Page 17 of The Grinder

She sighed. “So I’ve been told.”

He looked back at her but couldn’t figure out her expression. He wanted to ask her if he could come in but he didn’t want to push her. They’d spent the past three hours talking, and even though he’d expected to carry the conversation, she’d held up her end. She was quietly funny, her laughter a husky rasp that bit him low in the gut.

And she seemed to think he was hilarious. She laughed at his jokes, which meant he’d had a constant hard-on. Still had one, as a matter of fact.

And when she bit her lip then said, “Do you want to come in?” he wanted nothing more than to say yes.

So why didn’t he?

“Yeah, I do. But…we’ve got practice tomorrow. Well, this morning, actually. And if I come in with you, I won’t want to leave.”

She blinked and her lips parted and he had to bite back the urge to groan. So he did what he did best. He kept talking.

“But Coach gets pissy when we don’t show up, especially the morning before a game. I might find myself riding the bench tomorrow night and that’d be a problem.”

He was expecting a pout. A lot of other women would’ve been pissed off. This woman smiled, which made him want to kick himself in the ass for saying no, even though he knew it’d been the right decision.

Because for the first time, he didn’t want to rush. Maybe he was growing up. Maybe he was learning some control. Whatever.

“And you would hate that, wouldn’t you?”

“It would suck, yeah. I don’t like riding the bench.”

“You’re too good to do it much.”

“Now who’s the flirt?”

And there was that smile again, the one that made him want to take a bite out of her. Her breast, her ass, the inside of her thigh… That smile wasn’t shy. Aly was a little reserved, yeah, but not shy.

“Come to the game tonight. I’ll leave tickets for you.”

That smile made him want to rethink his decision.

“Okay, thanks. My sister has to work, but I’ll be there.”

“Good.”

They sat there for a few more seconds, smiling at each other until she dropped his gaze and grabbed her purse.

Taking the hint, he got out and walked around to open her door. Without thinking about it, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders and drew her into his body. Her arms slipped around his waist, and when she put her hand on his hip, he tugged her even closer.

Walking her to the door, he stood by while she got her keys out of her purse and opened the lock. Then she turned and looked up at him with those blue eyes and no one could fault him for being unable to resist her.

He leaned in and kissed her. With his hand cupping the back of her head and the other on her hip, he pulled her in and didn’t hold anything back.

He’d been so damn good all night and he wasn’t going to follow her in that house. But he had to have a taste.

Her heat shocked him—in a good way. Her response nearly made him forget his resolution to take this slow.

And when her arms slid around his waist and she stood on her toes to kiss him, he might’ve groaned. Okay, he did groan. And then he opened his mouth over hers and inhaled her.

She opened to him immediately, her tongue meeting his without hesitation.

Holy Christ. Lust surged as their tongues tangled. Every nerve ending in his body lit up, and he pressed her mouth open even farther. Sucking in air through his nose, he sealed their lips together, his fingers spreading through her hair to hold her.

She didn’t balk at his possessive hold. Instead, she went soft against him, and he got even harder.

If he hadn’t been trying to be good, he would’ve lifted her against the door and pressed his aching cock into her soft mound.

---