Stevie looked at me and then her scoreboard and then mine, and back to me. “Apparently it was since you beat me by two hundred points.” She sounded upset but the glowing smile on her face said otherwise. “Good job.”
“Thanks.”
“I should thank you, this was an excellent date. Probably one of the best I ever had. So, thanks.” Stevie seemed uncharacteristically shy in that moment as she pushed up on her tiptoes and pressed her soft lips to mine. The kiss was soft and sweet, almost gentle and shy as her lips touched mine in soft caresses that grew in intensity with every pass of her tongue. The kiss quickly heated up and her soon her fingers sifted through my hair as my hands gripped her hips. The kiss threatened to explode right there in front of the row of basketball hoops and digital displays.
I pulled back with wide eyes and a thumping heart, surprised again by my reaction to this woman. “Well.”
“Right?” She let out a nervous laugh and went in for another kiss that sent my senses reeling, my knees damn near buckled in the middle of the gaming complex. “Yeah, wow is right.”
Damn this woman and her incredible words. “Thanks,” I told her with an amused laugh and clasped our hands together as I led her out to the car so we could go home where I could really show her just how much she meant to me.
Stevie
“Is this the part where you kiss me good night and send me on my way?” It felt like my heart had been replaced by an entire marching band, beating loud, fast and erratically as I stood in the middle of Scott’s bedroom. Naked. Teasing him.
I couldn’t deny that the way he looked at me in that moment, like I was the best damn thing he’d ever seen was…intoxicating. It was thrilling. Just the look of desire in his eyes made me feel like the sexiest woman alive. Like I was ten feet tall. “Do I look like an idiot to you?” His lips kicked up to one side in a teasing grin, one brow arched in question.
“Well with your mouth hanging open like that,” I began and let the rest of that thought linger between us. Unspoken.
Scott’s laugh came out rich and full-throated, the kind that startled you a bit before it became so contagious you couldn’t fight it if you wanted to. And I definitely didn’t want to. “You’re standing in front of me wearing nothing but a scrap of purple that’s being passed off as panties and a pair of high heels, how else should I be looking at you?”
Exactly like that. “For starters, I think you should be looking at me from a lot closer than this.” Less than ten feet separated us but it was still too far. My body pulsed with need for this particular man and now, with him just out of reach, it damn near vibrated. “Closer than that.”
His grin spread and I felt it all throughout my body, warming me down to the deepest parts of me as he stepped closer, his green eyes growing darker and darker the closer he came. One hand went to the curve of my waist, sliding up and down that crescent until I shivered, the other speared through my hair and pulled me close. “Is this close enough?”
“It’s a good start.” His mouth crashed down on mine, sweet and hot at the same time and I clung to his big shoulders as the kiss went on and on, deepening and changing several times before I had to come up for air. Unfortunately. “A damn good start.” He was so big and so wide I tried to climb his big body.
“Glad you approve.” His tone was amused and I smiled, happy to see the playful Scott show up tonight. Not just now in the bedroom, but earlier for our date too. I didn’t expect he would be able to buck expectations and have a lowkey date at a barbecue joint and a big ass arcade, but he’d jumped in with both feet and we both had a great time.
“I do,” I told him with a sassy smile before he tossed me on the bed and crawled up after me. “But it was so long ago I’ve almost forgot-,” His kiss cut off the rest of the words and it was just fine by me because he tasted like Dr. Pepper and chocolate and sugar, because he’d been unable to resist the funnel cake sundae. He devoured my mouth as quickly as he’d devoured the sundae, both times leaving me vibrating with need. And squirming in wet panties.
He pulled back and smiled down at me, green eyes dark and smiling, promising plenty of pleasure to come and I felt my gut clench hard and my chest suddenly felt tight. Too tight. “Don’t fight it.” Scott whispered the words in my ear and then took his time making sure he pleasured every inch of my skin with his tongue and I didn’t fight it. In fact, I didn’t just not fight it, I reveled it. I closed my eyes and arched into him, licked my suddenly try lips and tangled one hand in his hair until he was too far away to touch.
“Scott.” As if I could forget who made me feel this way. This man who was smart and kind and funny even when he was being bossy and judgmental. This man who seemed amused when I brought out my bitch card and gave as good as he got, forgiving easily. Quickly. As if I could ever possibly forget this man who, I was pretty damn sure I was in love with.
“I can’t hear you.” His words were muffled and when I looked down at him, those smiling green eyes were staring right back at me. Daring me. Teasing me.
He slipped two thick fingers inside of me at the same time his lips closed around my clit and I was lost for I don’t know how long as the orgasm worked its way to the surface in long, languid waves. Scott didn’t let up though, continued to lavish that talented tongue on me until I couldn’t tell if it was one orgasm or two. “Scott!”
His killer grin was my ultimate undoing. When he sat up and flashed a smile slick with my juices and there was something in his eyes that looked like more than lust, I lost it in a violent wave of erotic convulsions. “Fucking beautiful,” I thought I heard him mutter but I was too lost to ecstasy to be sure.
I was too lost in my own thoughts and feelings, wondering if it was smart to keep going down this path. The smart thing would probably be to push him away and run off like a scared little maiden, embarrassed but with my heart in tact. But Scott’s lips worked their way up my body and I wasn’t all that concerned with the smart thing.
Only the thing that felt good.
And Scott felt damn good. So good that I ached for him even as he slowly entered me, his gaze laser focused on mine so I couldn’t look away. I could only stare at the play of colors in his eyes as his pleasure turned wild, the way his handsome features morphed into something dark and appealing when he was buried deep. “Stevie.”
That was it, just my name. I smiled and wrapped my legs around his waist and decided that for tonight, I would embrace this feeling. I wouldn’t be terrified of it and I wouldn’t run from it and try to put any distance between me and Scott, not while our bodies were tangled up like they were now. I embraced it, reveled in pretending that this was more than the erotic event of my life as his hips worked in slow circles to drive me to the brink of insanity. I let myself believe it was love I saw shining in his eyes as he gripped my hips tight enough bruise and pounded into me, harder and faster than I’d ever felt before. “Yes,” I whispered because my throat was too choked up with emotions to shout.
Scott changed his pace, keeping me guessing until my body simply took over, knowing instinctively what to do while my mind scrambled with unwanted emotions. “Fuck, Stevie!” His words came out on a harsh whisper as his tongue licked from my belly button all the way up to lips, his hips in constant motion as another orgasm welled up inside of me. “Yes!”
I didn’t know if that was pride or satisfaction and I didn’t care, at least I didn’t think I cared. My body was nothing more than a mass of nerves, a bundle of feelings and they were firing on overdrive. As pleasure swamped my body, so did love and confusion and even a little bit of hate directed at yours truly. It was too much but as every ounce of pleasure poured out of my body, I couldn’t look away from the way Scott looked at me. It was real. It was genuine. It was…love.
It couldn’t be, I knew that, but the hormones pumping through my body as orgasm number three or maybe number four flowed through me, it really felt like it. So I did the only thing I could and slammed my eyes shut, allowing my body to a
bsorb the memories of this night together.
Scott rolled us over so I was on top and I grinned. This would be the perfect way to remember this night, with me in control of his pleasure. I sat up straight and let out a long, low groan as my entire body pulsed with pleasure. “Oh, Scott!”
“Perfect,” he growled and gripped my hips, his gaze focused exactly where they should be, on my boobs. Not my face. This way I could watch him with his face twisted in raw desire as he chased down the pleasure I kept just out of reach. “Stevie,” he growled and it sent another shiver through me.
“Yes?” My hands went to Scott’s massive chest and his green eyes were unavoidable as I began to slide up and down, faster and faster until his head fell back and his eyes closed a moment before his grip tightened.
“Oh Stevie, oh fuck! Yes!” I went on and on, feeling another orgasm well up inside me of me as Scott pumped his pleasure into my body. I felt like I was soaring, like actual euphoria was flowing through me and I rode out the wave, risking another glance at Scott who smiled up at me as the last jerking convulsion tore through him.
Moments later I collapsed on top of him, completely spent and unable to move. “That finish was even better than the start,” I told him, making him laugh.
Scott pressed a kiss to the side of my forehead and held me until our bodies separated on their own, then he pulled me flush against his chest and wrapped those big, caring arms around me as my eyelids grew heavier and heavier. “Sweet dreams,” he whispered. “Love you.” The words were whispered so low as he kissed my shoulder that I wasn’t sure I heard him correctly.
I was too orgasm drunk to say if it was dream or reality, but as I drifted off to sleep I secretly hoped it was more than a hazy memory when the sun came up.
Scott
The smells all around me in the kitchen were almost enough to distract me from the words that had been replaying in my mind since I woke up. An hour ago. Sweet dreams. Love you. My only defense, if I needed one, was that hell my defenses were down. Taking her, being with her the way we’d been together, it was an out of body experience. My mind and my body were as relaxed as they’d ever been in my adult life, and she was soft and smelled so fucking good, with that sexy satisfied smile on her face.
It had all felt so right, Stevie in my arms after loving on her for so long, falling asleep before we woke up to do it all again. That little kiss on her shoulder, still damp from the exertion of our lovemaking and those little words, had just fucking felt right. I wasn’t sure if I owed her apology but I damn sure had no plans on apologizing, and she hadn’t asked for one when she woke me up with her mouth in the middle of the night.”
“Did you mean it?”
“Shit!” I turned and found Stevie scowling at me, arms crossed over what looked like one of my old college t-shirts. It was too big and covered too much, but she looked good to me. “Good morning, Stevie.”
“Morning,” she grunted like it was a chore to perform even that one social nicety. “So…did you mean it?”
So she wanted to dive right into it? Well fine. Mostly. I arched a brow and fought the grin tugging on my muscles. “Did I mean what?” I had to pull my lips into my mouth to stop the smile that was threatening to break free when her glare darkened and she pointed an accusing finger my way.
“You know damn well what I’m talking about Scott.”
I did and I was glad in that moment that I wasn’t smiling. This was serious business and I never imagined I would be such an amateur that I’d tell a woman I loved her for the first time while I was inside of her. or when she was half asleep and unable to enjoy it. “I did mean it.” She looked like a scared little kitten trying to figure out if she should run or claw my eyes out so I figured it was about time to stop messing with her. “I do mean it. Have a seat.”
“I’m fine,” she insisted, notching her chin so high up in the air I thought she might get carried away.
Instead, I turned a glare on her and growled, “Have a damn seat Stevie.” Stubborn damn woman was determined to drive me out of my damn mind.
She huffed out a breath and narrowed her gaze before she dropped down in the nearest chair like it was some big damn chore. There was already a plate of fruit on the table, along with sausage and bacon. “Well?”
“Hungry?” I knew she wanted to get right down to have the conversation but she was too tense. I wanted her relaxed when we had this talk. Before she answered I turned to the eggs just before the started to burn.
“I feel like I’m being screwed with Scott and I don’t like it.”
The vulnerability in her voice got to me and my shoulders sank. “I’m not trying to screw with you, but dammit why are you so angry about this?”
She smacked her hands on the table and I turned to find a terrified, wide-eyed violet stare aimed at me. “Because I’m trying to figure out if that was post-orgasm bliss or reality!”
I nodded and sighed, and turned away. “I meant it Stevie.”
“But you wish you didn’t?” The hurt that mixed with hope in her voice was what strengthened my resolve. My determination.
“No, that’s not it at all Stevie.” I sucked in a deep breath and let it out for ten seconds and turned back to face her. She deserved to see my face and the sincerity in my words. “I wish I had chosen a better time to say it. It’s not how I would have done if I’d been thinking about it, but I mean it.” She still didn’t seem completely convinced and I took in another deep breath, knowing I would have to say the words again.
“So you didn’t mean to say them to me? Out loud?”
I shook my head and dumped the eggs into a big bowl and brought it to the table with more force than it required dammit, but for some reason I decided to fall in love with the world’s most skeptical woman. Stubborn too. I stood in front of her, big and imposing because I knew she would be able to risk glaring up at me. “I didn’t plan to say it when I did.” That much was true.
“Okay.”
“Stevie.”
“What?”
“I love you.” Shock. That was the main expression on Stevie’s face, which shocked me more than it should have, but there was also fear and hope, and that gave me hope.
“You love me.” The words came out on a shaky breath.
When Stevie looked up at me I nodded, expression serious so there was no misunderstanding my intentions.
“Are you sure?”
“I am.”
“Okay, but how?”
I sighed and took the seat beside her, pulling her close. “I’m sure because I know myself. Because I’ve had other relationships and I didn’t feel anywhere close to how I feel about you. Or when I think about losing you.” It’s what convinced me. Mostly.
“But how can you say that with such certainty? We’re so different, you said so yourself.”
“Yeah,” I snorted. “A hundred years ago.” At least it felt like she’d been part of my life for a long longer than weeks.
“Sure, but you weren’t totally wrong, either. I mean this,” she waved back and forth between our bodies, which I took as a good sign that she was already thinking of us as a couple, “could blow up in our faces.”
“I know,” I told her in mock seriousness. “We could even, gasp, end up married!” My words shocked her. Hell, I was waiting for my own shock to kick in but it never did. I wasn’t running for the hills and I wasn’t even nervous at the idea of more.
“Don’t joke about that.”
“Who’s joking?” She needed actual reassurance and I wanted to give it to her so I grabbed her arms by the wrists and laid her palms over my chest. “I love you Stevie and I suspect that you love me too. I know it shouldn’t work but it does and I care more that I want you than I do that we might seem odd together.”
“Might seem?” She let out an adorable unladylike snort that made me smile. “People will look at us and wonder when we’ll flame out.”
I smiled and leaned in. “Then I guess we’ll just have to prove them
wrong by not flaming out.” But mor than that, I didn’t care. “If people can’t look beyond your sense of style to see how amazing you are, how funny and witty, how sexy and smart too, then they don’t deserve to know you. Which works out for me, because I get you all to myself.” The truth was that I wanted her to make friends, to settle into Tulip and have a life here.
With me.
“Scott.” The word came out half plea and half whisper. “What if this is just hormones and newness and orgasms, I mean we’ve had some incredible ones together.”
“True,” I could help but smile at her use of incredible. “But those don’t happen with everyone. Not like that.” Stevie sighed and I tilted her chin up so those strange violet eyes were trained on me, so I could see the love she couldn’t hide completely staring back at me. I held her close, my breath mingling with hers as we soaked each other in. “The fact that we shouldn’t work but we do, and we want to, is a good thing. It means that we’ll work harder to make this work. We won’t let issues fester, we’ll talk them out and we’ll kick ass in this relationship. What do you think?” I held my breath, waiting for her walk away or smack me or laugh in my face. The way my heart was beating, all three were distinct possibilities.
“I think that you’re crazy.”
It wasn’t a no. “I can work with that.”
“I think you’re crazy and I love you anyway, but Scott, we’ll need more than that. I think so, don’t you?”
She was scared that she would start to love me and love Tulip, and she would have to leave. I knew it and she’d hate it if I reminded her of that. “I think we got the bones of a solid relationship, Stevie. The fact that I love you helps a lot. So does the chemistry.” Her cheeks pinkened and I grinned. “Care to share?”
“Nope,” she said quickly and dipped her head as if that could hide the blush staining her pale skin.
“Too bad.” It didn’t matter, not when I planned to give her plenty of memories like that one from this point forward. I knew it with a certainty I hadn’t had about anything since my decision to leave the NFL. That’s why I wasn’t haunted by it. “I love you and I promise not to hurt you on purpose, I don’t have any more of a guarantee than that.”
Hero Boss: An Alpha Male Office Romance Page 15
