Playing for Keeps (Feeling the Heat Book 6)

by Alison Packard

  She took two steps forward and put her hand in his. He pulled her to stand in between his spread legs and pressed his mouth to her abdomen. Letting go of her hand, he ran his palms over the swell of her hips before pulling back and lifting his gaze to hers.

  “Turn around.”

  She turned and he eased her down to sit on his thigh. He slipped one arm around her waist while his other came around her, his forearm crossing over one breast as he held her snugly against him and leaned forward to kiss the base of her neck. Tilting her head back, she closed her eyes and relaxed against him, her skin prickling with pleasurable goosebumps from his tender ministrations.

  “You smell so good,” he murmured. “Like vanilla and sugar.” He rubbed his palm over her stomach, then moved up to caress her breast, teasing her taut nipple with his fingers. She could feel his erection straining against the back of her thigh, but in her current position she couldn’t touch him. At least not there.

  She wasn’t sure how long he nibbled on her neck and worked his magic on her breast, but she was aware of the sweet ache between her thighs. With every passing second the need for more intensified. She shifted on his lap and lifted her head. “You’re driving me crazy,” she whispered into his ear.

  “How crazy?”

  “Hot for you crazy.” She flicked his earlobe with her tongue. “Hot for you to touch my pussy crazy.”

  Rick’s hand stilled on her breast. Then in one swift movement, he scooped his arm under her legs and supported her with his other arm as he stood. Turning, he deposited her in the middle of the bed, keeping his forearm under her neck and supporting himself on his elbow as he settled beside her. Holding her gaze, he reached for her hand with his free arm and laced his fingers with hers. “For the record, you’ve been driving me crazy since I saw you in the parking garage tonight,” he said, then lowered his head and his mouth descended on hers in a voracious kiss that drew a moan of want from her. Seconds later, he let go of her hand and as their kiss grew hotter, deeper, and wetter, he gently caressed her breasts, his fingers lingering on her nipples, teasing them into erect tight peaks and turning her world into a haze of sensations.

  With a low growl, Rick dragged his lips from hers and leaned over her to circle her hard nipple with his tongue before drawing the peak into his mouth and sliding his hand down to stroke her between her thighs. She gasped as what felt like an electrical current pulsated beneath her skin, and instinctively she drew one knee up and let it rest on his hip.

  As his mouth and tongue continued their sensual assault on her breasts, his fingers glided over her slick flesh, learning where she was most sensitive and teasing her unmercifully with that knowledge until she moaned and dug her fingernails into the soft fabric of the quilt. Her pulse spiked as she felt him slip one, then two, fingers inside of her, while he stroked and circled her clit with his thumb, driving her closer and closer to the edge until—finally—her orgasm ripped through her, tremors of pleasure radiating through her entire body and wrenching a long, husky cry from her throat that reverberated off the walls in the small room and finally quieted as her spasms tapered off.

  Her heart was still pounding as she opened her eyes. Rick lifted his head and the smile he gave her was a mixture of sin and satisfaction. “I guess I’m not as out of practice as I thought.”

  “No. You’re certainly not.” Shifting to her side, she pressed her mouth to his. “You’re better than any vibrator,” she murmured against his lips, and then kissed him until they were both breathless and she could feel his erection hot and hard against her. When they came up for air, he pulled back and stared at her, his breathing labored. For a moment she feared that, maybe like the first time he’d kissed her, the memory of Jill had found its way into their intimate moment.

  “Where the hell are those condoms?”

  Relief whooshed through her and she couldn’t help but laugh. “On the nightstand. I can’t wait to see if their ‘ribbed for her pleasure’ claim is valid.”

  He chuckled, and within seconds he’d eased his arm from under her neck and shifted on the bed to grab the box from the nightstand. He opened the box and quickly withdrew one of the foil packets.

  “I’ll take that,” she said, plucking it from his fingers. She sat up and scooted to the other side of the bed. “Lay back, relax, and let me handle this.”

  Obeying her command, he stretched out on his back, head propped up by the pillow, and watched her as she tore open the packet. Moving closer, she tossed the empty packet aside, then leaned forward and quickly rolled the condom over his hard cock. His hiss of pleasure filled her with satisfaction. She straddled him then slowly sank onto his erection. Her slow slide elicited a sigh from her and a pleasurable groan from him. Closing his eyes, he didn’t move except to place his hands on either side of her hips. “Jesus. You feel fucking unbelievable,” he said, his voice low and rough. “Warm and wet and so damn good.”

  “Let’s see if I can make you feel even better,” she whispered, then leaned forward, braced her palms on the bed on either side of his ribcage and began to roll her hips. He let out a low moan as she moved in slow, measured movements. His fingers splayed over her hips and after several seconds he found his rhythm and began to move in sync with her. “Open your eyes.”

  He obeyed her command and their eyes locked as she slid up and down on his cock. Lowering her head, she covered his lips with hers and slipped her tongue into the warm heat of his mouth. Soon his control weakened. He tightened his grip on her hips and began to thrust upward, harder and deeper with each stroke. Breaking their kiss, she pushed herself up and braced her palms on his chest to match him stroke for stroke. The sensation of him inside of her, filling her completely, was amazing. Then he slipped a hand in between their bodies and she gasped as her clit slid over his finger. Soon, with each rock of her hips, the friction of his finger against that ultra-sensitive spot had her on the cusp of another orgasm. She chased it, riding him hard until it crashed and waves of pleasure shuddered through her body and left her limp. Before she could catch her breath, Rick latched onto her hips and held her steady as he thrust into her hard and fast until his orgasm ripped through him and wrung a low guttural moan of pleasure from his lips.

  Amy collapsed on top of him and pressed her face against his neck. She felt his fingers skim gently up and down her back. Once her heartbeat returned to normal, she lifted her head and their eyes met. “Wow,” she whispered. “You were right.”

  A small frown bunched his eyebrows together. “About what?”

  “When you do something, you do it right.”

  15

  “Oh my God!”

  Amy’s frantic voice jerked Rick into consciousness. His heart pounding like a jackhammer and disoriented as hell, he shot up into a sitting position as Amy flung aside the sheet and blanket and jumped out of bed like the apartment was on fire. “What the—?”

  “It’s almost noon!” Her panicked voice cut of his expletive. “Lucia and Patrick have plans this afternoon. I can’t be late picking up Danny.” Without a backward glance, she rushed out of the room, giving him an excellent view of her luscious ass. A second later, he heard the sound of the water running and the opening and closing of drawers. “I can’t believe we overslept,” she called out from the bathroom.

  Rick rubbed his eyes, then yawned and scrubbed a hand over his jaw. He didn’t know why she couldn’t believe they’d overslept. He certainly could. After the second time they’d made love it was going on five o’clock. Then they’d taken a long, leisurely shower together, and by the time she’d made him come with her mouth and he’d returned the favor, it was close to six.

  Too tired to move, he flopped back against the bed and closed his eyes. He hadn’t stayed up until dawn in years, but last night had been worth it. Since Jill died, the only sex he’d had was with his right hand. Being with Amy reminded him of how mind-blowing sex with a partner could be. And falling asleep next to her reminded him of how much sleeping alone in his own
bed sucked. Amy’s bed was much smaller than his king-sized one, but he didn’t mind. He’d fallen asleep with her tucked against him, inhaling her sweet scent and feeling content for the first time since he’d come out of the alcoholic haze he’d submerged himself in after he’d lost Jill.

  Half-dozing, he listened to the sounds of her doing whatever she was doing in the bathroom and wished they could spend the whole day together. In bed. Or not. He didn’t care. He just liked being with her.

  “Hey, sleepyhead.”

  Rick forced his eyes open and found Amy standing next to the bed, her mouth curved with amusement. Shit. He must have done more than doze. She’d gone from buck naked to a pair of black pants and a pink sweater, and she’d scraped her hair back from her face and fastened it into a haphazard ponytail. She wore no makeup and although she’d gotten very little sleep, her skin glowed with vitality. Her natural beauty left him dumbstruck; he stared at her, a rush of something he couldn’t identify expanding like a balloon in his chest.

  “Sorry,” he said, pushing himself up. “I went back to sleep.”

  “Can’t say I blame you. If I didn’t have to pick up Danny, I’d still be asleep myself.” She bent and pressed her mouth to his. “Happy New Year,” she murmured against his lips.

  Lifting his hand, he cupped her nape and deepened their kiss. A wet, wild tangling of lips and tongues that would have had him pulling her down on the bed for more than just kisses if she hadn’t reluctantly pulled back. “As tempting as you are, I have to go get my son.” She flashed a regretful grin. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay.” He ran a hand through his hair, then shoved the sheet aside. “It’ll only take me a few minutes to get dressed.” He looked up to find her staring at his semi-erect cock. “You’ve got that look again,” he said, forcing himself not to reach out and touch her.

  “What look?” Her sensual expression morphed into one of innocence, then she moved to the dresser and met his gaze in the mirror as she hooked a silver pendant on a chain around her neck. “I was admiring the perfection of your body. In a purely non-sexual way, of course. Much like I’d admire the statue of David. Or the guy that plays Thor.”

  Chuckling, he shook his head then slid his legs over the side of the bed and stood. “Do you and Danny have plans this afternoon?” he asked as he picked up his underwear and jeans from the floor and started dressing.

  “Other than grabbing some lunch after I pick him up, no.”

  “How would you feel about bringing him over to Blaze Field later on this afternoon? I think he’d enjoy taking some swings in the batting cage. And if he brings his glove and the oil we can get started on breaking it in.” He buttoned and zipped his jeans, then stooped to grab his shirt.

  “Danny would love that. Are you sure it’s not too much trouble?”

  “No, I’ve been looking forward to spending some time with him,” he said, then pulled on his shirt. “I’ll leave your name with the security guard at the players’ parking lot. The entrance is on Second Street.” He sat on the bed to pull on his socks and shoes. “Will three work for you?” He looked up from his task to find her watching him with unreadable eyes. “What?”

  She gave him a pensive smile, then shook her head. “It’s nothing.”

  “Is it Danny?” he asked, not buying her denial. “Do you have reservations about me spending time with him?”

  “No. If I did I wouldn’t have allowed you to have pizza with us or invited you to join us at the movies. It’s just that he’s going to start asking questions and I’m not sure what to tell him.”

  “How about you tell him we’re dating.” Rick rose from the bed and moved to stand in front of her. “Isn’t that what we’ve been doing?”

  “Yes.”

  “Isn’t that what we want to keep doing?” He slid his arms around her waist and pulled her against him. “Speaking for myself, the answer is yes.”

  Something flickered in her eyes, then a smile tipped the corners of her mouth. “I want the same thing.”

  “Then don’t worry.”

  She huffed out a soft laugh. “Worrying is like second nature to me. I’m not sure I know how not to worry.”

  “That’s okay. I’ll help you,” he said, then leaned forward and kissed her.

  Fifteen minutes later, after Amy dropped him off at his SUV, Rick let himself into his loft, dropped his keys on the black granite counter, and then grabbed his phone. He hadn’t been too concerned about accidentally leaving it behind last night, but he checked it anyway in case his parents had called. He had three texts. The one Amy had sent, one from his parents wishing him a Happy New Year, and the other from Trey, who’d texted him earlier in the morning asking if he could come by to talk. He sent off a quick text to Trey, then shrugged off his coat and made a pot of coffee. By the time the coffee brewed and its rich aroma filled the loft, Trey knocked on the door.

  Cup in hand, he moved to the door and pulled it open. “Come on in,” he said, motioning with his head. “Help yourself to some coffee.” He closed the door after his friend brushed past him and made a beeline for the kitchen.

  While Trey opened the cupboard in search of a cup, Rick stifled a yawn and got comfortable on the couch. Although the sky was overcast, the floor to ceiling windows let in enough light that he didn’t need to turn on the lamp on the table next to him. “I thought you’d still be in Philly,” he said after a tentative sip of his coffee.

  “I cut my trip short,” Trey said as he filled his cup. “Did you do anything last night?”

  “Remember the woman we helped out at Stylus last month?”

  “The hot redhead who almost got fired? What was her name? Annie?” Trey crossed from the kitchen area to the couch and sat on the opposite corner.

  “Amy. My flight was delayed and I couldn’t get into the club so I waited in the parking garage until she got off work.” Rick took a long drink of coffee, then set it on the end table. “We went back to her place and had breakfast.”

  “Is that all you had?”

  Rick sensed Trey’s eyes on him. He turned and cocked an eyebrow in Trey’s direction. “No comment.”

  Trey threw his head back and laughed. “Message received. But if it was more than breakfast, I’m happy for you, man. You’ve had a rough few years.”

  “Thanks.” Rick shifted on the couch, laying his arm across the back. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  “The foundation. Jade set up a meeting for all of us on Wednesday morning.”

  Rick raised his eyebrows. “You two actually had a civil conversation?”

  “She sent me an email. I think you were copied on it.”

  “I haven’t checked my email in a few days. What’s the meeting about?”

  “She wants to get started on the business plan and needs our input. Also, she’s setting up a press conference for the two of us before we leave for spring training. It’ll be with local sports and other media outlets.” Trey paused to sip his coffee. “We’ll have subsequent meetings to go over the criteria for selecting the recipients, filling out tax and other forms, and picking an administrator. She said it could take a couple of months to get it all set up.”

  Rick nodded, grateful that Jade was their point person. There was a lot more to establishing a foundation than he’d realized. “What about donations? We need money to be able to grant scholarships.”

  “Jade has someone in mind to help us with that. Someone with innovative ideas is what she said. I’m not sure what that means. I was thinking more along the lines of the cocktail fundraiser we’re attending in a couple of weeks for the Blaze Community Fund.”

  “I forgot about that. When is it?”

  “A week from Thursday. It’s at the Golden Gate Club.” Trey grinned. “You should bring Amy.”

  Rick considered the suggestion. It wasn’t a bad one, but if he did bring Amy to the benefit then Trey would find out that the Amy he’d met at Stylus was the same Amy who worked at Logan-Johnson. He wasn�
��t sure how she’d feel about that. Still, it couldn’t hurt to ask. With spring training looming in mid-February, he wanted to spend as much time with her as he could. After that, baseball would limit their time together.

  At three, Rick met Amy and Danny in the players’ parking lot underneath Blaze Field and then led them along the hallway that led to the team’s batting cages. In his opinion, batting cages were an excellent tool if used properly. He wasn’t a fan of pitching machines, though. A machine spitting out a ball at high velocity could never replicate a pitcher’s motions and could therefore throw a batter’s timing off. He preferred to use the cages when the relief pitchers or Trey felt like working on their stuff. Between Trey and a couple of other pitchers who lived in the Bay Area, he was able to get in a decent amount of swings each week.

  With Amy and Danny flanking him, he turned the corner and headed for the double doors at the end of the concrete block walled hallway. Danny clutched his new glove in his hands and skipped alongside him, excited to see a part of the ballpark not many fans got a chance to see. At the double doors, Rick shot Amy a smile and opened one of the doors. “The inner sanctum,” he said with a grin and motioned for them to enter the long rectangular room with its green Astroturf flooring and orange painted concrete walls.

  Danny ran inside then halted abruptly to survey the room. “Wow. This is neat. What are those for?” he asked, pointing to the nets that surrounded the two identical batting cages.

  Rick trailed after Amy, shutting the door behind him. “The nets catch the balls after we hit them, preventing them from ricocheting off the walls and hitting anyone.”

  “That would hurt.” Danny rubbed the side of his head as if imagining the pain of taking a hardball to his noggin. “A lot.”

  “I’ve never been struck in the head without my batting or catcher helmets, but I’ve taken more than a few hits to other parts of my body and I can vouch it’s pretty painful.”