Page 44 of Rival Summer

I could feel her fluttering and pulsing around my fingers as she came, her body shaking in waves of ecstasy as she threw her head back, moaning and gasping. I slowed my movements, drawing out her orgasm for as long as I could. She collapsed back onto the bed, her body limp and spent, a satisfied smile playing across her lips.

"Are you alright?" I asked, desperate to hear her voice.

"More than alright," she managed, the words tumbling out on a broken sigh as she reached for me, guiding me back in close.

“You’re so beautiful,” I breathed, planting a kiss on her lips.

Her hand trailed down my chest, fingertips tracing the lines of my muscles before reaching the waistband of my shorts.

Her touch sent a jolt of desire straight through me, and I found my body responding with an urgency that could barely resist her. But as her fingers trailed lower, I captured her hand, lifting it to my lips and pressing tender kisses along her wrist.

"Not tonight," I whispered.

"You don’t want me to touch you?"

"I am dying for you to touch me. You have no idea... but you're not just some girl to me. You’re more than that, and tonight needs to be about you. I need you to know, no matter what happens," I said, the depth of my honesty surprising even me, "with me, you'll always come first—even if you hate it."

Then I pulled her close, our bodies pressed together as I held her.

Her lips curved into a small smile. "Always putting me first, just like when we were kids," she reminisced. "The first day we met, you didn’t even know me and you gave me your jar of fireflies."

I smiled at the memory. "Couldn't stand seeing you upset—even back then," I confessed. "Plus, couldn’t let Parker think he had you beat."

“He was so mad. I don’t even know how you collected that many," Chandler giggled, then her laughter faded into a contemplative sigh. She laid her head back down and looked away for a moment, lost in thought before bringing her eyes back to me with a hint of mischief. "So about Caroline,” she said, and my heart sank. “She was definitely telling the truth."

I let out a breathy laugh. "You drive me crazy."

She drove me crazy, but she made me feel alive. There was nothing I could compare it to. The rush of being on field, the adrenaline of the game—none of it compared to this. None of it compared to her.

FIFTEEN

chandler

My hand sweptacross the cool, empty sheets, feeling for Boston. Disappointed, I looked around the room until I spotted a tray on the dresser with breakfast—bacon, eggs, and toast looking more perfect than I could have managed. There, propped against a glass of orange juice, was a note.

Practice early, didn't want to wake you. P.S. You snore, but it's cute. -B

I couldn't help the laugh that escaped me. “I do not snore,” I said quietly to myself.

I pulled the tray onto my lap as I sat on my bed. I replayed last night with each bite, a smile lingering on my lips until realization dawned. Willow.

Willow must have seen Boston—or heard him—this morning. What is she thinking right now?

I stepped out of my room, the morning sun casting a soft glow across the hallway. I blinked away the remnants of sleep and found Willow entrenched in a fortress of paperwork. She glanced up at me, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Well, look who it is," she drawled, arching an eyebrow. “How’s your ankle?”

"Feeling so much better today. Just needed a little rest," I replied.

"Good, good. And you wanna tell me why a super hot six-foot-five Blue Devil was doing our dishes this morning?”

My cheeks flushed. "He... uh, he may have made me breakfast," I muttered, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear.

Willow's smirk deepened. "Oh, breakfast? Is that what we're calling it?" The corners of her mouth danced upwards in amusement, as if she knew good and well there was more to the story than I was willing to admit.

I tried to change the subject, nodding towards the sea of binders and papers she was working on. "What are you doing with all of this?" I asked, hoping to divert her attention from the details of my night.

She shrugged nonchalantly, though her eyes remained bright with curiosity. "Oh, you know, more organizing for the committee."

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