Out Of Bounds (Brit Boys Sports Romance Book 3)

by J. H. Croix

  Chapter 23

  Alex

  I stepped out of the shower and quickly dried off. After Harper said she couldn’t make it for our morning run, I’d hopped on my treadmill. I didn’t particularly like running on a treadmill, but I wasn’t up for running alone in the park without Harper. It had become a place associated so strongly with her, going there without her only made my heart ache. I’d meant to insist on talking to her this morning and was gnashing against the bite of frustration when she closed that window of opportunity. I’d stopped by her flat anyway, only to get no answer.

  A shower after a rote run on the treadmill wasn’t exactly invigorating the way a run through the cool morning air with Harper would’ve been. At the sound of a knock, I tied my towel around my waist and strode to the door. My brain was half-conked, so I wasn’t even wondering who it was as I opened the door. Harper stood there with Stanley at her side. My heart set to hammering in my chest, and the longing I’d come to associate solely with her slammed into me. With her, it wasn’t simple physical longing, though I couldn’t be anywhere near her without wanting her fiercely. Rather, it was like having my heart held in her hands while my body spun all of its focus to her.

  Her glossy brown hair was pulled back in a ponytail with loose locks escaping and framing her face. She looked as if she’d gone for a run with a worn gray t-shirt over fitted black leggings. Her blue eyes were bright and her cheeks pink. I couldn’t help it. One look at her and lust lashed me, cracking like a whip inside. I’d like to think I had more control, but when it came to her, I was coming to recognize just how little I had. She looked up at me, her eyes wide, an intensity contained in her gaze.

  “Can I come in?” she finally asked.

  I hadn’t realized I’d been doing nothing other than standing there staring at her.

  “Right. Of course,” I said reflexively, stepping back.

  Stanley had been here enough, he knew where he liked to go. He padded by me after nudging my hand for a greeting and curled up in a little patch of sunshine by the window. Callie eyed him from her perch above on the windowsill, but let him be. I closed the door behind Harper and went to lean my hips against the back of the sofa.

  Harper’s gaze coasted over me, her eyes darkening. I knew the look in her eyes, it was the look she had when she wasn’t trying to keep me out, the look I only saw when we were tangled up and sweaty. My body knew that look quite well. Another crack of the whip inside sent blood shooting straight to my groin. For a split second, I almost shifted to keep it from being blatantly obvious the effect she had on me, but then I didn’t. Fuck it. All I was wearing was a towel, so it was near to impossible to hide the fact my cock was hard. I might not be the chattiest bloke around, but I had nothing to hide from her. No matter what happened, I didn’t care to pretend like I didn’t want her like mad.

  Her eyes traveled back up to mine, darkening further. She stood only a few feet away in front of me. She crossed and uncrossed her arms and took a deep breath, letting it out in a sigh. She seemed, well, stirred up. “I went running anyway, and I missed you. I saw Joe,” she blurted out.

  A bolt of anger hit me. I straightened. “What the fuck?! Did he say anything to you? Dammit, Harper. Why did you go alone? I don’t care if you’re upset with me, at least don’t shut me out like that. He could have…”

  She shook her head sharply and closed the distance between us, her hands sliding down my arms to my hands, which were curled into fists. “He can’t do anything to me out in the open. It’s not too crowded at the park in the morning, but there are always people around. It’s fine. I’m fine.”

  Her tone was soft, but insistent, puncturing the anger clouding my mind. I forced myself to focus on her. Her cheeks had flushed deeper. Having her this damn close wasn’t helping me keep a grip. No matter what my mind was doing, my body was focused like a laser on my primal, driving need for Harper. Getting angry was like pouring gas on the fire. I gritted my teeth and latched onto the frayed thread of my control.

  “Did he say anything to you?”

  She angled her head to the side and nodded. “I think he expected me to go the other way when he realized who I was. I decided not to. Because I’m not going to keep making my life one giant detour around him and what happened. He asked what I was doing there, so I told him I was running.” She laughed softly. “I think it pissed him off I didn’t just cower. Anyway, even better, you know that woman we see there sometimes?”

  “We see more than one woman there. I don’t know who you mean.”

  I managed, just barely, to keep from pounding my fist against, well anything, because I was so fucking furious Joe had been anywhere near Harper. I was trying, I really was, to stay in control here. But I was fighting two competing urges—the urge to storm out of here, find Joe and bash his face in again, and the urge to tear Harper clothes off and bury myself so deeply inside of her, I couldn’t tell where she ended and I began.

  Harper’s lips curled in a small smile at my reply. “You’d know her if you saw her. Anyway, she stopped to check on me and told Joe if he was trying to look like an asshole, he’d achieved it. He told us to fuck off and then left.” At this, Harper burst out laughing.

  I didn’t know how the hell to respond. Still flat out furious at Joe, I stared at Harper, unsure if she was okay or not. Her laugh had a wild edge to it. When she finally caught her breath, she looked over at me, and I realized tears were rolling down her cheeks.

  Bloody hell. I had no fucking idea what the right thing to do here was. I stopped thinking and wrapped her in my arms. Damn. There was nothing more right than having her flush against me. I didn’t know if I was comforting her or not. I certainly didn’t know what she needed. All I knew was I wanted to hold her, so I did. She buried her face in my chest and slipped her arms around my waist. I could feel the pounding of her heart against my skin. I’d like to say I had more control, but my body had a mind of its own when it came to Harper. With her plastered against me, my cock hardened even more, despite my efforts to talk it down.

  After a minute, she lifted her head. I glanced down and collided with her gaze. One of her hands mapped its way up my chest, making it even harder for me to make sense of what to do. “I’m sorry I’ve been…” She paused and worried her bottom lip. Seriously? She needed to stop that post-haste if she expected me to behave in any sensible, gentlemanly manner. “Well, I don’t know what I’ve been, but I think it hasn’t been fair to you. You know what I thought at first?”

  I shook my head because I had no clue…about so many things when it came to her.

  “I thought we could have a fling. I hadn’t had sex in years and I figured you were the perfect guy to get that out of the way. Because, well, because even you have to know you’re pretty hot. And I trusted you, which isn’t something I do very often.” She paused, her cheeks flushing. Another dent of her teeth in her plump bottom lip, and I almost kissed her then, but she kept talking. “Daisy tried to tell me that wasn’t my thing, but I ignored her. Everything in my head got all tangled up. I figured out I was only okay as long as I didn’t care. But I can’t not care about you. When I’m with you, everything feels right, so right it scares the shit out of me.” That dark look was in her eyes again. “I don’t know what I’m trying to say here, just that I’m sorry I tried to push you away, and I missed you. I don’t want to keep missing you,” she said, a flicker of uncertainty in her gaze.

  My heart was pounding so damn hard, it was a miracle I was still managing to breathe. I stared back at her, trying to think of the right thing to say. “You don’t need to be sorry and you don’t need to be scared. I’m not much for talking and that probably didn’t help. I picked up maybe you were after not much more than a few nights with me, but I wanted a lot more, so I ignored it. Maybe I should’ve…”

  She put her finger over my lips. “You don’t have to explain anything. Just answer one question, okay?”

  At my nod, she took a deep breath. This, of course, push
ed her breasts up against me. My cock noticed, oh boy did it notice. I forced my attention to Harper and away from the recollection about what it felt like to sink inside of her. She said she had one question. I could hang on long enough to answer.

  “Did you miss me?”

  I felt ridiculous because I’d seen her every day, but the days between the sparse nights felt like walking for days through the desert without water.

  “Harper, the only time I don’t miss you is when you’re right beside me.”

  My words came out rough, almost harsh sounding. But the feeling behind them was so powerful and so true, that’s all I had.

  A smile flashed across her face. “It’s nice to know I’m not alone,” she whispered.

  Then, she stepped closer and slid that wandering hand of hers down over my cock, the towel between her hand and me feeling rather insubstantial. “We can talk more later, right?” she asked, her voice breathy.

  I didn’t answer. I crushed my lips to hers and forgot everything else. In a tangle of rough, messy kisses, I managed to get her clothes off, groaning when she was finally bare against me, her skin slightly chilled from being outside. I cupped my hand between her thighs and found her hot, slick and ready. She yanked my towel out of the way, just as I lifted her against me. Her legs curled reflexively around my waist as I straightened and started walking with her held high against me.

  With her lips meandering down my neck, her nips and kisses electrifying me, she murmured, “Where are you going?”

  “Bed,” I choked out when she shifted so her wet pussy slid against my cock with every step I took.

  She lifted her head, her eyes colliding with mine. “What for?” she asked, her tongue darting out to lick her lips.

  I doubted she meant to make me lose it, but she nearly did. The only thing that kept me from fucking her senseless standing right there was I didn’t want to rush.

  “Because I’m not stopping until neither one of us can walk.”

  We tumbled together onto my bed. Her legs never uncurled from around me. A subtle adjustment of my hips, and I sank home inside of her. Because that’s what she’d become to me—home.

  Chapter 24

  Harper

  Alex pounded into me—fast and slow, rough and gentle—every stroke sending me higher and higher. Pleasure rolled through me in breakers, the build up to a crashing wave that sent me flying and left me spent and boneless. His body went rigid before he cried out and collapsed against me. With his head tucked into my neck, I could feel his breath gusting against my skin. His weight felt good because it reminded me in every cell of my body that he was there with me.

  He started to pull away, and I hooked a foot around his calf and held him tight. “No. Don’t get up,” I mumbled against his skin.

  His low chuckle rumbled through my body. “Wasn’t going anywhere. Just trying not to crush you.”

  He lifted his head, his warm brown gaze meeting mine. Emotion rocked me and my chest tightened. I had to force myself to keep my eyes open and not shy away. I hadn’t really thought much about what I meant to say when I practically bolted to his apartment from the park. I’d only known I needed to see him and needed to somehow set this right. It didn’t change the fact I felt vulnerable as hell. Before I closed myself up behind walls and doors, I can’t say I’d actually experienced intimacy the way I did with Alex. More like a few comfortable, easy relationships with some chemistry thrown in the mix. With Alex, well the chemistry was so hot, it was like walking through flames, and none of it was easy because he mattered way too much.

  I looked back at him and felt a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. I reached up and sifted my fingers through his rumpled curls. He slid further to my side, just watching me, one corner of his mouth hitching in a grin. After a beat, his smile faded. “You know you don’t have to worry, right?”

  I wasn’t precisely sure where he meant to go, but I trusted him completely, so I nodded.

  He brushed my tangled hair away from my forehead with one hand, propping himself on his elbow. “You worry a lot. At least, I think you do. Of course, I understand why. I wouldn’t tell you not to worry because that’d be a bit bossy of me, but I’m just trying to say you needn’t worry with me.” He paused, his gaze darkening in intensity. “I’m not much for talking, but bloody hell, I got a little lecture from Liam and Ethan about talking to you, so here goes. I didn’t realize it was so important to let you know what was happening with the whole court thing. I figured it would be what it was, and I’d carry on. You were a bit standoffish, so I didn’t want to be pushy and the like.” He swallowed, and my heart squeezed. I could tell this wasn’t his most comfortable way of being, the talking, that is. “I should’ve said something anyway, but I was getting worried myself. You’re it for me, and I wasn’t so sure where I stood with you. I don’t like admitting it, but there you have it. If you hadn’t come here today, I’d have chased you down one way or another, but I’m damn glad you’re here.”

  He leaned back, his eyes coasting over my face. “I suppose I should tell you I love you, eh?”

  By this point, hot tears were pressing against my eyes and I thought my heart might explode right out of my chest. I couldn’t seem to talk, so I buried my face in his neck, breathing him in until the emotion rocking me had eased. “I love you too,” I mumbled against his skin.

  I felt the rumble of his low chuckle again. “Well, good to know then. I didn’t expect…”

  I whipped my head up. “I know you didn’t expect me to say it, but it doesn’t change the fact I feel it.”

  That dark chocolate gaze of his held mine. For a beat, everything else fell away and it was just us and the shimmering intimacy I felt with him. He trailed his fingers through my hair and down my cheek. “Okay then,” he said gruffly.

  Stanley chose that moment to meander into the bedroom and let out a gruff whine. Alex glanced over at him, arching a brow.

  “Oh, he must be thirsty,” I said, shimmying out from under Alex.

  He rolled away as I stood. I glanced back at him and a little zing hit me right in my core. Sweet hell. The man was dangerous. He laid there, his skin damp, his hair rumpled and every inch of his muscled body on display. I’d happily climb back on top of him and spend the rest of the day tangled up against him.

  Stanley whined again, snapping me back to reality. I glanced around, realizing I was completely naked and had no desire to put on my sweat-dampened running clothes. As if he could read my mind, Alex stood and snagged a t-shirt from his dresser, tossing it my way as he tugged on a pair of sweatpants. His t-shirt hung halfway down my thighs, but it did the trick. I loved being wrapped in his scent too. I made my way into the kitchen to find he’d already filled a giant plastic bowl with water for Stanley who was lapping it up.

  He grinned when I looked over at him. “Stanley drank Callie’s water too. I doubt she’ll appreciate that.”

  He strolled past me to cart Callie’s small bowl beneath her window perch to the sink to refill it. Heat rolled through me again. Dear God. He shouldn’t be allowed to walk around without a shirt. His sweatpants hung low on his hips, revealing every inch of his muscled abs. Even his back was sexy, his muscles flexing as he walked back to return Callie’s bowl. I slipped into one of the kitchen chairs while he made coffee.

  The morning passed in a lazy, warm blur while we enjoyed coffee together, and Alex surprised me with his cooking skills. He whipped up two omelets for us. I completely forgot it was a workday until my phone buzzed from where it was on the floor with my clothes.

  Epilogue

  Alex

  The distant hum of the crowd barely penetrated my focus as I leapt and swatted the blur of black and white flying into the corner of the net. My deflection landed the ball near Ethan’s feet where he was in the thick of the opposing team. His reflexes lightning quick, he expertly nicked it out of reach from another player and passed it to Liam who set off a series of passes that ended with the ball in the goal on th
e far end of the pitch. Our offense was crazy-good at moving fast on the heels of a block on our end. Liam enjoyed capitalizing on changing the momentum rapidly. The ref’s whistle blew minutes later. Another game, another win.

  I snagged the towel tossed my way as I approached the bench and wiped my face with it before guzzling a bottle of water. The cacophony of the crowd became louder, although I knew the noise level hadn’t actually changed. Not much punctured my attention when we were in play. Precisely the reason I’d fallen in love with the game so many years ago. I was beyond lucky to be good enough to play professionally, but the initial draw had been the escape it offered from my life.

  The difference for me now was the minute I finished playing, my mind spun ahead to when I’d see Harper. Home was Harper—heart, body and soul. There were a few minutes of the usual cheers amongst us before Liam was dragged aside with Coach for an impromptu interview. Here and there I had to do the same, although the local sports press here had seemed to figure out I was far less entertaining than Liam and a few other players.

  The attention I’d brought upon myself by getting tangled up with Joe had faded. As of yesterday, my full year since the agreed upon plea deal had passed. I’d done my community service at a few different places and at the urging of Zoe, I’d even spent a chunk of that time at a local youth program for lads who’d scuffled with the law. I found out after the fact when I wondered aloud about it to Liam that he’d told Coach about it. Leave it to my chatty best mate. I’d actually enjoyed it and agreed to keep up with a few volunteer hours monthly.

  All in all, it was bloody awesome to know I was done worrying about walking the straight and narrow. I’d never worried about staying out of trouble before, but all the way up until a few months ago, I’d worried about crossing paths with Joe. It had never happened and then I found out from Olivia he’d moved. Apparently, she’d taken it upon herself to track him down. According to her, he hid his tracks well online, but she’d discovered he’d moved out of state. That was the best thing for Harper, so I didn’t give a damn if he’d done it for his own self-preservation. The attention he’d drawn to himself hadn’t exactly helped him. He’d lost his job after a few more pieces in the news on raising awareness about sexual assault on college campuses. He might not have the criminal record to fit the crime he’d committed, but at least he’d paid somewhat of a price.