Mile High: Chapter 18

Last night was a huge mistake.

And by huge…I mean huge. Pun intended.

And not because of the excuse I gave Zanders about him being my client or whatever bullshit I was spewing. But because he was right. He may have ruined every other man for me from here on out.

I think he may have even ruined my vibrator from here on out too, and that’s just a damn crime.

When I looked at myself in the bathroom mirror last night, that’s when it hit me.

That was the best sex I’ve ever had. It blew every other one of my experiences out of the water. For the first time, maybe ever, there wasn’t a single self-conscious thought. Zanders’ constant praise took care of that. We had a wild unspoken connection I didn’t expect and, frankly, didn’t want.

And that’s the problem. It was supposed to be one and done. But all I wanted was to get back in that bed and do it over and over again until I couldn’t think straight.

But I couldn’t. I couldn’t get attached to him or his award-winning dick. He’s everything I’ve wanted to avoid since college—arrogant, egotistical athlete with beautiful women lining up for a turn. And I made the mistake of jumping into that line, unable to hold my ground against him.

He’s just looking for his next lay, but I’ve got to say, the boy knows what he’s doing between the sheets.

“You totally got laid last night,” Indy teases. “You’re lit up like a fucking glow stick, Miss Shay.”

“I did not.” I try to keep my voice hushed. We’re in the back of the airplane, and the boys are trying to sleep on our overnight flight back to Chicago.

“You totally did,” she giggles. “Was it a Tinder boy?”

Turning away from Indy, I mindlessly start cleaning the spotless countertops in the back galley. “I did not get laid last night.”

“You didn’t?”

That deep velvety voice doesn’t belong to my coworker. No, it belongs to the stunning man who absolutely railed me last night.

I’ve avoided walking the aisle for more than one reason on this flight. One being I didn’t want to see Zanders and have every explicit detail of last night flood my mind. And the second being, he was right. I have a stupid limp because of his stupid, huge dick.

Looking over my shoulder, Zanders leans against the partition separating the galley from the rest of the plane, a cocky little smirk playing at his perfectly full lips.

Asshole.

“You’re limping a bit, Stevie. Did you roll your ankle or something?”

I hate him.

“Oh my God,” Indy says much too loudly. “Oh. My. God.” Her head is on a swivel looking back and forth between Zanders and me, her cheeks flushing a lovely shade of rose.

“You two finally fucked,” she whispers as quietly as possible before her mouth hangs open.

“No!” I exclaim louder than I meant to. “No, we did not.”

Zanders being the arrogant man he is, doesn’t deny anything. Instead, he stays silent and shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly.

“Nice work.” Indy’s statement isn’t directed at me. No, it’s at Zanders, which I love.

“Do you guys have a pillow I could snag?” Rio pops his head into the galley over Zanders’ shoulder, asking Indy and me.

“Rio, get it yourself, man.” Zanders motions towards one of the overhead bins where the pillows are stored. Which is ironic, seeing as Zanders has never once gotten himself a single thing on this damn airplane.

“I can get it for you,” Indy offers.

“Thanks, Indy.” Rio’s green eyes sparkle when he says her name. He runs a hand through his curly black hair, pushing it out of the way, and is he…flexing as he does it?

Indy steps around Zanders, leaving the security of our galley and leaving me alone with the man I’ve been trying to avoid all flight.

“You didn’t send me a message last night.” He ducks into the galley, getting in my space. My eyes quickly dart up the aisle, checking for Tara’s whereabouts, but she seems plenty busy flirting with the coaching staff up front.

“Why didn’t you send me a message that you got back to your hotel?” He takes another step closer, his chest only inches from mine.

I crane my neck upward. “I didn’t think you were that serious about it.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? I was up all night checking my Instagram, waiting to hear from you.”

“Well, here I am.” I know I’m being a brat right now, but I’m trying to distance myself from everything I felt last night, and I don’t know how to do that other than to pretend to be unattached. I fully expected Zanders to be the same, so his genuine concern is a little shocking.

“What the hell happened last night?” he whispers. “I thought we had fun?”

“We did. And when it was over, I left.”

Zanders’ hazel eyes bore into me with confusion. I’m not trying to make him feel bad, but I need to protect myself here. He got what he wanted, as did I. He’ll be onto someone new tomorrow. Hell, he might even be onto someone new as soon as we land around two AM.

“Do you regret it?” His question is soft and low, a bit of sadness laced in his tone.

Ah, fuck. Why does this man, who was choking me and screwing me senseless last night, look like a sad puppy dog right now? I kind of want to hug the giant defenseman. He seems more vulnerable than he intended to be.

“I’m sorry if we did something you didn’t want. I didn’t mean to—”

“No,” I cut him off, shaking my head. “No, I don’t regret it.”

It’s a lie, but not for the reasons he’s thinking.

A relieved sigh escapes him as he reaches up with his index finger, delicately moving a single curl from in front of my eyes.

“Are you shitting me?”

Zanders’ hand retreats quicker than you’d believe as both of our heads snap to Maddison standing in the threshold between the galley and the rest of the plane, his large frame blocking us from anyone else’s view.

“You’re the girl from last night?” Maddison’s tone is hushed, his brown eyes wide, pleading for me to say no.

But I don’t.

“Stevie, I had faith in you,” he whines.

“Go sit the fuck down,” Zanders adds.

“He ain’t shit, huh?” Maddison continues. “I’ve heard he’s got a tiny dick and has no idea what to do with it. Terrible in bed.”

“Fuck you,” Zanders spits, but there’s a laugh that follows it.

I can’t help but giggle, knowing his teammate has probably seen what he’s packing in the locker room, the same as I saw it last night. “Tiny” is the exact opposite of what’s going on between his legs.

“Stevie, I’m disappointed. I’m going to need you to keep giving him shit regardless of this.” Maddison motions between Zanders and me. “Because it’s quite literally my only entertainment on this fucking airplane.”

With that, he turns to walk back to his seat, leaving his best friend and me alone once again.

“So, you don’t regret last night?” Zanders doesn’t waste a second before asking again, concern evident on his face.

“I don’t regret it, but it shouldn’t happen again.”

“I was thinking quite the opposite. I was thinking it should happen again. Like every single time we’re on the road.”

“We can’t. Zanders, I’ll get fired if anyone finds out about last night.”

“The blondie already knows!”

“Let me rephrase that. I will get fired if that one finds out.” I motion towards the front of the plane.

“The bitchy one? You’re worried about her? Sweetheart, I can keep a secret.”

“What happened to the whole ‘I don’t lie’ thing?” Cocking my brow, I hold his eye, testing him.

His hand grips my hip, fingers curling, pulling me into him. His assertive touch ignites my whole body, but I push the fire down, needing to extinguish it.

“This lie would be worth it.” He wets his lower lip before pulling it between his teeth, his gaze locked on my mouth.

Swallowing hard, I take a large step back. Well, as large as I can manage in this tiny galley. Zanders’ hand falls from my hip as I pin my arms across my chest, needing to use them as a makeshift barrier.

“It was a one-time thing.”

Zanders shakes his head, not buying it. “It was a one-time thing until it’s not.”

He turns to head back to his seat, leaving me alone in the galley. But before he goes, he quickly looks back, his eyes raking down my body, taking in every inch. “Because one time sure as hell wasn’t enough for me and I don’t think it was for you either.”

I squeeze my thighs together, my face flush with the memory of last night.

“Oh, and I’ll take a sparkling water.”

Rolling my eyes, I tell him for the thousandth time, “It’s in the cooler.”

“Extra lime, Stevie Sweetheart.” Zanders’ overly smug face wears a satisfied smile as he saunters his way back to his seat.