Swish.
I grab the basketball and head behind the three-point line.
Swish.
He heads to where I’d been standing and takes a shot. It bounces off the rim and barely misses.
With a smirk, I call out, “P.”
He rolls his eyes, runs for the ball, and tosses it to me. I shoot again but miss, giving Theo the opportunity to take the lead. He heads to my weak spot at the edge of the court and shoots. It bounces off the backboard and falls in for another point. I glare at Theo as I take his place and shoot the ball from where he’d been standing.
It misses.
“P,” he returns.
We continue playing and are neck-and-neck until we’re both P-I. Thankfully, I’m the first to shoot and have the advantage, but I miss the basket by an inch.
“Dammit,” I curse under my breath.
Looking sexy as hell, Theo jogs toward the ball as it rolls across the court and picks it up. He crosses the half-court mark, pulls up, and extends his arms, flicking his wrist as he shoots the ball.
I don’t even have to look at the hoop to know he makes it. His form is that perfect. That drool-worthy.
“Swish,” he murmurs. Pointing at the ground, he commands, “Right here, Baby Thorne.”
My lips flatten, but I take up my position and wait for him to retrieve the ball. He passes it to me.
“I don’t know why you’re looking so cocky, Teddy Bear,” I quip. “We both know this is my sweet spot.”
He scoffs but walks closer, letting the heat from his front melt into my back until my knees feel like Jell-O. “If you miss, I get to kiss you.”
“And if I hit it?”
“Don’t hit it.”
I turn my face toward him. Only a centimeter of space is between us.
So. Damn. Close.
I tear my attention from his lips and stare up at him. “But we both know how much I like to win.”
“Even if you miss, I think we can still consider it a win.”
The man has a point.
Way more amused than I should be, I pull up to take the shot, but at the last second, Theo grabs my waist and tugs me to one side. The ball rolls off my fingers at an awkward angle, missing the basket by a solid three feet as my jaw drops and I twist in Theo’s arms until I’m facing him fully.
With an outraged laugh, I smack his chest. “You cheated!”
“You really think I’m gonna let you go, Blake?” Theo’s lips lift on one side, his grip tightening around my hips as he quirks his brow and bends closer. “Now, I believe it’s time to pay up.”
“And I believe you cheated,” I repeat.
“And I believe you should’ve been more specific with your stipulations,” he argues.
“Oh, really? What stipulations?”
“We never said in the rules we couldn’t touch each other.”
I laugh again, blown away by the guy’s audacity. “Didn’t think I’d have to spell it out for you.”
He twists the hat I’d stolen from his car around until the brim is facing backward, leaving him plenty of room to kiss me without any obstructions.
Sneaky, my friend. Very sneaky.
But I don’t pull away. Don’t twist it back. Not when he’s looking at me like this. Without reservations. Without any hesitation. Simply…everything a girl dreams about.
His grin tugs at my stupid heart as he plasters himself against me, and I swear I can feel his heartbeat. The way it kicks up a notch when I spread my fingers against his broad chest. The way his breath becomes more shallow and his nostrils flare, breathing me in. The way his gaze is playful but almost nervous too. Like he’s anxious. Hopeful. Curious to see how I’ll play this moment out. If it’ll be in his favor, even though he’s done everything in his power to line it up exactly the way he wants while still giving me the final say.
“You gonna pay up, Baby Thorne?” he rasps.
Baby Thorne.
If my internship wasn't on the line, I’d be all over this moment. But I’m not an idiot. And I’m not going to put everything I’ve worked for in jeopardy for a guy who loves the chase but hates the follow-through. Especially when I know he isn’t sticking around for the long haul.
Don’t be stupid, Blake.
I bite my lip but rise onto my tiptoes, holding his gaze for the longest of seconds before twisting my neck and grazing his cheek with my lips.
My heels hit the ground again, and his jaw drops.
“That wasn’t a kiss,” he growls, reaching for me.
I dodge his greedy hands and shrug one shoulder. “Yes, it was.”
“I meant on the lips.”
“Should’ve been more specific with your stipulations,” I quip, turning on my heel toward the Taylor House. I peek over my shoulder with a cheeky grin and ask, “You comin’?”
30
THEO
After the run-in with Missy, Blake and I had fun tonight. Talking. Flirting. It was natural. Easy.
Until it was hard.
Like keeping my hands to myself. Or the way my dick’s been throbbing in my jeans. Or the way I had to stop from demanding to know what she wants from me or if I even have a chance after everything we’ve been through.
Sometimes I feel like I’m dealing with a fragile piece of glass, while other times she proves she’s stronger than steel. It leaves me off-kilter, unsure where we stand or where she even wants us to stand.
But I do know what I want.
The question is…is patience the key to winning her over? Do I need to play friend until she can learn to trust me again? Maybe I should push her to face what she wants the same way I always have? The same way she pushes me?
I don’t fucking know.
The lights in front of her townhome are on, illuminating the empty porch as I pull into her driveway and put the car in park.
“I had fun tonight,” I tell her.
She turns in her seat and faces me fully, the glow from the dashboard illuminating her soft features. “Me too. I think we needed it.”
I nod. “I still think you owe me.”
“You think I owe you?”
I nod again, my attention dropping to her mouth.
With a laugh, she shakes her head. “I already paid up, remember?”
“On the cheek.”
“You really think you can handle anything more?”
The challenge in her gaze lights a fire inside of me. It spreads from my stomach and down into my groin, leaving my balls aching as I lean across the console to see what she’ll do. How she’ll react. If she’ll back away from me, or if she’ll finally give in and let me kiss her again.
Her lips tilt up in a smile, but she stands her ground. Watching. Waiting to see if I’ll really cross the line again. I don’t know why I’m surprised. It’s Blake. The girl has bigger balls than most of the guys on the team.
But she doesn’t get it. This is what I want. Screw Coach and his bullshit rules. Screw my own reservations that’ve been holding me back for way too long. Screw all of it. Anything keeping me from Blake is bullshit anyway. I see it now. And it’s time Blake recognizes it too.
When I get close enough to taste her breath as it slips from her parted lips, she whispers, “This is a bad idea, Theo.”