idea at the time.”
Now, I sit here, less than twenty-four hours after the deal with my parents, unable to get close enough to Crosby.
“I shouldn’t have flirted with Kendra to make you jealous. It just…it hurt.”
Oh, his honesty. I forgot how honest of a guy he was.
“Well, your plan worked.”
He chuckles. “Jealousy was drowning you. But the King move wasn’t cool. I need to talk to him.”
I pat his stomach. “No, you don’t. He knew what was going on.”
“You never go after another player’s girl.” He shakes his head, pulling me closer. “I want to talk to your parents.”
“No.” I vehemently shake my head. “No, no, no.”
“I’m not going to see you behind their backs.”
“Why not?”
I can imagine my dad. There’s no way.
“El, do you see us with a future?”
“Yes, I hope.”
“Then, I need to talk to your parents.”
His hands pulling his suit back up and tying it, he sinks down into the water. Reaching over, he grabs my bottoms and holds them out for me to put my legs through.
“There’s no arguing. It’s happening.”
Oh, shit.
Chapter Sixteen
Crosby
I’m upstairs on my computer with a grin so wide that nothing could knock it off as I remember Ella’s mouth on me when my Instagram alert dings. I’ve been tagged.
Jen and Ella are cooking dinner for the guys as a thank-you for letting them stay here for two weeks. Ella’s attitude toward the move has turned positive since this past afternoon. I’m fairly sure the access to my mouth is on the pro side now. Not that I’m bragging, but she came, screaming.
Tonight…tonight is the night we’ll seal us up. I bought a box of condoms right before moving up here, and I need to pop open that box before my balls turn blue.
Instagram pings again. There’s a comment from some girl, and I have no idea who it is. Before I can see what the hell I’ve been tagged in, ten more ‘likes’ ping.
“What the fuck?” I say aloud to myself.
“Exactly my thought.” Ella stands in my doorway.
Flour has been wiped down the legs of her yoga pants. My mind won’t stop asking if she has anything on under them—
“Crosby!” she yells.
I focus back to her eyes.
She’s holding up her phone. She saw the Instagram pic. Fucking great.
“What?” I disregard my own phone and walk toward her.
Her finger hovers over the phone. “Should I ‘like’ it or not?” Her voice screams anything but a casual question. There’s an accusatory tone.
“What is it?”
I hold my hand out, but she backs up.
“You haven’t seen it yet?” she asks, her finger circling the phone in a teasing motion.
“What is it?”
“My guess is, you already knew about that spot before you snuck me into it. Tsk, tsk, Crosby, two girls in one day.”
She holds the phone up in the air, and lo and behold, it’s me and Kendra. It was right before I left her in that spot, topless and still in heat for me.
“I didn’t.”
“According to this, you did.” She waves it in the air.
“You know me.”
Her eyes pierce into me, long and hard, trying to see the truth.
“I do. I saw you go around the corner with her, Crosby.”
“You also know I was back almost immediately,” I counter, my blood boiling at this Kendra girl.
“Squash it,” she says. She tucks her phone in the waistband of her pants. She reaches the door and turns around. “I won’t be made a fool. That’s one. Don’t put yourself in positions like that.”
“Hey.” I walk over to her, grabbing her hand and pulling her into my arms. I shut my door and back her up until she’s trapped.
“The dinner is going to burn. Jen’s tongue is probably halfway down Saucey’s throat right now.”
“It can wait.” I look at this amazing girl who never lets petty shit get between us. She’s once in a lifetime. “Kiss me.”
She smacks my chest. “You kiss me.”
I don’t answer, but I press my lips to hers. The gentleness gets replaced with a rush of hands and mouths colliding. I pull away, purposely leaving her in a state of want before tonight. My forehead rests on hers, and our eyes peer up through our eyelashes.
“Thank you for trusting me.”
She nods, and her hand brushes along my cheek. “Just don’t ever give me a reason not to.”
“I promise.” I’d engrave that on a stone. Hell, I’d brand myself to show her how serious I am. I will never hurt her again.
“Now, I need to finish the dinner. Brax’s fingers won’t stop picking at the