Page 53 of Reckless Love

“I noticed you didn’t look away,” I say smugly.

“Um, yes, I did…after you ran away.” She starts laughing again. “Do you blame me? I haven’t seen your ass since 2014, when you and the team streaked through the campus on our last night. And I…I’ve never quite managed toseewhat else you’re packing, which is ironic since it’s not like you’re modest or anything.”

The unspoken is ringing out between us. She hasn’t seen me, but she sure as hell has felt me. I get hard just thinking about it.

“I didn’t know you were so curious, Elle baby. I would’ve shown you a long time ago if I’d known you wanted to see so bad.” My voice has gotten all hoarse and I’d give anything to see what color her cheeks might be turning right now.

“You’re ridiculous,” she says, but she sounds breathy too.

I can’t help but grin. “I’m curious too, believe me,” I tell her. “But—”I drag the word out. “How do I tell you this? There’s something I’ve never told you.”

“What?”

When I’m quiet, she groans.

“Rhodes, what? You’re making me nervous.”

“I saw your nipple once,” rushes out of me. “On your right side. Senior year. Must’ve been the year we lost all inhibitions.” When she doesn’t laugh, I hurry to say, “I’m kidding. It was…we fell asleep in your dorm while watching a movie and you had on a baggy shirt that slid to the side and…I covered you up as soon as I woke up and saw.”

“That issoembarrassing.”

“Trust me, Elle, you have nothing to be embarrassed about when it comes to your body. That nipple was…” I let out a rough exhale. “Stunning.”

That nipple sighting played a role in my fantasies that whole next year when I moved to Miami. Hell, who am I kidding, I still picture it when I’m jerking off…although I do also manage to envision the other side that I never actually saw. I feel like I know Elle’s body as well as I possibly can, having seen her in bikinis and skimpy cheer outfits, but seeing her rosy pink nipple was the highlight ofmy life.

The level of regret I have that I did not strip her bare the night I touched her…well, I have a lot of regrets about that night, but that one’s up there.

I can’t help it if I’m pathetic. Everything about this girl has always done it for me.

“I’ve made it awkward, haven’t I?” I finally say.

She giggles. “No.Yes. I just can’t believe you’ve never told me this until now.”

“Yeah, I wasn’t exactly sure how to bring that up. Nip slips happen. It’s actually surprising it hasn’t happened more often. We really need to work on that.”

She laughs again and I’m relieved.

“It seemed only right to tell you after you admitted to being curious,” I say softly.

“What other secrets are you keeping from me?” she asks.

Girl, if you only knew.

“I’mpretty muchan open book when it comes to you,” I say.

“Pretty much,” she echoes. “Yeah, same.”

We talk about our practices that day and about the week ahead before hanging up. When I pull into my garage, I wish she was pulling in next to me. The house is always especially lonely on the weekends I’ve had an away game because I have less time with Levi. When I have a Sunday game out of town, Carrie has Levi from Saturday until Monday or Tuesday, depending on my unpredictable travel schedule. This week, she’s got him until Wednesday while she has family in town and it’s another away week coming up, so I’ll only see him in the evenings after practice, Wednesday through Saturday.

The house looks beautiful after my parents, Elle, and I decorated, and when I walk past the tree, I realize Elle stillhasn’t said when we’ll get together to exchange our gifts. In the past, we spent every Christmas Eve together, and the first year I moved to Silver Hills, we hung out on Christmas night too, after celebrating with our families. It got complicated when she was dating Bernard, but we still stole away on Christmas Eve to spend an hour together, just the three of us…Elle, Levi, and me.

Bernard hated that, and I don’t blame him.

I’ve dropped my keys in the dish I keep in the kitchen when my phone buzzes. I grin when I see that it’s Elle.

Before I can say anything, I hear, “Rhodes,” and the crack in her voice makes me break out into a cold sweat.

“What’s wrong?” I demand.

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