Dee nodded. “I can’t see me living anywhere else. I know I could be transferred, if that’s what Athletic decide, but I think they know I want to be a career player for them. If I have to move, it’ll be somewhere else in the northwest. Do you ever want to go back to Newcastle?”
“No. I love it back home – it’s where my family are, but when I go back it feels like I’m just there to visit. I’ve started looking for a place to buy in Manchester.” I’d actually looked at a couple this week. Neither had struck me as being right, but I didn’t really know what I was looking for.
“So you’re definitely staying here?”
I nodded. “That’s the plan. I like the club. I think we’ve got a good chance of getting into Europe this season which was my aim, and I should get in the England squad if I can keep last season’s form, or better.”
“You did well to keep injury free. I’d say that you need to work on your flexibility though – I saw a couple of times when I was there how you’d be half a second too slow to react because of your range of movement.”
I wasn’t sure whether to argue or kiss her. She was right, but I hated being told how I could improve on something by anyone other than a coach, but I was also in total awe because she was right. I’d heard it before from a couple of the coaches. Hearing from her was a turn on.
“There’s a reason for it.”
She nodded. “Because of your high muscle percentage. But you need to overcompensate for that by stretching more.”
“Want to help me stretch?”
She laughed, her eyes crinkling. “That’s the cheesiest line I think I’ve ever heard.”
“I have cheesier. I might share some more with you when we’re outside.”
I held her hand as we walked through the city, past John Ryland’s library and the modern Spinningfields area, down towards St Ann’s Square and then along to the Printworks. People milled about, bars and restaurants open, and the odd shop doing a late night. One or two looked our way, recognising us as people they’d seen before, but no one asked for autographs, which was a blessing.
We laughed, she took the mickey out of my Geordie accent, and I teased her about her obsession with tea. When she laughed and we had to stop walking because she was laughing so hard, I felt like I’d scored more than a winning goal.
Sunshine Sparkles was sparkling because of me.
I kissed her by the cathedral, when we cut down the quiet street away from the Printworks, stopping in the shadows so no one would notice. She tasted of chocolate and her, and her skin under my hands was soft and smooth. Dee was slight, even slighter compared with my build, but when she opened her eyes and looked into mine when the kiss ended, I knew she held the power already. She’d already started to tackle her way into my mind, and I was happy for her to take possession of my heart.
I called for an Uber, only entering my address, and praying that Ryan was out somewhere. The last couple of nights he hadn’t come home, sending me a quick text to say he’d met up with a friend and was staying in the same hotel as them. I suspected it was a hook-up that he wanted to keep on the QT, which was fine with me.
“Do you want to head back to mine, or shall I drop you off?” I knew Genny had given her the night, but I got that Dee’s speed was probably different to anyone else’s. I could live with that.
Her fingers wrapped around mine some more. “Yours. If you have tea.”
“I have tea. There’s a spare room if you don’t want to share with me.”
Her response wasn’t what I expected. She turned in her seat to kiss me, her lips soft and asking of mine, drawing me into another kiss that had me hard and uncomfortable in my pants.
“I have to be up and home early.” She ended the sentence with another kiss. “I promised Toby.”
“That’s fine. It’s only ten now. We have all night, if you want that.” My hand was on her waist, my thumb pressing against her flat stomach. A few inches above was the swell of her breast, too tempting to not explore her contours even over her dress, and run my thumb up and over, kissing her again so I could get another fix.
Her hands were under my shirt, palms pressing against my abs, fingers digging in with just a little bite. I could feel that her touch was tentative; she wasn’t sure yet whether she trusted me, or maybe herself, but I had a feeling that when she found that confidence the sparks between us now would burst into an inferno.
The driver pulled up outside the apartment, showing no recognition of who I was, or Dee, if he recognised her. I led her into the building, nodding at the night porter and taking the lift, realising that this was the first time I’d been on my own with Dee since the signing room.
My hands were on her ass, pulling her close into my chest. My dick, which was now uncomfortably hard, pressed against her stomach, and I was sure she’d grazed her hand over it on purpose when she’d unbuttoned her jacket.
“Do you still think you’re not my type?” I whispered the words into her ear, before trailing kisses on her neck.
Her hand shifted down from my stomach and cupped my erection. “I think you’re becoming mine.” Her fingers rubbed up and down, enough for me to capture her hand and pause it.
“Much more of that and part one will end sooner than I want.” The lift came to a stop and the doors opened. I groaned as I moved away from her, needing to find my keys and get us through the door, then I could take my time with her.
Ryan was on the sofa when we went in, barely looking anywhere but the television. A series he was binge watching was on, although I was sure he’d seen this episode at least twice.
He flicked the television off. “I’ll head to my room. Give you guys some space.” There was a brief nod at Dee, then he disappeared.
