Page 38 of Glitz & Goals

They spend a few minutes talking about Sofia’s new jewelry shop and bead bar. I take the opportunity to sip my beer and readjust myself back into some semblance of decency. At least if I have to stand up now, I won’t poke anyone’s eye out.

Then the cannolis arrive, along with Vivian’s drink. All three of them pounce on theirs. I lift mine with a bit more trepidation.They’re a bit messy, and the shell is perfectly crisp. I have a terrible feeling I’m going to end up covered in powdered sugar and crumbs and cream.

Beside me, Vivian swirls her tongue through the filling and groans exactly the way she does in bed. I love how her voice goes low and smoky when she’s turned on, like a sultry jazz singer. She catches my eye just before she swallows.

“It’s amazing.” She flicks out her tongue to catch a speck of powdered sugar on her upper lip. “I know I shouldn’t, but I can’t help myself.”

“They’re the best thing on the menu,” Sofia says through a mouth of cannoli. “I would eat them every day if I could.”

Viv’s ankle bumps mine. Her knee brushes my thigh. How the hell is nobody seeing this? So much for being decent.

I want her. Now. I want to steal her away to the bathroom, bend her sweet ass over the sink, push her panties to the side, and pound her juicy cunt so hard she’ll be feeling my cock for days.

I snap out of my fantasy and watch while Vivian finishes her cannoli while chatting with her friends, oblivious to the turn my thoughts have taken. When her drink is down to the ice, she gets to her feet. “Sorry, I’ve had a long day. I’m going home.” Everyone protests, but Viv waves us off. “You kids have fun. I need to be in bed as soon as possible.” She catches my eye again as she turns to leave.

I wait until she’s out the door before reaching for my phone to text her.

Grady: Whose bed are you so desperate to be in, exactly?

VivaLaViv: Ideally? Yours.

Grady: Give me 10.

Grady: If I get up now, people are going to notice that there’s something amiss in my pants.

VivaLaViv: I could help you with that.

Grady: I’m counting on it.

I turn to Briggs and have a brief conversation about… fuck if I know what. I’m not focused on him. I just need to calm down and leave a reasonable span of time before I leave to follow Viv.

I’m saved when an actual server arrives to take our food orders. I take the opportunity to excuse myself.

“Aw, come on, Coach!” Knight says. “You’ve got to try the food here.”

I reach down to pat my leg. “Sorry, but the Tylenol is wearing off. I need to get some ice on this guy.”

Across the table, Noah is giving me a funny look. I hope he’s just disappointed that I’m skipping out on team bonding time. Viktor, on the other hand, is smirking. He knows I’m full of shit.

I pay my tab and make my hasty getaway. The whole drive back to my place, I’m shaking with anticipation.

Viv is waiting on my porch while Blade is going cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs inside the front door. I’ve never unlocked a door so fast in my life.

Any sexy vibes are somewhat dampened by my dog being a goddamn lunatic. He can’t decide if he wants his belly pet, a snuggle, or if he wants Viv to play with one of his toys with him, so he tries to do all three at once. It’s endearing, even if he is a hundred pounds of stupid.

“You can wait upstairs while I handle this ding-dong,” I tell her over Blade’s lovesick whining.

Viv gives me the thumbs-up and climbs the stairs while Blade throws a temper tantrum. It takes far too long to get him to go outside and pee. When he’s finished, I have to literally drag him back to his crate. As soon as I have him closed in, he drops to the floor as though all of his legs have simultaneously broken and sighs so loud that the door of his crate rattles.

“Drama queen,” I scold.

Blade only sighs again.

I leave him to his nonsense and follow Viv upstairs. She’s lying on the bed, still fully clothed, flipping through one of the books she retrieved from my bedside table.

“Sorry about that. Blade’s my special boy. I would let him in here, but he wouldn’t accept staring. He’d demand to participate. And that’s… ew.”

She closes the book and sets it aside. “Nah, he’s a cutie. Nothing to apologize for. He makes a good wingman.”

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