Chapter Seven
America
“You can’t be in here,” I snap at Gray.
His eyes flash as he crowds me, using his arms on either side of me to pin my back to the edge of the counter. “I thought we were friends.”
“So did I.” I can’t seem to keep the hurt out of my voice.
“You don’t text. You don’t message.” The muscles in his neck cord. “You don’t respond. What the hell is the problem, Rica?”
“I’ve been busy.” I shove at his chest. Why would I want to hurt every time I talk to him? It’s bad enough that his messages bring the things he said to EJ back to the forefront of my thoughts each time. I need to get over these feelings I have for him. I want to move on. “With Everett.”
“That guy…” Gray doesn’t budge no matter how hard I push him, “…is so not your boyfriend.”
“Yes. He is.”
“You didn’t see your face when he said it.” He tips my chin up. “I thought you were going to puke on your shoes. There’s no way you’re actually seriously dating him.”
“Fuck you.” For seeing straight through me. The only reason I didn’t try to correct Everett then and there was because I wanted Gray to believe it. I wanted him to know I wasn’t hung up on what happened in Positano.
His chest rises and falls sharply under my palm. “Fuck me.”
He crushes his mouth to mine, sweeping his tongue between my lips before I can do more than gasp.
The second I come back into my body, I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him back. Gray is kissing me like he wants me. It’s confusing and exhilarating and it makes my heart beat wildly.
He grabs my waist and hikes my hip onto the edge of the counter while he kisses me senseless. Spreading my legs, I pull him between them. I shouldn’t. Everett is waiting for us. But I need Gray closer. I need him to ease the pressure before I combust.
Shoving up the material of my dress, he reaches between my thighs and tugs my panties to the side before roughly thrusting two fingers inside me.
“Ohmygod.” I whimper at the sweet invasion. It feels so good. Once was definitely not enough. Not when I’ve loved him for so long.
“You’re so wet, Rica. You’ve been waiting for me all night, haven’t you? Is that why you were so agitated at the table? You need me to fill your greedy pussy again.” He pumps his digits in and out of me, like his sole focus is my impending orgasm. “You like it, don’t you? You like what I do to you.”
Fuck. I shouldn’t. Gray was such an ass in Positano. But God, I do. “Yes, I’m such a slut for you. Please, Gray.”
“You are my dirty little slut, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
I hate him right now, but I don’t hate the way he’s talking to me. With his wicked words in my ear and his fingers buried inside me it’s not long before I’m on the edge. It’s not enough. I want more. I want him. “Gray.”
“You want my cock?”
“Yes.” I squirm on his fingers. I’m so needy.
“Say it again,” he says. “Tell me you’re a dirty little slut for me. Tell me you haven’t been able to stop thinking about taking my cock since Positano.”
“I need it, Gray.” I suck on his earlobe. The way he asks… has he been thinking about that night all this time? God, that’s hot. “I’m a dirty little slut that needs your thick cock. It’s all I’ve wanted since you fucked me the last time.”
“Christ.” He hisses between his teeth and then he’s fumbling with his pants and replacing his fingers with his cock. He fills me in one quick move, angling his hips to make sure he hits the spots that make my vision swim and my orgasm hard and fast.
He claps his hand over my mouth when I cry out, and spills inside me with a groan. “Good girl. That’s it. Take my cum.”
We cling to each other, breathing hard, but I haven’t gotten my bearings when he says, “I was wrong. You and Everett would be great together.”
“What?” My head spins and the floor drops. I release him so I can clutch at the edge of the counter.
He pulls out and tucks his dick back into his pants. I feel empty in more than one way. I’m hollowed out. “After what we—”
“It shouldn’t have happened.” He shakes his head, stumbling back. He looks ill.
“Like Positano shouldn’t have happened.” I grow chilled from the inside out. How dare he chase me in here and… now he’s… asshole . “Because you could never be with me twice, right? That might suggest you could date me, and we both know that would never happen.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” he splutters. “When did we ever discuss dating?”
“We didn’t,” I say icily. “You told EJ that you could never date me.”
His jaw hardens and his eyes turn cold. “Is this why you couldn’t answer a damn text? Because you overheard a conversation that had nothing to do with you?”
“Nothing to do with me?” I scoff as I hop off the counter. “You said it was a mistake. You said you could never be with me after we slept together. Like I’m the last person you could imagine being with. I know I’m not Indy, but—”
“No.” He rubs his hand over his mouth. “You’re not Indy. That’s exactly why I said what I said. I’m still not okay with what happened with Indy. I’m not over it… I’m not over her. You need to understand—”
“No. You need to understand.” My eyes burn, but I blink away the wetness that wants to spring free as I hurry to straighten myself up. He doesn’t want me and I need to be okay with that. I’ve had years to get used to that. But this… for one crazy minute I let myself have hope. “You need to leave me alone.”
“Rica.” He sounds exasperated.
“Don’t talk to me. Don’t you dare.” I fix my makeup in the mirror and check my hair. The color in my cheeks is heightened. Will Everett be able to tell what happened between me and Gray by looking at me?
“You’re right. Everett and I will be good together.” I pick up my clutch. There are a million things I want to say. Like, we used to be friends, or this will never happen again, or I hate you. I definitely want to hate him. “Everett is waiting for me.”
“America, I’m sorry.”
“Great.” I walk away from him. I don’t care if he’s sorry. I don’t care if he means it. God knows how I am supposed to pretend everything is okay when Gray’s cum is leaking down my thigh. When all I want to do is cry.
The bathroom door swings shut between us, and I start my walk of shame. My thighs slip against one another with every step. I cradle my clutch in front of my stomach. Bile rises up my throat.
“Better?” Everett asks when I take my seat. His hand finds my knee while he studies my face with concern.
“Yes,” I say woodenly, praying he won’t move his hand higher, and that he doesn’t see anything in my face that makes him suspicious. I can’t see him again, not after what I’ve done. But working with Gray could do a lot for his career. I won’t be the reason he chooses not to sign with him. “Just needed a minute. But I’m good now.”
“Certain?” He’s so worried about me it makes my heart ache. Why can’t I turn off these feelings for a man who doesn’t want me? Who will never want me.
“Yes.”
He leans forward and brushes his lips against mine as Gray comes back to the table. When he slips his tongue into my mouth and kisses me like he’s checking every crevice for hidden secrets, I let him. I lean into it. I kiss him back with the same passion. How can I not without making it obvious something is wrong?
Everett smiles when he pulls back, checking out my swollen lips by rolling his thumb over the bottom one. “That’s better.”
“Shall we get back to business?” Gray says, cutting into his steak with sharp, jagged movements that scrape the plate.
“I like what you’re offering so far. How long will it take you to get me transferred to a team in the States?”
“Where are you hoping to go?” Gray asks him while glowering at me.
What right does he have to be upset with me right now? I can’t stand to lock eyes with him, so I turn all my attention to Everett.
“Chicago.” Everett’s hand slides from my knee to mid-thigh.
I scramble to cover his hand and halt his progress.
He frowns. “Everything okay?”
“Yes.” I glare at Gray while I turn Everett’s hand palm up and slip my fingers between his.
Liar. God, I am such a fucking liar. I’m going to go to hell because of Gray. I always knew I would. I thought it would be for being in love with my best friend’s husband, not for cheap and nasty sex in a posh restroom.
I muster up a smile. “I’m excited about the prospect of you being so close when I move home.”
“You mean it?” Everett asks.
“Mmhmm.” I do mean it. I like him a lot. I like spending time with him. Any feelings I had for Gray that were holding me back have turned into the intense desire to throat punch him with a crystal goblet. But it doesn’t matter how I feel about it.
Everett won’t feel the same way about me that he does now if he ever finds out about what occurred in that bathroom. He won’t want me anymore.
Any future we could have had I’ve ruined this evening.
“We can put feelers out immediately. I don’t see a problem with finding you a new team to start next season with. They’ll be clamoring to get you.”
“Can I take a couple of days to think about it?” he asks Gray before leaning in to kiss me again. “I’d like to give my agency the chance to come back with a counter. We haven’t been seeing eye-to-eye lately, but I’ve been with them since I started.”
“Of course.” Gray stands as Everett does. “I think we can do some fantastic things together if you choose to go with All-Star.”
“I’ll be in touch.” Everett lifts me to my feet and tucks me into his side.
“Gray,” I say by way of goodbye, trying to hide the icy rage in my tone.
“America.” His nod is stilted.
With his arm around my shoulders, Everett says, “Come on, Lucky Charm. I’ve been on my best behavior, but all I can think about is having you all to myself. I can’t wait to see that pretty number you’re wearing under this dress again.”
He guides me away from the table as Gray starts to cough like he’s choking on something. When I glance back, he’s staring at me like… like I don’t know what, but there’s something in those glacial blues that isn’t usually there.
It gives me butterflies and makes my heart skip a beat. The ice in my veins isn’t as thick as I’d hoped it would be.
I turn my back on him. Turn away from those feelings. He couldn’t have been clearer that there is nothing there for me. He’s still in love with Indy. Still broken over her.
I need to stop wanting what I can’t have.