Page 12 of Necessary Roughness
She tasted like cherry vodka and trouble, her laugh still lingering in the air as we came together on the edge of the bed. My heart thudded every bit as loudly as the music downstairs. I’d spent the last half hour admiring this woman downstairs, wondering if she would go home with Knox instead of me. But now, somehow, we were upstairs on the bed, my hand brushing her cheek like I was afraid she would vanish.
Her lips were soft and curious at first. Then they became hungry, searching my mouth with her own like it held the answer to the question she’d had all night. Everything else—the noise beneath us, the cheering down the hall, the stress of our first game on Saturday in front of a packed stadium—disappeared.
The kiss wasn’t perfect, not clean or careful. But it was real. It was electric.
It was the kind of feeling I’d been chasing for a long time.
Just as quickly as it began, she tore her lips away. She blinked up at me with those big eyes, then grinned and turned to Knox.
“Your turn. Let’s see if we have somechemistry.”
It was a strange sensation, sitting on the bed while the woman I just kissed now made out with my best friend. I wasn’t sure if I was still a participant, or if I was now relegated to spectator. I put a light hand on her back, which drew a long moan from her chest while her fingers laced into Knox’s hair.
Both of them were gasping when she pulled away. “Sorry,” she told me over her shoulder. “Knox is the better kisser.”
“He’s used to playing second fiddle to me,” Knox grinned while accepting the vodka bottle from Sloane. He took a swig.
“I was just getting warmed up,” I said, my hand sliding to her lower back. “Give me another shot.”
“Another shot!” Sloane announced happily, tilting back the vodka bottle.
“Don’t drinktoomuch,” I warned. “It would be a shame if you got too—”
She cut me off with another kiss, this time molding her entire upper body against mine. I folded my arms around her automatically, holding her close, wishing this perfect moment could go on forever. I churned my lips against hers, my tongue flicking out, conquering and claiming her mouth.
It was strange knowing that Knox was right on the other side of her, watching us. But it was kind of hot, too. Both of us were competitive by nature, so throwing us at the same woman heightened everything to averysexy degree. It took all my willpower not to throw her down on the bed, rip off her jeans, and show her just how talented I was with my mouth.
“Better!” she said when the kiss ended. “Much better. Drink!”
I accepted the bottle, taking a small sip. “Better than Knox?”
“Hmm.” She scrunched her beautiful face in thought. “I think we need more data.”
“Definitely need a larger sample size,” I agreed.
“See how much fun this is?” she drawled. “Relationships are overrated. They’re one big distraction.”
“Cheers to that,” Knox muttered.
“I’d rather have hot, no-strings-attached sex all year so I can focus on studying. I wish I could put some dick on retainer.”
She giggled at her own joke, and I laughed with her. “You’re hotandfunny? Girl, I think I’m in love.”
She grinned, then tapped me on the chest. “No love! Emotions are dumb. Only sex.”
“Only sex,” I agreed.
Sloane snatched the bottle out of my hand and took another drink.
“Hey, let’s slow down,” I said. “Maybe pump the brakes a little.”
“All gas, no brakes!” she replied, turning and crushing her lips against Knox’s again.
But while she threw herself at the big quarterback, his eye flashed open and he looked at me. I knew he was thinking the same thing.
She was drunk, and getting drunker by the second.
This didn’t feel right.
