Page 15 of West Bound

Without another word, he spins on his heel and walks out. CeCe scurries along, throwing me an irritated look over her shoulder.

“Who was that man you were speaking with before the press conference?”

I whip my head away from the exit where CeCe had just disappeared through and focus on Phoenix and his menacing look.

“A reporter. What’s it to you?”

His jaw clenches and the fire in his eyes grows intense. “What was he saying to you?”

I scoff and prod my hands on my hips. “I don’t think that’s any of your concern.”

I manage to get two steps away from him before I’m pulled back by my hand. “You looked angry. Did he do something to you?”

A sizzle of something I don’t want to admit to shoots up my arm. I snatch my hand out of his like it’s been held over fire and narrow my eyes at him.

“Again, not. Your. Concern. I can take care of myself and if you recall, I can handle assholes all on my own. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

In an instant, Phoenix goes from the cocky, confident professional athlete who could have any woman dropping her panties with a simple flash of his dimples, to looking like a little boy scolded. His shoulders round and he folds into himself. His eyes drop to the floor and he croaks, “I’m really sorry about that, Viv. I was a stupid punk kid. I never meant to–”

“Yeah, well you did!” I shout then take a calming breath because I will not let this man find the chink in my armor. “I have to go. Good luck, Phoenix. You are an asset to the team and I’m sure you will be successful.”

I turn away from him quickly and haul my ass out of the room like I’m being chased by the grim reaper himself. I don’t look back and I don’t let him see me crack.

I never will.

CHAPTER FIVE

PHOENIX

“Sweet Sweet” - Travis Scott

The swish of her hips has me hypnotized and the tough exterior she’s acquired over the years has me yearning for her more than I thought possible.

I want her…bad. And I think she wants me, too. I saw the way her pupils dilated when our hands touched and her breathing hitched. I recognized all of it because my reaction mirrored hers.

I stifle a groan as I watch the round globes of her ass bounce from side to side. Fuck, she has an amazing ass. She’s a petite little thing from her head to her toes. Perky breasts that would fit perfectly in my large hands and delicate ones that wouldn’t be able to wrap around the girth of my cock. But that ass. She must run, bike, walk a million steps a day because I can tell it’s firm.

I imagine sinking my teeth into it as I fuck her from behind. Would it jiggle if I smacked it? My dick grows dangerously hard when I picture it sliding in and out between her pale cheeks.

“Fuck me,” I whisper to no one, but somehow the guys tearing down the stage must hear me because on of them mutters, “I hear ya, brother.”

I look over my shoulder at him and see him watching the same view that disappears from sight. My teeth grind painfully. A deep inhale and exhale and the reminder that she isn’t mine–yet–has my raging hard on deflating.

I turn around searching for Luca and CeCe but find them nowhere in sight. Just Maury and a few of the Wranglers staff are still hanging around. I take a few steps towards them when my phone buzzes in my back pocket.

I pull it out and smile when I see the name.

“Bish. What up, brotha?”

“Niiixxx!” He whoops on the other end. “My boy. You’re finally here.”

I quirk a crooked smile at the comfort hearing his voice brings me. I have an older sister Sierra, whom I love dearly, but our relationship is typical for siblings that didn’t spend many years being raised in the same house. With her being twelve years older than me, our time together is locked in memories of her visiting during breaks and holidays when she was away at college.

We would do anything for each other, but we didn’t have the type of relationship where we talked daily. Shit, we didn’t even talk weekly. We had check-ins a couple times a month. Honestly, I’m closer with my niece, Anais, who just turned eighteen and is starting her senior year in high school than any other member of my family. I’m the cool uncle who she calls when she needs some advice that she can’t go to her parents with, or to simply complain about how bad it sucks being a teenager in a house where she’s treated like a child.

Typical teenager bullshit.

But Bishop is my brother in every sense of the word other than blood relation. I’m thankful to have him here in my new town. I could use some family time. And maybe a little advice on how to get in Viv’s good graces.

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