Playing for Keeps (Feeling the Heat Book 6)

by Alison Packard

  He unlocked the door and she followed him inside. For several moments, she forgot her nervousness as she stood in the wide entryway. To her left was a set of stairs with a dark metal bannister. “I didn’t know lofts had a second story. I thought it was just one big room.”

  “The bedroom and a full bathroom are up there. The room isn’t huge, but it’s big enough for my bed and a dresser, and when you’re up there you can look over the railing and see down here.” He pointed to the middle of the room where he’d placed a dark brown leather sectional and a chunky wood coffee table on top of a chocolate and cream multi-toned Oriental rug. “There’s a half bath down here.” He pointed to the half-closed door to their right. “Come on in and check the place out,” he said, closing the door.

  Trailing after him, she surveyed the cozy space. The kitchen, which took up half of the room’s right wall, was fitted with stainless steel appliances that were much newer than the ones in her apartment, and the countertops were black granite with contrasting light oak stained cupboards. There was no clutter on the counters, just a coffee maker, a toaster oven, and a stack of mail and magazines.

  Drawn to the magnificent floor-to-ceiling windows, she moved to stand in front of one of the panes and took in the view of the financial district. The loft was high enough up that she could see the cars driving by on the street below, but she couldn’t hear them. “You have a great view. It must be beautiful at night.”

  “It is. Especially during the holidays,” he said, moving to stand behind her. “Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you?”

  Amy’s stomach clenched, then started to churn like the bay on a windy afternoon. So much for her acting skills. “So you noticed,” she said. “I thought I was doing a good job of hiding it.” Suddenly, the skyline blurred into a fuzzy gray blob. She blinked to banish the moisture gathering in her eyes.

  “I’m getting good at reading you. Does it have something to do with your mother?”

  “My mother?” Surprised, she turned and met his concerned gaze.

  “You’ve been quiet and preoccupied all day. I thought maybe you ran into her again.”

  Her mother hadn’t entered Amy’s mind for a while, but she supposed her mother had been the catalyst for everything that had happened in the past ten years. “No. I haven’t seen her,” she said, unable to keep the bitterness from her voice. “I hope I never see her again.”

  “Was it that bad?” He cocked his head, arching a puzzled brow.

  “Yes. It was that bad,” she said, trying to control the trembling of her knees. Maybe starting at the beginning was the best way to get it all out. She could begin with her mother’s betrayal, touch on the drunken one night stand with a stranger that had left her pregnant, segue seamlessly into her stripping stint at Rowdy’s and then finish big with finding her ex-boyfriend’s dead body in a pool of blood.

  God, it all sounded so seedy. Like an episode of Dateline. “We were never close. I’ve come to believe she was angry because Dad doted on me.”

  “How did your father die?”

  “Brain aneurysm.” She lifted a shaky hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. “He’d been complaining of headaches and dizziness for several months, but he wouldn’t see a doctor. He didn’t trust them. He died at his desk, at work. His boss told us that he just fell to the floor. He was dead before they called 911.”

  Rick winced in sympathy. “I’m sorry, Amy. So sorry.”

  “Thank you.” Dabbing at the corners of her eyes, she gave him a grim smile. “I was a wreck at the funeral, but for my mother it was like any other day. She was more concerned about what dress to wear than she was about the service, or the fact that her husband of sixteen years had just died. Two months later, she was hot and heavy with my future stepfather,” she said the last word with a sneer. “I think she was having an affair with him before Dad died. Not that I can prove it.”

  “When did they get married?”

  “Not long after that. Six months after their wedding he began looking at me funny and making suggestive comments about my body. That’s when I started putting my dresser in front of my bedroom door every night before I went to bed.”

  Rick’s eyes widened and a muscle began to twitch in his jaw. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying? Did he—?”

  “He tried to...to force himself on me, but I fought him off. Then, when I told my mother what he tried to do she didn’t believe me. She called me a liar and a few other choice names before sending me to Barstow to live with my aunt.” She closed her eyes, remembering the awful day she’d stepped into her aunt’s musty old house for the first time. Opening her eyes, she continued, “That’s when things started to go bad.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, probably unable to imagine how things could get any worse. “How did it go bad?”

  And there it was. He’d given her the perfect opening to tell him everything. The whole enchilada, so to speak. But as she looked into Rick’s concerned eyes the words wouldn’t come.

  Coward.

  The word pinged rapid fire in her head like one of those marbles in an old-fashioned pinball machine and she couldn’t deny the truth of it. She was a coward. Telling Rick about her father’s death and her mother’s subsequent betrayal was one thing. The rest of the story was an entirely different matter. Heaven help her, but she wanted more time with Rick before he knew the truth about her. More time with the wonderful man she was falling in love with before he saw her in a completely different light.

  Falling in love?

  Amy’s heart stuttered. Where the hell had that come from? How could she be falling in love with someone she’d only known for two months? Given that she’d never been in love she wasn’t sure exactly how long it took, but then she’d never met anyone like Rick before. Just when she’d given up on men and romance he’d come along and shown her that a decent man did exist.

  “Amy?”

  Amy blinked. “I’m sorry. I have a hard time talking about this,” she said like the chicken she was.

  “Then we don’t have to. Not now.” He took a step forward, slipped his arms around her waist and gently pulled her against him. “But when you’re ready, I’ll listen.”

  “Thank you.” Grateful for the reprieve, she relaxed in his embrace, absorbing his strength. She’d tell him the truth next week. This could be the last time she’d be in his arms, and if that was the case, she wanted to savor the moment. Tilting her head back, she brushed her mouth lightly over his. “And thank you for a wonderful day,” she murmured right before he devoured her lips in a demanding kiss that she returned with a mixture of desire and desperation until he dragged a low groan of want from her, making her forget everything she was afraid of.

  When they came up for air, he pulled back. “You said that like our date is over.” His gaze lowered to her mouth, and when it lifted, his eyes were filled with wicked intent. Hot tingles crept from deep in her belly and moved downward. “What time is Danny due back from Monterey?”

  “Six.”

  “Then we still have a few hours. Any ideas on how to pass the time?” His lips tilted upward in a sinful smile that filled her with yearning. While a future with him was so uncertain, was it wrong to enjoy whatever time she had left before he knew the truth?

  “Hmmm. What to do? What to do?” She frowned, then widened her eyes. “I know! You could give me a tour of your bedroom.”

  His dark eyes burned into hers and she trembled at the intensity of his gaze. “Great idea,” he said, then cupped his hands over her bottom and lifted her. Automatically she slid her hands up and over his shoulders, then wound her arms around his neck and wrapped her legs around his hips. Her heart pounded as he carried her to the stairs and began to climb them. She buried her face in the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent.

  God, he smelled good.

  When he reached the top of the stairs, she unhooked her ankles and lowered her feet to the floor. Rick loosened his arms, stepped back then reache
d for the zipper of her vest and pulled it down. She shrugged out of it, then lifted her arms and let him remove her turtleneck sweater. After they helped each other divest themselves of their remaining clothing, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. His kiss was anything but gentle. His mouth ravished hers, drawing another moan from deep inside of her as their kiss became hot, hungry, and so arousing that within seconds her nipples strained against his chest and heat pulsated in every cell of her body.

  She was breathless when his lips left hers and seared a scorching path to her jaw and then down to the throbbing pulse at the hollow of her neck. She shivered. When had that spot become so sensitive?

  Rick lifted his head. “I want you.” The rough timbre of his voice intensified the ache between her thighs. He motioned with his head toward the bed. “On the bed. Now.”

  Anticipation hummed in Amy’s veins as she obeyed his command. Stretching out on the velvety-soft chocolate brown comforter, she watched him as he moved with athletic grace to the nightstand and opened the drawer. His body was a work of art, and the way the muscles in his biceps and triceps played under his skin as he rummaged in the drawer made her breathe a little harder.

  “What are you looking for?”

  “A condom.” He retrieved a packet from the drawer, set it next to the dark, bronze lamp that sat atop the nightstand, then joined her on the bed.

  Instead of lying next to her, he crawled over her, gently prodding her legs open with his knees as he braced his palms on either side of her. His erection nudged between her thighs and she couldn’t help but flex her knees and lift her hips, her softness seeking his hardness.

  “Do you know how much I want you?” he asked, then his mouth came down on hers, cutting off any response. Damn, the man could kiss. When he lifted his head, she opened her eyes and met his smoldering gaze.

  “I have a pretty good idea,” she said, sliding her hand between them. Gently wrapping her fingers around his erection, she rubbed the crown of his cock slowly over her slick flesh. His husky groan of pleasure gave her great satisfaction.

  “You’re already wet,” he said, then shifted lower to kiss her chest. She arched, pleasure zinging through her body as he drew one already taut nipple into his mouth and suckled it gently.

  “Rick…” She closed her eyes, her train of thought completely obliterated.

  “Hmmm?” he murmured, running his tongue over the sensual path between her breasts to cover her other nipple with his warm, wet mouth.

  She gasped as he gently drew on her nipple, sucking, teasing. “You’re driving me crazy.”

  “That was the plan. Do you like it?” he said, then shifted lower, forcing her to release her grip on his hard shaft. A heartbeat later, her legs trembled as he circled her belly button with his tongue, then pressed hot kisses down her abdomen.

  “God, yes. Don’t stop.”

  “Not a chance. I’ve been thinking about this all day,” he said as he put his hands on her knees and spread her legs even wider. She opened her eyes and found his gaze riveted to her pussy, and his prolonged stare sent a rush of desire coiling through her. She throbbed under his dark gaze, anticipation making her dig her fingers into the comforter. He’d made her come with his mouth in her shower and it felt so amazing her knees had almost buckled. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t thought about him doing it again.

  Her heart tripped as he lowered his mouth to her sensitized flesh and rewarded her with a long, slow swipe of his tongue. Closing her eyes, she gave in to the sensations. His lips were firm, his tongue probing and warm. She was wet and more aroused than she’d ever been. Bunching the plush fabric of the comforter in one fist, she moved against his mouth, seeking the release she craved.

  She was close, so close, but then he pulled back, leaving her bereft. She lifted her head from the pillow and their eyes locked. Then, holding her gaze, he spread her soft folds and penetrated her with his tongue over and over again until she collapsed against the pillow, unable to contain her soft moans of pleasure.

  Driven by the most primitive of needs, she put her hands on his head and writhed against him. With every soft pant of pleasure she made, he growled a response until he withdrew his tongue, slid his hands to her hips, and covered her with his mouth. The pleasure was sweet torture; she relaxed her grip on his hair as he continued to tantalize her with his tongue until her entire body was trembling and she was pleading with him to make her come.

  When he finally took her over the edge, she came fast and hard. Her body quivered and her long, throaty moan of satisfaction filled the room. But Rick wasn’t done yet. He stayed with her, kissing and licking her sensitive flesh, prolonging her pleasure until the last vestiges of her orgasm faded.

  Breathless and boneless, Amy stared at the ceiling and rested her hands on her stomach. The bed moved and she heard the sound of Rick opening the foil packet. Angling her head, she watched as next to her, he rolled the condom on his erection. He looked up and his mouth tipped in a sexy grin.

  “That was fucking hot.” He crawled between her thighs, then moved over her, bracing his palms on the bed on either side of her. The muscles of his shoulders bunched as he supported himself. The tip of his cock brushed against her slick folds and the anticipation of feeling him inside her again was almost more than she could bear.

  “You’ve got that right. On a scale of one to ten, it was about a hundred,” she said, skimming her fingertips over his supple skin to trace the planes of his chest and back. She tilted her hips, longing to feel him inside of her. “Mmmm.” She let out a blissful sigh as he slowly entered her.

  “Christ, you feel so good,” he said in a gruff voice, then covered her mouth with his as he began to thrust.

  Their long, deep kiss and the sensation of him buried inside of her triggered an emotion she couldn’t name, even if she tried. Whatever it was wrapped around her heart, then radiated through her body leaving its mark like a tattoo.

  Without breaking their kiss, he shifted, flexing his arm to support most of his weight with his elbow while he continued to move inside of her with slow and steady strokes. Matching his rhythm, Amy lifted her knees and splayed her fingers over his ribcage, relishing the feel of his warm skin under her fingertips.

  Several seconds later, Rick lifted his head. Breathless, she opened her eyes and he held her gaze as they rocked together on the bed until his orgasm shuddered through him and he let out a groan of pleasure. He dipped his head and pressed a soft kiss to her neck. Lowering her feet to the bed, she cradled him between her thighs. He kissed the hollow of her throat, then lifted his head. “We just christened the bed.”

  Amy smiled. “After such a momentous occasion I think an engraved plaque on the wall would be appropriate. What do you think?”

  “Instead of a plaque, how about we just do it again?” he said with a grin, then smothered her laughter with a kiss.

  After dropping Amy off at her apartment, Rick stopped by Project Juice right before closing time to pick up his weekly custom juice pack and then headed back to the loft. He’d just set the juice pack on the kitchen counter when his phone chimed. He pulled it from his back pocket, clicked on the text from Amy, and a picture of Danny holding a stuffed penguin popped up on the screen. Underneath it Amy had written Danny’s new obsession after visiting the aquarium followed by a wide-eyed emoji.

  Rick chuckled, then typed a reply: Can’t wait to hear about his adventure.

  He stared at Danny’s huge grin and couldn’t help but smile. Whatever Amy had been through she hadn’t let it affect her son. It still haunted her, though. That much was clear. Today she’d shared a snippet of her past, and as she’d described what her stepfather had tried to do to her he had a strong urge to track down the bastard and break a few of his bones. But what had happened to her after her mother sent her to live with her aunt was still a mystery. She’d clammed up right after that; distracting him with a kiss that had him as hard as a rock in seconds.

  After they’d made
love the second time, he’d held her in his arms wishing she didn’t have to go back to her apartment. The sex was hot, and he definitely wanted more, but sex wasn’t the only reason he wanted her to stay. He liked being with her. Every time he was with Amy he learned something new about her likes and dislikes. Today at the restaurant, for example, he learned she hated shellfish, but liked liver and onions. Which, in his opinion, was disgusting.

  The phone chimed again. This time it was an incoming call from his former mother-in-law. He stared at her name, mentally kicking himself for forgetting to call and wish her a Happy New Year.

  “Hey, Merilee,” he greeted her. “Happy New Year.”

  “Same to you, Rick. I didn’t get a chance to see you at Christmas so I thought I’d call and tell you the news. Grady and I are fixin’ to sell the ranch and move up to Oklahoma City.”

  “Mom told me you were thinking about it. She said Grady’s parents aren’t doing too well,” he said as he moved across the room to stand in front of the window. He gazed at the San Francisco skyline, illuminated by lights now that the sun had set. Amy would have loved it.

  “They’re getting up there in years and we’d feel better if we were close by. Grady and I looked at a property near their house with a small stable. There’s no way we can part with Solomon. Jill loved that horse almost as much as she loved you. Thank you for letting us tend to him after she passed.”

  “It’s what she would have wanted. And you know me and horses.” He chuckled. “We don’t get along.”

  Merilee laughed, something she hadn’t done with him in a long while. “I remember the day she finally got you up on a horse. It didn’t go so well.”

  “Landing in a pile of horse manure is the definition of ‘not going well.’ I’m sure that damn horse sensed I was afraid. I didn’t want Jill to know, but since she never tried to get me in the saddle again, I think she figured it out. It’s a good thing being a horse lover wasn’t one of the requirements for being her boyfriend.”