Chapter 21: Faking It with the Forward: Chapter 21

It’s not the first time I’ve been in bed with Reese Cain, but it’s the first time he’s been in my bed, and I just revealed to him how my entire life is one giant dumpster fire.

Yet, he’s still here.

I’d gone to the bathroom, washed my face, and changed into a soft pair of shorts and my favorite stretched-out T-shirt. When I come back, I see he’s kicked his shoes off and is stretched out on the bed waiting for me.

“If you need to go back to team bonding night, it’s okay. I understand.”

“The other seniors can handle it. I’m done playing dad for the night.” His eyebrows rise. “I’m firmly in supportive secret boyfriend mode.”

I ignore the “boyfriend” comment and crawl in the bed, sliding under the covers. His feet hang off the end, and it’s a double, so with his broad shoulders the two of us barely fit.

Barely.

“Thank you for coming after me. I promise one of these days I’ll stop running.”

“Doesn’t matter, Sunshine. If you run, I’m pretty sure I’m just gonna keep chasing you.”

Telling Reese about Ethan feels like taking off shackles that I’ve been wearing for the last two years. It’s liberating. And it makes me bold.

“You can stay if you want.” I push up on my elbow. “Like overnight.”

“Yeah?” His eyes dart down to my chest and warmth spreads through me. Unlike Ethan, Reese never makes me question if he wants me.

“It can be your turn to do the walk of shame.”

“It’d be my honor,” he says with a grin, already removing his jeans. He drops them next to his shoes and reaches for his shirt behind his neck, pulling it off.

Mercy, his body.

I already know that Reese is touchy, but he wastes no time getting under the covers with me. He crowds into my space, pulling me close, and for the first time in my life I don’t fight against it. I trust him. Resting my head on his chest, I hear his heart thumping against my ear.

“Can I ask you a question?”

“Sure.”

“Can I kiss you?”

I lift my chin. “Please.”

He inches down until our lips touch, the kiss bringing on a rush of emotion. I don’t ask what Ethan said to him. It doesn’t matter. It’s all lies, and I know that now.

He doesn’t get to make up my truth.

With each kiss, each lick and taste of his tongue, the feel of our shifting and tensing muscles, as my walls lower. Reese knocks them down, brick by brick until I’m laid bare. For once, I don’t feel vulnerable. I feel alive. My body aches with the need for connection, both emotional and physical.

“I don’t want to rush you,” he says between kisses, palm kneading my ass.

“You’re not.” I take a breath. “I want this.”

I push him on his back and climb over him, grinding down on his thick erection until we both groan. His hands move under my shirt, big and calloused, cupping my breasts.

“God, your tits,” he says impatiently, stripping off my T-shirt and tossing it aside. He lowers his face to lathe his tongue across one nipple. “How are they so perfect?”

How is he so perfect? I want to ask as I run my hands over his ridiculous abs. He rolls us over, flattening me on my back. Hovering over my body, he runs a finger down the center of my chest, circles my wet and peaked nipple then down my stomach. With a yank, he unties the string holding my shorts up, and pushes them down.

“Let me get you ready,” he says, spreading my legs apart. He pushes two fingers against my clit then drags them down to my opening. “Fuck, you already are ready, Sunshine.”

That doesn’t stop him.

His tongue is warm, and he works slow, driving me crazy with every lick and suck. It’s excruciating, and I feel the tingle in my clit, signaling my orgasm. But I don’t want to come on his mouth. I know exactly what I want.

“Reese,” I beg, pulling at his hair. “I need you inside.”

He grins, giving me one last torturous lick before easing off the bed. His erection pushes at the flap of his shorts, and he yanks them down, freeing his cock. Bending, he fishes a condom out of his wallet and climbs back in bed, until he’s kneeling between my legs. I can’t keep my eyes off him or my hands away from his chest. I trace the muscles and thread my fingers through that fine hair under his belly. He grunts and the tight muscle in the back of his jaw tenses. I know that muscle. I’ve seen it on the ice. When he’s focused on keeping control. When he knows what he’s after.

Right now, he’s after me.

Lifting my ass, he angles my hips and runs his cock over the slick heat of my core. My legs tremble and he ruts against me, eyes meeting mine. “You sure?

“Absolutely.”

He still doesn’t rush, running his hand down my body as he lines up with my entrance. Lowering himself, right as he pushes in, he captures my mouth in a searing kiss. It’s meant to be a distraction for the way he invades my body, but I feel everything. The way my body stretches taking him in, the sweet intimacy of being so close to this man.

Breathing hard, his body stills. “You sure you’re not a virgin? Your pussy is tight as fuck.”

He’s so filthy. “It’s just been a while.”

“Yeah, well, I hate to tell you, but this isn’t going to last long. Not with the way you’re gripping me.”

I exhale, forcing myself to relax. I’ve waited for this, and I don’t want it to be over before it starts. I know my body isn’t just out of use, it’s carrying all that baggage Ethan left me with.

“That’s better,” he says, as my muscles loosen. His hand pushes the hair off my face. “You’re so fucking beautiful.”

No one has ever told me that, outside my parents. Ethan couldn’t compliment me, and the way Reese says it, the dark intensity spreads warmth through my body.

Slowly, the cords of his neck taut, he moves. The tiniest rock of his hips. He kisses my jaw, and collar bone, taking care to stay away from my throat. His massive hand pushes at my inner thigh, spreading my legs wider, and he sinks in, filling me even more than before.

I moan, loving the way he’s inside of me, and when he punches his hips again, this time he doesn’t stop. His mouth latches to my breast and he sucks, sending fire straight to my clit. I meet him, thrust for thrust, until my breath quickens, and his strokes move faster. The orgasm hits me like a detonated bomb.

For a split second, it’s just me and Reese. There’s no outside world, no pain and suffering, just our bodies in sync. When he plunges into me one last time, his forehead buries into the crook of my neck, and I feel the groan that follows deep in my core.

Kissing me, he rolls off, taking his heat and strength with him to clean up. When he returns, he wraps his arms around me, dragging me against him.

This whole thing may have started out fake, but it sure as hell is starting to feel very real.

“When are we going to talk about Reese Cain?”

My neck heats and I take a sip of iced coffee hoping it’ll cool me off. One look at Nadia’s questioning face, and I know it’s pointless. Still, I try.

“What about him?”

She rolls her eyes at me. “I know he almost beat Ethan to a pulp the other night. And I know he came back to our place and spent the night. I’m pretty sure I heard him sneak out before daylight—you know, because the hinge on the front door squeaks.” Her eyebrow rises, giving me a chance to deny any of it, but I stay quiet. That only propels her to keep talking, “But I am absolutely positive that I saw a used condom wrapper in the bathroom trash can that wasn’t put there by me.”

“Oh.” Well, shit. Looking around I see a pack of sorority girls. Two guys that are so tall they have to be on the basketball team, and various other individuals waiting to cross the street. If we’re going to talk about this, it can’t be here. “Follow me.”

I hope she’s going to tell me no, that she needs to get to class, but I know better. Nadia will happily show up late or skip an entire class for good gossip. I take her down a small walkway between two buildings and sit on a brick wall.

“Okay, Twy, spill. What’s going on?”

“Remember how I told you that Reese and I broke up?”

“Yes.”

“Well, the truth is that we were never dating in the first place. We agreed to pretend see each other until Shanna got off his back and in return, he helped me gain a little confidence with guys.”

She blinks, like she’s trying to process everything I just said and is failing spectacularly. “I’m so confused right now.”

“It started off fake.” I tell her how at first this was just a charade. A stupid deal we made with one another and how we both benefited from the arrangement.

“But then…” she prompts.

“But then Coach Green called me into this office and gave me the warning. That did happen. He caught us hanging out as friends and thought it meant more. We called it off to protect my job.” I pick at a thread on my jeans. “Except by then we’d started to like hanging out together, and instead of stopping, everything escalated.”

“So you went from fake dating Reese Cain to for real fucking him.”

It’s more than that, I want to say, but this is Nadia, queen of the one-night stand. I don’t feel the need to justify anything to her. “Pretty much.”

She crosses her legs. “Does that mean he’s your boyfriend now?”

I think back to how he said he was in boyfriend mode last night. He’d also just called himself the team dad. I’m not staking a claim on the overuse of hyperbole.

“We haven’t had that talk yet, but part of our deal was not seeing other people.”

“Your original deal,” she says.

“Right.” It’s true we hadn’t updated that part, but it didn’t feel necessary. We like each other and I’m willing to see where this goes without putting a label on it. This way, I don’t feel like I’m lying as much to Coach Green.

She runs her fingers through her hair and groans. “I want to be pissed at the two of you for sneaking around, but I get it. Your job is important to you. And he stuck up for you last night with Ethan, so I have to give him credit for that.” She grins. “Although kicking his ass would’ve been epic.”

“Trust me, he wanted to.”

Her smile wavers. “How is it that you end up with the hotshot athlete that you didn’t even want and I’m stuck as a late night booty call?”

“Hey, I tried to get you to seriously consider Reid, but somehow you ended up with Brent Reynolds instead.”

“I know.” She twists the rings on her finger. “I have a problem.”

“Well, when you’re ready to do something about it, I’m here for you.” I check the time and see that we’re going to have to rush to get to class. “Please don’t tell anyone about me and Reese. Coach Green can’t know—no one can know. Not the players or anyone else. I’ll lose my internship for sure.”

“I won’t,” she says, wrapping her arm around and pulling me in for a hug. “I won’t tell anyone that you got railed by Reese Cain last night.” She winks. “Twice.”

“So enough about me,” I say, ready to change the subject. “What’s the deal with Brent? Is that still going on?”

I’ve been working on not being so judgmental, especially when it comes to Nadia. I still worry about her though. Chasing jerseys never seems to work, but as long as she’s having fun, who am I to question?

“Here and there, but it’s football season, you know they’re busy.” She knocks her elbow into mine. “Kind of like Reese. Who would’ve thought we’d both be banging star athletes?”

What’s going on with me and Reese feels like more than banging, but I don’t say that. Reese also told me that he ran into Brent, and apparently, he and Shanna are seeing each other now. I expected Nadia to bring it up, but she hasn’t.

So yeah, Brent is busy, but not enough to stop the booty calls or keep him from trying to lock in a budding socialite. “Anyone else caught your interest?”

“There are a few guys on the team that are fun. This one guy, CJ, is pretty cool. He’s injured and unable to play this season. Brent said he needed some cheering up.” She curls a lock of hair around her finger—something I know she does when she’s unsure. “I don’t mind.”

“Huh.”

She cuts her eyes at me. “What?”

“I’m not judging, I promise. It just seems weird he’s okay with you seeing other guys on the team.”

“He didn’t outright say it. I figured I’d test it out,” she admits. “See if maybe he’d get jealous.”

“Did he?”

“Not really, but like I said, he’s busy. He’s the quarterback and CJ is injured. They’re best friends and I don’t mind giving him a little attention while Brent’s busy.” She pauses outside the building, hair spiraled around her finger. “He’s kind of depressed. Worried that he’s not going to recover in time for the draft. He’s stressed out and if I can help, I will.”

Oh Nadia. This girl never learns. “Well, for the record, I think you can do better than a football player.”

“You got another hockey player lined up for me or something?”

“No, I’m out of the matchmaking game, but there are some nice guys. Like Reid, you guys have fun together even if you don’t hook up.”

“True,” she admits, “but a girl has needs, Twy, and not all of us have a Reese Cain sneaking in and out of our room.”

The following week is a blur. Classes are getting harder with more papers and tests rolling in. Practice is busy—the more games the guys play, the more injuries start to emerge. The final preseason game is in two days and then the team heads straight into the season. There’s no time for anything preventative to slip through the cracks and the pressure is building on both the team and trainers.

I’m grateful for the distraction. It was hard enough staying away from him before, but now that I know what it’s like to have his powerful body hovering over me, and in me, it’s impossible not to think about him all the time.

“This weekend we’re playing our final preseason game against our toughest competition, Mason U,” I overhear Coach Bryant say to the team in the locker room while they dress for practice. I’m crouched next to Pete, wrapping his ankle. “We managed a W for the first three games, but they sure as hell weren’t all pretty. If you pull that kind of sloppy play with Mason, they’ll wipe the floor with you and then come back during the season and swipe our spot in the championship.”

Bryant goes into the specifics of what he wants the team to achieve at practice. My neck prickles and I glance over my shoulder. Reese is watching me and just before he pulls his jersey on over his head, he winks, sending a warm heat spreading across my body. I turn away before anyone notices.

“How’s that?” I ask Pete, checking to make sure the tape is secure. “Too tight?”

“Honestly it could probably be tighter,” he says, wiggling his foot, or trying to. Increasingly, Pete is having me secure the tape on his ankle tighter and tighter, and I’m worried about his mobility.

“Are you sure you don’t want Coach Green to refer you for a scan? If it’s bothering you that much, it could be something bigger.” He slides his skate on, clearly dismissing my concerns. “Otherwise, we may need to start loosening the tape. I don’t want you to end up with a problem on the ice.”

“Nah,” he says, pulling on his sock. “It’s just how I like it. Thanks, TG.”

Bryant finishes up, and the guys all head out to practice. Coach Green stops me on the way to grab the water bottles. “How’s your tape supply?”

I investigate my kit. “Almost out.”

“Go grab two new rolls for practice. Between Pete and Haskell, we’re running through the tape faster than they go through beer on a Friday night.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then you can grab the water bottles and get them set up. I have a feeling Bryant’s about to run them ragged.”

I nod, and head down the hallway to the supply closet. I’ve got two new rolls of tape in my hand and am trying to decide if I should mention Pete’s over-taping to Coach Green, when the door opens. Fully dressed in pads, helmet, and practice uniform, Reese looks even bigger than normal. He quickly steps in and shuts the door behind him. The cocky smirk on his mouth tells me everything about why he’s here.

“No,” I say, making an attempt to step back but there’s no room. “Absolutely not.”

“What? I have an injury that needs looking at.”

He’s full of shit, but fine, I’ll play. “What injury?” My eyes dart down. “And don’t say it’s that.”

He laughs. “No, Sunshine, my cock works perfectly fine, but my lips are really dehydrated.” His hands move to my hips. “And I think you’re the only one that can help me.”

The thing about Reese is that he’s difficult, no, impossible to say no to. Not with that sexy, confident grin and those playful gray eyes. I mean, that’s what got me into this in the first place, right?

But I want to kiss him too, and we’re so busy that it’s been a challenge to get time alone. His house is off-limits. Mine is located in a high-traffic area. I look up at him and sigh. “One kiss.”

“Thank you.” He bends, mouth slanting over mine. He doesn’t waste time, pushing his tongue between my lips and sweeping it inside. His jaw is strong, everything about him is strong, and it’s so easy to get caught up in him. He pulls back, licking his bottom lip. “There. So much better.”

“You’re an idiot,” I say, fully aware of the stupid grin plastered on my face. “Go.”

He exits, and I gather a few more things before heading back out. Looping my kit over one arm, I grab the caddy that holds the water bottles in both hands. Reese is down at the end of the tunnel, pushing open the door, when he sees me.

“I’ve got it,” he says, coming back to help me.

“I’m good,” I tell him, although I know that I can’t open the door and carry all this out at the same time.

“Twy,” he says, taking the container from me. He lifts it easily with one hand and opens the door with the other. The cold air of the arena slaps the heat off my cheeks, and he takes the bottles over to the training table. Coach Green watches from the bench.

“Thanks, Cain,” I say, voice even. “You didn’t need to do that.”

“You looked like you were struggling.” He tugs at his gloves, eyes flicking up to where I can feel Coach Green approaching. “Just being helpful.”

He takes off before my boss makes it to us, slapping his helmet on his head and grabbing his stick.

“Everything okay, Perkins?” He gives me a long look.

“Yep,” I focus on arranging the bottles, and not how I’m caught between the two most amazing things in my life. “Everything’s perfect.”