Page 63 of Best Year Ever
“Baby, you look so cute,” I say as I close the final steps between us and take herin my arms.
Our hug is tight and firm. We both stay quiet and hold each other while breathing in and out in tandem.
I smell the lemon scent of her favorite soap cutting through the air, and with our bodies locked together, she’s lined herself up against me.
All the nerves I felt about seeing her again fade to nothing. What’s left behind is a word I’ve never spoken about a woman in my life.
Mine.
CHAPTER 22
Rori
The sound of a car driving by makes me aware again of our surroundings. Our “hug bubble” gets popped.
“Let’s head over to your place,” I suggest and take a step back.
The extra space allows Landon to see my surprise for him.
“Rori, is that my team on your t-shirt?” Landon says in a hushed tone, his eyes wide.
I smile and nod. “Surprise! And that’s not all.”
I turn around and show him the number and name on the back of the shirt. “55, Battle.”
Landon releases a pleased hum and then grabs my hand. “Woman, I need to get you where I can touch you.”
I giggle, and we start walking the short distance to his rental house.
This diversion’s probably not the wisest way to spend my time as the quarterfinals approach. There was no way that I wasn’t going to see Landon, however. After telling her I wanted to meet up with a “friend” who was staying nearby, Julie didn’t put up too much of a protest.
“We have tomorrow off to prep, so I can give you twohours,” Julie had said. “Just make sure you don’t sacrifice sleep and actually come home on time.”
When we reach Landon’s rental house, he swiftly opens the side door by the kitchen and we walk in. He throws the keys onto the counter and turns to face me. We look at each other for a beat, and then I’m not sure who moves first, but our mouths meet in a blistering kiss.
He wraps his arms around me and pulls me in tight as we kiss each other hungrily.
I’ve never wanted a man this badly, I think as our mouths move against each other.
Like he heard me, I feel him growing hard, but he doesn’t shift from our kiss. It’s as if we’re trying to make up for three weeks of not kissing all at once.
Finally, after a few more minutes, he pulls his head away, breaking the kiss, but not letting me move an inch in his arms. We’re both panting.
“Let me see your shirt again,” Landon says huskily. I step back and do a slow turn, flipping my head to keep my eyes on his as I make my way around.
“This is so hot. Wearing my name and number, huh, Rori?”
“I thought you might like that,” I say as I step back towards him and inch my hand up the bottom of his shirt. I slowly move my palm up his chest and move my lips back to his.
“We only have two hours,” I remind him. “I promised Julie.”
With that, Landon moves his hands under my ass and pulls me up to straddle his body. I wrap my legs around him, slightly awkward in my miniskirt, and he starts to move us across the house.
Suddenly we’re in his room, and he has me on my back, lying on his bed.
“We better get started, baby,” Landon says with determination. “You first.”
He kneels to the ground, pushing my skirt up to my hips.
