“Not you?”
“I knew you were okay. You had to be. I refused to believe that I’d just gotten you and then lost you.” Her brown eyes soften, and she swallows. “I shouldn’t have left. I’ve waited so long for this and then I ran at the first bump in the road because I was afraid that after all this time, I’d somehow lucked into it out of lack of options.”
My lips twitch at the ridiculous notion, but she doesn’t give me time to correct her before she continues. “But, I don’t care. Even if the only reason you want to be with me now is because I ruined things with Amelia and every other girl you dated and I’m the last woman on the island, so to speak, I’m still the best option because no one loves you more than me. Not now, not ever. I came back to tell you that I’m going to fight for you.”
“Hot as that sounds, it’s no contest. You win by a knockout every time. It’s me and you babe.” I rest my forehead against hers. “I’m so ridiculously in love with my best friend.”
As I bring my lips to hers gently, I feel hers pull up into a smile. “Say it again.”
“I am in love with you, Sydney Turner. Stupid in love and, not to cheapen the moment, but I’d very much like to get you naked now.”
Her sweet laughter fills the room and then she pulls her T-shirt over her head and unsnaps the bright pink lacy bra and discards it as well.
“Better?” she asks with a cheeky tone.
I bring my hands up to her chest and cup her breasts. Her skin is so warm and soft. “So much.”
She tugs at the hem of my T-shirt and I reach around with one arm and pull it over my head. With a sigh, she glides both palms over my abs and chest. “Someday I want to test the theory of washboard abs.”
“You want to do laundry on my stomach?”
She grins and looks up to the ceiling, eyes scrunched as if she’s considering her answer. “Maybe not laundry, but something sudsy with water and sponges…. Ooooh, maybe you could wash my car.”
“Or we should take a bath.”
“I like my idea better.”
The grin and her cheeky banter stop when I lean forward and kiss the valley between her breasts. I trail my mouth along every bare inch of skin. Goose bumps rise to the surface and I double back to kiss those too.
She’s wearing a pair of tight black leggings that are hard to wiggle off, so I give up and push her legs apart and bring my mouth to her center. Over the material, I nip and suck. Sydney shoves the leggings down for me, eager for more, and when she’s bare, I repeat it all with no barrier.
Her hands find my shoulders and then comb through my hair. She makes the hottest noises of encouragement and writhes beneath me.
Toned and athletic, long and lean. I’ve heard her grumbling about her small boobs or lack of curves, but Sydney’s body is phenomenal. All those hours playing volleyball and working out to be better at her sport have sculpted her body into this beautiful and powerful thing.
As her moans get louder signaling she’s close, I pull back and stare down at her spread open to me.
“Turn over, baby. On your hands and knees.”
She complies quickly with no hesitation. I love how eager she is and how easily she lets me take control. I’d give her anything she wanted, and I think she knows that, but there’s something hot about being allowed temporary power over this amazing woman.
I swat her butt playfully and then place a kiss on her spine. Wrapping a hand around my dick, I give myself a quick jerk before lining up at her entrance.
Sydney glances over her shoulder and we lock eyes as I push inside of her. I don’t know if anything has ever felt better. Not hitting a game winning shot and not striking out a batter in the bottom of the ninth. For a guy who’s constantly chasing the high of winning, sex has sometimes felt like a letdown. Not that I didn’t enjoy it, because duh even bad sex is awesome, but nothing has ever come close to those adrenaline-fueled, bigger than life moments sports have given me.
Sydney does. She’s all the best parts of a teammate, a coach, and an opponent wrapped up in one sexy as hell package. But the best part about spending time with Sydney is that I see myself outside of the identities I’ve clung to. I’m stripped down to my core with her. I’m not a basketball player or a baseball player, I’m just a guy enjoying the moment.
With one hand on her back and the other at her hip, I pump into her at a hard and steady rhythm. Sydney’s head falls to the mattress and her back arches. My name slips from her mouth with a groan as the orgasm shatters her beneath me.
Her pussy squeezes me and tips me over the edge. Even after we’ve both come, she moves her hips in a small circle, milking me for every drop.
We both groan as I withdraw. She slumps onto the bed to her back. A sheen of sweat covers her body and glistens in the dark of the room.
I cover her body with mine and my dick twitches between us. Her lips pull up into a smile. “Tell the big guy, I said hey, but I need a minute.”
“Yeah?” I rub myself against her pussy. “Well, while you take a minute, he wants to say hey back.”
Her eyelids fall shut. “I like the way he says hello better than when you do.”
I chuckle. “I’ll remember that, babe.”
“It looks like a bomb went off in here,” I say as I survey the bedroom. Sheets and pillows are scattered around. I think we fucked in every square inch of this room. “I’m going to take Tara out for breakfast, and then when I come back, let’s take the boat out. I owe you a driving lesson.” There isn’t any of the excitement I expected on her face. “Do you not want to learn?”
“It isn’t that.”
I sit back on the edge of the bed. Sydney wears her emotions all over her face, but I can’t figure out what this one is—nerves? Fear?
“Your sister hates me. We… I said some things I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry. I hate the position that puts you in.”
“I’m sure she deserved whatever you said. I don’t know what her problem is, but I’m not worried.”
“You’re not? Why? Your family is so important to you.”
“They are. So are you. Besides, I know you. You’ll win her over no matter how hard she tries to dislike you.”
“I think you overestimate my charm.” She smiles, but then it falls. “That’s what I don’t get, though. Why does she want to dislike me?”
“I’m not sure, but let me worry about Tara.” I stand and pull on my T-shirt. “You’ll text me after your appointment and let me know how it goes?”
“Yeah. Fingers crossed for good news.”
“Fingers crossed.” I lean forward and take her lips. An entire day in this bed and it’s still hard to pull myself away. “We’ll celebrate later.”
“You’re going to yell at me now, aren’t you?” Tara asks when we’re seated at the restaurant. “Busy place where I can’t make a scene and I’m stranded with a lake between me and my car.”
“When have I ever yelled at you?” I roll my eyes. “I do want to know what the hell is going on with you though. You haven’t been yourself—and I don’t just mean the shit with Sydney. You seem different. I mean, you haven’t even commented on the fact I’m wearing a boring white T-shirt today.”
“I gave up on changing your fashion sense years ago.” She plays with the sugar holder on the table. “I met a guy.”
A groan escapes my lips before I can stop it. “A guy?”
“Do you want to know or not?”
“Yeah.” I run a hand through my hair. “Yeah, I do.” I hope I don’t have to hunt some dude down after breakfast and kick his ass.
“He’s great. We have tons in common and we get along really well. I’ve known him since freshman year, same friends and all that. We hung out a few times just the two of us and I thought he really liked me, but then…” She hesitates.
“You slept with him?”
She nods. “And that was it. He moved on to the next girl, some chick that’s always hanging around the soccer house sleeping with all the guys.”<
br />
“I’m sorry, Tara. I really am. The guy sounds like an asshole and not worth it.”
“Maybe, or maybe I made it too easy on him. I should have made him wait longer or, I don’t know, something. He moved right along to the next easy girl who came along.”
“Listen, if things with Sydney have taught me anything, it’s that when the right person comes along you have to take a chance, no holding back. You did that and it bit you in the ass, but it won’t always.”
“Or maybe you two are together because it’s easy. She’s always around, and—”
“Stop. I appreciate your concern, but it really isn’t any of your business. She isn’t an article of clothing I’m asking your opinion on. I love her, she’s my best friend, and I want to be with her for… a long time, maybe forever.”
Tara’s eyes widen. “Forever? You’re not going to do something stupid and get engaged before you’ve even graduated college, are you? I wanted you to have a life, but let’s pump the breaks.”
I chuckle. “I think I’ll give dating a whirl for a while first, but she’s not going anywhere. And I think you two have a lot more in common than you think.”
My sister looks skeptical.
“That story you just told me? Sydney has one pretty similar to it. It’s not mine to tell, but she’s been hurt before, too. She knows what it’s like. Listen, I’m not asking that you become friends with her. I know you liked Amelia, I did too, but she wasn’t right for me. I need you to understand that hurting Sydney is only going to put a wedge between us. I know you don’t want that and neither do I. And you owe her an apology. Inviting Amelia down, no matter how much you like her, was super uncool.”
“I know.” She sighs and lets out a breath. “Are we good?”
“Apologize to Sydney, and then, yeah, we’re good.”
She sits back in her chair and I mimic her relaxed posture as I add cream and sugar to my coffee. “So, this guy, does he have a name? Address?”
“You’re not going to hunt him down.”
“No, but I might glitter bomb him.”
27
Sydney
A heavy body rolls on top of me and I groan. “It’s too early for sex.”
And my lady parts are sore from two days of makeup sex. It feels like we’ve made up for way more than two years’ worth of missed opportunities.
“Emily’s here.”
My eyes fly open and I struggle to move under Tanner’s weight.
“I’m going to try not to be offended that you’re suddenly wide awake and anxious to get out of this bed,” he says as he moves off me.
I put on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt and brush my lips against his. “Will you take us out on the boat this morning?”
He grabs me around the waist and pulls me back down onto the bed. His hand slides under my shirt and cups me over the lacy material of my bra. Those lady parts I said were too sore? They don’t care about my well-being at all as Tanner rubs his thumb back and forth over a nipple.
As quick as he started, he removes his hand and hops up. “I’ll be ready in five.”
“You’re an evil man, Tanner Shaw.” I right my shirt and take a steadying breath before I go find Emily.
My friend stands from a stool at the kitchen counter with a knowing smirk. “Hard to pull yourself out of bed these days now that there’s a boy in it, huh?”
“You made it.” I hug her middle and squeeze tight.
She steps back and eyes me closely. “You are so tan. You bitch.”
“A few days here and you will be, too.” I go to the fridge and grab two waters and then lead her out to the deck. “Tanner is going to take us out this morning and then there’s some big Fourth of July party at his friend Jonah’s house this afternoon.”
“Is the evil sister coming with us?” she whispers.
“I doubt they’re here. She and Corinne have started going over to the local gym to do yoga in the mornings, but she’ll be at Jonah’s party, yeah.”
Things with Tara have been awkward, but she hasn’t been outright mean since the night of the storm. I don’t have any delusions that she has suddenly started to like me, but I’m worrying less about her coming between me and Tanner. I have to make peace with the idea that she may never like me.
I don’t know what I would do if I had a sister who hated Tanner. Emily’s the closest thing to it, but she and Tanner get along great.
“I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Please don’t say anything. I said my peace; she said hers. It puts Tanner in an awful position and today is supposed to be fun. One last big celebration before our senior year.”
“All right,” she concedes. “But if she so much as looks at you the wrong way, I’m not going to be able to hold back.”
“Fair enough.”
Emily and Jonah hit it off right away. He wraps an arm around her shoulder and leads her into the middle of the party to introduce her to people.
“Come on, I have a surprise for you.” Tanner takes my hand and we weave through the people in the back yard at Jonah’s house.
Where the badminton net stood the last time I was here is a volleyball court—complete with sand.
“How?” I ask excitedly as I kick off my sandals and walk onto the hot sand. I close my eyes as it seeps between my toes.
“Every Fourth of July party needs an activity. I convinced Jonah this year’s needed sand volleyball.”
“Thank you. This is amazing.”
“And it gives you a chance to try out that new shoulder.”
“How long have you been planning this?” I ask as I walk around the perimeter. This took a lot of work to bring in all the sand alone.
“A while,” he admits.
“What if my shoulder hadn’t healed?”
“We’d have spent the day on the other side of the yard, and I would have hoped like hell you didn’t notice.”
He leans down and picks up the volleyball and tosses it to me. “What do you say?”
“I say I want you on my team this time.”
We grab Emily and Jonah to play against us. We’re pretty evenly matched with two volleyball players and two tall, athletic dudes, but Tanner’s and my familiarity with each other and the way we can communicate without saying anything at all, means we work better together as a team.
“Not fair,” Jonah says after the first game. “You two have some sort of secret love language going on. Let’s switch it up, boys versus girls.”
Emily and I share an amused look.
“You want to play against us?” she asks.
“We can handle it,” Jonah insists.
Emily walks over to my side with a bounce to her step. Tanner moves to the other with a shake of his head. “It’s a good thing Richard isn’t here to see you get your ass kicked by a couple of girls.”
As the day turns to night and the sun begins its descent, the party doubles in size. People who spent the day at party cove now trickle in, including Tara and Corinne. They hang near the pool and Emily and I stay close to the volleyball court. I think we’re both more anxious than we realized to get back to school and volleyball.
“I have to go help Jonah and Ollie set up the fireworks.” Tanner stands and brushes off his shorts.
“Have to?”
“Want to.” He grins. “I get to light shit on fire and watch it blow up.” He kisses my cheek. “See you in a bit.”
“Should we get another drink?” Emily asks. She gets to her feet and helps me up with both hands.
As we’re filling our cups with beer, Tara and Corinne approach. Emily sees her first. “Evil sister-in-law is headed this way.”
“You have to stop calling her that,” I say with a laugh.
“Mhmmm. Well, at least I have a full cup of beer in case I need to throw it in her face.”
I shush her with an elbow in the ribs.
“Hey,” Tara says as I hand her the tap.
“This is my friend Emily.” I motion with m
y head to her and glance at Emily’s hard expression. “Em, this is Tanner’s sister, Tara, and her friend, Corinne.”
They exchange stiff smiles and mumbled hellos.
“Sydney, can I talk to you for a minute?” Tara asks.
Emily stands tall beside me. She’s only slightly taller than me, but she can look downright intimidating when she wants to. And she wants to. I love how she always has my back, but I’ve got this.
“Sure.”
Tara takes a step, as do I, to follow her, but Emily grabs my wrist. “If you need me, give me a signal. A hair flip or something.”
“I’ll be fine.”
Though the longer she’s silent and the farther we move away from the party, the more unsure I feel about my safety.
“Are you going to push me into the lake?” I ask with a tight laugh. “Because I can swim.”
She stops and faces me. “I need to apologize to you.”
“Okay.” I wait for more that doesn’t come. “Was that the apology?”
“I’m sorry for everything. Tanner has mentioned you a lot over the years and I made some judgments based on my own experiences of girls who hang around the jocks at my school. I should have spent the last two weeks getting to know you, but instead I was hell-bent on hating you on principle. Even so, inviting Amelia here was not my finest moment.”
“People have never understood me and Tanner. We didn’t even understand it ourselves until this past month.” I shrug. “I meant what I said the other night. I hoped that you and I would be friends, but I think being civil should suffice. I only want to make Tanner happy.”
“I’m starting to believe you.”
The first firework shoots up into the sky over the water. “I should get back. I want to find Emily and get a seat.” I step backward and offer her a small smile. “Thank you for apologizing.”
“Sydney?” Tara calls to my back.
“Yeah.” I angle my body slightly.
“I hope someday we can still be friends.”
I’m not ready for that, but maybe someday… “I hope so, too.”
The Pass (Smart Jocks Book 5) Page 18