Sway (Keeping Score Book 6)

by Tawdra Kandle

  We glided to a halt on the tenth floor, and the elderly gentleman standing just in front of me stepped out once the doors had opened. I let out a little of the breath I hadn’t known I was holding. Now, we just needed to get to the fifteenth floor, where I was staying, and then—

  “Excuse me. I’m sorry, but aren’t you Gideon Maynard?”

  The man who was part of the other couple was staring at Gideon, waiting for his answer.

  Gideon offered the guy a brief smile and nod. “Yes, I am.”

  “Dude, I can’t believe it.” The man held out his hand. “Big fan, here. You’re like magic on the field. I never miss a game.” His eyes wandered down Gideon and then darted over toward me. “Are you staying here? I thought you lived in town.”

  “Thanks for your kind words.” Gideon shook his hand. “I really appreciate the support of all the team’s fans. It means everything to us. We’re hoping to take it all the way in the next season.”

  I didn’t miss the deflection, the way Gideon had avoided answering a question that was frankly none of the fan’s business. He’d done it so deftly that I didn’t think the other man even realized he’d been handled.

  “I have faith in you!” The guy was still pumping Gideon’s hand, even as the elevator stopped again, this time on my floor. “You can do it!”

  Gideon’s other hand pressed into my lower back, urging me forward as he disengaged his fingers from the handshake. “Thanks again. See you in the fall.”

  As the doors slid shut again, the last thing we saw was the rapturous expression on the man’s face.

  I giggled. “That was beautifully played. I guess you have to do that a lot.”

  “Ugh.” Gideon ran his hand through his hair. “Not as much as you’d think, because I try not to be in public any more than I have to. But it happens more than I’d like.” He glanced at me sideways. “I’m not in the game to be a star. I only want to play. The other stuff is just annoying.”

  “I get that.” I nodded and then slowed my steps. “This is my room. Hold on, I’ll find the key card.”

  As I fumbled in my small evening bag, Gideon’s fingers traced absent-minded designs on the small of my back, making me shiver.

  “Are you cold?” His voice was low against my ear.

  I swallowed hard. “No, not really.” My hand closed on the key card, and I tried to keep it from shaking as I unlocked the door. “As a matter of fact, I’m feeling very warm. A little feverish, actually.”

  We both stepped into the room, the door closing behind us with a loud thunk. Gideon had been carrying both of our coats, but now he tossed them toward a chair at the end of the bed, where they landed in a heap of wool. I’d left the lamp next to the bed on, but aside from its glow, we were in the dark.

  “Would I sound incredibly lame if I suggested that taking off your dress would help with the fever?”

  For the first time this evening, Gideon was a little less than sure of himself. He was slightly off-balance. It was sweet, and I felt a piece of my heart break off.

  “Not a bit.” I turned and rested my hands on his shoulders. He was so solid, so warm. I could feel the definition of his muscles under the fine cotton of his shirt. “You’d sound . . . like someone concerned for my health and well-being. I mean, you’re only looking out for me, right? You want me to be comfortable?”

  “Exactly.” Gideon’s voice was thick as his palms slid down to frame my hips. Through the silk of my dress, his fingers dug into my backside. “It’s been a long night. You must . . . want to get off your feet.”

  With no more warning than that, Gideon bent his knees slightly and quite literally swept me off my feet. I gasped audibly, my fingers clutching to hold onto his shirt as my cheek pressed into his rock-hard chest. His scent rolled over me, a heady mix of musk and maleness going right to my center and making me a gooey bundle of want.

  I arched my neck until my mouth reached the base of his throat, where I pressed my lips into the pulse that throbbed there. The tip of my tongue darted out to touch his heated skin.

  With a groan that reflected what I was feeling, Gideon lay me out on the bed, pausing just long enough to kick off his shoes before he climbed onto the mattress, holding himself over me.

  “You’re like . . . a feast,” he murmured, his eyes traveling from my head down my body. “I don’t know where to start devouring you.”

  I pushed myself up on one elbow and reached for the buttons on his shirt. “Do whatever you want. Consume me in one giant bite. I don’t care. Just . . .” I fell backward against the pillows. “Touch me now, or I’m going to combust.”

  Gideon finished the job I’d begun, unbuttoning his shirt and tugging it from the waistband of his pants. “We can’t have that. Think of the paperwork.”

  “I hate paperwork.” I watched as his chest was revealed a little at a time. “Holy God, Gideon. You’re magnificent.”

  A flush spread down his neck. “I work hard.”

  “Yeah, I’d say you do.” I gripped the plackets of the shirt and stripped it from him. “And I’m totally in favor of that work ethic, if this is the result.”

  He chuckled. “I’ll try to remember that the next time I’m grinding through a killer training.” With one finger, he brushed some strands of hair from my eyes. “I want to kiss you, Sarah. I’ve wanted to kiss you since I first saw you tonight.”

  “You didn’t look like you wanted to kiss me when you first saw me tonight,” I contradicted. “You looked . . . angry.”

  “Ah.” Gideon shook his head. “You mean earlier. When you were laughing.”

  “When I was talking with Leo and Danny. I saw you watching me. And you didn’t seem to be happy.”

  “I heard you, and I turned to look . . .” His voice trailed off. “You just caught me at a tough time. I wasn’t mad at you. I’m—I hate parties, I didn’t want to be there. I wanted to leave.”

  “Mmmmhmmm.” I sat up a little again and began to trace a line of kisses between his perfect pecs. “So I offered you an acceptable out, didn’t I?”

  Gideon’s hand cupped the back of my head, holding me to him. “I guess when you put it that way, I owe you a big thanks, don’t I?”

  “Absolutely. I’m so glad you see it that way.” I paused, my lips hovering just over his belt buckle. “But I think, before you begin to lay all that gratitude on me, I might give you a few more reasons to appreciate me.”

  I lifted my head and gave Gideon a not-so-gentle shove so that he lay back across the bed. Hiking up the skirt of my dress, I straddled his thighs.

  “I’m a big fan of appreciation.” His hands palmed my breasts and groaned. “Holy shit. No bra.”

  “It didn’t work with this dress.” I leaned into his touch while his thumbs circled my nipples until I hissed with pleasure. “And right now, I’m kind of loving that.”

  “You’re beautiful, Sarah.” Gideon touched my cheek. “That’s what I saw tonight, when you laughed. I saw this beautiful, vibrant woman, brimming with life. And even while I wanted to kiss you, I was . . . frankly, you scared the shit out of me.”

  Something that was too real gleamed in his eyes, and now it was my turn to be terrified, though I’d sure as hell never let Gideon see that. Wriggling, I slid down his body, unfastened his pants and tugged them down enough that I could ease his erection free of the tight boxer briefs.

  This was always the moment of truth, when I first wrapped my fingers around a man’s cock. A woman had to be cautious, because as we all know, men are sensitive creatures, and they’re especially vulnerable to judgements about that part of their anatomy. I’d been in situations where I had to use my limited acting skills to spare a guy’s feelings.

  But this was not one of those times. A smile of satisfaction lit up my face as I stroked him.

  “You do not disappoint, QB.” I worked him up and down, pausing at the top to give it a gentle squeeze. “You do not disappoint at all.”

  “Happy to hear it.” Gideon’s fac
e was a study in intensity, his focus wholly on the pleasure I was giving him.

  That kind of incentive was intoxicating to a woman like me, making me want to up the ante. With a smirk, I bent over and took him into my mouth.

  “God!” Gideon ground out the word. “Holy fucking shit, Sarah, you’re killing me.”

  “Nah.” I gazed up at him through my eyelashes. “No one’s ever died from a blow job yet that I know of. And certainly no one’s died on my watch.” I ran my fingers down his shaft to his balls, cupping them playfully. “I have vested interest in keeping you alive long enough to get me off, too.”

  “I’ve never left a woman unsatisfied,” he croaked, his fingers tangling in my hair as I lowered my head to him once again. “I don’t plan for tonight to be the first time.”

  “Good to hear,” I managed to say around his long, thick cock. “Then let’s just call this inspiration.”

  I pulled up, hollowing my cheeks and stopping at the head to let my tongue play. Gideon’s hands dropped from my hair and fisted in the bedspread as a spate of unintelligible words spilled from his mouth.

  Sitting up, I rubbed my thumb over the slickness of his throbbing dick. “I’m not a tease,” I murmured, shifting on my ass where it rested on his strong thighs. “At another time, I would stay with you to the end here. I’d swallow every bit. But right now, I can’t wait to feel you inside me.” I rose up on my knees, easing my dress up my thighs.

  “I want to be in you, too.” With a dexterity that made my breath whoosh from my lungs, Gideon flipped me over. He held his body taut over mine, his pants still half-way down his legs. “But I don’t want to do it fast. I want to take everything . . . slow.” He dipped down, the muscles in his arms flexing. His lips teased down the gaping neckline of my dress, his kisses brushing the swell of my breast. I lifted up, letting him get a closer look—and taste. His low, breathy chuckle was my reward.

  “We could get this dress out of the way,” I suggested, reaching for the hem again. “Remove all the impediments.”

  “We could, but I’d rather . . . draw out the discovery.” Gideon shifted to lay along my side. “Moving too quickly means I miss out on finding hidden treasures.”

  His finger traced a tantalizing path, drawing ever closer to my nipple, which shriveled and ached in anticipation of his touch. “Look at this,” he whispered. “I think it needs attention.”

  Gideon bent his head over me, closing his mouth around the turgid peak, thoroughly wetting the silk of my dress until its existence meant nothing at all. When his tongue licked softly at me, I gave a small grunt of impatience.

  “Harder.” I gripped the back of his neck, holding him to me. “Suck it hard. Bite. Don’t be gentle with me, Gideon—I’m not made of glass.” I ran my fingers down the length of his spine and squeezed his very fine ass. “I like it rough. I mean, I need it to be . . . hard. I’m not a soft and tender girl.”

  He lifted his eyes to mine. “You like that kind of stuff, huh?”

  I wriggled, uncomfortable with the way he was looking at me. “Not, like, room of pain shit. I don’t have a whip or handcuffs in my suitcase. I just prefer things on this side of kinky, okay? Don’t make a big deal out of it.”

  “Hey, calm down.” Gideon sat up next to me, his hand still between my breasts. “I’m not judging, and I’m not making a big deal out of anything. But I need to make sure we’re clear about this, because I want this to be good for you, but I don’t want to go too far.”

  Suddenly, I understood. Gideon was a football player, and while I was no petite, fainting rose, he had the size and strength to hurt me if things got out of hand. And then there was the whole fame issue—if Gideon bruised me, if he took my idea of rough sex too far, and I went to the press . . . it could spell the end of his career. A guy in his position had to be crystal clear about everything going into a situation.

  I ran the tip of my tongue over my lips and chose my words carefully. “I’m not into S and M. I don’t want you to spank me—not right now, anyway—or treat me like I’m your submissive. I like to think we’re equals here in bed. But it’s my personal preference not to be treated like this is some sweeping romance. We both know this isn’t about flowers and candles and love, and I don’t like to put the wrong face on what we’re doing. This is about two people, having fun and satisfying needs that we both have. So yeah, I want you to be a little selfish. I’m here for the taking, Gideon. Use me. That’s what gets me off.”

  His eyes glittered. “If that’s what you want, get ready. That’s what you’re going to get.”

  I opened my mouth to give him a sassy answer, but I didn’t get a chance, because Gideon wasn’t messing around anymore. He took advantage of my position and my parted lips to kiss me for the first time, and I knew right away that he’d understood what I’d been trying to say. This wasn’t a sweet kiss. There wasn’t anything gentle or romantic about it. This was a no-holds-barred, take-no-prisoners aggressive kiss, and with every movement of his lips and tongue, he set me on fire.

  I gave back as good I got. Writhing beneath Gideon, I managed to get my foot up and kick away his pants, leaving him bare as he held himself over me. With a growl, he hooked his fingers around the neck of my dress and tugged it down over my arms, stripping me to the waist.

  “If I pull it off the rest of the way, it’ll rip.” He bent his head to nip at my neck for a moment before he lay flat on top of me, reaching for his pants. With amazing dexterity, he managed to pull out his wallet and find a condom. And thank the sex gods for that, because I didn’t have any on hand.

  “Leave the dress.” My words were breathless as I watched him roll on the rubber. “It won’t be in our way. I don’t have anything on underneath.”

  “Hot damn, you don’t.” There was glee and admiration in his tone. “Shit, were you commando all night?”

  I managed a short laugh. “Well, I didn’t take off my panties and bra on the way over here or downstairs in the bar. So I’ll leave that to your power of deduction.”

  “It’s a good thing I didn’t know that. I don’t know that I would’ve stood a chance against you.”

  I smiled, curving my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. “Did you really ever stand a chance anyway, QB? I don’t think so.”

  Gideon pushed himself up, staring down at me. “Don’t ever make the mistake of thinking I don’t make my own choices, Sarah. You’re gorgeous. You’re sexy as hell, and I bet most men find you irresistible. But I’m not them. I’m in charge of every decision I make. I don’t let my dick rule my head.”

  There wasn’t any doubt that I should’ve been offended by what Gideon was saying. He was putting me firmly in my place, making sure I understood who was in charge here. He didn’t want me thinking that I’d somehow seduced him. With another man, maybe I’d have kicked him out of my bed and my room if he’d spoken to me like this. But somehow, I saw Gideon for who he was. I felt the vulnerability behind his words, the very thing he was trying to protect behind his biting reminder.

  I arched my back and slipped my hand between us, stroking his cock and rubbing the head against the aching need between my legs. “Chill, dude. No one’s trying to imply anything different. Stop being prickly and fuck me.”

  For a long moment, he didn’t move, and a trickle of trepidation crept up my spine. Maybe I’d gone too far. Maybe I’d totally misread him.

  And then he struck, bowing until his mouth fastened onto my nipple. Without the layer of silk between the peak and his tongue and teeth, the sensation was even more intense, making me insane with want. My fingers were still wrapped around his dick, and I tried to position him at my entrance, to draw him into where I needed him.

  “Not yet, princess. You’re not running this show.” Gideon slithered down my body, his big hands pinning my hips to the bed. “You wanted it rough, and that’s what you’re going to get.”

  That idea might’ve been alarming in another man, but when it was Gideon speaking, it only
sent a thrill of anticipation to every pulsing part of my core. There wasn’t time or space for worry, anyway, not when he was kissing and licking his way down my ribs and over my stomach before spreading me open to his questing mouth.

  I was so ready, so on fire, that I started to come the second his tongue stroked over my sensitive clit. My backside lifted off the bed and hands fisted in Gideon’s short hair as I cried out. He didn’t even pause his assault; instead, his fingers dug into my thighs and he lapped greedily. I was fairly certain my eyes were rolling back in my head, and I might have lost consciousness for just a second. This felt like the orgasm to end all orgasms.

  But Gideon was the type of player who wasn’t satisfied with just one amazing TD. Before I could drift down from that first blissful high, his thumb was pressing against my clit again and two of his fingers thrust into me.

  “Again,” he demanded. “Do it again. That one came too fast. I know you’ve got more in you. Give it to me. I want it all.”

  “Can’t,” I moaned, but even as I said it, I felt the rising pleasure again. “God. Oh, God . . . don’t stop. Harder. Do it harder.”

  Gideon complied, and I responded with a sharp gasp as my entire body began to tingle in ecstasy. I moaned something that wasn’t intelligible even to my own ears, and my inner channels clenched on Gideon’s fingers.

  He made a noise that was halfway between a groan and grunt, yanked his hand away and thrust his long, thick cock inside me.

  I’d thought his fingers were driving me to the brink of insanity, but the size and girth of his erection stretched me even more. I lay back, drained and limp and yet still buzzing with the aftermath of two mind-blowing climaxes.

  Even so, incredibly, as Gideon withdrew and then plunged again, I felt him stroking that elusive spot deep within me, and the punishing heat began to spread yet again.

  “You’re so fucking tight,” he ground out. “I can’t—holy Jesus, Sarah, I’m not going to last. I can’t hold on. You need to come again.”

  “I don’t know if I can,” I panted, but I knew I was lying. It was happening now, the familiar tingle as I began to pulse around him.