The Player

by Aliyah Burke

  He snapped his gaze up from where it seemed to have been locked on her ass. Was that possible? No, she must have imagined it.

  “What?”

  “You said it had to change. I asked how so.” Dumping the fruit in a colander, she put it in the sink and started the water. Alexa played more Zac Brown and she turned it down a bit, then started washing the fruit.

  “Whose shirt are you wearing?”

  Maybe it was the Moscato she’d downed but she wasn’t following him very well. “Mine.”

  “That’s not a woman’s shirt.”

  “It is now. I’m wearing it, it’s a woman’s shirt.”

  He was back in her space, turning her so her back was to the counter. Her breath caught when he reached around her to shut off the water.

  “Did you buy it? Or was it a gift?” The rumble from his mouth landed directly on her clit.

  “Gift.” Get a grip, Faye. “What’s wrong with you? To many tackles in practice?”

  “From who?” Two rumbled words that kicked her hunger for him into high.

  Kaeden Archer was all up in her personal space, filling her nose with his addictive and intoxicating scent. She gulped and he somehow was closer, his thick thigh wedged itself between her legs.

  “Faye?”

  She licked her lips and his gaze zeroed in on that like a laser target.

  “Trevor. It was his number when he played in South Africa.”

  “Get out of it.”

  No room for argument in those words.

  Except that’s what she did. Argued.

  “I’m not taking this off, Kaeden, I just got out of the shower and have this on and a pair of panties.” Her entire body flushed as she thought about her panties, she’d put on. Her purple double strapped open back panty.

  “Faye, so help me god, I will remove it from you. I can’t stand that man’s shirt on you.” He yanked his off and handed it to her. “You need a shirt on, take mine.”

  Her mouth was dry as she sank her fingers into the cotton of his tee shirt. Gulping, she struggled to not shove her face in it and smell, him. “Turn around.”

  After a long, drawn out moment, he did and she made the switch in almost no time. “Done.”

  He faced her again, raked his blue gaze over her. “Much better. Don’t fucking wear his jersey again. You want a jersey, I’ll give you mine.” Kaeden snatched Trevor’s from her hand and lobbed it out the area.

  Her heart shattered. This was all for the rouse, not because he gave a fuck. “Right. Can’t let them think there is trouble between us.”

  Chapter Nine

  Kaeden fucked up. He knew it. Problem was, it had zero to do with this pretend shit they were doing and everything to do with the fact he fucking saw red seeing Trevor’s jersey on her body. A number that asshat wore covering the curves of the woman who had become the star of every fucking fantasy he’d ever had about a female. His woman!

  Turning from her until he could control himself, he took a deep breath before reaching into the drawer and pulling out some knives.

  “How did you know those were going to be there?”

  He shrugged before tilting his head to the side and meeting her gaze once more. “They’re where they were in your home when we were growing up. Not sure why I thought that wouldn’t change. Looks like I was right.” He gave a playful grin.

  She didn’t return it, not like he hoped.

  “I’m sorry.” He made the comment after they’d chopped fruit up in silence for a bit.

  “Whatever Kaeden. I know I have to be careful about your reputation and honestly, I’m not going back out tonight but I’ll make sure that I don’t wear any sports jerseys.”

  He watched her in his periphery as she spoke, her tone was low and smooth, betraying nothing. Her hands however, a completely different story. The grip she had on that knife almost turned her knuckles white.

  “What happened today?” He stole a piece of nectarine and popped it in his mouth. “To put you in this mood?”

  There went her jaw, clenching before that relaxed as well.

  “I wasn’t expecting to be ambushed outside of my class today by reporters asking about you and our supposed relationship.”

  He covered her wrist with his hand, stopping her from turning the plum into something unrecognizable.

  “You told me that. What did they say to you?”

  “Doesn’t matter, Kaeden. Same thing I’ve heard my entire life.” She shrugged and held his gaze. “I’ll deal with it like I always do.”

  His heart was in danger of doing something dumb, like falling for this woman.

  “I’ll see if I can’t tell them to back off after practice next time.”

  She shook her head before he could finish. “Don’t do that.”

  Faye moved from his touch and got down a platter before putting the fresh fruit on there. moments later, she added some cubed cheese. He picked up the platter and carried it to the living room while she followed with two glasses of water and a bottle of beer that she put before him.

  “Wasn’t sure if you wanted beer or water.”

  “Water’s fine.” He didn’t drink a lot during the season. She just shrugged and left it there, he supposed in case he would change his mind.

  Kaeden hated seeing her like this. Almost despondent. She placed some of the fruit on a small plate and curled into the cushion she sat on. Holy fuck, could his shirt be any more lucky? It edged up her thick thigh, covering that smooth dark skin, teasing and tempting him with a spot he craved to be.

  “Why don’t you want me to say anything?”

  He felt her sigh far more than he heard it.

  “You’re not letting this go, are you?”

  “No.”

  “Kaeden, this is about you cleaning up your act. If you go after—and you would—the reporters, that’s going to reflect against you.”

  “I don’t need protecting, Faye. And I’m not fucking going to let them bother you.”

  “You may not need protecting but you sure as hell need a keeper.”

  His eyebrow shot up. “Excuse me?”

  “This wouldn’t even be an issue if you could keep it in your pants and keep that temper of yours under control.”

  “My fault!” Guess she felt annoyed enough to tell him about himself. “How the fuck is all this my fault?”

  “Well, I’m not the superstar in danger of losing another team because of my attitude issues.”

  Damn this woman, she didn’t back down. He admitted there was something fucking sexy about her matching him like this. She’d done it as a child but this, different on so many levels.

  “You think this is because of my cock?”

  Her eyes flashed down between his legs and he didn’t even try to stop her view of his defined ridge in his pants.

  She swiped her tongue along her lower lip, and he barely bit back his groan in time.

  “I think you’re an entitled prat who wants to use his success to get him what he wants. And this time the consequences have caught up to you, so now you have to subject yourself to the one who looks nothing like the endless stream of pussy you parade through your life.”

  Her full chest rose and fell with her rapid breaths. Kaeden didn’t miss the way her nipples poked his shirt, making his mouth water.

  “That dick your eyes have glued to, baby. That’s hard, not because of someone in the past but because of you. And if you don’t stop staring at it, I’ll take it out and let you see it up close and personal.”

  She licked her lips again and he figured he would have a tattoo of his jeans on his cock, it pushed so hard against the material.

  “Faye.” It came out a low, animalistic growl.

  Damn it to hell, he only had so much control.

  She dragged her gaze up to his face and the amount of hunger there, nearly pushed him over.

  “What?”

  “I’m about to kiss you.”

  She blinked a few times, eyes dropping back to hi
s cock where she gave a cock thickening mewl, sucked her lower lip in her mouth briefly, then met his gaze once more.

  “Why?”

  “Why am I going to kiss you?”

  “Yes. Why now? You refused me in high school.”

  He got up and moved toward her, one knee still on the couch, until his leg was by hers. Kaeden inched it forward a bit more, pushing up his shirt and the treasure it hid.

  “Because I was weak in school and knew if I took you up on it, this would happen.”

  Her stare burned him as she pulled it up his chest, slow as molasses to finally meet his gaze once more.

  “This?”

  He gave a solemn nod. “Yeah, baby. This.”

  Kaeden sank his hand into her damp hair, wrapped it around his hand and drew her head back, before laying claim to her mouth.

  Her taste punched him in the gut. Fresh. Light. Seductive. Her own flavor mingled with the fruit and he was pretty sure the empty Moscato bottle he’d seen on the counter.

  He should have known better. She didn’t sit there and let him coax her, she was right there, meeting his thrusting tongue. God, he couldn’t get enough. Pulling back when she whimpered, he decided the fuck with needing to breathe and latched on again.

  She wound her hands around as much of his arms as she could, her nails biting into him. he nipped her bottom lip and licked away the sting as he waited for her eyes to open. Dark, hazy and full of the untapped passion that had kept him from even daring to do this all those years ago.

  Faye settled back on the couch, eyes fixated on him. “I want to taste you, Faye. I want to be on my knees before you with my face buried in your pussy, eating your cream.”

  Her breasts rose and fell faster.

  His cock was ready to kill him and push into her without his permission. Gathering a fistful of his shirt that hid her body from him, he bunched it up, exposing her full breasts. They would overflow his hands and he couldn’t wait to plump them. Squeeze them.

  Drive his cock between them and into her open, waiting mouth.

  “Fucking perfect.”

  Dipping his head, he lashed his tongue along one taut nipple. She writhed beneath him, breath coming in short, sharp pants.

  “Kaeden.”

  That right there, that breathy cry of his name, reason six thousand three hundred and fifty four, that he never took her up on what she offered back in school. He didn’t have the restraint now and sure as fuck wouldn’t have then.

  Without talking, he scraped his teeth over the same tip, flicked his tongue, then sucked it deep into his mouth. Back and forth he tormented both breasts. He let go of the shirt as he made love to her breasts, needing to grip, hold, and squeeze them both.

  Her panting grew louder and turned into cries. He didn’t stop.

  Pushing his lips to her skin between her tits, he inhaled. No one should smell this fucking delicious. Not floral. Mouthwatering and he longed to know what the scent was.

  Later.

  He skimmed over her hips down her left leg to the knee before lifting it and pushing it to settle against the back of the couch, opening her up more to him. Having her pliant beneath him was fucking incredible. Back up the inside of her thigh to her core.

  Shit.

  The heat nearly burned him and he could feel her moisture the moment he reached the junction of her legs. Kaeden cupped her and she whimpered, head falling back, breasts pushing up as she bowed, a keening cry falling from her lips.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful, Faye.”

  He moved down her body and the moment it clicked in her head where he was going, she tried to close her legs. Using his shoulders to block that movement, he inhaled her heady aroma of arousal.

  “Not happening baby. I need to taste you on my tongue. Feel you clenching tight around my fingers as I plunge them in and out of you like my cock will do.”

  He kissed her belly, completely in love with her curves. Soft to his hard. He had no doubt they would fit perfect together. She wasn’t bare but the small triangle of pitch black hair was tightly cropped and not doing a damn thing to hide her desire. The purple of her panties were darker than the sexy double strapped waistband keeping the lace V-shaped panel in place.

  His dick begged to be freed, the head leaking precum. Hands on the insides of her thighs, he pushed her wider, refusing to be denied seeing all of her. He dragged one knuckle down the front of her lace barrier and on toward her ass when the material vanished.

  “Backless?” His voice deep and raspy at the thought of her walking around in backless panties.

  These were ones people wore for seduction. Had she planned on being with someone else? A stab of jealousy slammed him and he flexed his hands on her thighs.

  “Kaeden.”

  That’s all it took. Her breathing his name like it was a goddamn national treasure. Laced with desire and need. pure. Honest. Raw. For him.

  He leaned forward and covered her sex with his mouth, kissing first through the material, then nudging it away with his nose and finally being able to sink his tongue into her cream.

  αβ

  “Then what?” Randy rapped her knuckles on the counter between them. “What the hell happened after that?”

  “Nothing.”

  Both her friends, JadaLei and Randy scoffed at that. They skirted the counter and boxed her in, both of them terrifying in their own way.

  “Nothing?” JadaLei narrowed her gaze. “Or you’re not telling us?”

  Thank god the shop hadn’t opened yet because if she knew her friends—and she did—having others in there wouldn’t stop the litany of questions.

  Or the persistence.

  “Like nothing, nothing.”

  “He didn’t want sex?” Randy spouted in disbelief.

  And her own uncertainty grew. She shrugged and rubbed her arms hidden under her sweatshirt. “I don’t know?” Both of them hugged her.

  “Baby, you know he would have to be a fool not to want you.” Randy smoothed some hair from her face.

  “I agree,” JadaLei said. “If I thought you swung my way, I’d be all over you in a heartbeat.” She kissed her cheek. “What happened? Truth, no more joking and come on, let’s do this right with drinks and food.”

  Tugged to a café table, she sat gingerly and stared at the large cinnamon streusel muffin she typically loved to inhale. At her left sat a fresh peppermint mocha. Two of her comforts yet, she didn’t want either. Crossing her legs, she tugged at her skirt. In truth, she was still sensitive between her legs from last night and didn’t think pants would be in her best interest.

  “What makes you think he didn’t want you?” Randy blew on her drink and took a sip.

  “Besides the fact he got up after and walked out without a word? Um, not sure.”

  God, she’d played it over in her mind, so many times, she just couldn’t figure out what happened. After. She was there and had definitely understood the toe curling, screaming, voice hoarsening orgasms he’d given her as he ate her out like she had become his favorite treat. But after that, she couldn’t make sense of it.

  His erection had been there, she didn’t have a problem picking that out. It wasn’t small nor was it soft.

  Long.

  Hard.

  Thick.

  But he’d stood over her quaking body, his lips shiny with her juices and gave a small head shake before running. Not just out of her living room, but her place.

  “I’m going to guess he got scared.”

  “JadaLei, I’ve known that boy since we were small. Scared isn’t something he does.”

  Randy shrugged. “I’m inclined to agree with JadaLei. My guess is he got scared because of the emotions moving through him. He had to bolt and figure it out.”

  She tore off a bite of muffin and chewed slowly. “Not buying it. Maybe after his head got out from between my thighs, he realized he couldn’t bring himself to fuck me.” Another bite. “Perhaps it’s like they say, you need to put a bag over her hea
d if she’s ugly and fuck her that way.”

  It was their turn to scoff. Both of her friends shook their heads.

  “Doesn’t matter.” Faye knew they heard the false cheer she’d injected into her tone. “Today will be a great day. I don’t have to see him until the next function.”

  “That’s today.”

  “No, Randy. We have a charity thing, this Friday.” She pursed her lips. “Positive. Just did a mental run of my calendar. We have nothing today.”

  JadaLei sipped her drink. “I think someone forgot to tell him that.” She pointed behind Faye to the door.

  Turning, she caught a sharp breath at the sight of Kaeden leaning against the front door. A tuque in Vancouver Storm colors on his head, facial hair that she remembered from last night on the sensitive skin of her inner thighs. His arms showed off his strength and his legs looked to die for in those jeans.

  His lips kicked up in a partial smile as he crooked his finger at her.

  “If you don’t let him in, I will.” Randy waved and ate some of her pastry.

  Faye’s heart cavorted out of control, and she took her time getting up. Face flushed, she struggled to cool it as she strode over the floor to the door.

  She unlocked the door and swung it open.

  “Morning, baby.” He cupped the back of her head and covered her mouth with his as he walked them back into the shop enough so he could close the door with him on this side of it.

  Fingers curling into her palms, she fought the urge to grab onto him and never let him go. He ended the kiss, drawing on her lower lip before releasing it.

  Forehead to forehead he smiled. “Hi. Can we talk?”

  This man was going to wreck her.

  “I have to get ready for work. Shouldn’t you be at the field?”

  “We’re practicing later today. I thought it was early which is why I left last night.” His fingers massaged the back of her neck.

  Oddly comforting and possessive.

  “You ran out of there like you were running from the dog in the Hound of Baskervilles.”

  “Biggest mistake of my life.”

  Guess he could hurt her more. Smile brittle, she reached back and moved his hand. “I’m sorry.”