Page 24 of Courtside

It wasadorable.

“I live here.” She turned to look behind her, before peering around David’s shoulder. “Up there, I think.”

Goddamnit.

“Oh,” he managed to choke out. “I live here too. Over there.” He released his hold on her arm to point toward his building, only to immediately grab her again when she swayed back in the absence of his touch.Shit. “Can I walk you home?”

“Nope.”

He raised his brows at her. “Seriously?”

She scowled at him. “I don’t want your help.”

“Please, Sage.” He wasn’t above begging if meant getting her home safely.

She shook her head. “Nope. I got it.”

“What if I told you that I’m actually your neighbor so I happen to be walking that way?”

“That’s bullshit.”

Annoyance and amusement warred within him. She was being frustratingly stubborn, butdamnif a tiny part of him wasn’t enjoying himself. “Or what if I need to run a set of stairs to finish off my workout?”

She looked down, as though she was just noticing his workout gear and the fact that he was drenched in sweat.

“You don’t need the stairs,” she said, waving a hand toward his lower body. “You’ve got the hottest thighs I’ve ever seen and a perfect, perfect butt.” She twirled, ankles wobbling, but managed to regain her balance. “I’m going now.”

“I’m coming with you.”

He started walking beside her, a hand hovering behind her in case she stumbled.

She looked over at him. Again, there was that scowl. “Am I allowed to call you annoying?”

He snorted, amusement officially winning out. “I think in this situation, you can call me whatever you want.”

They walked together in silence for a moment, before David couldn’t hold back his question any longer.

“How’d you get home?”

Her steps faltered. His hand was on her back in an instant, supporting her until she regained her balance. “Fuck these shoes,” she muttered, leaning down and pulling the heels off one at a time. Now barefoot, she resumed walking, and David reluctantly removed his hand.

“Gus,” she finally answered.

David felt his jaw clench as the muscles in his shoulders tightened. He forced himself to take a deep breath. When he’d completely emptied his lungs, he responded. “Oh.”

Quiet fell between them again. David’s head spun, too many simultaneous things up there to pin down or name.

“It was mediocre.”

“What?” He looked over at her. Her gaze was down on the ground as she walked. He noticed that her toenails were painted blue.

“The sex,” she said, the words falling from her lips like she was commenting on the weather. “It was in the back of a car. Too crowded.”

He choked on nothing, sputtering as he attempted to cover it up with a cough.What in the ever-loving shit was he supposed to say to that?

“Oh,” he managed to croak out.

Sage made a soft humming noise. “You should line up Jordan’s shot on the left.”

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