Going For It (Texas Titans #7)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “She’d better not.” Kiara forced full breaths in and out, trying to get her heart rate to return to normal, before she turned to Blaise. “Thank you for coming with me. That was so sweet of you.”

  “You really think I would’ve let you drive in your condition? Not a chance, girl.”

  It had been a long time since Kiara had been with a man who wanted to take care of her, and longer still since she’d entertained the possibility of letting someone be her strong shoulder to lean on. “I’m sorry we were sidetracked on our way to my place. I was really looking forward to…” She didn’t finish, thinking he might think she was terrible for letting her mind go there while her friend was in a hospital bed just a few feet away.

  “You heard Dylan,” Blaise said, winking. “Sabrina won’t be here all that long. If you’re still game, we can head back to your place when we leave here?”

  “I’d love to.” She debated whether to tell him that she was falling for him in a way she hadn’t expected. Ever since they’d made love, she couldn’t stop thinking about him, which terrified and thrilled her. She wanted to fall in love, to develop a solid relationship with a man she could trust, but she hadn’t expected her feelings for him to evolve so quickly.

  “Tell me what’s goin’ on in that pretty little head of yours,” he said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “It seems there’s somethin’ you wanna say, and I’m not gonna lie, judging by that look in your eye, I’m anxious to hear it.”

  He could already read her thoughts? That could either be a really good thing or a really bad thing, depending on how open she chose to be with him. “I was just thinking that you—”

  “Sorry to interrupt guys,” Dylan said, looking sheepish. “If you still want to see Sabrina, the doctor just left, Kiara.”

  “Oh.” She blushed when she realized she’d been so engrossed in Blaise she hadn’t even heard Dylan approach. “I do, thank you.” She squeezed Blaise’s hand. “I’ll be back in a few, then we can head out.”

  “Take your time. I’m not goin’ anywhere.”

  Chapter Six

  Dylan sat beside Blaise while Kiara made her way to Sabrina’s room. “Sorry to interrupt your evening. Sabrina asked me to call Kiara, you know, in case…” He didn’t let himself finish the thought, scraping a hand over his face.

  It had taken a while, but Blaise considered Dylan a friend. He knew how much the babies Dylan’s fiancée was carrying meant to him. They’d talked about it numerous times at the gym and when they met for drinks at High Rollers.

  “Hey,” Blaise said, gripping Dylan’s shoulder. “You don’t have to apologize. I’m glad we could be here.”

  “Thanks, man.” Dylan shook his head. “I worry about her. She’s pushing herself so hard at work, planning the wedding, and now getting the nursery ready. I think she’s taking on too much.”

  “Face it, your woman’s a force of nature. Nothing’s gonna slow her down.” Blaise meant it as a joke, but it was true, and he couldn’t blame his friend for being concerned. He would have felt the same way in his position.

  “You’re right about that.” Dylan sighed, as though he’d resigned himself to the fact that he just had to take it day-by-day with his bride-to-be. “Looks like it’s getting serious with you and Kiara.”

  “I’d like to think so.” Blaise stared at the door she’d passed through. “She has issues, but so do I. I’m not expecting it to happen overnight, but I think I can earn her trust.”

  “Hey, I’ve known Kiara a long time. She’s just looking for a good man who’ll be honest with her.” He gave Blaise a cursory glance. “You seem to fit the bill. Just treat her right, and you won’t have any problems.”

  Blaise recognized a veiled warning when he heard one, or maybe that was just his conscience weighing in, since there was so much Kiara still didn’t know about his past. “I know you and Sabrina were friends a long time before y’all hooked up, but…” Blaise didn’t want to alert Dylan to the fact that he had skeletons he’d rather keep buried, but he had to know whether he was crazy to think he could keep Kiara in the dark forever. “Would you say there’re things about you she still doesn’t know?”

  Dylan quirked an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

  Blaise already regretted bringing it up. He didn’t want Dylan to question whether he was the right man for Kiara. “You know, things in your past you’re not proud of. Girls you’ve been with, mistakes you’ve made.”

  Dylan laughed. “Man, I was a pro football player. Sabrina isn’t naïve. She knows there are things she doesn’t know and things she wouldn’t want to know.”

  That made Blaise feel a little better. “Then you don’t think it’s bad to keep your woman in the dark about your exes?”

  “That depends,” Dylan said, looking thoughtful. “Are you thinking of someone specific?”

  “Kind of.” Blaise hadn’t thought about Marla in months, but with Kiara working with Morin, he knew the whole sordid story could come to light. He didn’t want it to lessen her opinion of him.

  “Is she still in the picture?”

  “No, I haven’t talked to her in a long while.”

  “Do you still have feelings for her?” Dylan asked, crossing his arms.

  “Hell no, it wasn’t like that. Marla was just a girl I was seeing for a while. Nothing serious.”

  Dylan smirked. “There’s obviously a story there. If there weren’t, you wouldn’t have brought her up.”

  “She was, uh, married.” He was ashamed to admit it. Sleeping with a married woman went against everything he believed in. “I didn’t know it at the time.”

  “Hmmm.” Dylan seemed to consider Blaise’s dilemma. “And you’re wondering if you should tell Kiara?”

  “I’m crazy about Kiara, and I don’t wanna screw this up.” He felt like such a girl, talking about his feelings, but Dylan’s friendship with Kiara made him the perfect person to help him sort things out. “But I’m not gonna lie—I’m worried. We don’t know each other all that well yet, and I can’t help but think it might change her feelings if she found out about Marla.” Blaise didn’t feel comfortable sharing any more of the story in the middle of a hospital waiting room, or at all for that matter, but he hoped he’d given Dylan enough to allow him to weigh in.

  “Because she was married?” Dylan wasn’t stupid. He obviously sensed there was more.

  “Well, yeah.”

  “I’d say go with your gut. Kiara’s a pretty understanding girl. She’s definitely not someone I’d describe as judgmental.”

  “Good to know.”

  “That’s not to say I’d rush in and tell her all your deepest, darkest secrets,” Dylan said cautiously. “I think you need to give it time. Let the relationship evolve. If y’all are getting closer, if things are getting serious and it feels right, tell her about your past.”

  Blaise knew he’d hate it if she kept major secrets from him, but he would lose the best thing that had ever happened to him if Kiara decided he had too much baggage. “Thanks for the advice, buddy. I appreciate it.”

  “No problem.”

  Blaise stood when Kiara walked back into the waiting room. Their eyes met, and he swore he stopped breathing for a second. No question about it. He was falling. Hard.

  ***

  Kiara just wanted to put the day behind her. Between her meeting with Morin, Eli’s surprise visit, her talk with Blaise at dinner, and Sabrina’s scare, she was exhausted. They’d decided to go to Blaise’s place instead of hers so they could take advantage of his hot tub. They were immersed in hot water and enjoying a glass of wine under a blanket of stars.

  She tipped her head back and sighed. “I could get used to this.” She wanted to clamp her hand over her mouth as soon as the words slipped out. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she was being presumptuous.

  He laughed. “Why’ve you got that deer-in-the-headlights look, girl?”

  “I just…” She closed her eyes as she wrestled with the
mortification that came with telling him the truth. “I don’t want you to think I’m assuming this will become a habit.”

  “Why wouldn’t it?” He looked confused. “I usually cap off the night in the hot tub. It helps with all those stiff muscles.”

  “Yeah, I know what you mean,” she said, grateful he seemed willing to let her off the hook. Sitting up, she rolled her shoulders. “I skipped my massage this week, and I’ve never needed one more. This is definitely helping.”

  “I’ve been told I have pretty strong hands,” he said, flexing his fingers as he gave her a sexy grin.

  “I’ll bet.” But she didn’t want to think about how many women he’d pleasured with those strong hands. She wanted to pretend they were the only two people in the world, and it wasn’t that difficult in his backyard, enjoying the complete silence in the dark.

  “Come here,” he said, his voice husky.

  He didn’t have to ask her twice. She set her wine glass aside and climbed into his lap.

  He chuckled as his hands roamed up and down her back before he planted a moist kiss on her collarbone. “As much as I love this, it wasn’t quite what I had in mind. Turn around.”

  She smiled, wiggling in his lap just enough to make him groan. “That works for me too.”

  He flashed her a naughty smile. “Get your mind out of the gutter, woman. I was just offering a massage.”

  She pouted, but not before turning her back to him. “I can get a massage from Isaac. I was hoping for a little more than that from you.”

  His grip on her hips tightened as he positioned her on his thighs, carefully avoiding his burgeoning erection. “Who in the hell is Isaac?”

  Kiara would never admit it to him, but his possessiveness gave her a little thrill. She was used to seeing women flirt with him at the gym, and she routinely had to fight the urge to mark her territory. It was nice to know she wasn’t the only one who’d been bitten by the green-eyed monster. “He’s my massage therapist.”

  “Oh, hell no.” Blaise dropped his head against her back. “You’re not gonna tell me I have to get used to the idea of some other dude puttin’ his hands all over you, are you?”

  She looked over her shoulder, giving him a saucy grin. “There’s nothing sexual about it. He’s just doing his job.”

  “I’m a guy, okay? If this Isaac dude is straight, there’s no way he’s not getting hard rubbing you down.”

  Isaac was a good friend. He had admitted to getting aroused a few times with female clients, her included, but she knew he was too much of a professional to ever do or say anything inappropriate.

  “So what if he is?” she asked, gripping his thighs. God, his body feels like it’s sculpted from steel. “I’m not interested in him.”

  “Oh yeah?”

  He didn’t sound convinced, so she took his big hands and guided them to her breasts. “Turns out I’ve got my hands full already.”

  Sounding amused, he asked, “Is that so?” as he tweaked her nipples.

  “Mmm hmm.” She inched up, grinding his lap, hoping to convince him she needed something much more than a massage. “I’ve heard sex is a great stress reliever, even better than a massage.” She hoped her playfulness would help vanquish his doubts.

  “I’m willing to put that to the test.” He gripped her hips. “Later, much later. First, I intend to take my time enjoying your beautiful body.”

  Her tension melted away under his expert touch. She never would have guessed someone who’d used his hands to inflict so much pain could also use them for such intense pleasure. Of course, after last night, she shouldn’t be surprised.

  She tipped her head back as he kneaded her lower back. “This feels incredible. I could stay here all night.”

  Blaise worked his way up her back, his body letting her know in no uncertain terms that he had other plans for her. “I’m glad you’re enjoying it. I aim to please.”

  She realized he was doing everything in his power to please her. It had been a long time since she’d been with a man who made her feel so cherished. “I never pegged you for a romantic,” She said, though the flowers he’d sent her numerous times over the past couple of months, coupled with the scenes he’d set last night and tonight, and the trip he’d arranged for her birthday told her otherwise.

  “There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.” His voice rumbled against her back as he pressed his chest against her.

  His delicious nearness made her shiver.

  He closed his arms around her, obviously mistaking her arousal for a chill. “You want to go inside?”

  “No.” She repositioned her body, turning to face him. “Um, Blaise…” She’d wanted to suggest this last night, but wasn’t sure how he would respond. “I get the shot, you know, for birth control.”

  “Good to know,” he said, kissing her shoulder.

  “How would you feel about…” She’d never considered this before and didn’t know how a man like Blaise would feel about her proposition. Would he be appalled she’d even entertain such an idea? But she thought it was the perfect time to suggest it, given their submergence in water. “Going without a condom? I mean, assuming you’ve been tested. I have and—”

  “In my line of work, you have to be tested,” he interjected. “I’m clean.”

  “Oh, good.” Kiara held her breath while she waited for his answer. It required a certain level of trust on both of their parts, and his silence made her question whether she was asking too much of him too soon in their relationship. “Um, well, we can think about it and decide if—”

  He brushed his lips across hers, rendering her silent, before his tongue breeched her mouth. He twirled his tongue around hers, leading her in an erotic dance that lit her body on fire.

  “I want you,” he whispered. His hot breath fanned her cheek. “Just like this. I want to feel all of you. I want you to take all of me.”

  Kiara couldn’t remember ever being so turned on just by a whispered promise, but the rasp of his voice as his fingers bit into her flesh told her how hard it was for him to contain himself. The knowledge of his raw power awoke something primal in her. “Don’t hold back with me.” Her eyes locked with his as she slowly lowered herself on his hard shaft. “I want to see the real you.”

  He looked taken aback. He held his breath, waiting until she was fully seated before breathing again. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”

  Kiara felt her desire bloom with intense edginess and excitement. Her nails clawed his shoulders as she rode him, panting as he met her thrusts. His words echoed through her head while his body answered her plea for pleasure.

  You don’t know what you’re asking.

  She’d watched boxing matches and knew those men became violent brutes inside that ring. She suddenly wanted to watch him release that fierce intensity on her, focused solely on mutual gratification instead of destruction. She licked the stubble masking his jaw. “Show me. Show me how crazy you can get, Blaise. What happens when you lose control?” A spiral of fear snaked through her, almost overshadowing her anticipation. Am I crazy to unleash this beast?

  When she felt herself retreating into fear, his hands closed around her face. “I would never hurt you.”

  She closed her eyes, pressing her forehead against his. He’d said exactly what she needed to hear, putting her irrational fears to rest. “I know. I trust you.”

  “I’m falling in love with you, Kiara.”

  His words were coupled with the most sensual grinding of his hips, hurling her into the throes of an orgasm she hadn’t seen coming. He’d blindsided her, both with his claim and his intuitive understanding of her body. She didn’t think about her response as she expressed exactly what she felt in that moment. “I’m falling in love with you too… the way you make me feel.”

  He answered with a guttural moan and a thunderous explosion of vigor that swept her away. He thrust hard, taking her deep and demanding her surrender until he was the one lost in an explosion that had them
both filling the silence with sensual promises and pleas.

  ***

  Blaise was in love. While he’d had little experience with the emotion, he knew what Kiara had inspired in him could only be described as love. Listening to her sing along to a Miranda Lambert song in the shower made him smile. The thought of what they’d shared last night made him hot. Imagining a future with her stirred a sense of longing unlike anything he’d ever felt. He wanted more. He wanted her. Maybe forever.

  She was the perfect woman. Whether she was too good for him or not seemed irrelevant because she loved him. She’d said so last night and again when she’d woken up in his arms, and she wasted no time straddling him to prove those were more than words. She showed him in the way her body moved over his, the way her eyes captured and held his. She meant it. She was his.

  His cell phone rang, pulling him out of his daydream. As he turned the bacon in the skillet, he considered ignoring it, since it was a private caller. But he thought he’d better answer in case it was one of his employees calling in sick. “Hello.”

  “Blaise?”

  He’d know that voice anywhere—his brother. His heart thundered as he said, “Rowan? Is that you?”

  “I know you told me not to bother you again…” He cleared his throat. “But man, I’ve been tryin’ real hard to clean up my act. I was hoping you’d be willing to see me? I don’t want anything from you, I just… miss you.”

  Blaise closed his eyes, fighting an internal battle. He wanted to see his brother again. He’d missed him too, but it wasn’t the first time he’d heard those words. “Where are you?”

  “Not far from your gym.”

  So Rowan had been keeping tabs on him, probably following his career. He wasn’t surprised. “I’ll be at work in about an hour. We can meet there.”

  “Sounds good. Thanks, Blaise.”

  “Rowan, don’t make me regret this.” He disconnected the call just as Kiara slipped her arms around him from behind. “Hey, baby.” He kissed her hand. “Hope you’re hungry.”