Chapter 15

Haley

I didn’t get much sleep last night. Or the night before. Or the night before that. Cole and I work all day, sext in between meetings, and hook up at either my place or his to fuck all night.

It’s been insane.

My body aches constantly. I’m exhausted all day long, only to catch an energy boost the instant we’re together. My brain straddles fantasies of when we’ll see each other next and tackling my long list of To Dos for work.

I couldn’t be happier.

Tonight, we’re meeting at a gym. He’s playing basketball with some of his friends, and I want to watch. I can’t wait to see that man dunk. I’ve been giddy about it all day because watching Cole play ball is so damn fun. I was never on a team, but shooting hoops was something I could do alone at a playground after school. I loved it.

Still do, actually.

Chin deep in wedding ideas for my bride Courtney, my cell goes off.

“Hey, Chica. How’s it going?”

“Pretty good.” I add another pin to my board. “You?”

Jenna blabs about how busy life is and that I need to make a trip to Colorado to see her soon. “I will. Promise.”

“Good. How’s Cole?”

“Wonderful.”

She squeals. “I’m so happy for you.”

I’m happy for me, too. It’s a weird feeling. “I’m actually going over some ideas for your cousin’s wedding right now.”

“Ohhh, bet it’s gonna be gorgeous.”

“She went from mountain wedding to beach.”

“Not surprising.” Jenna sighs. “Okay, well, I gotta go. Just wanted to check in and say hi. Bye, babe.”

“Bye.”

Jenna makes calls like this all the time. I used to think it was part of her master plan to wear me down, but I eventually realized it’s how she likes to stay connected. I honestly look forward to her calling me.

My phone buzzes with an incoming text.

Cole: Thanksgiving is coming up. Come home with me.

Ummm. Last time I went home with him was a long time ago. Being with his family is still one of the best memories I’ve ever made, but…

Haley: Are you sure? Won’t it be weird?

Little bubbles pop up immediately.

Cole: Do you think I’d ever put you in an uncomfortable situation, Angel?

Every time he calls me Angel, it strengthens my trust in him. I don’t get why, but it’s how I must be wired.

Haley: No.

Cole: Glad you know that.

My palms grow clammy as I stare at the screen, waiting for him to say something else.

Cole: We don’t have to stay the entire weekend.

I’m still at a loss for what to say.

Cole: Think about it and let me know.

I could tell him I have too much work to do and can’t afford the time away from my laptop. I could tell him I don’t think we should take such a big step so soon. I could tell him lots of things, but they’d all be sorry ass, stupid excuses, and I’m not about to tarnish the progress we’ve made.

I text him a thumbs up.

Yup. A thumbs up. Ugh, how awkward is that?

The rest of my afternoon takes forever to get through. I hyper-focus on every task, getting through orders, calls, and deep diving into Pinterest until my eyes feel like they’re going to bleed. My alarm goes off, yanking me out of my trance, and I shut my laptop down. Part of my personal time management plan is setting alarms for myself, so I don’t sink too deep into rabbit holes like Pinterest boards and DIY YouTube videos. Being creative also means time doesn’t exist unless I make it.

Hence the alarms.

Stretching my limbs, I get dressed in leggings, a tank top, and a hoodie and slip on my sneakers.

By the time I reach the gym, it’s almost seven and I catch the distinct sound of shoes squeaking on the court. Tightening my ponytail, I head in and spot Cole immediately.

He’s the sexiest guy on the court.

With a smile plastered on his face, he boxes out his opponent. The guy spins around him and makes a layup.

“Lucky break.” Cole points at me. “I was distracted.” He jogs over to me, shirt drenched in sweat. “Hey gorgeous.” He wraps his arms around me and lifts me off the floor, kissing me.

“Get a fucking room!” someone yells at us.

Cole laces our hands together and pulls me onto the court. “Let me introduce you to some of my boys. That’s Dante.” He points at a lanky man with a big smile. “That’s Jaedyn. We work together.” Jaedyn gives a half wave. “And this loudmouth ugly fuck is Josh.”

Josh’s brows dig down. “I’m not a loudmouth.”

“But you are ugly,” Jaedyn teases.

“That’s not what your mom said last night.”

Cole swings his attention back to me. “We’re almost done.”

Wait. What? Panic punches my heart. “Am I late?” Holy crap. I’d set my alarm and everything so I wouldn’t miss this.

“Naw, dipshit here double-booked himself.” He hooks his thumb at Jaedyn. “We met a little earlier than we were supposed to. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want to derail your day.”

My heart falls. “I wouldn’t have minded.”

“I know, but you have to stay focused.” He cups my chin and gives me a warm smile. “Have a seat, Angel.”

Confused with how to feel about it, I sit on a bleacher. There are eight full courts in this large space, and only three are being used. It looks like there’s also a big track on the second level. This sports complex is huge.

It doesn’t take long for Cole to entrance me. The way he dribbles, pump fakes, shoots. He makes getting a basket look effortless. The guys rib on each other the whole time and occasionally Cole points his finger at me and smiles. He’s so happy here. He’s so happy period.

Easy going, funny, and charismatic, Cole could make friends and build a life anywhere he goes.

I envy him that.

It’s hard to believe the man on the court right now, goofing off with his friends, is the same person who wore a mask and fucked me into oblivion last night while I wore a collar and leash around my neck.

“Haley!” Cole yells, pulling me out of my thoughts.

All four guys are staring at me, and Cole crooks his finger.

I’m feeling a little bratty. “You’ll have to finger harder than that if you want me to come.” I lean back on the bleacher, suddenly eager to get him riled up. I don’t care if his friends see or not.

This is payback for that Door Dash episode the other night.

“Damn,” Josh says, cupping his mouth.

Cole bites his bottom lip and swaggers over to me. Climbing to the top of the bleachers, he towers over me. “Well played.”

“Thanks.”

“That will cost you later.”

I sure hope so.

Grabbing my arms, he puts me over his shoulder and spanks my ass while carrying me down to the court. When I’m back on my feet, he’s got this huge smile on his face again, clearly happy with himself. “You’re on my team.”

His words barely register when Jaedyn tosses me the ball. “Thanks, Haley.” He waves goodbye and grabs his coat and bag from the bleacher.

“What? No way. I can’t play.”

“Why not?” Cole asks. “You’re dressed for it.”

“I…” Hold up. Why not? I’m nowhere near as good as he is, but I don’t suck. “I’m not warmed up.”

Cole grabs Dante and Josh by their shirts and drags them backwards. “Start shooting, gorgeous.”

My hands are clammy as I palm the ball and dribble it a few times. Running under the basket, I try for a layup and miss the first two. My cheeks heat. This is going to be so bad. Third time, I get it though. Then I back up and shoot again.

“In the bucket,” Cole announces in a hilarious voice.

I dribble a little more and shoot again and again, not missing either one.

“There she is.” He claps loudly. “Get it, girl!”

Shew, I’m hot. Stripping off my hoodie and tossing it towards the bleachers, I re-focus. Standing at the three-point line, elbow tucked, I shoot.

And sink the ball.

“That’s what I’m talking about!” Cole pats Josh on the back. “Let’s do this.”

Adrenaline pumps in my veins while we play. I swear Cole moves in slow motion whenever I need to pass him the ball, and he speeds up when he shoots it. He’s a million times better than I am, but I make three baskets and get six steals.

I’m sure they’re going easy on me, but I don’t care. This is the most fun I’ve had in a while. By the time we’re done, I’m sweaty and out of breath, with a huge grin on my face.

“Ayyyy!” Cole rushes at me and picks up me, twirling me in the air. “We won!”

“We’re not even keeping score,” Josh says, laughing.

“You weren’t because you’d be depressed knowing what a loser you are,” Cole shoots back. “But I always keep score.”

Dante wipes his sweat off with his shirt. “Good game.”

“Same time next week?” Josh asks.

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem.” Cole looks down at me. “Unless you’re busy?”

Ummm. What should I say? Do they really want me to play with them again? I wasn’t that good. “I’m free.”

“You’re on my team then,” Dante says. “Josh and Jaedyn can fight over Cole.”

“Fuck that.” Cole takes a bottled water from Josh and hands it to me instead of drinking it himself. “She’s all mine.”

“Oh, we know.” Dante laughs. “She’s all you’ve talked about.”

Cole doesn’t even have the decency to deny it.

Josh and Dante pack up and head out. I swing my hips with my hands clasped behind my back. “You talk about me?”

“And think about you.” Cole swaggers closer. “And dream about you. And jerk off to fantasies about you.”

“You have no shame.”

“None.” He picks the basketball up and dribbles it between his legs while walking backwards. “Have you thought about Thanksgiving?”

“Yes,” I say, cautiously. “But it all depends on what happens right here, right now.”

He stops dribbling and holds the ball against his hip. “Oh yeah?”

“We’re playing PIG. If you win, I’ll go. If I win, I’ll go.”

“This is a good game. I like this game.”

“But there’s a catch.” I hold my finger up. “For every basket you miss, you have to give me an orgasm. And for every basket I miss, I’ll be your fucktoy for a day.”

“I really like this game.” Cole tosses the ball over his shoulder without looking, and it bounces off the rim. A wicked grin spreads across his handsome face. “Oops.”

Game. On.