Chapter 36 Lincoln
LINCOLN
There’s only one thing on my mind as Parker and I ride the elevator to her floor just after midnight.
We’ve had the best night, and every time she’s smiled because of something I’ve done, it’s made my heart beat a little faster.
And what I’ve done has been so small and insignificant really.
I’ve taken her on a whistle-stop tour of New York.
It’s nothing in the grand scheme of things, but she’s acted as if I’ve shown her the world, not just a little bit of a busy city that never sleeps.
My fingers itch to reach out for hers again just so I can have some contact with her. But I hold back.
When she was upset earlier, it was easy to forget all the reasons why I shouldn’t have done it. She needed…fuck, I really want to say that she needed me, but that’s far from the truth. She just needed comfort and I was lucky enough to be there at that moment.
Watching her break down hurt. All I wanted to do was fix it, but I didn’t even know what was wrong. I still don’t, really, but fuck if I don’t want to do whatever I can to stop it from happening again.
“This is me,” she says, coming to stop at her hotel room as if I didn’t pick her up from here a few hours ago. “Thank you for tonight, it was amazing.”
“You’re welcome. It was fun,” I say as I pull my cap from my head and comb my wild curls back before putting it back on, only backward this time.
She watches my every move, her eyes wide and curious.
“I guess I should let you get some sleep. Busy day tomorrow.”
“Yeah. I don’t need Coach on my ass because his star player is lagging.”
I can’t help myself. I take a step closer to her.
“Star player, huh?”
She rolls her eyes, her smile growing. “I’m sure some people would call you that. Can’t say I’ve ever met them, though.”
“You’re such a brat,” I state.
Her pupils dilate, and she swallows thickly.
Fuck.
Get the hell out of dodge before you do something to ruin all of this again.
“You’d be bored if I were anything else.”
“I guess so.” When my eyes drop to her lips, I spot a bit of frosting she missed from her latest donut.
She gasps when my thumb drags across her full bottom lip.
“So sweet,” I muse as I suck it off my skin.
“Linc,” she breathes. As much as I want to imagine it’s an invitation to continue, I know it’s not.
“I know, Parker. I’m going. I promise.” But before I do that, I reach out and pull her in for a hug. “Thanks for tonight. I had fun hanging out with you.”
“Me too,” she mumbles against my chest.
I duck lower as I release her and drop a kiss on her cheek.
“Linc.” She giggles, quickly covering the spot with her fingers as a blush creeps up her neck. She turns away to hide her reaction and busies herself with finding her key card and opening her door.
“Good night, little P. Sleep well.”
“Sweet dreams,” she calls after me as I take off down the hallway toward the elevator.
Yeah, they will be. They’ll be full of you.
Just as I knew it would be, the crowd at Madison Square Garden is fucking electric, and the boos of the home fans only push us to play harder.
We end up finishing regulation with a tie, but then Kodie hits a world-class slap shot only a minute into overtime, securing us the win.
The celebration is wild, but despite our jubilation, we aren’t able to go out and party the night away, because no sooner is the game over than we are heading to the airport to travel back home. We can’t really complain because once we’re home, we’ve got a day off.
Still riding high from our win, I tug my duffle bag higher on my shoulder and step onto the airplane. Most of the others are already on board, and apparently, they’ve brought the party. But as excited as they all are, it’s got nothing on the moment Kodie steps on behind me.
The entire plane erupts in cheers. Anyone would think we hadn’t celebrated the second the buzzer sounded.
“Fuck, yeah. Kodie Rivers is the man,” I bellow, spinning around and bowing to him, much to his irritation.
“Go and get in your fucking seat, Storm,” he barks, making those around us laugh.
He gives me a shove and I stumble forward. Unfortunately, I trip over my own foot and go flying forward.
“Linc,” a familiar voice squeals as I catch myself on an armrest.
“Holy shit,” I gasp, having seen my life flash before my eyes. But the moment I look up, I forget about almost dying because Parker’s wide, golden eyes are staring right at me. “Hey,” I say, my lips curling into a smile. “Fancy seeing you here.”
“Shocking,” she deadpans.
Time seems to stand still as we stare at each other.
There’s a little voice in my head screaming at me to celebrate tonight’s win the only way I really want to.
I try to ignore it, but with Parker’s lips only inches from mine and her sweet scent in my nose, it’s really fucking hard.
“I think you’re meant to be finding your seat,” Brooke says from beside Parker.
“Shit, yeah. I’m going. I just…I needed—”
“Get moving, Storm,” Fletch barks from somewhere behind me.
When I stand, I find that I’ve got the eyes of almost the entire team on me.
Fuck.
“Watch yourself, Storm. We won’t ever forgive you if you squash our favorite trainer,” Monroe says loudly enough for Dillion Mitchell to hear.
I cringe but don’t bother glancing his way. It’s true. The guy is a douche who thinks he knows everything.
“Donnelly is safe with me. If I hurt a single hair on her head, her big brother would get to me long before you guys would.”
“I knew there was a reason I liked Rett.”
“Shame he doesn’t even know your name,” Killer snarks from behind me.
“One day he will,” Monroe says confidently. “Every motherfucker in this country will.”
The guys continue chirping with Monroe as I finally make my way to my seat.
“You can thank me later,” Kodie says when he drops into his seat beside me.
“For what, exactly?”
“Oh, come off it. As if you haven’t been fantasizing about getting that close to Parker.”
“Hmm,” I mumble. “I think I’d prefer if she sits in my lap, though.”
“You’re so fucked, man.”
“Things are good right now,” I say, as I stretch my legs out before more, more than ready to lose the suit and pull on a pair of sweats.
He mumbles something in response but gets distracted by his cell. I don’t need to look over to know that he’s messaging Casey; the guy radiates fucking happiness when he so much as thinks about her.
Pulling my own cell free, I find my conversation with Parker.
Storm: Sorry about that. Wouldn’t mind spending the flight on your lap, though.
Little P: I can think of better ways to spend a flight than under two hundred pounds of muscle.
Storm: I do have a lot of muscle, don’t I?
Little P: I swear to God, if you say anything about me needing to rub them down later…
Storm: Now you’re talking. I do have this one that needs some attention.
Little P: Turning my cell off now. There’s a bathroom behind you if you need some private time with your muscle.
I snort, earning me a scowl from Kodie.
Storm: Not sure it’s a one-man job…
Little P: Good thing I’m a woman then. Sounds like it’s above my pay grade. Speak to Monroe, he’s keen to impress.
I can’t help it, I bark out a laugh, and when I push from my seat and look toward the front of the plane, I find that she’s doing the same and glancing back to look at me.
My smile grows so wide, I’m sure it’s about to split my face in half.
“Brat,” I mouth.
“Player,” she counters.
Storm: Trust me when I say, there is only one person on this airplane whose hands I want on my body.
Little P: See you on the other side, Storm.
“Fucked,” Kodie repeats as the flight attendants begin to prepare the aircraft for takeoff.
“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I mutter, hating how well he can read me.
“Don’t I?”
Storm: If you want to watch me undress, now is the time.
Little P: I’d never sleep again.
Storm: That is the risk when you see a body as good as mine.
Little P: Are you compensating for something with an ego that big?
Storm: You know full well that I’m not. Feel free to check anytime…
Little P: Menace
Storm: Brat. Turn around and watch. I dare you.
Putting my cell to sleep, I climb from my seat and begin stripping out of my suit, my eyes locked on the back of Parker’s chair.
But at no point does she turn around. She must have stronger will power than me because I know for a fact that if she was stripping to her underwear only a few feet away, I’d be watching her every move.
“I think I’m going to sleep for a week,” Parker groans as she drops into my passenger seat a few minutes after we’ve touched down back in LA.
“That’s what the off-season is for,” I tease.
“I don’t know how you do it. I’m exhausted and all I did this evening was stand and watch you all.”
“You did a hell of a lot more than that. Don’t sell yourself short.”
“I did use about a mile of athletic tape on Handsy’s ass before the game.”
My grip on the wheel tightens. “You’ve been touching Handsy’s ass?”
She chuckles, and it does nothing for my jealousy.
“Yeah. It’s a nice ass. Solid. Could bounce plenty of quarters off it,” she deadpans.
“The fuck, Donnelly?”
She barks out a laugh.
“It’s just an ass, Linc. Calm down.”
“But you think it’s hot.”
“I never said that.”
I huff out an irritated breath.
“I don’t look at any of you like that when I’m working. You’re a body, a machine. Muscles, tendons, joints, and bones.”
“I know that, Parker. You’re nothing but professional. I’m sorry. I just—shit, I’m an asshole.”
She shakes her head and glances out at the illuminated buildings passing us by.
“You’ve got a good ass,” she finally says.
“Best on the team?” I ask, my ego needing a little boost, even if she is bullshitting me.
She laughs. “Yep, best on the team.”
“I’m going to ignore the sarcasm in your tone and take that.”
“Whatever you need. So what’s the plan? Are you dropping me off and heading out to celebrate with the guys?”
“What?” I ask, glancing over at her.
She rolls her eyes. “Are you going out to hook up?”