In his head, it was Pete’s voice uttering those words of caution. Alex knew to heed the warning. But could he?
They drove to the downtown restaurant and had beers, antipasto, and crespelle at Bar Bianco next door before moving over to the dining room when they could accommodate the large group.
Lola sat between Alex and Pete. Alex didn’t miss the curious looks his teammates’ wives and girlfriends gave Lola.
For the first time, Alex was actually in tune with what Lola had been saying all along about the sideways glances her figure inspired. Sure, he’d noticed when other guys in school had drooled over her. But he could also empathize with them. He’d done it, too. Just more discreetly.
As he gazed at her, admiring the view, she whispered, “What? Do I have something in my teeth?”
“Nope.”
She eyed him quizzically.
He laid a hand on her bare thigh and gave it a gentle squeeze. “You’re perfect.”
“Far, far from it,” she muttered, her eyes locking with his. “But thank you.”
Following the pizza excursion, they returned to the condo.
“I am so stuffed,” Lola moaned. “Way too much food.”
“I hear you. And I played two games today.” He stretched out on the sofa.
Lola settled on the loveseat. “They just released the new season of The Walking Dead on Netflix. Everyone I know is streaming it. You game?”
“I’m all for a Saturday night marathon. ’Cause I’m not moving anytime soon.”
They didn’t last long. Lola was asleep two hours later. Alex grabbed a blanket from the hall closet and draped it over her. Then he headed off to his bedroom, showered, changed into a T-shirt and briefs, and decided an early crash wasn’t such a bad idea.
* * *
Lola woke from a very sound sleep. Yawned. Stretched. Then realized she was snuggled under a blanket on the loveseat. Alex was nowhere in sight.
She tossed off the covers and headed to her room. But drew up short in the kitchen. Reversing her direction, she crept quietly into Alex’s bedroom. She crawled under the sheet and duvet and cuddled against him, wrapping her arms around him and spooning him from behind.
She inhaled the fresh scent of his soap and reveled in his hunky body next to hers. In the middle of the night, in a somewhat groggy state, she had to admit that curled up with Alex was just about the most wonderful place on the planet. Aside from sprawled on top of him. Or lying beneath him.
Lola further faced the fact that Alex was the only man she could imagine sharing this sort of intimacy with.
Her lips glided over his neck, and he stirred.
“Oh, yay,” she said in a soft voice. “You’re awake.”
“Two more seconds of you rubbing against me and I’ll be hard.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” she whispered in his ear. Her hands slid under his T-shirt and her fingertips glided over the ridges of his abs and then to his pecs. “You have a phenomenal body, Alex.”
He reached under his shirt, gripped one of her hands, and dragged it down between his legs. “I didn’t even need the full two seconds.”
She slipped her palm behind the waist of his briefs and stroked him slowly. Alex groaned.
“Hot and hard,” she murmured. “That’s sexy, Alex.”
“Get me off,” he said in a sleep-roughened voice.
“Yes. But… I want you inside me.” She nipped at his earlobe. “Make love to me.”
He stretched toward the nightstand. Grabbed a condom. Rolled toward her, forcing her to release his cock.