GRAYSON

"She's wearing your shirt. She's lifting with you. She's gotta be your girl."

I'd been too busy watching Nessa walk across the gym to grab her bag to notice Julian sneak up on me. The gym had pretty much cleared out. The guys who were left were just packing up their stuff to head out.

I sighed, and Julian clapped a hand on my shoulder.

"She's as good as mine, but don't tell her that because she'll go running for the hills."

Jules snickered. "Does she realize she's wearing your name stamped across her back?"

"Probably not."

I smiled at how Nessa's ponytail swished over EVERETT as she walked.

My friend lowered onto the bench next to me. "So, what? Did you shove the girl into that shirt and drag her along to show her off and stake your claim?"

"No, but if that's the message that's getting across, then I'm definitely okay with it."

"Definitely the message that's getting across," he said with a laugh, his eyes trailing Nessa.

Her leggings left absolutely nothing to the imagination. And then to top it off with my shirt? She must have been trying to give me a heart attack.

"When I said I was busy tonight, she asked if she could come along," I clarified. "And she borrowed that shirt from me last week, and I haven't gotten it back since. I didn't shove her in it."

Julian kicked his foot up and reached for it to stretch his calf.

"I take back what I said, then. Nessa definitely knows she has your name stamped across her back, and I think she's staking her claim."

My smile grew, and I crossed my arms over my chest, watching as Nessa made her way back to me with her bag. "Fine by me," I said.

"God, you've got it bad."

"Oh, I know." I paused before giving Jules a sideways glance. "Gonna hit the showers now."

He raised a brow.

"I'll shoo Noah and Reggie out the door and lock up then." He winked. "Enjoy."

I definitely planned to.

I've been absolutely dying to get Nessa alone again. I've become so fucking addicted to that face she makes when she's turned on. The way I ached for her was far more than sex or attraction. It was this twisty, hot connection. And I craved it.

Leaving Jules behind, I met Nessa halfway and took her hand. Leading her into the team locker room, I realized that I was probably breaking some kind of unspoken rule. But I didn't give a damn.

Taking Nessa's bag from her, I tossed it on the bench in front of the showers. I hadn't been lying; they were nice showers. Our training facility had recently been renovated, meaning that we had the best that money could buy within these walls.

Nessa shifted to face me, her big brown eyes tracing my expression with a mix of anticipation and shyness in hers. I toyed with the hem of her shirt.

"You might as well keep this."

She smiled. "I was already planning on it."

"That's my Adler. A thief in the night."

I started to lift the shirt slowly—slow enough that she could stop me if she wanted to. She didn't. Our eyes stayed connected, and hers morphed. The anticipation grew. The shyness became eagerness.

"Lift your arms."

She did, raising them above her head while I stripped my football tee off her pretty little body. Then I peeled my own shirt off my sweaty chest. I dropped it to the ground before turning to find Nessa with her gaze still on me, standing there in her sports bra.

I waited, curious if she would say anything. This was when she usually fought it. Fought us. But tonight, her chest was rising and falling. Her eyes were pleading.

I understood. All I wanted was to cut through the tension and seize her.

"It feels almost unbearable," she whispered.

The urge to reach out to her was so goddamn strong.

"I'm glad it's not only me."

"It's not only you," she confirmed quietly, and my heart clenched.

I had to rip the next words out of my throat. "This—our deal—it's for the best, though."

Surprise sprung onto her face. "That's the last thing I expected you to say."

"The way you are with me... it's changing, Nessa. You're letting me in. And that's all I want."

She held my eyes before murmuring in a low voice.

"No, it isn't."

I didn't know how to lie.

"You're right."

Dropping down, I hooked my fingers into the waistband of her leggings, and then I rolled them down. Again, it was slow. A single movement, a single word on her part, and I would have stopped. But she didn't move. Her legs shook a little, either from the workout or something else. But she didn't move. Not until it came time to kick her shoes off and pull each foot out of the leg opening.

Hot memories of the other night flooded my brain, of when I'd stripped her underwear right out from under her skirt. The same skirt that had ended up hiked around my waist while Nessa writhed between me and the door.

Fuck, I could already feel all the blood rushing to my dick, and I had to take a few deep breaths as I stood again.

Leaving my own shorts on, I backed Nessa into an open shower stall and twisted the faucet on, letting the water warm before I urged her beneath the stream. Then I stepped away to untie my shoes and peel off my socks while watching the water splash over her. Shit, this was probably a mistake. Nessa was gorgeous with clothes on. But without...

This was probably a mistake.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her voice breathless.

"Taking a shower. With you," I muttered as I straightened again, joining her. The showers came with dispensers of shampoo, conditioner, and body wash on the tiled walls, and I pumped shampoo into my palm. "Can I?"

I wasn't supposed to touch her. Not in the way I wanted to. That was the deal.

But I needed to touch her. So I would find any way I could to do it without breaking my promise.

Nessa cocked her head to the side. "You want to—"

"Wash your hair, yes."

She backed beneath the water, letting it spray off the top of her head and cascade down over her shoulder. My eyes automatically followed the stream, which was a mistake. Her bra was getting soaked, and it was doing nothing to cover her peaked nipples.

"Okay," Nessa said, heat in the simple, short word.

The smirk on her face when I jerked my gaze back to hers told me she'd caught me. And she didn't care. To be honest, I didn't care either.

Lathering up the shampoo, I massaged it into Nessa's scalp. Her eyelids fluttered closed as I let my hands do the work, and before I knew it, she was making little moaning noises that were going to be the death of me.

"Nessa," I warned. "I'm trying to be good here."

Well, somewhat. Good would have been letting her shower in the dorms. Alone. Without me. Good, and my thoughts had nothing in common.

"What if I didn't want—"

"Don't." I cut her off, leaning close enough that not even steam could squeeze between us. "Don't finish that question."

"Sorry," she sighed, tipping her head back to let the water rinse her hair.

I turned to the body wash next, rubbing it between my palms before smoothing my hands from Nessa's shoulders to her wrists. Before I could go any further, she put a hand on my chest, and I froze.

She hadn't touched me since that night in her bedroom when I'd fucked everything up. And that hand—five fingers, one palm, knuckles, and nails, it was a hand like any other. But goddamn, it didn't feel like any other when it slid down my slick abs to find the waistband of my wet shorts.

"What about you?" she asked.

I plucked at her wrist, removing her hand from my skin so I could breathe again.

"Doesn't work like that."

That was the most important part of all of this. She really couldn't touch me. There was no way in hell I wanted her to walk away from a night together only to wonder if I had a good time because I'd gotten to be with her... or because I'd gotten something from her.

Ignoring her pout, I regretfully dropped her hand back by her side.

Nessa exhaled heavily, and then it was quiet except for the water pounding against the floor tiles. She let me turn her around, and I brushed her hair over one shoulder so I could wash her upper back. And then her lower back. I washed all the skin I could find until Nessa was wound up, and I felt her panting beneath my hands.

"You're right," she said over her shoulder, her voice all squeaky and cute. "This is better than showering in Ackley Hall."

I didn't know if she meant that the showers were better or if it was better because of me, but I'd take it.

"The water pressure is way harder here."

Not the only thing that's hard in here, Nessa.

"And it's hotter, too."

Wonder why.

"Are these locker rooms new?"

I smiled at Nessa's rambling, moving her hair back over her shoulder once the suds had rinsed from her skin.

"Recently renovated."

She peeked back at me. "Do you have those ice bath things in here?"

I chuckled. "Yes. Would you like to try it out?"

She shook her head and looked away again. "Definitely not. I've never understood why anyone would ever torture themselves with that."

I leaned in with a laugh. "It helps reduce muscle inflammation after exercises."

Nessa sucked in a breath, and I knew it had to do with how I was hovering over her shoulder now, breathing across her wet skin.

"I'll keep my muscles nice and inflamed then, thank you very much," she said, and I spun her around to face me again.

"Something tells me that you actually wouldn't mind a little ice," I said. Nessa's brows drew together, and I couldn't keep the smirk off my face. "Remember the other night? Don't tell me you didn't like being pressed against that cold glass when I was trying to take your dress off."

I fully expected her to roll her eyes or swat a hand at my chest, but she didn't do either. Instead, she bit her lip and looked up at me beneath wet lashes.

Well, fuck.

"How about I show you?" I asked throatily.

Nessa swallowed. Then nodded.

I walked quickly out of the shower, trying to ignore the hammering of my heart in my goddamn throat. I swiped up my water bottle from the bench where I'd left it, shaking it to check that there was still ice lodged in the bottom from earlier. There was, and I flicked off the cap, pouring a slew of ice cubes into my hand as I strode back to find Nessa with her head tipped back in the shower, waiting.

"Are you sore?" I asked, flicking my eyes down to her legs to see if they still had a tremor running through them like they did earlier. It was hard to tell. Tossing most of the ice in my pocket, I left a few pieces in my palm and covered her thigh with it, massaging the ice into hot, wet skin. She shuddered.

"Yeah, kinda," she admitted on a sharp intake of breath.

When I hit a spot that must have been particularly tender, she moaned. And I felt that moan everywhere.

"Fuck, Adler." I dropped my forehead onto the top of her head.

"I can't help it," she gasped into my neck. Her breath and steamy air swirled around me, fogging my head until the only thing in it was the thought of Nessa moaning. I needed to hear more of those moans.

Drawing back, I found her hazy, brown gaze. Droplets streamed down her face, and she licked one from the corner of her mouth before biting her lower lip again. I wanted that mouth so fucking bad. One day I would get it. But that day was not today.

Refocusing myself, I watched her expression as I slid the ice over to massage her inner thigh. Nessa automatically widened her stance, so I gave her more, inching upward.

A hand flew up onto my shoulder, her nails biting at my skin. Her whole body strained forward, and I flicked my gaze down it. She was mercilessly gorgeous, curves and skin—wet, slick skin that was only covered by even wetter fabric. When I forced myself to look at her face again, her pupils were so dilated in desire that I nearly fucked the deal and fucked her.

But I swallowed and gave her what she wanted instead.

After plucking another cube from the ones melting in my pocket, I took it between two fingers and used it to trace the edge of her soaked underwear. So close. I was so close to touching her, but I wasn't. Nessa still felt it, though, and then I felt her breathe my name.

"Grayson."

It was sharp and needy, and I immediately dropped the ice to slide down the front of her body. I hooked my fingers into her underwear like I'd done the other night in my room and looked up at her.

She leaned back against the wall of the shower, hooded gaze trained on me.

"Yes, Wilder. Yes."

That permission made my head spin. My heart lurch. My cock stiffen in my wet shorts. I stripped her underwear off slowly, just like I had with the rest of her clothes. Only this time, I was left with her bare pussy right there, right in front of me. Fucking hell, I was aching to bury my goddamn face there. And I knew she was aching for the same thing because her legs were parted, and her back was arched slightly.

I shot to my feet before I could do something I'd regret. Screwing the cap back onto my water bottle, I brought the spout to her skin and let the icy cold water stream down between her legs. Nessa sucked in a breath.

"Open up more," I commanded, my jaw tight, my throat sore from choking down words I shouldn't say.

She did, and I squeezed the bottle again, shooting more water down. Nessa's eyes widened. It wasn't enough, though. It wasn't enough for her or for me.

I grabbed the last of the ice with my free hand and pressed it into Nessa's palm. Then I took that hand and flattened it over her chest, teasing the ice over a nipple. She gasped, and this time, I barely managed to get my words out, so lost in the torture flowing in my veins. My voice was gruff and scarcely recognizable. "Touch yourself because I can't, Adler."

I released her hand as though it had scorched me because it was all I could do not to pull down her bra and take matters into my own hands. And then I watched as Nessa listened to me, massaging the ice over her breasts as I shot more icy water directly onto her clit. 

She was rolling her hips now, moving with her own rhythm, and I knew she had to be close. The other night was the same way; she'd become wild in the moments before she gave into it.

Our hot gazes slammed together as she tipped her head up to look at me, and then a desperate plea flew from parted, wet lips.

"Please. Please, Grayson."

God, yes. I wanted to know exactly what she was begging for, but at the same time, I didn't think I'd be able to restrain myself if she told me. So I dropped my head next to hers, burying myself in her neck to keep from kissing her lips off. Finding her ear instead, I breathed in it.

"Light up for me, darling," I said before dropping the water bottle and jerking my hips against hers. I needed to feel her come on my dick, even if it was through a layer of clothes.

And then she did.

And that light of hers pierced my fucking soul.

💗

the next chapter picks up right where this leaves off from Nessa's POV. So we'll see what she has to say about what just happened there...

xoxo amelie