Page 42 of Hard Ball

“Let’s go,” I whisper into her ear as she nods slightly. I lead us away from Cole and toward the theater. But of course, the bastard has to follow.

“Come on, Harper, nothing to say?”

We keep walking, trying to ignore him as best we can, but Harper is shaking beside me, and I know that if he doesn’t leave soon, I will do everything in my power to remove him. No matter the consequences.

“How about you, Josh? How does it feel to know you got my sloppy seconds?”

My girl freezes, clenching her eyes closed, and that’s when all my control breaks.

“Okay, that’s it.” I spin around, letting go of Harper, and almost run right into Cole as he abruptly steps back.

There is pure hatred in his gaze, and I know he sees me as a threat, and he should because I’m not going anywhere.

“For the last time, asshole, I need you to leave her alone. I know you have some deranged notion that she belongs to you, but I’m afraid you’re wrong. At least while I’m around.”

He doesn’t say a word, his eyes continuing to bore into mine. My pulse is racing, and I know if this goes on much longer, my fists will end up lodged in his damn face. Harper must sense it because she reaches for my arm and the warmth of her skin on mine snaps me out of my rage-induced haze.

“Can we please go?” she whispers, pulling me away from Cole. “We’re going to be late for the movie.”

I reluctantly turn around and start to walk away with my hand in hers.

“You okay?” I ask, trying to figure out if she wants to leave, but instead, she takes my hand and leads me into the dark theater. We sit in silence, and my mind turns as it thinks about Cole and how I’m going to make sure he stays away from her.

“I need to figure out how to get him to leave me alone. I’ve told him more than once I’m not interested anymore. I even threatened to call the cops,” she admits, and I turn to her confused. She should definitely do that. “Before you say anything, his dad is the chief of police, so it won’t do any good. It’ll only make him worse.”

I take a deep breath, trying not to let the anger that’s coursing through my body affect her in any way.

“He obviously wants something. What do you think it is?” Even as I ask the question, I know the answer. Her. He wants her.

“You know he wants me. Seeing me with you makes him realize his chances are slim to none and I think he believes he’s still in love with me.”

I don’t miss the fact that she says “he thinks” because I know that he doesn’t actually love her, only the idea of her.

“You make him crazy,” she whispers against my neck and I can’t help it, my lips find their way across her jaw and down her neck. She sinks into the seat as I erase the memory of Cole with every pass of my lips.

“Well, he’s going to have a very hard time getting me away from what I want,” I mumble against her. She swallows, trying her best to find her voice.

“And what do you want?” she asks breathlessly.

I would give my left leg to be alone with her right now. All I want to do is sink so deep inside her that I can’t figure out where I end and she begins.

I stop kissing her for a second, our eyes locking as I frame her face with the palms of my hands. “You,” I say matter-of-factly. “All I want is you,” I growl, placing a hungry kiss on her lips. “All of you.”

She kisses me back with everything she has and the minute my tongue tangles with hers, the kiss ignites, and my cock hardens even more. God, I want to flip her over and have her feel exactly what she’s doing to me right now. I’m just about to haul her over to my lap when the lights dim and the movie starts. I slow the kiss, lightly biting her bottom lip until her eyes fall to mine. I wink as I turn back in my seat and stare forward, watching the opening credits.

The past two hours have been torture. I’ve tried to pay attention to the movie but all I can seem to do is watch as Harper crosses and then uncrosses her legs, tempting me with what’s hiding beneath the short hem of her skirt.

“You okay?” she whispers, her voice low as her fingers play with the buttons of my shirt.

Before I register what’s happening, my hand is on her thigh, squeezing tight.

“What are you doing?” she asks as I lean over, smiling against her neck as my tongue darts out, licking up toward her ear.

“What you’ve wanted me to do for the past two hours,” I say right before I take her lips in a kiss that starts off soft but quickly turns into something more.

Her fingers grip the front of my shirt as I devour her, wishing with everything in me that we weren’t in public right now.

“Do you want to get out of here?” she says against my lips, pulling me even closer as her lips make it almost impossible for me to respond.

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