Page 39 of Go Away, Darling

His eyes went wide and he waved his hand between us. “I need space or I’m going to maul you. You’re too damn sexy, Liv.” Then he muttered under his breath. “Too damn sexy.”

It made me smile. And my silly heart did backflips because I had my own adrenaline coursing through my veins. I hadn’t done anything like this in years, and to do it with and for someone I had so many feelings for? I was so mixed up and confused andhot.

I reached for him. He moved away, staring at my hand. “What are you doing?”

“I want to kiss you.”

“Nope. We’ve kissed and now we’re done. We should get back to the locker room.”

I blocked the door, confusing myself, but my body seemed to have taken over control of the ship. “Take me to your hotel.”

He jerked away, looking around the room like a second door might magically appear. I grabbed his soaking wet shirt and hauled him against me. “We need to celebrate. Take me to your room, Chris. Or I’m walking out that door and going to Beau’s.”

His nostrils flared and his eyes darkened in a way that made my shiver. “Tell me you mean it. Say you want me.”

It was like taking a step off a cliff into nothing but air. “I want you, Chris. Desperately.”

His hands came crashing in around my face as he kissed me with such ferocity it made everything else disappear.

12

The relief and the ecstasy

Chris

Ibooked a hotel room so I wouldn’t have to worry about travel or driving, no matter the outcome of the game. If we won it would be a late night and a busy following day. More interviews, more celebrations, appearances. Eventually a parade. If we lost, it would mean getting good rest and reporting to the field ready to help in any way possible.

But we won. Oh my god, we fucking won. I was the starting pitcher for a World Series winning game. Every boy who picks up a ball and a mitt dreams of winning everything. We imagine being the guy who brings it home, knowing it’s probably not going to happen.

It did happen, though. I lived it and now I got to celebrate it with the woman I was falling head over goddamned heels for. I was the luckiest son of a bitch who ever lived. Ever.

And to do it with my family and Trent in the crowd, with Liv right there on the field and Linc up in the stands. I had everyone I cared about surrounding me on the biggest day of my life. It was beyond special. And it seemed to only be getting better (as if that were possible.)

She came at me the minute the door closed. No awkwardness. No questions. I met her, abandoning any plans I had to talk or whatever foolish nonsense I thought was right. This was a woman who needed kissing. Good kissing. And I was ready to provide.

“Liv.”

She groaned as the kiss became painful. Her fingers tugged on my hair and she pressed her body against mine. My response was to tilt her head back and take her mouth, all while grabbing her thigh and pulling it to my hip.

We didn’t talk. Not really. Directions, names, sounds, that was it. Mostly it was a frenzied race to rip each other’s clothes off while trying to keep kissing and touching.

I shoved my hands into her jeans and finally—finally—cupped the ass of my dreams. It was firm and a perfect handful.

“Take them off. Take them off!” she said, but also ground against me so I couldn’t do anything except grip her ass harder and pull her against my erection. Then she growled with frustration and stepped away, pushing the jeans to the ground before launching herself back at me.

I am not complaining. The rest of our undressing was equally frustrating and simultaneously arousing. The push and pull of clothes felt good. The first contact of each inch of skin a momentary pause of shock before we resumed panting and grinding until we were finally naked.

From the moment the game ended I’d been chasing something to make me stop. Something to ground me. At first it was the pile on the field. I got trapped under at least ten other guys who all wanted to shake me, hug me, scream at me. But I liked it because it was all so overwhelming I needed to do all of the same things. Then it was beer and champagne, more hugging and high fiving and screaming and singing.

None of it slowed the adrenaline. I was floating, coming out of my skin, my heart pounding wildly.

Until Liv.

Yes our kisses were frantic but it was the only thing that felt real at this point. Her warm body, her soft kisses, her moans. I could focus on those and channel my energy into her.

My hands shook as I touched her bare skin for the first time. Not a slip under her shirt or over her bikini. This time touching was intimate because it was intentional and meant to bring pleasure. We’d seen each other in scraps of bathing suits dozens of times. It wasn’t like we were unfamiliar with our bodies. But this was entirely different.

IwantedOlivia. All of her. She was the home I was seeking when I came back to the island.

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