Full Court Seduction

by Synithia Williams

  Her head fell back, the sensations almost too much to handle, definitely too much to feel and watch. Just before she exploded he pulled back.

  “No, don’t stop,” she pleaded.

  He dug into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a condom, then pushed them down and kicked them off the side. “Now you’re ready.”

  He quickly covered himself. Slowly he brought the full length of his body over hers. Taking his length in his hand he slowly eased into her, not once breaking eye contact.

  Danielle gasped, and her nails dug into the hard muscles of his shoulders. She remembered this. The stretch to accept every thick inch of him. The fullness no one else could match. Except tonight was infinitely better. Then he’d driven her to new heights quickly. Hard and fast and over much too soon. Tonight his strokes were slow. Measured.

  “Harder, Jacobe,” she begged. “Harder.”

  He pushed deeper, pulling her legs up so he could fill her more. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head.

  “Look at me.” The deep command washed over her, leaving no room for argument, and she complied. “Who’s in you? Who’s making you feel this?”

  As if she would ever forget. “You, Jacobe. Oh, my God, you feel so good inside of me.”

  Her legs tightened around his waist. Her hips lifted to meet each one of his thrusts. He groaned, buried his face in her neck and took her to a place of pleasure she didn’t think anyone else would ever carry her to again.

  Chapter 11

  He didn’t stay.

  Something about early practice and preparation for the final games before the play-offs. He left her place at two in the morning with a quick kiss and the promise to call her later that day. She understood. A small corner of her mind realized he did have practice and his reasons for leaving were legitimate. The majority of her brain remembered the last time he’d said he would call and she wondered if she was about to be left behind again.

  She buried herself in work and even went out to collect samples with the interns instead of sitting in the office doing work that wouldn’t keep her mind occupied enough to not think of Jacobe. When Debra asked her out for drinks after work, she said yes and tried not to think about Jacobe not calling. She must have done a decent-enough job of hiding her fears because Debra didn’t ask about Jacobe and Danielle didn’t bring him up.

  When she pulled up to her house after happy hour and saw Jacobe standing on her porch with his cell phone in his hand, she admitted she was way too happy and relieved to see him.

  He looked up and smiled at her when she parked beside his sports car.

  “Waiting on me?”

  “I was just about to call you.”

  She had an overwhelming urge to hug him when she walked up to him. Was that something they did now? This was why she didn’t do the casual hookup. She hated the freak-out over the boundaries when she’d already seen the guy naked.

  Jacobe solved her inner debate by wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her against the heat of his body. Her arms wrapped around his waist, and when he kissed the top of her head she had to suppress a huge grin.

  “You’re here to get the kayak, right?” she said after she drew back.

  “To hell with the kayak.” He pulled her back into his arms and kissed her.

  She let her worries about him not staying and the questions about what they were to each other rest. She liked their current space.

  “You taste fruity,” he said against her lips.

  “Strawberry daiquiri,” she said.

  “Hmm.” He kissed her again. “Strawberry-flavored Danielle. I like it,” he whispered in her ear. His lips tugged at the delicate lobe, then he groaned and pulled back. “I don’t like these earrings. They’re in my way.”

  She lifted her hand to the earrings. “Hey, don’t insult my jewelry. It’s not the earrings’ fault you’re trying to nibble on my ear on my front porch.”

  She turned to pull out her keys and unlock the door.

  “I’m going to toss out all long, dangly earrings that keep me from doing just that,” he said.

  She stepped through the threshold. Jacobe wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her back against him. He kissed her neck. When he touched her ear, she slapped his hand. “No throwing away my earrings.”

  “What if I keep replacing them with things like this?” he said, motioning with his other hand. She recognized the box that held the necklace he’d bought at the auction.

  “You shouldn’t have gotten me that.”

  “You want me to give it to someone else.” He pulled his hand back.

  Danielle grabbed his wrist. “I said you shouldn’t have. That doesn’t mean I don’t want it.” She’d fallen in love with that necklace the second she’d seen it.

  “Hold your hair up.”

  She smiled and pulled her hair off her neck for him to fasten it. When he finished he flicked her earring with his finger. “The blue does kind of match your earrings.”

  The earrings were made of copper wire with small blue pearls. “They were a gift, too.” She turned to face him.

  His brows rose. “Who gave them to you?”

  “This guy I dated.”

  She could feel the sudden tension take over his body. “Must have been serious for him to give you jewelry.”

  “You’ve already given me jewelry that’s much more expensive than these earrings. Are we serious?”

  “Was this the college boyfriend? The one you got over me with?”

  Her head jerked back. “What? I didn’t get over you with him. We started dating the year after you left and stayed together until after graduation. I didn’t need a rebound after our one-night stand.”

  “So then it was serious. You two were together for three years.”

  “That was years ago.”

  “Then why do you still have the earrings he gave you?”

  She touched the earrings. “Because I like them.”

  “Or because you still care.”

  “Oh, my God, are you seriously going to be that guy?” She pushed around him and marched into her living area.

  His footsteps followed. “What are you talking about?”

  She dropped her purse on the couch and spun to glare at him. “Are you going to be jealous because I still have earrings from a guy I dated years ago?”

  She crossed her arms and raised her chin. They were just earrings, and she didn’t even think about her ex when she wore them. Only when people asked her where she got them from did she bring up that they were a gift. His history with Christy was completely screwed up, but that didn’t mean she would pay for that woman’s mistakes. If they were in this, he’d have to trust her.

  What if he never does?

  The tension left his body. Not in a quick rush, but what appeared to be a slow and deliberate manner. “No. I’m not that guy.”

  She nodded, but the tightness of his voice didn’t really reinforce the words. Changing the subject to something else was their best bet. “I was going to heat up a frozen meal for dinner, but I can order something, instead. If you planned to stick around. Unless you’re too pissed at me now?”

  This time when he relaxed it looked natural. He crossed the room, put his hands on her hips and easily lifted her. “I want to kiss you, not argue.”

  He kissed her, and she wrapped her arms around his neck. All her frustration melted away and the smallest glimmer of optimism filled her again. But when he put her down, his gaze strayed to the earrings again.

  * * *

  Lying in bed naked with Danielle running her fingers across his chest, Jacobe felt he could stay there indefinitely. He’d felt that way a few times hanging with her in college, even when they’d bickered. He’d sometimes think they needed to get past the bu
ll and just admit they wanted each other.

  Except he hadn’t because he’d been with Christy. He thought about the earrings and the guy who’d given them to her.

  He squeezed her shoulder and she tilted her head back to look into his eyes. “Are you still in love with him?”

  Her brows drew together and her fingers froze on his chest. “Who?”

  “The ex that gave you the earrings.”

  She sighed and tried to sit up. “Are you still on that?”

  He stopped her from leaving his embrace. “It’s a fair question.”

  “What Christy did was reprehensible, but I’m not her.”

  “I know that. Believe me I do, but I won’t get involved with you if you still have feelings for someone else. You two were together for three years. I know it’s been a while since you broke up, but I just want to know if anything is still there.”

  Danielle flipped over until her chest rested on top of his. He dropped his hand to cup her backside, then tried to focus on the conversation and not how tempting she was.

  “We were together a long time. Yes, at the time, we thought we were in love.”

  “What happened?”

  “He was offered an amazing opportunity in another state. We tried for a little bit, but things didn’t work out.”

  “If his opportunity was so amazing, why didn’t you go with him?”

  Danielle dropped her eyes to his chest. “The original plan was for me to go, but, like I said, it didn’t work out.”

  “He left you behind.” Debra’s warning stuck in his head.

  “I wouldn’t view it like that. We wanted different things. Even if he’d asked I doubt we would have made it. Too many demands on his end to expect him to have the time for a relationship.”

  He didn’t need to be in her bed right now, but he was. He should be at home resting for tomorrow’s practice. “When you really want to be with someone you find the time to make it work.”

  She smiled and her eyes sparkled like chocolate diamonds. “I appreciate that. But you have a demanding career, too. You should understand.”

  “Does he play sports?”

  She nodded. “He does.”

  “Professionally?”

  “Yeah.” His body stiffened. She must have sensed his thoughts because she shook her head. “Not basketball. He’s a football player.”

  “Who?”

  “Does it matter? You two probably don’t know each other.”

  “The world of professional sports is small. I probably do know him. I could guess if I think of the guys who were drafted from our school.”

  “Luke Kinard,” she said.

  He did know Luke. He was a friend of Isaiah’s and would probably come to a few games if they made the play-offs. Definitely any parties. He wished he hated the guy, but he didn’t. It was hard to dislike Luke. He was one of those all-around good guys, and he was very passionate when it came to being eco-friendly. Just the type of guy Danielle would be with.

  “He’s a nice guy,” he said simply.

  “He is.”

  He had a dozen other questions. Questions that would make him sound paranoid. He was done playing paranoid in relationships. Danielle wasn’t Christy. He would have to try to trust her.

  “Was there anyone else after Christy?” she asked softly.

  He snorted and rubbed his forehead. How could he explain to her that he’d thoroughly enjoyed his love-’em-and-leave-’em life after breaking up with Christy without sounding like a pig? He couldn’t.

  “No.”

  She was silent for a few seconds. “How did your parents take the situation?”

  “My dad died when I was thirteen. Killed by his husband’s lover.”

  Danielle sucked in a breath. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “I thought he was this great guy. He had been great to us. That’s one of the reasons I never cheated on Christy. I saw firsthand the trouble that could come from cheating.” He ran a hand over his face. Danielle was quiet while he let the hurt and anger from that time die down before speaking again. “My mom took what Christy did hard. When I had Jake she said he was the best thing to come from me. When we found out he wasn’t mine, she blamed me for not checking his paternity sooner. We don’t talk much. The only other person who would have cared about how I felt was my granddad, but he’d died the year before. I really wished he would have been there then.”

  “Why?”

  “After my dad died, my granddad would take me bowling every Wednesday night. After a couple of sodas, a basket of cheese fries, and a game or two he’d ask me how I was doing, say I could always come to him, but never pushed me to talk. He knew I was spiraling. Those bowling nights reminded me I had someone who cared. My mom was so angry after my dad was killed, she couldn’t deal with me. I couldn’t understand her anger until after Christy cheated.”

  Though he never would have taken his anger out on Jake. He wouldn’t let any kid of his think they were a burden. If he ever had kids again.

  He glanced at Danielle. The empathy in her eyes was more comforting than any words she could speak. There was nothing anyone could say that would make what happened in his past any easier. Talking to Danielle about it was easier than he’d imagined.

  Her small hand rested on his chest right over his heart. “You’re the man in my life now. If a part of me wanted anyone else I wouldn’t have let you in last night. I promise you my fidelity while we’re together. If you promise me the same.”

  He ran the back of his hand across her cheek. “You’ve already got that. I’ve turned down every woman that’s approached me here and on the road since reconnecting with you.”

  Her brow rose and her lip twisted. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

  “Actually, it is. I haven’t found a woman that I wanted to trust enough to be monogamous with. I’m willing to do that while we’re together.”

  The twist to her lips softened to a small smile. He pulled her up by her waist until her body was completely on top of his. “Now kiss me before I have to get up and go.”

  “You’re not staying the night?”

  He was tempted, but even if he didn’t have practice tomorrow, he wasn’t ready to jump into a relationship with overnight stays. “Practice early.”

  Her smile wavered. He flipped her over onto her back. She giggled, the second of sadness erased from her face. Her laugh and smile made his stomach tighten. He hoped he was right to trust her. He liked her too much to handle being lied to again, which meant he couldn’t let Danielle know how much of his heart she already had in her hands.

  Chapter 12

  Jacobe faked left, and the player guarding him fell for it. Stepping back, he shot the basketball toward the goal from the three-point line. Time slowed to an earthworm crawl as he watched the ball travel. It swooshed through the hoop a millisecond before the game-ending buzzer sounded.

  Several seconds passed before the rush of adrenaline and excitement infiltrated his bloodstream. Jacobe jumped up and pumped his fist. His teammates hurried over and the crowd in the stadium went crazy with cheers. With that shot, he’d just secured the Gators’ place in the play-offs.

  He looked over the heads of the people celebrating around him on the court to the seats behind the bench. Danielle and Debra were both there, jumping up and down and clapping. A month in and he automatically looked for her behind the bench. The high rushing through his system couldn’t be topped. They won, were going to the play-offs, and his girl was there watching.

  He moved with the wave to the side of the court. More hugs and hand slaps with Kevin, Isaiah and the rest of the team. Coach Simpson came over and slapped Jacobe on the back.

  “That’s how you do it!” Coach screamed.

  Jacobe went through t
he quick interviews with the reporters on the side of the court before going back into the locker room. Champagne popped, and people laughed and talked big about how they were going to go all the way in the play-offs.

  “We’re here, but that doesn’t mean we’re guaranteed the championship,” Coach Simpson said. “We’ve built a championship-level team here, let’s keep up the momentum and bring that trophy home.” He looked at Jacobe. “Then come back next year and do it again.”

  Brian and a few other owners had come into the locker room. Brian came over and held out his hand to Jacobe, who was too stoked not to take it.

  “I didn’t think you were committed to the Gators,” Brian said. “I didn’t think you wanted to be in Jacksonville. But the work you’re doing with the River Watchers and how you’re leading this team to the play-offs is changing my mind. If you want to come back I won’t oppose your re-signing.”

  “I appreciate that, Brian. We’ll worry about next season when we get through the play-offs.”

  “Fair enough.” Brian shook his hand again, then went on to talk to the other members of the team.

  Looked like the team owners were over their concerns about his behavior.

  He glanced around the locker room at his teammates. Even though the Gators had been able to win during his suspension, when he’d returned to play he’d increased their shot percentage and the point spread of their wins. Between that and the extra press he got for his endeavors to improve the community, he had no doubts they would want him to re-sign next year. The work they’d done to build up the team and win games filled him with pride. He’d always dreamed big. Would always be proud of what they accomplished.

  Isaiah, Will and Kevin walked over. They were showered and dressed for the postgame interviews, Isaiah in his signature bow tie, Will in a designer T-shirt and jeans, and Kevin in a tailored suit that allowed his arm and neck tattoos to peek out.

  Kevin watched him suspiciously. “What’s up with that look?”