“I’m always wanting your nips to perk up, Barbie. They’re fucking fantastic nips.”
She chuckled and I enjoyed the pulse in her neck, our normal banter returning. I loved it—the jokes, the sexual innuendos and the insults. I ate it up, and I flicked more water at her.
“Asshole!” she screeched and retaliated. My cotton shirt had a huge wet spot on it and she held the sponge at me. “You messed with the wrong chick, Gideon.”
“Don’t I know it,” I mumbled but gasped when she grabbed the rinser and blasted it on me. It was scalding hot and the smell of Dawn dish soap clogged my nose. Her little body slipped out of my hands when I reached for her, the curve of her mouth my undoing. “I guess I’ll have to take off my shirt now and we both know you can’t control yourself around me.”
“Uh-huh, right. Try explaining that to Bea. This is her houseandmy potential boss is here.”
“Fine by me.” I lifted the hem of my shirt and got it to my neck before her small hands rested on my hips. “Oh, I like this.”
“Keep it on,” she growled.
“Nah, I want to embarrass you.” I began taking it off again, but she jumped onto me. She wrapped her legs around my waist—my cock springing to life—and she pulled the shirt down. Her expression had my heart skip a beat. Her fierce blue eyes were almost clear, her lips parted, her eyes hooded, and I wanted her to be mine.
Like, really mine.
I cupped her chin with my right hand and kissed her. It was soapy, wet and tender. Our lips brushed against each other, her sweet taste and soft touch rocking me to my core. I swirled my tongue inside her mouth, tasting the remnants of the mimosa and her warmth. She groaned, rocking her hips against me enough to have all blood leave my brain.
No blood or rational thought remained. I would’ve taken her on the counter right there, but realization of where we were hit. Bea’s kitchen. “Sweetheart, I need to stop.”
She slowly opened her eyes, the passion and heat of seconds before still there. She wiped the back of her hand over her swollen mouth and slid down my body. Her neck was tinged red and she didn’t say another word when she went back to finishing the dishes. I didn’t either.
I wasn’t sure what had happened, but something had changed. Her looks were a little longer. A little more tender. A little more scared.
And it didn’t freak me out.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Fiona
My bottom lip almost bled from how much I bit it. I blamed Gideon—it was his damn fault with thesweethearttalk and sweet kisses. I didn’t do sweet. Rough. Quick. Passionate.
Sweet? Jesus Christ.Sweet and feelings were too damn close for my liking. It didn’t help that he was wearing tight workout pants and a pullover that left nothing to the imagination. Plus, I’d already seen all the tight muscles under the silky material. “CFD? Coach Titan said to pay attention to the game and not his muscles.”
I made a scowl at Gideon, doing my best to tell him tofuck offwith my eyes. “Thanks, Big Al. You don’t need to be a messenger, though. Don’t let him play you.”
“I don’t mind. You guys are funny. I caught him trying to sneak a whoopee cushion under you once, but it didn’t work.”
My mouth fell open. “The farting things?”
“Yeah. He showed me how it worked later. Gatorade came through my nose, I laughed so hard.” He clutched his side and lost it into a fit of giggles. “Don’t be mad, CFD. He picks on you because he likes you.”
“Thanks for the advice, Al. I appreciate it.”
He gave me a nod and walked to the on-deck circle. Quinn and Cheryl sat right next to our dugout and every time someone was on-deck, she stuck her little hand in the fence for a high-five. Any hope for humanity I’d lost was restored when every single grumpy, pimple-ridden teenage boy gave the sweet girl a high-five. Gideon and I shared a smile, but his disappeared real quick. We had been hot and cold since thatkissfor no reason. Getit together, idiot.
It took every ounce of willpower to not talk about it, look at his mouth or stare at his ass when he bent over to pick up a bag of seeds. But I managed, and I was proud of myself. Plus, it helped that we’d played great and won the game.
“I need to talk to my sister for a second. Can you distract Quinn?”
“Sure.” I gave him a long look, trying to figure out why he was scowling after our win, but I came up empty.It could be the kiss, but that means I’m paranoid.“Where you at, squirt?”
She ran up to me and demanded a gymnastics challenge. Some of the boys laughed at our cartwheels and handstands, but it brightened my mood. Garth challenged her to a handstand contest, and he let her win—the sweetheart—but Quin puffed out her little chest and ran toward the grass. I gave a sheepish smile in Cheryl and Gideon’s direction and took off after her. My bones hurt and we made our way back to Cheryl and Gideon ten minutes later, after the boys had all left and my age had caught up to me. They were in a heated argument, words carrying over toward us.Court. Custody.I froze and grabbed Quinn’s hand. “Do you think they would let us convince them to get ice cream?”
“I hope so. Uncle Gid is a softie for me. I can get him to do everything if I’m cute enough. That’s what my mom says.”
“I bet you’re right.” I cleared my throat and they both stopped talking. “Hi, guys. We were hoping we could go get ice cream. I can take her if you two need to clear up some issues. I don’t mind—she’s my new friend.”
