Page 42 of Make the Play

“And your brother is my best friend. My teammate. He’s threatened all of us by saying that you were off-limits. It’s a non-negotiable for him.”

“Landry stepped up when we lost our mom, but he’s not my father. He’s my brother. He can’t dictate who I kiss and who I don’t. I know it’s complicated, and we work together, but you told me all you can think about is me, and I confess I’ve been thinking about you, too. No matter how often I tell myself I need to put distance between us, I end up right next to you, in your lap, in your arms. I admit, it’s a nice place to be.”

“It’s more complicated than that, Corie girl, and you know it.”

“It is, but for once, I want to be selfish. I want to know what it’s like to kiss you. Not because you’re Knox Beckett, quarterback extraordinaire. I want to kiss you because you’re Knox. The guy who’s always sweet to me. The one who can make my body ache with a look or a simple touch. I’ve never had that before, and I want it just this once, out here in the night, under the moonlight.”

“If I kiss you. I mean, really kiss you how I’ve been craving, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop.”

“Just once.”

“I don’t think I can, Corie.” In fact, I know I can’t. With every interaction, I yearn for her more and more. Having her, tasting her fully, kissing her like she’s mine, I won’t be able to quit. I slide my hand behind her neck and lean a little closer. “I won’t be able to quit you.”

“Then don’t.”

She has no idea what she’s asking. My insides churn with indecision, and I feel my determination to stay strong starting to crumble. Who knew it would be this hard to resist this sprite of a woman? “Corie.” My voice is strained as my resolve wavers.

“Kiss me, Knox.”

I’m battling with what I want and what I know is right. I want her, but I’m not supposed to. She’s looking at me as if I hold all the answers, and the only one I have is that I want her. I want my best friend’s little sister, and I’m about to cross a line that should never be crossed, but she’s asking me, and no way can I push her away. “Fuck it.” I slam my mouth down on hers, and she immediately opens for me. She meets me stroke for stroke, and I could spend the rest of my life kissing this woman and be a very happy man.

Time hesitates and shifts to a standstill, as the distance, both physical and emotional, narrows. The world around us seems to stop altogether, and the other thing that I notice, the only thing that matters, is Corie in my arms. Her mouth molded with mine, drinking in my kiss like it’s her lifeline.

It’s not your normal first kiss, where both parties are hesitant to learn from the other. No, this is two souls finally coming together. All the tension that’s been brewing between us releases in this kiss.

So many emotions flood my system all at once. Relief that after all this time, I’m kissing her as if she were mine. Wonder that this incredible woman wants me to kiss her. Uncertainty mixed with fear because this won’t be easy. Purpose, because I’m certain she’s mine. My reason. I wait for the panic to set in, but it’s absent. Probably the only emotion not running rampant through my system.

“We need to move,” I mumble against her lips and return to kissing her. Bending, I place my hands on the backs of her thighs and lift her. She wraps her arms and legs around me, never stopping our kiss, and then we’re on the move. I step to the opposite side of the house, just beyond the bushes, stepping behind them. I push her back up against the house and kiss her with everything I am.

Corie grinds down on my hard cock, and it’s in this moment that I realize that, even with the risks, she’s worth it.

This won’t be the last time I kiss Corie Reynolds.

ChapterTwelve

Corie

I’ve never been kissed like this.

Knox is gripping my thighs, my back is pressed against the house, and his mouth is hot and insistent with every stroke of his tongue against mine. It’s pure bliss, and I need more. I rock my hips against his hard length, and he groans. I do it again and again because I want more.

I need more.

I’m not this girl. I’ve never been one to be so bold as to demand what I want. In fact, I’ve never wanted anything as badly as I do his kiss. Now that I’ve experienced it, he’s not the only one who can’t go back.

That complicates things, but I can’t think about that right now. This might be it. He might tell me no more and walk away, regardless of his claims that he won’t be able to. I’m taking the whole experience. I’m not stopping until he does. I’d be perfectly fine if we never did.

Eventually, he eases the kiss and presses his forehead against mine. Our breathing is labored, and my heart feels as though it could beat right out of my chest. He makes no move to place me back on my feet, and for that, I’m grateful. I’m not so sure I could stand on my own just yet.

Finally, he speaks. “He’s going to kill me,” he rasps.

“Then don’t tell him.”

Knox lifts his head. “What are you thinking in that beautiful head of yours?”

“We don’t know what this is, right? It could be fleeting, and telling him would cause more harm than good.”

“So, we, what, sneak kisses when we can? I don’t know if that’s enough for me, Corie.”

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