Page 53 of Single Glance

“I’m fine, Hadley.”

“No, you’re not.” Her voice hushed but soothing. She reached out with her spare hand and ran her fingers along my jaw. “Is it about the game?”

I forced myself to nod, even though she’d broken me out of that haze when I found her waiting for me outside of the locker room. But how did I explain I was already mapping out our future break-up when she still hadn’t committed to me? Sure, she’d reluctantly admit to being mine, but we’d never discussed anything beyond the next moment. No talks of the future, no confessions that made me think she wanted more.

“I'm trying to shake it off,” I said. “Haven’t playedthat crappy in a long time, and it’s taking me longer than I’d like. I’m sorry I ruined our date night.”

“You didn’t ruin anything, Cam.” Hadley’s hand tugged mine until I met her eyes. They softened as she smiled up at me. “I don’t need anything fancy. I just want you, sarge. Everything else is just extra.”

“I’m dragging you down with me, Hads. You should call Ollie, see if she wants to hang out tonight. She’s gonna be better company than me.”

“Cameron Seda.” Hadley released my hand and placed her own on her hips. She glared up at me, her nose crinkled in annoyance. “Do you want me to leave?”

“No.” The word flew out of my mouth, even though it was selfish of me. I wanted her here with me, wanted to soak in her honey and sunshine scent for as long as she’d let me.

“Then stop telling me to go.” Hadley poked her finger into my chest. “I want to be here for you, Cam. So goddamnit, let me! Or did you think I only stuck around for the great sex?”

I started to answer, but she put her fingers up to my mouth to silence me. “Cam, I care about you. And that means I’m sticking around through all of it. The wins, and yeah, the shitty losses.” She pulled her fingers away, but dragged them along my jaw. “So let me be there for you, Cam. Trust me to be a safe place for you to land.”

There were no words that could summarize the fluttering in my chest. Maybe it wasn’t everything, but it was enough. With the way Hadley stared at me, there was no way she wasn’t falling just as hard as me. It might have taken us years to find our way, but now that we had, no force on earth could get me to leave this girl’s side.

I dropped my bag at my feet and cupped my hands onHadley’s hips, lifting her up into the air. She giggled as she wrapped her arms and legs around me. My mouth claimed hers, leaving no question about how I felt. Because this girl was mine, and I’d do anything in my power to keep us together, to return the favor, and always be her safe place to land.

I pulled back, searching her expression with a sly smile. “Great sex?”

“Of course that’s what you’d hold onto.” Hadley rolled her eyes. “Yes, sarge. Great sex. Amazing even. Is that what you want to hear?”

“It’s a start.” I reached down and grabbed my bag, but kept Hadley in my arms. “Rather hear you screaming my name right now, menace.”

Her eyes widened as my steps quickened. “I thought you said you weren’t in the mood?”

“Changed my mind.” I shrugged. “Besides, if anything in this world can make me feel better, it’s you, naked in front of me, begging for my cock.”

FORTY

The moment the hotel room door closed behind us, Cam and I collided. Our clothes ended up in a pile on the floor, our bags tossed aside without a care for their contents. The only thing on my mind was touching and tasting every inch of the man in front of me.

There was more on his mind than the loss tonight. After growing up with my mother, I’d inherited an extra sense, able to tell when people were on edge or if they were trying to hide their pain. With my mother, it always told me when to steer clear or if it was the right time to question her. By the time I was a teenager, I no longer cared about what was bothering her, knowing it was some slight she’d blown out of proportion.

It was different with Cam. I wanted to bear the weight of his secrets, wanted to be a pillar for him to pull strength from. I wanted to shower him with love so he never had to question his worth in my eyes.

Cam reached around my back, unclasping the lace material of my bra. It slid along my arms and joined the rest of my clothes on the floor. Cam pulled back, running theback of his fingers over every inch of my exposed skin. “You’re fucking stunning, Hadley. If I went blind right now, I’d be a lucky man with you as my last sight.”

I shook my head, my cheeks heating with his words. “You probably say that to all the girls.” A dumb joke, but a tiny kernel of truth lurked in it.

Cam’s hand reached up, pinching my chin between his thumb and forefinger. “There is no one else, Hadley. No other girls. From the time I wake up to the moment I close my eyes, you are the only fucking girl I see.” It was hard not to squirm under the weight of his stare, but he held me tight. “Tell me you understand, Hadley.”

I swallowed, searching his eyes. The intensity lurking in them made my knees buckle. No one ever looked at me like Cam, as if I was the only person in the world who mattered. It was the same way he looked at Emilia, like his world would fall off its axis without us at his side.

As much as I loved it, it also brought a flurry of nerves to the surface, worried I was undeserving of such a gift. But Cam didn’t give me a chance to question him, not when he backed me up against the bed until my knees folded. As my ass hit the comforter, he brushed his thumb over my lower lip.

“I’ve been dreaming about fucking this devilish little mouth for so long, menace.” Another stroke of his finger. “Will you let me?”

I nodded, not trusting my voice. Despite everything we’d already done, Cam had never let me taste him—too busy getting me off to let me return the favor. He palmed his hardening cock through the thin material of his boxers, and my mouth watered at the sight, already craving the exquisite ache. I reachedup as I slid off the bed, dragging the fabric down his muscular thighs. I kissed the bare skin, savoring the way his skin pulsed under my touch.

“Fuck, Hadley. You’re driving me insane, baby, and you’ve barely touched me.”

The first few swipes of my tongue were tentative, testing to find where he was most sensitive. But soon, my lust took over, and I couldn’t help but suck him into my mouth, my tongue tracing the thick veins on his shaft. His hands remained clenched at his sides, trying desperately to hold back. That wouldn’t do. I hollowed my cheeks, sucking him deeply into the back of my throat.

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