Chapter 12
TWELVE
SUTTON
“Intimate” had never been in my vocabulary when describing a blow job. But with the soft licks, the gentle stroke of my balls, and the way Jayden would search for my gaze as he sucked me off, I knew this mattered.
BJs were all about getting off, having fun, and finding that sweet release.
This was all those things, but so much more.
I was the first man he’d tasted this way, the first cock he’d licked like a lollipop, and he was the first person I was going to let own my soul.
What he was doing with his tongue, the firmness of his long, strong sucks… any second now he’d be drawing out my soul and wrenching it free from my body.
He was welcome to it.
Struggling to hold back, my limbs shook. I never wanted this to end. Ever. But my toes curled, tingles zapped around my body like I was an arcade machine, and all I wanted was more. This. Forever.
I reached out, amazed I’d held back for so long, and cupped his head, gripping his soft hair. When I made contact, he groaned. Through my bleary eyes, I caught movement. Smirking, I moaned, unable to stop myself, my stomach tightening when I saw him humping the sheets.
“Jay.” I grunted his name. The need in my voice ricocheted around the large room. In response, he doubled down, and I was gone. “Fuck.” I jerked, moaned, maybe blacked out for a second as I spilled into his mouth.
I felt his moment of hesitation.
“It’s okay, you don’t—” My words cut off with a strangled cry when he sucked harder and swallowed. I shuddered, tried to look at him, but the edges of my vision were fuzzy.
Jayden’s grunt caught my attention, and the look in his eyes held it there. On his knees, bare-chested and the towel long gone—which I’d totally missed happening—he took himself in hand, jerking himself off. The frantic movements were mesmerizing.
“Come on me.” Eagerness chased my words.
He edged forward, the glimmer of a smirk on his face. And then he was coming, spilling on my abs, the cream-white stark and so perfect against my darker skin. I reached down, swiped my finger through, and brought it to my mouth.
I paused, making sure I had Jayden’s attention. Still stroking his cock with a slow rub, he arrowed in on my mouth. I sent him a smile before sucking my finger. His body jerked and groaned, and he stared wide-eyed as one more shot of cum spilled out of him.
Before I could savor the taste of him, he collapsed, stomach pressed to mine, lips descending. I captured his kiss and chased his tongue when he devoured my mouth. We kissed and sighed, our caresses languid. When Jayden finally eased away, he leaned up on both palms, staring down at me.
Our gazes were soft and searching, and I wondered if he felt the shifts in what was happening between us too.
“So, what secret are you keeping from me?” A satisfied grin appeared.
Amid the doubling of my heart rate, it was impossible not to smile back. How could I resist when Jayden was pink-cheeked, had sex-mussed hair, and his lips were puffy from stealing my soul?
“Since you’ve already got my soul,” I said, and his brows furrowed in confusion, “maybe I need to tell you that you’ve had my heart for a while too.
” I cringed inside, feeling like a sap. But the emotion ruling the day was absolute fear…
that it was too much, too soon. And what if he told me I was talking shit? Or maybe told me to fuck off?
I tried my hardest to not hold my breath, but it was impossible.
Staring down at me with those expressive dark-oak eyes of his, Jayden angled his head a fraction. He was taking in my words, my expression, letting everything make sense in his brain.
Knowing his tells was a hell of a thing.
His smile was sweet and gentle. Instead of speaking, he angled down and pressed his mouth against mine. When he eased back, his brows knotted. “Last year after my kiss…?”
I cringed. “Yeah. I kinda panicked. Started having all these feelings,” I admitted, my skin heating in embarrassment. By the intensity of Jayden’s gaze, it didn’t seem like I was escaping this conversation.
“You started popping boners around me, huh?” Wagging brows followed his words.
I snorted, relieved this was the man my heart had chosen. “Something like that.”
“And you didn’t tell me.”
While there wasn’t a thread of accusation in his voice, there was curiosity. I wanted to rub a hand over my face, feeling weary, but Jayden had me trapped.
“The last thing I wanted was to plant seeds or make things even more uncomfortable between us.” I sighed. “I mishandled it, and the more I reacted and distanced myself, the deeper the hole I dug. Then I just couldn’t find my way out without making things even worse.”
The twitch in his jaw was the giveaway. Hurt and pissed, he seemed to be working out the best way to react.
“I’m sorry. I fucked up,” I admitted. “But we’re here.” My pulse spiked at the plea for understanding, easy to hear in my tone.
After several seconds, his cheeks puffed out, and he exhaled. “I could be so pissed at you.”
“But you’re not?” I asked, wrapping my arms around his waist.
“I was but, now?” He shrugged. “What’s the point? Just no more secrets, at least between us, okay? Not if we’re really doing this.”
I held him firmer. “Oh, we’re doing this.”
The smile, broad and happy, pulled at his mouth. “I’m down with this plan.”
He followed up by kissing me senseless. When my cell rang from the floor, we ignored it for two rings, but whoever was calling clearly wanted my attention by the third.
I grumbled as Jayden pulled away and picked up my phone, taking a look and passing it to me.
“It’s Jonas.” Wide eyes peered back at me when he handed me my cell.
Why would the team’s manager be calling me? Depending on the topic, any communication was always done via the coach, PR, or HR.
“Answer it,” Jayden said with an urgency already thrumming in my veins.
“Jonas,” I answered.
“Sutton.” Jonas’s Southern-accented voice rumbled down the line. “You got Moore there with you?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good. I need you both to head over to the main office for a meeting at three this afternoon. I know you’ve only just flown in, but it’s important. Can you make that happen?”
“That should be fine.” I looked at Jayden, my eyes widening a little. “Uhm, is everything okay?” I refused to ask if we were in trouble. The question reminded me too much of being a rookie.
“Sure is. See you soon.” He ended the call with no further explanation.
“What’s going on?”
“He’s asked for us to attend a meeting at three.” A quick glance at the time told me it was already just after one in the afternoon.
“What did he say when you asked if everything was okay?”
“Said it was fine. Nothing else.”
“Urgh, what the hell’s this about?” I saw the moment he thought the same thing that had just entered my overworking brain. “They couldn’t be talking trades, right?” He paled, looking as horrified as I felt.
I hoped they weren’t. The last thing I wanted was to leave the team. That both Sutton and I were creeping toward the end of our basketball careers was obvious. Our ages pretty much guaranteed that. But since we had just signed new contracts, I’d have been surprised if that was the case.
“Let’s not jump to conclusions. He said there wasn’t a problem—”
“One or both of us being traded wouldn’t be a problem for him. We’re just numbers on a jersey.”
While Jayden wasn’t wrong, I couldn’t imagine the manager calling us in about that. Shit, unless there was a trade offer and with us sharing our relationship status, they wanted to make sure there weren’t any legal issues.
My stomach sank. That could totally be it.
“What? What is it? You just thought of something.”
I twisted my mouth a little, wishing I could control my expressions better around this man. Hell, I had pretty much done so all last season by concealing my feelings, so why couldn’t I now?
“You better just fucking tell me. Shit, we’ve only just agreed—”
“I know,” I said quickly, cutting him off. The man was right, as frustrating as that was. “I just didn’t want to panic you.”
I glanced down, realizing I was still a mess, and Jayden wasn’t much better. “Let’s shower, and I’ll let you know what I’m thinking.”
Narrowed eyes stared back at me. “You better.”
His pout was fucking adorable. I kissed him and smiled against his lips before pulling away. “I promise.”
When we entered the room, a heavy thump punched against my chest. Six people were sitting around the conference table. As well as Jonas, Monty and Coach Brentworth were here—Monty smiling at us both. There were three other people, one woman, and two men. None I recognized.
“Coach Jenkins,” Jayden said from my side, stepping forward and taking one of the men’s hand in his. “What are you doing here?”
My gaze bounced between them. While I didn’t recognize him, I knew Coach Jenkins was Jayden’s old coach from college.
“Good to see you, Jayden.” Warmth lit his voice. “I’m sure once you sit your ass down, you’ll soon find out.” He chuckled and sat.
Casting a glance over his shoulder at me, Jayden shrugged, his brows almost touching his hairline. He pulled out a chair and indicated that I sit, my heart pitter-pattering at the gesture. I took the seat next to him.
“Thanks for coming,” Jonas started, smiling at us. While the smile seemed genuine, I wasn’t quite prepared to relax just yet. “I’m sure you’re both exhausted.” He focused on Jayden. “You doing okay? Head and hand okay?”
“Yeah. I’ll be good for training.”
Jonas nodded. “Excellent. Make sure you book in to see Doc Marlow in the next forty-eight hours, okay?”
“Sure thing.” Jayden’s voice was friendly, confident. No one would be any the wiser that it had taken a hand job in the shower to calm him down and stop him from having a meltdown about the meeting.
“So, we’ll try not to keep you long. Today was the only day to get us all together, knowing you both were flying in. Let me introduce you all.” Jonas glanced first at Coach Jenkins. “Sid Jenkins here is the coach at Montview.”