by Ella Jade
“I doubt it. They each had their own thing going.” He chuckled. The deepness of his laugh matched him to perfection, his voice too.
“I know! I can’t believe how Maureen cut loose.”
“Or Blaine. He sure is obsessed with his weather app. It was good to see him talk to a human…a female.” Wade’s smile had her heart bouncing all over the place.
“And the woman was the redheaded lady’s friend! Did you see them? I swear I nearly died when that one woman started rubbing your arm. Does that happen often?”
“For Blaine? I’d bet no,” Wade said.
“True, but you know what I’m talking about.” She had him stirred. He shifted his pale blue eyes to the darkness on the opposite side of the field.
She’d searched Wade’s name on the internet the night he’d been a jerk in the field house and found out that less than a year ago he was one of the most celebrated college football players in the nation. Blog posts, including detailed discussions in the comments, were dedicated to his athleticism, and national sports magazines had done articles on his physical prowess, his strength. Several photos popped up from social media of him with different women. He was quite the ladies’s man.
“Wade?”
He caught her gaze, regarded her for a moment. “All I ever wanted to do was play football.” Wade bagged his unfinished food, pushed it to the side, then kicked his legs out in front of him. Crossing his ankles, he leaned back on the pads of his hands. “I’ve worked out every day for the past eight years. I’ve run drill after drill to increase my speed, expand my jump, to quicken my feet and hands. Everyone expects me to go pro…”
His candor surprised Rebecca. Up until tonight he’d been distant. She kept an eye on him, taking a sip of the beer she snuck from the bar when they left. He was the most gorgeous man she’d ever seen in person.
“Does football make you happy?” she asked.
“No one’s ever asked me that.”
“Does it?”
He frowned, glaring. “It’s my life.”
“Isn’t it only a game though?”
“As much fun as this has been, it’s time to go.” Wade got to his feet. He held out a hand. “Are you coming?”
Rebecca stared at his hand then back to his eyes. She stood on her own, didn’t need his help. Why wouldn’t he answer? She asked the question again. “Isn’t football only a game?”
His jaw clenched tight, worked from side to side, and he took off toward the parking lot without another word.
She watched him exit the field, followed his shadowy figure as it disappeared through the gate. Unbelievable! From chatty to silent within seconds, and women have a reputation of being moody.
Rebecca grabbed their food trash from the ground and stuffed it in a bin on her way to his truck. She should have driven her own vehicle instead of taking a cab to the bar. What was she thinking? She should’ve gone home. The guy was exhausting, and two years younger. She didn’t need to know him, she’d been fine before him, had her own life plan, so what did she care?
She went through the dark tunnel leading to the ticket office. Pushing for more than friends with Wade was off the table, which made perfect sense given they were co-workers. And then there was her nephew. She needed to spend every second possible with him.
“You scare the hell out of me, Becks.” She jumped at the sound of Wade’s voice. His figure appeared as a silhouette in the moonlight. He stood at the end of the short concrete hallway. His arms were outstretched, his hands pressed against opposite walls. “And because of that, I should leave you alone. I should skip town and never look back, but each time the thought crosses my mind, something in my chest twists and I can’t catch my breath.”
“Wade.” Rebecca shook her head, dumfounded. “Don’t.”
“Because you feel nothing for me? If that’s true, I’m out and I’ll never bother you again.” He dropped his arms, moved closer.
“No. I don’t know.” Her mind swirled from his confession. She couldn’t look away.
“You do or you don’t, Rebecca?” Wade stepped into her space, leaving an arm’s reach between them, and she caved to what she’d wanted all along.
Rebecca grabbed his shirt. Fisting the material, she tugged him close. He cupped her head with his hands and guided her mouth to his. Their lips crashed hard, parting at the same time. A thousand zings buzzed under her skin. Her heartbeat amplified and swished in her ears. She went up on her toes, latched her arms around his neck, and before she realized it Wade was picking her up and her legs hugged his waist.
Maneuvering them, he pressed her back against a wall then abandoned her mouth. His lips assaulted the sensitive skin of her neck, kissing, ravaging. She lost her breath, gasped for more. She’d waited a long time for this, to have a man back in her life.
“Wade.” Her voice trembled, and she struggled to steady her words. “What are we doing?”
He laughed and kissed her forehead before resting his there. “What we should’ve done four weeks ago.”
“Are you hitting on me?” Rebecca grinned and kissed him fully on the lips, happy to finally be in his arms.
His eyes lit up with a smile. “Without a doubt.”
* * * *
“This is right,” Rebecca whispered, nodding. “I want this.”
The movement of her mouth against his ear sent electricity ricocheting down his spine. Wade shivered and drew his head back to stare at her face.
From her bright green eyes to the tiny scar on her chin, he couldn’t get enough. Her bottom lip, somewhat swollen from kissing, called to him, and he took the flesh between his teeth, dragging slowly until it popped free. She shuddered against him. Her thighs tightened around his waist, and she clenched his shirt at his shoulders. The slight rock of her hips nearly undid him. He wanted her, had since the first day he’d seen her.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
Rebecca nodded, her chest heaving in sync with his. She laughed and placed her palms on each side of his face. “The sooner the better.”
“Now?” He grinned, making sure to raise his right eyebrow as high as it would go.
She kept her hands in place and kissed him again. “Now.”
Wade shifted from the wall and, still holding her, he fumbled with the doorknob to the concession stand, saying a silent thank you when it opened. The room was pitch-black, but his vision quickly adjusted to the soft red glow of the exit sign above the door. He couldn’t believe what was happening, couldn’t fathom why this woman, this perfect specimen, wanted him.
Rebecca tugged at the hem of his shirt and stripped him of it, her hands leaving little sizzles of heat everywhere they touched.
“Becks…”
She answered him with a hushed groan and covered his mouth with hers. Pushing back for an instant, she tossed her top away then crashed against him skin to skin. He tangled his fingers in her hair. Giving her locks a tug, he cocked her head just so, and in one long stroke licked her neck from collarbone to chin.
Keeping her close with one arm, he swept across the center island with the other. Metal utensils clattered to the floor as he sat Rebecca in their place. He gripped the cold, metal edge of the table on either side of her legs and took a few deep breaths. This was real; their connection, the twinge in his chest when she wasn’t around and then when she was, this thing, these feelings never happened before. Of all the women he’d been with in the past, there was nothing between them but good times and sex. Why her? Why now?
“Hey.” Rebecca’s sweet voice pulled him from his reverie. She ran the palms of her hands up his arms, across his shoulders, and the length of his neck, stopping with her thumbs caressing his jawline. She tilted his head up, didn’t speak until their gaze was met. “You’re shaking.”
“I told you, you scare the hell out of me.” Wade flashed a facetious grin and snapped out of the pussyfied moment. Grabbing her knees, he pushed them open, then captured her hips and dragged her to the edge of the table.<
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Letting out a quick squeal, Rebecca kissed him hard on the mouth. When she met his eyes the intensity in them held his gaze as she wiggled out of her jeans. He grasped her thighs the moment they were free and bent down to trace the lace of her bra with his lips. The light floral scent of her skin intoxicated his nerves. He shook off the dizziness, and using unbearable control, allowed his tongue to dive between her plump little mounds. The taste of her skin sent him over the edge. His restraint crumbled, and he yanked down the cups of her bra. He took a handful of soft flesh in each hand, thumbing the pebbled nipple of the left while his mouth feasted on the right. The need to sample every inch of her was all too consuming. He swapped sides and took her other breast into his mouth.
Rebecca raked her hands along his back and gave him a slight push once she reached his shoulders. “Here,” she said. Breathing heavy, she grabbed the button of his jeans and unfastened them. “These need to be off.”
Wade’s libido went into overdrive and he plucked a condom from his wallet before kicking his pants out of the way. He rolled it on and kissed her lips, scooting her closer to the edge of the table. She nodded consent then wrapped her arms completely around his neck as he pushed inside, sending a jolt of heat straight to his balls. He stilled, the tight walls of her pussy felt better than he’d imagined.
“Wade,” Rebecca whimpered. She rocked her hips, moaning “Wade, please.”
He pulled nearly all the way out and thrust inside her again and again. Faster. Harder. Her gasps of delight encouraged each stroke. When Rebecca cried out in release, Wade’s knees went weak. His pulse raced, and he couldn’t catch his breath as his own orgasm ripped through his body.
* * * *
Rebecca slipped on her top and glanced at Wade. He was propped against the island bar, shirtless, with his pants still unfastened, and following her every move. She shivered, couldn’t believe what she’d done, what they’d done. And in a high school football field concession stand no less.
“You’re staring.” she said.
“You’re kind of beautiful, so...” He grinned, arching an eyebrow.
She laughed nervously. What was he thinking, standing there half-naked saying things that didn’t matter? Hadn’t he gotten all he wanted? “Don’t say that.”
“Why not? I mean it.”
Determined to appear strong and not the slightest bit taken with him, Rebecca grabbed Wade’s shirt from the floor and tossed it at him. “We both know you don’t. It’s fine. I’m fine.”
“What did I do?” He pulled the shirt on, his voice a mixture of hurt and confusion.
She disregarded his concern, her nerves at war. “Nothing.” She shook her head. “We’ve, you know…done all we can do.”
“I’m not finished with you, Becks.” Wade smiled big, scooped her up, and somehow swung her around so she was on his back. Her legs came around his waist and he hooked his arms through her knees. “You ready for a hike?”
She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, feeling both ridiculous and excited. “We can’t hike. It’s the middle of the night.”
“Can you think of a better time?” He strolled out the door and toward the parking lot. “I’ve been taking this trail for about a week now. It’ll be fine in the dark, besides the terrain isn’t bad.”
“You know I can walk.”
He gently squeezed her calves. “Yeah, but what if you slip and fall?”
“I’ll get back up.”
“And if you get hurt?”
“I’ll be fine,” she said.
He stopped, leaned his head back, and looked at her from the corner of his eye. “I’ll put you down if you want.”
The light, musky scent encasing him sent shivers across her skin. She shook her head ‘no’ then rested her forehead on the back of his neck. What had she gotten herself into?
“Good.” He began ambling along the path. “I like you close.”
They traveled a while before she wiggled her way off of him, worried she might start getting heavy. He protested, but she blew off the objection with a laugh and looked up at the stars. “I never knew this trail was here. The sky is gorgeous.”
“Just wait.” He threaded his fingers through hers, kissed her on the top of the head, and guided her further down the way. “This view is nothing.”
Did he realize how true that statement was?
From the placement of each step to the subtle swagger of his broad shoulders, each movement was controlled and smooth. His thick, muscled thighs bulged as he walked, and in all of her life she’d never seen anything as perfectly formed as Wade McKinney’s ass. How inappropriate would it be to grab a handful? Surely not at all since half an hour ago his hands had touched every part of her.
“Here it is.” Wade turned around, forcing her to stop short. Her eyes were level with his chest, and an image of his bare pecs and abs shot a bolt of heat straight between her legs. She forced her eyes up to meet his. He flicked her necklace. “This trail is more rugged.”
“And you think I can’t handle it?”
“If I thought you couldn’t handle it, I wouldn’t have brought you here.” Wade stared at her for a long moment. His gaze sent tremors down her spine. “Are you ready?”
“Depends.” She smiled at the way he kept tightening and releasing his grip on her hand. “If this is a grand scheme to lure me into the woods and take me hostage, then no, I’m not ready.”
He shrugged a shoulder and chuckled. “I’ve met my quota on abductions this month.”
“I’m so relieved,” she said, even though being taken by him probably wouldn’t be terrible.
The trail he took her on had more of a slope than the first one, and with more overgrowth and larger rocks, it was obvious there was far less foot traffic. But when they got to the end, she couldn’t understand why more people hadn’t made the short journey. The wooded path opened up to a small clearing that overlooked the town. She let go of Wade’s hand, stepping closer to the edge in wonder. The streetlights mirroring the stars yielded soft glows reminiscent of small halos. The homes and buildings looked like miniature models glued together and strategically placed. It was breathtaking.
She scanned the town, found the vicinity of her neighborhood, and spotted her home. Guilt slapped her in the chest the instant she saw the house. Forgetting wasn’t something she ever did, but since she’d closed the taxi door in the parking lot of the bar, they had slipped her mind. The night had taken her away. Wade had taken her away.
“What time is it?” she asked.
He attempted to wrap her in his arms, but she shoved him off and started down the trail. It didn’t matter if it was the weekend. She needed to go home. She’d walk if she had to.
“What are you doing?” The distress in his voice stole her breath, but she kept moving and didn’t look back. “Rebecca!”
She stumbled on a loose rock and caught herself hard with her hands. The pain shooting through them didn’t compare to the agony filling her soul. Rebecca jumped to her feet and tried to run, but she was stopped by Wade.
His arm cinched her waist from behind, and he pulled her in tight against his stomach. “What’s going on?”
“Let me go, Wade.” She twisted out of his grasp and continued to the parking lot. The second she’d seen him at the bar she’d known she would fail to keep her promise.
“Why are you doing this?” He was right behind her. She sped up. “Rebecca!”
“I have to go home.” Remorse washed through her. If she had any tears left, she would cry. If she looked at Wade, if she caught a glimpse of his blue eyes, she would stay.
“Becks!” Wade grabbed the bend of her arm and twirled her around to face him. He tightened his jaw, sounding anxious as he spoke. “Where are you going?”
She closed her eyes and sighed, not wanting to discuss the issue further. “I have to get home.”
Chapter 5
Wade pulled the truck into Rebecca’s driveway and cut the lights. She’d bee
n staring out the window since they’d left the parking lot, and he figured she would dart inside the second the vehicle stopped but she didn’t move. The sudden change in her had to be regret, guilt for being with him while she was seeing someone else. He cringed and white-knuckled the steering wheel. “The guy you’re seeing will never know.”
A cheerless laugh fell from her lips, and she shook her head, then finally looked at him. “I’m not seeing anyone, Wade.”
He shrugged, tried to seem unconcerned, collected. He failed and frowned. What bullshit. “A few weeks ago you were talking about a date with some dude you see every day.”
Rebecca pulled her brows in tight, her lips slightly parted. “I’m not a cheater. I’ve never been unfaithful to anyone.”
“Then what! What am I supposed to think? You put the idea in my head.”
“So I was a challenge? Something to conquer, something you knew wouldn’t be long-term because you thought I belonged to someone else?”
“No!” He pinched the bridge of his nose, taking deep, steady breaths. “God knows I’ve tried to avoid you, Becks. But every time I turn around you’re there.”
“Let me make it easy for you.” Rebecca was out of the truck and slamming the door before he registered what she’d said. She rushed down the sidewalk leading to the front porch.
Wade bailed from the vehicle, dashed ahead of her, and stopped. He grasped her arms right below each shoulder. When she looked up to meet his eyes, he was shocked by the concentrated sadness. Her pain was deep, far more profound than what his comments caused, and the unyielding rush to absorb it all, to take it away for her, consumed him.
“What’s going on, Rebecca?”
“My life is chaos right now. I smile for the camera at work and nearly everything I do while I’m there is an act. I go through the motions, trying to stay focused and doing my best not to fall apart.” She shook her head, took a deep breath, and pushed back to look at him, letting out a short laugh. “Maybe I am a bit of a basket case after all. I never take time for myself, and look what happens when I do.”
