Spiral (Off the Ice Book 2)
Spiral: Chapter 29

IT’S BEEN TWELVE hours since I let myself do something reckless. Or four years if I’m really counting. When she sat in my lap despite Owen insisting he take her seat, I felt the possessive need to have her, and remind her that she’s mine. She told me he meant nothing to her, and I believe that. But the image of Owen looking at her in the kind of way that I probably do sent a wildfire raging in my chest. At that moment the word fake hadn’t popped into my head once. The only thing I saw was her smooth brown skin and strong thighs wrapping around me, and the heat of her core pressing into my leg. The roll of her hips against me made me desperate to know how she’d look completely naked and taking all of me.

“Fuck.” I brace one hand against the tiled wall. My fist wrapping around myself in the shower isn’t nearly as satisfying now that I’ve seen the way her lips part on an orgasm.

Last night, I simply shut the door to my room with her in it and slept on the couch. I was determined to sleep away the painful erection rather than taking care of it myself. Trying to relieve the pressure would only make the thoughts running through my mind worse.

I had rules for myself. I have rules for myself.

Ever since my biological father sent that girl to me all those years ago, trusting myself to let go with someone else is impossible. It’s not that I haven’t tried. During freshman year, I partied with the guys. I quickly realized that getting drunk and stumbling into a random room in a frat house wasn’t going to help. It wouldn’t take away the heavy disappointment that still sits on my chest from when my parents saw me that morning four years ago.

With Sage, alcohol doesn’t flow through my veins, but it sure as hell feels like it.

It’s a special kind of torture knowing she’s right across the hall. I opted to use the main bathroom this morning instead of the en suite where all my things are. There’s a part of me that knows if I see her sleepy face and messy hair, or hear her call my name, I won’t be able to leave the room until I hear the sounds she made last night again.

A flash of her pulling those barely there panties to the side and showing me exactly what I wanted—no, what I needed—drives my hand to pump my length. I imagine those mischievous eyes watching me through wet lashes, letting the water from the shower slide down her body, and soak the thin white tank tops she usually wears to bed.

Her soft hands crawl up my sides, and she licks her lips. Let go, Elias, she whispers. Give it all to me.

Then she takes all of me, plump lips and hot mouth suctioning around me as her cheeks hollow. It’s only seconds before I’m throwing my head back and pouring into her throat. The orgasm violently racks my body. But even as I catch my breath, I still feel unsatisfied. My brain conjures up an image of her kissing a path up my wet torso until I’m desperate to pin her against the tiles and slip into her to hear her moan my name.

No.

I blink back to reality. If I go there, I won’t be able to look her in the eyes again.

When I’m rinsed off and out of the shower, I find Aiden sitting in the living room watching a game. Summer left for Dalton early this morning, so that’s why he’s awake. The pillow and blanket from when I slept on the couch are placed in the corner.

He eyes me like he knows a little too much. “You used the main shower?”

I shrug, stepping into the living room. “Making sure the pipes don’t rust.”

I step around the couch to watch the game. It’s New Jersey, the team we’ll be up against tomorrow.

“You good?” he finally asks.

Suffering. “Great, why?”

He only shrugs, chuckles, and then heads back to his room. I roll my eyes.

When heat burns the back of my neck, I know Sage is awake. She heads straight for the kitchen, not seeing me in the living room. The coffee machine starts, and I follow her, like a fucking puppy. It’s impossible to keep her at arm’s length despite knowing that I should.

Sage leans into the refrigerator, and those tiny sleep shorts ride up her ass. Pure torture. I look at the ceiling.

When she gasps, I drop my gaze back to where Sage holds a yogurt cup to her chest. “You scared me! What were you looking at?” She looks to the ceiling too.

I clear my throat. “Nothing.”

Standing there awkwardly only makes the reminder of last night louder, so I pivot to the sink. “Coach Wilson is hosting a team-building get-together since we’re in the playoffs.” I scratch the back of my neck, and she listens patiently. “And we’re invited.”

She doesn’t meet my eyes when she perches on a stool and dips a spoon into her strawberry yogurt. “Cool. I’ll probably order takeout, no need to worry about me.” Her sweet smile confuses me. She finishes off her yogurt, licking the spoon like—never mind. I process her words.

“Why would you do that?”

“A girl’s gotta eat, and I don’t want to risk burning your kitchen down.”

“Sage. We are invited, not just me and Aiden. As in, I want you to come with me as my girlfriend.”

The scraping of the spoon against the cup stops. When she meets my eyes, there’s a smudge of yogurt on the corner of her mouth. “Me?”

“Wasn’t aware I had another girlfriend.”

Her chuckle is brittle. Something possesses me to wipe the side of her mouth with my thumb. She inhales sharply, and I bring my thumb to my mouth and lick it clean. “So you’ll come?” I ask nonchalantly.

Her eyes stay focused on my mouth. “Sure. I’ll just get off work early.”

“I’ll pay you for what you miss.”

Her brows pinch, annoyance written in the line between them. “I’m not an escort, Elias. I don’t need your money.”

I lean forward. “I know. But you’re probably going to need a dress, so I’ll pay for whatever you need.”

When I start to pull out my card, she stands. “You can’t be serious.”

Dropping the card on the marble slab, I look up to meet her eyes again.

She crosses her arms. “I’m already living in your apartment, and now you want to buy me clothes? I’m a lot of things, but a freeloader isn’t one of them.”

“You’re also my girlfriend, and I would never let you pay for a dress you need to wear to go out with me.”

“That’s not fair. This is fake. Those rules don’t apply.”

I cock my head. “I don’t recall that being a stipulation when we started this.”

Full lips press into a straight line, but when her shoulders drop, I know she’s given in. And this victory feels better than any goal I’ve made.

She begins to protest.

“You’re not paying me back,” I say before she can even suggest it. “I’ll send you the details. I’ll be gone for a few days, so text me if you need anything.”

The anything makes her gaze snap to mine, and now I know we’re both thinking about last night. Pretty hard not to when I can still feel the phantom movements of her hips grinding on my leg.

But she looks embarrassed when her eyes dart away. “About last night—”

“Heat of the moment,” I finish for her. “You don’t have to explain anything. We can just forget about it.”

Sage nods slowly. The atmosphere feels scalding until she clears her throat. “It’s Hakima, by the way.”

“Huh?” I’m confused, but the switch in conversation is a welcome savior.

“My middle name, I never told you. It’s my mom’s name. It means ‘wise,’ just like Sage.”

I recall our conversation from last night before … everything. “Hakima? That’s beautiful.”

She shrugs. “I guess my mom gave me one good part of her.”

“Every part of you is good, Sage.”

She smiles but it feels all wrong as she slides off the stool. “I should go. I have a class of very studious eight-year-olds to teach in an hour.”

“Right. I’ll see you in a few days, then.”

We awkwardly linger in the kitchen before dispersing.