Page 30 of Player Misconduct
She glances over, brows furrowing. “You don’t even know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
“Exactly.”
Her sigh is soft but heavy. “You meant it as a joke.”
“The truth might not be convenient, considering our career choices but I’ve never tried to hide my interest in you. Everyone on the team knows.”
That stops her.
She looks down at her hand, the ring of tape still clinging to her skin, inked with those small Finnish lines.
When she finally speaks, her voice is barely above a whisper. “You asked about regrets earlier. There’s one more I didn’t say.”
“If it’s something we can knock out before morning, let me know.” I say softly. It’s meant to be a joke, to make her smile again.
But when I glance back, she’s looking at me like she’s made a decision that has nothing to do with logic.
The card light flashes green, and I push the door open halfway before I feel her hand on my arm, stopping me cold.
Something flickers behind her eyes. Fear, hope, maybe both. She swallows hard. “Then there’s one regret I don’t want to die with.”
I freeze. “What’s that?”
She steps closer, the air between us tightening. “I don’t want to die not knowing what it’s like to be with you.”
For a moment, everything stops—the hum of the hallway lights, the muffled laughter echoing from the hot tub where we left everyone, even the sound of my own heartbeat.
“You’re sure?” I manage. My voice sounds rough. Maybe it’s from the dry desert… maybe from her.
“One night,” she whispers. “And we don’t tell a soul. Both of our careers depend on it. But if we die tomorrow… then it doesn’t matter.”
“One night,” I echo.
She nods once, as if sealing a pact.
Then she rises on her toes and kisses me.
It’s not careful or tentative. It’s raw, sudden, and honest. Her mouth is soft but demanding, like she’s been holding this in for too long. I drop the key card, my hand finding her jaw. I can’t stop myself from wanting my hands all over it. I’ve fantasized about this moment. How she feels… how she tastes, and it’s all infinitely better than I ever imagined.
I slide my hand around her waist and pull her against me.
She moans back in agreement, her arms looping around the back of my neck pulling me closer to her mouth.
Her towel slips. Warm, damp skin meets mine, and every rational thought I’ve ever had burns away in an instant. Not that I’ve ever had a rational thought when it comes to her.
I push the door open the rest of the way and back her inside, kicking it shut behind us. The click of the lock sounds final, like the world outside no longer exists.
The room smells faintly of chlorine and cheap soap. The only light comes from the bathroom, flooding in, soft and inviting, spilling across the carpet.
She’s still kissing me and I can’t stop answering her. My fingers find the curve of her spine, tracing water droplets down her back. She arches into the touch, and it’s everything I’ve ever wanted from her. Just to feel her reaction to my touch.
Kendall tastes like cheap beer and adrenaline. Like something I shouldn’t want this much.
When I finally pull back, both of us are breathing hard. Her eyes search mine, uncertain. “Is this wrong—”
“Nothing about being with you could ever be wrong,” I say softly, brushing my thumb over her bottom lip. “And you don’t seem to want to stop either.”
She lets out a shaky breath, the tiniest hint of a smile tugging at her mouth.
