Game On Box Set: Time OutHer Man AdvantageFace-OffBody Check

by Jill Shalvis

  “And what do you do out there?”

  “I’m a junior professor at Berkeley. I teach art history, and I’m also working toward a Ph.D.”

  Before she could ask him what he did for a living, he said, “Sounds exciting.”

  She got the feeling he wasn’t talking about her career anymore. Her suspicions were confirmed when his gaze swept over face and dropped to her cleavage. Under his brief—but appreciative—scrutiny, her nipples tightened against her lace bra.

  She played with the sleeve of the green wool sweater she’d brought instead of a coat, focusing on the scenery along South Michigan Avenue, afraid to look at him again. If he got her this aroused from one hooded glance, what on earth would he do to her in bed?

  Gosh, she couldn’t wait to find out.

  The rest of the car ride was silent. They reached the hotel, and Brody pulled into the lot and killed the engine. Still, neither of them spoke. As she unbuckled her seat belt, her pulse began to race. This was it. An hour ago she’d been complaining to Darcy about the lack of sex in her life, and now here she was, walking into the lobby of the Ritz with the sexiest man she’d ever encountered.

  Her heart thumped against her rib cage as they rode the elevator up to the penthouse. Shooting her a quizzical look, he said, “You must make good money at Berkeley.”

  She simply nodded, her expression vague. She didn’t want to tell him that the lavish penthouse actually belonged to her father. Her dad had lived here up until three years ago, before he’d married Sheila. He kept the place so Hayden would have somewhere to stay when she came to visit. But she didn’t want to tell Brody, mostly because that would lead to questions like what does your father do? Which would then lead to questions about her dad’s hockey team and that was one topic of conversation she tried to avoid.

  With the exception of Doug, most of the men she’d dated over the years had gone a little crazy when they found out her father owned the Warriors. Once, she’d dated a man who’d badgered her constantly to get him season tickets—which had driven her to promptly break up with him.

  She understood the sports obsession that came with most males, but just once it would be nice if she were the source of a man’s infatuation.

  The elevator doors opened right into the living room. Decorated in shades of black and gold, the room boasted four enormous leather couches in the center, all positioned in the direction of a fifty-six-inch plasma television mounted on the far wall. The suite had three large bedrooms, as well as a private covered balcony with a ten-person hot tub. In the corner of the main suite was a wet bar, which Hayden made a beeline for the second they stepped inside.

  She wasn’t a big drinker, but her nerves were shaky, making her hands tremble and her heartbeat erratic, and she hoped the alcohol might calm her down.

  “What can I get you?” she called over her shoulder. “There’s beer, scotch, whiskey, bourbon—”

  “You.” With a soft laugh, Brody eliminated the distance between them.

  Oh, God, he was huge. She had to fully tilt her head up to look at him. At five feet three inches, she felt like a dwarf next to him. Her heart jammed in her throat as he stepped even closer. She could feel his body heat, his warm breath tickling her ear as he leaned down and whispered, “That was the nightcap you were referring to, wasn’t it?”

  His low, husky voice heated her veins. When she met his eyes, she saw the unmistakable desire glittering in their cobalt-blue depths. “Well?” he prompted.

  “Yes.” The word squeaked out of her mouth.

  He settled his big hands on her waist, yet didn’t press his body against hers. Despite the pounding of her heart, anticipation began to build in her belly, slowly crept up to her breasts like a vine and made them grow heavy, achy. She wanted him closer, wanted to feel his firm chest on her breasts, his hardness between her thighs.

  Brody lifted one hand and brushed his thumb against her lower lip. “If you want to change your mind, now’s the time.”

  He waited for her answer, watching her closely. Her throat grew dry, while another part of her grew wet.

  Did she want to change her mind? Maybe she should call her own bluff now, before things got out of hand. But as she studied his handsome face, she realized she didn’t want him to leave. So what if this wouldn’t result in I-love-you’s and cosigning a mortgage for a house? Tonight wasn’t about that. Tonight she was stressed and tired and sexually frustrated. And just once she wanted to be with a man without thinking about the future.

  “I haven’t changed my mind,” she murmured.

  “Good.”

  He skimmed his hand over her hip, moving it to her back, grazing her tailbone. Then he stared at her lips, as if pondering, debating.

  His slow perusal lasted too long for her throbbing body. She wanted him to kiss her. Now. She let out a tiny groan to voice her anguish.

  Amusement danced across his features. “What? What do you want, Hayden?”

  “Your mouth.” The words flew out before she could stop them, shocking her. Since when was she this forward?

  “All right.” He dipped his head and planted a soft kiss on her neck, lightly biting the tender flesh with his teeth.

  She whimpered and he responded with a chuckle, his warm breath moistening her skin. He trailed his tongue up to her earlobe, flicked over it, licked it, then blew a stream of air over it, making her shiver.

  Fire began simmering in her blood, heating all the parts that already ached for him. She reached up and touched his dark hair, relishing the silky texture. She’d never known a simple kiss could have such a slow buildup. Most of the men in her past had thrust their tongues into her mouth and quickly followed suit by thrusting themselves into her.

  But Brody, he took his time.

  He tortured her.

  “Your skin tastes like…” He kissed her jaw, then nipped at it. “Strawberries. And honey.”

  All she could do was shiver in response.

  “Take off your clothes,” he said roughly.

  She swallowed. “Now?”

  “Now would be a good time, yes.”

  She reached for the hem of her sweater, trying to fight the insecurity spiraling through her. She’d never stripped for a man before. Was she supposed to put on a show? Dance? Well, forget that. No matter how much she wanted him right now, she wasn’t going to pretend to be the sexy seductress she wasn’t.

  She pulled her sweater and tank top over her head, pleased to hear Brody’s breath hitch at the sight of her lacy wisp of a bra. When she reached for the front clasp, he shook his head. “No. Not yet. First the jeans.”

  Well. Commanding, wasn’t he?

  Obligingly, she wiggled out of her jeans and let them drop to the floor. Her black panties matched her bra, and they, too, left little to the imagination.

  Brody’s eyes widened with approval. She was starting to get the hang of this stripping thing. Hooking her thumbs under the spaghetti-thin straps that constituted a waistband, she pulled her panties down her thighs, slowly, bending over a little so he could get a peek at her cleavage.

  Naked from the waist down, she held his gaze. “Like what you see?”

  His serious expression never faltered. “Very much. Now the bra.”

  In one slow, fluid movement, she unclasped her bra and tossed it aside. Strangely enough, she no longer felt insecure.

  “I like—” he stepped closer and brushed his thumb over the swell of one breast “—these. A lot.”

  She wondered if he realized he still hadn’t kissed her lips. Though the way his eyes burned every inch of skin she’d just exposed to him, she felt thoroughly kissed.

  “Your turn. Get rid of your clothes.”

  He grinned. “Why don’t you do it for me?”

  The thought of undressing him was so appealing that her nipples hardened. He didn’t miss the reaction, and his grin widened.

  “Gets you going, doesn’t it, the thought of peeling these clothes off my body?” he taunted.
>
  “Yes,” she blew out.

  “Then do it.”

  With a shaky breath, she grasped his sweater, bunching the material between her fingers before lifting it up his chest and over his head. That first sight of his bare chest stole the breath from her lungs. Every inch of him was hard. His defined pectorals, the rippling abs and trim hips. He had a two-inch scar under his collarbone, and another under his chin that she hadn’t noticed before, but the scars only added to his appeal, making him appear dangerous.

  A badass tribal tattoo covered one firm bicep, while the other boasted a lethal-looking dragon in mid-flight. It reminded her of her own tattoo, the one she’d gotten for the sole purpose of pissing off her father after he’d grounded her for missing curfew when she was seventeen. Even now the spontaneity of her actions—getting a tattoo!—surprised her. Darcy always teased that she had a secret wild side, and maybe she did, but it rarely made any appearances.

  Tonight, though, her wild side had definitely come out to play.

  “Like what you see?” Brody mimicked, the heat in his eyes telling her he was enjoying the attention.

  She licked her lips. “Yes.” Then she reached for his fly, un-buttoned it and pulled the zipper down. She bent over to slide his jeans off, admiring his long legs and muscular thighs and the erection that pushed against the black boxer briefs he wore, a thick ridge that made her mouth water.

  Dear God, this was insanity.

  Stumbling to her feet, she tugged at his waistband and helped him out of the briefs. Leaving him as naked as she was.

  She shyly appraised his body, which was toned, muscled and unbelievably male. She eyed his impressive erection, then trembled at the thought of that hard, pulsing cock buried deep inside her.

  Suddenly she could no longer bear it.

  “For God’s sake, kiss me,” she blurted out.

  “Yes, ma’am.” His eyes gleaming, Brody pressed his body against hers and finally bent down to capture her mouth.

  Oh, sweet Jesus.

  He felt and tasted like heaven. With skilled ease, he explored her mouth, swirling and thrusting his tongue into every crevice, hot and greedy. When he sucked on her bottom lip, she let out a deep moan then pulled back and stared at him in awe.

  Brody seemed to know exactly what to do, turning her on in a way she’d never anticipated. He fondled her breasts for an excruciatingly long time before finally dipping his head and sampling one mound with his tongue.

  He sucked the nipple hard, flicked his tongue over it, nibbled on it until she cried out with pleasure that bordered on pain, and just when she thought it couldn’t possibly feel better than that, he turned his attention to her other breast.

  Arousal drummed through her body, until her thighs grew slick from her own wetness, and she found herself choking out, “We need a bed. Now.”

  * * *

  DAMN, HE HADN’T expected her to be like this. Deliciously demanding and so gorgeous. Something about Hayden sent lust and curiosity spinning through him, the need to both claim her and unravel the mystery of her.

  And there was definitely plenty to learn about this freckle-faced professor who had initiated a one-night stand when it was obviously not in her nature.

  He sucked on her nipple once more before pulling his head away and straightening his back. His mouth went dry as sawdust as he stared at the evidence of his handiwork on those high, full breasts. His stubble had chafed the hell out of her creamy white skin, leaving splotches of red, and the tips of her dusky pink nipples glistened with the moisture, making him want to feast on her again.

  His eyes dropped to the wispy line of dark hair between her thighs. He knew it was called a landing strip and goddamn but he couldn’t wait to land his tongue down there. The sparse amount of hair offered a mouthwatering view of her swollen clit.

  His already hot and hard body grew hotter and harder.

  “Where’s the bedroom?” he groaned.

  Hayden’s mouth quirked. Without answering, she turned on her heel toward the unlit hallway.

  Brody took two steps, then stopped when he noticed the tattoo on her lower back. Oh, man. In the shadowy corridor he could just make out the shape of a bird. A hawk, or an eagle. Dark, dangerous, incredibly sexy and completely surprising. He’d known this woman was different. Her tattoo was so tantalizing he marched up to her and gripped her slender waist with both hands.

  The top of her head barely reached his chin. How had this saucy little woman reduced him to a state of foolish hunger?

  As his hands trailed down her hips, she twisted her head slightly to send him a look that said she was curious about his next move.

  His next move consisted of dropping to his knees and outlining the tattoo with his tongue.

  Hayden shuddered, but he kept one hand on her waist, keeping her steady. “Why an eagle?” he murmured, kissing her lower back.

  “I like eagles.”

  A very simple answer from a very complicated woman. He stroked her ass with his hand, then lowered his head and bit into the soft flesh.

  “Bedroom,” she gasped.

  “Screw it,” he muttered.

  Still holding her secure with one hand, he slid the other around to her front and ran one finger over her clit. She hissed out a breath, then jerked forward, pressing her palms to the wall and raising that firm ass so that he got a very naughty view of her glistening sex.

  He moved closer as if being pulled by a magnet. As his pulse drummed in his ears, he licked her damp folds from behind and used his finger to stroke her clit.

  Hayden shuddered again. “That feels…” she moaned “…amazing.”

  “What about this? How does this feel?”

  He shoved his tongue directly into her opening.

  Her breath hitched.

  He chuckled at her reaction, then thrust his tongue right back inside her enticing sex before she could catch her breath.

  Hayden’s soft moans filled the wide hallway. Her breathing grew ragged, her clit swollen beneath his thumb, her sex wet with arousal. He kissed her once more, then moved his mouth away and replaced it with two fingers.

  “Are you trying to make me come?” she choked out.

  “That was the plan, yeah.”

  He explored her silky heat, fingering her deftly, enjoying her soft whimpers of pleasure while at the same time trying to ignore his erection, which was threatening to explode.

  Any second now his control would shatter, he knew it would, but he held on to that one tiny thread of restraint, feeling it slowly unravel and fray inside him. Hayden’s cry of abandon made him move faster, increase his pressure over her clit and add another finger into the mix. And then she came. Loudly. Without inhibition. She pushed her ass into his hand as her inner muscles tightened and contracted over his fingers.

  “Oh, God…Brody…” Her voice dissolved into a contented sigh.

  A moment later she slid down to the carpeted floor, her bare back pressing into his chest as he continued to trace lazy figure-eights over her clit.

  She shifted so they were face-to-face, her green eyes burning with need, her face flushed from her climax. She looked so good that he leaned forward to push his tongue through her pliant lips, intent on exploring every recess of her hot, wet mouth, desperate to taste every part of this woman.

  Without breaking the kiss, he rolled her gently onto her back and covered her body with his.

  “I need to be inside you,” he choked out.

  It was a primal urge, an overwhelming desire to possess and one he never knew he had, but sure enough it was there, making his entire body tense with need, waiting to be released.

  Tearing his mouth from hers, he stood up and left her in the hall. He returned a moment later with the condoms that had been tucked in his wallet. Only three condoms, he realized as he glanced down at his hand. Maybe he was being overly optimistic, but as he looked at Hayden, he suspected he might need to make a trip to the drugstore. She hadn’t bothered getting up and she look
ed ridiculously sexy lying there on the floor beneath him. Sexy and trashy and so damn appealing his cock twitched with impatience.

  The air was thick with tension, the hallway quiet save for their heavy breathing. Before he could tear open the condom packet, she sat up and murmured, “Not yet.”

  Then she wrapped her lips around him.

  “Jesus,” he mumbled, nearly keeling over backward.

  The feel of her eager mouth surrounding him brought on an unexpected shudder. She took him deeper into her mouth, cupping his balls, stroking his ass and licking every hard inch of him.

  A few moments of exquisite torture were all he could bear. Hard as it was to pull back from the best blow job of his life, he gently moved her head, so close to exploding he wasn’t sure how he managed to hold back.

  He lowered himself onto her again and Hayden sighed as one palm closed over her breast. “It’s been so long…”

  “How long?” he asked.

  “Too long.”

  He lightly pinched her nipple before bending down to kiss it. “I’ll take it slow then.” He sucked the nipple deep in his mouth, rolled the other one between his thumb and forefinger.

  She forced his head up and kissed him. “No.” She took his hand and dragged it between her legs. “I want fast.”

  He swallowed when he touched her sex, still moist from her climax.

  He grew even harder, wanting so badly to put the damn condom on and slide into her slick heat. But the gentleman in him argued to go slow, to taste every inch of her body and bring her over the edge again before he took his own release. Once more he tried to slow the pace, stroking her with his thumb.

  His gentlemanly intentions got him nowhere.

  “I’m ready,” she said between gritted teeth. “I don’t need slow. I need you to fuck me, Brody.”

  His cock jerked at the wicked request.

  Oh, man. He’d never have pegged this woman as a dirty talker. But, damn, how he liked it.

  Without another word, he rolled the condom onto his shaft, positioned himself between her thighs and drove deep inside her. They released simultaneous groans.

  Burying his face in the curve of her neck, Brody inhaled the sweet feminine scent of her and withdrew, slowly, torturously, only to thrust into her to the hilt before she could blink.