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Her eyebrow arched. “Is that what you think? I can’t win unless you’re handicapped?”
She tossed the ball at my chest, harder than I expected, but I caught it and set it down between our feet. My hand claimed her hip, and she stepped into me, her chest flush with mine. “What are you really doing here, Stripes?”
Charles’ words were fresh in my mind, and I wanted her to say it. To show me she was in this, or at least headed toward it.
She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “I’ve been sitting in my car for over an hour, waiting for you to get home. I do plan to kick your ass at basketball, butyou’remy reason for being here.” Her arms circled my neck, and she raised up on her toes so we were eye to eye. “We didn’t discuss a timeline or when we’d see each other again. But the thing is, I want to be part of your life, and I kind of want to start now.”
“Stripes…” I rubbed my thumb across her lip, her cheek, the corner of her jaw, making sure she was real. “I’m having trouble believing you’re here.”
Her mouth found mine in a slow, caressing kiss. She breathed a sigh, warming my lips, and our kiss morphed into smiling at each other.
“Yeah, you’re here,” I said, stroking her ponytail.
Her eyes opened, blinking up at me. “Show me your place.”
I lived in a second-floor walk-up in a neighborhood still working on being up and coming. For me, it was a place to rest my head and relax.
Tali walked in ahead of me, head swiveling left and right. I dropped my bags in the entryway next to Tali’s basketball and circled my arms around her waist from behind.
“It’s not my forever home.”
She tilted her head back, a soft smile curving her lips. “I just want to see where you live. You don’t have to explain yourself. I like it anyway.”
She stopped at a painting a fan made of Never Again’s first album cover.
“A fan sent me that,” I explained.
She brought her fingers up, tracing the air in front of it. “It’s gorgeous.”
“Yeah. It is. One of the cooler things I ever got in fan mail.”
She snorted, twisting in my arms to face me. “Underwear?”
I shuddered. “Yeah, and not cute little thongs. We’re talking ripe, used men’s underwear.”
“Why are people so awful?”
“Don’t know. Idoknow you’re not awful.” I walked her into the wall, pressing against her. “I’m thinking you’re pretty damn wonderful.”
“Am I? Because I showed up here unannounced and demanded to be let into your home?”
“Exactly.” I buried my face against her neck, inhaling her spicy-sweet scent. “I know you want to be doing all the things on your checklist, but instead, you’re here, in my place, looking sexy in your rock ‘n’ roll sports gear, challenging me to a basketball game.”
Her head fell against the wall, letting me have all the access I could want.
“I thought you’d forgotten about the basketball game,” she said.
I brought my head up, giving her an incredulous frown. “You think I’d ever forget the sight of you holding that ball?”
She tipped her hips toward mine and bit her lip. “We should play. I scoped out a park a block away from here.”
Exhaling, I took a step back. I’d been traveling all day, but it was only six p.m., even though itfeltlike midnight. As much as I wanted to give Tali a tour of my bed, maybe getting some fresh air and trouncing her ass would do some good.
“All right. Let me go change, then we’ll do this thing.”
She fisted the front of my T-shirt. “Can I watch?”
Groaning from how hot the girl was, I bent down and hauled her over my shoulder, making her squeal. Then I bit her plump little butt and carried her to my room so she couldwatch.
