Page 83 of Tempting the Player
“So...” Brogan starts, eyeing me in a way that makes me already dread the next words. “Jane and Cam Payton looked cozy tonight.”
“I don’t see it.” Archer scoffs. “Jane could do way better.”
Brogan shrugs. “Girls dig him though. He’s hooked up with at least half the female population of Valley U.”
I take another long drink instead of adding my thoughts on the situation, but Arch shoots his beer cap between his thumb and ring finger at me. It hits me in the center of my chest. When I meet his gaze, he lifts one brow. “Are you gonna do something about it?”
“I had Logan look into him. He’s an idiot, but he’s not a threat.”
Brogan and Archer share a look, then the latter says, “That’s it?”
“It’s not any of my business who she hooks up with or dates.” Not my business, but it still makes my skin crawl.
They let it drop at that, and the three of us make small talk while we finish our beers. After they go to bed, I sit in the living room a few minutes longer trying to decide what to do.
I should sleep on the couch like I’ve done the past few nights. That’s the smart thing, no question.
My thumb taps against the side of the empty bottle in my hand. Fuck it. It isn’t like I’m going to be able to sleep anyway. Might as well lie awake in there if that makes her feel safer.
I stalk quietly into the room with that indifferent attitude, but all it takes is seeing Jane curled up, hugging one of the pillows to her chest, for all that indifference to turn to longing.
I want to be near her, and she wants to not be alone. For tonight, we can both have what we want.
I change into sweats and get into bed on the other side of the pillow wall she erected. They’re on top of the comforter, so once I’m underneath they aren’t really doing anything to keep us apart. Still, I stay well on my side.
Jane turns toward me and flings an arm out until she feels me, then pulls back like she was just checking if I was next to her.
“I’m here,” I say softly. “Go back to sleep.”
“Okay.” A second later, she’s tossing both pillows between us onto the floor and then scooting closer to me.
My body stills as she cuddles up next to me. She lodges herself so close that her boobs sandwich my bicep, and her silky panties rub against my hip.
“What are...” I don’t get the question out before her hand begins to stroke along my stomach. Her long fingernails lightly glide up and then back down, sending heat racing through my body.
“Jane?” My voice is low and husky, and drowned out by the little moan that escapes her lips as she wriggles herself half on top of me.
I don’t move a muscle. I don’t even breathe.
“I want to kiss you again. It’s all I’ve thought about since it happened.”
She lays on me, fitting so perfectly in all the right places. My dick doesn’t have the same good intentions that I do. I’m hard so fast I don’t even have time to fight off my body’s reaction.
“Do you want to kiss me again?” she asks, staring at me with those big green eyes.
“We can’t,” I say, finally finding my voice. I move my hands to her hips to lift her off me, but for some reason I don’t do that. My palms rest against her smooth skin. “You’re drunk. You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“I know what I’m saying. I just asked if you wanted to kiss me. And then I said I know what I’m saying.” She flashes a sexy drunk smile at me. “So, do you? If not, I’ll scoot back over and go to sleep, but I think maybe you want to kiss me as much as I want to kiss you.”
“It doesn’t matter what I want.” I find the strength to move her back to the bed next to me and sit up.
She mirrors me, sitting up and facing me. “You really believe that, don’t you? How come everyone else gets what they want, except you?”
I swallow thickly. “What I want and what’s best are rarely in sync.”
She climbs into my lap. This time I don’t stop her and I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because she hit on something I’ve thought about a lot. What the hell do I want? I’m not even sure I know anymore. I’ve spent the better part of my adult life making decisions that I thought were best for my brothers, but now that I’m back I’m not sure if they were or not.
“In this case I think you’re wrong.” She shifts so her core grinds against my hard length. Lust shoots up my spine.
