by R.S. Grey
He could fuck her if he wanted to and the mere thought made my stomach turn. I wanted to march over there and lay some kind of claim to him; I wanted to scratch my hands down his chest and scar him so every woman that came after me would know he was mine.
When he finally turned to scan the room, I waited for him to find me.
I’m right here.
Finally, his blue eyes locked with mine and he paused, raking his gaze down my body, greedily inhaling the dress I’d worn for him. I reached up to finger my thin strap and ensure I wasn’t spilling out of the top as much as it felt like I was, but his gaze was already on my legs, snagging on the heels before he turned away with a devious smile. He tried to cover it with a sip of his drink, but it still heated my skin from across the room.
There was a clear line down the middle of the mixer: athletes on one side, coaches on the other. When I finished dancing with Noah, I told him I was going to go find something to drink. Instead of walking to the bar near my teammates, I crossed over the invisible line and headed straight to the bar behind Erik.
I needed to be closer to him, to catch his scent or hear his voice, something that would connect us. I walked right behind him and held my breath, expecting him to reach out and stop me, to call a fucking spade a spade.
He didn’t falter from his conversation, but one of the other coaches noticed me walking by and reached out to stop me.
“Oh, Erik! Isn’t this one yours?”
My back bristled as the group turned to asses me.
Yes. Tell them I’m yours, Erik.
Erik took a sip of his drink and nodded. “Brie Watson.”
The pretty coach with blonde hair and a runner’s body stepped forward.
“I watched you compete at Worlds. You’re quite a vision up on the beam,” she said with a genuine smile and an adorable English accent. She reached her hand out for me and I shook it as she introduced herself. “I’m Valerie. I coach for Great Britain.”
“Nice to meet you,” I said, hearing the strain in my voice.
Erik was a foot away from me but he wouldn’t make eye contact, wouldn’t grace me with his gaze.
“Could I speak with you for a second, uh, Coach?” I asked, turning to him. There were half a dozen eyes pinned on us, waiting for his answer, and when he shook his head, my heart broke in two.
“It can wait until tomorrow, right?”
He looked bored when he turned to me, like he was assessing a complete stranger. I wanted to reach up and slap him, but instead, I clenched my fists by my sides and swallowed down my embarrassment with my head held high.
“I—sure,” I said, unsure of how to counter his presumption without sounding desperate.
“Go ahead Erik,” Valerie said, concern etched across her features. “I’ll just go—”
He cut her off and stepped forward, turning his back to me. “It’s all right. What were you saying about the coach’s orientation in the morning?”
My mouth dropped. Fucking asshole. How could someone be so cold? So domineering? So indifferent? I wanted to tear him apart for treating me like that in front of other people, but there was nothing I could do that wouldn’t draw untoward attention to us.
I turned away and tried to find Noah again. He was right where I’d left him with a smile and a glass of water, waiting for me like a true gentleman. Noah was the person I belonged with; he made so much more sense.
“Do you want to go sit down and talk?” he asked, holding his hand to a safe spot behind my shoulder.
I forced a polite smile. “I’d love to.”
Sometime later, while I was at the bar with Noah, ordering another water, Erik stepped up to join us. He could have slid into the space beside me, but he chose to go on the other side of Noah, putting a clear distance between us.
His eyes caught mine and a challenge was issued with a single look. I pressed up onto my toes and slipped my hand around Noah’s back. He’d been going on about something stupid, but the second my lips hit his ear, he shut up and listened.
“What are you doing after this?” I asked Noah, keeping my eyes on Erik.
He was watching me sidle up to Noah.
“Fuck you,” I mouthed noiselessly, slowly enough that Erik would have no trouble interpreting it.
His eyes narrowed and just when I thought he’d reach out and yank Noah away from me, he leaned closer.
“Nice friend you have here, Brie. Where’d you find him?”
Noah’s back straightened as he turned to assess Erik. I tried to resist, my gaze flitting between them, taking in the differences. Age, confidence, height, looks—Erik had him beat, hands down. I forced my focus on Noah and leaned into him until he wrapped an arm across my shoulder, tugging me to his chest.
“Noah’s actually an old boyfriend.”
“Oh, nice to meet you Coach Winter,” Noah said, turning to Erik. “I was hoping to meet you, man.”
Erik nodded dismissively then turned to me and reached out a hand. “You ready to go?”
“Go?” I frowned. “I thought this thing was supposed to last another hour or two.”
“You have an early morning, I’m sure your friend understands,” he said simply, reaching out to grip my elbow. His touch was not to be contested; I knew if I tried to pull away, he’d make a scene. He’d acted like a complete asshole after yoga and for the last two days he’d ignored me, pushed me away, and embarrassed me. Now he suddenly wanted me again, like a child that sees his discarded toy in the hands of another.
“You’re right, Erik, we do have an early morning,” I said, whipping my arm out of his grasp and stepping away from Noah. “But Noah is more than capable of escorting me back, right Noah? Let's go.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Erik
Noah paled as he glanced between the two of us.
“You call your coach by his first name?” Noah asked, missing his chance to lead her away.
Yeah, dick. She calls me by my first name, and she fucking screams it every time I make her come.
“Noah,” I started, addressing him for the first time. “I’m sure you are eager to catch up with Brie, and there will be plenty of time in the weeks to come, but for now, I need to make sure my athletes get a good night’s sleep for their early morning tomorrow. Good night.”
Brie’s mouth hung open as Noah acquiesced and sauntered away. The jealousy I’d felt watching her with him was enough to provoke me into confrontation. I’d prepared myself for the slew of athletes she’d attract. I’d told myself to give her space and let it happen, but when Noah leaned in close and made her smile, my fists could have crushed coal into diamond. The entire night, I’d wanted to walk over and rip him away from her. One clean punch and he’d never so much as look at her again.
And Brie knew what she was doing. She was long legs in that short black dress, sexy hair dipping down her back, silky skin on full display. The second I’d spotted her on the dance floor, I’d wanted to walk over and steal her, press my lips to hers and brand her as my own in front of everyone, but instead, I’d kept my fist wrapped around my drink and forced my attention back to the group of coaches.
Brie wasn’t mine.
She didn’t belong to me.
For thirty minutes I’d told myself to back off, to let the kid try his best to tame her. He was a much better match for her than I was: simple, easy, young.
Thirty minutes had passed like ten years and now I was finished being patient. I was done watching him touch what was mine.
“Let’s go,” I said, ushering Brie away from the bar and leading her through the crowded room.
She jerked out of my grasp, turning back over her shoulder. “I need to let the girls know I’m leaving so they don’t look for me.”
“I already told them,” I said. “They’ll be leaving shortly as well.”
She stopped and turned. “Then just let me go with them.”
My fists clenched by my side. “Brie, so fucking help me, if you won’t just
listen to me now, I’m going to throw you over my shoulder and carry you out.”
“Oh please.” She groaned, spitting fire with her gaze. “You think you can just ignore me for two days and then I’ll come crawling after you? Jesus, you’re insane. You completely ignored me in front of all those coaches. Do you know how embarrassing that was?”
I pulled her out of the ballroom, dragging her out onto the street after me. She didn’t stay quiet.
“Let me go or I’ll scream.”
If anyone cared enough to watch us, it definitely looked like I was trying to kidnap her. Fortunately, no one cared enough to stop me.
When we were down the street, in front of a dark alley and away from prying eyes, I turned to her and raked a hand through my hair. Her pupils were dilated, her eyes narrowed in anger. She bit her bottom lip in frustration and waited for me to give her some answers.
“Ask me why I ignored you. Ask me why I had to turn away from you in that group. Ask me why I can’t stand the thought of you going home with that guy. Ask me why I’ve been waking up in the middle of the night, wishing you were on top of me.”
She swallowed slowly, eyes pinned on me.
“Ask me,” I said, backing her up into the alley behind us.
“There you go, always making me ask for something instead of just giving it,” she said, forcing her chin up. “You want me to ask you? Well sorry, but I don’t care.”
She stumbled on something as she walked backward. I reached out to catch her, steadying her against my body.
“Fucking ask me,” I said, bending down to capture her lips in a kiss.
She pulled back, breaking off our kiss before I could even taste her.
“Why don’t you go fuck yourself?” she asked. “There’s a better question.”
She moved to push past me, but I caught her wrist and spun her around so her back was flush with my chest. I had her arm bent across her body and though she struggled, I didn’t ease up.
“Let me go,” she said with a shaky breath. I could feel her against me. I knew how turned on she was, how much she loved this war between us.
“Say it like you mean it and I’ll obey,” I said, waiting for her to push me away for good.
Silence.
“Who did you wear that dress for? Noah?” I asked, reaching up to guide my free hand over her neck so I could tilt her head back and press a kiss to the exposed skin just above her breasts.
“I wanted to send him a message,” she said.
“Yeah?” I dragged my hand up the inside of her thigh and listened to her take in a sharp breath.
“I wanted him to take me back to his condo and throw me onto his bed and force my legs apart.” She paused. “Noah always knew how to touch me.”
I bit back a smirk. Of course he did. That’s why you’re here right now, about to let me fuck you against a concrete wall.
“Where did he touch you?” She couldn’t move while I had her arm gripped in front of her chest. “Here?” I asked, sliding my hand beneath her dress, feeling the smooth curve of her thigh. Her panties were lacy, thin, drenched.
“Erik.”
“Does he know how easy it is to make you come? Does he know what you sound like when someone licks you here?”
My thumb brushed against the wetness on her panties and she let her eyes flutter closed.
“Stop.”
“You’re wet. I can feel you and I haven’t even ripped these off yet,” I said, pushing her panties aside. I knew the night air was hitting her bare skin and I knew it was driving her insane that I hadn’t touched her yet. My hand was holding the lace away, freeing her for me. “Does thinking about Noah turn you on? Or are you ready to admit the truth?”
Every movement she made brought her ass in contact with my cock, and I had to resist a groan every single time.
“No…he doesn’t turn me on,” she said, backtracking. “He’s never even touched me.”
I smiled into her hair. “He doesn’t know what you like then, does he?”
I thought of the night she’d stripped for me in the backyard, knowing full well her team could have been watching through the darkness.
I walked us toward the dark alley wall.
“He doesn’t know that it drives you wild to be touched in public—where someone could walk by and see you…”
I spun her around and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around my hips without a single protest. Such a good little doll. With her back pressed against the wall, I gripped her neck in my hand and leaned in, brushing my lips against hers softly. Once. Twice. Three times. Then I crashed my mouth against hers as she moaned against me. My tongue swept past her lips and she tilted her head, kissing me back with a vengeance. She tasted so fucking sweet.
I jerked back.
“You like the feeling of danger. You want to be taken against an alley wall more than you want me to take you back to my condo right now.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You don’t know what I want. You’re too preoccupied with ignoring me.” She was fighting me with her words, but she was rolling her hips against me. Even as she continued to push me away, she was getting herself off.
“I beg to differ. This is a thousand-dollar suit you’re rubbing your pussy against right now.”
She didn’t even blush. She leaned forward and bit my lip, hard. “You can afford the dry cleaning, asshole.”
I growled and slammed her back against the wall, sick of the bullshit.
Her hands gripped fistfuls of my hair, tugging on the strands until it hurt.
“Tell me to stop or I’m going to fuck you right here,” I said, pulling her dress aside to expose her breasts. They were perky and small, so tantalizing I couldn’t help but lower my head and swirl my tongue across them. I took one nipple into my mouth and then the other, palming them hard.
“Erik,” she gasped.
I pulled back and tilted her chin with my finger, staring into her eyes. “Tell me to stop.”
She smirked and dragged her hand down the front of my chest. When she hit my belt, she used both hands to pull it open and then she unbuttoned the front of my pants. I sucked in a sharp inhale as her small palm gripped me. I leaned forward, caging her against the wall with my head.
“Stop,” she said, amusement in her voice as she stroked my length. I was so hard in her palm. Up, down. Up, down. Her touch was soft but erotic, and I could have easily come in her hand.
“Stop,” she said again, teasing as she reached up to grip my neck. With her other hand, she continued to jack me off.
“Brie, this isn’t a game,” I said, turning and pressing my lips to the side of her neck. If she really wanted to stop, she needed to say so.
She laughed and the sound was dark and sinister. “Fuck you. This is a game and you don’t get to make the rules.”
Her words ripped through me, stealing the rest of my patience. I pulled a condom out of my back pocket, tore it open with my mouth, and then Brie reached out to help me guide it on. She was greedy, hungry for me to sink inside her. By the time I had myself positioned at her pussy, she was begging for it, rolling and tipping her hips so I’d have easier access to her.
“I want to feel you,” she cried, withering against me.
“Remember when you teased me by the hot tub?” I asked, rubbing my cock back and forth against her wetness. “When you stripped for me like a little brat?”
She swallowed and locked her eyes with mine, slowly nodding.
“You thought you had the upper hand then,” I said, slipping the very first inch inside her. Fuck. She moaned against me and I pushed in another inch, stretching her tight flesh. I cradled her neck in my hand, holding her weight against the wall as I pushed her down onto me. “You were wrong.”
I shoved the rest of the way inside her with a quick thrust, burying myself to the hilt. Her eyes pinched closed and her arms gripped my biceps. I stilled there, aware of how tight she was around me. She was a small girl and I didn’t want to hurt her—m
uch.
I reached down to slide my thumb across her clit, to bring her awareness away from my size. I swirled my thumb there slowly, coaxing her pleasure to the surface, and then her eyes peeled open and she leaned forward, crashing her lips against mine.
“Fuck,” I groaned as she started sliding herself up and down, riding me. “You feel so fucking good.”
“Keep doing that,” she begged. “Please…I’m so close.”
I smiled against her mouth. “Of course you are.”
She scraped her nails across my neck and I hissed, pumping into her harder than before. She liked it. She threw her head back, narrowly missing the concrete. I put my hand there to cushion her head as she let her eyes flutter closed.
“Erik…I’m…”
I continued thrusting into her, feeling my release building more and more. I’d wanted this for so long. We’d been circling around one another, playing games and waging war, but this was what we’d wanted, this more than anything else. When her pussy clenched around me, I nearly lost it, but I was too consumed with her, too busy watching her lips part and a flush coat her skin from her navel to nose. God, she was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen.
When she came, I felt it. She orgasmed with her entire body, clenching around me so tight I felt a growl building in my chest. Her nails dug into my shoulders, her mouth dropped open, her eyes squeezed closed, and then she was whimpering my name.
“Erik…ERIK.”
I kept pounding into her, skin slapping against skin, and just as her nails eased up on my shoulders, I started to come, whispering her name against her lips as I buried myself so deep in her she’d feel it for days. I jerked and groaned, coming for so long I nearly blacked out.
After, I stayed right there against her, inside her, our heavy breaths blending together in the hazy alley until I could finally pry my eyes open. She was watching me, curious, as I caught my breath.
