Page 97 of The Problem with Players

Words were lost to me as I stood there with his approach. Instead of running or pushing him away, I stepped out of character. I acted on a compulsion fueled by the high of our victory and the sudden, overwhelming realization of feelings for the man who stood before me. At that moment, I felt like eighteen-year-old Avery again, lost completely in Nathan Pierce’s soul, uncertain if I wanted a roadmap out.

With a boldness that surprised me, I reached up to him, my hands finding the sides of his face, and I pulled him into a kiss that crackled with the moment’s intensity. I fell into uncharted territory, and while I should’ve felt fearful of the dive I’d taken, I felt nothing but pure bliss.

He instantly responded to my kiss and didn’t hesitate to kiss me back. Within seconds, he took the lead, wrapping his arms around me and pulling my body closer to his. The world around us, the office, the echoes of the game, the weight of ourresponsibilities—it all fell away, leaving only the truth of the moment we were creating.

He kissed me as if he’d been waiting decades to find his way back to my mouth, and I kissed him back, famished for his taste as his fingers dug into my back. At that moment, all common sense disappeared, and I was left with nothing more than the need for more.

More, more, more…

I didn’t know how long we kissed, but it didn’t seem long enough. His hands wrapped around my body as he deepened the kiss. When we finally parted, breathless and with a new energy flickering between us, my mind caught up with what had happened.

But I wanted more.

I needed more.

Yes…yes…my gosh, yes…

I didn’t know kisses could taste like his. Powerful and sensual all at once.

I moved in to kiss him again, to get lost once more against his mouth, yet this time, he stopped me. I took a step back as a somber look fell over him, making my stomach turn. What was that expression? Regret? Disappointment?

His mouth parted, and he whispered, “Avery.”

“What is it?” I asked.

Nathan grimaced and cleared his throat. His stare moved past me, over to the door. What was he staring at? Did a student catch our act? Was there a player taking in the passionate kiss he and I’d shared? I turned to see what caused Nathan to look so distressed, and I understood his expression within seconds.

My heart.

It dropped.

“Wesley,” I murmured.

There, in the doorframe of my office, stood my ex-fiancé.Wesley held a bouquet of roses in his hands while his eyes were packed with pain. Without a word, he turned and hurried away.

27

AVERY

“Wesley, wait!” I called out, chasing him into the parking lot of the school building. My heart pounded wildly, and I was completely uncertain how to slow down the intense thoughts shooting through my mind.

Wesley reached his car and started to open the door. As I approached him, I placed a hand against his shoulder. “Wesley, wait,” I urged.

He turned around to face me, flowers still in his grip. His eyes flooded with emotions as he sat on the edge of tears falling down his face. “What, Avery?” he snapped as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “What do you want?”

“I…we…it…” Guilt filled me as I swallowed hard. “What are you doing here?”

His shoulders dropped, and he waved the flowers around. “I thought I was coming to win you back, but clearly, that isn’t a possibility.”

“Win me back?” I asked, confused. “I thought you were supposed to be off getting prepared for your new…life.”

He cleared his throat and sniffled. “It turns out the positionwasn’t locked in as much as I’d thought. Drew miscalculated the situation. The position went to another.”

“Oh…gosh.” I almost told him I was sorry, but I didn’t like to lie to jerks who left me on my wedding day.

“As if you care,” he huffed, his coldness stinging my system.

“Why do you have an attitude with me? You’re the one who left me on our wedding day, not the other way around,” I expressed.

---