31. Sloane

CHAPTER 31

SLOANE

I t was bound to happen sometime. But I wish I could have put that awkward moment off much, much longer.

Say, oh, another half-century or so.

“Hey, baby. Cam.” He hugs me and gives Cam a perfunctory nod. “Haven’t seen you in a day or two. You still living at the house?”

He’s joking—I think—but the delivery falls flat. My dad’s a lot of things, but comedian’s definitely not one of them.

“Ha ha. Yes, I’m still living at home. I’ve been working a lot. And so have you,” I point out, deflecting. “Cam said the team’s looking good.”

My dad shrugs. “They’re coming along. Especially with so many freshmen coming out this year. But I like our chances.”

“We ran into one of your players earlier.” I drop my voice so only Cam and my dad can hear. “Dalton. He’s kind of a dick.”

“Really. What happened?” My dad’s brows knit together and he folds his arms over his chest, his stance wide.

“Nothing specific,” I hedge. “Just generally kind of rude.”

Cam chimes in. “It was fine. But his attitude’s not great, that’s for sure. Kid thinks he’s real hot stuff.”

“I can see that.” My dad squints in concentration, a deep furrow between his brows. “I like Langley for the spot, not gonna lie. But he’s gotta get more accurate. Otherwise I’ll have to give it to Dalton.”

Cam’s fingers curl, knuckles flexing. He takes off his baseball hat, runs his fingers through his hair, puts it back on again. He doesn’t give any details, but inside I’m sure he’s cringing.

“Hey, Coach.” A tall teenage boy with floppy brown hair sidles up to us. Meg from the library trails behind him and I put two and two together. This must be Langley. Meg’s son and the kid Cam’s working with, the one he really likes.

“Hey, Cam.” Langley shoots Cam a friendly wave and Cam’s face breaks into a grin.

“What’s up, man. Happy Fourth.” Cam slaps Langley on the back like he did Nash and there’s a real bond there. Unlike with Dalton the dick.

“Hey, Meg.” I wave to Langley’s mom and she smiles brightly at us.

“Hey, y’all. Happy Fourth of July!” She catches sight of my dad and a light pink blush creeps into the apples of her cheeks.

“Mom, this is Coach. Coach, this is my mom.” Langley makes the introduction and Meg blushes harder, a flush creeping up her neck .

“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Langley.” My dad tips his ball cap in her direction.

“Oh, it’s Ms., not Mrs. But please, call me Meg.” She tucks her hair behind her ear and smiles shyly at my dad.

“Okay then, Meg.” The corners of my dad’s mouth tip up slightly as her name rolls off his lips and he fixes his gaze on her. Tension hangs in the air, but Langley slices right through it.

“Mom, this is Cam, the pro football player I’ve been telling you about. He’s working with me at practice, helping me make plays.”

“Great to meet you, Cam.” Meg shifts her attention to Cam for a second before cutting her eyes back to my dad. “Thank you both for helping Langley. He’s loved playing with y’all. Football’s his passion!” Her voice rises on the word ‘passion’ and Langley cringes, kicking at a patch of grass with his toe.

“Um, yeah.” Langley scrubs the back of his neck, the tips of his ears bright red.

“Hopefully he’ll get a chance to play this year,” Meg says. “Football is what keeps him going, that’s for sure!”

He grabs his mom’s arm. “Okay, well—good to see you, Coach. Cam. Ms. Carter.” He nods at me, hair flopping over his eyes, and I’ve never felt so old in my life.

“Oh gosh, call me Sloane. Ms. Carter’s my grandmother.” I laugh.

Langley smiles at that. “Alright. Good to see you, Ms. Sloane.”

I guess I’ll take it.

“See you at practice next week. Memorize those plays.” My dad pats Langley on the back and Langley nods.

“Will do, Coach. ”

“Bye, y’all.” I wave to them and Langley drags his mom away, toward the food trucks.

My dad clears his throat, shoving a hand in his pocket as he watches them retreat.

“She’s real nice,” I say, following his gaze. “They’re good people. Everyone loves her at the library.” I do everything but throw in the phrase hint, hint here, but my dad doesn’t take the bait.

“Good to know. The kid will be a great quarterback with time, I think.”

Of course, he turns the conversation around to football. Everything goes back to football, I swear.

“I wasn’t really talking about Langley.” I elbow my dad and he grimaces. “Meg seemed to like you.”

“Pshaw.” My dad waves me off. “What are you doing tonight? You staying out for the fireworks?”

Conveniently changing the subject.

I shrug. “Not sure. Probably.”

Much as I love my dad, I’d much rather spend the night out at the lake snuggling with Cam than back at home in my childhood bedroom.

“Alright. You two be safe out there tonight. Watch out for drunken pyros.”

I shake my head, half-sighing, half-laughing. My dad’s apparently always gonna dad, no matter how old I get.

“Will do, Daddy. I’m sure we’ll be fine.” I give him a quick hug just as Mack waves at him from across the field.

“There’s Mack. I’m heading over to his place this afternoon. Gonna catch the baseball game on TV. See you kids later.” He waves and strides away to meet Mack.

“Awk-ward,” I trill as soon as he’s out of earshot.

“A little,” Cam admits, lacing his fingers in mine. “But it’ll get better. He needs time to get used to the idea is all. ”

“Maybe…but you know what would really help?”

“What?”

“If my dad started dating someone.”

Cam chuckles. “Good luck with that, Trouble. Your dad doesn’t seem the least bit interested in dating.”

“I don’t know about that—” My eyes drift across the field, landing on Meg and Langley. “I’m not giving up on the idea just yet. Even if I have to play matchmaker.”

“Oh boy. What could go wrong?” Cam shakes his head, rolling his eyes.

I slug him on the arm. “You doubt my abilities?”

“Nope. I doubt your dad’s willing participation.”

“Who said he has to be willing? I need to set it up—right place, right time—and then let the magic happen.”

Cam laughs. “That should be easy here in Thunder Creek. Where no one ever meddles–”

I crinkle my nose up, frowning. He does have a point.

“How about we table your dad’s love life for today and concentrate on ours instead?” Cam snakes his arm around my waist as we head back to the Rover and I relax into him.

“Fine. But the idea’s not off the table.”

“Okay. But can I make one suggestion?”

“Sure. What?”

“Wait until after football season.”

I laugh out loud at this. If anyone knows my dad as well as me, it’s Cam.

“Point taken. Dating the coach will be a post-season activity.”

The rest of the day passes in a picture-perfect blur. We swim in the lake, grill out, and lounge around the house all afternoon, watching rom-coms and various sporting events. Gracelyn texts me around five asking about the fireworks, but I pass on the invite. Right now, I only want to be with Cam. Just the two of us alone together, acting as if the outside world doesn’t exist.

The sun eventually sets and we walk out to the dock. Cam sits in one of the Adirondack chairs. I go to sit next to him, but he grabs my hand and pulls me down onto his lap.

“You’re too far away over there, Trouble.” He nuzzles my neck with his nose and electricity skitters across my skin, down my arm.

I giggle and curl back against his chest, the gentle thud of his heartbeat vibrating my back. The first sparkly firework explodes in the sky and I sigh happily.

Right now, everything is perfect.

Cam peppers the column of my neck with kisses, his tongue licking at the tender skin. Hot pulses throb in my core with each gentle lap and wetness floods my panties. Loud booms sound above us as red, white, and blue fireworks light up the sky.

I shimmy in closer to him and he caresses my calf, up my thigh. Bunching the fabric of my dress in his hands, he lifts my skirt above my hips. The breeze hits my damp panties and I shudder at the sensation, the wind caressing my pussy.

“Lift up your ass,” he murmurs, his breath warm at the shell of my ear.

I do as he asks and he slips my panties down my thighs. The satin drops to the dock and now I’m bared to the night .

“Fuck, you’re sexy.” His fingers trail over my sensitive skin, through my wetness. I bite down on my lip as he slides two fingers into me, his thumb grazing my clit.

“You like that.”

It’s not a question any longer. Cam knows what I like and how to give it to me.

“Yes,” I whisper as he sinks another finger inside, curling to hit my G-spot. “Yesss.”

He fingers me, alternating between long and slow and fast and shallow strokes. Keeping me right on the shimmery edge of release, my breath coming in quick pants.

“Cam, I need you.” My voice is high and desperate, pleasure building. But it’s not enough. I want more.

“What do you need, baby? Tell me.”

“I need you inside of me.”

“I am inside of you.” He nips at my earlobe, teasing me, as my muscles tense and coil.

“I want more.”

“What do you want?”

“Your cock, Cam. I want your cock inside of me.”

“Ahh. Got it.” He pulls his fingers out, and they glisten in the moonlight, wet with my arousal. Sucking them into his mouth, he grins. “Delicious.”

I hop out of his lap and he stands, gripping the collar of his shirt and pulling it over his head. Dropping it to the dock, he unzips his shorts and kicks those off as well.

“Commando tonight?” I eye his long, hard length, standing at full mast.

He shrugs. “Figured I might get lucky.”

Then he reaches out, gripping my hips and pulling me up against his broad chest. Fireworks explode above us as we kiss on the dock, our tongues clashing and tangling, sliding over one another. One hand finds my ass, slipping beneath my dress and caressing the bare skin. He smacks me lightly, sending a hot pulse straight to my core. I press harder against him, wiggling my ass and he smacks the other side.

“Such a great ass.”

His words flow over me like the rush of a waterfall, happiness filling me. I glide my fingers down his muscular chest, over the ridges of his abs and around to his firm ass and squeeze.

“It is a nice one.” I smile against his lips and he kisses me hard, thrusting his tongue inside my mouth.

“You drive me wild, Trouble.” He squeezes my ass, lifting my skirt. The wind blows cool on my skin.

Then he pulls away, sinking down into the chair. His dick bobs against his stomach as he stares at me with hungry eyes.

“Sit on my cock. Now.” His tone is firm, urgent. I brook no argument, straddling him and sinking down onto his length. Slowly, slowly, easing him into my tightness. He groans, watching as his shaft disappears into me, inch by inch.

“Fuck—” he hisses through gritted teeth, shifting beneath me. With rough fingers, he shoves the top of my dress down until my breasts spill out.

“No bra. I like it.” Cam palms each of my breasts, thumbing at the nipples until they’re diamond-sharp points. He tweaks and pulls and the pain turns to hot bolts of pleasure.

My eyes close and I’m oblivious to everything around me now—the fireworks, the lake, the heat and the breeze all disappear as Cam starts to move inside me. Slow at first, then harder, he thrusts again and again. Working my breasts, my pussy clenches around his steely cock .

“Cam—” I half-moan his name, heady desire coiling in my muscles. Pressure builds inside me, hot sweat slicking my skin as we move together.

“Come for me, baby.” His deep voice rumbles and pushes me over the edge. I crash, hard and fast, tingly pleasure racing through me. My body trembles as he explodes inside me, hot cum filling me.

I collapse against his chest, heart hammering as the fireworks grand finale lights up the sky. He strokes my back as I stare up at the show in a blissed-out state, buzzed on love.

“That was amazing,” I whisper, tracing the sharp edges of his pecs, his biceps, the long line of his collarbone. “I love you, Cam.”

“I know.” He grins down at me, a cocky smirk playing on his lips.

I smack him. “I know?”

“I love you too, Sloane.” Cupping my chin, he tips my head up and kisses me beneath the stars. Everything about this moment, about right now, is perfect.