Chapter 16
SIXTEEN
DYLAN
Forget walking on air, I practically levitated as I made my way back to my seat, happiness keeping me buoyed.
It didn’t even matter that our heated kiss was interrupted by a knock on the door revealing Eddie and Lottie—Pearce’s husband and their daughter. Sure, I’d needed to throw some clothes on, and my cock had cried out for attention from Cass, but joy was a hell of a thing.
Through an early dinner and even through the stream of conversation dominated by Lottie, who was basketball obsessed and a preteen going on sports agent, and Cassius talking B-ball, my smile barely strayed. It kinda helped that Cass and I only released hands when we needed two hands on our burgers.
I was just a few feet away from my seat, and my gaze narrowed. A woman was in my spot, all but shoving her cleavage under Cass’s chin. Admittedly she was covered up in a jersey and her hands were to herself, but still, I didn’t like it one bit.
I rolled my eyes at myself as I moved closer. Men and women regularly threw themselves at Cass. They had for years. It was not a new development.
And while I didn’t necessarily like it over the years—I could be a selfish prick and wanted time with Cass by myself—now jealousy raised its ugly head.
“Thought I’d lost you.” Cass grinned up at me as he took Eddie’s and Lottie’s drinks from the holder and passed it over.
“No chance of that.” I stared pointedly at the woman in my seat. Her eyes widened when she peered up and back, her brows shooting high.
“Dylan, right?” The woman stood with a friendly smile.
“That’s me.” Some of the green worked its way out of my system. That she knew who I was meant she hadn’t been hitting on Cass, right?
“I’m Taylor, Garret Baker’s wife.”
Okay, so definitely not hitting on Cassius. Relief barreled through me, and as I flicked my gaze at Cass and took in his arched brows and the amusement he wasn’t trying too hard to conceal, it was a comfort that he read me just as easily as he always did.
“Good to meet you. Baker’s having a great game.”
Her smile stretched wide. “Thanks. I’ve got everything crossed they keep it up.” She glanced back at Cassius. “I best get going. Great seeing you again, Cass. And congratulations on hooking yourself to Dylan.” While I wasn’t sure what expression she was pulling, from Cass’s chuckle, I had my ideas.
“Thanks, Taylor.” He accepted her friendly hug. “I think I got lucky snagging myself Dylan too.”
Heat touched my cheeks even as I rolled my eyes, pretending I thought he was ridiculous rather than soaking up his words.
Taylor left with a small wave, leaving me peering down at Cassius. Once more, his one eyebrow arched high.
“Shut up,” I grumbled with zero heat. The asshole had read my initial reaction easier than he read the basketball rulebook.
At his chuckle, I sat with a smirk. I swore it was a permanent fixture, and it seemed even Eddie had noticed. From some of the amused looks he had shot us over dinner, he’d been as bemused as he was entertained by our behavior.
Love drunk was a thing, right?
Because every time Cass held my hand or swept his gaze over me, my heart seemed to swell.
“This is yours.” I passed him his drink, our fingers grazing and lingering as he took it off me. Heat licked at my spine as well as rushed to my cheeks.
At the holler of Cass’s name, I cleared my throat and forced my simmering desire to the back burner. Cass waved at the couple of fans who’d called out to him, which had been happening since the moment we stepped foot in the arena.
Thankfully, the seats were packed with more than a few celebrity faces and a whole lot more athletes. Plus, with the game halfway through and Pearce’s team playing hard, it meant most fans were more focused on the fast-paced play rather than stopping Cass for a selfie.
“A seven-point lead,” Cass said, leaning forward to look at Eddie.
“Eighteen points, nine rebounds.” Eddie grinned widely, his arm around Lottie as he relayed his husband’s gameplay.
“A hell of a first half,” I added. Sure, I wasn’t a pro like Cass or a former pro like Eddie, but I knew basketball as well as I knew the law. It was hard not to when I’d lived and breathed it all through school, courtesy of Cass’s obsession.
“He’s been the best player on the court this first half.” Conviction rang through Lottie’s words, and there was no arguing with her. Especially as she was likely right. “The Mountain Lions look nervous.”
Cass chuckled and reached out to fist-bump Lottie.
“They only shot one of fifteen from the three-point range.” Eddie’s composure was gone. Nothing but glee when he talked about the game.
I could relate. Every time Cass played and he kicked ass, pride was always my companion. Hell, even when his team lost, it was still there. How could it not be when he played his hardest and lived his dream every single day?
Just then the players rejoined the court. We all stood, just like virtually everyone else, and cheered for our team. Pearce passed us, turning to Eddie and Lottie, pressing his fingers to his lips, and sending them a kiss.
I cast a look at Eddie, his face wide open with his feelings for his husband. Hell, love practically poured off the man.
I wondered if that was how I looked when staring at Cass. If that was what others saw.
Love had always been the glue that held us together. That and respect.
Love started to feel a whole lot deeper. Thicker, warmer, a sturdy rope of rightness that strengthened with each passing day.
We sat down and I leaned into Cass, my hand instinctively finding his. Angling to look at me, he smiled, his gaze roaming my face.
“You okay?” he whispered, his lips practically touching my ear so I could hear him over the volume.
“Yeah. Are you?” I flicked my eyes to his and tilted my head. While his team never got close to the playoffs this year, I had no doubt there was an edge of disappointment or envy that came with that.
“I’m here with you. Had an extra six weeks at home by your side.” He dotted a kiss to my neck. The touch sent a delicious shiver down my spine.
Cass pulled away, his heated gaze returning to mine. And I kissed him, just a barely there brush of his lips. I couldn’t not. And from the smirk Cass shot my way, he was more than okay with my PDA.
The news of our marriage was already out in the world. This right here… holy fuck, I was totally claiming the asshole. And yeah, his smirk was filled with smug satisfaction. The man totally knew it.
“Fuck off,” I mumbled, hoping no cameras were trained on us and could read my lips.
The buzzer sounding tugged our attention to the court. And not a moment too soon. The last thing I wanted to do was dry hump him or something.
The third quarter kicked off with a three-pointer from the Jetts in the first seconds of play. They were on fire. Already in the lead, they came out wanting the win.
And that was just the beginning as they dominated the court.
Pearce was everywhere. His whole team seemed to have double of their players as they intercepted so many passes, it was a struggle keeping up.
By the final quarter, we were barely in our seats. There seemed little need when we were celebrating so many points.
Not that the Mountain Lions weren’t battling. They were.
But there was no close call, just preemptive cheers as the clock entered the final ten seconds. And then we cheered for the Jetts when the buzzer sounded, and chaos ensued.
The roar threatened to blow the stadium roof off. The celebratory hollers were contagious as even Cass and I shouted alongside the packed crowd.
Eddie and Lottie headed to the court to congratulate Pearce while Cass and I stood, grinning down at them.
“I want you to have this moment.” I wrapped my arm around Cassius’s waist and peered up at him.
He’d made it to the finals twice before but never took a win.
“It would be something.” He glanced down at me, but there was no envy in sight, just joy for his friend.
“Is winning the playoffs still your big dream?”
Still looking at me, he was quiet a beat, his gaze searching. “One of them.”
“One?” Color me surprised. “I thought this was the big dream.” It was all he spoke about growing up, including when he played at college. Even over the past few years, he didn’t shy away about his biggest dream being to finally win the playoffs. “When did that change?”
He cupped my cheek, and his thumb rubbed lightly over my bottom lip. My pulse skyrocketed, headfirst into the unknown as his gaze intensified.
I needed air in my lungs, but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember how to breathe. Not when every cell in my body was focused on Cassius and the way he looked at me. The way he leaned close.
“The moment I realized I could have something I hadn’t even dared dream of or even imagine.”
I dragged in a jagged breath, wondering when I’d turned into this guy. The one who practically swooned at hearing pretty words.
And fuck… I thought they were about to get prettier. I had no issues in helping him say them.
“And what’s that?” The breathy question escaped me, but I had no time to be embarrassed. Not a chance when Cassius looked at me like I was his whole world.
“You and Mikey. Loving you both is all I’m ever going to need. You’re my dream.”
Holy shit. Did he just lay that on me here and now when I couldn’t jump his bones and ask him to fuck me and prove it?
A shuddery breath escaped my lungs. “Tell me that I complete you and I’ll—”
Cass hissed the word “Asshole” even as he grabbed me up close, buried his face in my neck, and dug his fingers into my sides.
My laughter was loud, this whole thing crazy inappropriate. But what else was a man to do when his husband whispered words that made logic and reason threaten to dive out of the window without a parachute in sight?
He nipped at my neck, and I swallowed my groan.
“You’re an asshole.”