Chapter 21
Riley
I wake up to the sound of the door opening.
Reid steps inside and closes the door quietly behind him.
I blink, trying to orient myself. I don’t know what time it is or even what day it is.
“Why don’t you have a shirt on?” Why that question popped out when there are so many more important questions to ask, I’ll never know.
Reid faces me. “Morning. I was just coming to wake you up.”
I eye his sweaty chest. “Did you run without me?”
“Yes.”
I sit up and throw the covers off. “Reid!”
He puts both hands up. “In my defense, I did try waking you up. Twice.” He shrugs. “After that, I figured you needed the sleep.”
I frown. I always wake up easily, always have. “Huh.” I stand up and stretch. “What time is it now?”
“It’s still early. It’s just before six. There’s time to practice if you want.”
I remember his offer from last night to practice with me and help me get ready for this afternoon’s practice. “You don’t mind?”
He gives me a look. “No. Come on.”
“Let me go throw clothes on, and I’ll meet you outside.
” I hurry to my room and throw on exercise clothes.
I'm outside five minutes later. One of the reasons the guys chose this house their freshman year was because of the huge backyard to play sports.
The second reason was the nice basketball court on the side of the house.
I head there now. Reid is waiting for me, and so is Zane.
“Zane’s going to help us,” Reid says when I get close.
Zane walks over to me with a frown on his face. “I’m sorry your coach is such a jerk.”
I shake my head. “She’s not a jerk, and you can’t say that about her.”
“Pretty sure I just did. Reid told me all about how she treated you. That’s not right.”
“Well, right or wrong; she’s my coach. I have to deal with her. Well, if I make it onto the team, that is.”
“You’re going to make the team, Riley,” Zane says. “Let’s go.”
“Okay, Riley,” Reid says. “Right here.”
I go stand in front of him. “You’re my defense?” I ask him.
“Yep.” I scowl but don’t say anything. If I can get it past him, I can get past anybody.
“Okay. Post up.” I stand in front of him and put my hand out for the ball.
Zane throws it, and I fake left before turning right and shooting.
Reid blocks it, and I scowl at him. “You’re too far away.
Get closer.” He puts his hands on my hips and pulls me closer.
Zane passes me the ball again. “You have to feel your defender right behind you. Push me back to gain some space. Use your butt, Riley. Push into me to get me to back up and give you space.” I do as he says.
“Harder. Push into me. Okay. Now fake and turn and shoot.” I do as he says and make the jump shot.
“Okay, that was painful to watch,” Zane says, and I scowl at him.
“It went in.”
“Yeah, because Reid’s your mate and doesn’t want to hurt you. Let’s go.” He walks over to me.
“What?” I ask in confusion.
“Reid, you pass. Riley, you post up to me because you better believe I’m not going to let you push all over me like Reid did.”
At first I don’t think Reid’s going to let Zane trade places with him, but he finally does. He doesn’t look happy about it, though. I scowl at Zane. “Do you even remember how to do this?”
He smirks. “I played basketball for a long time before I focused solely on football. Don’t you worry about me, Little Sis.” His smirk fades, and he’s all business. “Let’s go.”
I turn and face Reid. “Give me a target,” Reid says. I put my hand high to the right. He passes there, and I dribble and back into Zane. He pushes right back against me. I push harder, but he’s like a brick wall. I fake to the left and spin, but he’s right there.
He raises an eyebrow. “Were you trying to do something there?” He takes the ball out of my hands. “Come on. Stop playing like a girl.”
I glare at him and turn around once again.
I back into Zane, using my backside to push into him and give Reid a hand, where I want him to pass.
He does. I don’t fake this time. This time, I spin and do a fade away.
I’m happy when it goes in easily. It’s my turn to raise an eyebrow to Zane. “Again,” he says.
We line up again. I do the same thing, but Zane blocks it. I scowl. “Again.” Zane gets a piece of the next one as well. And the next one...aaaand the next one.
“Reid. Some help please?” I ask. He comes over and posts up against Zane.
He doesn’t say a word. He just eyes me and then gives me a target.
I pass the ball to his extended arm. He lets the ball stay there just a moment, and then he turns.
He pushes forward, making Zane move backwards.
Then he executes a perfect layup. Zane goes up for it, but Reid gets it in.
“Basket and a foul shot,” Reid says to him with a smirk.
Zane nods. “Okay. Again.”
I pass Reid the ball. This time, he backs into Zane and then turns and lifts it effortlessly into the basket. We do this over and over again. Each time, Reid does a different move. I watch each and every one until I have five moves in my head. “Okay. Let me try.”
Reid immediately changes spots with me. I give him a target, and I do the first move—pushing into Zane to get space and then going hard to the basket for a layup.
It works, and I can’t help my grin. Reid gives me a nod, and I’ll take it.
We go again, and I do the same move again.
Then we try a different one. Over and over again, I post up against Zane.
Reid corrects me here and there, and I take every one of his suggestions and do exactly as he says.
I’m not sure how long it’s been when Reid finally calls it.
“That’s it, or you’ll be wasted for this afternoon’s practice. ”
“No, I need to keep going,” I argue.
“No, Reid’s right,” Zane says. “You need to have something left in the tank.” He faces me, and I’m pleased to see several drops of sweat roll down his face. “You did good. You got this. You hear me?” He pulls me into a sweaty hug, and I try and fail to push him away.
“Ew, you’re all sweaty.”
He just laughs. “Let me know how it goes, okay?”
“Thanks, Zane. I really appreciate it.” He gives me one more side hug and then jogs inside.
“What do you think?” I ask Reid, the one whose opinion really matters in this case.
“I think you’re going to make a formidable forward. This is only your first day; just think how good you’ll be by the time it’s game time.”
“I have to make the team first,” I remind him.
He surprises me by putting a finger beneath my chin and lifting it so that my eyes meet his. “You will make the team, Ry. You have to believe it up here, or it won’t happen.” He taps my head lightly, and I nod.
“Okay.”
He pulls me in for a hug. “You’ve got this.”
I look up at him. “Thank you for helping me.”
“I will always help you, Ry. If it’s in my power to do something for you, I will. Always.”
My heart tugs in my chest. “I know.” And I do. Reid’s just a really good person. I know that; I’ve always known it.
“I’ve got to go take a shower. Are you going to campus after this?”
“Yeah. Want a ride?”
“You don’t mind?” I ask as I pull my hair out of my ponytail in preparation for my shower.
He chuckles, and I look up at him. “When are you going to get it, Ry? I always want you with me. I will never mind having you around.”
I smirk, even as his words warm me from the inside out. “You might.”
He smiles. “I won’t.”
“Thanks. I’m heading to the shower. I won’t be long.
” It doesn’t take me long to get showered and dressed.
I leave my hair down to dry but keep a hair tie on my wrist to put it up when I get there.
I grab my bag and head out to the living room.
I follow Reid’s scent into the kitchen. I take in his tall form.
He looks every inch the baller today in his black athletic pants, sneakers, and Barracudas basketball shirt that hugs his biceps.
I swallow hard. He turns around at that moment.
I’m not sure what’s on my face, but it must clue him in somehow because his eyes darken a moment.
I don’t miss the deep breath he takes, and I freeze.
I know exactly what he just did. I feel my face heat a hundred degrees, but I force myself not to respond.
So, Reid just smelled that I'm turned on? No big deal, right? He takes a step towards me, his eyes locking on mine. I feel like prey to a much larger, more dangerous predator. He keeps coming for me, and I don’t move a muscle.
He stops when he’s only inches away. “You smell incredible.” His voice is low and more rumbly than usual.
The feelings I’m used to suppressing rise to the surface, and I start to push them down as I’ve done for years.
I look away and take a step back, but before I can go too far, a hand locks around my wrist. It’s not tight enough to hurt me, but it’s tight enough to keep me still.
“You don’t have to run from this, Ry.” His voice is still so low and dangerously sexy.
“You’re my mate, and I’m yours. Everything you’re feeling and experiencing is normal.
It's good.” He reaches up and runs a thumb down my cheek, eliciting a response from me.
My entire body shivers. “So responsive,” he murmurs.
He steps closer, dropping his head close to mine.
I feel my heart beating rapidly in my chest, and I try to remember how to breathe.
He’s so close now, I can feel his breath on my lips.
“You’re mine, and I’m yours, Ry,” he whispers.
His lips are so close, I can almost feel them.
A sudden desire to know what they feel like on mine fills me.
The desire is so intense, I gasp in surprise.
He puts a hand around my back and pulls me in, so that my chest is against his.
“Do you know how long I’ve dreamed of being able to do this?
” His voice is so low, I can feel it rumble through his chest where it touches mine.
I move even closer to him, desperate to feel his lips on mine.
“Whoa, no. Nope. That’s my sister.”
Zane’s voice is like a cup of cold water. I jerk back, and Reid growls low in his chest. I don’t think Zane hears it, or maybe he just ignores it. “I thought you were gone.” My voice sounds somewhat normal, and I’m thankful for that.
“No. Very much not gone. Very much here.” He walks over and claps Reid on the shoulder. I can tell it’s hard, much harder than it needs to be. But Reid doesn’t move a muscle or take his eyes off me.