“Turns out, she invited me there to fix me up with her brother.” We all burst into laughter again. “I thought it was going great. I was telling all my best math jokes, and she was laughing. But now that I think about it, she didn’t laugh as hard as him.” Alan lets out a sigh of defeat, sits back in the chair, and covers his face with his hands. “I blame you two for this.” He straightens back up and points at us.
“How is it our fault someone tried to fix you up with a man?” Tara asks him.
“Because you two are always in my business. I spend too much time with two females, and you’ve tainted me. I don’t want you in my business anymore.”
“Boy, please.” Tara waves him off.
“Oh, guess who I saw? Tilly.” I tell everyone at the table about running into our former neighbor. “She’s back in the house. She had the biggest crush on Alan,” I tell Ethan.
Alan rolls his eyes and casually sips his drink. When he starts to cough again, I take the drink away.
“She followed him around like a puppy.”
“She was twelve and I was sixteen. No. Just no,” Alan says.
“She’s all grown up now, Alan.” He rolls his eyes and sips his drink again. He coughs so hard, he spills the drink on the table. I flag the waitress down and order him a piña colada.
* * *
Colt’s apartmentis dark and quiet when I walk through the front door. I take off my shoes and walk down the hall to his room. Slowly, I twist the knob and find him lying on top of his covers. He’s completely naked. His long arm is hanging over the bed, and he’s snoring softly. I approach and run my fingers through his hair. His hand shoots up, grabs my wrist, pulling me on top of him.
“My woman,” he growls into the side of my neck. His hands land on my ass and he grinds into me. “Kiss me, you fool.” And I do. I kiss him as if we hadn’t been together in years. “I didn’t miss you.”
“I didn’t miss you either.”
“I don’t love you. Not even a little bit.” He looks into my eyes before he leaves slow, opened mouthed wet kisses on my lips and chin. He tightens his hands around me.
“Let me take off my clothes so I can show you how much I don’t love you.”
THIRTY-FIVE
“You should be napping,”Vickie says half an hour later. She’s naked in my arms, and I can’t stop running my fingers on the side of her ribcage.
“I’m sorry, Queen Vee.”
She runs her fingers through my hair and looks into my eyes. “For what, champion?”
“For shutting you out after we lost those games. I still want you to come to all my games from now on.”
“Don’t even think of dragging me to that nonsense. I have a life. Do you know there are eighty-two games in the regular season, and half of them are away games?” I pull her on top of my naked body and kiss her.
“No, Queen, I had no idea. Tell me more about my job.” I squeeze my arms around her.
“Fine. Here’s another tip for you. Bend your elbows better before you throw the ball into that round thing. I don’t know how you ever won a game before I came into your life.” She sighs dramatically and blows out a breath.
“I never thought of that. I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Please do.”
“I like having you here. I like having you in my life, Vee.” She goes stiff in my arms. “I know we play around a lot, but I don’t want to play right now. Look at me.” She slowly raises her head. A piece of hair falls and covers her face. I move it away so I can look into her eyes. “I don’t like having you here.”
She relaxes and laughs. She opens her mouth, but I put a finger to her lips. I know what she’s going to say. She’s going to tell me she doesn’t like being here either, but that’s not how I want to interact tonight.
“I love having you here. I love how you eat with me after the games, and how you include Evan. I never thought I’d find that. At best, I figured I’d find someone who tolerates him because they want to be with me, but you do things for him and with him, and you do them because you want to, not because of me. Thank you for that, but that’s not why I love you.” She goes stiff, and her smile disappears. She licks her lips while she waits for me to finish. “I love you because you’re everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman. You’re beautiful. You’re strong. You’re tough, but you’re also sweet and funny and loving. I never had that before you, and now that I have it, I don’t know how I can ever be without it. So, Queen Vee, I love you. I had to drag you into this relationship, but I’m going to do everything I can to keep you. I’m going to be the man you didn’t know you needed. That’s right, Queen. I want you to need me.” I give her a gentle kiss on her soft, full lips.
“You want a lot, champion. Do I look like the type of girl who needs a man, huh?” She smiles at me, and it’s like my entire world shifts its axis. My heart pounds and I feel the blood coursing through my veins. Victoria Taylor gives me more of a high than basketball.
“You don’t, which will make it that much sweeter.”
