Page 66 of The Girlfriend Game
Kendall grins widely, coughing out a laugh before leaning over the console and squeezing my bicep. “And I couldn’t have asked for a better man. Well, maybe one who’s a bit humbler might be good.”
I grumble and roll my eyes. “I don’t know about that. I’m still a mess, with everything I’ve gone through this past year with my depression. Some days, I can barely take care of myself, much less three rowdy young rookies who just want to party and get laid. At least, that’s what I wanted to do when I was their age.”
“Oh, really? You weren’t always this mature and wise?”
I laugh because I know she’s joking. Leaning over the console, I reach underneath her skirt and slip my hand along the inside of her thigh. She coyly slaps at my wrist, but spreads her legs a little wider, granting me access.
“I’ve never copped to being mature, but I’ve always been horny. And right now, I want to get you home to show you how horny you got me today.”
After two rounds,one in the front seat of my car in my parking garage, and the other in my bed, we’re both worn out and breathing heavily as Kendall crooks an elbow and folds an arm across my chest, her cheek pressed against my pec. I have an arm secured around her back and I bask in the moment, wondering if it will always be like this for us. This perfect bliss.
I never knew that love involves such complexity and range of emotions. When Kendall is in my arms, I feel longing and lust. Hope and joy. Peace and security. The physical elements we share smolder and ignite with even the simplest of touches. The heat of our sexual currency could burn down the city.
But just as bold and relevant is the tenderness that exists between us. The moments like this where I feel this complete serenity wash over me. And I know…I know…it’s what I want for the rest of my life.
“Hey, you awake?” I ask, strumming the smooth skin along her side with my thumb.
“Mmm, no.”
I kiss the top of her head, inhaling the generous scent of lemon and orange blossom from her shampoo, and chuckle.
“I love this with you,” I say quietly, the weight of the words thick in my throat. I shift so I can see her face. I curl my palm around her jaw for our eyes to meet in the shadowy darkness of the room. “I love you, Kendall.”
“Zeke…I…” She hesitates, her eyes darting away to avoid my gaze and I feel a tightness in my chest.
“Shh…you don’t have to say it back. It’s okay. I just wanted you to know.”
But then she smiles, almost timidly, when she finishes her statement. “I love you too.”
Everything inside me explodes like a Mardi Gras parade down Bourbon Street. Loud clanging cymbals of my heart joyously shouting over the love she reciprocates. I told myself it didn’t matter if she didn’t love me back. I would be okay with that.
But the elation inside my heart is too much to contain.
I roll her over, kissing her everywhere in my mouth’s path. The soft lilt of her laughter and the jiggle of her breasts underneath me gets me hard again as I pepper her body with kisses.
Kendall skates her fingers through my hair, holding my face in her grasp. Our eyes find one another’s, and she stares at me, the connection worming all the way through to my soul.
“Zeke, we need to be realistic about what’s going on here.”
My body stiffens at the foreboding tone that registers a warning inside me.
“I’m not naïve enough to believe this will be easy once you’re out on the road. The time we’ve spent together this summer has been incredible, but we’ve lived inside a bubble that won’t be in place in a few weeks.”
I roll over on my back with a thump, my head dropping against the mattress before I scoot to sit with my back against the headboard. Kendall follows suit, tugging the sheet along with her.
I heave a knowing sigh. “Yeah, I know. But look at how well Carver and Logan do it. And I know plenty of guys in the league who make it work with their girlfriends.”
She turns her chin and gives me a watery smile. “I’m not saying it’s impossible. I’m just being realistic. What we’ve had together has been fun and uncomplicated. That will change soon, and we’ll have to invest our time differently, is all I’m saying.”
I nod, a little sad by the downturn our evening is taking. But I get it. Kendall’s right. We’ve been enjoying each other’s company for months without the interruptions or breaks in our schedule. I mean, fuck. For the past month alone, I’ve been practically living at her place. We’ve shared a bed together every night. Tonight is the first time we’ve been at my place in weeks.
I hold her hand in mine, her knuckles brushing against my thigh as I trace the soft lines of her palm.
“If you’re worried that I won’t be faithful, I promise you…”
“No, that’s not what I’m worried about,” she says emphatically, tugging the short beard covering my chin with her fingers. “I trust you implicitly, Zeke. And I hope that feeling is mutual.”
I frown. “Of course. That’s not even a question. Then what is your reservation over making this work? If we’re both committed, what’s the concern?”
