Page 30 of Craving the Player

Chapter Fourteen

BRADEN

Rain pelts down from the dark sky, soaking into the material of my t-shirt, making it cling to my skin. The temperature seems to drop with the press of abutton. Ishiver, soaked through and through.

“Seriously? What next? Being struck by lightning? Stepping into an ankle deep puddle and losing my shoe?” Sierra shouts from behind me, the anger in her words so prevalent that Ibegin to feel guilty for leaving her standing there alone and upset.

Ican feel aball of flaming anger bounce around in my stomach for the way I’macting, but Ineed to walk away. Ineed to leave her there and brush off the feeling of protectiveness that’snow burrowing itself in my chest. It’sanew, uncomfortable feeling that Iknow right away Idon’tlike nor have any reason to be contemplating in the first place.

Then Ithink about her boss and the way he watched her when she got back to their table—like she was aforbidden fruit that he couldn’twait to take anice juicy bite out of. Yet he didn’tstand up for her, not once, when she was belittled right in front of him.

It pissed me the fuck off and Iknew that Ihad to do something. Sierra puts on ahefty image of perfection and bravery in front of others, but she’snot made out of impenetrable armour. Nobody is.

But regardless of what Iknow I should do, Istand here in the rain anyway, watching her shake like afucking leaf in the middle of abusy parking lot and wonder how I’msupposed to put distance between us when she’sstanding so defeated, soaked from head to toe and stranded without adamn car. I’mnot exactly the good guy, but I’mnot the bad guy either.

Sighing, Ispin around on my heels and choke back alaugh. With drenched brown locks sticking to her pink cheeks, head thrown back and eyelids fluttered shut, Sierra looks beautiful—peaceful even, even though Iknow she feels the opposite. Idon’tbother fighting back my grin as Ipush my sopping hair away from my face and watch her, the view uninterrupted.

She drops her head now, staring at her open-toed shoes. Her head shakes, fists clenching and unclenching at her sides. The tension in her shoulders keeps her body rigid as she kicks at acement barricade and groans in pain. She looks like she wants to light the world on fire and watch it burn to ash. It’sasight that has me on the balls of my feet, anxious to be by her side so we can do it together. God knows how much Iwould love to watch every single one of my problems burn to ash.

“You want aride?” The offer slips out before Ican stop myself. Five minutes ago Iwas ready to leave her out here alone and delete her number before Iended up walking off the edge of acliff, falling face first into an abyss of the unknown. Now I’moffering her aride home? My head is sending me more mixed signals than the milfs Isee at the gym.

Sierra’spretty pink lips part when she spins around, relief washing over her, tense shoulders dropping. If she were offended by my offer, she didn’tshow it. “Uh, yeah. Sure. If you don’tmind.”

Ireach into my pocket and dangle my car keys in the air with abrief nod to let her know that it’snot abig deal. “It’sthe red one.” Ihead for my car but stop after acouple of steps, suddenly frozen in place, watching as her eyes begin to shine and her bottom lip trembles ever so slightly.

An ache grows in my chest the longer my feet stay glued to the concrete. My body is at war with itself, an inner turmoil of unknown feelings and alarming reactions making me gulp for air, hoping to clear my head. And when Icome to terms with the hard fact that I’ve never found myself in this position before—being somebody that might be able to bring comfort to someone else—Iwant to turn and run faster than Idid when Ifirst attempted to leave her in the parking lot. Yet alarger part of me wants to be exactly what Sierra needs to feel comforted, to dry the fat tear cascading down her cheek before more follow after it.

When Iacknowledge that Iwon’tbe able to keep my distance any longer with the deep-rooted frown pulling at her mouth, Icall her name. The sound is gruff and almost angry, regardless of how hard Itry to come off gentle and unaffected.

She doesn’trespond, just wraps her arms around herself in what Ican only assume to be away of warming herself up. Seeing her trembling from amixture of her soaking wet clothes, the cold, and her inner struggle makes me close the distance between us. Iwrap my arm around her shoulder and tuck her into my chest with aheavy, guilt-laced sigh. “You’re going to get sick.”

Sierra exhales ashuddered breath while leaning into me, but she keeps her arms by her sides. Itry not to think too much of it and focus on the way her breathing begins to steady instead, each puff of hot air creating aburning sensation on my frozen chest. Her touch is electric, sparking under the water running off our bodies. The tingle it leaves on my skin makes it hard to focus—hard to remember where and who we are. It’saddicting. It enthralls me and makes my brain fuzzy. Ifight to keep my thoughts in place but manage to distract myself with the sounds of raindrops smacking car roofs and windshields, tires screeching on wet pavement, and voices chatting in the restaurant behind us.

I’ve never been so grateful for mindless background noise in my life.

When Ithink she’sabit more relaxed, Itry again to lead us to my car, desperate to both get out of the rain before we come down with hypothermia and get away from Sierra so that Ican breathe again.

“Wait. Not yet.” She pulls away until we’re afew inches apart and presses her hands to my pecs, fingers splayed out. She wears alook of embarrassment that has my jaw tightening, agrowl of frustration vibrating in my chest. It was the same embarrassment that Isaw when she reached her table inside, and having her look at me the same way has my fists clenching until my palms burn, letting me know that I’ve broken the thick skin with my nails.

“I’msorry if Iembarrassed you back there. Ishould have been able to handle them myself,” she whispers, her voice thick with emotion, sounding utterly defeated. Her thumbs rub my wet shirt over and over before she grips it in afist.

Furrowing my eyebrows, Ishake my head. “You shouldn’thave had to handle them in the first place. And Imeant what Isaid before. It wasn’tabig deal.” Ifeel myself shrugging.

“It was abig deal to me.”

It was?

She nods, letting her eyes drop to my mouth. Her reaction has me realizing that Isaid my words out loud. But Idon’thave time to kick myself in the ass about it before she’spressing her lips gently against mine. Iblink afew times before kissing her back, tasting her tears and fighting back the urge to go inside and throw my fist around. Ibusy myself touching her instead, using her body to calm and steady me. Igrab her face in my hands and try to warm her skin by rubbing my thumbs across her sharp cheekbones.

We need to get to the car. Iknow that Ineed to get us warm, but when Imove my hands to her hips and pull her flush against me, Idon’tthink my legs would move even if Itried. Aset of furious shivers rack through my body, but I’mnot sure if it’sfrom the cold anymore.

The rain continues pounding down around us and our clothes are soaked, yet neither of us care. The only thing Icare about right now is how good her chest feels pressed up against mine and how badly she makes me want to be inside of her. Whether it be in apublic bathroom, my bed, or outside in the pouring rain, Ican’tget enough of her. Icould spend all day with my mouth against hers.

Her lips part as she pulls away, yet manages to stay close enough to brush her nose against mine. “Can you bring me home now?”

Idon’tneed to be asked twice.

Sierra flicks her bedroom light on before slowly turning to me—wearing acoy, almost shy smile—and pushing off her wet dress. She lets what was once light-blue fabric fall to the ground with athump, so wet that it must weigh afew pounds. Her eyes shine with aplayfulness that has my lips twitching.

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