Page 19 of Caught from Behind

I hadn’t heard the crowd cheering our victory over the Eagles.

Hadn’t really felt the slaps on my back from my teammates, congratulating me for my final blocked shot—one that had prevented the tying goal, so we didn’t have to go into overtime.

I wanted the win.

But selfishly, I wanted—want—the fuck more.

So, I ignore the texts I know will trigger me, shove on my jacket, grab my backpack, and grunt goodbye to the guys.

Luckily, that’s not enough to trigger anyone’s curiosity—though I don’t miss that Knox is watching me expectantly. I’ll have to deal with him, and likely do it soon, but tonight…

Tonight, I’m fucking doing this.

I want it. She does too. Her brother’s not going to corner me and slice me to ribbons with the equipment manager’s extra steel.

He wants me to do it?—

Well, not to fuck his sister.

But…to have what Nova and Lake have.

And…

Maybe I can have that, have something that’s unique to Ella and me but just as meaningful?—

But I have to do it Ella’s way.

Because Ella…well, she’s not Nova.

And as much as she wants to pretend she’s open to new experiences and free and loose and easygoing…

She’s not. She keeps the world, keeps those around her at a careful distance.

So, I have to play this smart. I have to play it my way.

I have to play for keeps.

Which is why I gave her the code to my front door.

Why I all but dared her to show up naked in my bed.

I’m going to claim her, going to make her mine, and I’m going to do it in a way that she can’t resist, can’t use to keep any distance between us.

Ella Adler might think that she has all the answers figured out…

But I’m going to keep her guessing.

And pleasured.

Limp from so many orgasms she can’t even begin to think about leaving.

Forever.

My cell buzzes a few more times on the drive back to my place.

It’s more centrally located to town than Lake’s isolated cabin-that’s-really-a-mansion, and on far less property. I have to manage it—have to shovel and weed and mow the tiny strip of grass that’s more alpine weeds than actual grass.

I work hard.

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