13. Lucia

Utterly, totally, completely embarrassed. That was the best way to describe how she’d felt the next morning. She couldn’t believe the things she’d admitted to Colton, even if they were true. And the kiss? The hug? What the hell was she doing? She was still working through the end of her last relationship, the last thing she needed was another…complication. She’d come here to do her damn job so that other teams would see her value and clamor to have her join them. From there, she would go on to be a head analyst. She had no guaranteed contract with the Sabertooths after this season, so she had to work extra hard to make sure she had a place to go for the next one.

And yet she couldn’t deny that she’d wanted to invite him in, wanted him to push her against the wall of her little house and make her moan like Max rarely had. For the next week leading up to their home game, Lucia had gone out of her way to stay away from Colton. Sure, they’d still met for their sessions like normal, but she’d given excuses for why she couldn’t go to dinner after, or she’d left early so they wouldn’t run into each other in the parking garage.

It was too embarrassing, and being near him brought up feelings she wasn’t willing or ready to address. She’d always been professional with Max at work, never so much as having the urge to kiss at the Vipers’ facility. It was strange for her to feel this way with Colton.

At least she could usually get away with not seeing him after game day. Especially not on game days at home after a hard-fought win. They’d put up such a fight, each and every one of them beat up and bruised, but with winning smiles and bright eyes. She was sure he was already out celebrating with the team, enjoying the whooping and hollering of his teammates as they congratulated him on being back.

And he kind of was. Whether or not she’d helped him, he’d played a hell of a game and deserved to go out and enjoy it. She was proud of him and the fight he’d put up to prevent the mistakes of prior games. He’d also nearly doubled his yardage, which was truly a feat.

Knowing he was long gone, she felt comfortable removing her hair from its clip and downloading the film from the game. She could go through it before she left for the night so she’d be ready for their sessions that week. Which also meant she could continue to leave early on days they didn’t meet because she’d be ahead. It was a great plan. Maybe she’d even take Jenna up on getting a drink on King Street.

Charleston was growing on her. She’d despised it when she’d moved, so set on ending up in Virginia for the rest of her days. But Charleston’s energy, its Southern charm, both on game days and in general, was intoxicating. She’d yet to explore much of the city, but what she had enjoyed had made her think twice about applying to other teams for next season. Maybe there was somebody she could beg at the Sabers to let her keep this job, especially with how Colton’s performance had improved so far.

She spent twenty minutes watching and clipping the first half of the game to put through her software. Her program was glitching a little bit, so her head was buried close to her laptop as she tried to debug the code. Someone knocked on her door, and she jumped a little, her knee hitting the underside of her desk. She winced.

When she looked up, there was Colton, freshly showered and—unfortunately—rather mouthwatering. She shot up, unsure why she felt so embarrassed. Her knee screamed in pain from the beating it’d just taken.

“H—hi. What are you doing here? I thought you’d be out celebrating.”

He looked serious, far more serious than he normally did in her presence. At least recently. He’d been goofy and silly almost every time she’d seen him since they’d come to their tentative truce. The taut set of his facial muscles was jarring, and she grew even more confused when he closed the door halfway.

“I thought I would be too.”

“Oh.” She said it like she understood what he meant, but she really, really didn’t. What was he doing in her office?

“Everyone invited me out, but as I was showering, I realized I didn’t want to go.”

“Oh?” She needed to find something else to say because this was getting out of hand. And what was with that breathless thing going on with her voice?

He took a step forward, then another. “I realized there was something I wanted to do first. Something I needed to do.”

Dear god, his voice was husky. So deep, she had to clench her thighs together to stop the feeling that started to unfurl there. Embarrassing. She needed to get laid so badly. This was not like her at all.

His eyes flicked down to her thighs, like he’d seen that subtle movement, and when they came back to her face, his pupils were dilated, his eyes darker. He still hadn’t thrown her that grin he’d been sporting so much recently, and his chest was moving fast, like he was struggling to breathe.

He moved even closer to her, and she felt it too, that feeling in her chest that constricted her lungs, just a bit. She remembered his last words, vaguely.

“Wha—what was it that you needed to do?”

She blinked, and he was right in front of her. Despite her heels, she was still looking up at him. She struggled to swallow with him so close, and he tracked that with his eyes too, seemingly so in tune with the subtle movements of her body. Their chests rose in unison, breaths mingling as he looked at her lips through lowered lashes. Her abdomen warmed, liquid and needy. A small, reedy gasp left her as his right hand found her waist. Had that been her? That hadn’t sounded like her.

“Can I…” He trailed off, and Lucia hoped he was asking if he could kiss her because the answer was yes. Absolutely yes. One thousand percent yes.

She nodded her head.

His lips were on hers in an instant, his left hand on her cheek and both of hers fisted in his shirt. It was different from their pregame kisses. Hotter, harder, faster. Open-mouthed and wet and half bites of each other’s lips as they fought for control of the kiss. He won, and she gave up easily, letting him push her against the window of her office, pushing closer and closer and closer until there was no space between them.

She slid her arms around to his back, pulling him tightly to her, nails digging through the material of his shirt. He grunted into her mouth as she hit a spot below his neck, which only urged her on, sliding her nails into his hair.

He pressed wet, open-mouthed kisses against the column of her throat, and her head fell back against the glass as she moaned. She wanted him so badly. Needed him. Now she understood his words.

When he lightly bit below her ear, she slid her hand down toward the top of his pants, wanting so badly to touch him. She rubbed him through his sweatpants with the heel of her hand, enjoying as he moved against her, groaning deeply. She felt her own slickness, warm against the fabric of her panties, quickly growing uncomfortable. She wanted to feel him inside of her, his tongue, his fingers. Him.

He seemed to sense her urgency, his hands on her ass as he picked her up, allowing her legs to wrap around him. And then she was grinding on that spot that—fuck. She was wild, crazed. She needed more, she needed him.

She felt like she was going to explode. He was so hard, his abs, his cock. God, it was huge, and the feel of it against her center made her whole body quake.

“Fuck, Moretti. You make me fucking crazy.” He held her up with one hand on her ass, her back still against the glass. His other hand buried into her hair, and he pulled gently, grinding himself into her as she cried out. “Yeah? You like that? Gonna come all over that sexy little pantsuit just for me?” His words were quiet but gruff, and she already felt herself getting close to that edge she’d rarely crossed with anybody else.

The hand in her hair slid to hold her chin so her eyes met his, his thumb slipping into her mouth. She sucked on it, and his eyes darkened even further. He grinded against her again and her eyes started to drift closed at the pleasure.

“Nuh-uh. Eyes on me, Moretti.”

Just as he started the motion again, the door to her office swung open.

The curse that left Colton was angry. He set her down softly and turned around, shielding her from the view of whoever had just ruined the moment. Her brain wasn’t working, neurons firing in all the wrong ways as she tried to comprehend what was happening. She adjusted her blazer and pants, running a hand through her mussed hair.

When she peeked over Colton’s shoulder, there were Coach Turner and her semi-newly appointed superior, Tim, both with varying degrees of horrified expressions on their faces. Her heart was still racing, whether from what had just happened or what might still happen—her imminent firing and departure from the Sabers—she couldn’t be sure.

“Hello.” She cursed her breathless voice, moving to stand in front of Colton, worried about what might be on full display in his sweatpants. Clearing her throat, she tried again. “Hello. Can I help you with something?”

Coach Turner glared at Colton behind her. “We were coming to check if you needed more time with Colton or more equipment since he seems to be improving with your work. Though now, I’m not sure that’s necessary.”

“Coach, this was my fault. Lucia was trying to work, and I’m just amped up from the win.”

Tim’s face still held that appalled expression as he spoke. “I must remind you of the disclosure agreement you both signed. You are not permitted to have relations on team property. Do we need to get you a chaperone for each time you meet? If this is how your sessions have be—”

“It’s not.” Colton cut him off. “Our sessions are very professional, as you’ll see from each of the reports Lucia puts together afterward. She’s the reason I played as well as I did today. Her sessions have been invaluable to me.”

Lucia’s heart flip-flopped at his praise. Then she remembered his lips on hers and then on her throat, and she had to clench her legs together again. She felt movement near her waist, like Colton might reach out to steady her, but he must’ve thought better of it. Probably for the best, considering their predicament.

“I’m very sorry, Tim, Coach Turner. It won’t happen again.” At least her voice was starting to even out.

Coach Turner gave a curt nod as Tim walked out of her office. “If you need anything extra…” His voice sounded pained, but he followed Tim.

With both of them gone, Lucia turned back to face Colton. He smiled down at her, the ghost of a dimple in his cheek.

“You’re gonna be the death of me, Moretti.” He pushed his hands into her hair, massaging her scalp as he pressed a feather-light kiss to her forehead. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Her stomach dropped as she watched him go. She knew what they’d done was wrong, but that didn’t change the fact that it’d felt so, so right. She knew, just by looking at his face, that he felt the same way.

She hadn’t had time to call Isa in the previous weeks, so busy with the season that she’d barely even had time to sleep. Luckily, they were both free for a few minutes before her next meeting with Colton.

It was their first time talking since The Night, and she just let the words tumble out of her, making sure to shut and lock her office door before she divulged anything too juicy to her colleagues.

Isa was, once again, shocked into silence.

“Isa, please. Colton will be here soon, and I really need your thoughts.”

Silence.

“Isa…” She drew out the last syllable for a few seconds.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I thought my best friend just told me that she dry-humped the man she was pretending to date, whom she also claimed to hate the last time I saw her. But that can’t be right. I must’ve misheard. So say what you just said again, but a little clearer, please.” Lucia heard the edge of Isa’s accent, a tell-tale sign of her distress.

“Yes, totally agree, I hated him, and now I don’t and all that. Can we focus on the fact that I spent a seven-year relationship thinking I couldn’t come unless my hand was involved, only to learn from one encounter that Colton can do it without his hands or tongue or dick? And because of that, I’ve been avoiding him for a week because I’m scared if I don’t, I’ll jump his bones?”

“God, you need dick more than I realized. He never made you come?”

Lucia groaned. She hadn’t mentioned this to Isa before because she was, quite frankly, embarrassed. Isa was always talking about how good things were with her partners in the bedroom, and Lucia just nodded along, believing something was wrong with her. The further removed she became from her relationship with Max, the more she realized how bad it’d been and how much better it could be.

“Isa, please, not the point.”

“What am I supposed to say? Do you want me to tell you that this is a good idea? Because I’m not sure I think it is. I’m sorry, osita. I want to be happy for you, and I do think you need to get laid, and maybe he’s the best person for that for the time being. But I also think that’ll get messy, especially if feelings get involved.”

Not exactly what Lucia wanted to hear, but that was why she’d called Isa. She needed honest advice.

Isa continued, “He offered to do this to get back at Max. And at the end of the day, you guys will have to stop whatever this is in January, and then where will you end up? I don’t want you to get hurt.”

“But what if it’s just sex? What if I get the perks of this weird, friends-slash-fake-relationship-with-benefits situation and don’t let feelings get involved?”

Isa made a whoosh noise, like she let out a big puff of air. “That’s pretty advanced for somebody who’s only ever been in one serious relationship, mi cielo. I’m not sure you know how to not let feelings get involved.”

A knock sounded on her door. “Shit, I have to go. Can I call you tomorrow? We need to talk about something other than my sex life.”

“Of course. I’m planning a trip to see you soon, so we can figure out when would be best for that. Kisses.”

“Kisses.” That put a smile on Lucia’s face. She was so thankful to live in an age where her best friend was just a quick call away, but she needed to see her friend in the flesh. She needed a hug.

Lucia unlocked the door and opened it slowly, breath catching as she took in a dejected-looking Colton. They’d lost the day before, and it showed all over his face and in the set of his shoulders.

“I can’t today, Luc. I’m too tired, and I don’t wanna watch film, and I don’t wanna go out on the field. I just wanna…” He stopped talking, eyes pleading with her.

“Okay, okay, no worries.” She thought for a moment, trying to find a way to distract him, while also apologizing for being somewhat MIA since The Night. “Will you show me Charleston, instead? Apparently, Coach Turner likes me too much to fire me just yet, so I need local spots to enjoy.”

She grinned, hoping Colton might smile with her. It was innocent enough, right? Isa might not agree, but Lucia believed in her ability to keep her feelings removed from the situation. What could go wrong? It was just dinner. Plus, she’d hopefully be gaining a new restaurant to enjoy in the area.

The surprise on his face only lasted a second before he smiled. It wasn’t the goofy one she’d been hoping for, but it was better than the frown he’d been sporting before.

“Of course I will.”