Page 70 of Hotshot

Sloane.

Silky. Sultry. There.

Ella risked a glance upwards, and saw there was another ‘S’ to add to her list.

Sweaty.

Two more.

Still sexy.

Their reconnection and the effect on Ella made it feel like this shouldn’t be done on a pitch in public, but rather just the two of them. But she couldn’t change facts, no matter how much she wanted to reach out, kiss Sloane, drag her inside and strip her kit off. That would have to wait. Funny how Ella had spent the past week agonising over what may or may not happen, but when she laid eyes on Sloane, what should happen seemed like a simple answer.

They should be together. However long it might last.

“Good to see you back on the pitch.” Ella’s voice came out normal. A good sign. “How’s the ankle holding up?”

“Well.” Sloane held her gaze as she spoke.

Ella was glad she had bones, otherwise she might have melted onto the pitch there and then.

“I’m ahead of schedule. I had a lot of time to work on it over New Year. I had a final scan yesterday, and got the go ahead to kick a ball again. It’s one of the best feelings I’ve had over recent weeks.”

One of them. Ella swallowed down hard as the memory of the other feeling assaulted her senses. Yep, she could still feel Sloane inside her over a week on. Wanted her back there. She took a deep breath. “Great news, I’m thrilled for you.”

“Thanks.” Sloane turned to Nat. “Seeing as I can’t leather a ball yet, and you can, let’s do some penalty practice. I’ll watch.”

At Nat’s enthusiastic, “Yeah!”, Sloane turned to Ella. “Didn’t you say your dream was to score a goal at the main stadium?”

Ella nodded. She had said that. It still stood.

“Then you’re coming, too. Get warmed up, because the work up to that starts here.”

When it was Sloane doing the talking, Ella didn’t need much persuasion. She jogged after Nat and Becca, Sloane falling into step beside her. Every hair on Ella’s body stood to attention. She hadn’t realised this was how things were going to be when she got back. Sloane was like that Cadbury’s Wispa she left in the fridge so she had “something sweet”, just in case the urge took her. Yet half the time she opened the fridge, she devoured it in five minutes. She had no control over her feelings for either.

It scared her and excited her all at the same time.

“It’s great to see you, even here. I missed you.”

Sloane’s words slid down her like honey. “I missed you, too.”

That was all the chat they got. While Nat fired some shots at Becca, Ella and Sloane knocked the ball back and forth for five minutes to get her warmed up. Sloane even insisted on some sprints and stretches. “You’ve been sitting on your butt all day.”

“Excuse me! I’ve been strategising and moulding young sporting minds.”

“While mainly sitting on your butt.” Sloane gave her a wide grin as she walked close to her. “And looking gorgeous as you do it,” she whispered as she walked past.

Her words were champagne bubbles in Ella’s chest.

“When you two have quite finished.” Nat raised an eyebrow. “Do you want a go now?” She offered Ella the ball.

She nodded and took it. She’d hammered a few balls during training, but this was different. This was like she was back in her playing days. She’d taken a few penalties in her time, but not nearly as many as Sloane. Just imagining how she put them in under pressure made her appreciate her skill more. Penalties were 25 per cent practice, 75 per cent mindset.

Ella put the ball on the spot, took five steps back, eyeballed Becca, then side-footed the ball into her arms. She flung her head back and let out a small shout of frustration.

“You need to relax. You’re too tight.” Sloane walked up behind her. “You’re overthinking it. Relax.” She picked up the ball Becca had just rolled their way. Sloane locked her gaze with Ella. “Think about where you want to put it. How to strike it, where your body weight needs to be. See it going in. Take a deep breath. Run-up with purpose. Don’t lean back.”

Ella frowned. “I’m sure penalties never used to be this difficult.”

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