All In (The Kings of Kroydon Hills Book 1)

by Bella Matthews

  That was like what I would imagine an out of body experience would be like.

  Brady is kissing my neck again while I lay there like a limp noodle. He kisses my breasts, then down my stomach. Gripping the edge of my panties, he’s kissing under the waistband. “Brady?”

  He looks up at me.

  “What are you doing?”

  He kisses my hip bone. Then looks up again. “Lie back and relax, Sweetheart. I need to taste you. And, this time, I want my name on those lips when you come, Nattie.” He kisses my other hip bone. Then the inside flesh of my thigh. Then…

  Oh, wow then.

  Oh, my God.

  Wow.

  He licks a line up to my clit then circles it with his tongue.

  Then this man feasts on me. It’s like nothing I’ve ever experienced. My mother gave me my first vibrator when I turned fifteen. Something about wanting to make sure I knew that I didn’t need a man for anything. But dear lord, nothing has ever felt as good as Brady’s mouth on my pussy.

  He adds a finger. Then two. And holy shit. I can barely form a coherent thought.

  I had no idea that I could come more than once, or that it could happen that quickly.

  “Oh, my God. Brady. Brady, I’m gonna come.” This time his name leaves my lips like a prayer.

  With the smuggest, most handsome, utterly satisfied smile I have ever seen, Brady kisses his way back up my body and curls me against him until I am the little spoon. He kisses my hair and wraps his arms around me.

  “But what about you?” My eyes are already growing heavy.

  “Tonight, wasn’t about me, Natalie.” He kisses me again, and I can taste myself on his lip, tart and tangy and utterly sexy. “Relax, Sweetheart. I’ve got you.”

  Those are the last words I hear.

  I have no idea what time it is when I wake up to pee in the middle of the night. Brady is still in bed with me. At some point in the night, he lost his jeans and is tucked in next to me in just black boxer briefs. I take a minute to soak in the sight of this boy who is entirely man. Padding as quietly as I can, I sneak into the bathroom and clean myself up, taking a minute to brush the rats nest out of my hair that’s a byproduct of falling asleep while it was still soaking wet.

  Here’s hoping it helps, and when we both wake up in a few hours, I don’t look awful. When I changed out of my wet clothes earlier, I hung Brady’s jersey on the back of the bathroom door. It’s dry now, so I slip it over my head and go back to the bed.

  Brady hasn’t moved a muscle, so I try to slip back under his arms. He wakes up just the slightest bit. Muttering, “Come here, baby,” he lifts his arms, and I slide back into him.

  This time I lay with my head on his chest, wrapped in his arms. I kiss his chest once, and he groans and holds me tighter.

  It takes me longer to get back to sleep because I keep replaying the moments of the night over in my mind.

  The kiss in the parking lot.

  Landon calling me Brady’s girlfriend.

  Everything that happened in my room tonight.

  Holy hotness, everything that happened in my room tonight. Thoughts play out in my head like an old home movie, and I fall back to sleep, smiling at my images.

  Waking up the next morning, I realize two things: I am still tucked in Brady’s arms, and I smell coffee. I slowly open up my eyes, and Brady is awake, smiling down at me. “Morning, Sweetheart.” His tan skin glows against my white blankets.

  “Mmm. Good morning, handsome. How long have you been awake?”

  “A little bit. I heard people moving around downstairs. Then smelled the coffee, and, I think, bacon. Guessing Murphy spent the night and is making breakfast.”

  “What time is it”

  “I don’t know. My phone is in my jeans, on the floor. I didn’t want to move you so that I could reach it.”

  “You could have moved me. I wouldn’t have minded.”

  I stretch out and move to stand up, but Brady tightens his hold. “Just lie here for another minute. You were honest with me last night, and I need to be honest with you now.”

  “Well, that sounds ominous.”

  “No, not at all. I just want to make sure that we are on the same page. I’m a hundred percent in this, Nat. I want you to be mine, and I want to be yours—no one else. I’ve never done the whole relationship thing before and have no idea what I’m doing. Be patient with me. I promise not to lie to you, and I’ll never do anything to hurt you. But if something is happening and you don’t like it, please come talk to me. I don’t want to fuck this up.”

  “This is new for me too. But I like the way that sounds. I’m already yours. I think I have been since the night we met.” Leaning back into him, I rest my head on his strong shoulder and look up at his eyes. They look golden in the hazy morning light. “Out of curiosity, does that give me permission to shove Aria’s pom-poms down her throat?”

  “Ignore her. She’s nothing. She will never be you, and it’s killing her.” He kisses my lips, and I pull away, not wanting him to smell my morning breath.

  “Let me go brush my teeth, and then we can go downstairs.” I swing my legs over the edge of the bed but hear the rustle of the sheets a moment before a muscular arm goes around my waist.

  Then his lips go to the back of my neck. “Did I tell you what seeing you in this jersey did to me last night?” He moves my hair over one shoulder and kisses me again.

  “I think you got the point across to everyone in the parking lot.”

  “Just in case you weren’t sure, I fucking love it.”

  I pull away and stand up, turning to face him. “Mission accomplished then. I’ll be right out. Why don’t you head down first, so we ease my brother into this?”

  I hear his laughter behind me as I shut the door.

  31

  Brady

  Grabbing my jeans off the floor, and my shirt off the foot of the bed, I throw them on and head downstairs. I’ve spent plenty of nights in this house since I met Cooper Sinclair, but this is the first time I’ve slept in a bed with his sister.

  Permission or not, I’m thinking he isn’t going to be thrilled with me this morning.

  Walking into the kitchen, I see my friends sitting at the island, nursing coffees and hangovers while Murphy flips pancakes and pulls a pan of bacon out of the oven. Before Murphy says anything at all, I know that I am not going to like what is about to come out of his mouth. It’s the shit-eating grin on his face that gives it away.

  “Look who’s decided to join the rest of us. Too busy getting busy last night to get much sleep, QB?”

  “Boundaries. Get some man.” Walking over to the coffee pot, I grab two mugs and start to pour.

  “Aww. Come on, QB. Since when do you not share?”

  An apple goes flying across the kitchen and hits Murphy in the back of the head. “Since the room he slept in last night was my sister’s, shit head.”

  Of course, this is when Natalie walks into the kitchen.

  I can’t help that I am a little disappointed she changed out of my jersey.

  “Don’t be a grouch, Cooper. It’s not nice to hit your friends with fruit.” She sits down on the stool next to Bash.

  Murphy smiles like he just got away with something, and Cooper starts grumbling.

  I walk over, handing her a cup of coffee, and sit down next to her.

  Bash looks at me. “What’s everyone doing today?”

  Nat answers first. “I told Annabelle that I’d stop by the studio this afternoon for a little bit.”

  Cooper raises his head. “To dance or teach?”

  “Maybe a little of both. I had only planned on helping with the one class this fall, but Annabelle and I get along, and she could use more help. It’s only her at the studio, and she takes care of her younger brother too, so any help I can give her seems like a good thing.”

  “Oh, yeah. A brother, huh? Should I be jealous?” I want her to think I’m teasing, but I’m not sure if I am.

&nbs
p; “Your ego can safely stay intact, QB. Tommy is nine years old and has autism. Annabelle’s parents died last year. She has no other family and didn’t want to move Tommy out of his school, so she left the ballet company she was dancing with in New York and came home to take care of him. She opened Hart & Soul in the spring and has been doing it all on her own since.

  “I like helping her. It lets me still have my toes in dance but on my terms. Bonus points for getting Dad off my back, too.”

  “Breakfast is ready, guys.” Murphy pushes the plates stacked high with pancakes and bacon toward us all.

  Cooper grabs a pancake and folds it in half, before putting the whole thing in his mouth. “Nat, are you going to be home for Declan’s game today? It’s on at four.”

  “Jesus, Coop. Try chewing with your mouth closed.” Walking over to the pantry, she grabs syrup then sits back down. “I doubt I’ll be home for the game today, but I’ll make sure I’m here for tomorrow’s game. One, right?”

  Cooper makes a point of swallowing and takes a drink of orange juice before answering. “Yeah. One tomorrow. You guys coming over for the game?”

  Murphy agrees right away, but Bash is quiet. “I can’t tomorrow. My cousin’s kid is being Christened. It’ll be an all-day thing.”

  “Are there going to be any single ladies there? Cooper and I could go as your wingmen.” As usual, Murphy is laughing at his joke.

  Cooper shakes his head. “Speak for yourself, Murph. I’ll be watching the game. You’re on your own, Bash.”

  Nattie is laughing at Murphy. “Murphy, didn’t I see you hooking up with a blonde cheerleader last night? How bad is your ADD?”

  “I can’t help that the ladies love me. Who am I to deprive them of all of this?”

  We all groan, and another apple flies across the room.

  We’re all cleaning up from the party when grab Nat’s arm and pull her into the laundry room, shutting the door behind us. She is giggling uncontrollably.

  “Shh… I don’t want your brother walking in here.”

  Grabbing her face with both hands, I kiss her.

  Nat melts against me.

  I box her in against the wall and just enjoy kissing her. Tongues tangling. Sweet sighs are coming from my girl. Before I know it, I am hard as steel and need to pull back before we take this further than I want to, surrounded by dirty clothes.

  “Do you know what time you’ll be back from the studio? What time can I pick you up for our date tonight?”

  “It doesn’t matter to me. I should be back around five, I guess. Where are we going? What should I wear?”

  “That’s up to you. Do you want to do a fancy dinner, movies, something low key, maybe outside?”

  “Low key and outside sounds perfect.” She leans up on her toes, put her arms around my neck, and kisses me again.

  One kiss quickly turns back into her ass in my hands and legs wrapped around my waist.

  That is until Cooper walks in looking for extra trash bags.

  Nat grabs the box off the shelf above her head and hands them to her brother, who has his eyes shut tight.

  He takes them and walks away, mumbling something that sounds like, “Get a fucking room.”

  The two of us just laugh.

  “Tonight Nat. I’ll pick you up at seven. Sound good, Sweetheart?”

  She nods her head, kicks the door shut, and kisses me again.

  32

  Natalie

  I walk into the studio’s empty waiting room that afternoon and see a young man behind the front desk with dinosaur headphones on, watching something on an iPad that is making him laugh. Loudly. He’s a cute kid, with the same dirty blonde hair as Annabelle and the same striking green eyes. He’s a few inches shorter than me and has chubby cheeks with two dimples that pop when he smiles, which, judging by the few moments I’ve been standing here, is often.

  I can hear Sam Smith’s “Stay With Me” playing throughout the studio. Looking around, I see Annabelle dancing in the studio to my right. She is amazing.

  I’m good.

  Some said that I could have been great, but I don’t know that I ever looked as natural as she does when she dances. It gives me chills. I get lost in time watching her as she gracefully glides across the floor lost in the music, only to get pulled back to reality when I get tapped on my shoulder.

  “Who are you?” The boy that I am assuming is Annabelle’s brother, Tommy, has his headphones hanging around his neck and his blue iPad tucked under his arm. There is a giant dinosaur on his shirt. His smile is crooked and devilish, and he’s looking past me instead of at me.

  “Well, hello. I’m Natalie. What’s your name?”

  “I’m Tommy David Hart. Why are you here?”

  “I’m supposed to help your sister Annabelle, but I don’t want to interrupt her until her dance is over.”

  “Annabelle tells me I can interrupt her whenever I need to.”

  “I’m sure you can, but I don’t need to, not yet. We can let her finish her dance first. What were you watching on your iPad, Tommy?”

  “The Kings. They were interviewing the new coach and the backup quarterback that’s going to start for the game tomorrow. His name is Jeff Jones. He only played in one game last year and threw for one touchdown and two interceptions while he was in. I don’t like him. I don’t think he is going to win the game tomorrow.”

  Football seems to follow me everywhere I go lately. Tommy must have no idea how I’m related to this team. “Oh, yeah? Do you like the Kings?”

  Tommy reminds me of when we were little, and my grandfather would say we had ants in our pants. He can’t stand still as he is standing here talking to me. “I love the Kings. They are my favorite team. My dad and I watched their games every single Sunday, unless it was Monday night. Then we would watch it on Monday. We never missed a game. Annabelle hates football. She’ll sit in the room while I watch the game, but she paints her nails instead of paying attention. It smells. Do you know that our starting quarterback is out for the season? Matthew Bennett tore his ACL last week, and the reporters are saying he is out for the season. Our new coach is in trouble. Jones isn’t as good as Bennett.”

  “Yeah, he’s been stressing out about that all week.” I don’t even think about it before I answer him.

  “Coach Sinclair says the team is still solid, but he never said he was stressed. Not on any of the interviews he’s done. I’ve watched them all.”

  “Can I tell you a secret, Tommy?”

  “Yup. I’m a good secret keeper.”

  “Coach Sinclair is my dad. That’s how I know he’s been stressed.”

  “Oh, wow. Coach Sinclair is your dad. I bet you don’t paint your nails during football games.”

  “Nope. Never. I usually watch them with at least one of my brothers.”

  “How many brothers do you have?”

  “I have two brothers.”

  “I don’t have any brothers, only Annabelle. She’s the best, but I wish I had a brother that would watch football with me.”

  “Well, maybe I can share my brother with you.”

  I turn around to see Annabelle coming toward me. “I see you’ve met Tommy.” Then making eye contact with Tommy, she says, “Tommy, did you say hello to Natalie?”

  Tommy plays with his headphones for a minute. “I didn’t say hello, but I did tell her my name. She likes football more than you. I’m going to her house to watch the Kings game with Natalie’s brothers tomorrow so you can paint your nails.”

  “Tommy, you can’t invite yourself to someone else’s house. It’s not nice.” Face turning red, Annabelle looks mortified. “I’m sorry, Natalie. I hope he wasn’t bothering you about football. He loves it. Always has. He might know everyone’s stats better than your dad even does.” She smiles, but she looks exhausted.

  “You know, Annabelle, my brother and I are having a few friends over tomorrow to watch the game. You could bring Tommy.”

  “That’s so nice of you to offer,
but we couldn’t.”

  “Yes, we could.” Tommy’s smile is enormous. “The game starts at one, so we have to be there by twelve to make sure we don’t miss any of the pregame. Do you know how to make pizza? Cause my mom always made homemade pizzas for the games. She would let me put the pepperoni on. Annabelle tries, but it’s not the same.”

  I think my heart is breaking for this kid whose entire world changed. “You know, I am not a very good cook, but I have a friend that loves to cook. He is a football player with my brother, and he’s a great cook.” I interrupt Annabelle before she can protest again. “Come over at noon. Please, it will be fun. Really. You’re not that much older than us. My brother and his friends will be there and will be able to talk football with Tommy the entire game.”

  “Are you sure? I don’t want to impose.”

  “I’m positive. It’ll be fun.”

  A few hours later, I’m surprised to find Cooper sitting on the couch by himself, watching the Notre Dame game with a big bowl of popcorn. “How is Declan doing?”

  Cooper glances over his shoulder at me before bringing his eyes back to the game. “Hey. He’s kicking ass like Sinclairs do.” Leaning on the couch behind Coop, I hang around and watch a few minutes of the game. He holds the bowl of buttery goodness up for me, and I grab a handful of popcorn.

  “What are your plans for the night, Coop?”

  “I told Tiff that I would go with her to some party. What are you doing?”

  “Brady’s picking me soon. I have to go get ready.”

  “Yeah. Is he going to be having breakfast with us again tomorrow morning, Nattie?”

  “I don’t know, smart ass. I don’t even know what I’m wearing tonight. Why? Is it a problem if he does?”

  “Nah. He’s a good guy. I trust him. Just be careful, okay?” He glances at me quickly. “It would suck if I had to kick my quarterback’s ass.”

  “Gotcha. Listen, I invited Annabelle and her brother Tommy over to watch the game with us tomorrow. Tommy told me how much he loves the Kings, he used to watch all of the games with his dad. My heart broke for him. Annabelle really could care less about football, so I thought maybe you guys could be nice to him. Give him some guys to watch the game with. Do you care?”