Page 170 of Well Played

I need to separate us before I leap over to straddle him and kiss him senseless. Where’s one of those folding fan things? He’s so close. Focus Josie. You can do this. You can keep this in the friend lane.

Sam leans forward to grab a container of soup out of the bag and spreads his legs further apart. Our thighs are now very much touching. Also our knees and whatever you call that lower leg part I can’t remember the name of while my brain is fritzing from the contact.

When he leans back, he doesn’t move his leg. I freeze. The feel of him against me is stirring things in my belly that have no business stirring. Dammit, I’m in trouble. Laura is going to hate me. She’s at work and not due home for a few more hours. I have to figure out a way to calm down my lusting for Sam.

“Would you like some soup? I got chicken noodle.” I nod, and he hands me a bowl and spoon. Inhaling over over the top of the bowl makes me moan. Sam’s leg twitches beside me. He grabs a sandwich out of the bag, and we eat while watching the movie. Neither of us speak. Our legs are still touching. I want more touching.

When I finish the soup, I set the empty bowl on the coffee table and snuggle deeper into the couch. I don’t think I’ve ever just sat comfortably with a guy and watched a movie I wantedto watch like this. Ricky hated kung-fu movies and refused to watch them. He preferred pretentious artsy films. We went to the theater often, but never once for a movie I picked.

The movie ends, but I don’t want this time with Sam to end. It should end. It should definitely end. I don’t want this to end. I’m too weak to fight myself.

“Wanna watch another movie? Need some more water?” Sam interrupts my internal battle.

“Yes to both.” I croak, squeaking like a mix between a mouse and an iguana. He laughs, and I elbow him.

“Okay. You pick the next movie while I get us water.” He heads to the kitchen while I skim through my movies. Die Hard. Perfect. If he doesn’t like Die Hard, we can’t be friends. Or lovers. Not that we can ever be lovers. Unfortunately.

“Die Hard?” He gives me a quizzical look. “You picked Die Hard?”

“You don’t like it?”

“I could kiss you right now. This is one of my favorites.”

I can feel my cheeks heat up at the thought of him kissing me. Kissing my neck. Kissing… Dammit Josie. No kissing. Friend-lane. Friend-lane.

Wait, is it zone? Friend-zone. Friend-zone.

Sam sits and stretches his arms along the back of the couch. I start the movie. We have plenty of time to finish before Laura is due home. I feel beyond guilty for enjoying Sam’s company this much. But she doesn’t know. She can’t know. I don’t have the motivation to ask him to leave, even though I probably should.

5

Sam

Halfway through the movie,Josie’s eyelids begin to droop. My arm is still strategically placed on the back of the couch behind her. A few minutes later, as I hoped, she snuggles against my side, eyes closed. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, pull her closer, and move the blanket to drape over us. Damn she feels good in my arms. She fits against my side perfectly. I’m even more determined now to get her to be mine.

I was blown away when I got here and she was watching The One. It’s an older movie and one of my favorites. I damn near dropped to me knee and begged her to marry me when she put on Die Hard. My cock has been hard since she opened the door, and I saw her irritation quickly dissolve at seeing me. Her choice in movies has certainly not helped the situation.

I hear her softly snore and nuzzle her hair with my nose. She smells incredible. Like oranges and vanilla. I gently kiss her hair wishing I can kiss more. Not yet. Soon. I need to figure out the Laura complication first.

I know Laura’s reputation. She’s a serial dater and that’s not my style. I rarely date. It’s hard to find a girl interested in me for the right reasons. If they aren’t interested in me for my father’s money, they’re interested in my potential as a professional baseball player.

I’ve had my share of hookups. I’m at a different stage now. I’m a senior, much to the chagrin of my father. He wanted me to enter the draft end of last school year when I was eligible. He wants me to fulfill his dream of being a professional baseball player, which ended after an injury in college.

We compromised. I’ll finish my degree then join the draft, and he won’t cut off my brothers. They’ll both get access to trust funds if they graduate. That was my father’s requirement of them. Graduate and you get your money.

For me, it was get drafted and you get yours. It’s why I work a lot during the off-season – to save for when I stop obeying his demands. I will obey for now, but only so long as absolutely necessary to ensure my brothers get their trust funds. I want a degree for afterwards. He can take his trust fund for me and shove it up his ass.

But my brothers need theirs. Maybe not Seb as he has his own thing going on, but I can’t stomach either of them losing their trusts because of me. So, I play baseball. I enjoy it, but I don’t want to make a career out of it.

I prefer something quieter. With numbers. Like financial advising. I’ve re-invested much of Mr. Westerly’s savings, and he can now retire comfortably anytime. But the old man likes keeping the grocery store around for something to do though.

The movie finishes, but I don’t want to get up. There is something special between me and Josie. She believes we can’t be more than friends because of Laura. I don’t get it. Laura and I never dated. I thought I made it clear I was not interested in her.

But Laura isn’t getting the message. She texted me earlier to ask if I wanted to pick her up and go get a drink. I declined and told her I have plans. It wasn’t a lie. I planned to bring Josie soup.

“Hey sweetie. Let’s get you to bed.” I nudge Josie. She hums. I lift her in to my arms bridal style and carry her to her room. She feels good in my arms. I have to tell my cock she needs rest and we are just friends for now. Emphasis on thefor now.

I know which room is hers because of the Ice Cats wreath on the door. I didn’t even know they made those. This. Woman. Her room is softly lit by a lava lamp on a desk in the corner. I place her in the center of her bed and cover her with blankets. Fuck, I want to climb in with her and snuggle all night.

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