by Nana Malone
“It is not nice to meet him,” shouted Gramps. Over the years, their grandfather had gotten more and more controlling and conniving. But there had never been anything like this. This was a real scandal.
“So, Dad,” Gage turned his attention to his father. “You're okay, then?”
“Yes. But, it appears I have a sister. And I'd like to meet her. Your grandfather is being stubborn about that.”
Relief washed through Gage. And with it, all the adrenaline fled and he swayed a little. Holy hell, he needed to lie down. “I'm sorry. I thought…Dad—”
His father shook his head. “If anything, your mother would call you. We wouldn't have Gramps do that honor.”
He turned his attention to Dax. “Great. I was just scared to death for no good reason. But Jesus, I need a drink.”
“So, not an emergency then?”
Gage leaned back against his pillows and adjusted the laptop screen. “No. Family drama. But not urgent.”
Becker was likewise seated in bed, and was wearing a lacy camisole pajama top that clung to her breasts. His brain helpfully offered up the memory of the way she moaned when he sucked her nipples.
The pale pink against the darker tones of her skin had him wanting to peel off the satin. He swallowed hard, more than a little aware of the heat pooling in his dick. Thank heavens she couldn't see anything going on below his chest.
“You're sure everything is okay?”
He nodded. “Yeah I was freaked out when I got the SOS, but it wasn't about Dad. It was about this whole scandal thing. With my cousin, I guess. Fox brought him here. It was just getting ugly.”
“Wow, I'm sorry. I thought my family dynamics were screwed up.”
“Your dad is tame compared to Gramps. How about you? How are you holding up? Your dad wasn't pissed we left the party, was he?”
“Nope. I doubt he even knew I left. Daniel, of course, texted to find out where I was, but I ignored him.”
He didn't want to talk about Daniel. Mostly because he didn't like the shadow that crossed over her face at the sound of the guy's name. He wanted to talk about other things. Like what had happened after the game. Like what had happened in her room. “Good. I have to say, it's weird to be home. I feel like such a guest in my old bedroom. It's still mine, but it's not the same as it was,” he said.
“Are your brothers and everyone staying in their old rooms while you're all there? Must be weird with all their girlfriends there, all those extra people?”
“And only the two shared bathrooms for the kids in the house? Yeah, it's feeling a bit crowded. Though Echo and Cole just went home to their place. Tami and Bryce, too. But still. Even with the remaining three of us, and then Ransom, it's crazy.”
“Wait, who's Ransom?”
He sighed. “It's a long story. I'll tell you all about it when I get back. But he's the reason I was summoned home.” Gage ran a hand down his face. “Not at all the path I want to go down tonight.”
“Okay, then.” She leaned forward, shifting her position and giving him an excellent view of her cleavage. “What do you want to talk about, instead?”
That was easy. “The sounds you make when I suck on you.”
The look on her face was priceless. Her eyes went wide, her mouth hung open, and she twitched a little, as she tried to form words. “Gage, you cannot say that to me.”
He smirked. “Why not? It's true. I like the way you say my name when you're turned on.”
She flushed. The thin strap on her camisole had slipped from her shoulder so that she had to slide it back up and into place, arching towards her laptop—and its camera—in the process. Gage got a delicious view down the front of her top for just a moment. “Gage—”
He ignored her. He wasn't going to let her go back. He wanted her. But more than that, he liked her. He wanted them to try. “Becks, I'm sorry we got interrupted. Things got a little…” he let his voice trail.
She sighed. “Yeah, they did. There's just so much gray area, and it's confusing when I'm with you.”
He bit back the frustration. “Becks, I know that it's a gray area, but just tell me this. Do you like me? Because I get the impression that you do.” He held his breath. Maybe he was wrong. What if he was wrong?
“I do like you.” Her voice was soft when she spoke.
“And I like you. So I was thinking, when I get back, how about we go on a real date? Not one for show or anything. One that we go on because we like each other. One that we don't freak out on. One that doesn't get freaking interrupted. How does that sound?”
Her smile was slow, but it warmed him from the inside out. “Yeah, okay. I think we can do that.”
“Good. I'm gonna go to bed and try not to think about how you've been teasing me with that camisole all night.”
“I have not,” she said, laughing.
“Becks, I can practically see your nipples. You've been driving me nuts for half an hour now.”
She immediately covered herself with the sheet. “Why didn't you say something?”
“What? And miss the show?”
Gage could just about envision her straddling his lap right then and there. He began to fidget, as the weight and heat of the computer on his stiffening cock made balancing the device on his lap tricky.
“Talk to you tomorrow?”
“You bet.” He glanced to his lap, where his cock was pressing prominently against the loose flannel of his pajama bottoms.
He hung up with her and lay back against the pillows. Fuck, he really liked her. Like a lot. When he got back, they'd definitely pick up where they'd left off. His dick throbbed.
He glanced to the door to double-check that he had locked it when he came in, then slid his bottoms down to his knees and began to stroke his cock. It wasn't against the rules to get himself off.
And he couldn't get the image of Becker with the straps of her camisole sliding off her cinnamon-dusted shoulders out of his head… The lace that trimmed the edges of that loose, silky top clinging for a moment to her pert nipples, before falling and revealing her full, dusky breasts… The slide of the silk against one of his palms, as he clutched her waist and used his other hand to glide his cock along the velvety crease between her legs…
He tightened his grip and moved slower, savoring the vision of Becker he'd conjured. He wanted her here, rocking against him. His brain recalled the low moan at the back of her throat when he slid his hands into her hair and tugged gently. How far would they have gone if he hadn't gotten that phone call?
Would she have let him touch her? Would she have let him put his mouth on her? Would she have put her mouth on him?
Oh, shit. The shudder of climax ran through him, and a sheen of sweat covered his body. Holy hell. He had it bad.
The next morning, Dax and Asha announced their engagement. Gage offered his congratulations to the happy couple before slipping away to text the news to Becker and get a little space from the overwhelming and noisy impromptu party that had erupted. How was it she'd become his automatic call? Because you're pussy-whipped. Not true, because he hadn't even had it yet. It didn't matter. Talking to her made him feel good.
Dax found him alone in the kitchen, staring at the phone and waiting for a response from Becker, knowing she was probably busy and didn't have her phone with her.
“So, uh…you okay being away from Becker?” Dax asked casually, opening the fridge to grab the bottle of champagne he'd hidden there, the night before.
“Yeah, I was just, um…” Gage slid his phone back into his pocket. “Letting her know the good news.”
“I liked her. She was cool.” Dax leaned against the counter next to Gage, whose littlest-brother instincts kicked in and told him he should be wary. “So…you talked to her last night, didn't you?”
Gage wasn't sure where this was going. “Uh…yeah…”
His brother laughed. “And did you two enjoy yourselves?”
Shit. Gage swallowed. “Um…what do you mean?”
&nbs
p; “I thought so,” Dax chuckled. “Just so you know, your mattress squeaks…”
Fuck. He flushed. “Okay, okay. I got it.” He slid his gaze to the open kitchen door. “Someone might hear you.”
“Look, phone sex, or whatever you guys were doing with your web cams, is nothing to be ashamed of,” Dax teased.
“You sound like Dad when you talk like this,” Gage groaned. “I think I'm too old for the sex talk. You're about four years too late.”
Dax frowned at Gage. “Four years, huh? I knew having a girlfriend who was a junior would benefit you in high school.” Dax ducked Gage's oncoming fist, and held up his hands. “Please. I'm trying to be…helpful. You and Becca—”
“Becker.” He refrained from mentioning her nickname. He liked that he was the only one who used it.
“Right. Okay, look. I remember what it was like to be away a lot. You're on the basketball team, and you're going to be traveling around a lot for games, and stuff, so…it's good that you guys figure out ways to…cope…with that kind of separation now,” Dax said, with enough sincerity to make Gage straighten up and pay attention. “It's not easy being away from each other like that, but it's part of what you're going to have to deal with, if you want to keep playing basketball, after you graduate.”
“Yeah, I know.” Gage said. Okay, so, he might not be dating Becker for real yet, but he'd take all the advice he was going to get. Three days already felt like too long. “So, are you saying…you and Asha?”
Dax grinned. “Just be careful of things like pictures and video. Fox learned that lesson. Those things can get lost in the Internet pretty easily, so I'd avoid making any kinds of recordings, and if you want to go the photographic route, go old school and print those suckers out. Or better yet, get a polaroid camera. They're retro. Ask Fox, he'll tell you. No digital footprint.”
“I'll keep that in mind,” Gage said, as Dax clapped him on the shoulders.
“There's…something else, isn't there?” Dax guessed.
Gage sighed. “Well…I'm worried about how things are going with Becker…and then, there's everything that's been happening with Dad. I worry about him slipping back, y'know. The last two years have been scary as hell, and I'm not here. I know he's better, but I'm worried. And then, of course, there's school, and the team, and—” He sighed. He didn't mean to blurt it all out like that.
“It's okay,” Dax said. He set the bottle of champagne on the counter, and crossed his arms over his chest. “Look, don't let the pressure cooker get to you. You just focus on the things you can control. You'll make yourself crazy, otherwise. Focus on Becker. She'll anchor you. It helps having someone you can talk to.”
Gage's gut curled. He hated lying to his brother. “It does help to talk to her. I dunno. I feel calmer. Better. I mean with everything with Dad, I want to make him proud.”
“He is proud of you,” Dax said quietly. “We all are. And not because you appear to be perfect, or because you are going to start, or because you are holding everything together, either.”
“I want to be the starting point guard for the team, and I want to do well there, and I want to keep on top of things in my classes, and I want…” He sighed. “It's just…a lot that I want, and I don't feel like I have as much…control over it all.”
“Does Becker help you feel like you have some of that control?”
Gage frowned at his brother.
“You're not going to ever have the control you want,” Dax continued, “there's not enough time to keep everything completely balanced, and something's going to slip from time to time. But if you have someone you can count on, someone who helps to lighten that load, it's easier to pick up again when you do drop something. Someone like Becker can help you feel like you've got everything together, even if you don't, and having the confidence that comes from that…it's probably better than actually being in control would be. If you have it, hold on to it.”
Gage narrowed his gaze slyly at Dax for a moment. “Asha's making you smarter. Definitely a good decision for you to marry her.”
Dax rolled his eyes, and reached behind him to retrieve the bottle of champagne. “Come on. Becker will get back to you when she gets a chance. Now, let's go toast my better half.”
Eighteen
When Becker realized she was counting down the hours to Gage's return, she knew that there could be no more hiding from the truth. She had fallen for him…hard.
She ran for every single chime of her phone. And that night, before he'd left, where had they been headed? Certainly, clothes would have come off. And she hadn't been freaked out in the least. Hell, she'd been ready to tear her hair out, she was so sexually frustrated. She wanted his hands on her. On all of her.
She'd spent the last two months pretending this wasn't happening. She spent hours poking holes in the excuses she made, and each time, fear patched them back up. But finally, they couldn't stand on their own.
So now, she stood outside his dorm like some kind of groupie stalker, because she couldn't wait to see him. She needed help. What the hell was she even doing?
When he finally did show up, he was with a few of his teammates, and didn't notice her standing in the shadow of the overhang, until one of the others elbowed him.
His wide grin startled her. And then he picked her up and twirled her around. When Gage kissed her lightly it threw her off balance, until she heard the whoops of his teammates. One of them even went so far as to call out, “Don't go breaking the rules before the season even starts.”
Gage rolled his eyes and waved the others on, while he swiped his key card and tugged her into the building. Several of his teammates who lived in the same hallway were a few steps behind them. Becker's heart pounded, as each step of the journey to his room wore down her confidence and determination.
“Don’t listen to them. They have what I call asshole syndrome.”
Someone down the hall yelled, “Don't think we won't be able to hear you if you two try getting busy.”
He gestured toward the door. “Case in point.”
Becker let out a nervous laugh. God, he looked good. His hair was still damp from his shower, and he wore sweat pants and a T-shirt. From the outline beneath the front of his sweatpants, it was very likely he'd gone commando. Holy hell. Was she really here to…what? Ask him to have sex with her? Yes. Yes, we are. No. No we are not. The two sides of her warred in her head. “I—that’s not why I’m here.”
His lips tipped up in a smirk. “So you didn't come over here looking to score?”
She flushed deep and couldn't meet his gaze. “Not…entirely.”
Gage pushed himself to standing. “Holy shit, are you serious? Because I have all kinds of ideas on how to make you moan again.”
She had to genuinely laugh at that. “Don't go getting so excited. I—uh, just missed you.”
He gave her his patented cocky smile. “You missed my winning personality?”
“Oh yeah, that's it,” she said, with a roll of her eyes.
Before she could blink, he was kissing her. His lips were firm and desperate against hers, his tongue easing her lips apart, as his arms lifted her from the ground, and pulled her to him. Her own arms were crushed against his chest until he set her on her feet again, and she could take a tight grip of his T-shirt, refusing to let him pull away for a few moments longer, as she ran her tongue over his bottom lip.
“I missed you, too,” he whispered. “I'm headed out for a team builder thing. Wanna come?”
“No. You have things to do. I should probably go,” she said, with a glance to the wall by his bed.
“Dinner tomorrow? I've got practice in the morning, and then I'm planning to work on some stuff myself in the afternoon, but I want to take you out.”
“That sounds great. And don't forget, you need to show me how to work the fancy lens for your phone, so I can film games and stuff for your parents,” she reminded him.
“Awesome.”
Becker reached up and slipped her
arms around Gage's neck, to pull him down for one last kiss. “I should go now. But I'll see you tomorrow night for dinner,” she said quietly against his lips.
“It's a date,” he said.
Becker was nervous as she watched Gage set up his laptop. “Are you sure this is a good idea, Gage? I mean, we just started dating officially.” She looked around as she said that, to make sure no one could hear her. Just to be safe, she pitched her voice a little lower. “Isn't it a little soon?”
Gage only rolled his eyes. “As far as I'm concerned, we've been dating since that night at the pool. You just didn't know it yet.”
Becker loved sitting in on Gage's practices. But this tripped all her anxiety sensors. She had insisted that he teach her the basics of the game, so she would understand what was going on, and could follow conversations. It was actually an interesting, fast-paced game. And Gage was good. Like really damn good. Like dunking-on-Daniel good. She shouldn't take so much glee in that, but well, she was human, and Daniel was a douche.
The guys on the team seemed to enjoy teasing Gage about his persistence and stamina on the court, and about how she was his incentive to consistently and noticeably beat out Daniel. She didn't mind. And truth be told, she didn't mind the wait, either. The two of them hadn't really gotten to pick up where they'd left off before he'd gone home. Matter of fact, they'd slipped into their usual habits. Mostly study, watch him play, and the one dinner they'd grabbed before her evening class on Wednesday.
But Becker had to admit that, deep inside, she wanted to go back to that hot, arousing moment. Even though on top of the desire, she was also terrified. Would he notice that she had zero idea what she was doing? Would she stiffen up? Would that be the end of them? She, for one, was happy to take all the time in the world. The longer it took for them to get back to that point, the more he'd like her and the less likely he'd be pissed. But at the same time, it felt like lying. Because it is. A lie of omission, at least. And, sooner or later, he was going to find out that secret.