Chapter 7
Mind game: Messing with your opponent mentally.… Making them second-guess, overanalyze, or just in general think about what a dick you are instead of volleyball.
Skye’s gaze took in all of Jess’s seventy-four inches, lights pulsing, music thumping around them. Now her grin was sly. “I would love a drink.”
Skye asked the bartender for a margarita on the rocks, so Jess chose the same, then they squeezed through the mass of bodies to a ledge overlooking the dance floor.
“Cheers.” Jess tapped their glasses together.
“Cheers.” Skye took a sip without breaking eye contact.
Jess swallowed. “You played great today.”
“Thanks.” Skye propped both her elbows against the ledge. It made her back arch, in the most appealing way. She looked up at Jess through her lashes. “So did you.”
“Thank you.” Jess took a drink, worried the encounter was already teetering over from promising into awkward. She searched for something to say that would keep it where it was.
But there was no need to worry. Skye rescued it. “Would you like to dance?”
Jess nearly slumped with relief. “Sure.” They moved to join the sweaty, gyrating crowd.
Jess knew she wasn’t sexy on the dance floor like some women, but she had a decent sense of rhythm and didn’t think she embarrassed herself too much.
But Skye? Skye was one of the sexy ones.
Her hair tossed in that perfect only-in-commercials way, gaze sultry, while her hips churned in a hypnotic sway.
… Jess had trouble tearing her eyes off of them, in fact.
Skye danced closer and closer to her, until it was natural for Jess to slide her fingers around—
An elbow jabbed her right in the ribs. “Ouch!” Jess turned. The elbow was, of course, attached to Vivienne.
“Oh, sorry—Button! It’s you!” A drunk Vivienne.
Her eyes were hazy and a strand of hair was actually out of place across her forehead.
She swayed, then leaned in and touched Jess’s arm.
“I am so sorry. Do you think your elbow will be okay?” She smelled like a soon-to-be-fired baker—vanilla and tequila.
“My elbow? You’re the one who elbowed me.” Jess had to shout above the music.
Vivienne snickered. “You know, you’re right. My elbow. I hope my elbow is okay.”
Skye, meanwhile, had stopped dancing and was watching the exchange with interest. “Vivienne, is it?” she interjected, extending a hand to shake. “I’ve heard so much about you.”
Vivienne did her best to focus on Skye without acknowledging her waiting hand. “Have you, now? I’m afraid I have no idea who you are.”
Jess rolled her eyes. Classic Vivienne. “This is Skye. She played the last match today.”
“How lovely to meet you,” Vivienne said with over-enunciated syllables. “I’m Vivienne.” Now she took Skye’s hand for a dainty shake.
“I guess we’ve covered that,” Jess muttered. Over Vivienne’s head, she made brief eye contact with Lee, who was watching Vivienne with an amused look.
“It was great to meet you,” Skye said, “but Jess and I are dancing, if you don’t mind.”
Vivienne narrowed her eyes. “I assure you, I do not mind in the slightest. Watch out for her elbows. She’s very tall.”
“For fuck’s sake, it wasn’t my—” Jess started, but Vivienne was already out of earshot, looping an arm around Lee and laughing. “God, what a nightmare,” she mumbled.
“What?” Skye smiled and gulped the rest of her drink.
“Oh, nothing,” Jess said. “Forget about her.”
“Forget about who?” Skye put her hands on Jess’s hips and started dancing again, and with her body close, moving to the rhythm, Jess forgot all about Vivienne, too.
Two drinks later, a slow song came on. Skye tilted her head and raised her eyebrows in question. Jess stepped closer and slid her arms around Skye’s waist in answer.
Skye took hold of Jess’s shoulders. “I’m really glad I met you tonight.”
Goose bumps swept over Jess’s skin. “Me, too.”
Skye leaned into Jess’s chest and rested her head on her shoulder.
Jess held her tighter, hands drifting on their own to rest at the top of Skye’s sexy butt.
They swayed together, a tingle building inside Jess’s ribcage. Skye was sweet and hot, there was no doubt about that, and she seemed to be enjoying the attention, and maybe even Jess’s company. Did Jess dare to hope that she, too, could be graced by the magic of Horny Beach?
“Do you want to go back to my place?” Skye whispered when the song ended.
A pulse of desire throbbed low in Jess’s gut. “Yes.” She quickly found Tania in the crowd while Skye went to the bathroom.
Tania, sweaty and a bit drunk herself, was dancing with Chrissy and a few of the others.
“Hey, I’m heading out with Skye,” Jess said into her ear.
Tania flung an arm around her and squeezed her shoulders. “That’s my girl.”
Jess’s cheeks, already hot from the dancing and drinking, heated further. “Leave a key for me at the front desk?”
Tania nodded with a knowing grin. “Take your time, Button.”
Face aflame, Jess went to collect Skye. “Let’s go,” she said, taking Skye’s hand and lacing their fingers together.
They spilled out the front door onto the sidewalk, laughing as they bumped into each other. Even in the warm evening, the fresh air was still a delight after the hot, cramped bar.
Skye tugged Jess’s hand toward the ocean. “Let’s walk along the beach. My place is just down there.”
It was a romantic setting, that was for sure.
Jess’s heart raced as they walked, trying to take in the sight.
Skye was so beautiful in the moonlight, with the purple sand, black water, and silver pinpricks of light sweeping across the sky.
Her hair danced in the breeze, and her laugh was like music, drifting up to the stars.
Jess stopped, pulled Skye closer, and kissed her.
Skye made a happy noise and wasted no time wrapping her arms around Jess as she kissed her back.
“Mmm, I was waiting for you to do that,” Skye whispered when they pulled their lips apart.
“Yeah?” Jess’s heart pounded. “Can I do it again?”
“Yes, but…” Skye pressed their lips together and plastered her body right up against Jess’s. “I’m going to need you to do a lot more than that. My place is just up here.…”
Skye turned and skipped, laughing, away from the shore and up a wooden path that ran between two condos. Jess followed.
Skye’s apartment building was a block from the beach, and the second her door closed behind them, she was all over Jess. A deep, wet kiss, then Skye peeled Jess’s tank top off and tossed it behind her.
“Is this okay?” she asked, fingers resting on the button to Jess’s jean shorts. “God, I want you so bad.”
“Yes,” Jess breathed, lifting Skye’s dress and sliding her hands underneath it. She floated the dress right over Skye’s head and let it drift to the ground. Skye wasn’t wearing a bra—a fact Jess was well aware of already—and now in the dark hallway she looked so good it hurt.
She picked Skye up and carried her to her bedroom.
Skye rolled over in the tangled sheets and let out a happy moan. “God, that was good.”
Jess kissed her bare shoulder. “Agreed.”
Skye raised her arms above her head and stretched. “Too bad I have a game tomorrow.…”
“Oh.” Jess processed the words for a moment. “You want me to go?”
“I don’t want you to go.… But you probably should, so I can get some sleep. Or else…” Skye kissed her again, a reminder of how easy it would be to lose the entire night.
“Mmm … Fair enough.” Jess slipped off the bed and collected her underwear and shorts from the floor.
Skye reached for her phone from her bedside table. “What’s your number?”
Jess told her while she stepped into her shorts.
Skye sent Jess a text—It’s Skye, with a blue heart emoji—then propped her head up with her hand. “You know what, I take it back, you should stay.” She reached out her other hand with a pout. “Please.”
Jess laughed and retrieved her bra from the dresser where it had landed. “You do need some sleep. It’s fine.”
Skye rolled onto her stomach, feet kicking idly in the air. “You don’t have a game tomorrow?”
“Nope. Only a couple of the Sunside teams do.”
“So you can watch me play?”
“For sure.” Jess looked for her tank top for a few seconds, then remembered it was in the hallway.
“Do you want me to call you a cab?” Skye asked.
“Nah, I can walk. It’s not far.”
“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“See you tomorrow.” Jess leaned down for one more kiss, then found her tank top on the way out. She pulled it on and slipped out of the front door, trying not to think about leaving a gorgeous, naked woman behind.
Meandering down the beach, Jess felt lighter than she had in months.
A win on the court and off, the smell of a beautiful girl still on her skin.
… Maybe this was shaping up to be an awesome summer.
At the hotel, she paused outside the front door to admire the stars for a moment.
On one of the balconies a few floors above, someone else stood, gazing at the stars, too.
Jess gave into the impulse to wave up at them.
She felt like being friendly to all the world.
The figure didn’t wave back, but disappeared into their room just as a shooting star streaked across the sky.
Jess smiled up at the night. Definitely the start of an amazing summer.
Jess stared at the coffee maker, squinting against the bright light, head pounding. Where the fuck does the pod go?
The door to their room opened and Tania stuck her head in. “Jess? Oh good, you’re up! I was worried you were going to miss the matches.”
Jess tried to focus on her, but left one eye screwed shut. “What time is it?”
“Twelve thirty. Half an hour until game time.”
“Twelve thirty? Damn.”
“What time did you get back? It must have been after three.”
“Four,” Jess admitted.
Tania grinned. “So it went well with Skye?”
A flush crept over her cheeks, as usual. “Yeah.”
Tania shook her hips in a mini celebration dance. “You want to tell me all about it?”
Jess covered her face with her hands. “No,” she replied, her voice muffled.