His hair brushed her nipples in an erotic caress. His arms flexed as he held his upper body above hers. His mouth claimed what was his so completely she’d have gladly agreed to be his love slave forever.
She couldn’t stop what was happening even if she wanted to. He owned her, heart, body, and soul, like no one before him.
Her body trembled with a powerful orgasm, and she cried out his name as she came. He paused briefly, watching her with the intensity of a man who did everything with sheer abandon, then drove inside her harder than before until he, too, shouted her name and came with a thunderous roar.
Seconds later, he collapsed beside her, his sweaty body sliding across hers. His chest rose and fell; his breathing rasped harshly in her ears.
“Fuck,” he said wearily yet in wonder.
She understood the wonder. She felt it herself. They didn’t even like each other. Not really. Yet the sex between them had been epic.
No other man would ever be enough.
He’d ruined her, and perhaps, just perhaps, she’d ruined him.
* * * *
Hunter lay next to Kate, completely brain-dead and bone-tired. She’d drained his body of all tension and replaced the tightness with mind-blowing passion. He couldn’t process what’d just happened between them. Didn’t want to destroy the moment with self-analysis or dumb shit like regret.
He didn’t regret fucking Kate. Not for one moment.
Neither of them spoke, and he was good with that. He’d never been thrilled with women who chattered after sex. Hunter preferred to meditate and be in the moment, not trash it with bullshit words.
He was getting hard again.
“Don’t move,” he ordered Kate as he swung out of bed and went to the bathroom to dispose of the condom. He could feel her eyes on his ass, and he grinned to himself.
Time for round two.
Hunter returned to the bed and flicked on the bedside lamp. He wanted to see her. She hadn’t moved, but her clear blue eyes were open and watching him. He smirked, feeling damned pleased with himself. She looked like a woman who’d been well-fucked, and he wasn’t done with her yet. The night was young.
Her eyes followed him with mild curiosity and hazy lust. She, too, appeared ready for the next round. Hunter slid another condom onto his now-hard dick.
“You do this to me, baby.”
Her gaze dropped lazily to his cock and back to his face. “I know.”
He chuckled and crawled onto the bed on his hands and knees. “Get on all fours.”
“What are you going to do if I don’t?” she challenged.
“This.” He grabbed her around the waist and lifted her in the air, plopping her down on her stomach with her head facing the foot of the bed.
Hunter stared down at her inviting ass. He raised his arm and brought his hand down hard on one rounded cheek. She let out a yelp. He held her down easily with a hand planted in the small of her back. He slapped her ass again and again and again. A dozen times in all, until her skin was red from his punishment. She’d ceased struggling to free herself, but her hips moved in a circular motion.
“You like to be spanked.”
“I do not.” Her indignation caused him to chuckle.
“Liar.” He didn’t believe her. She got off on it. “Has any man spanked you before?”
“No.”
“Then you haven’t been with a real man.”
She snorted.
“Get on all fours. Now.”
For a moment, she didn’t move but turned her head to look back at him. He raised his arm in a threat, and she scrambled to her knees. Hunter positioned himself behind her. He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her head up.
“See that mirror.” He’d positioned her in such a way she looked directly into the big mirror on the opposite wall.
She nodded, and her bright eyes met his in the mirror.
“You’re going to watch me ride you. You’re going to see me drive my cock into your wet, willing body. You’re going to give me anything I ask for and then some. Aren’t you?”
She nodded, but defiance flashed briefly in her eyes. Hunter liked that—a lot.
“Are you going to let me tame you, my wild little mustang?”
She shook her head. “Never.”
He grinned. “Good. This is going to be one nasty ride then, because you’ll never tame me, either.”
They were two stubborn souls with a passion for life and a driving ambition to be the best. Tonight they funneled all that passion and ambition into sex. Tomorrow it could go elsewhere, but tonight she was his.
And he was hers.
Hunter dropped his gaze to her pussy, swollen from desire and drenched with need. She was the most beautiful sight in the world. Still holding her hair wrapped around his hand, he drove into her, ignoring her cry of surprise. He tightened his grip on her hair so she couldn’t drop her head. He reached under her body and grabbed a nipple. He pinched and pulled as he slammed into her body over and over. A stream of lust-laden, filthy words erupted from her mouth as she encouraged him to fuck her harder, take her like the dirty girl she was, and pound into her.
Well, then.
This girl had a hidden side to her. He liked that.
And who was he to question her?
Hunter fucked her hard just as she asked, encouraged by her steady stream of dirty talk. He added his own dirty talk to the mix. The entire time he watched her in the mirror. She was loving this. Raw pleasure radiated across her face, giving her a glow beyond the sheen of sweat on her brow. Their eyes locked in the mirror. In that brief moment, he knew her. He knew her dreams, her disappointments, her struggles, her fears, he knew it all, as if she’d crawled into his head and taken residence, opening up her secret places while unlocking his.
Even with his high school sweetheart, whom he’d always believed to be The One, he’d never experienced such profound closeness during sex.
Hunter looked away first, shaken by the power of emotions flooding through him. The stream of knowing between them dried up, leaving the sex and only the sex.
Before he knew it, they were coming again. Him first this time; her, a second later.
She collapsed onto the bed into a satisfied heap.
Hunter stared at her for a moment, shaken by the experience.
Kate was not The One. They were too different. Too incompatible. Too wrong.
He got off the bed, cleaned himself up in the bathroom, and walked back into the bedroom. He studied Kate for a moment. Her steady breathing hinted she might be asleep.
“Kate,” he whispered.
She didn’t respond.
Hunter bent down and kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry, but this can’t happen again.”
He pulled on his clothes and shoes and got the hell out of there.
Not much scared Hunter, but this night with Kate had.
Chapter 9—In the Running
Cam was restless. He didn’t feel like staying home, nor did he feel like partying like a rock star with the team’s rookies. He had one drink with the guys at some club in downtown Bellevue, then left, bored. Even the barely clad, hot women in the club couldn’t entice him to stay. They wanted him for his fame and fortune. None of them knew anything about him as a person or cared to know him. He’d be another notch on their G-string just as they’d be on his belt.
Cam was weary of being used by people. He was tired of not measuring up to family expectations. He was just damn tired. He wanted to go somewhere that he wouldn’t be used or judged.
He was out of sorts and driving aimlessly until he realized with a start he’d turned down Hunter and Lilli’s nondescript gravel driveway. He drove down the winding lane with the woods on both sides, past the turn to Tanner’s home and onward, guided by something he didn’t understand.
He parked in front of the house and walked up the steps to the covered porch area. He rapped on the door, surprised to see that his hand shook. He frowned and wiped at the sweat on hi
s brow.
He’d almost given up when a familiar female voice asked, “Who’s there?”
“It’s Cam.”
He heard the sound of a dead bolt being flipped. The door swung open. Cam shifted from one foot to the other and stared at her, speechless. She wore a simple gray sweatshirt and a pair of skinny jeans. Her minimal makeup only enhanced her high cheekbones and full mouth.
He bit back a groan.
“Hunter isn’t here.” Was it his imagination or did she sound breathless?
“Do you know when he’ll be back?”
She shrugged. “Hard to say with Hunter. He’s his own man.” She hesitated. “Would you like to come in?”
“I’d love to,” he answered quickly before she could change her mind.
He walked into Hunter’s home, decorated with rustic furniture and Native American art. He’d been here before, but really never paid attention to any of it. Now he was looking.
Only he wasn’t looking at the furniture. He was looking at her. Lilli McCoy was stunning, with her long black hair and classic appearance. She was tall, probably five foot ten, and stood erect and proud. Very similar to her brother. But beyond her incredible external charm, she had an internal beauty that shone brighter than the brightest stars.
Funny, until that night they’d danced, he’d never really looked at her even though he’d known her since his freshman year of college. She’d always seemed so much more mature than the wingmen. She’d never been into partying or hanging out. She’d been fiercely driven and ridiculously intense.
He’d enjoyed dancing with her more than he dared admit. Despite the endless parade of women in and out of his life, he’d never met one who could match him on the dance floor. A lot of them danced, but they did the down-and-dirty stuff, not the elegant ballroom dancing he secretly adored.
Let the wingmen and Tanner find out about that. They’d never give him a moment’s peace.
“Did you find a class for us?”
She turned in the act of reaching for a beer in the fridge. She held the beer bottle out to him as she felt in the drawer for a bottle opener. “A class?” She glanced up at him. Confusion marred her pretty features.
“Ballroom dancing.” He took the beer from her and resisted the urge to help her find the opener. A woman like her wouldn’t appreciate being coddled by a sighted man.
“I didn’t think you were serious about that.”
“Serious as a heart attack,” he responded against his better judgment. What was he doing agreeing to spend his only day off in a class with his best friend’s sister? Hunter would draw and quarter him and feed him to the dogfish in Puget Sound if Cam touched his sister.
She rewarded him with a smile. “Well, there is a class at seven thirty p.m. on Tuesdays.”
Every part of his brain warned him to back out of dance lessons, but his brain didn’t answer. Some other usually silent part of him did. “I’m in.”
Her million-watt smile lit up the entire Seattle power grid. His stomach tightened into an unfamiliar knot, yet he felt better than he had in a long time.
This was nuts. He was supposed to be lusting after Kate. To force the point, he responded, “It’ll be fun. Now do you think you can get me a date with Kate?”
Her expression fell for a brief moment, but she recovered so quickly he’d probably imagined her disappointment. “Is that your price for dancing lessons?” The light tone in her voice lifted the dark cloud temporarily blocking her radiance.
“Yeah, I guess it is.”
“You might have to fight my brother for her.”
Cam frowned. “Hunter and Kate? Seriously?”
“As a heart attack.” She laughed as she mimicked his earlier answer complete with a husky voice. Desire rushed to his groin. He wanted to hear that voice shouting out to him as he drove inside her.
Cam shook his head, trying to clear the fog inside his brain. When he didn’t speak, she made her way to the couch and waved in his general direction for him to join her. Cam stood in the middle of the room waging a silent battle with his confused soul.
“I was about to watch a movie. Do you want to join me?” She faced a point about ten feet to the left of him.
“Is it a chick flick?” When he spoke, she turned her head in his general direction.
“No, I hate chick flicks. Not much for romance. It’s a thriller.”
“I love thrillers.”
“So do I.”
He didn’t wait for a second invitation but took a seat in the chair next to the couch. She pressed the Play button on the remote and the movie started.
“Oh, it’s a Rebecca James movie.”
“Do you like her?”
“She’s one of my favorite authors.”
“I’m glad.”
“She must be one of your faves, too?”
“You could say that.” Her lips curved up in a secretive smile, only Cam wasn’t in on the secret. She reminded him of Hunter when he was being sly and all-knowing about something. On Hunter that expression irritated the hell out of him, but on her he was intrigued.
“There’s more to it than that.”
“What?”
“I’m Rebecca James.”
Cameron could’ve been knocked over with a feather. “You’re the writer?”
“Sure am.”
Cameron digested this piece of information. Lilli was a New York Times best-selling author of multiple books, books he’d enjoyed reading. He’d known Lilli had a job and worked at home. “I’m beyond impressed.”
Lilli blushed. “It’s nothing.”
“Are you kidding? You’re very talented.”
“Thank you.” She brushed him off, obviously not wanting to discuss it further. He took her lead and dropped the subject.
“Where’s Hunter?”
She shrugged. “Out somewhere. I don’t expect him back for a long time.”
She knew more than she was telling him, but he dropped the subject. Hunter rarely spoke much of his private life. A few times, Cam had ventured to Hunter’s home on the reservation for salmon fries or clambakes. His parents lived in a modest ranch house filled with Native art and photos of their grown children. Each time, his mother chided Hunter about giving her grandbabies, and each time, he’d been horrified. Lilli hadn’t been present any of those occasions, but Cam had gotten the impression she’d been there in spirit, judging by the fond way her family members mentioned her.
She was a remarkable woman.
Cam stayed for the entire movie. They made little comments back and forth to each other, and Cam felt completely at ease. Until the door slammed open and Hunter entered, looking like something the cat had dragged in after a long night of cat fights.
Lilli startled at the sound, and Cam quickly reassured her. She slanted a grateful look in his direction. Hunter ground to a stop in the living room, looking instantly contrite.
“Sorry, Lilli, didn’t mean to scare you.” He turned his gaze on Cam. “What are you doing here?” His tone was accusatory.
“I was bored. Came by to see you and stayed to watch a movie.”
Hunter relaxed slightly and sank into the nearby chair. Cam scrutinized him. “You look like you’ve been in a wrestling match.”
Hunter’s face colored, and he scowled as he absently ran his hand through his messy hair.
Lilli clapped her hands together. “Oh, Cam, do tell. What does Hunter look like?”
Hunter skewered Cam with a murderous glare, which only goaded Cam on. He grinned.
“Well, Lill, half his hair is out of his usual tidy ponytail, and the other half is skewed off to one side. His eyes are dilated. There’s a red mark on his neck, and his jeans aren’t zipped.”
Hunter glanced down at his jeans and quickly zipped them up, as if that would make a difference.
Cam chuckled. “He’s zipping up his jeans.”
Lilli threw back her head and howled. Cam joined her. Hunter glared at both of them.
�
��Somebody got some tonight,” Cam couldn’t resist adding.
“Shut up,” Hunter ordered him, and Cam laughed harder.
“So who was it?” Cam prodded.
Hunter shot to his feet. “Good night.” He fled from the room like man fleeing from a mob.
“Hunter just ran out of here,” Cam told Lilli.
“He can dish it out, but he can’t take it.”
“He likes to be all noble and pretend he’s above one-night stands, but he’s just like the rest of us horny football players.”
“Is he? Are you like that?” she asked breathlessly. Cam swallowed hard and cleared his throat.
“Maybe. Yes. I guess. I was. I was really bad as a teenager and college kid.” He babbled on, not sure why he was defending his promiscuity to her.
“And now?”
“I, uh, I’m better.” Hardly, but she didn’t need to know the deets on his sordid love affairs.
“Cam?”
“Yeah?”
“I think Hunter was at Kate’s.”
“Oh.” He forced disappointment in his voice, but he didn’t feel any. Hunter’s clandestine visit to Kate’s amused him. “And here I thought they hated each other.”
“I’m sure they still think they do. Love and hate are very close emotions in their intensity and fierceness.”
They were silent for a few moments. Each lost in their own thoughts.
“Have you ever been in love—really in love?” He didn’t have a clue why he was asking her such a girlie question. If one of the wingmen heard him, his man card would be revoked. He shamelessly wanted and needed to know her answer.
“I thought I was, but I was wrong.”
“What happened?”
“You knew I lived back East for a year with a longtime boyfriend, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, I knew. Hunter wasn’t thrilled about it.”
“Hunter isn’t thrilled about me having a relationship with anyone of the opposite sex. He’s not thrilled with us being friends.”
Game Changer: Seattle Steelheads Football (Game On in Seattle Book 7) Page 8
