Page 32 of Last Slice of Pie

My eyes seek her out. She looks so small curled up under the covers, and as I walk toward her, she sits up. Her hair, which has been pulled back for the last two days, tumbles down past her shoulders as she stares at me, half her face cast in shadows.

Damn, she’s beautiful.

“You okay?” she asks.

As I walk forward, she scoots over and pulls back the covers on my side, the side I always lie on. Sliding in, I lie on my side to face her, tucking my arm under my head. Big eyes stare at me through the darkness.

“I am now. Is this okay with you?” Although, now that I’m here, I’m not sure I could leave her. She’d have to beg, or maybe I would.

Her eyes again drift to my lips and she whispers, “Yes.”

Unfolding my arm, I slip it under her neck and pull her closer. The sheets are warm where she was lying, and they smell clean, sweet. She scoots closer, and her hand falls to my waist. She plays with the hem of my shirt, and I roll her hair through my fingertips.

“Why? Why did you leave and never come back?” she asks, so quietly. I know it was hard for her to voice the words.

“Because . . .” I let out a sigh. I knew this question was eventually coming. How could she not ask it? In my head, I know it’s going to sound more logical when out in the open, but it’s still hard to explain. “There were things I needed to get away from, things I needed to do—things I still need to do, need to accomplish. It’s not that being here would have prevented that. It’s just . . . I needed to compartmentalize, focus. I needed time.”

“You needed to be away from me,” she states.

“No. Yes.” I let out a deep, unforgiving sigh. “One day, I promise we’ll talk it all through.” I just can’t do it today. “But, Lex, I’m here now, and I’m not leaving again.”

“You’ll never understand how you’ve made me feel.” She shakes her head, and it moves back and forth against my arm.

“I know, and you’ll probably never understand why I did what I had to do.”

She frowns and, in the moonlight, I watch her study my face. Pulling her hand from under the covers, she runs a finger over my brow, around my eye, until the backs of her fingers slide down my cheek, over my jawline, and then they drop between us. The feeling was so tender, every muscle in my chest tightened.

“I missed you,” she says quietly, and my gut clenches.

“I missed you, too. Every day.” And I did. I took her for granted, knowing she was here if I needed her, and I never gave her the same in return.

Leaning in, I press my forehead to hers and my eyes slip shut as I breathe in the closeness of us. Her hair tickles my face and smells like vanilla, and my heart begins to beat even faster.

Returning her hand to my face, she softly embraces the side of it as my lips drift down her cheek and pause just at the edge of her mouth. Both of us hold still, each breathing harder than normal. The anticipation of something that has been a long time coming surrounds us because we both know the significance of this kiss. It means it’s the beginning, not the end.

Both of us move at the same time, and our lips gently collide.

One, two, three little kisses that allow my lips to soak in the feel of hers and to pull her bottom lip between mine.

Then I press them open, tasting her in a way that’s just for me.

Lexi.

My Lexi.

Time passes as we explore one another. The feeling of her tongue against mine creates a heat that shoots straight down my spine, and her soft warm skin feels incredible under my fingers as she wraps her arms and legs around me. I sink into her embrace in a way I’ve never wanted to with anyone else.

Do I want to strip away our clothes and bury myself inside of her? Sure, but for tonight, having her mouth and her hands on me is enough.

It’s more than enough.

Hours later, I know without even rolling over to look at the clock that it’s four forty-five in the morning. My internal clock was set to this years ago, as most of our practices begin at six. I had forgotten how many windows are in this room and am not surprised to find that I can see her perfectly in the early morning light.

At some point in the night, Lexi rolled over to face me. Her head is now lying on my chest, her arm is draped across my stomach, and her top leg is wrapped over mine. When we were kids, she would just end up facing me, but at some point in our teenage years, we began to intertwine more frequently. Ultimately, this was how we woke up for years, and it’s as if nothing has changed.

Lexi is the only girl I’ve slept the whole night with. Sure, over the years, I made a few appearances at charity events with a friend of a friend on my arm, but a friend with benefits here and there was as far as it ever went. It wasn’t like I didn’t have opportunities for more; girls have been throwing themselves at me since college. The thing I quickly realized was that these girls weren’t interested in getting to know me. They were out for my title: quarterback for the University of Florida and now quarterback for the Tampa Tarpons. My fame is not something I’m good at sharing, nor do I plan to.

When James and I got to Florida, he was in complete heaven, but he was always a social kid. He loved the attention he received, especially from females, and he frequently ended his evenings with one of them, whereas I always went home alone. I didn’t want any distractions. James never did understand, but how could he? I had something to prove, and I needed it more than I needed anything else. He also didn’t know I had slept next to his sister for eight years, and the ghost of her presence was far stronger than any need for someone else.