Game Maker

by Lori Ryan

  New game plan. More than one night. Date her. Sleep with her. But don’t get too close. Just fun. Nothing but fun.

  Lily was more than a little shocked at Aiden. She hadn’t expected him to take such an interest in her. Not in her business or her life. She thought they’d spend the evening talking about him and then he’d make every effort to get in her pants before tossing her aside for the next cute girl to smile his way.

  But, that wasn’t at all what he was like.

  They talked about all kinds of things over dinner. He was interested in her life, her work, her family. And, he told her about baseball. Not about his part in it or his fame or how great he was. But, about his love of the sport. He described the way it felt to be in a baseball stadium as a kid. How much he’d loved sitting next to his dad, watching the action play out in front of him as his dad analyzed every play for him, taught him the ins and outs of the game. He told her how much better hot dogs tasted at the stadium than anywhere else in the world, and then talked about what it felt like the first time he walked out onto the field as a player in his first major league game.

  Watching him made her realize it wasn’t the fame he loved or the attention or the money or women. It was the game. And, he still looked as though he loved the game as much as he had sitting next to his dad in the stands as a kid. It was almost magical, really.

  After dessert, they walked around the little neighborhood a bit, and Lily realized how nervous she was with him. He held her hand as they walked, throwing her completely off balance. She almost wished he’d been the jerk she assumed he was, because it would have made it easier to stay away from him. And, for some reason, even though her preconceived notions of him had been shattered, she still knew one thing for certain. He wasn't a guy she could have a future with. He wasn’t someone who wanted to get married, settle down, and raise a family.

  A big part of her knew this was a really good reason to walk away. But, an equally big part seemed drawn to him. She began to wonder if maybe it wasn’t time to just let herself have fun for once. After all, she’d dated those guys who wanted to settle down and where had that gone? Heck, Craig had only wanted her to be another rung in the ladder to a coveted partnership at his law firm. She saw a lot of parallels between Aiden and Craig. Both seemed single minded in their ambition to succeed, to be the best at what they did. And, both had reasons to want a pretty girl on their arm, but not someone who would have demands or needs. Just a showpiece.

  She hadn’t known that going in with Craig and it had hurt like hell to find out. But, maybe knowing was half the battle. Maybe knowing what Aiden could and couldn’t give her, knowing it couldn't be anything other than sex, would make it different. Why shouldn't she just have fun with him, if that’s what she wanted?

  So, when Aiden turned to her and told her almost apologetically, “I can’t make any promises, Lily. I can’t give you anything permanent. Nothing down the road. No future. Just a fling for however long it lasts,” she shrugged and smiled at him.

  “A fling it is, then,” she said and sucked in a deep breath before standing on tiptoes to press her mouth to his.

  Because she wanted more of that kiss he’d given her the other day. And, screw it. Why not? Why should she always have to be the good girl? She could be the bad girl just once in her life and have a fun time, right?

  That was as far as her thoughts got before his kiss overtook her completely and all thoughts fled her mind.

  Aiden’s arms came around her, hard as steel as he pulled her in close, pressing her body to his. She hadn’t realized he had walked them back around to her apartment complex until he pulled her into the stairwell and started them up the stairs to her place on the third floor.

  With the number of stops they took along the way, the two-minute trip up the stairs took more like twenty and she was breathless when they reached her door.

  “Are you sure about this?” he asked, breaking the kiss in front of her place. “We don’t have to move so quickly,” he assured her, but his hands on her hips squeezed, telling her he hoped they did just that.

  Lily ruthlessly shoved the warning shouts in her head out of the way. She was a good girl. She shouldn’t be doing this. But, to heck with it.

  She wanted this.

  “Do you have a condom?” she asked. She wasn't that reckless, that stupid.

  His eyes heated even more as he answered with a strained, “yes.”

  She nodded and took out her keys, opening the door and letting go of all her reservations in the process. She was doing this. She wasn’t foolish enough to think she’d have a shot with a guy like him again. She was going to take it and have the time of her life before walking away with her head held high. There was nothing wrong with letting herself have a meaningless fling once in her life. Nothing at all.

  Chapter Ten

  Aiden paused, looking into Lily’s eyes after she shut the door to her apartment. He drew her to him gently this time and looked straight into her eyes.

  “You’re absolutely sure, Lil?”

  When she nodded, it was as if she’d let loose a demon. A very incredible, luscious, sensual demon that assaulted her senses, and threw her utterly and completely off balance. His hands and mouth were everywhere as he stripped her slowly, one piece at a time, of every scrap of her clothing. She was vaguely aware of the fact that he was still fully clothed but wasn’t able to process the thought as he dropped to his knees and hooked one of her legs over his shoulder as his hands parted her legs.

  “God, you’re incredible, Lily. So damned stunning,” he whispered and looked up at her, capturing her gaze momentarily, before he dipped his head and his mouth took hold of her. She practically bucked under the heat of it, but he held her hips still, pinning them against his shoulders as he licked, suckled, and nipped her into a frenzy.

  She hadn’t ever been so, well ... dirty with a man before. She’d had one boyfriend go down on her but they had been lying in a bed with the lights out and a sheet over them. She’d closed her eyes and tried to will away the embarrassment that swamped her. With Aiden, she was too captivated by the sight of him, still fully dressed, hands roaming her body, deep pure male sounds coming from him that told her he was getting just as much satisfaction from this as she was.

  And, then he rose, coming to that full height that always took her breath away, and his mouth was on hers. She tasted herself there and deepened the kiss, somehow wanting more of everything he was offering.

  He lifted her with an ease that came from having the honed body of an athlete and walked easily down the hallway of her apartment. He paused in front of the first door they came to, looking at her for direction. She shook her head and pointed to the next door, the one that led to her bedroom.

  When he laid her on the bed, she reached for his shirt, desperate to see and feel more of him, and he obliged, stripping with an ease that told her he was one hundred percent confident and comfortable with nothing on. That was a turn on in and of itself, and she wanted to get her mouth on every part of him. He seemed to read her mind and obliged, letting her explore. He even lifted himself after a moment, straddling her as he brought his hips up to her mouth, letting her take him in, sucking and licking just as he’d done to her earlier. She’d had her mouth on a man before, but never like this, with the man kneeling above her shoulders. It felt much more erotic than she’d have expected. She felt like he was devouring her even though she was the one with his penis in her mouth.

  With a groan, he pulled free and lowered himself over her, teasing the entrance of her with his hard length. God, how she wanted to press her hips up, to feel him inside of her.

  But, then he was gone, and her body felt the loss immediately. She watched as he rolled a condom on and then he was back to her, sliding in slowly, still in complete control. She rocked up against him, needing more even as he filled her completely. The feeling of him as he slid out, then back again, was indescribable. Just, sheer pleasure all the way to the core, racing through e
very cell of her body.

  His mouth captured hers as he sped up, and she was astounded when she felt the first ripples of an orgasm hit her. She cried out and clung to him, muscles clamping down around him, increasing the sensations, and drawing out her pleasure. He continued to rock his hips into her slowly as she came out of the euphoria she’d disappeared into momentarily.

  His grin was deadly as he pulled out of her and flipped her to her hands and knees.

  “Not done yet, Lil,” he growled in her ear and her whole body tightened in anticipation. He wasn’t slow or gentle when he entered her this time. He slammed into her from behind, and she tightened over him, reveling in the feel of him so deep inside her. Their bodies were wet and slick as he thrust into her again and again, and she cried out. Not in pain, but in need.

  “More,” she cried, floored by how wild she felt with him. She’d never been like this with a man before. In or out of bed. Everything felt different with him.

  She felt different when she was with Aiden.

  She pushed herself back with each of his thrusts as he nipped at her shoulders and brought his hands up to cup her breasts. And just when she thought she would come again, he slowed, teasing her with long strokes that left her begging and whimpering her need.

  He tucked her legs in between his and pushed her down to lay flat on the bed, her legs locked tight together between his own, as he, still inside of her, lay over her body. There he stroked in and out of her now extremely tight channel, held together by the push of his legs on hers. They moved as one. He wasn’t nearly as deep inside of her in this position but the friction was incredible. Her muscles clenched around him as she gasped and orgasmed again and again, and she felt his release before he let himself collapse, half his body shifted to the side so that he didn’t crush her with his weight.

  It was a few moments before either of them moved or spoke a word.

  “Wow,” she said, finally, but the word was muffled since her face was still burrowed in the pillow.

  She hadn’t ever felt anything like that and she sure as heck had never come twice in one sitting like that. She twisted slightly to get more air.

  “I should sleep with baseball players more often.”

  He growled into her shoulder and then bit down to emphasize his warning. Lily laughed. What else could she do? She couldn’t let herself think his reaction meant any more than it had. Pure male pride caused that response and nothing more. She needed to remember that. She needed to remember what all of this was—nothing more than fun, just a fling.

  If she let herself think anything other than that for even a minute, she’d be lost.

  Chapter Eleven

  Aiden ran his hand up the long smooth trail of Lily’s thigh, over her hip and onto her waist, and then he pulled her in close to him. She’d fallen asleep in his bed the night before, despite the fact that she normally went home each night to her place. But, he didn’t mind it. He liked waking up to her naked body next to him.

  Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled at him as he lowered his lips to her neck. She moaned and moved closer, pressing the full length of her body against his. It wasn’t close enough. Aiden moved his mouth lower, finding first one nipple, then the other, letting his tongue graze over them before suckling one into his mouth. She was so soft, molded against him.

  “Aiden,” she whispered, as he moved over her, spreading her leg with his knee. He rocked his hips into her, teasing and taunting her as he continued the teasing with his tongue. He just wasn’t sure whether he was teasing her more or himself. He didn’t care.

  He broke apart from her long enough to find a condom then slid into her in one long, slow stroke that brought nothing but the deepest of pleasure. She felt like heaven on earth as he moved within her slowly, tortuously. When she fell to pieces in his arms, it triggered his own orgasm, but he held her against him long after their lovemaking was over. Long enough for them to fall asleep and wake in each other’s arms, beginning the whole morning all over again.

  Before long, Aiden and Lily had settled into a new routine. Instead of dropping his meals off when he was at practice, she brought them to him at midnight when he got home and spent the night with him rather than going back to her own home. And, Lily had to remind herself all too frequently that this wouldn’t last forever. She tried to focus on the business end of things, pushing aside the fact that her emotions were getting all too tied up in Aiden. She couldn’t think about emotions right now.

  She hoped that when the romance part of it ended, his teammates wouldn’t leave her as clients. She was doing incredibly well lately, but she’d socked away every spare dime, knowing if the baseball players left her, she’d be back to where she was when she’d taken her waitressing job. She didn’t want to be foolish about this. She hated the fact that her business seemed to be precariously tied to her sex life right now, but she was a realist. The fantasy life she was living with Aiden could come crashing down any minute. If he did take all of her clients with him when he went, she would make sure she could still stand on her own two feet without them, even though she knew deep down, the business consequences of this ending were going to be the least of her problems.

  Aiden’s touch drew her from her thoughts as he ran a finger down her cheek. “What’s wrong, Lily?”

  She turned to him and pasted a smile on her face. They were spending the day in Little Italy in North Beach. They’d just gorged on Italian food, topped off with espresso and cannoli at one of the sidewalk cafes. Now they were walking past some of the little shops on Grant Avenue, peeking in the windows of the boutiques. Well, she was peeking in the windows. He was smiling indulgently at her.

  “Nothing’s wrong,” she said and pulled him to the next window. She didn’t want to talk about what was wrong. Because what was wrong was, she knew this had to end soon. He couldn’t want this for much longer. And, she knew her heart—despite her best efforts—had gotten involved. She was absolutely falling for this guy, and that couldn't happen.

  She stood in front of the next boutique, looking at a beautiful knit dress. It was casual, but draped so well, she had a feeling it would make anyone look gorgeous. If she went into the store, she knew the fabric would feel soft and supple under her hands. But, she also knew the price tag would be more than she could afford. In fact, any price would be more than she could afford to spend on an unnecessary item like a dress right now.

  She felt Aiden’s arms come around her from behind and his breath as he spoke close to her ear in that low sexy tone that always got to her.

  “Let me buy it for you,” he said.

  Lily stiffened and turned.

  “No!”

  He laughed, a puzzled look on his face that told her he really had no clue why she wouldn’t want him to buy her anything.

  “Why not, Lily? It’ll look gorgeous on you and you obviously like it,” he said, gesturing back to the dress behind her.

  She shook her head. “You can’t buy gifts for me.”

  “Why not?” he asked again, this time sounding annoyed, almost angry with her.

  Lily stepped to the side to escape his hold and continued walking down the sidewalk. He caught up easily and matched her stride before pulling her over to the side of the narrow street.

  “Why not?” he asked again, this time gritting his teeth.

  “Because, we’re not ... this isn’t real, Aiden. You can’t treat me like this is real. Like it’s going to last. Remember? Just fun, we said.”

  Lily could see the muscle in his jaw tick as he looked at her. As she watched, he shuttered his eyes.

  “No, you’re right. Just fun. But, spending money is fun to me. Come on,” he said as he pulled her back up the sidewalk, a little more quickly than her feet could really carry her. She stumbled along beside him, aware that people were now slowing down, eyeing them.

  He tugged her into the shop and insisted she buy not only that dress, but also three others. Lily remained almost silent during the exchange, th
e sales clerk talking a mile a minute to try to make up for the obvious discomfort between she and Aiden.

  He was silent for the drive back to her place, and she wondered if this was it. If she’d just ruined what little bit of a relationship they had. But, she had to be honest with herself and with him, right? They had said this was just for fun. In fact, he’d been the one who was adamant about that.

  When they got to her door, she turned and looked up at him. “Are you coming in?”

  “For fun?” he asked. “Oh yeah. I’m coming in,” he said with a dark glint in his eyes that might have scared her if she hadn’t known he would never hurt her.

  He pushed her into the front entrance of her apartment and shut the door behind them, flicking the lock. Lily’s breaths were coming all too short as he eyed her as if she were a meal laid out just for him. His eyes traveled over her body in a painstaking survey of what was his, and she all but shuddered under his scrutiny.

  She didn’t have time to process the intensity of his gaze before he stripped her bare, tearing her shirt as he went. He pulled her jeans down her hips, taking her panties with them, his hands running over her body possessively. He was silent, angry, and hotter than she cared to admit.

  Her entire body tingled as he backed her down the hall to her room, taking his clothes off one piece at a time, his eyes never leaving her. He left a trail of clothes behind them, lifting her to the bed and coming down on top of her, his mouth taking hers with a strength and intensity that left her weak. She was lost in the sensations wracking her body, overtaking her mind completely, not understanding how his intense anger could be so incredibly arousing. But, there was no mistaking the ache between her thighs and the hard press of his steel erection as it rubbed against her.

  She was vaguely aware of him putting on a condom before he used his leg to spread hers apart then teased her with the head of his cock at her entrance. She pushed up with her hips, using all her strength to take him into her, but he had her completely pinned, unable to move much more than an inch with her hips.