Luke Hudson: I could never have a quickie with u.
Me: Bet u say that to all the girls.
Luke Hudson: Don’t do that.
Me: What?
Luke Hudson: When I open up to u, don’t make a joke out of it. I haven’t slept with anyone in three months. Or texted or anything else. So don’t.
Me: I’m sorry.
Luke Hudson: Never doubt that u can hold my attention. It’s yours.
The bus slowed to a stop and I looked out the window. We were at a gas station. Which meant that I’d have to see Luke face to face if he got off the bus. My cheeks warmed at the thought.
I buried my face in my e-reader as some of the guys filed past. Luke was one of them, stretching his long arms up to touch the ceiling of the bus. He was as cool as I was nervous, not even glancing my way. I started reading my book and forced myself not to pay attention to anyone walking past me when they re-boarded.
This was a dangerous game we were playing. Not as much for Luke, because he had tremendous influence. If Tanner tried to toss Luke from the team, he’d be the one who got fired.
But I wasn’t so fortunate. I could lose my job for messing with a player, and I was pretty sure that I was officially messing, whether we’d touched or not. This had to stay between me and Luke.
My phone screen lit up with a new message and my heart skipped a beat.
Luke Hudson: Wanna share my ding-dong?
Me: Um, share it? Are you asking about a threesome?
Luke Hudson: lol, no. I bought a ding-dong in the gas station and I’m asking if u want half.
Me: OMG. Please just leave me in peace to crawl under my seat and die.
Luke Hudson: Don’t want to disappoint, but no threesomes. I wouldn’t want to share u.
Me: We can’t even have a twosome. I can’t afford to lose my job.
Luke Hudson: I know. Haven’t touched u, have I?
Me: No.
Luke Hudson: But it’s hard.
Me: You mean not touching me is hard, or …
Luke Hudson: Both.
Imagining him hard and wanting me was a heady power trip. Was it possible he was as affected by me as I was by him? The idea that I could torture him not only turned me on but made me bold. I swallowed, gathering my courage, and sent a text I’d never imagined I could.
Me: I want to taste you.
Luke Hudson: Yeah? If I could kiss u without touching u, I’d have done it a long time ago.
Me: No, I mean I want to taste … your cock. I’ve never tasted one.
Luke Hudson: ur killing me. I’m about to bust the zipper out of my jeans here. Never?
Me: No. Never did, never wanted to. But I want to with you.
Luke Hudson: Shit, baby. ur making me crazy. I want it with u too. U have no idea.
Our goalie, Scroggins, approached and flopped into the seat next to me.
“I’m bored,” he said. “Wanna play cards?”
I screamed at him in my head. No! For the love of all, Scroggins, I’m getting more action than I’ve had in years right now!
But I had to keep my cool. I often played cards with the guys during road trips. I tried to muster a disinterested expression. “Sure, why not?”
I looked down at my phone.
Luke Hudson: U ditching me for Scrogs?
Me: Come up and play if u want.
Luke Hudson: I can’t be that close to u right now. My boner could cut diamonds.
“Ready?” Scroggins asked. I took a deep breath, trying to flood my mind with unsexy thoughts. My skin was flushed and I worried that Scroggins would figure out why. I sat my phone on a shelf nearby, face down, and nodded.
The last hour of the trip was an agonizing pretense of nonchalance. I appeared to be playing cards, but I was actually replaying the text conversation in my head and imagining a heated make out session with Luke. It didn’t even have to be sex; I just wanted to look into his eyes and feel his body against mine.
The bus pulled into the hotel and I went to put my phone away, my body humming with arousal. Looking at it, I pressed the screen, backing up to erase ‘Hudson’. After that conversation, I figured just his first name would do.
The guys rose to leave the bus, and Luke’s icy blue eyes swam over me for just a second as he stopped and waited for me to get out of my seat. My gaze slid down from his face to his waist, where I could see the outline of his erection. My pulse quickened. I’d forgotten how euphoric it was to be crazy attracted to someone.
I filed off the bus, waiting with the guys for our bags to be unloaded. Our equipment manager Mikey passed me mine and I slung it over my shoulder and headed for the hotel door.
“Dell,” Luke called. He was jogging to catch up with me, but he didn’t have his bag yet. He leaned down to speak quietly in my ear, though no one was in listening range.
“You like seeing what you do to me?”
I nodded slightly, begging my cheeks not to betray me by bursting into flame. He leaned back down and spoke again.