Most Valuable Playboy(32)
“Well, let’s give him something to post.”
She holds up her phone, selfie style, and I suppose it’s time to find out how weird she thinks I kiss.
This time I lead. This time I’m in charge. I cup her cheek, and look into her eyes. I swear, I fucking swear, I see desire flicker across them. She parts her lips, and I wait, and I wait. Making sure she wants it. Making sure, this time, she feels it everywhere.
I breathe her in, and it feels like I’m holding in so much. Then I kiss her.
I’m only gentle for a few seconds. I kiss her harder and deeper, and if she thinks this kiss is weird then she’s an alien. This kiss rocks the motherfucking world of kisses. Soon, she lowers her phone, and that’s my cue to stop. But I don’t, since she doesn’t. She brushes her lips over mine, sliding, dusting, kissing. She flicks the tip of her tongue over me. I groan as her tongue slides between my lips, and we kiss, hard and greedy, for one, two, three seconds.
Then we stop.
She looks intoxicated. I feel infatuated.
She sets a hand on my shoulder. “Better send you home to memorize that playbook.”
But the playbook I want to learn is the one for her body.
13
When I return to my place a little after eight, with plenty of time for a good night’s rest, I can’t believe I actually do this, but I send a picture of me kissing Violet to my agent. His reply is swift—Awww. Melting from the cuteness. Xoxo
I write back, instructing him to never reply to a kissing photo again.
When I get into bed, my text notification winks at me. I groan, thinking it’s Ford. But it’s Violet.
Violet: There’s something I have to tell you.
* * *
Cooper: Tell me.
* * *
Violet: You’re not a weird kisser.
* * *
Cooper: I’m not? I was pretty sure I was. :)
* * *
Violet: Not at all.
* * *
Cooper: A little bizarre? It’s okay. I’ve had a day to process your condemnation.
* * *
Violet: Not even a little, I swear. Not even the smallest amount of bizarre.
* * *
Cooper: What am I then?
I wait, my skin warm, my heart doing funny things in my chest as I stare at the bubbles that tell me she’s tapping out a reply.
Violet: You’re the opposite of weird.
* * *
Cooper: Ah, so a normal kisser, then. I can live with that.
* * *
Violet: No. God, no.
* * *
Cooper: An average kisser?
* * *
Violet: I’m almost afraid to tell you because I don’t want it to go to your head, and it might be big already.
* * *
Cooper: It’s big. Everything is big, Vi.
* * *
Violet: Can you see me roll my eyes from across the bridge?
* * *
Cooper: I can see it and I can feel it. But please, let’s not digress. I can handle the praise. Heap it on me.
* * *
Violet: You’re an amazing kisser.
* * *
Cooper: Yeah?
* * *
Violet: That’s what I wanted to say in the car last night. But then your phone rang, and there was craziness, and yada, yada, yada. So, now I can tell you. Your. Kisses. Rock. I mean for a pretend boyfriend. :)
* * *
Cooper: So do yours. For a pretend girlfriend. :)
* * *
Violet: Good. I didn’t want you going to bed thinking your kisses were anything but epic.
* * *
Cooper: I’ll take epic. But I’m not sure I can sleep now.
* * *
Violet: You need your beauty sleep. Good night, Cooper.
* * *
Cooper: Good night, Violet.
* * *
Violet: See you soon.
* * *
Cooper: See you soon.
* * *
Violet: Why does a moon rock taste better than an earth rock?
I laugh as I ask why.
Violet: Because it’s a little meteor.
I find a laughing seal emoji and text it to her. I don’t send Ford a screenshot of that. He’d have a field day with it. Just like I’m having a field night right now because it feels like neither one of us wants to say goodbye. Like I could text her all evening long.
It’s only as I start to drift off that I realize I’m supposed to be keeping it in my pants this season. But we only kissed, I remind myself. My dick is safely in my drawers, thank you very much, and no way will it come out to play. I might want her, but at the end of the day, we’re only friends who pretend.
A few years ago, the Miami Mavericks drafted a quarterback in the fourth round named Quinn Mahoney. Boasting strong college stats and an impressive bowl record, he was regarded as a solid, steady choice. He turned out to be a steal since the Mavericks went all the way to the Super Bowl with him in his second season.
Mahoney is a thinker. He’s quick on his feet, possesses razor-sharp instincts, and is fast in the pocket. I admire the fuck out of him.