Sweet Satisfaction

W hen do you leave Austin?

W hat the fuck was I doing? Was I asking her out? I didn’t know. I had a meeting this morning. I had practice this afternoon. With my luck, my new Warriors’ PR parole officer would assign some kind of high-profile community service for me, parading me around town promoting the team’s good name .

T his afternoon

A nd then I realized I didn’t give a shit what Charlie or Coach had planned for me today. I was Luke Canton. I did what the fuck I wanted .

D rinks before you go?

I sat on the edge of the bed. I put it out there. She could say no and that would be the end of it. I’d erase her number from my phone and never speak to her again. Or she could say yes, and I’d do something I’d never done before .

Y es, I’ll call you when I get my first break. I’m at the hospital all morning .

T he answer hit me in the chest. I wasn’t sure it was the right answer, but it was the one I wanted her to give me. After last night all I wanted to hear from those perfect lips was yes. I’d had one taste of her and I knew that wasn’t going to be enough .

Ten

Alexa

I f I thought I could sneak into my hotel suite with a pair of shredded underwear in my purse and no explanation for where I had been the last five hours, I was wrong .

I looked at my boots, remembering how seductively Luke had removed them. No matter what was on the other side of this door, I’d never forget last night .

Jake was waiting inside the suite with a look that could kill .

“Where the hell have you been, Lex?” Even this early in the morning I could smell his expensive cologne. He looked clean-shaven and there was a touch of hair gel on the side of his short cut. Without a doubt, he was always the best-dressed man in the room .

“None of your business,” I snapped. That probably wasn’t the way to get on his good side .

I didn’t want him to ruin the feel-good adrenaline still coursing through my veins. My night with Luke was the greatest high I’d felt in at least a year. I wasn’t sure my body was back on this planet yet. Luke had taken me somewhere last night I hadn’t known existed. There was no way in hell I was going to let Jake spoil it .

He shoved his phone inside his jacket and stood to face me. “Babe, you scared me. You didn’t answer your phone. You didn’t tell your security. I’ve been here the whole time waiting for you to get back. This could have been something serious. I was this close to getting the authorities involved.” He pinched his fingers together .

I recognized there was a real look of worry on his face, but I also knew that it would quickly turn .

“I’m sorry,” I apologized. “I was out with a friend. I needed some time to think .”

“Think?”

I nodded. “Yes.” I crossed the room, going straight to the fridge for a glass of orange juice. “I’ve tried to talk to you lately, but you don’t want to seem to listen. I needed a little space .”

“I’m listening now. What made you stay out all night ?”

I stood behind the counter. “I’m tired, Jake. This schedule you have me on is insane. And the fans want every bit of my energy. It’s taking a toll on me. I can’t keep going like this. Don’t you see it ?”

He nodded as if he were considering my statements. “You and I both know this could be gone in a flash. You have to ride it while you’ve got it, Lex. It can be pulled away with one misstep. One scandal .”

I rolled my eyes. “Seriously. That is dramatic .”

“You side-stepped one last night.” He eyed me. “Thank God there are no pictures of you and Luke Canton together. I don’t know what he was doing at a charity event. That’s definitely not his scene. Maybe if it was a charity for hookers.” Jake laughed at his own joke. “Point is honey, a picture with him, the wrong headline and your good girl image is ruined .”

“And so what if it is? Why can’t I be sexy? Why can’t I wear what I want? Sing what I want?” I don’t know where I found the energy to argue with Jake. Every muscle in my body was sore and I wasn’t sure my clit wasn’t still

vibrating. “Hang out with bad boys if I want?” I was definitely pushing it now .

Luke was everything I thought he would be and more. Last night was still seeping through my body, lingering on my clothes, painted on my swollen lips .

“You, sexy? Come on. That was never the plan. You are the sweetheart. The good girl. The role model every parent wants for their child .”