Page 32 of Bad Call
I dip down, gently pressing my lips to hers in a sweet kiss. “I know you won’t. Let’s just continue to embrace our second chance and see where it takes us. It’ll be a wildride, I’m sure. But you can’t convince me that we aren’t supposed to be on it together.”
I kiss her again, this time much more passionately, as I devour her like I can’t get enough. Then again, I’m still making up for lost time, so I think some extra action is allowed. She whimpers into my mouth when my hands knead at the flesh of her ass, but immediately pulls back when she feels my hardening cock against her stomach.
“No!” she scolds, her accusing finger right back in my face. I snap my teeth, only missing by an inch as she yanks it away, eyes rolling in annoyance before she backs out of my reach completely. “We’re already late, and now I need another shower. Keep that thing away from me.” Her gaze locks onto my dick for a split second, growling under her breath as it twitches in response.
She walks away, mumbling something about how insatiable I am. Unable to defend myself against that, I quietly follow her into the bathroom becauseI’m dirty, too. Unfortunately, she declines my offer to wash her boobs, accusing me of just wanting to feel her up again…which I also don’t attempt to defend, since it’s the truth.
We’re on the road within the hour, still managing to keep our schedule, although it’ll be tight. But I don’t care if we’re early, late, or never get there at all. As long as we’re together, we’re right where we need to be.
TWENTY-NINE
STELLA
“Stell!”Arden squeals as she hurries down the stone walkway in front of the cabin. She’s a mess, wearing pink sweatpants, a Florida Flare hoodie, and a pair of white tennis shoes that I’m guessing belong to one of her boyfriends, because they’re roughly five sizes too big. I laugh as she attempts to run at full speed, almost losing them with every step she takes.
Fuck, I missed her.
I scream like a maniac, abandoning Emmett’s hand that’s closed around mine and taking off, throwing myself into her open arms as we collide. The embrace is warm and familiar, over a year of being separated long forgotten now that we’re back together. We could spend decades apart, yet reunite as if no time was lost at all. After her season of playing volleyball in Argentina, we’re no strangers to making a long-distance friendship work.
“Let me look at you!” she says, pulling back. She scans my features, a knowing grin tugging at her plump lips as she wiggles her brows. I roll my eyes, ready for her toembarrass me, because that’s what we do. “Mhmm…freshly fucked. No wonder you’re late.” Her gaze flits over my shoulder. “Hello, Emmett.”
He chuckles, his hand immediately finding my lower back like he can’t stand not touching me. I melt into it, soaking in the heat from his body to combat the chill in the Pennsylvania air. “Arden. Nice to see you. Congrats on an amazing first season.” Her smile beams, mouth opening to speak, but a masculine voice cuts her off before she can.
“Princess, get the fuck inside before you catch a cold.” Jackson’s head pops out the door, his chestnut curls perfectly messy as ever. The girls in high school used to go nuts over him, but he only had eyes for Arden. Oddly enough, she didn’t see it like everyone else did, especially after they became step-siblings. But they got their shit together, and now they’re completely in love.
She throws her head back in annoyance. “That’s a myth, Jacks. You can’t get sick from cold weather. It’s not?—”
“Hellcat,” a deep timbre warns, the door opening all the way to reveal a tall, dangerous-looking man with black hair and deep blue eyes. Hawk Mason is the MLB’s most mysterious player, and the only person on this planet who can make Arden obey with a single look. But I know that he’d do literally anything to see her smile, because he’s just as obsessed with her as his best friend is. Their relationship is the most natural, beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t be happier that they found a way to love her out loud, the way she deserves.
“Fiiiiine,” she says, drawing out the word. “Let’s go inside. We’ll show you guys around.” Emmett keeps anarm around my waist as we trail up the steps, entering the gorgeous log cabin. The pictures do it absolutely no justice, with its natural wood flooring and rustic gold accents. The dark leather furniture gives it a cozy vibe as fire crackles and licks the air inside the stone fireplace. Large lighting fixtures hang from vaulted ceilings, while a wide staircase leads to the second-floor bedrooms. It’s all so gorgeous, making me feel right at home, tucked back in the woods on the outskirts of town.
“This place is amazing,” Emmett says, pulling Jackson in for a bro-hug before introducing himself to Hawk. They fall into a pretty easy conversation—probably about their respective teams—as Arden approaches with two mugs of hot cocoa before lifting her chin in invitation for me to follow her. We head to the back of the house, where warm air from an indoor heater blows around the enclosed porch. Crickets chirp in the distance, giving us the feel of being outside, only it isn’t freezing.
“So…” she implores, plopping down on the fluffy couch. I follow immediately, pulling my knees up to my chest as I get comfortable. “It looks like things are going well. Are you still just seeing where it goes? Or have you put a label on it?”
I shrug. “We said we were taking it one day at a time, but the pieces are falling back into place so effortlessly. I know I still have to face all the fears that made me leave to begin with, but I’m here. My only option is to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire, right?”
“I refuse to sugarcoat it, because that won’t do you any favors,” she replies. “Their lifestyle iseverythingyou were scared of, and then some. The road trips and the womenwho try to get next to them. Days at a time going by where they don’t even have time for a call because they’re either practicing, playing, or exhausted. I’m not saying this to worry you. I’m saying it because I want you to be prepared, so that when it comes, you don’t run again. You can do this, Stell. You should’ve been doing it all along.”
I swallow the anxious lump in my throat, letting her words really sink in. I’ve always known that my fears back then weren’t irrational. It was my reaction to those fears that cost me everything. Emmett deserved to be heard over the other voices in my head, but I let them drown him out. He’s giving me a second chance to do it right, and no matter how scary it all is, I need to remember the alternative—a lifetime of loneliness, because nobody could ever love me the way he does.
“I know,” I agree quietly. “He’s my home, Arden. I won’t lose him a second time. I’m in this.”
She smiles, her deep brown eyes soft with understanding as she takes a drink. I’m so grateful to have her, especially now that we’re going through the same experiences. She knows the journey I’m about to embark on, and I know that in my moments of weakness or unease, she’s only a phone call away. We’ll lean on one another, just like we always have, and everything will be okay.
“I was wondering where you snuck off to,” Hawk says as he enters the room, dropping a chaste kiss to the top of Arden’s head. “Jacks and Emmett ran out for snacks and drinks. We figured it would be fun to have a game night, then maybe we’ll check out some of the shops in town tomorrow if it’s not too cold.”
She raises a brow. “Youagreed to a game night? Lasttime we did that, you almost beat the shit out of Jackson for telling you that you couldn’t stack Draw 4 cards in Uno.”
He scoffs, a low growl rumbling up his chest as he recalls the memory. “That rule is bullshit, and you know it, Hellcat. We’re playing prison rules tonight. He’ll have cards coming out of his ass when I’m done with him.”
She rolls her eyes sarcastically, taking his outstretched hand as he pulls her up. I follow them through the main area of the house and up the stairs, where they show me to the room Emmett and I will be staying in. Our luggage is already lying on the bed, and my heart squeezes when I realize that I didn’t have to do it by myself. I guess I’m still not used to being taken care of after moving around the country all alone so many times. But I love the way it feels, sharing the weight of the world with someone who truly cares for me.
Spending the weekend in a little bubble with our friends is just what we need before returning to Cleveland, where I’ll continue to show Emmett that I’m all in on us.
THIRTY
EMMETT
