Tripp was already on their court, heading for Stan like there was an invisible string pulling him over. Reese could practically see his tail wagging.
Grant sat glumly on one of the benches at the edge of the playing area, under an awning, but he sprang to attention when Tripp gave him a sharp nod to join them.
And Sydney? Well, Sydney was trying to torture Reese, standing at the edge of the court stretching, her long, lithe limbs accentuated as she extended and contorted her body into various extremely visual positions.
“I’m going to head to the locker room. Either of you want to join?” Brynn said as she finished packing her bag.
That got Sydney’s attention, and she sprang back to a standing position. “I’d love to grab a quick shower and change.” She looked toward Reese. “You coming, babe?”
Heading to the locker room with Sydney was a level of masochism she wasn’t prepared for. Instead of meeting Sydney’s welcoming smile, she glanced down at her watch. “I think I’m going to head to our lunch reservation.”
“Margie and Sharon are at one of the outdoor tables, off to the side of the club restaurant,” Stan supplied, cutting off whatever Tripp had been in the middle of saying.
When she reached the edge of the court, Reese handed Sydney one of the rackets she’d let her borrow. “Thank you.”
“You did great,” Sydney said as she leaned forward to take the racket, giving Reese a soft kiss on the cheek.
Reese’s body responded immediately to the light contact, her skin buzzy where Sydney’s lips had touched it.
It was the second time in as many hours that Sydney had somehow managed to have her lips on some part of Reese’s face—or head, depending on how you defined the ears as a part of the body—but regardless, Reese wondered what it meant.
But she was trying to take a page out of Sydney’s book, even off the court.
They’d promised to have fun this weekend, and waiting with anticipation for the next time Sydney would touch some part of herwasfun. And exhilarating. And exciting. And tingle-inducing.
It was with that in mind that she grabbed Sydney’s hand and pulled her close, their bodies touching from hip to chest. “Thank you,” she said, nuzzling her face into Sydney’s neck, which was slightly salty Reese discovered as she inhaled lightly.
She felt as much as she heard Sydney’s sharp intake of breath; it only lasted for a second before Sydney melted into the touch.
The scoff she heard a few feet away, undeniably from her brother, only made her lean into the moment more. She ran herhand down Sydney’s arm until she found her hand, their fingers intertwining as she finally took a small step back.
A moment passed between them as Sydney looked at her openly, like she was, just as much as Reese, wondering what this meant.
“Excuse me?” A younger teenager had moved toward them, unbeknownst to Reese, and was now fidgeting a few feet away. “Are you Sydney King?”
Sydney looked at Reese quickly, biting her lip. “We’ll continue this later? Or, at the very least, talk about it?”
Reese nodded, worried her voice would betray her.
“I am,” Sydney said, turning her attention to the girl and returning her smile.
The girl’s hands were so fidgety that Reese wondered if she’d drop the phone she was holding. “I’m sorry to bother you. I waited until you were done playing, but I didn’t want to miss having the chance to talk to you. You’re my favorite player.”
“I love that,” Sydney said genuinely, taking a step toward the girl. “What’s your name?”
“Maddie,” the girl said breathlessly, like she’d been waiting her whole life for this moment.
“Well, Maddie, I was about to hit the locker room, but did you want to grab a picture before I go?” Sydney asked, glancing down at the phone.
“I’ll take it,” Brynn said almost as excitedly as Maddie. She reached forward to grab the device out of Maddie’s still-shaky hands.
Reese could commiserate. Sydney was currently inspiring a consuming, jittery feeling in her as well.
“Go rest up,” Sydney said in Reese’s direction, tilting her head toward the clubhouse beyond the courts. “I’ll be there soon.”
It was while Reese was walking along the edge of the courts and through the gate that exited the tennis area that she realized how she was feeling.
ShemissedSydney, and it became punctuated as she moved farther away.
