Page 59 of Puck You
You thought about it too.
Give me three good reasons why you shouldn’t have sex with him.
I have class!Talk later.
Sam just sent me an eye-rolling emoji in response.
Chapter 15
Grace
As the days grew colder, my resolve began to melt.I felt as if there there was an inferno trapped within me, and it was all thanks to Sebastian Evans.Each day, he added a little more fuel to the fire in the form of salacious smiles and shameless flirting.And the worst part?I enjoyed it.Despite every instinct, every red flag or warning sign, my will to resist grew weaker.The walls I’d constructed around myself were beginning to crack.Out of pure desperation for relief from the heat, I resorted to my least favorite form of recovery: an ice bath.
By the time I lowered myself into the tub of freezing water, the recovery room was practically empty.The pain hit me immediately, stealing the air from my lungs and forcing a slow hiss from between my lips.The first minute was always the worst.You had to ignore every nerve that screamed in agony and every instinct that demanded you retreat from the freezing water.But the payoff was well worth the bitter burn.Cold water immersionhad the power to minimize muscle soreness, improve performance, and reduce the risk of injury.It was an important part of the recovery process that I forced myself to undergo, despite how much I loathed it.
I was nearly numb when the sound of sloshing ice water caught my attention.A pair of familiar veiny hands gripped the edge of the other immersion tub.Sebastian pushed himself up a moment later, water pouring over his naked chest and down the hard lines of his stomach in thin rivulets.His body was a lethal weapon, honed to perfection through pure dedication.I couldn’t tear my gaze away as he stepped out of the bath.Now that he was playing nice, or rather fighting by way of flirting, it had become harder and harder to ignore our chemistry.I had to remind myself of our past, but even that wasn’t enough to stop me from grinning like an idiot during our playful chats in the library or feeling a tingle of warmth when he caught my eyes from across the lunch table.There was so much pent-up tension between us.I wanted to give in to the temptation, but I was sure that if I did, he’d reveal this was all just a game.
The right side of his lip was curved into a smug expression, one that told me he knew exactly how close I was to succumbing.It wasn’t ideal, this power he held over me.Right now, I needed to level the playing field.It was the only way to gain some control over the situation.Without hesitating, I hauled myself out of the bath and into the blessedly warm air.Two could play this game.Sebastian’s jaw tightened at the sight of my body, his hands curling into fists.His gaze seared into my skin like the needle of a tattoo gun, little bolts of electricity dancing across my flesh.He studied me languidly, starting at the line of my neck and moving across the expanse of my exposed collarbone.It wasn’t untilSebastian glimpsed my hardened nipples that his pupils blew wide.
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as I stepped out of the freezing water.Feeling emboldened by his reaction, I turned my back on Sebastian and slowly bent over to grab my towel.A wicked smirk danced across my lips as I stood, spun around, and dragged the fluffy material over my body, wicking up the moisture dripping down my skin.Without breaking eye contact, I slowly pulled on my discarded sweatpants and T-shirt, enjoying the way his jaw ticked.Satisfaction coursed through me as I sauntered as toward Sebastian’s rigid form.When I was near enough to see the gooseflesh that pebbled his skin, I slowed, looked him up and down, and inched closer—close enough that we were practically touching, his warm breath fanning over my face as I tipped my head back to meet his eyes.
“You might need another ice bath,” I whispered, eyes trailing down to take in the bulge at the front of his shorts.
He was speechless as I shoved past his trembling form toward the women’s locker room.I’d barely made it through the door when a burning hand latched on to my wrist and tugged, pulling me around.In three swift steps, Sebastian herded me inside.My back hit the tiled wall as the door clicked shut.He was so close that I could feel the heat pouring off him in waves, his arms braced against the wall on either side of my head.My brain glitched as Sebastian leaned forward to brush his lips along the side of my neck.
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Grace,” he said, voice low and full of something that promised sweet torture.
Part of me wanted to reach out and beg for what he was offering.I held still, the vein in my neck pulsing in rhythm withthe beat of my heart.I forced my lips apart, breath whooshing out in a rasp.
“You started it.”
Despite the warning signal blaring inside my head, I willed myself to meet his emerald eyes.There was little green in them now, his pupils blown wide, the black expanding even further as we locked gazes.I felt something low in my stomach clench at the thought of our lips touching, at the very possible reality of our bodies colliding.
His voice was a dangerous growl as he said, “No,youstarted it the moment you stepped onmyice.”
“It’s not just your ice anymore.”I spoke the words in a whisper, as if I was scared to hear them myself.
“You’re right,” he said, hand reaching up to grip my neck in a gentle, commanding hold.His thumb cupped the side of my jaw as his fingers splayed across my throat.“I’ve finally warmed up to the idea of sharing.”
I had no time to process his words.Sebastian’s lips collided with mine in a searing explosion.The kiss instantly transported me back to his lake house, to the long dock that stretched out across the water, surrounded by a darkness that only intensified the sensation of our mouths devouring each other.I chased after that feeling desperately, jumping up and wrapping my legs around his waist as his hands dropped, fingers digging into the flesh of my ass.Everywhere we touched, there was a blazing fire that had the power to consume us both and leave nothing in its wake but ashes.
Sebastian’s tongue entered my mouth slowly, easing inside as my fingers found the damp strands of his hair.We moaned into each other as the frenzy enveloping us heightened.I wantedto be even closer to him, to feel every inch of his bare skin against mine.He pulled away for the sole purpose of removing my clothes, reaching for the bottom of my shirt only to hesitate.I made the decision for him in one swift motion, pulling the damp material over my head and tossing it on the floor.And then, as if feeling the need to even the playing field, I gripped the material of my sports bra and tossed that away as well.
Air kissed my bare breasts.Sebastian froze.His hungry eyes devoured every inch of my exposed skin, the ravenous expression he wore shooting molten pleasure straight to my veins.His large hand snaked up my torso and traced along the bottom of my breast.His fingers danced across my skin, inching further and further up until they found the peak of my nipple.I hissed as he pinched the sensitive flesh between his fingers.The sensation shot straight to my core.I threw my head back and ground my hips into Sebastian.
“Sensitive, are we?”he rasped into my ear before lowering his head to take my nipple in his mouth.
The sound I made was truly undignified, somewhere between a whine and a moan.He teased me slowly, trailing his tongue across my burning skin before his teeth gently scraped across my nipple.
“Sebastian,” I gasped, threading my fingers through his hair and tugging his head away from my chest.
He looked at me in a way no one had ever looked at me before, like he was entirely consumed with the mere sight of my face.
His next words were nothing short of a demand.“Say that again.”
A playful smile broke through my lustful haze.Somethingin me couldn’t help but tease him.“Say what again?”
“Say my name like a good girl, and I promise you’ll be screaming it very soon.”
