I inhale her scent.I missed the hell out of her.I miss her smile, her laugh, her brightness.I feel more whole just being in her presence.
Another couple employees are at the end of the hall, and I wait until they’re barely gone to lift her and swing her around.When I set her back down, my fingers thread into her hair as I drag her mouth up to mine and kiss her thoroughly.
“What’s that?”she asks breathlessly when I pull back and she notices the bottle.
“My ticket to the all-star game.”
“Cute.”She grins, clearly pleased.“Finisher?Most guys don’t have a problem finishing.”
“Uh-huh.I can last longer than you, Pink.Tonight, I’ll prove it to you.Multiple times.”
She bites her lip, reminding me it’s been way too long since I had her alone.I’m a second away from dragging her to the nearest closet.
“What does it mean if you make the all-star team?”she asks.
It’s an earnest question.Sometimes I feel so at ease around her that I forget how new she is to the sport.
“I go to all-star weekend.Play in the big game.See guys from all across the league.Talk shit.Party.”
“So, it’s like a high school sleepover for athletes.”
A laugh rumbles through me.“Sure.”I rub a hand over her head, and she ducks away.
Fuck, this girl is good for my soul.She keeps my ego in check, at least a little bit, and I love seeing the world through her eyes.
I want her to soften my edges while I rough up hers.
“Come with me,” I ask on impulse.“It would mean a lot if you were there.”
Her eyes widen.“But you haven’t gotten in yet.”
“Details.I’ve been an all-star the last three years I was healthy, Pink.”
“Where is it?”she asks.
“LA.”
Her smile fades a degree.“It’s one thing to go to your games, but it’ll raise questions if I show up there in your jersey.The all-star game isn’t a Kodiaks thing—it’s a Clayton Wade thing.”
I set the bottle on the ladder and hook both thumbs in my pockets.
“I don’t want to hide anymore.Not because it’s anyone’s business, but because it feels so good knowing you’re mine, and I hate the thought of pretending that’s not true.”
Her lips part in surprise.
It’s been a long time since I was with someone I felt serious about, and the last time, I got burned.
She’s the best part of my day.I want everyone to know it.
I’ve been thinking about it every day I’ve been on planes and in other teams’ stadiums.
As for Harlan, I’m going to tell him the truth.
He has to understand my relationship with Nova has nothing to do with basketball.
I want the career of my dreams and this woman in my bed and at my side.
Nova’s phone buzzes before she can respond.
