The Ex Project by Nia Arthurs

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Instinct toldhim to tackle Yolanda and plunge into her until she forgot everything but his name and the word ‘yes’.

The crazy part of his brain made him latch on to her, sucking, licking and teasing every inch of skin beneath her T-shirt. Nothing, nothing in Duane’s life was more fantastic than the sounds Yolanda Walsh made when he replaced her bra with his mouth.

Her hand skated over his chest, sending hot sparks of desire sizzling under his skin. Every time her palm slid forward and back, he forgot important details—like the door being unlocked, like his entire family being one floor down, like the fact that he didn’t keep protection in this room.

Duane lifted his head when Yolanda got a little too loud. She shuddered when he pressed a hand over her mouth and licked at the sweat on her neck. This time, her moan spilled into his hand and he smiled.

She went still and stared at him in awe. Duane stared right back, wrestling for control. Yolanda was everything he’d ever wanted and even more of what he didn’t know he wanted in the first place.

Her dark eyes drew him in. She made him feel dangerous. And unstoppable. And he wanted to give her back those gifts ten-fold.

Yolanda kissed his chest and then his neck. Each press of her lips put a spell on him. He got lost in her kisses and forgot his train of thought.

The rational side of his brain slipped into the background.

Damn. He was losing it.

She arched forward. Her hips bucked against his, straining to close the distance between his half-naked body and hers.

She liked attacking him. He’d noticed. Earlier, she initiated the kiss. That night after the art gallery showing too. She’d kissed him first. He liked that habit, but he preferred showing her who was really boss and that required time. And privacy.

“Duane.”

He squeezed his eyes shut and fought to even his breathing.

She pouted. “Why did you stop?”

He pushed her hands into the bed, still hovering over her. His fingers begged to return to her body, to the bare skin of her stomach and the underwear peeping out of her shorts.

“The door isn’t locked,” he growled.

Her eyes darted to the door and he saw her wheels turning. Saw her weighing the risk. He even saw a little flare of excitement at the thrill of near discovery.

Duane’s chest rumbled with laughter. His dainty little Yolanda had a wild streak. Why did that make him love her more?

“We can cuddle,” she whispered, tilting her chin invitingly like a siren luring a seaman to his death.

Duane shook his head. She was soft all over, but he wasn’t. He was hard edges and solid desire. He was fire everywhere she touched.

He wanted to kiss his way down her body. Greedily taste the sweetness of her until she was spent and his chest and mouth was coated with her. He wanted to bite and then sooth. Abuse and heal. He could already feel himself growing heavy with need.

But giving into the frenzy—even a little—would mean he wouldn’t be able to stop if that door burst open.

Limits.

He knew his own very well.

Everyone thought he was a good guy, but he wasn’t. Duane was simply aware that the moment he crossed his self-imposed lines, he’d turn into a beast.

“I want you,” he whispered.

Her breath turned labored.

“But not rushed. Not with interruptions possible at any moment.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and stared greedily into her eyes. “I want,” he kissed her again, a punishing, hard kiss that knocked her head deeper into the pillow, “to take my time with you.” He breathed into her neck. “So don’t push me.”

“Okay…”

He grinned, realizing ‘okay’ was Yolanda’s go-to word when she was particularly dazed.

Duane shoved off the bed and debated going back into the shower to douse himself in cold water. He’d need to change too. The athletic pants made his current state of mind very clear. Perhaps jeans would be better.

As he hesitated, a pair of arms slid around his waist and pressed against his back. Yolanda’s skin was hot. Her dark hands stood out against his pale complexion. He let his fingers skate over her arm to her elbow and back.

He recognized this embrace as different. It wasn’t out of desire but a need for comfort.

“You’re still not going to tell me what’s wrong?” he asked softly.

“It was nothing.”

“If it was nothing, you wouldn’t have given me that look.”

“The only look I gave you was the one that made you drag me to bed.”

“Don’t distract me with your sass.”

“Can’t I?”

He smirked and twisted so he could look at her. “You think I don’t know you by now, Yol?”

“We haven’t known each other that long. I should still be a mystery to you.”

“You were, at first. But I study the things that are important to me. Unfortunately, you can’t hide what you really feel.”

“You study me?”

“I’ve been studying you since you first started bringing Theo to practice.”

“Creep.”

He chuckled. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Duane knew she was holding something back but decided not to press. Hopefully, she would tell him when she was ready.

He gently pried her hands off and went in search of his T-shirt. Yolanda put her bra back on and tugged her blouse down.

“I want to ask you something.”

“Go on. Now that we’re fully dressed, I think I might be able to focus on words.”

She smiled sweetly and pointed. “Did you always know you wanted to be a football player?”

He stared at the posters of his football legends. “Since I was a child.” Duane walked over to her and wrapped her in a hug. “Every time I played, time stopped. My parents had to drag me off the field. It’s what I was born to do.”

“You must have been devastated when you couldn’t play pro anymore.”

He rested his chin on the top of her head. “It felt like my own personal nightmare. Every breath I took, every move I made, every decision I had revolved around the game. Now, my body was telling me I couldn’t compete anymore and I didn’t want to listen.”

“You pushed yourself.”

“I would have broken more bones if they’d let me back in.”

“It must have been tough dealing with your shattered dreams and a broken relationship.”

He paused and stared at the top of her head.

Yolanda did not meet his gaze.

Duane smirked. “Gio told you?”

“He mentioned that you weren’t exactly thrilled about the way your last relationship ended.”

Duane shook his head. Was the mention of his ex what got Yolanda so upset? He sighed. He’d wanted to bring up his past slowly, but it wasn’t like he had anything to hide.

“I was young when I met her. And clueless. If you can’t tell, we’re a tight-knit family…”

“That I can see.” She smiled.

“… And I didn’t have a lot of interactions with people outside of those trusted bubbles. My friends in the league warned me about her. Warned me that she was the type who chased athletes for the money and clout, but I didn’t listen. She felt wild and worldly and I fell hard. I gave her whatever she wanted and listened to everything she said.”

Yolanda’s grip on him tightened. “I want to punch her in the face.”

He laughed. “I was the blind one. Why do you want to punish her?”

“For not seeing what an amazing guy you are. You’re worth way more money than she could ever drain from your bank account.”

“I don’t think it’s all her fault. I was in a pretty bad place physically and in a terrible place emotionally.” He chuckled and tapped her nose. “But I like it when you defend me. It’s sexy.”

“Don’t get used to it.” She kissed the tip of his finger.

Heat flared through his body and he kissed her again, this time gently and slowly.

Yolanda broke the kiss with a small moan. “You kiss like a dream.”

He made a pleased sound in his throat and swayed with her, moving in time to the silence.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and murmured, “Why can’t I remember the night we spent together?”

Duane’s eyebrows creased. “What?”

“Huh?” Her eyes burst open.

Duane stepped back and glared at her. “What night did you spend? With who?”

“What are you talking about?”

He scowled. “What are you talking about?”

She stood across from him, gulping in air and looking confused.

“Yolanda.” His voice held a warning. If she was mixing him up with her ex, there would be a problem.

She looked stricken. “Don’t you remember either?”

“Remember what?”

“The night we met at the bar. You took me out for drinks and then the hotel and then… didn’t we…”

Duane’s brain worked overtime as he jumped through her thought process and saw all the flaws. When it hit him, he burst out laughing.

Yolanda’s jaw dropped. She stared at him, visibly trying to figure out what had just happened and why he was laughing.

“Baby, come here.” He sat on the bed and patted his lap.

She remained in place.

He rose, tugged her by the hand and pulled her into his lap. Locking his arms around her waist, he stared into those sweet brown eyes and said, “We didn’t do anything that night.”

Her eyelashes fluttered rapidly.

“You started talking about Devon and Theo. You were crying and drinking. I told you to go easy on the liquor and you cussed me out. Told me I wasn’t the boss of you.”

She winced. “That sounds like something I would say.”

“You did say it.” He chuckled. “And then you tried to kiss me, but you stopped and vomited all over my clothes instead.”

She cringed harder and Duane tried not to laugh as he remembered how pitiful she’d looked stumbling-drunk.

“I wanted to take you home,” he explained. “But you said you didn’t want Theo seeing you like that. I booked the closest hotel and left you there after making sure you wouldn’t vomit again and choke yourself with your own tongue.”

“I don’t remember any of that.”

“I can get the hotel’s security footage if you’d like,” Duane said. “They’ll have tapes of me walking in and walking out without you.”

She rubbed her forehead. “I thought…”

“That I would take advantage of a woman who was so drunk she blacked out and didn’t know her left arm from her right?” Duane folded his arms over his chest. “I’m offended.”

“I didn’t feel taken advantage of.”

“It doesn’t matter. You thought I was that kind of man.”

“Duane.”

He pretended to be offended and glanced away.

Yolanda latched onto his neck and peppered his face with kisses. “Don’t be mad. I thought it was weird that I didn’t remember you taking your clothes off or getting into bed with me. Every time we kissed, I kept thinking this was too good to forget. My brain wouldn’t betray me like that.”

He laughed and squeezed her, unable to stay angry for even a second. She was his Kryptonite. If she knew just how much she had him wrapped around her finger, he would be a little nervous.

Duane’s phone buzzed from where it had been jostled to the foot of the bed.

“That must be mom wondering where I ran off to.”

“Tell her you’re hiding away with me,” Yolanda whispered, rubbing her chest on his.

He palmed her bum and squeezed. “How about you tell her yourself?”

She hopped up so fast he felt the loss of her like a pang in his chest. “Come on. Let’s get down there before she sends a search party.”

He chuckled and let Yolanda tug him off the bed.