OH GOD, West has a magical tongue.

I can honestly say that no man has ever made me orgasm like that in my life. The way he makes me convulse with pleasure—it’s unparalleled. A sort of primal release that rocks me to my very core, leaving my legs trembling and my heart pounding relentlessly against my ribcage.

He’s fucking incredible.

And don’t get me started on the visuals. The sight of him, his head buried between my thighs, is enough to send another shock wave of pleasure right through my electrified nerves.

To be honest, my pussy’s still pulsing, even as I sag against him now.

“Jade.” He laughs softly, a quiet rumble that vibrates against my skin. His nose nuzzles into the crook of my neck, sending an unexpected jolt of pleasure skittering down my spine. “Let me take you to bed.”

“Mmkay,” I lazily murmur, lost in the afterglow. His hands move to the backs of my thighs, hitching them around his waist as he picks me up with effortless strength.

He carries me to the bed, his steps confident and measured. When he sets me down, my legs feel like they’re made of lead, heavy and uncooperative as they dangle off the edge of the mattress. A haze of lust and satisfaction muddles my thoughts, and for a moment, I revel in the feeling.

“I love your tongue,” I manage to say, craning my neck to meet his gaze directly.

His chuckle is low and rough, a sound that sends a flutter of excitement spiraling deep within my core. The reaction is so intense that I press my

thighs together instinctively, seeking some form of relief.

“You really know how to stroke a guy’s ego,” he says, an amused glint dancing in his eyes.

“Mm, I do,” I say, returning his playful smirk. “Can I stroke something else now?”

“Jade, you can stroke whatever the hell you want.” That’s all the encouragement I need.

I slide off the bed, settling on my knees in front of him. My eager hands frantically tug at the waistband of his boxers, rushing to expose him to my hungry gaze. His solid arousal springs free, a sight that does nothing to curb my own desire.

I stare up at him, eyes locked as I wrap my fingers around the base of his shaft. When I lean forward to take him in my mouth, he lets out a low groan of pleasure from the back of his throat. Then his head drops back, hands tightly grasping the edge of the bed, trembling as I lick and suck from base to tip.

“So. Fucking. Good,” he pants, his fingers threading through my endless mess of sweat-damp curls.

The sound of his gravelly voice sends an achy pulse of need straight to my core. An involuntary hum of pleasure escapes my lips as I press my thighs together, the mix of pleasure and pain nearly unbearable.

His hips shoot off the edge of the bed, cock thrusting deeply into the back of my throat. “Fuuck.” He inches back, breathing heavily. “Sorry.”

In the next instant, he’s pulling me up from my knees, a soft pop echoing in the room as my lips leave him.

“What?” I ask, heart pounding.

He stares into my eyes, chest heaving as he says, “I need to be inside you.”

His rough hands grasp the back of my thighs again, lifting me in one swift movement. As soon as he gets us flipped around, I’m tossed like a weightless doll back onto the bed. His heavy torso twists, muscles heaving as he leans down to retrieve a condom from his pants pocket.

He carefully slides it onto his thick length, and my eyes are hooded, mouth watering at the sight.

“I want you,” I tell him impatiently.

He smirks, crawling forward until his cock is nestled right against my throbbing core.

“I want you back,” he says. His strong hands clasp around my wrists, pinning my arms above my head. Then he pushes inside me, the hard length of him sliding against my firm walls. “Oh God, baby. You feel so fucking good.”

I arch my hips off the bed as he thrusts slowly, deliberately inside me. The sweet friction, combined with a deeper angle, has me shuddering with pleasure.

He leans forward to brush his lips against mine. Our mouths touch, and tease, and lick, and suck until we’re both out of breath. He pulls back, groaning, as his fingers trail down the sides of my arms.

Cupping my breasts with both hands, he squeezes them gently, kneading them as he fucks into me.

“Your body drives me wild,” he rasps.

Bracing himself against the bed, he presses one hand into the mattress beside my head. His other hand trails down between our joined bodies, his thumb circling against my clit.

“Oh, God,” I gasp, wrapping my arms around him as another wave of pleasure hits me. With every deep thrust, my nails gently scrape against his back. And my hips, they rock against him, matching him thrust for thrust as he buries himself to the hilt.

“So . . . good,” I moan, biting down on his shoulder to stop from crying out. My fingertips trail down the sides of his biceps, pressing and squeezing into the hard muscle as I attempt to gain control.

“Yeah?” he asks, voice filled with gravel. “You like that?” “Mhm.”

“Wrap your arms around my neck,” he instructs, his voice a seductive command. I comply without hesitation, looping my arms securely around him as he secures my legs around his waist, drawing me in closer.

In a swift and unexpected movement, our positions are switched. I’m straddling him now, the soft sheets of the bed beneath me. His strong hands on my hips anchor me in place.

“Is this okay?” His voice is ragged, raw with need, yet he pauses, waiting for my confirmation.

My nod comes quickly, the eagerness to proceed mirrored in his eyes. As soon as he sees it, he grasps my hips, hoisting me upward before plunging me back down on him, fucking me on his cock. He moves inside me in a rhythm that’s frantic yet controlled.

And though I’m on top, there’s no mistaking his dominance.

As our bodies mercilessly slap together, I lean forward until our mouths meet in a hungry kiss. It’s a wild mixture of tongues, lips, and teeth. Sloppy but so fucking good.

I lift up on my knees, slowing down the rhythm of our thrusts until I’m grinding against him, our hips undulating together in search of heated, unending friction.

He releases a deep groan against my mouth, and the sound of his pleasure pushes me right over the edge, my pussy spasming against his throbbing length. He’s still kissing me when he starts to come, his release spilling into the condom inside me.

Before I completely collapse onto his chest, I lift my hips and slide him out of me, rolling onto my back. We’re both breathing heavily now— panting—covered in a thin sheen of sweat from head to toe. The curls on my nape are damp from exertion, and my heart is out of control.

“That was—” I start, but the words seem to dissipate in the air, my brain still drenched in the hazy aftermath.

“Yeah,” he says, his voice a ragged whisper, echoing my thoughts exactly. “It was.”

“I’m gonna go clean up.” By some miracle, I summon the energy to slip out of bed, tugging a loose T-shirt over my head. The walk to the bathroom is a shaky one, though, my legs wobbling beneath me like a newborn baby deer’s.

Not to mention there’s a dull aching sensation that throbs between my thighs, but I savor the way it feels.

By the time I stumble back toward my bed, West has already slipped his boxers on. He’s leaning against the headrest, one arm perched around his neck, scrolling through his phone. And when he notices me approach, his dark, caramel eyes lift to meet mine. There’s a warm glow in them, mirroring the one in my chest.

“Hey, gorgeous,” he says, his gaze tracing over my silhouette with a hint of lingering heat. “What would you like to eat?”

“Pizza?”

“Pizza, it is,” he says, his tone suggesting it was never up for debate. “What toppings do you want?”

“Oh, uh—” I hesitate, unsure of how to respond. “Get whatever you like.”

“No, what do you like?”

“Okay, you asked for it.” Sighing in feigned exasperation, I roll my eyes at him. “I like pineapple and jalapeño.”

A brow arches on his forehead, a bemused expression sweeping across his features. “That’s . . . devastating.”

“So dramatic.”

“I’ll just order Hawaiian with jalapeño on one side,” he says, his face softening into a teasing smile. “Sound good?”

“Yep.”

As he dials in our order, I climb back into the bed, nestling against his side. The warm scent of him wraps around me as he drapes an arm over my shoulder, pulling me close against his chest. When he ends the call, he leans over to press a soft kiss onto my hair.

“You still owe me a real date,” he reminds me, his voice a low murmur against the top of my head.

“You’re just mad that I hit more balls than you.”

“We weren’t even there for half an hour.” His chuckle is soft as his fingers dance along the curve of my shoulder. “But you’re right. Where’d you learn to swing like that?”

“Ace taught me,” I say proudly.

His brows knit together, eyes clouded with confusion. “Ace?”

“Oh, sorry, that’s Mica’s nickname. He calls me Lili, and I call him Ace,” I explain, warmth filling me as I mention my brother. “It’s short for his middle name, too.”

“You guys are pretty close, huh?”

“Yeah, he’s actually coming to stay with me next weekend.” “That’s awesome.”

“Yeah.” I hesitate, biting my lip as I consider my next words. “Maybe you could come meet him? You know, if you’re gonna be around.”

“Are you sure?” His voice is laced with surprise, but the spark in his eyes betrays his interest.

“I mean, you guys have a lot in common,” I say, hoping to put him at ease. “Plus, I thought it might be cool for you.”

“That’d be really fucking cool for me,” he says, his face splitting into a grin. “I’d get to meet an NFL player, but more importantly, a member of your family.”

“Okay, I’ll arrange it, then.”

“Perfect.”

“Do you have any siblings of your own?” I ask, tracing my fingertips across the hard planes of his abdomen.

“Only child.”

“Hmm,” I murmur, trying to imagine his life without siblings. “What was that like?”

“Kind of dull, actually. I didn’t exactly love the alone time, especially after my parents divorced when I was pretty young.”

“That sucks,” I say sympathetically. “It must have been tough.”

“Yeah, but I’m stronger for it,” he says, a hint of self-deprecation lightening his tone. “You know, independence and all that shit.”

“And your parents now? Are you close?”

“Dad’s been out of the picture for a long time,” he says, his voice hardening slightly. “My mom’s great, though.”

“What’s she like?” I ask, eager to learn more about him.

“She’s sweet, hardworking, honest. She really tried to fill both roles,” he says, a hint of fondness creeping into his voice. “She cried so much when she found out about Dayton.”

“Was she sad that you were leaving?”

“No,” he says, a soft chuckle escaping him. “She was just really proud that I made it to college, especially with a scholarship.”

“She sounds really supportive.” I tilt my head up, leaning in to place a chaste kiss against his jawline.

“Yeah, she is. What about your parents?”

“They’re great, too. Very supportive of my brother and me,” I tell him. “My dad actually has MS, though, so he has a lot of health problems. He’s always tired and in pain, that sort of thing.”

“Damn, that’s—I can’t imagine how tough that must be.”

“Some days are better than others, but he finds ways to cope.”

“That’s good,” he says, brushing a lock of hair from my face with gentle fingers. “It’s clear you care a lot about your family.”

“I do,” I admit, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’m planning to spend some time with them this summer, back in Washington.”

“Oh yeah?” he asks, his body stiffening slightly beneath me.

“Mhm,” I confirm, my voice equally quiet. “You’ll be at training camp, right?”

“Right.” His jaw is set in a tight line. “I guess we’ll both be pretty busy, then.”

“Yeah.” A wave of unease washes over me at the thought of a long- distance summer. I know it’s still a few months away, but these feelings between us are still so new. Does West even see us lasting that long? Or would he cut me loose for the summer, regardless?

Admittedly, it might simplify matters for both of us. He could devote his undivided attention to football, and I could pour my energy into supporting my family. He says he wants more with me now, but who’s to say that doesn’t have an expiration date?

Still, we have an immediate future to look forward to. His team banquet is just around the corner next month. But beyond that, spring term will be closing its curtains in a matter of five weeks. So, I suppose we have the present, and that’s what truly matters.

“Are you lost in your thoughts, Jade?” he asks, a hint of amusement coloring his tone.

“A little,” I admit, a small smile playing on my lips. “Can I tell you something?”

His brow furrows. “What’s up?”

“I like you,” I tell him for the second time, fingers clutching at the firm ridges of his waist, anchoring me in place.

“And I like you,” he says, tapping the end of my nose, a grin tugging at his lips. “You little dork.”