Chapter 37
Evie
My face heats, and I scramble to get off Zane.
He pushes me off him gently and jumps to his feet, putting out his hand.
I grab his hand, and he pulls me to my feet.
He doesn’t let go and uses my hand to pull me closer.
“You can land on me anytime, Bennett.” His voice is low and sexy, and I shake my head at his obnoxiousness.
I wave a hand at my teammates. “You guys continue without me. I’m heading inside to get some water.”
“I’m done too,” I hear Zane say behind me.
I step inside and hear Zane come in behind me. “Evie.” His voice stops me in my tracks. I turn to him and see the concern all over his face. “Did I hurt you, Baby?”
I look at him in confusion. “No, I’m good.”
He steps close, so there’s only a few inches separating us. “Are you sure?”
“I’m sure. Are you sure you’re not stopping the game because your pride’s hurt?” I ask with a grin. “I did score on you,” I point out.
His lips twitch. “You were devious out there.”
I shrug. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yeah, you do,” he says in a low voice, stepping closer. “That shirt thing? What was that?”
I feel my face heat up. “I was just wiping the sweat off my face.”
His intense eyes run over my face. “Nah, Baby. You were flashing me, and I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.”
My mouth drops open. “I wasn’t flashing you,” I whisper indignantly. “I kept everything covered.”
His eyes darken in intensity. “You only do that move for me, right, Baby?” He steps closer, and I find it hard to breathe. He lifts his eyebrows, waiting for my answer.
“Only you,” I find myself saying.
He makes an approving sound in the back of his throat.
“Good. Nobody else sees any of this gorgeous body. It’s for my eyes only.
” He leans closer, and I close my eyes. I can feel his breath on my face.
His chest is just centimeters from mine now.
“Someday, I’ll see all of it,” he says in a voice so low, I almost don’t catch his words.
I feel a hand at my waist, and my eyes fly open. He goes still. “Is this okay?”
I know if I said it wasn’t, he would stop instantly. Maybe it’s that knowledge that gives me courage, but I tip my face up to his. “Yes.”
I don’t look away when his other hand finds my other side. His fingers spread on my waist, and the tips of his fingers find the skin at my sides. He groans low in his chest without breaking eye contact. “I knew your skin would be so soft,” he whispers.
My blood heats at his words, and my heart races in my chest. I step closer to him and reach out to run a hand over his chest again.
But unlike before, I go slowly, letting my hand explore the hard contours of his chest. I hear his breathing go shallow, and his muscles jump under my hand.
Seeing how I affect him is intoxicating.
I reach up and palm his jaw, and his eyes close.
I run my hand lightly over his strong jaw, and he growls low in his chest. I run my hand down his neck and over to his ear.
His hands tighten involuntarily on my waist. “Kiss me,” I say in a voice that’s low and sultry, something I’ve never heard from me before.
His eyes snap open, and his eyes focus on my lips. “Are you sure?” His voice is deliciously raspy.
I breathe out, trying to catch my breath.
“If you don’t want to—” I don’t get any further than that because warm lips descend on mine, and I feel my entire body tighten and then relax at the feel of his lips on mine.
His lips are warm and so tender, but I want more from him.
I bite his lower lip softly, and he growls and pulls me impossibly closer.
He deepens the kiss, and I’m no longer in charge.
He kisses me over and over again, fitting and refitting his lips against mine, trying to get the best angle.
“Evie,” he says on a low groan.
“Zane,” I moan against his lips.
He snaps and pulls me tighter, deepening the kiss.
He tugs on my hair, angling my head to make it better for both of us.
Then he’s moving us across the room. My back hits the wall, and he attacks my lips over and over again.
I pull on his shirt, trying to get him closer.
He trails kisses down my neck, and a moan escapes my throat. “Those sounds, Baby.”
The sound of the back door makes us both freeze.
My wide eyes find Zane’s. His eyes are on mine with an intensity I’ve never seen; I swear they’re practically glowing.
Abruptly, he turns away from me. “I’ve got to go for a run.
” He’s out the back door before I can even form a word.
Three sets of eyes turn to me, and I feel my face flush hot.
“Um...” My voice seems to snap them all back to attention.
Quint grins at me. “Evie, I think you’ve gone and broken our fearless leader.”
I cross my arms over my chest, wishing I could disappear into the floor. “I’m sorry,” I say before whirling around and making my way out of the living area.
“Evie, wait.” I hear Quint’s voice, but I hurry towards the bathroom, hoping I can hide in there for just a few minutes. But Quint darts in front of me, blocking my access to the bathroom. I can see the concern in his eyes, and it’s really not warranted.
“I’m fine, Quint.”
He stares at me a moment longer and then moves out of my way, so I can enter the bathroom.
I give myself a moment to cool down. I glance at the mirror and grimace.
My cheeks are all red, and my hair is disheveled.
I put myself back together and then look in the mirror.
I touch my lips; I can still feel Zane’s lips there.
I stare into the mirror. I can’t believe he kissed me like that.
..like I was everything to him. I think back to when we were outside playing.
I smile in spite of myself; I had a really good time.
For just a little bit, I didn’t think about anything else.
I didn’t think about Jace or Sam or my room back in my dorm.
I just had fun. Conscious of the fact that I’ve been in here a little while, I force myself to leave the bathroom.
When I get to the living room, it’s empty.
A quick look around shows that the guys must have all gone to their rooms. It’s late after all.
I walk over to look out into the backyard.
It’s completely dark as I stare out into the back yard.
“He’ll probably be out for a while.” I turn at the sound of Reid’s voice but stay quiet because I’m not sure what to say to that.
He stands a few feet away, staring out in the dark with me. “Do you think I broke your fearless leader too?” I ask, aiming for a teasing tone.
“Yes.” I turn to him in surprise; I hadn’t expected him to answer that way. “In the best way possible,” he adds. I’m not really sure what he means by that, so I just stare out into the dark. “Zane’s a really good guy, Evie.”
“I know he is.” My words are quiet.
“He would never let something happen to you and would never hurt you.”
The way Jace did. He doesn’t say the words, but I can feel their implication. “I believe that he wouldn’t hurt me on purpose. But Reid, you know people hurt each other all the time. It’s just what happens in any kind of relationship.”
“That’s true, but there are different types of hurt.
There’s the kind of hurt that happens between people that love each other.
They fight and say something they regret, something that hurts the person they love.
That’s not the kind of hurt I’m talking about.
That kind of hurt isn’t the kind that stays with you a lifetime; you work through that kind of hurt.
The kind of hurt that I'm talking about is the one that makes you fearful, afraid to trust again. Zane’s not like that.
” I take in his words, but don’t say anything in return.
I’m not sure how long we stand there, staring into the darkness before he says quietly, “Zane should be back soon.” He turns to leave.
“Thank you, Reid. You know, you’re going to make some woman very happy.” His face tightens, and I think about his interactions with Riley. “Or I guess I should say a certain younger sister.” He eyes me warily. “I won’t say anything, Reid. You have my word.”
He gives me a tight nod. “Thanks. Night.”
He disappears down the hallway, just as the front door opens.
I turn and catch my breath. Zane’s shirtless and only wearing a pair of black sweats.
He's got sweat dripping down his chest, and his hair looks like he ran his fingers through it a time or two. My eyes flit over his chest again, against my will. I feel my mouth dry up, because good grief, the guy is ripped. I knew that he was solid under his shirt because I’ve felt his muscles, but this is next level.
Zane’s eyes meet mine, and he strides towards me.
He's suddenly right in front of me, and I have a hard time catching my breath.
“I’m sorry.” His words are soft and confusing.
“What for?” I ask, trying to catch my breath.
“I wasn’t going to rush you.” He runs a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Evie. I wanted to give you time after everything with Jace. I wanted you to feel safe and protected here, and I blew it. You deserve more than that from me.”
“Is that why you went for a run?” I ask. His face contorts. “What?” I ask.
He sighs. “I went for a run because I couldn’t keep my hands off you, and I was losing control. But I will. You can always trust me, Evie. I will always protect you and keep you safe; and that goes for your heart and body too.”’
“Reid pretty much just said the same thing about you.”
His eyes narrow. “Reid was with you.”
“Hey,” I say, pushing on his chest lightly. “Relax; he’s gone now. He just came to make sure I was okay, I think.”
“Why?” His voice is sharp.
“Because Quint said I broke you,” I tell him honestly.
“What? Quint’s an idiot; don’t listen to anything he says. I don’t.”
For some reason, that makes me laugh. “Thanks for tonight, Zane. I had a really good time playing with you guys.”
“It was so much more fun than it usually is with just the four of us guys. You need to play with us every Sunday night.”
My smile is soft. “I’ll see what I can do, after we make sure it’s okay with your roommates.”
“It’s okay,” he says.
“How do you know?” I ask.
He shrugs. “Because they don’t have a choice.”