Authors: Marian Tee
“And what did you say?”
Her lips twitched. “You don’t want to know.”
“Tell me.”
“I told him I’ll do one better. I promised to make his team the tournament champion.” His bark of laughter made Lace swallow. She was happy that she got him to laugh, but she wasn’t so happy about how
good
his laugh sounded to her ears. Damn, damn, damn, this was so dangerous.
“Why did I even ask,” Silver was murmuring, a smile still playing on his lips. “That answer was 100% Lace Wyndham.”
“I have a feeling there’s an insult in there somewhere,” she muttered.
“How are you getting along with your team?” More and more, Silver March was proving to be the master at sidestepping conversations that wasn’t in his advantage to continue.
His words had her grimacing and wishing she could be as good as him at evading questions. She said reluctantly, “It’s okay.”
“You’re lying.”
“You don’t have to sound so happy about it.”
He gave her a look of sham sympathy. “That bad, huh?”
“Shut up.” A second later, and she couldn’t help confiding in him unhappily, “Yeah. It sucks balls—” When a choking laugh escaped Silver, she corrected herself, “I mean, it’s, err,
super
bad?”
“Ah.”
“Don’t get me wrong. It’s not like they were rude to me or whatever. If anything, they’re actually the most well-mannered team of players I’ve ever handled.” She glared up at him.
Silver didn’t even blink. “Let me guess.” His tone was dry. “They reminded you of me?”
“Too. Irritatingly. Perfect.”
“Only you would think that’s a crime.”
Slowly, she pushed herself up. Silver didn’t stop her, which made her grateful and uneasy at the same time. Why did he seem to know her so well? How could it be that he knew when to push and when to just let her be?
Her nose had stopped bleeding, allowing Lace to look down on the floor. Tucking her legs under her, she confessed, “They make me feel
inadequate.
They’re all amazing players, and I just don’t know how to approach them. They’re so different from all the other players I’ve handled—”
“Wyndham.”
The interruption had her looking at him.
“Remember how you were missing the hoop all the time a while ago?”
She nodded.
“Was it because you suddenly lost your feel for the ball?”
She shook her head.
“Maybe the balls they use here aren’t what you’re used to playing with?”
No. It hadn’t been that either.
“Is it the place? It doesn’t feel like it’s your home court yet?”
No.
“Then what is it?”
She said slowly, “It was
me.
” She remembered his words, his gentle reminder about the times when she forgot her own strength. “Oh.”
His eyes gleamed. “You get it now?”
She swallowed. “Yeah.” She did. Because of this beautiful, all-knowing man beside her, she understood.
“And your team now?” he asked quietly. “Are they really that different from the other teams you handled?”
Oh.
She whispered, “I was the one who was different.” She used to be fearless and excited every time she came across an opportunity to coach, but then life got in the way, and she would have bungled the most important break in her life if not for Silver.
Before she could thank him, she felt Silver taking her hand, pulling her up. “Let me walk you back to your place.”
She couldn’t even think of saying no, couldn’t even pull away when he helped her pack her stuff, holding her bag with one hand then clasping her hand with the other. It was a quiet walk back home, which was exactly how she liked it. This time, she was no longer surprised that Silver seemed to understand what she needed.
Silver March could see the future. That was that.
As they walked, she started planning and strategizing, and the way excitement filled her heart about going to practice made Lace grin like a fool. God, she had missed this feeling – of being unable to sleep because basketball was all she could think about.
When Silver stopped, she looked up and realized that they had already reached her room. The hallway was dark and empty, and its intimate atmosphere made her nervous all of a sudden.
“Wyndham.”
She almost didn’t want to look up, but she also knew ignoring him was pointless. Silver was just the kind who would persist until he had his way.
A smile once again played on his lips when their eyes met, and Lace had to remind herself very strongly that she was
not
the type to swoon over a guy’s smile.
“Open your door.” Another command that she shouldn’t follow but did so anyway. When her door was unlocked, he was the one to push it open. He stepped back, letting her precede him. He followed her right after, closing the door behind him.
Her room seemed to magically shrink in size and turn into a living oven at his presence. God, he was so hot—no, no, she meant, the room. The room was so hot.
For a long moment, they only stared at each other, their bodies so close but not quite touching.
“My reward.”
Her eyes widened the same time he placed a finger on her lips.
And then—
“Suck it.”
Oh God.
Ba-ba-ba-ba-thuuuuuuuuuuuuump.
She had learned about the term from reading the
manga
or Japanese graphic novels that her best friend liked to draw. She used to think it was an exaggerated sound effect used, but now she knew it was true. It was real. It was the
exact
sound her heart was currently making, the way it tried so hard to smash its way out of her chest.
Slowly, she opened her mouth, and a moment later, her lips closed over his finger. Lace watched him watch her as she started sucking his finger. She had never done something like this, but somehow she liked it. Found it arousing, embarrassingly so.
The way his nostrils flared with desire made her body ache, the way only Silver could make her ache. And oh, the way his gaze devoured her made Lace
want
to be devoured. He only had to say the word—
“Little lamb, enough.” His voice was strained, suppressed need etched on his too-beautiful face.
She almost didn’t want to let go, but she was too shy to protest. Her lips parted, the feel of loss keen when his finger left her mouth. He was breathing hard while Lace tried her best to catch hers.
When he moved towards her, she stiffened, but all Silver did was take her hand, lift it up—
Oh.
Before she knew it, her left index finger was inside his mouth, and he was sucking it. Sucked it so good she couldn’t help but press her legs together in hopes of stemming the wetness that threatened to gush out of her.
He nipped her finger one last time, releasing her finger but keeping her wrist captive. “I’ll come back as soon as I can.”
“Do you really expect me to believe that?” The words were out before she knew what she was going to say. Mortification flamed her, but even so, Lace lifted her chin defiantly. “You’ve told me the same thing before—”
“The time we spent apart was for your sake.” His smile became self-mocking. “And if it was up to my conscience, I would have waited some more. You’re too young for me, too inexperienced—”
“You sound like you’re breaking up with me when we’re not even dating,” she gritted out. But she knew her anger was merely a disguise, the only way to keep herself from remembering the pain of the nights that followed the wedding. Those times she had checked her phone endlessly, unable to admit to herself that she was hoping he would call or text her.
“We’re not dating,” he agreed. “Yet.”
That last word was like a bomb being dropped on her.
The promise gleaming in his eyes, underlining his tone and softening his smile—
Those promises were beautiful and terrifying.
God.
If only she had the courage to say ‘yes’.
Lace forced herself to turn away. “I don’t think so.” She bit her lip hard when she heard the doorknob turning. When the silence didn’t end, Lace wondered dully if that was it. If Silver had already left and given up on her—
“I’m not going anywhere.”
Her body shuddered in shock.
“I mean it.” His voice was still mild, but somehow that was what made it more serious. “I’m here to stay, I’m here for you, and sooner or later, you’ll trust me to be there for you whenever and wherever you need me.”
She said scornfully, “That sounds like a line straight from a superhero movie.”
A husky chuckle that had her body heating up. “If that’s the case, then we know how this will end, right? I’ll be the one to rescue you, you’ll fall for me and after that, you’ll be begging me to kiss you.”
The words had her choking. Lace whirled around, but Silver was gone, just like a superhero. Dammit.
First Love
“SOMEBODY STEAL THAT DAMN BALL.” Lace cupped her mouth as she shouted, wanting to make sure every guy she had on the floor would hear her. Tension ripped into her as she saw there were twenty seconds left in the game, but only fifteen to shoot.
“
Fourteen to shoot now.
” She shouted the time to them, knowing it was possible some of them hadn’t taken the time to glance at the shot clock. A dozen plays ran through her mind as she watched the action on the floor in tense, heart-thudding silence. Drew could steal and pass to Damian. If the other team managed to steal the ball, Alexio could always draw a foul from #16 – he was the opponents’ weakest link, with his free throw conversion rate down to a measly 25%.
Ten seconds left in the game, and the other point guard was able to swipe the ball away from Vasyl, but Drew was there to steal it back—
“Time out,” Lace yelled.
Drew signaled for a time out, and the referee blew his whistle.
Everyone huddled around her, sweat dripping down their faces and forearms even as the team’s towel girls rushed to dry them off. Surrounded by so many gorgeous hot Greeks, most girls would have swooned or turned into imbeciles. At the very least, they’d be nervous. And Lace
was,
but not for the usual reasons.
Their attentive and almost-cold silence intimidated her, but Lace told herself she had nothing to lose and everything to gain by being her true self with them. It was like what Silver said. She wouldn’t be able to achieve anything if she kept doubting herself. It was time to prove to everyone – and herself – what she could do.
Lace grabbed her marker and started drawing her play on the board. “Vasyl, stay here.” She placed the D-shaped marker on the position she wanted him to take. “That should give you an excellent vantage point and figure out who’d have the best shot. Drew, I want you to be here – be on your guard against anyone who tries to steal the ball. Damian, I want you to screen for Ivan. If we work together, we can get a quick two—”
Ivan raised a brow, asking, “Nine seconds left, and you only want us to make a two-point basket?”
“They’re only up by one, and…” She lifted her chin. “I have faith in you guys.”
The bell buzzed, signaling the end of their timeout. She got to her feet. “Kill it, you guys.” She used to say that to her old team in high school, and she automatically raised her fist—
But no one was there to bump fists with her, everyone already turning away and walking back to the floor.
Lace’s arm fell back against her side.
Keep it together, Wyndham. It doesn’t mean anything. They just didn’t know you had a fist-bumping tradition, that’s all.
The game resumed, Drew easily passing the ball to Vasyl. The young point guard moved left and right, looking for an opening—
Outside.
Lace’s fists clenched. She had told them to look for an opening inside the paint, so why was Vasyl looking for an opening outside?