On The Rebound (Steinbeck U #1) - L.A. Cotton Page 0,124
man here.”
“I think that’s the best idea you’ve ever had.” She followed me up.
“Very funny, you two. Is it so wrong that I care?” He glanced between us and I felt my resolve slip.
I actually loved that he cared so fiercely. But Jasmine wasn’t our kid. She wasn’t even my little sister anymore, not officially. But we hung out still. Her parents were still as flaky as ever, something Zach and I had a wealth of experience in.
“No, it’s very chivalrous of you.”
“I dig it.” Jasmine shrugged. “But I’m still going out with Macauley.”
“What time did you say he was picking you up? Maybe I should stick around to meet—”
Jasmine strolled up to him and laid her hand on his shoulder, and said, “It’s going to be okay, Messiah.” She took off toward the door while Zach gawked after her.
“Did I just get schooled by a ninth grader?”
“Yeah, babe.” I fought a smile. “I think you did.”
Zach
“Where do you think you’re going?” I snagged Calli around the waist and pulled her back against my chest. Sweeping the hair off her shoulder, I peppered tiny kisses there, dragging my tongue up the slope of her neck to nip her jaw.
“I wanted to unpack,” she said.
“Unpack?”
“Babe, I just spent hours cooped up on a bus with a bunch of guys and you think now is the time to unpack?”
The journey from Steinbeck to Phoenix had been almost seven hours. We’d been up at the ass crack of dawn to head to the location of the final weekend of March Madness, being held at State Farm Stadium.
Calli had traveled behind with her dad, Josie, and Josie’s parents.
“Seriously, you want to talk rides from hell?” she grumbled. “I had to listen to my dad and Mr. Molineux talk about the tournament for seven freakin’ hours.” She turned in my arms staring up at me with those big whiskey eyes of hers. “I love you, Zach, and I love the team, but nobody, and I mean nobody, needs to listen to basketball talk for that long.”
Laughter rumbled in my chest as I pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “You did a good thing letting him travel with you and the Molineux family.
“Yeah, well, it wasn’t like I could just let him come alone.”
Calli and her old man were a work in progress. They’d tried to repair their damaged relationship over the last five months, but some scars were simply too deep to heal. They were civil, and we visited the house sometimes with Callum and his new girlfriend, but Calli had made her peace with never having the father she’d wanted.
“God, I love you.” I ran my knuckles down her cheeks. Our relationship had only gone from strength to strength. Calli was my biggest supporter. She handled the team and their bullshit with nothing but grace and a smile, and they loved her right back.
Sometimes a little too much for my liking.
Her fingers curled into my jersey, yanking me closer. “It’s a good thing, Messiah, because I am completely gone for you.”
“You love me, sweet pea?”
“I don’t love you, Zach.” She smirked. It had become our thing over the last few weeks. For her to repeat the words that had ruined us the first time around. “Because I love you couldn’t possibly do justice to the way I feel about you.”
“You are amazing, Calliope James. And you’re mine.” So fucking mine.
Her lips curved, but I didn’t give her time to respond, crashing my mouth down on hers and taking what I needed.
What I’d always need.
I’d loved this girl since I was fifteen. And I’d love her forever more if she let me.
We stumbled our way to the bedroom, both of us unwilling to break the kiss. Our tongues tangled together with easy familiarity, but the heat never subsided. The second Calli touched me, she set off a wildfire inside me.
Only ever her.
“We have the dinner,” she murmured against my lips. “We can’t be late.”
“We’ll be quick, but I need you, sweet pea.” My hands were already tugging at her clothes. I needed her naked and writhing beneath me. Or maybe on top of me, her riding me while I lay back and—
“Zach.” She tapped my cheek. “Where’d you go just now?”
“Less talking, more undressing.” I made quick work of stripping her before starting on my own clothes. The second my jeans hit the floor, I dived for her, tackling Calli to the bed in a whoosh of laughter and limbs.