How could I feel so incredibly connected to someone from this far across the room and yet worlds apart?
She gave me a smile, but then Maxim leaned in close to talk to her, wrapping his arm around the back of her chair.
Her gaze fell from mine, severing our connection.
I waited a breath, then two, hoping she’d look over, hoping she felt the same inexplicable pull that I did, but…nothing.
Something in my chest chilled and drew tight.
Why? I’d agreed to keep our relationship quiet. What did it matter if everyone knew as long as she and I did? There was less pressure this way, and whatever made her comfortable was okay by me, that’s how badly I wanted to keep her.
But that’s when it hit me.
We weren’t just quiet or discreet.
We were something a little dirtier—a secret.
10
London
“I don’t know what to do,” I groaned as I sank onto Savannah’s couch. I shoved one of her throw pillows against my face, muffling a scream.
“Whoa,” a familiar male voice said, shocking me. I dropped the pillow to see Hendrix, frozen two steps into the living room. “What kind of a situation did I just walk in on here, babe?” he asked Savannah, who had her legs curled up under her on the chair across from me. “Is it an ice cream and brownies thing or a whiskey and ice thing?”
I choked on a laugh, smoothing out the wrinkled pillow.
Savannah waved him off. “It’s just a normal thing, Hollywood. But I’d absolutely take a brownie.” She winked at him. He snapped his fingers, pointing to both of us before practically sprinting to the kitchen.
My heart warmed a fraction, calming some of the infuriating tension that had collected in my muscles. “Using those wide receiver skills to rustle up treats?” I nodded, smiling at my friend. “Not a bad man at all.”
She bit her lower lip, her features nearly drowning in true-love dust. “He is. But Hendrix’s extensive skill list isn’t what we’re discussing.”
I blew out a breath. “It’s been seven days,” I said, but it sounded like a whine.
Seven days since I’d had the most incredible, world-shaking, mind-blowing sex of my life. Like…I wasn’t sure it got better than that. Ever. My skin flushed just thinking about him, about the things he’d done to my body, the places he’d taken me with just his tongue.
“Tell me about that little trick he did with his mouth again,” she said, and I laughed again. God, it was so great to have a friend like her.
“You’re shameless,” I said, shaking my head.
She shrugged.
“He hasn’t called.” Or texted or even acted like I existed. It twisted something inside me. “He’s been off since the breakfast in Chicago.” The same morning-after breakfast. I’d decided to sit with Caz—one, because he’d made it to the room before Jansen—but also because I didn’t want Caz going after him.
It hadn’t been a choice thing, it’d been a professional thing. I wasn’t sure what we were to each other, and until I was, I wouldn’t flash what we’d done to the entire team, least of all my brother. That was drama Jansen didn’t need for sure.
“What a dick,” Savannah hissed.
“Who’s a dick?” Hendrix asked as he came back into the room. He set down a plate of brownies on the coffee table between us, then handed me a sparkling water.
“Sterling,” Savannah said at the same time I said, “Thank you.”
Hendrix whistled, his eyebrows raised as he took a seat. “That doesn’t sound like Sterling,” he said, leaning back in the chair next to Savannah.
I snatched a brownie off the table, taking two bites. It was almost enough chocolate to cool the anger and confusion simmering in my blood.
“So walk me through it again,” Savannah said, her brow pinched.
I finished chewing, took a sip of the drink, then set everything back on the table. “We…” I glanced at Hendrix, who waggled his eyebrows at me with a teasing look. “We had a night together,” I said, and he snorted. “And the next morning…” I sighed. “Well, I don’t know exactly what I did wrong.” The knowledge curled up inside me like dried flower petals. I had practically zero experience with sex. Maybe I hadn’t been good enough for him. But he’d seemed so enthusiastic in the heat of the moment…maybe that had been for my benefit too. I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I tried to talk to him on the plane, but he gave me the cold shoulder. I’ve been trying to catch him in the arena, but he’s always just heading out. And he’s ignored my texts.”
Hendrix hissed through his teeth, and Savannah smacked his chest.
“You didn’t do anything wrong,” she said, and Hendrix practically hid behind his bottle of water.
“Maybe I did. You know I don’t have that much…experience.”
“It doesn’t matter,” she argued. “From what you told me he was more than into it.”