Chapter 29
Rhys
“Hey, no, no,” Sloane scolded me, reaching over and snatching my phone out of my hand. “No texting and driving, you criminal.”
Her hair was still damp from our shower, slapping against my forearm as she reached across the car. I handed my phone over, wincing slightly. “Sorry, wasn’t thinking.”
She smiled and tapped the screen. “It’s Dom. Wants to know what we’re up to tonight.”
I blew out a breath. It was late. Technically, the answer was nothing. After a shitty game, the last thing on my mind was going wherever Dom ended up, but Sloane made sure I left the locker room with a big, sappy grin tonight.
If she wanted to go out, I’d follow her anywhere.
“Where are they?”
She typed a quick response. “Probably The Lounge, but I asked.” She glanced in my direction. “Are you sure you wanna do something?”
I shrugged, flipping my indicator to switch lanes. “Up to you, baby.”
Her blue eyes shimmered in the low light. “You’re feeling up to a bar right now?” My phone lit up in her hand. “The Lounge,” she confirmed.
“Let’s go.”
Sloane eyed me curiously. “You’re sure?”
“Yeah, Pip. Someone put me in a good mood. Might as well make the most of it.”
She laughed, typing something on my phone before dropping it into the cup holder. “Well, alright then. Let’s make the most of it.”
***
“So, when you gonna tell her?” Dom’s head lolled in my direction as he leaned back on his elbows against the wooden bar.
With a beer in my hand, I mimicked his stance and shrugged. My eyes swept over to where Sloane and Cami played pool. “Soon.”
Everyone knew I was in love with her. Everyone. Everyone except her.
Maybe her. I didn’t know.
Neither of us had said it, but it was getting harder and harder to keep it in. Every time I woke up next to her, every time I watched her come to life over a cup of coffee in the morning, the words danced on my tongue, begging to be said.
It’d been a little over a month since that night at the Lounge; her jealousy brought to life by a couple of cleat chasers in pink lipstick.
I didn’t even bat an eye when they walked up to me.
Why would I when I had Sloane fucking Taylor walking in my direction?
The anger that flared through her eyes, the way her hips swayed just enough to hold my attention…
It was the sweetest kind of addiction, and I had no intention of getting clean.
But the last thing I wanted to do was scare her. If I admitted too soon that I was in love with her, I could freak her out. So, I would wait. I would give her time to feel everything I was feeling, and as someone who had always been able to read her pretty easily, I knew she was getting there.
I watched as she sank the eight ball, throwing her hands up triumphantly, almost whacking Cami with the pool stick in the process.
Cami threw her head back, the groan she let out reaching my ears from across the noisy room.
I chuckled as Cami slapped a twenty into Sloane’s hand, a grin plastered to her lips.
She stuffed it into her pocket and skipped over to us, throwing her arms around my shoulders. “Drinks on me tonight!”
My free hand wrapped around her waist, pulling her body into mine. I loved the way her eyes gleamed in the low light, softened by the haze from the alcohol she’d already consumed. “I thought you were paying already.”
“Oh, did you?” she laughed, a tiny hiccup slipping through her words. “Considering you make more money than I do, I think I will volunteer you to pay for all of my drinks for the rest of… forever.”
Dammit if my heart didn’t soar at those words. I always thought I would have forever with her. But never like this. I always assumed I would be the sad, single man watching her from the sidelines. Cheering her on at her wedding to some guy I would never approve of, while I fell apart on the inside.
Just a man hopelessly in love with his best friend.
But now, I had a real shot at spending the rest of my life loving her the way I so desperately wanted to. And I had no intention of fucking it up.
“Come on, Pip. I barely make more than you.”
“Someone who refers to at least a couple of millions as ‘barely more’ doesn’t get to make that call.”
“Really? And how much were those shoes that got delivered today?”
I watched as she rolled her eyes, a smile tugging at my lips.
“I worked hard for those heels!”
Limited edition Gucci stilettos. I almost bought her the same pair until they showed up at our apartment.
I laughed and dropped a kiss on her forehead. “I know you did, baby.”
She melted into my body, her chin resting against my sternum. The pure adoration in her eyes made my chest squeeze. “I love it when you call me that.”
My hand ran up and down her spine. “Yeah?” I loved being the one to call her that even more.
She nodded, heavy-lidded eyes staring back up at me. “You know what I love even more?” I quirked a brow as she stretched onto her tiptoes, her lips grazing my ear. “Good girl.”
I smirked, my hand sliding down to rest on her ass. “Careful, baby. We’re in public.” I lowered my voice so only she could hear me.
Her fingers swept through my hair, nails scraping against my scalp. “That’s never stopped us before,” she whispered, her breath tickling against my ear.
I swallowed, my dick coming to life behind my zipper as I remembered the last time we were in this bar together. A few too many drinks, and the next thing I knew, we were peeling each other’s clothes off in the bathroom.
I cleared my throat, leaning away just a tad. “That was a one-time thing.”
Sloane’s eyebrow lifted playfully.
“Two-time thing,” I amended, also remembering the time a few days before that.
She shrugged, her fingers brushing through my hair again. “Could be a three-time thing.”
I laughed, kissing her cheek before whispering, “I’d much rather wait until we get home. Because here, you have to keep quiet. And baby, there is nothing I love more than hearing you scream my name.”
I felt her shiver against my body, her thighs squeezing together. “Can we leave?”
A laugh bellowed out of me.
My girl.
I lifted my beer to my lips and finished it off, dipping my chin in the direction of the front door. “After you.”
Her teeth sank into her bottom lip as she pulled the twenty from her pocket and slapped it on the counter. Dom and Cami rolled their eyes at the same time, both of them probably wondering how the hell we weren’t sick of each other yet.
I shook my head at the giddy look on her face, like we hadn’t just been all over each other in the locker room a couple of hours ago.
“You guys are gross.” Cami laughed, shaking her head while she threw back the rest of her drink.
“You guys are jealous,” Sloane teased, winking at Cami and blowing her kiss before disappearing into the crowd and heading toward the door.
I laughed again. “That’s my cue.” I offered a salute to our friends and headed toward the front door, knowing I would follow this girl to the ends of the earth if she asked.