20. Othelia
Chapter twenty
Othelia
1215, 1216…
Butterflies build in my stomach as I move closer to his door, clenching his coat tighter. The lingering scent of cologne spurring me on.
1217.
Without hesitation, I bite my lip, denying any chance for second thoughts and knock on the door.
A few seconds later, the door swings open. I have to clench my jaw to stop it from hitting the floor.
Fuck .
Over the last few months, I assumed my brain had exaggerated the memory of his body. How can he look hotter since I last saw him? The definition across his chest and his abs are more pronounced, like he’s been working out more.
He leans against the door, his arms crossed, gray sweats hanging low on his hips, a V of muscles and tattoos. My eyes betray me as they track down to a dusting of dark hair at the edge of the elastic.
When I realize I’ve been staring at his abs for what seems like longer than acceptable, I cough and look down the hall, attempting to hide my ogling. When I look back at him, the smirk on his face lets me know he knows exactly where my eyes have been traveling, but he says nothing as he waits for me to speak.
“I… Uh… You left this in the lobby.” I hold out his coat as he uncrosses one arm to reach out and our fingers touch over the fabric. Both of our eyes fall towards the point of contact. They linger there for a second before he pulls the coat towards himself.
“Thanks,” he huskily replies, but the fire in his eyes from the pool is back while he takes his time checking me out. His smirk only grows bolder when his perusal gets to my chest, and he finds my nipples have stiffened under his gaze. I feel them press against the fabric of my lace bra. A pleasurable friction builds, almost coaxing a moan from me.
“I should… be getting back,” I stammer, my face turning red as I cross my arms, feeling vulnerable without his coat to shield me. I gesture towards the elevator before I turn to leave, but feel like I should apologize for venting in the lobby.
“I’m sorry about earlier. You’ve had a long day and the last thing you probably needed was to come back to your hotel and have to deal with me pouring out my life story in the hotel lobby while soothing my screaming niece. You left before I could say that I appreciated the help, even if it didn’t seem like it. So thank you and sorry. I promise to reign in my crazy on future road trips.”
He just stares at me.
My mind blanks as I awkwardly stare back at him and then I blurt out the first question that comes to my mind: “Why did you walk away in the pool?” I wince as the question leaves my lips. “Never mind, that was a dumb question. You don’t need to... I uh… Thanks.” Turning to leave once again, I shake my head at my stupidity.
“Do you really not know why?”
“Nope, never mind. You’re right. It was pretty damn clear,” I say over my shoulder as I take another step away. Warmth wraps around my wrist as his hand grasps me, halting my exit.
Rook pulls me to face him, but I look to the floor, flushing. I’ve already faced his rejection once. Why did I do this to myself again? I don’t need yet another person to tell me I’d be so much prettier if I lost a little weight or smiled more.
“Look at me, Rockstar.” That damn nickname. But I stand firm on my refusal to look at him. No part of me can handle the next words out of his mouth, especially if I’m looking at his face when he does it.
I will myself not to cry. I won’t let these tears fall in front of him. I won’t let him know how much his rejection in the pool hurt me.
He must realize I have no plans to look at him because he takes my chin between his thumb and forefinger and pulls me towards him, giving me no choice but to look him in the eyes.
“What is it that’s so damn clear? Because the way your eyes are currently brimming with tears you’re refusing to shed, makes me think maybe we aren’t clear on a damn thing.” His eyes narrow as he waits for my response.
“Obviously, I’m not your type. Look, if you aren’t interested in me, Rook, that’s fine. I shouldn’t have asked. You don't owe me an answer. I’ve had a terrible fucking night and I’m exhausted. I just want to go back to my room and—”
“Fuck it,” he murmurs right before two large hands cup my cheeks as his lips crush against mine and I melt into the feel of his embrace. My hands move to his chest, and a groan rumbles through him as he pulls me closer, kissing me harder.
Before I know it, he pulls me inside his room, lips still on mine as he slams the door closed and I’m pressed up against the wall next to the door, his hard length grinding into me through his sweats. His hands continue their exploration, gliding past my breasts, to my waist, then finishing on my ass where he squeezes. He takes a moment to revel in the feel before I’m being lifted, my legs wrapping around him as he swallows my squeaks of protest.
He pulls his face away from mine, still leaving my body pinned up against the wall. One hand brushes the hair away from my face, tucking it neatly behind my ear. “See, this is where I feel like we need some clarification. You seem to think I’m not into you, and I can’t seem to get the feel of your body against mine out of my fucking head.”
He grinds against me, pushing the seam of my denim shorts against my clit as he moves. Looking me dead in the eyes, his stormy eyes flare as he continues: “I really need this to sink in, Othelia. The only reason I walked away from you in that pool was because I was seconds away from fucking you against the wall in front of my teammates and your family.”
Air pushes out from my lips at his confession and the tension in my body melts away. “Instead, I had to fist my cock in my captain’s bathroom to stop myself from burying it so deep inside you. When I came back out, you were gone.” His face falls as he swallows. He looks almost upset, but it’s gone in a flash and the lust is back in full force as his hands reach the hem of my cutoff shorts and a single finger slips under, running along the curve of my ass cheek.
“And these fucking shorts,” he growls. “They are going to cause the end of my career.” His fingers slip further up, massaging my ass underneath the shredded hem. I laugh, but the pressure of his erection pressing the seam tighter against my clit turns the laugh into a whimper.
“What about my shorts?” I whisper breathlessly.
“They are so damn tight. Caressing the curve of your ass. That day at the pool, I couldn’t stop staring at the glimpses of your ass cheeks these shorts kept giving me. Every time one of the guys looked in your direction, I was about ready to take out their eyes. They’re all lucky that no one made a comment.”
His mouth dips to my shoulder, planting soft kisses along the exposed collar where my t-shirt has slid down my shoulder. He makes his way up my neck, the stubble on his chin caressing my skin, causing me to shiver as he groans into my neck.
I huff another laugh. “Ha, yeah. Good luck winning a game without them.” I can feel his smile against my skin. The thought of making him smile makes my body tingle.
He grips me tighter as he raises his eye to mine. “It would be damn hard to play without half my team, but you can fucking bet I would make it work to keep their eyes off your body.”
The breath he releases, although hot on my skin, sounds a lot like relief. His hand moves into my hair and his grip tightens at the base of my neck, pulling my mouth back to his. “God, Rockstar, I’ve had dreams about this ass.”
I’m hot everywhere. Electricity crackles through every point where we touch. Our lips release and a moan pours out of me as he grinds against my clit. Still clothed, and I’ve never been so close to coming just from dry humping in my life.
His slow grinds continue as he lets go of my ass with one hand before using it to pin my hands above my head, giving him much better access to my breasts, now aching for him to touch them.
“Oh, please,” falls out of my mouth as he skims them with his teeth through my shirt. At the sound of my pleas, his eyes flick to mine, that smirk intensifying.
“These stay here,” he orders. He lets go of my wrists and uses that hand to yank up my tee and pull it over my head, using it to pin my arms back.
His chest vibrates as he growls at my black lace bra before pulling the cup down, exposing my nipple to the cool air. It pebbles, but as he takes it in his mouth, my hands drop to grip his hair. He bites harder, using his free hand to pin them back against the wall.
He continues licking and sucking the peaked bud. My eyes fall shut and my head falls against the wall at the pulsing in my clit. The feel of him touching me while maintaining the slow grind has me just about screaming.
He lets go of my hands before gripping my chin and pulling my attention back to his. “Can I touch you?”
He searches my face for an answer and I give him a desperate nod, wanting nothing more than to feel him. I’m so close to exploding. I need more.
A second later, his long, calloused fingers dip into my waistband, the rough pad rubbing against my panties right where I need him.
“More!” I moan, grinding against him to get the friction where I need. He snaps at my whimpers and shoves my panties aside. One finger finds my slit, caressing it before slipping inside.
I groan, the feeling just what I need. It has been far too long since I’ve been touched, but even that has never felt like this. I have never been the priority.
He continues to watch my reactions like he is memorizing what touch makes me respond more. I buck and grind on his hand, my eyes squeezing shut as the pressure builds in my core.
He presses his face back into my neck, continuing his earlier kisses, groaning as I coat his fingers. The only sounds in the room come from our ragged breathing and the wetness he has coaxed out of me.
“I can’t wait to taste you, Rockstar. I bet you will taste so damn sweet on my tongue.” His lips find mine and instantly we fuse, tongues exploring, teasing, tasting.
A second finger pushes inside with the first, and I crumple against him. They move inside me. The heel of his palm rubs against my clit, dragging a feral moan from deep within me.
He releases my lips, pressing his body flush against mine as he leans in, his lips brushing against my ear.
“Come for me,” he demands as he curls his fingers, hitting that front wall just the way I need him to. My body eagerly obeys.
I explode. My vision blanks as I scream his name, arms falling from the wall, dropping them to his shoulder to keep from collapsing. He kisses me again, tenderly this time, while he squeezes every drop of my orgasm out of me.
He withdraws his fingers, placing them both in his mouth as he sucks them clean, his eyes falling closed as he groans at the taste of me.
When he’s finished, he releases his hold on my ass, hands skimming to my waist to hold me as he lowers my feet to the floor. Our lips crash together and I press deeper into the kiss, not ready for this to be over.
Reaching for his waistband, I brush against the hardness of his erection, straining against the elastic. Rook gasps at the contact. His forehead drops to mine as he whispers my name.
A shrill sound blares in the room and the magic shatters as I snap back into my body.
Rook steps away, adjusting himself as he picks up his phone, declining the call before throwing it onto the bed.
What am I doing? Rook is my brother’s teammate and this can’t go anywhere. I don’t even live in Chicago and he has a contract for God knows how long. Once Rian figures something out with Layla, I'll be back on the road.
My band, touring, how the demands of my schedule caused tension between Clay and me and his inevitable cheating all flash through my mind. I can’t do this again: live in a separate country, try to date long distance. I’m not able to open myself up to this heart ache again.
“I… Ah… I need to….” Fumbling out words I know aren’t making sense, I back up towards the door. When the cool wood hits my back, I pull it open and sprint down the corridor.
The ding of the elevator is like a lifeline that I race to grasp and I launch through the open doors. Chest heaving, I hear him call my name as he tries to catch me. His confused and hurt expression is the last thing I see as the elevator doors slam shut.