Page 21 of Touchdown
By the time we pulled up in front of my apartment again, that warmth had built into something electric.
When we reached my apartment door, I turned to say good night, and the look in his eyes stole my breath. He reached out, catching my wrist as I started to fish for my keys. “Not yet.”
Then he closed the gap between us until his body brushed mine, his cedar and spice scent wrapping around me. His hand slid to the back of my neck, fingers tangling in my hair as he crowded me against the doorframe and devoured my mouth.
The kiss was deep, hungry, and impossible to resist. My fingers fisted the ends of his scarf as his tongue brushed against mine, scattering my senses.
When he finally pulled back, his lips hovered over mine, and his breath was warm. “Get inside, sunshine. I’m not gonna do something you’re not ready for, no matter how tempting you are.”
I was still dazed when he swatted my ass lightly and stepped back with a satisfied smirk.
My laugh came out shaky, but my grin didn’t fade as I fumbled for my keys.
If he only knew how ready I was.
10
SAXON
The weight room at the Long Island facility always smelled like the ghost of yesterday’s sweat had baked into the racks. Music thumped from a speaker Brady had turned on while the HVAC pushed out air cold enough to keep us working hard.
Micah was already prowling a lane on the turf with a resistance band looped over his shoulders, driving his knees high like he meant to hurt the ground. Raiden stretched his hips against a bench and grimaced, giving away that he was still feeling his injury from the Super Bowl.
Sylas rolled a lacrosse ball under his arch with a grunt of pain, and Brady was taping his wrist and checking the clock even though no one was timing anything. Probably watching to make sure he left in time to help his wife put their six-month-old to bed.
Ames lumbered in a few minutes late, carrying a gallon of water and a look that said he planned to hate every second of his workout but would do it anyway. Even though it technically wasn’t required since preseason workouts hadn’t begun. A few other guys lingered around the weights or sweated on thecardio equipment. Our dedication to the game was why we were champions.
I warmed up with bar work—empty steel sliding smooth in my hands, my muscles waking up one groove at a time. We usually didn’t set up workouts for the evening, but I’d cajoled the guys into it so I'd have something to do until it was time to pick up Ivy.
The bar caught the light when I popped it to a front rack and sank into a power clean, my elbows high and feet steady on the platform. Second set, then third, plates added, my breath tight, drive through. I felt the week in my legs—the extra miles and the weariness from restless nights. Since the first time I kissed Ivy, I hadn’t been able to sleep the night through without being woken up from dreams that left me hard and aching.
My phone buzzed on the top of my gym bag. One glance at the name on the screen, and heat moved through my chest that had nothing to do with the workout.
Ivy
Missy tried to ban me from men named “Ethan” and “Todd” because apparently they’re statistically more likely to ask for perms. This is not peer-reviewed.
I didn’t mean to smile, but my mouth cracked into an unfamiliar curve without any effort. I thumbed a reply between sets, my forearms tight and lungs still working.
Me
Tell her I’m starting a petition to ban dudes who say “chop a little off” and then measure the clippings. ?
Another buzz made the corners of my eyes crinkle as I set the bar again.
Ivy
Oh, I already threw a man out of my chair for saying “surprise me.” He looked… surprised.
A huff of a laugh slipped out. I tucked the phone back and loaded the bar again because the plates weren’t going to move themselves.
“Am I hallucinating?" Brady asked from a bench behind me, his voice dry. “Did I just hear Sax laugh?”
Micah looked up like a hunting dog catching a scent and smirked. “Swear to fuck I saw teeth.”
I ignored them and racked the weight.
Sylas was grinning at me like he’d just discovered a new species.
