Page 73 of The Trade

“Hard,” I plead, breathless and desperate.

As soon as the word leaves my mouth, he removes his fingers from the tiny bundle of nerves. In a swift motion, his palm comes crashing down on my ass, the sound of the impact reverberating through the room. I gasp, shocked by the sting, but the pain mixes with pleasure as he slams his cock deep inside me.

“Oh!” I cry out.

He’s pummeling my pussy now, dragging my hips against him with one arm. His other hand snakes up my body. Those long, calloused fingers wrap around my throat as he lightly squeezes, hauling me against him while he fucks into me.

A deep groan escapes his lips as he buries his face into the crook of my neck, his warm breath tickling my skin. The rhythm of his thrusts becomes more measured, more deliberate, as he seeks his release.

My walls flutter around him, tightening with every movement, signaling my own impending climax. And with a final, powerful thrust, he comes. My body quivers with the force of it, my fingers clutching onto the bedsheets.

A moment later, I collapse, completely spent and sated.

As we lie side by side, our bodies glistening with a sheen of sweat, his breath ragged, he rasps my name, breaking the silence.

I turn my head toward him, meeting his gaze with a mixture of bliss and contentment. “Hmm?”

“Don’t ever doubt how I feel for you.”

“Okay,” I pant, heart stuttering. “I won’t.”

21

WEST

There’sa distinct kind of magic being wrapped up in bed with Jade. Looking back at just a few weeks ago, this moment would’ve seemed like a far-fetched fantasy. But here we are, exactly where we’re meant to be.

Her body finds solace in my arms, her chest rising and falling in rhythm with my own. I trace my fingers through her soft curls, stirring a sigh from her lips as she snuggles against me, her breasts pressed into my chest.

After drilling her on my dresser and, subsequently, my mattress—this all feels soft, and warm, and so fucking sweet. It’s a feeling that I don’t ever want to let go.

Jade stirs, stretching until she’s balanced on her forearms beside me. Her voice breaks the silence, tinged with sleepiness. “What was your team meeting about anyway?”

I roll to my side to face her, my free hand tracing random patterns along her bare spine. “Coach scheduled a scrimmage for us against Coastal U,” I say with a shrug. “It’s in two weeks.”

“Really? Have you ever done a spring scrimmage against an opponent?”

I shake my head. “This will be a first. The NCAA’s finally allowing it. Plus, Coach Rodriguez thinks it will give us some perspective on how the team’s doing. You know, prepare us for fall term.”

She hums in understanding but doesn’t miss a beat. “Except Dayton hasn’t been doing regular practices. And I heard Coastal has a really tight team this year.”

“Exactly,” I grumble, grimacing at the reminder. “Which is why we’re doubling down for the next two weeks.”

“Well, I’m sure you guys will kill it anyway.” Her faith in me is endearing, yet another reason why I’m drawn to her.

I lift a shoulder, attempting to downplay it. “I mean, it’s more so just for fun. But yeah, losing could definitely put a damper on the ... banquet.”

The word tastes bitter now, given the past implications. It was a moment of vulnerability when she asked me about Shan, and I should’ve just told her about the Trade. But it felt wrong to do it then, not when she was already grappling with her own insecurities.

Which are ... hard for me to fathom because I’m fucking lost when it comes to this girl. It’s like I’m disconnected from my own mind sometimes, just wandering around until I can get my next fix of her.

Her eyes narrow, picking up on my hesitation. “That’s the following weekend, right?”

“Yeah,” I manage to say, forcing a casual half-smile. “You know, we always do awards and stuff. I think another loss might rain on our parade.”

Her smirk is teasing, playful. “I guess you better win, then.”

“I guess so,” I say with a lighthearted chuckle, my fingers tracing over the smooth planes of her back. “You think you could make some time to watch me play?”

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