I frowned. ‘What?’
‘He’sa sore loser,’ she said, the note of disbelief heavy in her voice.
‘What? He is.’
‘And you cope with losing just fine, right?’ The corners of her mouth turned up. Her rich brown eyes daring me to contradict them.
Placing the controller in my lap, I twisted my body so I was facing her head on, one arm slung over the back of the sofa, inches from her warm skin. ‘You have something to say, Pooh?’
Her eyes half-rolled at the nickname. ‘I’m saying that I think being a sore loser is in your family genes’
She wasn’t wrong. But I would be damned if I was going to admit it.
I placed a hand to my heart. ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about.’
Putting her controller down, she copied my position until we were sitting knee to knee—so close I could smell her shampoo. The scent, so intoxicating I took several quick breaths to try and get myself to focus.
‘I’ve seen the videos of you on the field. When England lost the World Cup semi-finals, you nearly punched out a ref for giving the other team a penalty.’
She laughed when I visibly shuddered at the memory. Pointing my index finger at her, I stated firmly, ‘That was different. There were some fucking bad calls in that game. If that ref hadn’t been half-blind we would have won.’
The smile on her face nearly cracked my heart open. That was until she casually picked up her controller and started to sing a song under her breath. It took me a few seconds to realisewhatsong she was singing.
My jaw dropped to my chest. ‘You little-’ To make her stop, my hands darted out to her sides and dug in. She squealed and tried to push me away, the controller flying out of her grip. Using my considerable strength against her I tackled her so she was lying flat underneath me, at the mercy of my tickling.
‘Apologise,’ I demanded—refusing to relent, even when her hips bucked into mine. Her loud laughter bounced off all four walls of the room.
Instead of apologising, she decided to double down and sing even louder.
‘FOOTBALL’S NOT COMING HOME,’ She half sung, half shrieked the incorrect words to the song that would haunt my dreams.
Her body wriggled under mine as she tried to get away, still singing around her giggles. I covered her mouth with my right hand using the other to slip under her top and tickle her more.
I only stopped when her breathing started to come in short gasps. Ceasing my assault, I hovered above her watching her eyes sparkle with joy. I swiped my finger under her right eye to catch a stray tear. Our bodies were pressed impossibly close. My stomach resting on hers, her legs splayed open around my waist, meaning that my erection was pressing directly onto her covered pussy. From the way Fallon’s eyes drooped and her breathing hitched I knew she’d felt me.
Propping myself up on my hands on either side of her face, I stared down at her, a wicked smirk on my face.
‘Are you gonna apologise?’
Her pupils were blown, filled with desire that no doubt matched my own. Soft hands came up and pressed gently on my chest, not to push me away, I realised, but more to ground herself. Her eyelids fluttered closed for a few seconds before she took a steadying breath and they peeled open.
Her mouth opened; before she could say anything several loud and frantic knocks sounded at the front door.
Shit.I’d completely forgotten to tell Fallon that Rosie was coming over. She tensed underneath me.
‘Expecting someone?’
More loud knocks came. With great reluctance, I climbed off Fallon and ran a hand through my hair.
‘Yeah, I forgot to tell you that Rosie called your phone earlier.’
Fallon jackknifed up to sitting. ‘Shit, I haven’t checked my phone all morning.’ I managed to grab her arm to stop her racing all over the house to find it. And based on the frantic look on her face, that was exactly what she planned to do.
‘I noticed it when I went to the bathroom. Rosie’s name came up when I plugged it in to charge and I knew she was worried about you so I answered it.’ I’m not sure why my gut twisted as I explained. ‘I’m sorry, I know I shouldn’t have, but, uh?—‘
Fallon’s hand threaded through mine that was currently pulling at the strands of my hair. The warmth of her touch spread all the way from my fingers, up my arm, sending sparks racing through my body.What was this woman doing to me?
‘Thank you,’ she said softly. I scanned her face, desperately searching for something… only when I couldn’t find it I realised what I had been expecting to find.
