Page 36 of Finally Home

Oh. My. Fucking. God. He did not just say that.

My voice is high and squeaky when I answer, and Aidan and my dad cast me concerned looks. “NO! Nope. Totally dry.” I look at Aidan, clearing my throat. “What do you need us to do, boss man?”

As the four of us make our way to the makeshift picnic area, I shoot visual daggers at my ex best friend, nearly growling when he winks at me. Payback’s a bitch, Rhodes Colter.

CHAPTER 20

RHODES

Wren looks so fucking pretty first thing in the morning. I mean she’s pretty all the time, but when she first wakes up with pillow lines on her face and her hair a total disaster, I don’t think I’ve ever been more attracted to her. I nuzzle my face into her hair and take a deep inhale of her mouthwatering smell. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to smell apples again and not get hard.

It’s the Monday after baseball camp, and I’m in bed with Starling’s back against my chest, switching my attention between my eBook app and watching her sleep like a fucking stalker. Wes recommended this book, The Signature Move, to me after finding out their boss was reading it, and even though I didn’t think I’d like it because hockey isn’t my thing, I’m hooked.

Waking up with my girl next to me the entire last week has been nothing short of heaven on earth. A month ago she was married and across the country, so I’m beyond thankful that she ended up here with me against all odds.

“Mmm, good morning.” Her raspy voice hits my ears as she stretches and grinds her ass back against my morning wood.

I groan, dropping my phone so I can grab her hips and hold her still. “Good morning, Starling. How would you like to go on a little adventure today?”

That gets her attention, and she flips over to stare at me with sleepy, curious eyes. Through a long yawn, she asks, “What kind of adventure?”

I smirk at her and pull her in for a kiss, ignoring her protests about morning breath. “How about we take a shower and then I’ll think about telling you.” The pout she gives me is too fucking cute, and I bite my lip to hide my smile. “Come on, dress light, but bring a bathing suit and a jacket.”

Her eyebrows shoot up, but she does as I ask. She rolls out of bed with a groan, stretching her arms above her head. Apparently, she took off her pants at some point during the night and is wearing only one of my t-shirts, and I nearly choke on my own spit. “Jesus Christ, Starling. Are you trying to kill me?”

She peeks at me over her shoulder with wide, innocent eyes. “What do you mean? I’m just stretching.”

And then she bends over.

“On second thought, let’s take separate showers.” I glance at Wren’s perfect ass and the sliver of her bare sex that peeks through her legs and bite my fist to hold myself back. We really do have plans today and don’t have time to play right now.

That adorable pout quickly makes a reappearance as she huffs. “Fine, but this whole adventure thing better be worth it because I had plans to spend your entire day off in bed.

I groan as she exits the room and fall back to my bed, scrubbing my hands down my face. This woman might actually kill me.

“This is the most perfect day I think I’ve ever had,” Wren sighs dreamily. “I’ve lived in South Carolina my whole life, but I’ve never been out on the water like this. It’s crazy how peaceful it is.” She’s stretched out on our family yacht in the tiniest blue bikini I’ve ever seen and let me tell you: trying to solo navigate a thirty-eight-foot boat down the Charleston harbor while her tight body was on display in front of me was not easy.

Wren appreciating the view settles some of the nerves I had while planning this yesterday. I come to Folly Beach once or twice a month to sit out on the water and relax. The press and fan attention during my first two years with the Raptors was a hard adjustment for me, especially with my comfort person across the country. So, whenever my anxiety would overwhelm me, a few hours on the water really helped bring me back to my center, and I’m hoping it helps Wren feel the same way after everything that’s happened the last few weeks. First, Derrick cheating, then coming back to Charleston, getting divorced, navigating our little arrangement, and now discovering her father has a long-term girlfriend for the first time in her life is a lot to handle.

I smile at my beautiful girl affectionately and keep my eyes locked on hers. “I’m glad, Starling. You’ve been through so much lately I felt like you deserved a day off, and what better place than on a boat with nobody else around?”

She gets a mischievous look in her sparkling blue eyes that puts me on alert, and when she hums, I know I’m either going to love or hate whatever comes out of her mouth next. With an exaggerated glance around, she sits up and stretches her arms above her head. “Man, it’s just such a nice day, I think I’ll work on my tan.”

And then she takes off her fucking top. My jaw drops at the same time those triangles of fabric do, and I have to wipe the back of my hand over my mouth to make sure I’m not drooling. “Wren,” I hiss. My gaze darts around us. “Somebody could see you!”

We’re far enough from the beach that nobody there could see us, and it’s the middle of the day on a Monday, so the water is fairly empty. But the thought of somebody seeing my girl exposed has me wanting to wrap her in the biggest towel I can find.

Her only reply is to smirk before she lowers her sunglasses into place and lays back on the lounger, her perky breasts exposed to the warm air. Wren’s skin is perfectly tan already, so I’m pretty sure she’s doing this to get back at me for this morning. Or for teasing her in front of Archie the last day of camp.

I shiver with desire when I think about what happened in that dugout, and I realize all of my favorite places are being taken over by memories of this woman naked and coming on my cock. It wouldn’t be right to defile the white leather lounge bed the same way.

But wouldn’t it be wrong not to?

With that thought, I strip off my white Raptors tee I’m only in my blue board shorts and drop a knee to the bench at the end of the lounger before I crawl my way up, bracketing a knee on either side of Wren’s hips. She raises a brow but stays silent, so I offer a sly grin and lower my head to suck one of her rosy nipples between my teeth, biting it lightly.

She lets out a breathy gasp but still doesn’t say a word. If she wants to pretend I don’t affect her, I guess I’ll just have to try a little harder to prove I do. I spend a few minutes on her breasts, licking and sucking at the stiff buds. Each sound that escapes her tightly closed lips feels like a victory in its own right, and it urges me on.

I place a kiss on her belly button, and she rubs her thighs together. “Something you want to say, Starling?”