by Beverly Rae
“Wow,” she whispered. Beautiful crystal vases filled with dozens of roses sat on every available surface. White candles of various sizes flickered, casting shadows on the walls. Champagne chilled in a bucket on the table along with a large white plate of chocolate-covered strawberries. Two white robes waited for them on the petal-strewn bed.
Mari took everything in and found herself glamoured in an entirely different way. “Did I say wow already? Because if I didn’t then let me say it now. Wow.”
He took both her hands and bent to look into her eyes. “I’m hoping that’s a good wow.”
She nodded but still couldn’t take her attention away from the beauty of the room. “Actually, it’s an incredible wow. This takes my breath away.”
He let out a sigh. “Good. I figured you should have something special after dealing with the evil bastard all day. I’m glad you like it.”
“What’s not to like? This is right out of a romance novel. How did you know I love roses? Have you seen the rose garden here? It’s like an oasis in the desert. I’m hoping to spend some time there once the tournament is over.” Her quizzical expression was mixed with joy. “But when did you have time to do all this?”
“After you left last night—which, by the way, I hope you won’t do tonight—I made a few calls. Then after today, well, I figured some TLC from little old me might turn the day around for you.”
The fluttering in her stomach increased. She placed her palms on her chest and hoped the wonderful sensation would never go away.
Does he really care about me? She hoped so. Still, she needed to be sure. “Tell me the truth. Do you do this at every tournament?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
She bit her lip, wanting to stop herself from asking, but the words slipped out anyway. “Do you find a woman at every tournament to seduce? You know. Kind of like the old saying about sailors? A woman in every port?”
“Are you shitting me? You think I do this all the time?”
The stunned expression tore at her a moment before the anger flared across his face. But strangely, this time his anger made her happy. If he’d been bluffing she doubted he would’ve been so disturbed. Only a man falsely accused would be as upset as he was. Or at least she hoped so.
“Calm down. I had to ask.” She picked up one of the robes and rubbed the softness against her cheek. “I can’t help it. I’ve never had anyone do something this special for me.”
His anger went away as quickly as it had come. “Never? I would’ve thought you’d have had hundreds of guys trying to win you over.”
“Win me over?” She couldn’t help but bat her eyes and adopt a Southern-belle accent. “Why, sir, are you trying to seduce me?”
Or could this be love? She inhaled, shaken by her thought.
“Well, of course, I am, darlin’.”
She struggled against the burst of joy. Don’t lose control of yourself. He was talking about seduction, not love.
She dropped the accent. “And you don’t have any ulterior motives?”
He made a face and snorted. “You are one suspicious woman, aren’t you?”
“Maybe. Probably because I’m always searching for a tell. Are you trying to make me love, uh, get a crush on you so I’ll let you beat me at the table?”
“First of all, I don’t have any tells. Either at the table or right now. Secondly, I don’t need you or anyone else to let me win. You said it yourself. I’m amazing.”
Damn, but she loved his cocky grin. She playfully slapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t make me regret telling you.”
“But if you’re talking about another kind of beating, then I’m in.”
She rolled her eyes. “Don’t forget I’m the one who had you tied up first.”
He laughed. “Oh, trust me. I haven’t. But this—” he spread his arms wide, “—is all genuine. I’m not trying to scheme you in any way. Can’t you just accept a little lovin’ in your life?”
She struggled to keep the emotions suddenly swamping her from coming to the surface and put her back to him. “Someone once told me that poker and love don’t mix.”
“Bullshit.” He whirled her around, making her drop the robe, until they were face to face. “Look, I’m not sure how I feel, but I do know you’re special. I care for you. Plus, for your information, I’ve never done this for anyone. Ever.” He stared at her as though trying to will her to believe him.
Searching for a brief flicker of deceit left her breathless. He was telling the truth.
“Mari.”
She could only nod.
“Let’s take this one day at a time, okay? Tonight I want to forget about the game and forget about Bascom. All I want is to enjoy being with you. Can you do the same?”
“I can.” She dropped her gaze, focusing on the small patch of tanned skin peeking out the front of his shirt.
But what if she wanted more? She shoved the thought away.
Take it one day at a time.
“Then come to bed.”
Again, she nodded. She reached for the buttons of her blouse, but he grasped her hands.
“No. Let me.”
She puckered her lips, letting her breath escape in a slow exhale. He kissed her chastely on the cheek, but the slight sweep of his lips across her skin raced her pulse. The impulse to rip his clothes from him had her clenching her fists, but somehow she resisted.
“Don’t move.”
Slowly, teasingly he released the top button, then paused. She waited, her heart pounding, her mind spinning at the thought of him touching her. He undid the next one, then the next one, each time stopping for a moment to gaze at the skin he’d exposed. Her chest rose and fell a little faster as he worked his way down. Her shirt fell open, exposing her bare breasts.
“You’re beautiful.” Tucker spoke in a whisper, an awed tone in his voice.
Suddenly overwhelmed, Mari could no longer look at him and covered her breasts. But that didn’t prevent her from feeling the heat radiating off his body.
“No, don’t.” He tilted her chin up, forcing her to look at him. “I want you to let go, to let me take care of you.” He flicked his tongue over his lips. “Can you do that?”
“Yes.” She couldn’t imagine turning him down.
“Okay, then.” Gently, he forced her arms to her sides. He let out a low groan and cupped her breasts, just holding them against his palms. They stood, neither one speaking.
He rubbed his thumbs over her pebbled nipples. Tendrils of lust spread outward from his touch, sparking small whirlwinds through every part of her. If he did nothing more than touch her, it would be enough. She closed her eyes, telling herself to relax and concentrate on the pleasurable sensations.
At last he let go of her breasts, placed his hands on her shoulders, and she opened her eyes. The longing, the simple yearning she saw in his face startled her, catching her off guard. Placing her palm against his cheek, she returned his look with one of her own.
She almost protested, unwilling to lose sight of his face when he turned her and put her back to him. She bit her lip and waited to see what he would do next.
“You look incredible in the candlelight.”
She blushed, and turning her head toward him, let her smile say what she couldn’t say with words before looking away again.
He unhooked the clasp at the back of her skirt, then unzipped her. The skirt puddled at her feet, and she stepped out of it.
Every nerve ending awakened, every sense heightened. Again, he didn’t touch her, prolonging the agony, the ecstasy. When he finally touched her again, he glided a finger from the top of her spine to the edge of her thong.
“Darlin’, you make me believe in miracles.”
Tears sprang to Mari’s eyes before she knew they were coming. Her throat closed up, and once again, she found it difficult to look at him. What was happening to her? What was happening between them? He had to know what he was doing was more than a mere seduction.
<
br /> He answered her as though he’d heard her. “I don’t know what’s going on. Between us, I mean.”
She gathered her nerve, turned and brought her gaze to his. The expression on his face was open and vulnerable, urging her to speak. But she didn’t have his gift for sweet talk. “Tell me.”
“I’ve felt this…thing…between us from the first second I saw you.” He laughed, then backed away, leaving her alone. The cool air of the air conditioning brought goose bumps to her skin.
He began taking off his shirt, unbuttoning it as slowly as he’d done hers. Was he teasing her again?
“Would you listen to me? I sound like one of those sappy television movies for women.” Tossing his shirt aside, he dropped his jeans to the floor, kicking his boots off along with them.
She couldn’t help but drop her gaze. But not to look away this time. Instead, she took him in, thrilling at the long, thick shaft that curved at the end. She jerked her eyes back to his and saw the amusement there.
“Like what you see?”
“Uh, yeah. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like it.”
He narrowed his eyes, his wonderful grin bringing up the corners of his mouth. “Now who’s trying to seduce who?”
He strode over to her and pulled her to him, cupping her bottom and lifting her off her feet. She giggled, more from nerves than anything else, and wrapped her legs around his waist.
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you’d cast a spell on me.”
She tilted her head in question. “I wouldn’t do that to you. Not again. Unless, of course, you wanted me to.” She laughed. “Besides, I was wondering the same thing about you.” She answered his grin with one of her own.
He took her with him as he fell onto the bed. Rose petals surrounded her, feathery soft against her skin, and she breathed in their sweet fragrance. He buried his face against her neck, nipping at her and murmuring sweet words. She turned her head to the side, and he slid his hand to the string of her thong and yanked it from her. He growled, and she giggled at the tickle the sound made against her skin. Cupping her breast, he dragged his tongue along her neck, over her collarbone, then down the side of her breast. He licked, then nibbled, then licked some more.
She tunneled her fingers through the hair at the nape of his neck and held him to her. Moving his hand along her leg, he caressed the tender skin between her leg and her mons. Eager for him to explore further, she encouraged him with a soft mew.
Another growl escaped him once his hand found her pussy. Spreading her folds, he massaged her clit, and without warning, she climaxed. She cried her surprise, her joy, her excitement.
He lifted his amber gaze to hers. “You’re wet. So wet I may need a big, long drink of you.”
“Uh-uh-uh.”
He jerked his head back and frowned. “Huh?”
She adopted a sexy expression. “If you get a drink, I get a drink.”
“Darlin’, you can have anything you want.”
Mari giggled as he scrambled around, placing his shaft directly over her head. He grabbed her legs and pulled them apart, then after a quick and very wicked glance at her, dove his head between her legs.
She gasped and clutched his firm buttocks, digging her fingernails into his skin. A tornado of desire spread outward from her pussy, spinning up to her stomach. Tucker used his fingertips to spread her lips, then latched on to her nub. He pulled at her, sucking, then biting to make her writhe and squirm.
Wrapping a hand around his shaft, she pulled him to her face, rubbed his shaft against her skin and inhaled, drawing on the smell of man. But his maleness wasn’t all she smelled. Along with the musky aroma was another scent, an exotic scent that hinted of the wild.
He pulled her apart more, then stabbed his tongue inside her. She moaned and arched against him, trying to put him closer than humanly possible.
Cupping his balls with one hand as she stroked him, she slid her tongue over his length. He was soft yet hard, and she couldn’t resist sucking on the loose skin. He groaned, sending warm air over her throbbing nub and heralding another release. Her body shook, trembling then tightening for yet another climax.
“Take me in, Mari.”
She did as he asked, dragging his shaft into her mouth in slow, inch-by-inch moves. His buttocks clenched and his body stiffened. She could sense his gaze on her but didn’t let up, hoping to give him what he’d given her.
Running her tongue around him, she felt him grow impossibly longer, thicker. She pumped him, his skin smooth under her palm.
Letting out a loud growl, he thrust his hips to her, plunging his shaft down her throat. Still she took him and increased the lashing of her tongue. He was building toward a climax, but she didn’t care. She wanted him, all of him, no matter what.
“Mari, stop!”
He yanked away from her, and she reached out to bring him back. “Tucker, no.”
His face was in front of hers a second before his mouth found her nipple. Tugging her with him, he sat back and settled her on top of him. They stopped, each savoring the moment.
His eyes, almost completely amber now, bore into hers, signaling a silent warning that his beast was close to the surface. His nostrils flared, and his jaw clenched. Lifting her up by taking her under her arms, he held her suspended above him.
“I’ve never wanted any woman more than I want you.”
She panted, unable to catch her breath. “The feeling’s mutual.”
A smile filled his face right before he dropped her to him, driving deep inside her. She shouted, first at the quick pain as her body widened to hold him, then as another climax roared through her. She grabbed his pecs, holding on as he rocked into her. Her breasts bounced with each new thrust and wetness spread over their legs. She threw her head back, her mouth open, her eyes closed.
Moving with him, she rode him, taking him into her as far as she could. He latched on to her breast with hand and mouth, and sucked her nipple, harder, stronger. Spreading her butt, he slid his fingers into her crack, teasing her butthole and holding her cheek to keep her steady on their wild ride.
Harder, faster he drove into her. Sweat slid between them, down his chest to wet her fingers. She flattened her palms against his nipples and moved her hands in slow circles. Tightening around him, she gripped him, possessing him.
His eyes were all amber, his features hardened as though he fought an internal battle he wasn’t certain he would win.
Mari took his face in her hands and met his gaze straight-on. “Now, Tucker. Now.”
He froze, narrowed his eyes, then resumed his drive into her and quickened his speed. Pulling his mouth to hers, she kissed him and closed her eyes.
His growl flowed into her mouth, mixing with her cry. He shuddered along with her, their joined bodies reacting as one. Jerking movements followed, and he clung to her, still kissing, combing their moans. The pungent aroma of the sweat mixing together assaulted her nose, putting the scent of the flowers to shame.
Mari’s head swam with emotions, with a thrilling sensation of freedom she would never be able to put into words. As the climax reached its peak, then began losing momentum, he leaned against her, then turned sideways to crumple both of them to the bed.
Chapter Seven
Up the River with No Flop in Sight
Mari listened to Tucker’s singing and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Brushing her hair, she giggled as he hit a particularly awful note. But who cared what he sounded like? What the man lacked in musical talent, he made up for in every other way.
Sighing, she walked away from the mirror and pushed the bathroom door open an inch. “Tucker?”
The singing stopped, and he poked his head out from behind the shower curtain. “Hey, you’re up.” The wicked grin stirred the warmth between her legs. “How about joining me? I’m crazy good with a loofah.”
If only he’d move the curtain more. Then again, maybe it was a good thing he didn’t. Otherwise, she’d ne
ver return to her hotel room and get ready for the day’s play. “I bet you are. But no thanks. I’m going to take a shower and change in my room. Meet you downstairs for breakfast?”
He bobbed his gaze the length of her and back again, the lust in his eyes unmistakable. “Aw, hell. I was counting on you washing my back.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “I’m a dirty, dirty boy.”
“You are too funny.” She laughed, then gave his idea serious consideration. “I’d love to join you, but we do have a tournament to win. See you in a bit, okay?”
“Okay. But don’t take too long.” He disappeared behind the curtain and started singing again.
Mari cringed at Tucker’s horrible rendition of Bad Moon Rising, then grabbed her purse and slipped from the room. Leaning against the hallway wall, she dug in her purse, trying to find her hotel key. “Now where the hell did I put it?”
“I would not know, but I am happy to be of assistance.”
Bascom took her arm and tugged her away from the wall. Mari gasped and tried to pull away from the vampire but couldn’t break free. “Let me go, you jerk.” Fear rushed into her, stiffening her body and paralyzing her brain.
“My, my. The ladies of this day and age never fail to shock me. No, wait. I doubt any lady would speak such profanity. Which means, my sweet Mari, that you are no lady.”
“You’re really going to think I’m not a lady when my knee connects with your balls.”
Bascom chuckled, the sound grating on Mari’s nerves more than fingernails on a chalkboard ever could. “Ah, if you would like to touch my balls, you need only ask.”
He skimmed a fingernail along her cheek. She twisted her head away from his finger but could still feel the cold on her skin. “Don’t touch me.”
“I do not understand. Why, oh why, would you want to lie down with a dog? Believe me, sweet one, I am sure you will find me a much better lover than that animal.” He let out an exaggerated sigh. “Alas, for now, I will have to settle for the dulcet tones of your lilting voice.”
She tried to wrench free again but had no better luck than before. The vampire’s fingers dug into her arm, but she refused to cry out.
