Do not let that distract you. You are pissed. She is fucking with your career. It doesn’t matter if those shorts are currently causing me to have no room in my underwear. “If that’s the case, then why say anything at all?”
She swallows hard. “Because I need us to succeed on the power play, and I needed a reason for why it wasn’t succeeding. I felt it was you, but when I pointed it out, you wanted to change your play, and now I’m backing off. I don’t want to be a bad coach. I told you this. I am learning. And instead of writing you off, I want to coach you. I want you to succeed, Boon. I do.”
This is the first time she’s called me by my first name, and fuck if it doesn’t sound real good from those lips of hers. She looks nervous but stone-faced. I’m unable to read her when all I want is to know what she is thinking. “I can’t believe you said that.”
“I won’t lie. I won’t sugarcoat anything. You know this. We’ve discussed this.”
“But I’m not a bad player.”
“You’re not, but I feel you’re better at 5-on-5 than on the PP.”
I shake my head. “You are wrong.”
“You may be right, or I may be. Time will tell. But I do hope you are right. It’ll be good for both parties.” Heat is coursing through my body, and I’m unsure if it’s because she is beyond gorgeous or because I’m pissed. I’m taking in deep breaths as she watches me, her breathing just as erratic. “Tonight is going to be tough, and I’m trying to figure out what to do.”
“Don’t take me off.”
“I don’t want to,” she admits. “We’ll see. I have to do what’s best for the team. The Wild are pretty damn dangerous.”
I cross my arms, drinking her in with my eyes. “This isn’t because of last night?”
“Huh?”
I take a step toward her, and she straightens, her arms still crossed. Even though she is looking up at me, it feels like we’re the same height. She has such a commanding and intimidating stance.
It turns me on to no end.
“You’re not trying to ruin my career because I messaged you, are you?”
She blinks in surprise. “No, not at all.”
“I know it was rude. I was drunk—”
“You don’t have to explain. It’s fine. It’s forgotten,” she says, waving me off, but her eyes say different. I stare into the blue depths that almost look green. “Really. I know how it is when you’re drunk and lonely at night. You say things you don’t mean.”
I cock my head, and for the first time, I realize she looks self-conscious. Gone is my anger. I mean, not all of it, but it’s quickly being replaced by an urgency for her. To reassure her. Why would she think that? “I meant everything I said.”
She looks up at me. “Say what?”
“I wanted you to come over and let me feed you cookies. I wanted to hang with you alone because then I could kiss you without anyone stopping me. I want you, Posey. Bad.”
She parts her lips, and I can almost see her heart pounding in her chest. “I’m sorry?”
I take another step toward her, my breathing unsteady. “In case you haven’t realized by now, I happen to think you are absolutely stunning. So strong, so confident, and so gorgeous.”
She widens her eyes. “You think I’m gorgeous?”
“Posey,” I say, my voice low and deep. “I don’t think. I know.”
Her breath catches, and I can’t resist her anymore. I reach for her, taking her by the back of the neck and bringing her up against me. Her eyes gaze into mine, wide and stunning. I can’t believe she is this close. That I have her in my arms. But I’ll be damned if I don’t take this moment by the balls.
“No one has ever said that to me.”
“I don’t know how. You have completely hijacked my thoughts, you have made it hard for me to breathe multiple times, and you wreak havoc on my body.”
“Oh. Oh, wow.”
“And I’m about to kiss you.”
“You are?”
“I have to.”
“Oh, okay.”
I can’t help but grin as I drop my mouth to hers. Heat explodes everywhere as our lips meet, and hers feel better than I ever could have imagined. She slides her hands up my chest and rests them there as I squeeze the back of her neck in my hand. I tangle my other hand in her hair, and she leans into me, her body hot against mine. I glide my tongue along her lips, urging her to open her mouth. And when she does, it’s on. I dart my tongue into her mouth, wanting to consume her. She slides her hands along my hips and down my ass, gripping my cheeks. I groan against her mouth as I press into her, wanting her to feel every inch of me. In doing so, I feel her. The heat. And Jesus, I’m not going to make it. Soon, my need is so overwhelming, I am shaking. Never in my life have I vibrated with want for a woman, but Posey is causing exactly that. I want her entirely too much, and I know I need to slow this down.