Chapter 4
CHAPTER
FOUR
ADELINE
Damon Siska’s thigh has brushed against mine at least ten times, and each time, I lose my breath for a moment. He’s so hot. How did Sami ever get him confused for some random guy pretending to be him? Even his ego and swagger are endearing to me for some inane reason.
I’m not a one-night stand kind of girl, but after my recent breakup with Peter the Prick, I think I need this tonight.
A guy like Damon, who can get almost any woman he wants, is sitting next to me, flirting with me.
Maybe that’s pathetic, but I’m chalking it up to the huge hit my ego took when the prick broke up with me and got engaged to another woman a month later.
“So, what company do you work for? And why are all the guys scowling at me?” Damon looks over his shoulder after returning from buying me another seltzer.
“We’re all teachers. One of my coworkers planned this outing for us today.”
His eyes bug out. “Really?”
“What?”
“Isla is a teacher?”
I chuckle. She can be a little rough around the edges, but she’s had her heart broken a lot too. “She is. We teach middle school.”
“Seriously?” He balks, and I narrow my eyes. “I don’t think I had any teachers that looked like you when I was in school.”
I roll my eyes, but his compliment feels good. So good, in fact, that I know his chances with me are increasing. Maybe I should’ve told him to go to hell right off the bat. Do I really want to be another woman who doesn’t make it into his phone? A forgettable face in a blur of so many others?
“Thank you, but I’m not wearing tank tops and cutoff shorts in my classroom.”
“Just watch out when you wear dresses. Thirteen-year-olds are tricky motherfuckers.”
He sips his beer and watches the game for a beat. I can hear his breathing, and his fingers tap on his thigh in the same rhythm they have all afternoon. He’s fidgety and I wonder why. I know I can’t possibly make him nervous.
“Enlighten me. Are you a sports fan?” He turns to face me.
I open my mouth and close it before responding. “I like some sports, but I don’t follow the players.”
He huffs. “The Bailey guy, he’s good. Did you see that hard hit he just fielded and how he got to second for Reidle to throw to first for the double play?”
Maybe I should tell him the truth—I wasn’t paying attention because I was wondering what it might feel like to have the weight of his strong body over mine. What it must feel like to have him thrust into me with all the muscles in his arms, back, and shoulders bulging.
Peter the Prick was the artsy type, lean-muscled like a runner, even though he never ran.
And I was fine with that. I loved him and didn’t care that he never worked out and hated everything outdoors.
Like today, he would have never come here with me.
Would have said he’d burn and that the heat gives him hives.
Damon is just different, and the more I notice things like his long fingers and the corded muscle in his forearms, the more I can’t stop thinking about sleeping with the man.
“Yeah,” I answer, and I think maybe I sound a little dazed.
“It was a great play, but he’ll probably be ridiculed by the fans for how he played it.” He leans back. “I don’t know. One of my best friends got traded to the Grizzlies midseason last year and he’s dealt with some shitty fans. Sometimes I wonder if it’s all worth it for him.”
I turn in my seat and stare at Damon’s profile until he realizes I’m looking at him.
“What?” he asks.
“I don’t know. This is a deep conversation to have with someone you barely know.”
He chuckles lightly. “Yeah, it’s just… I was downstairs at the bar before and heard all these old men, die-hard Colts fans, discussing Bailey and I’m sure in some bar last year, there were guys just like them talking about my buddy.
Sometimes I want to say, get your ass on that field and let’s see how you’d do. ”
“You should,” I say, even more enamored after seeing this side of him.
Jesus, I already know I’m going to sleep with him tonight. He’d have to say something really stupid to mess it up now. But the last person I’m telling is Isla, who’s gone to sit with some of our other coworkers. I will take this secret to my grave.
“They’ll come up with some excuse as to why they didn’t make it pro. They all always do.”
“Are you sure someone out there isn’t saying things about you?” I ask, clearly joking, but he takes the time to think about it.
“No, Chicago has embraced me since I was drafted here nine years ago. I hope to retire here.”
We sit in silence and watch the game for a bit, but I swear I’m attuned to every minute movement he makes.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” I say after a while and stand to squeeze by him.
“I’ll walk you inside.” He follows me.
My breathing picks up because I’m self-conscious about the way my ass looks with him behind me.
“Siska, where you been?” a guy says to our right just as I’m about to turn to head down to the rooftop bar right under the seats.
I glance over and know right away that this guy has to be another Grizzlies player. He’s broad-shouldered but not as big as Damon. His dimples and killer smile are appealing but not as panty melting as Damon’s. Plus, he’s got a blonde tucked under his arm who is smiling at us.
“Sitting just up a few rows.” Damon motions to where we have been sitting.
The guy nods.
“Adeline, this is Cooper, Elle, and Bryce. Guys, this is Adeline.”
They all smile, but their expressions appear as if they’re apologizing to me ahead of time.
“We’re heading to the bathroom,” Damon says.
“I’m heading to the bathroom,” I say. “Nice to meet you all.”
I walk down the stairway to the main bar area that has a big window looking out onto the stadium and field. I follow the signs to the bathroom and Damon says he’ll get us another round.
When I’m finally alone, I go to the bathroom and afterward stand by the mirror, staring at myself, annoyed that I allowed myself to get so engrossed with Damon that I’m willing to sleep with him.
Goddamn Peter the Prick. Screw him for making me feel less than and wanting a man to worship me and take away any memory of him.
“You’re thinking pretty hard there.” Isla stands behind me, sipping her mixed drink.
I didn’t even hear the door open.
“I’m just washing my hands.” I busy myself with soap and water.
“Bullshit. Everyone’s talking about it.” She leans her shoulder against the tiled wall. Apparently she only came in here to give me the third degree.
“About what?”
“You and Damon Siska. Henry is very jealous.”
I inhale a sharp breath, not in the mood to talk about Henry. The man pounced on me in the teachers’ lounge right after news spread that Peter the Prick and I had broken up.
“It’s no one’s business.” I dry my hands with paper towels.
“Don’t do something stupid. Taking Sami’s sloppy seconds…”
I turn to face her. “Turns out that wasn’t him.”
“And you trust him?” Her judgmental tone annoys me. This is Isla though, and it shouldn’t surprise me. But I don’t involve myself in her love life.
“I do actually. He’s a sweet guy.”
“Come on, you’re being stupid. You’re smarter than to sleep with someone like him.”
“Isla, this is none of your business. If I sleep with him, it only concerns me and him. I’m not looking for some white knight to save me. I’m looking for a big dick to make me scream in pleasure for a few hours.”
Her mouth drops open and she stares at me.
I’m not usually so vulgar, but I’ve had a couple drinks and she’s been lecturing me on the men I choose, going on and on about how I should’ve known Peter the Prick was cheating on me.
One can only endure so much and now I kind of want to sleep with Damon as a big fuck you to her.
I toss the paper towels in the garbage and walk over to the door.
“You’re embarrassing yourself in front of everyone tonight.”
“I don’t really care what anyone else thinks.” I open the door and leave Isla behind.
Without giving it a second thought, I cozy up to Damon at the bar. He looks at me from the corner of his eye.
“You mentioned you live in this building?” I add a suggestive tone to my voice.
He faces me quickly and stares into my eyes for a long time. “I’m two floors down.”
“Then what are we waiting for?” I sip my seltzer and place it on the bar.
“Not a damn thing. Come on.” He slides his big hand around mine, pulling me away from the bar toward a stairway that looks as though it’s reserved for the people who live there.
A few minutes later, I’m in his condo.
A half hour later, I’m naked and screaming, just like I wanted.
An hour later, I know that I’ll likely never find another lover who can please me the way he does.
Because Damon Siska does not disappoint in the bedroom.