“Seriously, no big deal. I’m going to head off to the showers. I will see you at camp.”

  “Yeah, take care.”

  Hollis and I both take off toward the locker room, leaving Bodi to train some more; the man is a machine. I remember when I used to spend hours in the weight room, strengthening every muscle with precision. But that was years ago. Now, I do what I need to do and then get out of there. I have a girl to cuddle and a mental game to perfect.

  “He’s strange. Can’t trust a guy who doesn’t laugh at my jokes,” Hollis whispers while looking behind us toward the gym we just left.

  “Maybe because your jokes aren’t funny.”

  Stopping his forward progression, Hollis stands in the hallway, not happy with my jab. “That’s not funny, man. Take that back. You know I say funny shit.”

  I just shrug my shoulders, fucking around with him.

  “You take that shrug back.” He points his finger at me. “You take it back right now.”

  “How is someone supposed to take a shrug back?” I’m completely amused right now.

  “By shrugging in the opposite direction, now take it back.”

  “Shrugging in the opposite direction? Seriously? You know that would just be making the same motion. It’s all just up and down. I’m not taking it back. Now stop acting like a little bitch and let’s go.”

  “Oh no,” Hollis holds up his hand. “You can shower by yourself today.” He says this just as someone walks by us, procuring a weird look in our direction.

  Shaking my head, I hiss at Hollis, “Don’t make us look like fucking creeps. Christ, man.”

  “Don’t blame me for what’s happening right now. You’re the one who didn’t agree with my ability to be funny. I’m the funniest fuck this side of the Mississippi.” Hollis walks by me, brushing my shoulder in the process.

  Following behind him, I say, “If you were funny, then you wouldn’t have to point it out to everyone. Do you really think Jimmy Fallon goes around telling people how funny he is? No, he just shows it, he doesn’t say it.”

  “Fuck Jimmy Fallon,” Hollis calls out and then stops. Turning to me, he shakes his head. “I take that back. I love Jimmy. You know,” he looks up at the ceiling in thought, “I’m actually jealous of Justin Timberlake and not because he has a voice of an angel, or the dance moves of a male escort, or how good he looks in a chapeau—”

  “Don’t say chapeau, you dickhead.”

  Hollis ignores me and continues, “I’m jealous because he can call up Jimmy anytime he wants. Or he can rap with him, putting Eminem to shame. Does Jimmy even know how good I can rap? I should make a video, maybe he would give me a chance at a bro-mance.”

  There is something seriously wrong with this man.

  “Maybe win another gold and then get on his show, I’m sure you can tell him then.”

  Hollis snaps his fingers at me. “God, you’re brilliant. I will have my publicist get on that. Look out, J Tizzle. I’m coming for you.” Taking off toward the locker, Hollis walks away with more pep in his step.

  Following behind him, I get another text. God, I hope it’s not Bellini.

  Paisley: Won’t be over until really late. Bellini has me organizing her sewing room for a new seamstress that’s starting tomorrow. She wants her working in her house so she can keep an eye on her. I will have to take a rain check on dinner.

  Fuck. I do something good for someone else and look what happens. My plans are ruined.

  Reese: Get to my place as soon as you can. I need to cuddle the hell out of you tonight.

  Paisley: Looking forward to it, handsome.

  Christ, I have it bad for this woman.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  **PAISLEY**

  “Can you stop with those dishes and get your ass out here?” Reese calls from the pool area.

  The last week has been a whirlwind of sleeping over at Reese’s primarily to avoid Jonathan at all costs, helping production prepare for Rio, and keeping Bellini in line.

  After the whole Lauren incident, Jasper had a conversation with me about Bellini’s actions. He asked me to be on top of everything she was doing and to report back. He wasn’t thrilled at all with the way she treated Lauren and me. He was just waiting for Lauren to file some kind of lawsuit but I knew Lauren wouldn’t. She is pretty chill. We grabbed coffee the other day, and she told me all about Ruby, Bellini’s new seamstress for her doggy wear. According to Eva, she is pretty sure something is going on between Ruby and Bodi, but she can’t be quite positive since Bodi is so closed off.

  I met Ruby yesterday and all I have to say is that I’m absolutely in love with her. She is a breath of fresh air. Extremely quirky, positive, and loves crafts. She actually works down at the Boys and Girls Club by holding art classes with the kids. That’s where she and Bodi met.

  I didn’t dig too deep into her relationship with Bodi because I just met her, but I plan on finding out more about what’s been going on. I’m nosey, and I’m proud of it.

  It’s nice to add to my friends list. I’ve always had Jonathan and that’s pretty much it, so it’s been nice to meet some new people, some people I know I can trust. I’m slowly becoming very close to Melony. She covers for me when I’m on the phone with Reese, and she’s always calming my racing heart when I feel I can’t handle the pressure anymore. Plus, she’s been a great outlet to talk to when it comes to Jonathan. I don’t talk to Reese about it much because I don’t want to worry him. He has so much on his plate already, the last thing I need is for him to worry about Jonathan.

  But it’s an issue in my life.

  This is the longest I’ve gone without talking to him. At first, I thought we would get over what we said to each other. I gave it a few mornings but when he stopped walking around naked, I knew there was something seriously wrong. I tried talking to him about it and all he asked was if I was still with Reese. I told him yes and then he walked away, end of discussion.

  Both Melony and Reese mentioned Jonathan having feelings for me, but I know that’s not the truth, because if it were, he would have been upset over the fake boyfriend I pretended to have when Jonathan saw Reese’s red sweatshirt on the floor of my bedroom. It’s hard to understand our relationship. I truly think Jonathan was hurt that I defended Reese over him, given our history. But honestly, Jonathan didn’t really give me a choice because of the nasty things he said about me. Reese stood up for me and wouldn’t let Jonathan drag me through the mud, how can I not take his side?

  Even though Jonathan did say things borderline unforgivabe, I still feel sad it got to that point. It’s my fault he became so mad by doing exactly what he told me not to do. I can understand his frustration and deep down, I really feel terrible for lying to him, and I know it’s been affecting me. Reese has noticed, he will ask me occasionally how I’m doing, if I’m okay, and every time I tell him I’m fine, even though a little piece of me is mourning the loss of Jonathan. It’s hard to see someone every day of your life and then just stop cold turkey. I knew he was going to be mad, but I didn’t think he would be this mad.

  “Babes, I’m serious. This is my last night, come sit with me.” Reese’s voice rings impatience so I turn off the sink water, dry my hands off, and then join him out back.

  Surrounding the pool area, there are little lights in the planters, casting a light glow in the dark night. Reese is sitting in a lounge chair that overlooks the ocean. It’s our favorite way to spend our nights before we go to bed, cuddled together and listening to the ocean waves, tonight is no exception.

  “Hey, sorry about that. I just wanted to make sure everything was clean for you.”

  “I could have someone else do that,” he replies, pulling me down on his lap. I snuggle close to his chest and rest my head on his shoulder while he wraps one arm around my back and rests the other on my thigh. “So much better.” He kisses the top of my head, and I melt into his touch.

  “You’re all packed, and I placed your passport in your backpack
.”

  “Paisley,” he stops me. “I don’t want to talk about work shit.”

  “Sorry.” I chuckle. “What do you want to talk about?”

  “Let’s play a little game of truth or dare.”

  Knowing exactly where this is going, I say, “Let me guess, your dare is going to be have sex with me?”

  His chest vibrates with laughter under me; it’s like music to my ears, deep and rugged, everything about it is sexy.

  “Well, not right off the bat, but that’s my end goal, always with you, baby.” He tickles my side. “Come on, have a little fun with me.”

  Sitting up and straddling his lap, I place my hands on his chest and say, “Okay, I’m in.”

  Staring down at him, his eyes flame with desire from my position, my pussy placed right over his growing erection. Just to play, I grind my hips on him a little, causing a hiss of pleasure from him.

  “Don’t start something you can’t finish, Paisley.” His voice heeds warning.

  Ignoring the erection pressing up against me, I say, “You go first.”

  Adjusting his body, he grips my hips and stares up at me, his hazel eyes shining in the moonlight and the scruff of his beard enticing me. I love the way it feels against my skin, scraping, igniting my nerves with a sensual pleasure.

  A grin spreads across his handsome face as he asks, “Truth or dare?”

  I don’t want to give him the pleasure of a dare right away so I say, “Truth.”

  “Figured.” He chuckles. “All right, what is your most embarrassing sexual experience?”

  “You really want to know?” I raise an eyebrow at him in question.

  “Of course,” he responds casually.

  “All right.” I shrug. “Back in college, I was giving a guy a blow job—”

  “Maybe I don’t want to know,” he practically growls, interrupting me.

  I shake my finger at him. “Uh-uh, you asked, so I have to answer.”

  “I’m good.” He waves me off. “You sucked some guy off, good enough for me. I really don’t need to hear about your perfect lips on some other guy’s dick. They belong to me and me alone.”

  Rolling my eyes, I cross my arms over my chest and say, “You asked, so I’m going to tell. I snorted out his cum.”

  Reese’s eyes bug out. “What? How the fuck does that happen?”

  “I thought you didn’t want to know,” I tease.

  “Well, now you have me intrigued with how the hell cum comes out of your nose.”

  “It wasn’t pleasant. But I’m pretty sure I was mid sneeze when it happened, sucked some shit up the back of my nose and then squirted it out of my nose. Not my finest moment. The guy didn’t want to see me after that. I mean, who really wants to date a girl who sneezes out his semen?”

  “Fuck.” Reese chuckles and rubs his face. “I would keep you around just as a party trick.”

  “Wow, thanks.” I laugh with him. “Truth or dare?”

  “Dare, of course.” He smirks, causing my breath to hitch just from how gorgeous he looks with his grin spread across his face.

  “I dare you to take my bra off—”

  “Shit, that’s easy.” He goes to take my bra off but I stop him.

  “I dare you to take my bra off and stare at my tits during this game without touching them.”

  “Are you fucking crazy, woman?” Distress rings through his features and his voice.

  “You have to do it, you chose dare.” Without pausing, I grab the hem of my dress and yank it off, leaving me in my bra and matching thong.

  Biting on his bottom lip he stares at me in frustration. “You’re not playing fair.”

  “There were no rules laid out, not my fault. Now strip me.”

  Reluctantly, his fingers find the front clasp of my bra and undo it quickly, letting my breasts pop free. Taking off the straps, he frees me of my bra and tosses it into a pile with my dress. He runs his hand over his face as he stares at my chest. Thanks to the light breeze coming off the ocean, my nipples are incredibly hard, making my piercings stand out that much more.

  “I really hate you right now.” Sighing, he says, “Truth or dare.”

  “Truth,” I respond, not skipping a beat.

  His jaw is tight. He so badly wants me to say dare, but I refuse to give in.

  “Have you ever masturbated to my picture?”

  I roll my eyes. “No.”

  “And why not?”

  “You get one question, buster.”

  Her stares at my chest, and I can see him weakening. “Come on, baby, you’re already torturing me with your tits. Give me a follow-up question, and I swear to God, if you say something like you’ve twiddled yourself crazy to a picture of Bodi Banks, I will refuse to ever fuck you again.”

  That causes me to throw my head back and laugh. Reese just groans as my hips move on his rapidly stiffening erection.

  Mumbling, he says, “You’re killing me. Just answer the damn question.”

  “I haven’t masturbated to a picture of you because I’m either at your place having sex, or we are doing FaceTime. But if you want me to, while you’re gone, I will stroke myself while staring at a picture of you. Would you like that?”

  “No,” he huffs. “You’re not allowed to touch yourself unless I’m around.”

  “I make no guarantees.” I grin, then ask, “Truth or dare.”

  “Dare.”

  “Hmm.” I tap my finger to my chin, already aware of what I’m going to do but I like to prolong his wait. “What to do, what to do—”

  “Paisley . . .” he warns.

  “Oh, I got it.” I shift on his lap, getting more comfortable. “I dare you to hold the back of the chair and let me grind on you for one minute.”

  He shakes his head. “Fuck, no. Not happening.”

  “What do you mean not happening?”

  His eyes harden as he says, “Do you really think I’m going to let you hump my hard-as-fuck dick right now, topless, while I do nothing but just sit here, with no chance of touching you?”

  “Uh yeah,” I answer nonsensically. “It’s called truth or dare, you have to follow through.”

  “I choose truth then.”

  “You can’t do that.” I chuckle from how adamant he is. “Once you choose you have to follow through. So you can either let me grind up against you, or I can go home.”

  “You wouldn’t,” he dares.

  “I so fucking would, handsome.”

  Grinding his teeth together, he reaches behind him and locks his hands over the back of the chair. Feminine pride surges through me from being able to tame an alpha male who makes my insides quiver.

  “Good boy.” I wink at him and then pull up the stopwatch on my phone. Pressing start, I start my torturous dare.

  Running my hands up to the back of my head where I pull my hair together, I move my hips on top of his and prop my chest out just to torture him some more.

  It doesn’t take him long to become fully erect. In a matter of seconds I can feel his cock pressing through his thin athletic shorts up into my pussy, begging to be freed of the confines of fabric blocking him.

  Even though this was meant to torture him, I know I’m wet and pleasure starts to move through my bones just from the friction I’m creating between us.

  Glancing down at Reese, his eyes are fixated on my breasts—heady with lust—his chest muscles pulsing with desire, holding back the thin layer of control he has left.

  “Mmm,” I quietly moan, closing my eyes for a second and rolling my head back, loving the way his dick is providing pressure against my soaking clit. I know if I pull away, I would see how wet I am on his shorts, my arousal marking him.

  “Fuck,” he says out of breath. “Hell, Paisley.”

  The tension in his muscles grows tighter, the tick in his jaw is moving at a more rapid pace, and I can feel a pulse in his cock with every single grind of my hips.

  Moving my hips over his crotch has me panting; it has me throbbi
ng to the depths of my center, causing every synapsis to fire up with need. My body starts to tingle; my limbs start to turn into rubber, and my grinding picks up at a rapid pace as I feel like I can’t catch my breath. Every move, every swipe of his thick length against my folds, is a blast of pleasure through my body. Falling forward, I grip his hips and thrust harder, spurring on the inner orgasm building rapidly.

  I’m dry humping the shit out of Reese and loving every second of it. My toes start to curl, my stomach bottoms out, and the only true feeling I have is between my legs, soaking up all the erotic pleasure flowing between us.

  I’m on the verge of tipping over, ready to fall when my phone goes off, indicating one minute is up. Before I can finish, Reese scoots me off him and puts a little distance between us.

  “What are you doing?” I ask, short of breath and a throbbing clit practically screaming at me to finish.

  Between us, in his navy blue shorts, his cock stands at attention, and even in the dark night you can see our arousal. It’s sexy, it’s hot, it only spurs me on more.

  “One minute, that’s all you got. Now what do you want, truth or dare?” he asks me, turning the tables in a way I didn’t expect.

  I sit on the lounge, my pussy begging me to stick my fingers between my legs and finish what I started, but I don’t want to show him how desperate I am. So to please him, because I know he wants to be pleased, I say, “Dare.”

  A grin spreads across his face and I get ready to finish what I started. I know he can’t hold out that long—his dick is screaming to be freed of his shorts.

  “Good choice.” He winks. I scoot closer to him, ready to hop back up on his lap. “Paisley, baby . . .” he pauses for effect, “I dare you to howl like a wolf.”

  I’m halfway moving to his lap when I stop myself and look up at him. “What?”

  “You heard me, howl like a wolf.”

  “You’re kidding.”

  “I’m really not.” He presses his finger to my nose like it’s a button and then leans back in the lounge chair casually, fucking dick poking through his shorts. It’s quite the vision. “Howl, baby.”