by Aliyah Burke
Turning away from him, she blinked to keep the tears away.
“God no, Faye. That’s not what I meant.” He spun her back to him. “Not at all.”
“I don’t have time to care, Kaeden. I open in two minutes. Why don’t you just go find a bitch and fuck her to get it out of your system. Thanks, though, for getting me off last night. It was nice.”
She stomped by him, her stunned friends, and marched to the back. She trusted Randy would open the door on time. Right now, she just needed a minute. Kaeden’s voice was low and mumbled but she closed him out.
“Can’t believe I was so fucking stupid.”
Faye faced the back wall and braced her hands there, head down. Behind her, the door clicked closed with force and she shook her head. “I’ll be up in a sec, Randy.”
“I’m not Randy and you sure as hell won’t be out of here in a second.”
“What are you doing back here, Kaeden?” She counted to two before she caved to the need to see him and pivoted to allow herself that torture.
He shook his head and his long strides at up the floor between them. Kaeden didn’t stop until he boxed her in with his chest and arms. The wall at her back she had nowhere to go.
“I told you we had to talk. You didn’t want to do it there and on top of that you fucking spout some shit that’s not—” He slammed the wall on either side of her head. “You fucking drive me crazy, Faye Reynolds.”
Opening her mouth to tell him to leave, he kissed her. This wasn’t gentle or exploratory. No. Kaeden Archer took.
He dominated and pushed through her mouth like it was his to do with as he wished. Lightheaded, she reached out to push him off, but her fingers curled into the cotton of his shirt, skimming the hard ridges it hid.
“Can’t fucking get enough.”
His words vibrated along her lips before he dropped to his knees and shoved her sage green tassel mini skirt up to her waist, exposing her sex, her soaked sex, to his gaze. Then his mouth was on her core and her mind blanked.
Oh my god!
She bit into her fist so her scream didn’t bring her friends back, even as her other hand yanked off his cover and gripped his hair, pulling him closer to her heat. He wasn’t gentle with her, his teeth scraped her clit, his tongue plunged deep inside her then flicked her hypersensitive nub.
His vibrations rocked through her and her legs shook. He lifted one leg and draped it over his shoulder, helping her in a way but making more accessible for him. Not that she minded.
“Kaeden!” Her gasp was sharp even as he lifted his gaze to look up at her, his blue eyes nearly indistinguishable from his pupils, they were so dark.
“Give it to me, baby. Give me your cream.” His directive was followed by two thick fingers pushing deep.
Only by a miracle did she keep that scream in her mouth as she trembled around him. His tongue replaced those fingers and he continued to lap, plunge, and take all from her orgasm. Before she could even come down from that high, he was in her face, holding her gaze before he claimed her mouth. Sharing with her how she tasted combined with him.
Kaeden had put his fingers back inside her sex, pumping slow, shoving her right back to that edge she’d just tumbled from.
“I’m fucking addicted to your taste, Faye.” His fingers curled and her legs shook as the orgasm overtook her like a wildfire, consuming everything in its path. “Addicted.”
“I don’t want any other bitch to fuck. My cock is desperate to be buried so deep in you that when were done you still feel me inside you. I want your slick, tight, heat to choke my dick.” His voice dropped. “I want to fill you with my cum, Faye. My entire career I’ve never been so crazy to sleep with a woman without a condom but when it comes to you, I want to leave it alone and feel you.”
She caught her lower lip in her teeth.
“Fuck that’s sexy. You make me want you on your knees so I can watch my cock sliding between those plump lips as I fuck your mouth.”
Her heart pounded and she tried to slow her breathing but his fingers never stopped pumping so she couldn’t relax. At all. She wanted it. Everything he said to her.
Just once in her life, she craved to know what it felt like to be so desired.
Just once.
Chapter Ten
Kaeden braced his hands on the shower wall after practice and allowed the water to pelt down on him. If he took a deep enough breath, he swore he could still smell the scent of her arousal. Lord knew he wasn’t about to forget how hard she clamped down on his fingers, how she sucked him in, and her muscles worked him. God knew he wanted to be balls deep inside her.
Fuck.
It had been hell leaving her there, eyes glassy with desire and passion. Lips full and parted as she whisper-screamed his name. Her fantastic tits that had been right there, for him to indulge on.
He did not need to get a hard-on in the locker room shower. There were still people in there. If he’d been alone, he would have pulled on out just to get the edge off.
“Nice job out there today, HP.”
Tilting his head to the right he gave his coach a head nod. “Thanks coach.”
The man didn’t move, and he exhaled before tipping his face up to the water and exhaling. Smacking his hand against the knob, he killed the water and walked toward the coach and his towel.
Swiping it off the bench, he wiped off his face, did a quick skim over his body then tied the towel around his waist. “Reason you’re stalking me in the shower, coach?”
“Management wants a word.”
His gut curdled at the thought. “Why? I’ve been keeping my nose clean.”
“Don’t shoot the messenger, man. They want you in the office as soon as possible.”
“Their office?”
“No, mine.”
He scratched his chest. “Am I ok to go like this or do I have time to cover my dick with more than a towel?”
“Get dressed.” Coach walked off without another word, scratching the back of his salt and pepper hair covered head.
“Their loss,” he called out after him.
It didn’t take him long to dress and make his way to coach’s office. He knocked and entered when called in. Coach sat at his desk and the owner was in another chair. The man’s son was there as well as his daughter, who handled a lot of the PR for the team.
“You wanted to see me, Coach?”
“Come in and shut the door.”
He listened, not going further into the room though.
“I’ll cut right to the chase, son,” Howard Bryce, the owner of the Vancouver Storm, said. “We’ve been watching you and we’re very proud of how this is going. You’ve been out of the spotlight for the things you used to headline. The photos, my daughter says, that are online now of you and this girl, are well received.”
“Thank you, sir, but why do I feel there is a but there?”
Marlene, the daughter, looked at him like he was a steak and she, hungry for her meal. Her smile didn’t set him at ease.
“We feel this should go further. There should be an engagement announcement. Tell the town and the rest of the league, this isn’t just a temporary thing. It’s real and you are committed to both her and to this city.”
He watched them all. Coach looked decidedly uncomfortable but the other three. Almost smug.
“You’ll have to discuss this with my agent. We redid that contract to include what I’m doing now and if you feel the need to change terms, she is going to be present for it.” He dug into his pocket. “I can call her right now, if you’d like.”
“No, no. Let’s not do that.” Howard gave him a smile. “We just wanted to broach it with you, hoped you’d be amenable to this happening. No need to get the agent involved.”
“There’s every reason to get her involved. I’m not breaching the one contract just because you want to add something new in there. You’ve said it yourself, this is working and my girlfriend is keeping me in line, so to speak.”
M
arlene shook her head. “We know she’s not really your girlfriend.”
He wanted to snap at her. “Actually she is.”
“All of these looks between you, it’s all staged. We know you don’t plan on settling down. If you don’t think the fake engagement will work with her, we can get you someone else.”
And here it came.
“Someone else?”
“Well yes,” she said. “We had someone picked out for you but your agent demanded that you have a say in this.” She shrugged. “Your agent is really tough.”
Yeah, he knew that and was never so grateful. “And do I know who you had in mind?”
She stepped forward, hips swaying with her walk and put her hand on his arm. “Me. What better way to show we’re behind you if you are dating the owner’s daughter?” She inched closer. “We can show everyone how believable it is.”
“No thank you. The woman I’m with now, I’ve known most of my life. I’m in love with her and I’ll not disrespect her like this. Anything else? I’ll let my agent know she needs to set up a meeting with you.”
The disappointment and anger the flashed over Marlene’s face wasn’t something he missed. Gliding away from her, he opened the door and held Coach’s gaze. He tipped his head and Kaeden took advantage of the permission given.
That was not how he wanted to end his day. As he strode away, he pulled out his phone and called Lannie.
“I think we have a problem.”
He met Lannie at her office and they had a long chat. She was livid. This time, however, he could count his lucky stars it wasn’t at him. And he didn’t have any sympathy for the ones she was going to be going after.
Once he finished with her, he went out to a local pub for a drink. All was going well until he was about to leave when some females sauntered up to him.
“Oh my god! You’re Kaeden Archer, aren’t you?’
He nodded, pushing the glass back toward the bartender. “I am.”
“We’re such huge fans. Could we get photos and an autograph?”
“Of course.” He knew better than to blow them off, even though he wanted to head to Faye’s and see her. Kiss her. Hold her. Fuck her.
He signed napkins and shirts for them. One woman lifted her shirt, wanting him to sign her breasts but he shook his head no. He took a few photos then paid his bill and went on his way. Home.
But it wasn’t home. It was his and not where he wanted to be. Still, he and Faye had the event tomorrow night.
I can go a fucking night without seeing her.
Couldn’t he?
He knew she had a test this afternoon. It would, after all, be the boyfriend thing to do, to see how it had gone for her. Right?
Reaching for his phone on the coffee table, he dialed her number even as he lay back on the leather cushions. It rang to her voicemail.
He frowned. Checked his watch and frowned again. No way she still took the test. It had to be over by now. It was heading toward nine at night. So where was she? Unreasonable jealousy began to fill him. And when he thought of her with Trevor, it grew exponentially.
Kaeden called her again only to end up with the same result. Her voicemail.
His mood lasted through practice the following day. He’d driven by her house on his way in but didn’t see her car there. A fact that did nothing to help out his mood.
After his shower at the practice facility, he headed home. They had the fundraising event tonight and he had to get changed for that. This was another silent auction kind of place. Not the kind of thing he enjoyed, but apparently worked wonders with upper management.
A snarl turned up his lips at the thought. They wanted him to drop Faye and be with the owner’s daughter.
Not happening.
Faye, however, still hadn’t answered any of his calls. Nor his texts.
He’d just pulled out of the lot when his phone rang.
“Yes, Lannie?”
“I think I’ve gotten this all taken care of with the owners. I had to remind them of the clauses that were in the addendum you signed when you took on Faye as your girlfriend. If they even think of approaching you like that again, tell me and you’ll own the fucking team.” Her voice vibrated with anger.
“This, this right here, Lannie, is why you are the best fucking agent in the world.”
“You’re goddamn right I am.” A deep sigh. “There are photos of you out, trending on social media questioning your relationship with Faye.”
He grit his teeth. “I didn’t do anything.”
“I know, I’m just telling you what I saw. You pay me to look after you and handle your interests, Kaeden. That’s what I’m doing. But when you signed the autographs for those women, that’s what was plastered up in the comments. Just so you know. There may be questions about it tonight.”
“At the gala and auction?”
“Sharks man, they are sharks.”
He slowed to a stop at a light, fingers drumming on the wheel while his other hand rested on the shifter knob. “Not like my agent.”
Lannie snorted. “Of course not like me. No one is like me. Well, there’s one but she doesn’t rep in the sports world.”
Shifting into gear, he got going again. “Wait, there’s another one like you out there? Who is this woman and why haven’t I met her?”
“Not a sports agent, Archer. Weren’t you listening to me?”
“Just in awe that you would say someone is like you out there in the world.”
A small laugh. “We went to school together. She focuses on artists, authors, not arrogant sports stars.”
“All said with love, Lannie, I hear it in your voice.”
She grunted. “I let Faye know about the posts, she’d already seen them and said she got it, but she is aware in case you have questions tonight.”
“You spoke to her?”
“Yes. Before I called you, I was on the phone with her.” A deep breath. “What did you do?”
“Why do you always assume I fucked up?” He pulled into his driveway.
Silence and he scowled.
“I tried calling her since last night and haven’t gotten through to her.”
He imagined Lannie had one eyebrow up and her “I don’t give a damn” expression on her face.
“She picked up for me. Right away. I’m not getting into your business, not more than I have to. Behave tonight.”
“What aren’t you telling me, Lannie?”
“Rumor has it, and okay, so I can confirm this as well, her friend Trevor Marx will be in attendance. I know you don’t like him.”
It was a good thing his steering wheel wasn’t alive because he would have just choked it to death. Not liking him was putting it mildly. And yes, all of his dislike came from the fact that he was friends with Faye and had given her clothing.
Rational?
Not in the slightest. He knew there were women out there who had his jersey. Hell, he’d given them out a time or two. But this was different. Faye was his woman, not Trevor’s. Kaeden didn’t give a flying fuck what their history was, the man needed to stay away from her.
“Archer.”
His response was somewhere between a grunt and growl.
“If you fuck this up, Kaeden Archer. You will only be playing out of the country in some minor league compared to the NFL. Are you hearing me and do you understand me? I don’t want some fucking primitive grunt or whatever other kind of sound you are seconds from making. I need you to open your mouth and formulate the words, ‘I will be on my motherfucking best behavior, Lannie, because I know you went above and beyond to do what you could to make sure this final chance I have been gifted doesn’t go to waste.’ And I want to hear those words now.”
It took him a few tries to get his mouth to work. “Understood, Lannie.”
“Apparently not, because you’re not giving me my statement.”
He cut off the engine and climbed from the car. “I will be on my motherfucking best behavior, Lannie, because I
know you went above and beyond to do what you could to make sure this final chance I have been gifted doesn’t go to waste.”
“I’m holding you to that.” She hung up and he walked into his empty house with her dial tone in his ear.
αβ
Faye walked around the living room while she waited for Kaeden to come pick her up. Part of her felt guilty for ignoring his calls, then part of her didn’t. She wasn’t at his beck and call. Besides, this hot and cold game he was playing on her, she didn’t need it in her life.
Who cared if he’d given her the best fucking orgasms of her life. And she did mean that, of her entire life. How dare he ramp her up like that and leave her needing, craving more.
Twice.
Exhaling, she resumed pacing. Being hot and bothered wasn’t what she needed to be when he arrived to take her to tonight’s event. Cool, calm, and collected would be optimal.
As she paced, she thought about the call with Lannie. Faye actually liked the woman, even if she was scared of her. Like, a lot.
Her doorbell rang and her pulse shot up. And shot cool, calm, collected out the damn window. Side eyeing the heels she would wear this evening, she made her way to the door, took a few more deep breaths then pulled it open.
Holy shit.
It wasn’t fair how hot he was in a tuxedo. Even after all this time, she wasn’t sure she could deal.
She’d been the one to run from him after the stint in the back of her shop, but she couldn’t handle it at the time. He had one arm up on the doorjamb, eyes lasering on her.
“Fuck you are hot.”
Faye gave him a nervous smile. “I’ll get my shoes and we can go.” Turning away without waiting for a response, she walked to her small table which held her clutch and her shoes were beside it.
She bent to pick them up and Kaeden’s hand close around her wrist. “I got it.”
Her brain didn’t completely follow along with his statement until he dropped to his knees before her and reached for one foot. His touch, familiar and so alien at the same time it hurt her.
He put the shoes on for her and rose to tower over her, capturing her chin in his thumb and index finger. The kiss he gave so light she wasn’t sure it had actually happened.
