College funds for Maddie and Owen were his first expenditures. Repaying what little his baseball scholarship hadn’t covered was the second.
Maddie threw her arms around his neck and squeezed off his air supply. “That would be great.” She kissed his cheek. “Thank you for always being there for me, Ty.”
Well, lookie there. He was two for two with his siblings tonight. And the game would be over in time to see Gabriella, provided she was free.
Feeling encouraged, he settled into the flow of the game.
Maybe the day could be salvaged after all.
* * *
His phone buzzed his pocket during the bottom of the ninth. Whoever it was would have to wait. Owen was on third. There were two outs and a full count on the batter. Owen’s team was down by one after they gave up runs in the seventh. A good, solid hit and Owen could make the tying run.
Leaving his family to ride the bleachers, needing to be closer to the action, Tyler stood at the fence. Ignoring the ache in his shoulder, he folded his arms and waited for the pitch.
Wait for it. Wait for it. Don’t—
The umpire signaled the third strike with a loud grunt.
—swing at that shit.
Game over.
The bleachers on the winning side erupted with excited fans. The fans on his side were subdued.
Losing sucked, but the boys had played a tough game. Filled with pride for his brother, Tyler yelled encouragements as the team came off the field. He’d lost enough games to know the feeling of anger and disappointment the boys would experience.
His phone buzzed again, reminding him of the call he’d missed. He checked the screen. His heart stuttered when he saw the name.
Gabriella.
She hadn’t left a message. A quick scroll told him she hadn’t sent a text either.
Tyler found himself torn. Owen would be expecting him to meet the team. He wanted to, but now that Gabriella had tried to reach him, he wouldn’t be able to concentrate until he called her back. She’d been quieter than usual during their session this afternoon. All business, which he appreciated, even if he couldn’t stop wishing she’d break her own rules and straddle his lap.
He could tell she was having a hard time shaking off whatever went down between her and Roger. He just didn’t know what to do about it.
Flagging Owen down, he held up two fingers to indicate he needed a couple of minutes. Wandering away from the crowd, anticipation tightened his stomach as he hit the call button.
“Hello?”
His eyes drifted closed. God, her voice. One word uttered on a breath was sultry music to his ears. She could make a mint working a phone sex line. “Hey. It’s Tyler.”
A sexy chuckle drifted through the line. He hardened almost instantly. “I know who this is.”
“Sorry I missed your call. Have I caught you at a bad time?”
“Not at all. I’m curled up on the couch with a glass of wine.”
“That sounds nice.” He drummed up a picture. Tiny tank top straining against her breasts. Cotton shorts revealing her gorgeous legs. Feet tucked under her as she snuggled into the couch cushions. He wanted to be there.
“After the day I had, a glass or two of wine seemed necessary.”
His name being called broke the visual he had going on. A good thing, since he didn’t relish the embarrassment of meeting his brother’s team with a hard-on. He turned to see his dad scowling and waving wildly. He lowered the phone and hollered, “I’ll be right there.”
“Where are you?”
“Sorry about that. I’m at my brother’s baseball game. Are you doing okay?”
“Shouldn’t you be watching? Instead of calling me, I mean?”
“Game’s over. They lost. And you didn’t answer my question.”
“Sorry about the game. Give Owen a pat on the back from me.”
“I’ll do it.” He was touched by the show of support for his brother. “I’ve been worried about you today. You gonna tell me how you are, or leave me hanging?”
“I’m fine.”
The weary sigh said she wasn’t. He wanted to press, to get her to tell him what the hell Roger had said to upset her so badly. Damn it, he wanted to make it better. He didn’t care why or how. Just that he did.
He twisted the toe of his shoe into the dirt. “You can talk to me, you know.”
“About my ex? No, thanks.”
“About anything. I’m a good listener.”
“I’m sure you are. What time are you done tonight?”
“I should be done here in an hour or so. Owen wants me to meet the team.”
“Matt told me you should be throwing, but don’t go crazy if you start tossing balls around with them.”
He laughed. Always on the clock. “I’ll save the throwing for later, promise. Now, did you have something in mind when you asked when I’d be done?”
“Do you want to come over?”
Hell yes, he did. “I’ll need to slide by the hotel and catch a shower first.”
“You can shower here.” She hesitated. “And stay the night. You know, if you want. No pressure.”
The low, sensual tone went straight to his dick. He was sure he could get off with nothing more than her voice to guide him. He might have to test that theory while he was in New York.
He hadn’t made a habit of spending the night with the women he fucked, but Gabriella was different. She didn’t need to pressure him to stay. Seemed she only had to ask.
He checked his watch. “I’ll pick up clean clothes and a pizza. Be there by seven?”
“I’ll be waiting.”
14
Gabriella pulled the pan from the oven and placed it on the counter. Cookies this time. Good ole chocolate chip—and because she had a bag of fresh pecans, she’d tossed them in the mix too.
Maybe it was the baking, maybe it was the wine. Whatever the reason, her anger had run its course.
She should’ve intervened this morning, instead of sitting silently by as Tyler claimed she belonged to him. As she’d predicted, Roger hadn’t let it go. He’d called three times already, leaving messages demanding to know what she thought she was doing with a known playboy like Tyler Brady.
Having sex with him. Isn’t that what one did with a known playboy?
It was none of Roger’s goddamned business anyway. He could call and leave all the messages he wanted. She had no intention of calling him back, now or ever. Still reeling from the bombshell he’d thrown this morning, she had nothing productive to say. Until she figured out her next move, radio silence was her play.
Gabriella checked the clock. Tyler would be there soon.
She left the last batch of cookies to cool. She pinned up her hair and took a quick shower to rinse the day from her skin. Once done, she sat on the edge of the bed and coated her body with lotion. Her favorite—a lightly fragrant mix of vanilla and musk with an iridescent sheen.
She slipped into a long, sapphire robe, securing the belt with a loose knot around her waist. The soft caress of silk gave her a rush. Her nipples spiked and she shuddered, feeling sexier than she had in a long time. All thanks to Tyler.
She adjusted the edges of the robe, baring enough cleavage to be enticing, but leaving her lower half covered.
This thing between her and Tyler was intense. Confusing. Fun. And temp-o-rar-y, she reminded her heart for the millionth time. She wouldn’t melt over how he’d come to her defense. She wouldn’t hold him to taking her to a game, or feeding her hotdogs. She wouldn’t become addicted to his touch, the way he played her body as if it were a finely tuned instrument and he the master. And she certainly wouldn’t allow Tyler’s declaration of ‘my girl’ to replay in her mind every five minutes.
Would. Not.
The doorbell rang.
Her belly quivered in response. Moisture flooded her pussy in anticipation of Tyler being buried deep there. It wasn’t every day an average girl managed to have a handsome hard-body in her bed. They
only had a few weeks together; she intended to take advantage of every minute.
Gabriella pulled the clip from her hair and gave her head a good shake. A quick finger-comb later, she sailed out of the bedroom and down the hallway to the front door.
A quick peek to make sure it was Tyler, and she opened the door, half hiding behind it as he stood there smiling.
“Hiya, gorgeous.” The greeting had become somewhat of a standard, but she didn’t mind. The way he looked at her, she felt gorgeous.
“Hi, back.” Her heart did a little leap when she noticed the duffel bag hanging at his side.
He came in and closed the door.
“I—wow.” His eyelids went wide. Blatant sexual interest sparked his gaze. Her insides turned molten as his stare lingered over the skin she exposed. His tongue darted across his lips as he reached back and flipped the deadbolt on the door. “I got us a pizza, but I’m suddenly hungry for something much sweeter.”
Gabriella took the pizza box from him. If she had her way, it would be cold before they got to it. She turned and started for the kitchen. “Do you want to shower? I left a towel on the counter in the master bath for you.” When he was finished, he’d find her waiting in bed, naked.
The duffel dropped with a thump. “I went ahead and showered when I stopped for clothes. After putting up with my sweaty ass this morning, I figured I better not press my luck a second time today. Does your house always smell like a bakery?” He followed her into the kitchen and came to an abrupt halt. “Ah, damn,” he said, spying the cookies.
“What?” She dropped the pizza box onto the counter and turned to face him.
A frown crinkled his brows. He groaned and reached for her. “Come here, sweetheart. Need to hold you for a minute.” Warm arms enveloped her, pulled her against the hard plane of his chest. His chin rested against the top of her head. “Did making cookies help you work shit out?”
He remembered. “I think so.” She’d stopped feeling sorry for herself along the way to dozen number two, so she considered it a win. And holy shit. He remembered. She and Roger had been together for years and not once had Roger questioned those times she took to the kitchen in a baking frenzy.
“There anything I can do?”
You’re already doing it.
Gabriella wiggled from his arms. Her breath hitched. Desire flooded her veins. Her hands shook as she loosened the belt and let the robe slip from her shoulders. “I believe there is, yes.”
“My god,” he breathed. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you are?”
Her face heated under his praise. “As long as you think so.”
Tyler was on her in a heartbeat, his mouth insistent against hers. She opened, let him in. His taste exploded along her tongue. Mint and a subtle, earthy flavor that was all Tyler.
He licked at her lips, sucking and tasting. Her fingers laced behind his neck, his skin warm and inviting as he devoured her mouth.
His arms came around her waist, lifting her feet from the floor. The world shifted its axis. She hung onto him as if her very existence depended on it. She dug into his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist, the bulge of his erection pressing against her naked sex. Air expelled from her lungs as her back met the wall, and Tyler was there. Absorbing every breath. Teasing, tasting, leaving no part of her mouth unexplored.
Calloused hands gripped the globes of her ass, sending shivers up her spine. He pulled away from her mouth, his forehead resting against hers.
“You make me crazy.” He shifted, braced her with his hips. Nimble fingers trailed a path from her neck to her breast, pausing to run his thumb over her nipple.
“The feeling is mutual.”
He pinched the hardened tip and gently tugged.
Gabriella lost her breath. Her pussy clenched, heated, prepared for action.
His mouth met hers again, gentle this time, but no less urgent.
She reached over his shoulders, grabbed a handful of his shirt and pulled. Nothing. She pulled harder, but there was no way she was getting him naked in this position. She nipped at his bottom lip, a noise of frustration bubbling up from her throat. The sudden need to be skin-on-skin was irresistible.
As though understanding her intent, Tyler released her. Unsteady legs met the floor. Before she had a chance to face-plant, Tyler bent and swung her into his arms.
“One of these days, I’m gonna get to undress you,” he grumbled as he carried her to the bedroom.
“I can get dressed if you want.”
He laid her on the bed and stepped back. “So, this is about what I want?”
The tiny hairs on the back of her neck shimmied under his sharp gaze. She tried not to squirm. She swallowed hard, prepared to live out whatever fantasy had set his cheeks aflame. She rolled to her side, head propped on her palm. “It can be.”
He blinked. His chest rose and fell. By the time his gaze found hers again, she knew the game was on.
Tyler folded his arms. An arrogant brow arched. “You broke our agreement today. Again.”
“How so?” What did he plan to do about it? Her mind raced, losing to the speed of her heart.
“You warned me about throwing with the team tonight.” He reached back. In a blink, his shirt came over his head and fell to the floor. His hand traveled over the dips and valleys of the exposed terrain. “I’m trying to think of a suitable punishment, but it’s damn hard with you layin’ there all naked.”
A burst of saliva hit her mouth when his fingers slipped past the waistband of his shorts. His shoulder dipped. The muscles in his arm worked. His eyelids fluttered and a low purr came from his throat. Damn it, she wanted to see what was happening behind his zipper. Gabriella shifted to her knees, hoping for a better view.
“I’m not allowed to be concerned about you?”
“It’s a fine line, to be sure. Friendly concern is acceptable, I suppose.” His arm relaxed. “Is that all it was?”
It took her all of two seconds to decide. Heart in her throat, Gabriella shook her head.
“That’s what I figured.” His fingers sank into her hair and tugged her head back, forcing her to look at him. As though she wanted to look anywhere else. Lost in a sea of deep blue, Gabriella was putty in his hands. Whatever he wanted, she’d give.
“I oughta spank your pretty ass red, but I’ve been dying to get your mouth on me since the day we met. Since this is about what I want…” He held out a hand. “Come. On your knees in front of me.”
Oh, God.
She’d been distracted by thoughts of going down on him all day. Her restraint had been sorely tested when she had him spread along the massage table earlier. It would’ve been so easy to ask him to flip over. To undo his shorts, and—
A palm landed hard against her backside, causing her hips to twitch forward. The sound registered first—the crack of flesh meeting flesh—followed by a sharp sting. By the time her brain had processed what he’d done, the sting had melted into warmth spreading across the cheek of her ass. The heat continued to unfurl, reaching all the way to the folds of her very wet sex.
She exhaled in a rush, her body a riotous mess of sensation. Her breasts ached. Her ass burned. Her sex throbbed. All combined made her light-headed.
“You like that, don’t you?”
She opened her mouth to speak, but the words failed. Oh god, yes felt cheesy and inadequate. She looked at him, struggling to come up with something better.
Tyler groaned, apparently not needing her words. “On your knees, Gabriella. Now.” He fumbled with his shorts as she slid to the floor. He tossed a condom onto the bed and within seconds, he kicked his clothes away.
Naked and hard, Tyler wrapped his hand around his cock and jerked a couple of times. A bead of moisture seeped from the smooth, angry-looking head.
He stepped to her, standing so close now she could smell him. That spicy mixture she wanted to bottle. The scent she would associate with summer and baseball and hot sex and Tyler until the day she died.
“Keep your mouth closed. Hold still.”
Tyler brushed his cockhead across her lips, painting her with his arousal. Gabriella dug her nails into her thighs, fighting the urge to wrap her mouth around him.
“Been dreamin’ ’bout this for days.” His Southern accent deepened. He stared down at her. “Lick your lips.”
Gabriella closed her eyes. Taking her time, she swiped her tongue over her top lip, then suckled her bottom lip, savoring what he offered.
“That’s gotta be the sexiest goddamn thing I’ve ever seen—you sucking my juice off your lips. Open those pretty eyes and tell me how I taste.”
“You don’t know?”
His chuckle was dark and dirty. He bent, braced a hand behind her neck, and kissed her hard. “I’m not squeamish about my own junk, sweetheart. Can’t say I’d lick you clean, but if you think I won’t kiss you after, think again.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek. “Now, tell me.”
He was turning her inside out.
Gabriella drew a shaky breath. “Fresh. Smoky.” She glanced up, peering at him through her eyelashes, letting him see how much she loved it. “Addictive.”
“You gonna drink what I give you?”
“Yes.” Please.
Fisting his length, Tyler cursed softly. “Open.”
A thrill singed her spine. She widened her lips and took him into her mouth.
* * *
Tyler hung on by a thread.
He watched Gabriella take the head of his cock into her mouth. Heat surrounded him. His eyes rolled closed and he tipped his head back, praying he’d last more than a minute.
“That’s so good.”
It killed him to be still, to let her play. She released him, rolled her tongue along the sensitive ridge of his crown. Then the little tease pressed hot, open mouth kisses along his length. She cupped his balls, and fuck, she licked him there, too.
“No more playtime for you, sweetheart. Take me back in. Deep this time.” He gathered her hair in his fist, holding it back so he could watch.
She drew a breath through her nose. Slowly, so fucking slowly, she swallowed him.
Southern Heat (Game On Book 2) Page 13
