My breath catches, and my temperature soars.
“What the fuck are you waiting for, man? Go get your girl,” Monroe says, helpfully giving me a shove from behind, forcing my legs to start moving.
“Hey,” I say once I’m close enough for her to hear me.
“Hi,” she breathes, her smile never faltering.
“You look…” I let my eyes roll down the length of her. “Unbelievable. This dress…your hair,” I say, reaching up and twisting the loose curled lock around my finger. Her cheeks go bright red at my compliment.
“You look good, too,” she says, taking me in. It occurs to me that she hasn’t seen me in a suit before. All of this has happened since our season ended, although it feels like she’s been a part of my life forever.
“Thanks, sweetheart,” I breathe before ducking down, unable to resist the urge to connect with her. But I second-guess myself when there’s a hair’s breadth between us.
We’re surrounded by my friends and teammates. What if she doesn’t want to?—
Then her hand wraps around the back of my neck, and she stretches up, closing that final bit of space between us.
Her lips brush mine in the softest, sweetest kiss. It is nowhere near sating my need for this woman; if anything, it only fuels it.
Beside us, there’s an eruption of cheers. Startled, we break apart and turn toward the noise.
“Wha—” It takes a second to realize that the cheer is for us.
Laughter spills from my lips as a lightness I haven’t felt in…maybe forever settles over me.
“Get in there, Donnelly,” Killer bellows like an asshole. Beside him, Monroe smirks, but someone else walking into theroom distracts him a second before I can ignore them all and turn back to Bea.
I just about hold in my groan of irritation when Hailee struts into the room. I haven’t seen her in anything but her work clothes—a tailored dress and blazer that fits her in a way that brings most men to their knees. But tonight, she’s wearing a flowing, floral pastel dress that softens her in a way I’ve never experienced before. If I didn’t know what a hard-ass she was, I might think she was friendly and approachable.
She smiles in my direction, and for a second, I think it’s aimed at me, and I frown.
But then, I remember who’s standing beside me, and a smile of my own curls at my lips.
Turning my back on Hailee, I focus on my girl.
My girl.
“What?” she asks, watching me as I shake my head in disbelief.
“You’re my girl.”
She blinks up at me.
“Yeah,” she breathes. “I guess I am. Is that okay?”
“Yeah, sweetheart. It’s more than okay,” I say, wrapping my arm around her back and hauling her into my body before kissing her again.
“Pretty decent party, huh?”Killer asks as he steps up beside me at the bar, where I’m watching Bea dance with the girls.
She’s wiggling her hips, showing off the way that dress wraps around her insane ass, her arms in the air, as one of her favorite songs must come on.
“Yeah, I guess,” I mutter, sipping on my soda.
Killer eyes my drink with suspicion.
“Bea can’t drink,” I explain. “I’m being supportive.”
“Fuck me, you really are gone for her, aren’t you?”
