“Get it together, old man,” I say. “You promised me counter sex.”

“I’m not that old,” JT says as he helps me off the floor, lifting me up so I can wrap my legs around his waist.

“Prove it,” I taunt as my ass hits the cold marble countertop next to the sink. The main lights in the bathroom are off, with the two little ones along the floor keeping us from being in a pitch-black room. There’s a huge mirror behind me, but a small makeup one is behind JT, so I can see every inch of him while he can see each side of me. The countertop is just the right height for him to be inside me while I sit on it. The angle it causes is—fuck—if it’s anything like last time, it’s going to be perfect.

JT keeps my legs locked around his middle and, after a few quick pumps with his hand, he notches his head at my entrance. “Oh, shit,” he says. “I forgot to tell you. I got tested last week while I was gone like you asked. Totally clean.”

“Some people just have all the luck,” I joke.

“I wrapped that shit up, Lila. One hundred percent of the time.”

“Well, don’t let me get in the way of your perfect record. I’m more than happy to use a condom if that’s what you’d prefer. I just figured, since I am on the pill, that if you were clean—”

JT cuts me off by shoving inside of me and bottoming out. I scream, the pain of his unexpected thrust quickly morphing into pure pleasure. “Fuck,” I pant as JT puts his physical stamina to good use. I take in his face, his five o’clock shadow, the curl behind his right ear that never seems to want to go the same direction as the rest of them, and my heart starts beating to a fully different rhythm. It’s not just the joining of our bodies, but the joining of us at a molecular level.

I moan as JT continues to rock in and out of me, his hips pistoning with the movements. I wish there was a mirror on the other wall, because the small makeup mirror view of JT’s ass as it flexes sure isn’t big enough to fully appreciate just how strong it is. I’m unraveling quickly, my second orgasm building at a faster rate than the first. The dazed look is back in JT’s eyes, and as I’m barely aware of what’s going on around me, I’m sure mine are equally as glassy.

“Yes. Right there,” I moan out as he slides me forward slightly, changing the angle just enough to hit that spot on my inner wall that makes me want to shatter into a million pieces. His pace increases and I claw at his back, trying anything to keep from breaking before him. “That’s it. Don’t stop,” I say as he groans.

“I’m gunna…I’m…” His eyes lock on mine, his thumb finding my clit with just the right pressure to send me over the edge. He follows me into oblivion, his body shaking around me from the power of it.

One round later, I fall asleep with my head on his chest, happier than I’ve ever been.

Chapter thirty-six

JT

“Damn, you clean upnice,” Lila says as she steps out of the bathroom in our room Saturday night. I’m standing in front of the full-length mirror, trying to get my bow tie to straighten out. I look in the mirror to find her reflection over my shoulder, her body wrapped in a bright red dress, somehow looking both classic and sinful at the same time.

Jameson and Bryn are already at the large event space in the Everlight—the hotel the Ferguson brothers just purchased and renovated on the Strip. They coupled the tournament and event with the grand opening. As sci-fi as the name sounds, it’s supposed to be incredibly classic in its designs, like you’re in an old library or smoking room. All the tournament players were offered the chance to be the first to stay there, but I wasn’t willing to pass up the opportunity to relive my and Lila’s first time together. Damn did it pay off.

Though, after our amazing night, Lila fell asleep, and my mind continued to spin, haunted by the fact that I went the entire night without thinking about my game once. My parents have been relentless, calling and texting reminders about how important it is for me to win this tournament with its large purse. Despite playing well enough to be in the hunt, I’m terrified I’m going to fail them again. I also never seemed to find the right moment to tell them about Lila.

Lila and I walk into the event space thirty minutes later, and I’m overwhelmed by the size and grandeur of the event. There are people in black ties and formal dresses carrying flutes of champagne and tumblers of hard alcohol. There is not one shiny beer can in sight, and if that doesn’t scream fancy, I don’t know what does. It’s clear the invite list has expanded to include a wealthier group, even though, as I start to look closer, I can spot the program directors and parents of the junior players or the recreational golfers who participate in the youth programs. I’m glad the Fergusons made it black-tie optional, though I know I would’ve felt out of place at an event like this when I was first playing. Hopefully it didn’t scare any players or their families off.

As we make our way further into the grand ballroom, I hear Lila’s name being called. Bryn is headed our way, her hair pulled into a sleek ponytail. She looks great in a long-sleeved black dress. It’s nothing compared to how delectable Lila looks, but that’s probably for the best, since she’s dating my best friend.

“Hey, Bryn,” I say, giving her a one-armed hug while keeping hold of Lila’s hand.

Bryn points me in the direction of the bar, where Jameson is already holed up, looking like an advertisement for an expensive cologne. I tell him as much when I join him there moments later, and he falls into a formal commercial pose. Sometimes I forget the man actually does rep a whiskey brand—though surprisingly not Jameson.

“Are your parents here yet?” he asks me.

I take in the space around me. The low lighting and the dark wood finishes make everything seem prestigious. The bar has an old speakeasy feel to it with what I can only assume are hand-carved accents along the sides. Rather than high-top tables around the room to mingle at, there are little alcoves set up complete with deep leather chairs and couches. I don’t see my parents, but they could be anywhere, blending in with the other black-clad people.

“Not yet, I don’t think. Though I’m sure they’ll be glued to my side as soon as they arrive. Probably will send me to bed at eight thirty with a glass of warm milk, so I get a good night’s sleep before the final round tomorrow.”

“Yeah, Lila told me your parents were really pushing this one.”

“I don’t love that you guys talk about me.”

“I don’t love that you guys are doing it in my guest room, but such is life.”

When the girls’ drinks are placed in front of us, we make our way to where the women have staked a claim to one of the high-top tables. Just as I hand Lila her drink, I spot my parents walking in. “Oh, there are my parents,” I say. “I’m going to go say hello.”

“I’ll come too,” Lila says.

“I’ve got it. No worries. You can stay here and keep chatting with Bryn,” I say, not wanting to break the news to my parents that we are dating with Lila standing right there. I know I should’ve told them one of the one hundred times I’ve talked to them, but it never seemed to be the right time. I want them to be happy I found someone as amazing as Lila, but I doubt that will be the case. They’re going to see her as a distraction I can’t afford.