Page 72 of Scoring with the Coach's Daughter

The second we’re in my room we collide like wild animals. Jake’s mouth crashes against mine, his hands everywhere at once—fisting in my hair, gripping my waist, and then he tosses me onto the bed.

I gasp against his lips, and he takes advantage, sliding his tongue into my mouth, and deepening the kiss until my head spins.

This isn’t slow. This isn’t sweet.

This is a desperate need. I so badly need a release of all the tension that’s been building between us all afternoon.

I clutch at his shirt, pulling it over his head, and dragging my hands down his bare chest.

Jake groans and his lips are hot against my neck, my collarbone, and lower.

“You drive me insane, you know that?” he murmurs, voice rough as he nips at my skin. “You make me want things I never thought I’d want.”

My breath hitches. “Like what?”

His hands grip my hips, flipping me onto my back.

“Like a future,” he says simply. “Like this.”

Then he’s kissing his way down my stomach, taking his time, worshipping me.

When he finally settles between my legs, his eyes darken. “You’re mine, Sam.”

And his kisses render me helpless. I stop thinking and then I’m lost in him.

Later, we lay in the tangled sheets as his fingers traced slow, lazy circles on my back.

I rest my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. “So… that was definitely make-up sex,” he chuckles, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “Damn good make-up sex.”

I laugh softly, but the moment shifts when I feel him tense beneath me.

He’s quiet for a long time. Then?—

“What happens next, Sam?” His voice is soft, and careful when he asks, “Do we just pretend this is enough? Or can we have more?”

I swallow hard. “Jake…”

“I love the way you love her,” he says suddenly. “You’re a damn good mother. And if I ever have kids, I’d want them to have someone like you. Would you be happy in the city?”

I freeze.

That’s the real question, isn’t it? Not if we want this—but if we can make it work.

Jake is the city. The energy, the movement, and the rush. I’m here in a small town, filled with the routine and the quiet life I built to keep Ellie safe.

Can we meet in the middle?

I don’t know.

But when I look at him, I know I want to try.

I press a kiss on his chest. “I don’t have all the answers, Jake. But I know I don’t want to lose you.”

He exhales, his arms tightening around me.

“That’s a start,” he murmurs.

And as we drift into sleep, tangled together, I start to believe that maybe, just maybe, we can figure out the rest.

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