My eyes narrowed as she smiled back at me. Fine. Two could play at this game. I’d go sit next to her and let the two brothers sit next to each other. They could have a bonding moment.
Just as my plan was made, Drake’s name was shouted by a gray-haired man sitting behind Lucy.
“Hey, Larry!” Drake called out as he nonchalantly slipped past me and made his way to the seat I was eyeing.
Son of a bitch!
When he shook the man’s hand, sat down, and flung his arm around Lucy, I felt like an idiot. There I was standing on the concrete steps and staring at the empty chair. It mocked me. I could practically hear it sneer, Na na na na na na.
A vendor coming up behind me yelled, “Popcorn!” right in my ear, and then I was deaf. Great.
“Hey, Beverly, can you grab one for me?” Drake gestured toward the popcorn man and passed a twenty-dollar bill down the row to me.
I gave Drake a sugary-sweet smile and turned to the vendor, trading the money for popcorn. When he reached for his money belt, I told him to keep the change and narrowed my eyes at Drake, who chuckled at my generosity. Clutching the warm paper bag, I must have said “excuse me” about five times as I made my way past the people sitting in our aisle before I plopped down in my seat and handed Drake his damn popcorn.
Dane smiled at me. “Hi.”
His voice still made my heart palpitate. Stupid heart.
I smiled back, trying to remain as calm as possible. “Hello.”
The national anthem started and we all stood. Standing next to someone who used to be a senator as our country’s song played was a unique experience, comforting in an odd way. Pride was in Drake’s stance as he held his hand over his heart, his voice strong as he sang the words. When Dane did the same, it created a stereo effect since I was sandwiched between the two men. I had to admit; I softened a bit.
When the Wizards took to the court, I was barely paying attention. The only reason I came tonight was because Lucy had begged me to. I should have known she was up to something.
Dane and Drake yelled at the players and would occasionally high-five each other over my head. When I sank down in my seat a little, annoyed because I knew they should have sat next to each other, Lucy leaned forward and mouthed Don’t be mad.
Shaking my head, I pursed my lips. I’d deal with her and her antics later.
I scanned the arena, trying to find the best escape route. Dane’s cologne was doing things to me that I didn’t need at the moment. It wasn’t as if I had an extra pair of panties with me, and his sexy aroma blended with his masculinity was ruining the ones I was wearing.
“So, how’ve you been?” he said, so close I could feel his warm breath on my cheek.
“Fine,” I said, staring straight ahead. “You?”
“Horrible,” he said, and when our eyes connected, I wondered if mine looked as sad as his did. “Beverly, I miss you.”
My jaw tightened as I silently pleaded with myself to keep it together and not to cry. Lord knows, I’d done enough of that in the privacy of my own home. Doing it here wasn’t an option.
What was I supposed to say? The truth was that I missed him terribly. There were days I needed to force myself to breathe.
Dane’s brown eyes softened as he stared expectantly at me. After I swallowed the lump in my throat, I’d just decided to tell him I didn’t know what to say when a song blasted through the arena, and the crowd cheered.
Both teams were huddled on the side of the court, so I had no idea what the deal was. Then Drake caught my attention and pointed up to the Jumbotron above center court. Dane and I were onscreen in the center of the heart with the words KISS CAM flashing above us. It was then I realized the song blaring through the arena was “Kiss Me” by Sixpence None the Richer.
Holy shit! I felt as if twenty thousand pairs of eyes were on us, and they were.
A fan behind us yelled, “Kiss her, dude!”
Dane and I stared at each other without saying a word. I raised my shoulder in a small shrug and slowly tilted my head.
He placed his palms on my face, cupping it so tenderly that if I weren’t already sitting, my knees would have failed me. He leaned in, never blinking as our eyes locked. Then ever so gently, he brought his lips to mine. Tingles coursed through my veins as my entire body came alive. It craved him and missed his taste more than I realized. I closed my eyes, losing myself in our kiss.
His tongue grazed the underside of my lower lip. I’d kissed him enough times to know he wanted more, and truth be told, so did I. When I opened up to him, his taste consumed me, making me want to lose myself in him. It was when Dane slid his fingers into my hair, pulling me closer, that I forgot why I was mad at him.
With each nip of his teeth and swipe of his tongue, all else faded away. Pieces of my heart were instantly reunited. My insecurities faded as the self-doubt that had been my constant companion said good-bye.
There was nothing better than being kissed by Dane, feeling his body against mine, his touch igniting my skin—these were things I realized I needed. No, I needed him.
He groaned as I gripped his biceps, and when cheers erupted around us, that was when I remembered where we were. We pulled apart, both trying to catch our breath. A little dizzy, I glanced around us to realize the kiss cam was off, the crowd was back into the game, and I was definitely in need of fresh panties.
Dane startled me by saying, “Let’s get out of here.”
He grabbed my hand and said good-bye to his brother and Lucy, who grinned at us. As we ran up the stairs to exit the arena, fans on both sides of the aisle stood up and applauded.
Once we were outside, he turned to look at me. “I’m taking you home.”
Still a bit unsteady with everything that had happened, I let Dane tug me by the hand to his car. When he came to a stop to open the door for me, I tugged at his sleeve to get his attention. Everything was happening so fast, and I needed to get my bearings.
“What do you want from me, Dane?”
The determined look in his eyes smoldered as he repeated, “What do I want from you?”
At my nod, he said, “I don’t want you to forget how I made you feel when I touched you. When you breathe, I want you to remember how it felt being wrapped in my arms, how your pulse raced when I kissed you. And when you smile, I want you to remember I put it there.” His hands softly cupped my face. “And when you close your eyes at night, I want you to remember how good it felt to have me inside you. That’s what I want. I just need you to remember.”
Doing my best to keep my composure, I took in a shuddering breath. “And what are you going to remember?”
Still holding my face, he took a step closer. Our noses practically touching, our lips so close we inhaled each other’s breaths, he nearly made me limp with the emotion in his eyes.
“I’m going to remember how it felt to touch you, how my skin ignited when it met yours. I’ll remember how you felt like home in my arms, the way my heart slammed against my ribs each time I saw you or heard your voice. I’ll remember the way you once looked at me with your beautiful green eyes that have tiny copper flakes in the right light.” He placed a chaste kiss on my forehead. “I’m going to remember how I let you down and caused you pain that tore us apart.”
My breasts rubbed up against him with each breath we took. Our eyes met, and for all I knew, it could be for the last time.
“Most of all,” he said, “I’ll remember that I lost the other half of my soul the day I lost you.”
No words, no tears, and no more doubts. In an instant, my arms crept around his waist and embraced him. We stayed that way for a bit, holding each other tightly, before I craned my head back.
“Do you want to know what I’ll remember?” I asked, feeling my lips pull into a smile.
Touching his forehead to mine, Dane said, “Yes, I’d love to know.”
“I’ll remember everything you said, and how I feel when I’m in your arms. Please, Dane, take me home so we can
talk.”
CHAPTER 29
~ Dane ~
Back at my place, I set my beer down, laced my fingers with Beverly’s, and brought her hand to my mouth. Each knuckle got a tender kiss before I set our joined hands down on my thigh and said the things I’d been needing to say.
“Not having you with me over the past month has been pure torture.” When she opened her mouth to say something, I said, “No, please let me finish. I’ve never in my wildest imagination thought I’d just want one woman, but that was before I met the one woman I wanted more than anything. As much as I don’t want to, I’m going to make mistakes. But you need to believe me when I tell you that you’re the most important person in my life.”
She lifted her gaze to mine, a faint crease forming between her brows. “I can’t lie and say it hasn’t been hard, because it’s been torture. I’ve been spending time with Lucy and we’ve become close friends. You know, she and your sister are my only friends here. But being with them meant I was with your family too.” Holding up a hand, she said, “Don’t get me wrong, they’re wonderful people, but no matter what we did or where we were, I wished you were there too. Every now and then, Lucy would give me some small detail about how you were doing, but that almost made things worse.” Dropping her gaze, she bit her lower lip. “I’m an awful person. I turned into the bitchy girl that I always hated, and I pushed you away.”
I ran the back of my free hand down the side of her face. “No, I should have been more sensitive, and they aren’t your only friends. You have me; you’ll always have me.”
A small hopeful smile brightened her face, and the sight of it twisted something inside my chest.
“You’d just achieved your dream, Dane, and I didn’t let you enjoy it. Instead, I ruined it, and I’ll never forgive myself for that.” A tear spilled down her cheek, which I quickly caught with my thumb and swiped away. “I reacted to what I saw between you and your friend Emmy without even knowing her. She’s so beautiful, and your connection with her, especially when you kissed her, flew from the television and straight into my heart like a knife.”
A hiccup escaped her, and I grimaced. I knew what that knife felt like, because it was now lodged in my chest.
“I’m so sorry, Beverly. Yes, Emmy is pretty, but she’s just Emmy. I know that doesn’t make any sense to you, but she was one of my closest friends in school. She’s a lot like you, actually.”
“She is?” Beverly sniffled and looked up at me with huge eyes. My heart ached, knowing it was my fault she was so sad.
“Except for the fact that I don’t want her the way I do you, yes. She’s kind, smart, and knows how to go after what she wants—just like you do. You didn’t like the way your life was, so you made a change, and look at you now. The thing is, you can’t change a heart, and yours is so big and kind, I want to be more like you. You make me want to be a better person, Bev. I want to put this behind us and continue where we left off before I went to Florida.”
Beverly blinked a few times, obviously thinking hard. Her assessing the situation made me more nervous than I already had been.
Finally, her lips pursed as she let out a long breath. “I’d like to pick up where we left off too, but I’m scared. I told you before you left that I was afraid of things changing between us, and they did.” When I started to say something, she stopped me. “I know it was a misunderstanding, but I didn’t handle it well, and I didn’t like the way it felt.”
When I looked into Beverly’s eyes, it was obvious how nervous she was. And nervous was the last way I wanted her to feel when we were together.
“I want to be with you and only you,” I told her, and brought her knuckles to my lips for another kiss. “It’s all I’ve wanted since I met you. So, I have an idea.”
She smiled. “What’s that?”
“I’d like to date you and only you. I want us to talk and have fun. Hell, we can go out or stay in. All I know is, I want to spend time with you.”
When she said nothing, just studied me, I gave her a nudge. “What do you say? Would you like to date me? We’ll take it day by day. Call it giving me a mulligan.”
“Really? A mulligan.” She shook her head.
“Yeah, you know, like when you play a round of golf for fun and you screw up a shot, you get a do-over?”
She rolled her eyes. “Yes, I know what a mulligan is. I can’t believe that you, of all people, are asking for one.”
“When it comes to you, I’d beg for one. So, what do you say?”
“Hmm . . . I don’t know.” She tapped her index finger to her lips.
I frowned at her. “You don’t know?”
“What else is in it for me?” Her lips twisted into a smirk, and she gave me a doe-eyed look.
I liked this side of Beverly. If she wants to play, then I’m in.
“My heart,” I said quickly, and meant it. “You have my heart. I’m in it for you. I’ll always put you first—I promise. You’ll never feel scared or unsure again.”
A full-fledged smile appeared on her face, making my chest swell, but I wasn’t quite done yet.
“And, of course, you’ll always have Jeeves at your service.”
A sweet giggle escaped her. “Well then, by all means. You can have a mulligan.”
I pressed my lips against hers, and when I tilted my head, she opened her mouth to me. Our kiss was slow as we tasted each other, using our lips and tongues to express our feelings. My dick stirred, and I willed him to be patient. First things first.
Time to come clean. I pulled away slightly, praying this would go over well.
“I need to tell you something.”
“What?”
“I planned the kiss cam at the game. Jack called in a favor. I couldn’t take the chance that I’d never taste you again. Don’t be mad.”
“Oh, I’m not mad,” she said, beaming. Her eyes had their sparkle back. “I’m going to send Jack a thank-you note. And, Dane? Just because we’re dating, that doesn’t mean we can’t have make-up sex, does it?” Her tongue peeked out, making me crazy as it ran along her lower lip.
No answer required. I scooped her up in my arms. “I want you in my bed.”
Having Beverly back in my arms was one thing, but seeing her in my bed was something entirely different. I slowly undressed her, leaving her wearing only a pale pink lace bra and matching underwear. I might have stopped breathing for a moment because all I could do was stare at her.
“God, you’re more beautiful than I remember.” When she blushed and small goose bumps prickled her skin, I couldn’t wait to drag my tongue over it. “I’m going to savor every inch of you.”
I kissed each foot and made my way up one leg until I got to her pussy, where I placed a soft, lingering kiss. She gasped and wriggled on the sheet. Her arousal was evident and I wanted to devour her, but I needed to take my time.
“Don’t move until I tell you to, understand?”
She nodded. I was going to do this my way and bring her such pleasure, she’d never doubt my love for her. Beverly wasn’t ready to hear those words yet, and maybe I wasn’t ready to say them, but she was definitely going to feel loved by the time I was done.
After my lips paid equal attention to her other leg, I gripped the sides of her panties and slowly slid them down her legs, then cast them to the side. With my hands on the underside of her knees, I spread her legs.
Her bare pussy glistened, beckoning me. Leaning forward, I licked from her swollen clit to her opening. Once there, I swirled my tongue until I pushed it inside and began to fuck her with it, her taste driving me crazy.
“Holy shit, Dane!” She bucked and I tightened my grip, holding her hips steady.
“You taste better than I remember.” I rubbed her hardened nub with my thumb while my tongue traveled over her most sensitive areas, making her pant in shallow breaths.
“I’ve missed Jeeves.” She moaned. “Your tongue is amazing. For God’s sake, don’t stop.”
I chuckled
against her at the mention of my tongue’s nickname. “Jeeves has missed you too.”
She began to tremble, and I moved one hand off her hip to slide one, then two fingers into her, and pumped them just as my tongue had done. I could feel her tighten; she was close. Her body writhed on the bed.
“Please, Dane, harder . . . faster . . .”
When I obliged, she came hard around my fingers. Once her breathing had slowed, I pulled back my hand, and her eyes flew open as she stared at me. I slid my fingers in my mouth and sucked on them, tasting what I had just done to her.
She watched my fingers as I dragged them along my tongue, her eyes half-lidded with desire. “You’re delicious.”
My lips trailed up her soft stomach, stopping at her lace-covered breasts to give each nipple a gentle nip with my teeth, then I softly kissed her. She groaned into my mouth. Once we broke our kiss, I smiled.
“See how sweet you taste?”
Her face flamed, but it wasn’t embarrassment that caused her blood to rise. No, my girl was turned on, and I loved that I’d done that to her.
As much as I wanted to be buried deep inside her, I decided if we were going to slow things down, I needed to stop. She was satisfied, and I could handle a hard-on for a while.
When I went to get off the bed, Beverly put her hand on my arm. “Where are you going?” Her lustful eyes almost made me cave in to my own desire, but I refrained.
“I’m going to grab you a T-shirt to sleep in.”
Frowning, she said, “But what about you?”
“How about when I come back, I hold you until we both fall asleep?”
“Okay, that’d be nice.”
I tossed her a shirt, and after she’d removed her bra and slipped it on, she lay back down. Once I’d cleaned up, I slipped back into bed and pressed my body against hers, my front to her back.
“Sleep well, Beverly.”
Her hair brushed up against my chin as she nodded. “Sweet dreams, Dane.”
Everything inside me screamed to tell her how I felt about her. In time, I’d say those words and she’d never doubt my feelings again, but for now we’d sleep. Maybe another day, I’d tell her exactly what she deserved to hear.
Gripped (Prescott #2) Page 20