Total pages in book: 78
Estimated words: 74844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74844 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 374(@200wpm)___ 299(@250wpm)___ 249(@300wpm)
“I want to,” he says, cutting me off with a look that tells me not to argue.
A small smile moves over my lips as he throws the towel back into the bathroom before gathering me in his arms and kissing my temple.
“You’ll miss curfew,” I remind him.
He cuddles closer. “Don’t care,” he whispers against my cheek. “I’ll do the extra laps to hold you.”
“Alex,” I warn. “People may catch on.”
“Don’t care,” he says once more, kissing my cheek. “Now, shut that needy mouth before I put my cock in it again.”
“You act like I’d protest.”
He grins against my neck. “I know you wouldn’t, which isn’t helping my recovery.”
I snort but then remember he said he didn’t care that people knew. “I don’t want people to know about us.”
He doesn’t say anything right away. “Would it be so bad?”
I look over at him, and his eyes are still closed. His lashes are kissing his sweet cheeks as I gawk at him. “This is only sex.”
He scoffs, and I want to pinch his nipple. “So you say.”
“Alex.”
He opens his eyes. The force of his caramel gaze hits me in the gut. “Why can’t it be more?”
“You know why.”
“Even if I get called up, it’s only four hours away,” he tries, but I shake my head.
“It’s not that,” I lie. “I don’t want to be tied down.”
“That again?”
“Alex,” I warn.
“Elliot.” He moves over me, caging my head with his hand as my thighs part for him to nestle into. My body is his; there is no doubt about that. “Explain this tie-down thing to me? I don’t see us being in a relationship as being tied down. Are you sleeping with anyone else?”
“You know I’m not.”
“Then what is the difference? Do you not want to claim me?”
I do. “I don’t want to be in a relationship. I’m young.”
“So am I,” he throws back. “But I know what I want.”
Me. He wants me. His eyes search mine, and I shake my head. “I don’t want to answer to anyone.”
“Elliot, who the fuck hurt you?” he demands, his eyes wild. “Please tell me so I can turn the narrative around for you. I want you. I’m—”
“Alex—” I start, just as his phone vibrates on the nightstand. He doesn’t look toward it, but it’s late and surely someone is calling for a reason. “Answer it.”
“No. We aren’t done talking.”
“Yes. We are,” I snap back, holding his gaze. “There is nothing else to talk about.”
He glares, but when his phone stops vibrating, it’s only for a moment before it starts up again. He is visibly annoyed as he reaches for it, and his brows draw in.
Alex sits back on his haunches as he answers. “Hey, Coach.”
My stomach drops with worry that he’s in trouble, so to distract myself from “girlfriend” feelings, I take in his body, each ripple of muscle and then that thick cock of his. I don’t want to argue with him. I want to ride that cock. I sit up, reaching for him to stroke him from root to tip. He smiles at me but then grabs my wrist once his brows pull together once more.
“Right now? Oh, okay. Yeah. I’ll head down now.”
I make a face, which is ridiculous since I all but asked him to leave. Why am I sad that he’s leaving after I made it clear nothing could blossom from this thing between us? Maybe I shouldn’t be so harsh, but that’s how I protect myself. There is no future for us. Alex ends the call before bringing my hand up to his mouth. He kisses my knuckles then each of my fingers before reaching for me by the back of my neck. The action sends my heart into overdrive as he pulls me to him, pressing his lips to mine in an all-consuming kiss. A kiss that has my stomach flip-flopping, my nipples hardening, and my toes curling.
A goodbye kiss.
When he pulls back, it’s much too soon, but then his words hit me like the forty-one frozen pucks that pelted him when he was in goal.
Unlike him, I find it hard to bat them away, and I feel every single one.
“Well, I guess you got what you wanted. I’ve been called up to the Nashville Assassins.”
CHAPTER 1
Elliot
Fate has a funny way of fucking you right in the ass.
Without lube.
Shit, without even spit.
I wish I didn’t think about that night.
A night I’m about ninety percent sure is the night I got pregnant by Alejandro Cruz.
Fucking fate.
I didn’t want to be tied to anyone. I didn’t want anyone to own me—or to depend on anyone for happiness. So, I pushed away a good guy, not knowing he was leaving a gift behind for me. A gift that I will be forever tied to and that will depend on me greatly.
A child.
My child.