The Backup Plan: A Friends to Lovers Sports Romance (One Pass Away: A New Season Book 2)

by Mary J. Williams

  What in the world had she written?

  “Don’t look,” Piper pleaded. “I just wanted to know if you were busy after the game. When you didn’t answer, I took a chance and waited.”

  “You shouldn’t be out in the parking lot alone,” Levi chided gently. “The wind is cold and it’s dark.”

  “I’m not alone.” Piper waved at something over his shoulder. “See? Riley and Sean waited in their car until you arrived.”

  Slowly, the black SUV approached. Sean rolled down the driver’s side window. He gave Levi a thumbs up.

  “Nice game,” Riley called out from somewhere inside.

  “My first half was bad,” Levi said.

  “But the second half was adequate. And, you won. Years from now, nothing else will matter but the W.”

  “We need to get home with our boys. Otherwise, I’d buy you a drink.” Sean shook Levi’s hand. “Next game will be better. Night, Piper.”

  “Bye,” Piper said. “Thanks for waiting.”

  Alone, Levi pushed a button on his key caddy. The headlights flashed, the engine started, and the inside lights blinked on. Using the remote, he pushed the heat to high.

  “Let’s get inside and out of the cold.”

  “Yes, please,” Piper said as he held the passenger door for her. She slipped onto the seat.

  “Get warmed up,” Levi told her. “I’ll join you as soon as I read your text.”

  Piper opened her mouth to protest but before she could utter a word, Levi shut the door, locking her in. She pounded on the window but to no avail.

  Scrolling through his messages, Levi was amazed at how many there were. And from people he either didn’t know, didn’t care to, or who he hadn’t thought about in so long, the names barely registered.

  “One win and suddenly I’m Mr. Popular,” Levi muttered as he clicked on Piper’s text. Slowly, reading the words, he smiled.

  Come to me again tonight. I’ll come to you if you prefer. Let’s sleep in each other’s arms. Or, let’s not sleep at all. If you prefer.

  Taking a moment, Levi breathing in the crisp evening air. The last thing he needed was to get ahead of himself—ahead of Piper. The meaning of her message seemed clear. Then again, his interpretation might be wishful thinking on his part.

  Time to find out.

  Climbing into his car, Levi was greeted by a welcome blast of heat. He turned down the fan. Holding out his phone, he looked at Piper

  “What should I think?” he asked. He shook his head. “No. Tell me what you want.”

  “I made you an offer. Multiple choice.” Frowning, Piper shrugged. “If you’ve changed your mind, no problem. I can get home on my own.”

  When Piper reached for the door, Levi took her by the arms, gazing deep into her expressive green eyes. What he saw—the vulnerability, hope, desire—was all the answer he needed.

  “I prefer you. Now. Tomorrow. Always.”

  First, the smile entered Piper’s eyes. Her lips gradually followed. With a relieved sigh, she wound her arms around Levi’s neck.

  “Thank goodness,” she said. “You had me worried for a second.”

  Then, Piper kissed him. Everything else ceased to matter.

  Sweet and sultry, like the woman herself, from the moment Piper’s mouth touched his, she left no doubt what she wanted. Him. Now. Forget about tomorrow. The hell with always. If you don’t live in the moment, what’s the point?

  “Lips. Open,” Piper demanded.

  Levi’s heart fluttered, stuttered, stopped—for just an instant—then started beating again, pounding hard in his chest. His lips parted and Piper sighed as her tongue lightly brushed against his.

  Deeper, the intensity rising, Piper pressed her body to his. Changing angles, she bit his bottom lip and Levi groaned, wondering how she instinctively knew what he wanted—what he craved.

  “My place is closer than yours.”

  Yes, better than anyone, Piper knew what Levi wanted.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  ▲ ▼ ▲ ▼ ▲

  “TELL ME AGAIN,” Levi commanded.

  “My place is closer than yours.”

  Piper purred the words as she pressed her mouth to the vulnerable skin just below his ear. Her breath was hot against his neck, yet Levi shivered. Taking back a bit of control, he cupped her head with his hands, marveling as her soft, silky hair clung to his fingers as if inviting him, welcoming him.

  Rubbing his tongue against hers, Levi savored the taste of Piper. Peppermint. He grinned. She’d brushed her teeth. Nice. Very nice, indeed.

  “Shit,” Levi muttered when he reached for her waist only to hit his hand against the center console.

  “We need a bench seat,” Piper said with a breathless laugh.

  “We need a bed,” he responded. “Making out in a car seemed a lot easier when I was seventeen.”

  Piper kissed the back of Levi’s neck as he reached around her, took the seatbelt, and buckled it in place.

  “Agreed.” She kept his hand, linking her fingers with his. “My boyfriend at the time borrowed his father’s truck. After we parked by Lake Moore, we pushed the seat back as far as possible and—”

  “No.” Shaking his head, Levi placed two fingers on her lips, sealing them shut. “While I appreciate youthful ingenuity, I don’t want to hear the details about how another man took you around the world.”

  “Interesting turn of phrase. In terms of the world, we got as far as Chicago—euphemistically speaking—before he came in his pants. Since he didn’t return the favor, I ended our short but memorable romance and walked home.”

  “Wow. You’re tough.” Levi started the car. Keeping hold of Piper’s hand, he exited the parking lot. “The guy was excited. Men—teenagers especially—don’t always have control. He was probably embarrassed.”

  “Embarrassed? Ha!” Piper scoffed. “When he was finished twitching and gasping and making a spectacle of himself, he collapsed with a shit-assed smile on his face and said, thanks, babe. That was great.”

  “And all you did was break up with him?” Knowing Piper, Levi was amazed.

  “I may have taken the keys and thrown them in the lake.” She chuckled at the memory. “My friend lived nearby. My date, on the other hand, was forced to walk home. Fifteen miles in a pair of sticky underwear. I hope he suffered major dick rash.”

  Now that, Levi thought as took the side street, sounded like Piper. Pulling to a stop outside her apartment building, he grinned. If he hadn’t been in love with her already, her story of revenge girl-power would have sealed the deal.

  “Boys can be selfish assholes,” he said with a shrug.

  “And men can’t?” Piper placed a quick kiss on his lips before opening the car door. “Don’t worry. I readily admit that women are selfish, too. Nothing wrong with looking out for yourself.”

  “Drop the cynical act,” Levi said, locking the car. He took her hand as they walked into the building. “You’re the most generous person I know.”

  “Me?” Piper shook her head. “Hardly. Our relationship is a perfect example.”

  “How do you mean?” Levi asked.

  “I’ve always taken more from you than I’ve given back.”

  Levi watched while Piper mulled her words as they took a short elevator ride to the fifth floor. Walking to the end of the clean, well-lit hallway, she used the keypad and opened the door of her apartment.

  Taking Piper’s coat, he hung his next to hers in the closet without thinking about how comfortable and easy they were together. Whether at his place or hers, didn’t matter.

  “You’re wrong,” Levi said, following her into the living room. He tossed his suit jacket onto the arm of the sofa and loosened his tie. “Our relationship is fairly balanced. True, depending on the day or the situation, the scales will tip one way or the other. In the end, things even out.”

  Piper flipped off her shoes and walked into Levi’s arms. With a sig
h, she rested her head on his chest, her arms tightening around his waist. Happily, he hugged her back. She tugged his shirt from his pants, finding the skin of his lower back. Slowly, almost absently, she used the tip of her finger to draw a series of circles.

  “I’d like to think you’re right.” Piper tipped her head until her eyes met his. “Football is a perfect example of what I mean. You love the game, yet I haven’t been as supportive as I should have been.”

  “Until today, what was there to support?” Levi asked. He started to unbutton her shirt. “When I needed you to be there, you showed up.”

  “Which was the very least I could do.” Piper’s hands moved up his back until they were splayed across the surface, massaging his muscles, drawing a moan of pleasure from his lips. “Big deal. I didn’t even pay for a ticket.”

  “What about me?” Levi asked as he opened her shirt to reveal a lacy white bra. He smiled when he saw the front closure. “You’re the best accountant in town but do I take advantage of your brilliant mind? Do I support your business? Nope. I use someone else.”

  “Because we agreed not to mix our personal and professional lives,” Piper reminded him. She gasped when his lips moved from the warm, sensitive curve of one breast to the other. “Money and friendship are a bad mix.”

  “Maybe. Probably,” Levi conceded. He nuzzled the curve of her neck. “We, you and I, us, are a fine mix. Practically perfect.”

  “Practically.” Piper tipped her head, just a bit, giving Levi an open path to her shoulder. When he used his tongue to sample the sweet flavor, her fingers tightened, gripping his arm and shooting a bolt of pleasure through his body. “Perfect would be boring. And you, my friend, are anything but that.”

  “Friends.” Levi nodded. He tugged her shirt down her arms leaving a puddle of bright yellow on the floor. “Soon to be lovers?”

  “Yes.” With a sultry laugh, Piper jumped, her arms twining around Levi’s neck, her legs circling his waist. “Pretty please.”

  “With sugar on top,” Levi promised as he carried Piper into the bedroom.

  “I like spice with my sweet,” she reminded him. “And heat. The hotter the better.”

  “Your wish is my command.” Moving to the bed, Levi ripped back the covers. “Let’s burn up the sheets.”

  Levi had imagined making love to Piper more times than he could count. At times, the need felt desperate, at others, hopeless. Tonight, she was finally his, but he felt no desire to rush. He’d waited too long to hurry. He would take his time and when he was done, he’d start again. Then again. And again.

  “Wait.” Piper squirmed out of Levi’s arms. Reluctantly, he let her go.

  “Have you changed your mind?”

  Say no. Levi sent her silent plea, chanting the same words over and over in his head. Say no. Say no. Say no.

  “No.”

  The relief was so intense, Levi felt his knees begin to buckle. With an air of nonchalance that he didn’t feel, he gripped the wrought-iron headboard and remained upright.

  “What’s going on in that complex mind of yours?” Lightly, Levi tapped her temple with his knuckle, a kiss to the same spot quickly followed. “Sex is best if you think—but not too much.”

  “Are you in pain?” Piper ran her hands over his right arm. “Stiff? Sore? You just played four quarters of football. Jumping on you? I must be freaking crazy.”

  “I’m fine,” he assured her.

  To prove his point, Levi lifted his throwing arm over his head, gritting his teeth through a wince. He swallowed a groan of pain.

  “Since you insist on lying, let me be the judge,” Piper insisted.

  Worried her concern might lead them to another night of only cuddling, Levi shook his head. They were going to have sex. Even if he died afterward, at least he would go out with a smile on his face.

  “The training staff gave me a thorough treatment in the locker room,” Levi promised. “Do you know what I found out? Claire Thornton recently developed a line of products exclusively for the Knights. Balms, and lotions, and tonics. One application and I felt like a new man.”

  “I won’t believe you unless I see for myself.” Determined, Piper slipped the top button of his shirt from the hole. “After I undress you, I plan to check every inch of your body for bruises and contusions. Damned opposing defense. Sacking you is bad enough. Did they have to grind you into the ground in the process.”

  “Linebackers love to inflict pain onto quarterbacks. It’s what they live to do,” Levi told her. Then, her words sank in. “Undress me? Examine my body?”

  “Head to toe,” she said with a brisk nod. “Don’t argue. I’m determined to have my way.”

  Argue? Had she lost her mind? If Piper wanted to put her hands on his naked body, he’d be a happy camper. Let the exam begin.

  “If you must,” he sighed, hoping his acting skills were up to the challenge. “I won’t stop you.”

  First, Piper knelt and removed Levi’s shoes. His socks were next. Reaching for the waistband of his pants, she released the button and zipper with admirable ease. A moment later, the lightweight wool was pooled at his feet.

  “Step out,” Piper instructed.

  Levi glanced from the top of Piper’s head to the underwear covered bulge between his legs. He was hard, a fact she had to know since her gaze was level with his erection. He didn’t know whether to be impressed or insulted when she didn’t even blink.

  “Very nice,” Piper said before rising to her feet.

  “Thank you.” Levi nodded, the bump to his ego assuaged by the glint of appreciation in her eyes.

  “Arms straight,” Piper said as undid the last button on his shirt. She laid the garment aside with his pants, carefully folding each item.

  “You’re a neat freak,” he teased.

  “I’m conscientious,” Piper insisted. Now, turn around. Slowly. Make a full circle.”

  Amused, Levi complied. He could feel Piper’s gaze as she visually inspected him for injuries.

  “Lie down. Move until you’re centered in the middle of the bed.”

  “Your wish is my command,” Levi said as he scooted onto the mattress.

  Piper moved to the bottom of the bed. She didn’t smile at him or change expression in any way. But when she swallowed, hard, and her breath came a little faster—a sure sign she liked the view—Levi tucked his arms behind his head with a satisfied grin.

  “Oh, my.” Piper fanned herself with her hand. “You are so pretty. Yum. Thank you for taking such good care of yourself.”

  “I have one request before you begin,” Levi said before Piper could crawl onto the bed.

  “I’m open for suggestions,” she told him. “Within reason.”

  “Lose the shirt. And the jeans.”

  Levi wondered if Piper would argue. After all, her purpose was supposed to be clinical. Strictly business. His pleasure would come later—he hoped. He was surprised and delighted when she shimmied the denim down her hips without a word of protest.

  “I won’t take off my shirt.” Piper shook. “Nope. I don’t want to catch a chill.”

  “Feel.” Levi pressed her hand to his heated skin. “Stay close to me and I’ll keep you warm.”

  “Consider my shirt an extra layer of protection,” she said.

  “Against the cold. Or me?” he asked when she reversed all his good work and rebuttoned the shirt—all the way to her neck.

  “I didn’t want the ends flapping around and getting in my way?” Piper sent him an innocent smile.

  Innocent, my ass. Levi knew her game and he wasn’t happy. His frame of mind changed with the first caress of Piper’s hands.

  “Well done,” she cooed, tracing the ridged of his rock-hard abs. “You worked hard today. I was so proud—when my nerves didn’t make me want to throw up.”

  “When did you calm down?”

  “Um.” Pursing her lips, tilting her head to the side, Piper gave his q
uestion a lot of thought before answering. “I’ll let you know.”

  “You can’t still be nervous.” Doubtful, Levi shook his head. “Why?”

  “Until the last second of the game, even though I knew you’d win, I worried something might happen to you,” Piper explained. “Then, my stomach was in a knot over the text I’d sent.”

  “And now?”

  “You.” Piper held Levi’s gaze. “You make me nervous. Don’t smile.”

  “I’m not,” he said, trying his hardest to keep a straight face.

  “Levi,” she admonished.

  “Shoot me,” he chuckled. “You’re so damn unflappable most of the time. I like the fact that I can shake up your world—if only for a little while.

  “Shaken and stirred.” Piper brought Levi’s hand to her chest—to the spot right above her heart. “Bump, bump, bump. You did that.”

  “Same for me,” Levi confessed. “Can’t you tell?”

  “I can’t breathe,” she gasped.

  “No problem,” he said cupping the back of Piper’s neck. “I’ll breathe for you.”

  Levi pulled Piper toward him. He sat up, meeting her halfway. What started as a teasing version of the kiss of life, quickly became a passionate exchange between desperate soon-to-be lovers.

  “Sorry,” Levi said, resting his forehead on Piper’s as he tried to regain a semblance of control. “I got carried away.”

  “I was right there with you.” Piper closed her eyes. “Should I continue, or not?”

  “Keep going,” Levi told her. “I need a moment to put the brakes on my libido before I end up like the jerk you dated in high school.”

  “Oh?” Her gaze drifted to the place between his legs and she snorted. “Oh.”

  “Women have no idea how temperamental a dick can be.” Levi rolled onto his stomach, turning his face toward the opposite wall. “Let’s give out of sight, out of mind a try.”

  “Should I remove your underwear?” Piper asked as she tentatively toyed with the waistband.

  “Compression helps,” he said with a shake of his head.

  “I want to help.” Piper placed a kiss between Levi’s shoulder blades. Her tongue flicked—just for a second. “Better?”