On The Rebound Read online

  I was getting ready to clown him about getting all emotional until I saw a familiar face standing in the hallway talking to Dre, the sight of her making my heart take off in a sprint even though I tried to play it cool when I excused myself with a casual, “Hey, Coach. Give me a second, I’ll be right back.”

  With an understanding nod, he freed me up so that I could approach Bleu who looked way too damn good to be showing up without warning; even more so when she saw me coming and had the nerve to smile with all of her teeth like she was legitimately happy to see me.

  Dre, on the other hand, responded with raised eyebrows and a nod of approval as he wrapped up his conversation with Bleu right before she addressed me with a high-pitched, “Kage. Hey. Congrats on the win.”

  “Appreciate it,” I told her with a humble grin before asking, “You’ve been here the whole time?”

  “Yeah, I saw that weak ass first half you had,” she teased, giving a playful roll of her eyes as she added, “You made up for it or whatever, though, so good shit.”

  “Thank you, thank you,” I sighed happily. “So what made you change your mind about coming?”

  Even though I hadn’t played the best game, I was still ecstatic that she’d shown up; ecstatic to see her period as she plainly answered, “Katianna’s bully ass.”

  Without any additional information, I fully believed that Katianna Lloyd had strong-armed this situation the same way she strong-armed everything else, already chuckling about it as Bleu went on to explain, “She gave me the option of joining her for tonight’s game or tomorrow’s. And since there’s a real chance of you guys losing tomorrow, I picked tonight.”

  “Wow, that’s how you feel?” I asked, pretending to be hurt about her prediction as she giggled and shrugged.

  “I’m just sayin’. Brooklyn is good.”

  “And we’re better.”

  “Can be... Should be... We’ll see,” she landed on, adjusting the purse on her shoulder as she groaned, “Anyway. I gotta get going. But umm… I’ll see you tomorrow after the game?”

  “Yeah, after we win,” I told her confidently, the unconvinced smirk she responded with calling that claim into question as she left me to join Kat and Mr. Lloyd while I made my way back over to my guest.

  Still, my eyes remained fixed in her direction even as Coach Joe asked, “That’s Bleu Taylor, right? From the T.V.?”

  My nod of a response was enough for him to whistle, “Whew. Baby girl know she fine.”

  “Finer than a mothafucka,” I agreed, trying to figure out how she’d made a basic denim jacket, distressed black jeans, and a pair of Air Maxes look so damn good.

  But really, it wasn’t just the outfit that kept her on my radar, but also her radiant ass energy that shined bright enough for Coach Joe to comment, “She sure had a lot of smiles for you.”

  “Yeah, I’m workin’ on that,” I admitted just as Bleu peeked my way, serving me another little smirk that had me grinning back until Coach Joe asked, “Oh, you workin’ on that? You need to be workin’ on your damn free throws.”

  The way he’d managed to flip the topic back to basketball was so onbrand that I could only shake my head amusedly as I thought about him still being on my neck all these years later. And even though I might’ve found it annoying as hell growing up, today I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Seven

  Kage was ballin’ his ass off.

  I was half-joking when I’d mentioned the possibility of them losing to Brooklyn as my reason for choosing to attend one game over the other. But it was clear Kage had taken that shit personally, playing every possession like he was on a mission to shut up all the critics who were still questioning his status as a potential All-Star since he’d yet to have a true breakout performance.

  Tonight, that was getting checked off the list.

  I mean, twenty-seven points in the first half was certainly nothing to sneeze at. And when you combined that with his six assists, five rebounds, and three steals, it was a stat line most players would be satisfied with at the end of the game, let alone at halftime. But Kage was making a statement, and I couldn’t have been prouder as I cheered him on through the T.V., damn near popping off the couch to celebrate the mid-range jumper he’d made even while getting fouled.

  “And one! I know that’s right, babe.”

  Who?

  Even though I was alone in my apartment, I was still a little embarrassed by the slip since Kage was definitely not my “babe” by any stretch of the definition. But the fact that it had come out of my mouth so naturally had me questioning if this whole “friendship” thing was still a good idea, especially since my subconscious apparently had other plans.

  I tried not to dwell on it too much, choosing to keep my mouth occupied with snacks and wine to eliminate the possibility of saying anything else for the rest of the game. But when the score got a little too close for comfort in the middle of the fourth quarter, it felt like I couldn’t help myself as I yelled at Coach Kirkwood for not putting Kage back in right away to stop Brooklyn’s run, and I yelled at Zeb for allowing yet another offensive rebound, and I cheered for Niko when he got a good block on defense, and I…

  “About fuckin’ time,” I groaned once I saw Kage leave the bench so that he could check back in the game, the sight of him in his warm-up shirt as he leaned against the scorer’s table only reminding me of how good he’d looked last night when I’d ran into him at MSG.

  It wasn’t a coincidence.

  I mean, I knew that joining Kat and Big Phil in the tunnel after the game made the chances of seeing Kage pretty high. But I also wasn’t expecting his presence to have me so giddy, our brief interaction just long enough to refresh my physical attraction to him that had mostly been suppressed thanks to the distance.

  Now, everything was different.

  He was in my city.

  It was his birthday.

  And he was playing the game of his life, giving the Trojans a four-point lead when he made two clutch free throws that pretty much sealed the victory since there wasn’t enough time left on the clock for Brooklyn to do much of anything.

  They still tried though, setting up a play that actually worked to get them the three-pointer they were after. But the final buzzer sounded just as that shot went in, making Kage’s free throws even more significant since they’d saved the Trojans from having to play in overtime, or worse.

  That made me even prouder, the grin on my face feeling a bit ridiculous as I watched Kage set-up to do his postgame interview with my colleague, Heather Cannon. And while I wished it was me holding the mic, that didn’t stop me from being happy for Kage as one of his teammates poured a cup of water over his head in celebration, Kage laughing the dude off as he used the extra moisture to slick his hair down as Heather started, “Kage, things got a bit tight there late in the game. How were you and your team able to pull off the win?”

  “We kept fighting, Heather. When games get close like that, we know every possession counts. So it’s up to us to give our best effort on both ends of the floor no matter the outcome.”

  “Well I’m sure you guys are happy the overall outcome leaned in your favor, especially on your birthday. How does it feel to have scored a career-high, forty-three points in such a competitive game on this day in particular?”

  “It feels great. But it’s only one game, and the job isn’t done. So me and my guys will enjoy tonight for what it is, and then we’re headed back to Nashville on the same mission of making this a championship season.”

  “Congrats on the win, Kage. And happy birthday.”

  “Appreciate it, Heather.”

  With that, the television cut to highlights from the game that I watched as I finished off my second glass of wine, surprised when only a few short moments later my phone buzzed with a text from Kage.

  “I know you saw that.” - Kage

  “The game, the interview, and now the highlights. You were amazing tonight.” - Bleu

  Th
ere was no use in even playing around with him this time since the facts were the facts; though I shouldn’t have been surprised when Kage used that sliver of a compliment to get a little cocky in his response.

  “I told you Brooklyn couldn’t fuck with us.” - Kage

  “They definitely fucked with y’all a little bit lol. But y’all pulled it out like winners are supposed to do, so congratulations, babe.” - Bleu

  “A nigga drops forty and gets upgraded to babe? Lol that’s what’s up.” - Kage

  “Shit,” I hissed, my fingers flying against the screen as I typed out a lie of an explanation.

  “Wow. Autocorrect really tried to play me cause I definitely typed bruh lol” - Bleu

  “Riiiiight. I’m still comin’ your way, or you tryna meet up with the winning team?” - Kage

  Knowing how good of a time they were about to have after Kage’s performance tonight, the offer was a little more tempting than before. But when I yawned a yawn that seemed to never end, it was clear it wasn’t meant to be as I turned him down once again while also issuing a reminder about our previous plans.

  “I’m definitely about to go to bed lol. But you can still come and pick up your gift, birthday boy.” - Bleu

  “Aight, send me your address. We’re about to head back to the hotel now. Then I’ll be OTW.” - Kage

  Following his directions, I sent him my address along with instructions on how to get into my building. Then I poured myself another glass of wine and settled in on the couch to watch Sportscenter, taking mental notes from all the different sporting events that had happened tonight as I sipped until there was a knock at my door.

  Out of caution, I peeked through the peephole before opening it to find Kage looking disgustingly good in his birthday suit - as in, a literal designer suit for his birthday. His haircut somehow looked even fresher now than it had on T.V., he smelled delicious, and… maybe I shouldn’t have poured that third glass of wine cause the sight of him had me tingling all over even as I squinted at his look for the evening and teased, “It’s giving me… Gabriel Maddox from How To Get Away with Murder.”

  “And you’re givin’ me Felicia from Friday,” he joked back, taking a jab at the oversized, overwashed t-shirt and pajama shorts I had on, along with the slightly crooked ponytail my hair was in when he asked, “Damn, girl. You aight?”

  I was only pretending to be offended when I frowned while letting him into my place, locking the door behind him as I groaned, “Wow. I can’t dress comfortably in my own home now?”

  “You know I’m just messin’ with you, Bleu. You look good in whatever,” he insisted with a smirk that made me roll my eyes playfully.

  “Anyway,” I sighed. “Happy Birthday. You want somethin’ to drink?”

  Making himself extra comfortable on my couch like he’d been here before, Kage answered, “Thank you. And yeah, I’ll take some water cause I know I’m not about to be drinkin’ anything but alcohol for the next two to four hours.”

  “Ahh. To be young and able to bounce back easily,” I sang as I grabbed a bottle of water out of the fridge, handing it to Kage when I joined him on the couch as he quietly thanked me before mentioning, “Still wish you were comin’.”

  “I know. But I’m sure you’re gonna have the time of your life, after playing the game of your life tonight.”

  “A forty-ball against Brooklyn this early in the season ain’t exactly “game of my life” worthy, Bleu,” he insisted with a chuckle through his nose before taking a few long gulps from his water bottle. And I almost couldn’t believe how distracted I was watching his Adam's Apple bob above his collar as he swallowed, my eyes fixated on it until he finished the bottle with an exaggerated, “Ahh” that snapped me back to the conversation.

  Reaching for my wine glass, I took a quick sip before telling him, “Still something to be proud of, Kage.”

  “Well I’ll be a lot prouder when I can do the same thing against one of those Western Conference teams. In the finals. For the championship.”

  “Which brings me to my gift,” I realized with a smile, setting my glass back down on the table as I hopped up from the couch to grab the bag it was in from the closet while explaining, “Everything good that’s happened in my life hasn’t been completely by chance. I’ve worked for it, and spoken life into it, and prayed about it, and written about it until it’s come true.”

  Kage stayed silent until I made my way back to the couch, his eyebrows piqued curiously as I continued, “I know how badly you wanna be an All-Star this season. So I was thinking maybe this could help you the same way having one has helped me with my goals.” Then I handed him the bag with a super cheesy, “Happy Birthday, friend.”

  Grinning back, he accepted the gift bag and dug right in, quickly bypassing the tissue paper so that he could pull out the manifestation journal I’d gotten made just for him with “All-Star 2020” on the front cover. And before he could even get it all the way open, he shot me the biggest smile when he said, “This is dope, Bleu.”

  “You like it?”

  “I love it,” he answered, finally pulling the plastic off so that he could flip through the pages that had also been created with him in mind. “Got the custom design poppin’ and shit. Wow. Thank you, baby.”

  I knew the “baby” thing was as innocent as my slip earlier, so I didn’t make anything of it, smiling back as I told him, “You’re welcome.” But then we just stared at each other, and I started feeling not-so-innocent things that had me quick to break up the tension by telling him, “You should probably get going, though. I mean, I’m sure your folks are waiting on you.”

  “Yeah, they were already blowin’ my phone up on my way here,” he admitted as I climbed off the couch and he followed, waiting until we were at the door to tell me, “But uh, this means a lot. Thanks again, for real.”

  “No problem. Thanks for coming to get it,” I responded, getting ready to let him out until I realized, “Oh, wait. One more thing.”

  Slipping into the half-bathroom nearby, I riffled through one of the drawers to find an unopened roll of condoms, the look of disbelief on Kage’s face when I handed them to him almost picture-worthy as he asked, “Yo, are you serious right now?”

  “Hell yeah, I’m serious,” I told him. “Unless you’re tryna be a daddy come next birthday, you should definitely be using these tonight.”

  To me, it was sound advice. But Kage saw it differently, glancing at the condoms in his hand and letting out a bit of chuckle before turning back to me to say, “Bleu, you know good and damn well the only person I’m interested in using these with is standing right in front of me.”

  “Kage…”

  “What? You mad at me for being honest?” he asked, the sensual look in his eyes only making me tingle more as I broke eye contact so that I could shake my head and answer, “No. But you know what you’re suggesting can’t happen.”

  “Why can’t it? You don’t want me?” he pressed as he took a step closer that cleared the distance between us. Then he stared down at me and licked his lips, his mouth hovering right above mine when he urged, “Say it, Bleu. Say you don’t want me.”

  “I… mmm.”

  The words weren’t going to come out anyway. But Kage made sure of it as he slipped his tongue between my lips, backing me against the wall where he dropped his gift bag and condoms in favor of using those same two hands to lift me off the ground. And after setting me down on top of the entryway table, he stepped between my legs, his erection pressed against the crotch of my pajama shorts as he landed hurried kisses against my neck and jawline while I pushed his jacket from his shoulders and started unbuttoning his dress shirt.

  Everything was happening so fast, but I didn’t want any of it to stop, a greedy participant as I lifted my hips just enough for Kage to remove my shorts and panties. But instead of following suit by dropping his drawers, he dropped to his knees instead, acting just as greedy as I was when he pulled me to the very edge of the table and buried
his face between my thighs to taste my center.

  “Kage, what are we doing?” I asked breathily as he ate me out, my hand against the back of his head as I ground my pussy into his mouth and answered my own question all at once. And Kage was giving an enthusiastic answer too, licking and sucking on my clit like he was just as determined to make me cum as he was about becoming an All-Star, easily earning my vote as I let my head rest against the wall while Kage moaned about how good I tasted.

  This wasn’t supposed to be happening. But I couldn’t even pretend to be mad about it, my eyes rolling to the back of my head as I held him exactly where I needed him to be to make me… “Fuckkkk.”

  With my chest still heaving, I opened my eyes to find Kage staring back at me amusedly, wiping his lips before he asked, “Still don’t know what we’re doing?” And since the answer to his question was obvious, he didn’t wait for me to give it, instead moving to retrieve one of the condoms I’d handed him earlier while I just sat there watching, waiting, and still working to catch my damn breath.

  Once I saw his dick, I knew I needed all the breath I could get. It was so long, so thick, so… much more than I could’ve ever guessed even though I already knew he was packin’. And honestly, I was a little nervous as I watched him sheath his erection, my heart racing as he stepped back between my legs and whispered, “Relax, baby.”

  The tongue kisses that followed helped with that, along with his choice to slow stroke me until I got used to his size. But once we got past the initial tightness and my legs were wrapped around his waist to give him better access, it was game on, the entryway table thumping against the wall as Kage fucked me with every bit of sexual tension that had been building between us since that night back in Vegas.