Page 38 of The Trade

“Hey, Cam!” Shannon bounces back. “This is my roommate, Jade.”

I force myself up from the couch, making my way toward them at the entryway. As they turn to greet me, my heart stumbles, my throat tightens, and my words lock up.

“Hey, Shan.” I manage to force out a casual nod. Then, I swallow, tasting dust as I turn my attention to her roommate. “Hey, Jade.”

Oh, fucking hell. Her low-cut shirt does nothing to hide her curves, and those skintight jeans might as well be painted on. Her dark hair cascades over her shoulders in a waterfall of chocolate curls and soft waves. I want to reach out, to touch her, to—no.

Snap the fuck out of it, West.

Suppressing the urge to let my eyes wander, I clear my throat, forcing my gaze to a neutral spot between the two girls. “Thanks for coming.”

Jade gives me an appraising look, lips pressed into a thin line. Her gaze travels over my tensed posture, that knowing look piercing into my obvious discomfort.

“Can I get you girls something to drink?” Cam interrupts, his offer a welcome distraction.

Shannon politely declines, stating she’s driving, while Jade opts for a beer.

As the girls join Cam in the kitchen, I retreat into the living room, mentally berating myself for acting like such a fucking dweeb. New mission for tonight—avoid Jade at all costs or risk making a complete fool out of myself.

Unfortunately, I fail my own mission within half an hour, finding some half-assed excuse to approach her. “Hey, you want another drink?” I ask, the words tumbling out before I can stop them.

“I’m all good,” she says, flashing me a tight smile. She gestures to her beer, swishing it around in the bottle to show me that it’s still nearly full. It’s a polite dismissal, and it’s certainly a blow to my ego.

“Alright.” I manage to keep the disappointment out of my voice, giving her a curt nod as I retreat to the other side of the room, aiming for the cooler with a heavy heart. Despite my efforts to the contrary, I’ve somehow messed this all up, haven’t I?

Remington Miller, one of our team’s wide receivers, is rifling through the drinks as I approach. He lifts his head at my arrival. “Need another beer?”

“Yeah, man.”

He pulls out a bottle and a can, flipping the latter over to me with ease. With a lean against the wall behind us, he rummages in his pocket, pulls out a key ring, and pops his cap off.

“So, how does Shan know that chick?” he asks between gulps.

“Jade’s her roommate.” I keep my response short, taking a sip of my own beer.

Miller’s gaze follows mine, landing on the couches where Jade’s currently standing. “Damn,” he murmurs appreciatively, eyes glazing over. “She’s pretty hot.”

“She is,” I echo, my voice more strained than I’d like.

“Those jeans really do wonders for her ass, don’t they?” His offhand comment rubs me the wrong way, but I keep quiet, unwilling to answer him. He may be acting like a degenerate, but he’s not necessarily wrong in his claims.

I allow myself another quick glance at Jade. She’s leaning against the armrest of the couch now, that perky round ass of hers on full display. Her laughter bubbles up from a joke Cam must’ve just told, and it feels like a sucker punch straight to the gut.

My gaze slides across her frame, from the cute crinkle in her nose down to the sweet curve of her hips. Then it’s back up to her face, and I’m no longer just looking; I’m full-on fantasizing.

She presses those perfect pouty lips to her beer bottle, tipping her head back for a long drink, and I can’t help but picture that same mouth wrapped around the length of me.

The muscles in her throat tense as she swallows the beer, her tongue darting out to catch a little dribble on the rim. But it’s not the neck of the bottle she’s licking. No, now it’s her tongue licking from the base of my dick all the way to the tip.

Oh man, this is not the fucking time or place for this shit.

As I shift on my feet, my focus turns to subtly adjusting the hard-on straining against my jeans. Thankfully, Miller’s attention has already wandered elsewhere.

A few hours pass, and I’ve somehow managed not to make a complete fool of myself. In fact, I’ve barely even glanced in Jade’s direction the entire night. She seems to have cozied up to Cam well enough, which just kind of pisses me off.

So, when the moment finally comes for the girls to head out, my heart kicks into high gear. I hadn’t planned on saying goodbye—didn’t want to risk getting sucked back into her orbit—but, as if on autopilot, I find myself joining them at the door.

“Thanks for having us,” Shannon gushes, her words blanketed in her typical enthusiasm.

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