Page 71 of Hotshot

Sloane grinned. “That’s because you were used to taking them. You knew instinctively what to do. If you’re going to score on the big stage, you’ve got to start somewhere. Here is as good a place as any.” Sloane placed the ball on the spot, then stepped back.

Ella’s heartbeat thudded in her ears. She wanted to score this; it was important. She’d told the team she used to play. She didn’t want to be seen as a relic, a has-been. More than that though, it was also important to show Sloane she could. She wanted to impress her new lover.

She took another deep breath, focused on the bottom right corner, opened up her body and slammed the ball home. Relief flooded through. Ella wheeled away, arms in the air, and there to meet her was Sloane. Without thinking, she ran into her open arms and crushed her.

“Fucking yes! Still got it!”

Sloane picked her up and spun her around, before depositing her on the ground. “You certainly have.” Then she paused, as Nat re-spotted the ball. “Now do it again.”

Half an hour later, it was just Ella and Sloane still out on the pitch. Sloane wanted to jog more to get her back in the motion, and Ella joined her. They followed the touchline, not talking, but just the simple act of doing it together was enough.

After 15 minutes, Sloane slowed, Ella did the same, and they made their way towards the changing rooms. Ella had a million questions slaloming around her head, but she had no idea which one to go with first. Perhaps none of them. She pushed open the door and Sloane brushed past her, pressing into Ella more than was strictly necessary. Ella was all for it. But she had to keep her head here. They both needed a shower. Which meant they both had to get naked.

Which she could totally cope with.

Sloane sat on the wooden bench of the changing rooms and took off her boots. She wiggled her toes and massaged her ankle.

“Still in working order?” Ella asked.

“I hope so.” Sloane took off her socks and rolled them into a ball. Then she turned to Ella. “Are we going to talk about the elephant in the room? What you heard me say to Nat. Who, by the way, has been the soul of discretion.”

“I know.”

Sloane reached out and trailed her fingertips down Ella’s thigh.

Ella stilled. Just the slightest touch from Sloane sent her senses into overdrive. It was delicious, but crazy.

“But I only told Nat the truth: that we didn’t know what this was yet.”

The heat inside Ella cooled for a moment. Where was Sloane going with this?

“I really want to see where this goes, but I know we need to talk about it first. We didn’t find much time to do that over Christmas.”

Ella swallowed down a huge breath. “We didn’t.” Her gaze raked Sloane’s body. She’d found plenty of time for that.

“Do you feel the same?”

“That I want to touch you right now?” She couldn’t hold those words in no matter how hard she tried. “God, yes.” Ella moved closer. “I know we need to talk too, but...”

Sloane moved along the bench and pressed her lips to Ella’s, igniting her desire like a match flicked onto spilled petrol.

Ella’s memories of their kisses weren’t a lie. Lying in bed at her aunt’s, she’d recalled the way Sloane’s lips unlocked something in her, something pure, primal. This time around, it was the same all over again. She’d spent the long, lonely nights imagining what they might do. Her dreams had them coming together at her flat, or at Sloane’s. Not at work. But apparently, leaving them alone in a secluded place for a few minutes was the trigger for them to press play after their prolonged pause. When she pulled back moments later, they were both breathless.

Sloane’s eyes were dark, mesmerising.

Ella stood and held out a hand. “I only have about 45 minutes before I have to leave for a client. Shall we get clean?”

Sloane’s cheeks coloured pink. She stood and stripped off her training top.

Saliva flooded Ella’s mouth. She wanted to take Sloane’s breasts in her hands and lick them.

They hit the showers together, naked, neither saying a word. Ella lathered her hair with the club’s apple-scented shampoo, and Sloane did the same. Then she washed herself, and Sloane echoed the action. Ella’s ears were perked in case somebody came in. Her eyes were on Sloane the whole time, and vice versa. This was hands-off foreplay of the highest level. By the time they were done, Ella could hardly breathe.

It was only when they were both clean that Ella turned off her shower, then Sloane’s, and stepped into her space, her skin pink and shiny from the hot steam. She pressed her palms to Sloane’s breasts.

Sloane closed her eyes and let out a small moan. “Fuck, I missed you.”

Ella stepped closer still, until their mouths were centimetres apart.

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