Fuck.
Note to self: No daydreaming about a girl when you should be checking in with your best friend and the pain he carries surrounding the most traumatic experiences of his life.
Tongue pressed to the inside of his cheek, he keeps his focus trained on the wall ahead of him.
I straighten, ready to intercept, but before I can, he opens his mouth and says, “I’ve always loved Christmas and New Year’s. But two years ago, my granny died right before Christmas. My parents died in a car crash when I was nine, and after that, she raised me. Now I don’t have anyone to celebrate it with, so this time of year is hard.”
A heavy silence settles between us.
Camden has an unreadable expression on his face, while Yana’s eyes fill with tears. I sit back, racking my brain for a topic that will lighten up the mood.
“Oh my God,” Yana mutters. “I’m so sorry.”
She reaches over, probably intending to grab his hand on the table, but he clocks the movement, and before she has a chance to touch him, he retracts his hand and picks up his glass.
“Sorry for ruining the mood.” He downs his whiskey and stands. “Let’s find a movie to watch.”
“Yeah, sure,” she mumbles, meeting my gaze.
“Sorry,” I mouth.
With a shake of her head, she stands and starts collecting dishes. I help her clear the table and rinse the plates so she can load them into the dishwasher. When we return to the living room, Camden is sitting on the edge of the couch, his elbows on his knees, his expression still drawn.
“Logan mentioned you were watchingHome Alonelast night,” he says quietly, avoiding looking at either of us. “I thought maybe we could watchHome Alone 2?”
“Sounds good.” I settle on the other side of the couch.
Yana joins me, letting me drape my arm around her shoulder and tuck her into my chest. Her hair smells like cinnamon and apple, a scent I’ve always associated with Christmas. When she laughs, the sound reverberates through my body. Even our breaths are in sync now, calm and comfortable.
Twenty minutes in, Camden pushes off the couch. His eyes shoot straight to us and linger, his jaw rigid. “I’m tired. Gonna turn in.” His voice sounds flat. “Night.”
I nod.
“Night,” Yana responds.
With that, he strides away, leaving the two of us alone. Within minutes, it’s clear that neither of us is interested in watching the movie any longer.
Yana tilts her face up to me, her gray-green eyes bright in the glow of the TV screen, and I don’t think twice. I tighten my hold and kiss her. It’s slow and gentle at first, and when she sighs into my mouth, I slip my tongue past her lips and deepen the connection, running my hands down her sides, feeling her up, relishing her curves.
She breaks the kiss suddenly, her breath ragged, and stands. With her hand held out to me, she whispers, “Come with me.”
I thread my fingers through hers as she leads me to her bedroom, my heart pounding.
We don’t turn on the light, so the room is dim, the moon outside the only source of light.
She takes a deep breath, then licks her lips. “This may not be the best way to set the mood, but this is how I am.” Shoulders pulled back, she clears her throat. “We’re both athletes. Our lives are ridiculously busy. Travel, training, tournaments, press events.” She steps into me and places her hand on my chest. “If there’s something between us, I’d rather find out now than drag this out and play games. Being intimate with my partner isimportant to me, so I want to know now if we can make it work. If we have what it takes to have mind-blowing sex.”
Her honesty, her confident tone, and the way she tells me what she wants while holding her head high? Ten out of fucking ten.
Gripping her waist, I hold her gaze. “I’m with you. No waiting. No bullshit.” I angle closer, my mouth at her ear. “And trust me, Queen, we have what it takes to have mind-blowing sex.”
“Big words.” Her hot breath fans over my face.
“From a big guy.” I cover her mouth with mine, teasing her at first, giving her gentle pecks here and there. But as I explore her body with my hands, the kiss grows more intense, our lips glued to each other, our tongues tangled. I kiss her with everything I have, with all the burning passion that ignited in me the moment I saw her at the store a few hours ago.
“Fuck, I love kissing you,” I murmur against her neck.
Moaning, she throws her head back. “It feels so good…”
