Page 61 of Bump and Run

I look at his phone. “Isn’t Ty waiting on you?”

He tosses it onto his desk. “Ty won’t even notice I’m not there once he gets drinking.”

“Are you sure?”

He smiles. “Why? You got somewhere else to be?”

“No.”

He leans against his desk and crosses his arms. His eyes constantly roam me and I feel like his prey. I’m trapped in the lion’s den counting down the moments until his hunger overwhelms him and he strikes at me.

I grow more anxious with each breath but he’s holding back, prolonging the torment and watching me squirm.

“How was the game?” I ask, pretending not to care.

“It was…” He sighs and his expression shifts from the familiar, devious intent. “Amazing.”

“Really?”

He pushes off the desk and paces at the foot of the bed. “Yeah, I mean… it was frustrating.”

“Why?”

“We just couldn’t pull ahead for longer than a few minutes at a time,” he explains. “I thought it was over. We all did. We were tired and annoyed and ready to throw in the towel but then… your dad completely turned it around.”

I instantly regret asking. The last thing I want to think about is my father while I’m naked and horny. “Well, it’s all over now, right?”

“He just…” Junior’s eyes gloss over with admiration. “He never gave up on us. It was like he knew what we were capable of before we did and he knew exactly what to say to bring it out of us.” He stops pacing and sits down beside me on the bed. “I’ve never had a coach like your dad, Ellie. He’s like… the missing piece of me that I needed to really believe in myself.”

There’s a sharp pain in my chest. “That must be a good feeling.”

“It is!” he says, still smiling. “Once it was over, I heard the crowd chanting and screaming for us and he walked up to me and put his hand on my shoulder. He didn’t say a word, it was just—” His hand slaps onto my bare shoulder and squeezes. “It felt awesome. Of all the players on the team, Cary Pierce did that to me.”

His hand drops from my skin and I wonder if he’s forgotten how naked I am. I certainly feel more naked than I did five minutes ago.

“Congratulations, Junior,” I mutter. “You’re officially the son Cary Pierce never had.”

I sit up and hold his sheet tighter around me so it doesn’t slip as I throw my feet to the floor.

“Wait…” he says, softly gripping my elbow. “Okay, what did I do?”

“Nothing. Can we…” I keep hold of the sheet as I stand up and Junior rises to let me take it with me. “Can we stick a pin in the whole praising my father thing until after we’ve…”

His jaw sags. “Oh, right. Yeah…” he chuckles. “Shit. Of course. You’re… you’re naked and I’m over here talking about your—”

“It’s okay. Let’s just…” I make a short, stabbing motion. “Pin it.”

“Consider it pinned.” He holds up his hands and his eyes fall down my body again. “Completely pinned…”

“Thank you.”

Junior steps around the bed towards me and he smiles again. “I like the shoes.”

I look down at the floor and twist my ankle to get a better look at them. They’re my favorite pair of black, strappy heels and I save them exclusively for special occasions. Feels a little wasted now.

“Thanks,” I say, still a little annoyed.

He stares at me for a moment, easily reading the hostile emotions in me. “Come here,” he demands, holding out his hand.

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