Made to be Mine (a steamy friends to lovers novella) Read online

  “Why? Sex is normal. Healthy.” He ran a hand over his face and arched one brow in challenge. “You have a string of bad dates or something?”

  “More like Ashton mindfucked her five years ago.”

  “Wow, Charley, laying it all out in the open, huh?” I said, covering my face with my hands for a second of self-pity. My stomach bottomed out that Will knew my embarrassing insecurities.

  “Oh shit, I’m sorry.” She sat up and frowned, which looked out of place on her because the girl was always happy—until Derick, but that would pass. “Will, go away.”

  “Fuck that,” he said, reaching over to put a hand on my shoulder and squeeze. His touch was warm and rough, and my entire body flushed with heat.

  God, his hand was huge.

  He spoke in a deep, low voice. “Sorry, Lex. I knew we disliked the guy, but I thought he was a dumbass college kid.”

  “He was. Is. He is a dumbass college kid. I just… let him dictate how I felt about myself.”

  “Well, he’s an idiot,” he said, keeping his large and warm hand on my arm. He rubbed his calloused fingers over my skin for a few seconds before he let go, and I swore my body was going to catch fire. He opened a can of beer with the other and held it up. “Okay, ladies. We’re drinking to forget Derick, for me to avoid the latest tabloid scandal, and to…?” he trailed off, letting me answer.

  “For me to get some confidence back.”

  “Here, here,” Charley said, tipping her can back and chugging. “Let the next seven days cleanse our souls.”

  Chapter Two

  Will

  There was something comforting about being in the company of my sister and her best friend. They gave zero fucks about what I did for a living. If anything, they made fun of the fact I had a billboard with my face on it when you drove into the city. This trip was exactly what I needed—to be a normal human and not a damn athlete who someone always wanted a part of. The fame was great at first, fun even, but now being recognized everywhere was draining. My trust for strangers was non-existent, and my neck tightened thinking about the damn tabloid.

  I forced a deep breath and took in the scene—the blue waves, the sand, the wind hitting my face, and the sun beating down on me. The Chicago winter was brutal, and the warmth seeped into my bones, reviving me.

  A couple walked along the water, the two of them laughing, and I watched as a woman ran alone. She jogged and had her phone out pointed in our direction. My skin got hot. Was she taking pictures of us? Fuck.

  I gritted my teeth, but she kept jogging and then she was gone. Paranoia crept down my spine at the thought of being photographed without permission again. The last woman I slept with… fuck, she messed with my head. She cashed in those intimate photos without a second’s hesitation.

  Pictures I never gave her or consented to. Sexting had a time and place, but I wasn’t an idiot. I never created anything that could be used against me, yet the fame-seeking woman lied to me, took photos without my permission, and leaked them after a few nights of rolling around naked. Violated, used, and disgusted didn’t begin to cover how awful the entire thing felt.

  I needed a week away from it all, from our family trying to lecture me about privacy while also trying to help me. Away from the city and the fans who wanted a photo at every coffee shop. My sister and Lexi would take care of anyone who got too close. Knowing they would always have my back brought me a sense of security.

  I eyed the pair of them and regretted it because it brought my attention to Lexi’s incredibly curvy body.

  The woman was all lush curves, and learning about her insecurity unsettled me. She was beautiful with her bow lips and red hair, but hearing about how Ashton treated her had me clenching my fist. Every time I saw her, whether we grabbed lunch together or she came to a game, she wore clothes too big that hung off her in unflattering angles, and the woman had curves. Lots of them. Everywhere. Front, back, sides, and fucking hell, I shouldn’t be thinking about my sister’s goddamn best friend.

  Unsettled.

  Lexi made a noise in the back of her throat and rolled over, pushing her long hair off her shoulder. The movement gave a great view of her large ass. My gaze lingered there for one second, okay two, before I dragged my gaze up her back and to her neck. The skin tinged red there, and we hadn’t even been out that long.

  “You need more sunscreen on your neck, Lex. Already burning.” I reached over and brushed a finger over the spot. A spark of electricity flowed from my finger to my chest, and I yanked it back. For the life of me, I had no idea why I made that gesture. To see if her skin was as soft as it looked? To make sure she didn’t miss the spot?

  Yeah, I was concerned about the health of her skin. That made sense.

  Insert eye roll here.

  I cleared my throat and went with it. I pushed up onto my knees, got the spray out of the bag, and shook it. “Okay, brace yourself.”

  “I’m braced,” she said, her normally raspy voice somehow lower. Like maybe she felt that zing when I touched her skin. I didn’t trust my judgement though. Last time I did, my dick pic ended up all over the web.

  She wiggled on the towel, bringing my attention to her ass again, and my gut tightened with hunger. Jesus. She was my sister’s best friend. I forced back the inappropriate thoughts threatening to overtake my mind and focused on the task.

  The spray hit her right where it was reddening, but the lotion needed to be rubbed in. Without thinking, again, I massaged the lotion into her very smooth skin until the white disappeared. Her neck was so soft and hot, and my dick twitched when she let out the tiniest moan. There was no reason why I should want to hear Lexi groan like that again. None. I grabbed my beer and took a long swig, needing the moisture on my throat. “There, you’re good,” I said, my skin flushing at the absolute pathetic attempt to hide my sudden attraction.

  “Thanks. So brotherly of you to watch out for me,” Lexi said, her spine as straight as an umbrella stand.

  “Uh, speak for yourself. He doesn’t give a shit if my skin burns. I think he has a fondness for redheads. Must be all the freckles,” Charley said, not opening her eyes or moving. She missed the glare I sent her way. “Remember that girl in high school who had the fire-engine red hair?”

  “Oh yeah. Ruby was her name,” Lexi said, snorting. “Will had the hots for her but she was so not into him.”

  “He tried so hard. God, I haven’t thought about her in years,” Charley said, pushing herself up and giving me a long look. “Don’t frown, Willy. Not everyone could cherish the ground you walk on.”

  “Fuck off,” I said, fighting the smile. It made me happy to see Charley with a huge grin on her face, even if the joy was at my expense. “Ruby was too focused on studying to visit the bleachers with me.”

  “Okay sure, if that helps your ego.” She shook her head before laying back on the towel, and I smiled at the memory. She might have a point. I did have a thing for redheads, and my sister’s beautiful best friend fit the bill.

  Lexi kept her head down, facing my sister, and I tried to relax again. Sighing, I stretched my arms over my head and ignored the vanilla scent of her hair every time the breeze picked it up. I was here to relax and let the news settle down. That was it.

  Thinking about Lexi trying to hook up and get her confidence back should be easy. We’d go out, have drinks, and boost her up. There was no reason for the small ache in the back of my head. None at all.

  * * * *

  Charley blasted upbeat music in the condo and waltzed around carrying two large cups. My sister liked to party, and she always had, but a part of me worried she was taking this break up thing too far. She was tough but had a huge heart, and Derick messed her up. My baby sister could pretend she was fine, but she wasn’t, and I refused to let her do something she’d regret. “One of those glasses better be water, sis.”

  “Pipe down, buzzkill. Take off your athlete hat for the week.” She glared at me, making me feel bad for a second, and shoved a cup
toward my face. “One is Gatorade. I want to get drunk but not feel hungover tomorrow. I’m not a total idiot.”

  “Never said you were.”

  She nodded, mumbling, “Sure, okay.”

  I rubbed the back of my neck as Lexi walked out of her room wearing a tight black dress that hugged her body. Hugged wasn’t the right word. Showcased. Her luscious curves pressed against the silky material, and my mouth dried looking at her.

  “How’s this?” she asked, biting her lip and fidgeting with the little bow that tied to the side. Her attention was on my sister, thank god, or she’d think I was constipated with the way I stared at her. Charley set her drinks down and walked up to Lex, spinning her around with a huge smile.

  “Girl, you look hawt.” Charley whistled. “What do you think, Will?”

  Lexi dragged her gaze from my sister to the floor, then up my legs and torso until she stared at my face and swallowed hard. She looked so damn nervous, so I tried to search for the right thing to say. It broke my heart to see her unsure of herself and nothing like the loud, goofy girl I’d known my whole life. Whatever happened to her after that relationship pissed me off, and I pursed my lips, hoping to assure her she looked great.

  It couldn’t be because she looked delicious or because I wanted to find out how soft the material wrapped around those curves was. It was confusing to feel this spark of attraction toward someone I’ve known for decades. This was Lexi, the girl who stayed over so many nights at our house and wore footie pajamas. The woman who got a tattoo after losing a dare with my sister. My mind had never processed her as anything but a friend in the past, yet staring at her light brown eyes searching mine for approval threw me out of my element.

  “Looks good,” I said, nodding and turning away, embarrassed by my reaction. Charley would murder me in my sleep if I voiced any of the thoughts marching through my mind. Stone-cold murder. And our family wouldn’t even be mad about my death.

  “See? Will said you look good too. You look gorgeous. Now, let’s do a couple of shots and head out!”

  Charley poured three tequila shots before handing us limes and salt. “Here’s to night one.”

  I licked the salt, took the shot, and watched Lexi do the same. A little of the liquid spilled down her chin, dropping onto her never-ending cleavage, and my stomach tightened. I wanted to lick it off. Would it be salty? Sweet?

  Seriously. What the fuck was wrong with me? Had it been that long since I got laid?

  “We should make some very clear rules for tonight,” Charley said, pouring another round of shots. “If we bring someone back.”

  “Like, sock on the door?” Lexi said, giggling. Her entire face lit up when she laughed. Always had. Her amusement always made me happy because she cackled hard and loud. “Or like, no running around naked in the shared areas?”

  “Both,” my sister said, looking at me with a very serious look on her face. “We need to make sure whoever we hook up with doesn’t watch baseball or find out who is staying in the place with us.”

  “Oh, of course, I would never want anyone to harass Will,” she said, her voice getting all soft and defensive. Her gaze moved to me. She had a slight blush to her cheeks, and her jaw was set in determination. My stomach twisted with an uncomfortable thought. The idea of her hooking up with someone ten feet away from me pissed me off.

  Maybe I needed to get laid.

  Damnit. That was what got me into trouble in the first place.

  I took the second shot without waiting for the other two and clapped my hands. “I trust you both completely. I know you’ll have my back. You proved that back in junior high with the Mrs. Simpson prank. Enough talk about hooking up. Let’s move out.”

  My outlet for this relentless energy used to be sex. It helped me. When that became too risky, I would hit the gym to the point my body would exhaust itself. Since hooking up with a random woman and working out weren’t options I could choose right now, going to a beach club where the lights were dark and it was easier to blend was the best option. The restlessness had only gotten worse the past few weeks ever since the scandal, and I had no idea how to fix it. My career was solid, my family supported me, and my teammates laughed the whole thing off. Everything was fine for the most part, but I still felt violated whenever I thought about it.

  We walked shoulder to shoulder to the Bum Hut, the laid-back club on the sand, and Charley twirled around in excitement. I was relieved to see my sister smile, knowing how much of a funk she’d been in, but a part of me worried she would go overboard with the drinks.

  She said in her sing-song, tipsy voice, “I’ve been reading about this place. They have swings at the bar, and hell yes.” She zeroed in on someone carrying a very large and obnoxious purple vase that was at least two feet tall and two inches wide. “I want that drink. Excuse me.”

  She took off, leaving me and Lexi alone.

  This was going to be trouble. I could feel it in my bones. Each breath Lexi took seemed to land on my arms, making me very aware of how close we stood.

  Just as I was about to say something, she crossed her arms over her ample chest and frowned. “Do you ever get nervous? Shit, you probably don’t, being you and all. You can walk up to someone and breathe, and they’d be into you.”

  “Breathing is a sexy quality,” I teased, hoping for one of her smiles. Bam. I got one, and I took the opportunity to check her out again. Her smile transformed her pretty face into pure joy. Her lips curved up almost too far on each side, and she had the smallest dimple on her right cheek. I continued, “I get nervous, but probably for different reasons.”

  “What does that mean?” She looked up at me with curiosity and zero judgement. The comfort of being able to be myself around her meant more than she realized.

  “Do you get nervous that the people you talk to could be trying to use you? That they could be hoping to get a picture of you to sell or to post online for likes?”

  “No,” she said, frowning and reaching over to squeeze my forearm. “I’m still so mad all that bullshit happened to you, Will. I would punch that girl right in the teeth if I saw her.”

  “And risk breaking your fingers which you need for your job?” I asked, trying not to picture Lexi fighting fucking Katie Hallow—the woman who used me.

  “Fuck the risk. She’s a monster.” Her nails dug into me for a second before she removed her touch. I liked having her on my side, seeing her claws come out. ”So, to answer your question, those are none of the reasons why I get nervous.”

  “Explain them to me. See if I can ease your mind.”

  She blushed, and I would’ve paid millions to know what was going through her head. She pressed her lips together and twirled one piece of her vibrant long hair between her fingers. “It’s embarrassing to say out loud.”

  “Lexi, you’ve clogged the toilet at our house, and you’ve seen me throw up on myself. Twice. There’s no reason for either one of us to feel embarrassed around each other.” I softened my voice and knew it was the right thing to do when her shy smile blossomed into a full-blown Lexi grin. “There she is. God, you have the best smile.”

  “Charmer,” she fired back, her grin stretching even wider. “You’re right. Okay, I’m…nervous because if I try to talk to a guy, what if he laughs at me? What if he takes one look at me and says hard pass? I’m not the smallest or anywhere near the prettiest here.” Her gaze moved to the ground, and her eyes lost the playful glint. Seeing her vulnerable and sad caused an uncomfortable pang in my chest that I hated.

  “Lexi,” I scolded, making her suck in a breath. “If a guy laughs at any woman, he’s the scum of the earth. You’re fucking beautiful exactly the way you are.”

  “I don’t know,” she said, looking around the club and playing with the tiny strap of her dress. Each movement caused her tits to bounce, and my mouth watered, imagining how they would feel in my hands. She was so damn curvy it was distracting. “It’s terrifying to put yourself out there and to give someone the power
to hurt you.”

  “I understand that.”

  “I’m sure you do,” she said softly, playing with that strap even more. “It’s been so long since I’ve gotten naked with someone. What if I forgot how things work?”

  Fuck me. My body went rigid. Her naked…my mind flashed to her body in the swimsuit and all the smooth skin that teased me the whole damn day. My thoughts officially crossed inappropriate, to the point I was about to lose control. “Lexi.” My voice came out scratchy and hoarse. “You didn’t.”

  “You can’t possibly know that.” She rolled her eyes and took a deep breath. “I need another shot to even think about trying this.”

  “Practice with me,” I said, unable to stop the words from leaving my mouth. Maybe it was the way her skin looked so damn enticing in the dim light, or the way her lips taunted me with their curve, or perhaps it was because of the one thousand percent trust we had between us, but I couldn’t help myself. “I mean it.”

  “Practice…getting naked… with you?” she said oh so slowly.

  “Yes.” I grinned, loving the hell out of the plan. “It’s a win-win, Lex. I’ve always wanted to see your gorgeous body. This gives me the perfect excuse. We know each other real well, so what’s the harm? I would never laugh at you, and you would never take pictures of me. Tell me why this isn’t a good idea?”

  She opened her mouth as Charley returned with three tall purple drinks, handing one to each of us. “Next round is on you, brother. Now, it’s party time!”

  Chapter Three

  Lexi

  Practice with me. Practice getting naked with me.

  The words flashed across my mind like the Vegas lights on the strip. Heat spread to my core, and I had to press my thighs together at the thought of seeing him naked. Unless he didn’t mean it two ways. That practicing would involve me stripping for him, which…maybe that would be best?

  I swayed my hips side to side, mirroring Charley’s moves on the dance floor. The club music thudded so loud the vibrations made my body shake, and I sucked down the drink, hoping it would ease my nerves. The fruit cocktail was all rum with a dash of some OJ, and the overwhelming sweetness burned my tongue. It was like drinking juice, and I gulped more of the cocktail, unsure if I needed the liquid to cool down or for the courage.