I snort. “That’s fair. But I also thought maybe your badass self could keep me safe, too.”
“From evil stuffed animals?”
“It’s an epidemic,” I say as we both chuckle, my thumb still brushing hers. “Listen, obviously I can’t force you to let me move in, but with everyone thinking we’re dating, no one will question me being here all the time. It keeps you from having security, keeps us both safer, and around each other most of the time, and we’ll be together when we need to travel with the team.” I bite the inside of my cheek. “Now that I’m saying this out loud, that is a lot of togetherness.”
She smirks, her eyes reflecting a glimmer of something mischievous behind them. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. Do you want to spend more time with me?”
I swallow the lump in my throat, instantly reverting back to my shy, awkward, ‘I don’t know how to talk to women’ self.
“I uh…Yeah. Yes. I do.”
“Good.” She points to a garage door ahead. “You can park in the guest area in the underground parking.”
I pull out from the curb and quickly find an open spot in the garage. I grab my bags out of the trunk, my heart pounding as we hop in the elevator up to her floor. As we get to her apartment, she hesitates.
“Do you need help with the key again?” I ask, giving her my signature smartass smile.
She looks back over her shoulder as she struggles, but finally pops open the lock.
“No,” she gloats, motioning for me to walk in behind her. “However, I do have one condition for you staying here.”
“One condition? What’s that?”
“You’re not sleeping on the couch.” She closes the door and locks the deadbolt behind her. “You’re sleeping with me.”
43
jordan
“Say what now?” I drop my bags to the floor in shock while she calmly walks through her apartment like she didn’t just tell me we are going to be sleeping in the same bed.Yikes bikes.
“I said, you’re sleeping in my bed. None of this couch shit. You’re in the playoffs. You need good sleep. I’m not sure of my mattress quality compared to yours, but it’s at least better than my sofa cushions. So,” —she turns to face me— “you’re sleeping with me.”
For the love of all things Elle Woods did she just say I’msleeping with her? My heart pounds in my chest like a drum line directing the signals to my dick at full speed.I need to find a way to calm this down, or sleeping in a bed with her is going to be torture.
“Kennedy…I thought we talked about how,” —I gesture my hands between us— “you can’t control yourself around me.”
She takes a step toward the door, and the déjà vu hits me full force. Except this time her eyes rake up and down my entire body, my pants are ungodly tight with no hiding the full-on erection I have, andfuckif she doesn’t stare right at it as shecontinues to stalk closerWhy is this woman always walking toward me like I’m her goddamn last meal?!
“Well, I’mnothaving a security detail and, apparently, you’re not leaving,” she murmurs, moving forward another step. “If you want to stay here with me and, as you say, keep each other safe, this is my rule.” Her voice is a whisper against my lips, before she leans to the side and picks up one of my duffels.Goddamn this woman and her witchcraft.“Grab the rest of your stuff and bring it into my bedroom, pretty-boy, before I drag you and your bags in here with me.”
Holy fucking fuckballs.If my dick wasn’t trying to escape my pants before, it sure as hell is now. I nearly trip as I pick up my bag as fast as possible and follow her vanilla scent, tracking her like a K-9 unit meticulously trained for search and rescue.
My pulse throbs in my throat, the mix of her beauty and her take-charge attitude intoxicating. My tongue wets my lips. I’m fully drunk on Kennedy Kramer.And I never want to be sober again.
She tosses my bag in the corner near the closet as I timidly set my other next to it, the thud echoing off the hardwood floor. I made sure to pack enough to stay for several days without having to run home. I am dying to take her to my house someday. To show her more of myself and my personality, but I wanted her to be comfortable. I thought this would be better. My eyes blur, spots dancing along the edge of my vision. And now she’s ordering me to sleep with her. And while Downstairs Jordan is ready and firing all cylinders, a heavyweight pulls me back down, making it hard to take in air.
She’s not her. She’s not trying to trick you.
Kennedy is everything that’s good in the world. Angelica was everything that’s bad. I take in a deep breath, forcing the shaking in my hands to still.
“You, okay? You look a little pale?”
“Yeah…I’m…I’m fine. I just…”
“Hey.” She turns me gently to face her, her fingers warm against my skin. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable. I can behave.”
I laugh louder than I should. “It’s not that. I just…I haven’t slept in a bed with a woman since Cruella.”
