Hotshot (The Bennett Brothers 1)

“Walk. With. Me.” I repeat, and she gives me a slight nod.

I release her hand but keep my arm around her waist, leading her to the walkway and down to the beach.

“Do you think I’m good at my job, Bizzy?” I ask when we get to the shoreline, still holding her close.

“The absolute best, but you know this. I’ve always thought you were the best at what you do.”

“Tonight is only a formality, more of a ‘getting to know you’ dinner. We’ll talk about the season, the highs, the lows, and then we’ll move on to easier subjects. I’ve already done my research on Joe, and he on me. Joe’s big on chemistry, and I admire that. If we have professional chemistry and we both walk away feeling this relationship is mutually beneficial and respectful, he’ll fly to Miami and sign a contract. He’s at the tail end of the season and doing well. His team looks like they could go all the way. His agent is retiring for health reasons, so the timing is critical.”

“He’ll love you, Shaw. If tonight is all about getting to know you, he’s a done deal.”

Pride floods through my system and my chest swells. She’s always been supportive and excited about my job, but her words seep into me. Suddenly, everything that has seemed so normal means so much more.

“Tomorrow night’s dinner will be the same. He’s a football player. We’ve been talking for over a month. He has the same retiring agent.”

She squeezes my hand and lays her head on my shoulder as we walk. “It’s amazing. You’re amazing.”

I stop walking and step in front of her, sliding her hat back so I can see her full face. “No, you’re amazing. Earlier, you said something about having better things to do than hang out with you, but you are wrong. If I could, I’d cancel every damn meeting and dinner scheduled, and spend the rest of the weekend with only the two of us. As it stands, I’m not too keen on sharing you with these guys, even for a few hours.”

Her eyes fall to the sand where she draws a circle with her toe. “Shaw?” She lifts her eyes back to mine, and they burn with uncertainty and confusion.

I act on impulse. Before she can say anything else, I cup her chin and lower my mouth to hers, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. I don’t want her to mistake this for any other time I’ve kissed her with haste in passing. This time, I’m sending a message.

My tongue sweeps across her soft lips, begging for her to open. She parts her mouth slightly, and I slip inside, holding back a growl at the first taste of her. I glide my hand around her neck and thread my fingers in her hair, gripping her scalp and anchoring her to me. Our lips move together, picking up speed, finding the perfect rhythm instantly.

She gives a little whimper and moves her hands to clutch my biceps as she tilts to give me better access. Her tongue swirls against mine, urging me to go deeper.

In this moment, everything around us vanishes, making it feel as if we are the only two people on the beach. This goes beyond a first kiss; it’s all-consuming and passionate, and for me, it’s a declaration of intent. I want her in a way I’ve never wanted anything in my life. I pour every emotion of the last three weeks into the kiss and pray she feels what I do.

Too soon, she starts to break away, but I don’t let her go far, pressing our foreheads together as we both fight for breath. My mind flashes over the last ten years and memories with this beautiful woman.

How could I have been so blind?

An epiphany hits me so hard, my chest feels like it’s caving in. I may have always loved Bizzy, but in this moment, on this beach, I have fallen in love with her.

“Did that just happen?” Her breathy voice hits me strai

ght in the dick, which is pulsing against the Velcro of my swim shorts.

“Fuck yeah.”

“I promised myself I’d never ask, in case last night was a result of the alcohol talking, but what’s happening here?”

“If you have to ask, come here and let me show you again.”

“Can you clarify so I don’t make a fool of myself?”

Her voice is laced with doubt, and I hear a faint crack in her words. She’s avoiding my eyes, but her hands are still clutching my arms.

Once again, my eyes are opened to a level of insecurity I’ve never noticed. It becomes my mission in life to bury those fucking thoughts so deep, all she sees is how incredible she is. Starting now, it’s time to lay it on the line.

“There was no alcohol talking. I meant every word I said last night. I’ve never been interested in any kind of relationship until I finally realized what was right in front of me. It hit me out of nowhere. I’m crazy about you. That day in my office, a switch was flipped. I’m not sure if it’s because you looked and felt so right in my arms, or if it’s the fact that I’d have given anything to take away your pain.

“Whatever it was didn’t go away. It thrived and grew, and for the last three weeks, all I’ve been able to think about is you. You’ve always been in my heart, but now you’ve branded me. I’m a fool for not seeing it sooner because now all I see is us.”

“Us?” She slowly raises her eyes to me and they’re glowing a deep blue.

Hope courses through me, and I swallow, putting the last shred of myself on the line. “Yes, us. Do you feel it? If you don’t, I’ll stand back and we can return to the way things were, but I couldn’t hide my feelings any longer.”