desk to pull on her shirt.

It still has one damp spot where I bit and sucked her nipple, and I’m pretty sure she’s the best thing I’ve ever seen.

“You finished the book!” Her eyes are on my desk, and I look down to see she’s holding Archer’s Voice .

“Oh, yeah.” I sit up, reaching for my boxer briefs.

“What did you think?”

My brow furrows as I stand, pulling them over my hips. “You know that movie where Bradley Cooper throws the book out of the window?”

“No!” Her cute little angry face makes me laugh.

“Just that one part—Chapter 33? Or was it 34?”

“Oh.” Her brow relaxes, and she makes a sorry face. “Yeah, that was scary.”

Standing, I walk over to where she’s by my desk. “But I liked it. It was pretty good. ”

“Pretty good?”

“I liked the message about how your actions speak louder than your words.”

Nodding, she steps to the door. “It’s an oldie, but a goodie.”

Watching her tuck the book under her arm, I think about another part I liked, where the hero looked at his girl and imagined the two of them growing old together, and how it would be the ultimate joy. It’s how I feel about Rachel, but I don’t say it out loud. Not yet.

“Want to read another one?”

“Maybe later.” I follow her to the door, stopping behind her when she turns to look up at me.

Leaning down, I give her another kiss, sliding my lips over hers and giving her tongue one more swipe. She exhales a little hum, and it almost has me pulling her to my bed again.

“I could set an alarm,” I suggest, and she laughs.

“I’m pretty sure if I got into your bed again, we wouldn’t sleep at all tonight.”

“That’s okay.”

Rising on her toes, she gives me another kiss. “Tomorrow. I got some oil to try that therapy.”

My brow quirks, and I can’t help a grin. “I think it’ll be the first time I look forward to a massage.”

“I’m not sure how much massaging will happen.”

“Even better.”