by Kim Karr
As I started wrapping, I glanced over toward Sean and saw that he was furiously typing away.
I wondered what he’d decided to tell her. I wanted to offer my opinion, and I was about to, when I caught sight of Lucas entering the room. He was over at the Ping Pong table across the room. And just like that, my heart started to do that pitter-patter thing it always seemed to do when he was in the same room as me.
His expression was hard though, and he didn’t look happy to see me. His gaze flickered between me and Kutch, me and Kutch, me and Kutch.
I sighed inwardly. That territorial she’s mine thing, the alpha male in him, was emerging. I could tell by the look on his face. I only hoped he knew how to keep a lid on it. He was going to have to learn how to temper it, especially since he knew being around these guys was my job.
Out of nowhere, one of the squad guys shouted, “Yo, Carrington, you ever try Tinder? Or are you a Match.com kind of guy?”
Lucas slammed the ball down and swatted it with his paddle as hard as he could. Thor returned it, and this time when Lucas swung his paddle, he blitzed the ball, nailing Thor right in the forehead.
That at least averted the conversation from dating and Lucas, to Thor. While the guys ripped on Thor, Lucas’s gaze slid over me in the laziest way. This time it was warm and inviting, and I found myself getting hot despite the air conditioning that was blasting all around us.
While the Ping Pong game continued, the squad guys started to talk low, but loud enough that I could hear them, even over Juggs and Kutch’s Tinder conversation.
One of them said, “That Carrington dude is wound way too tight. He needs to get laid.”
The other guy responded with, “No shit. I’ve never even heard him crack a single joke about chicks. Everything is all business to him. He needs to lighten up.”
“Dude can’t. He’s an arrogant prick, that’s all there is to it.”
“Right, I know. He never jokes, never laughs, never even swears.”
At that one I had to suppress my own laughter. He swore all the time.
Even though I hated what they were saying. Even though they had no idea who Lucas really was or what he was about, at the same time I loved hearing he never talked about women.
Over the past three nights, Lucas and I had talked about so much. We’d also kissed so much my lips still tingled when I laid my head down at night. And I couldn’t help myself, but I’d begun to think of him as mine.
Dangerous thought.
Very dangerous thought.
The conversation between the two squad players wasn’t over. One said, “All starting quarterbacks are dull as rocks and completely humorless.”
“Yeah, but I bet it works for him. Just watch him when he’s out tonight. I bet he doesn’t even have to try to score and a girl will be in his lap within minutes from the second he walks into the bar.”
The snarl I wanted to unleash was only tempered by the cackle I’d hoped to avoid. Here they came, the beauty brigade, thirty-five of them with their manicured nails and perfectly highlighted hair. And let’s not forget their boob jobs.
It might sound like I was jealous, but I wasn’t. The thing about cheerleaders was that for all of their eight counts and high kicks, most of them were only here for the pseudo-celebrity status that came with their pom-poms. And of course their hopes of landing a player.
Mallory Harlow, who was their coach, was waiting for them to enter. She was an attractive woman in her early fifties, and she had arrived days ago to prepare. I actually liked her.
As the girls filed in wearing their big smiles, short shorts, and cropped tops, all of the guys’ heads turned in their direction.
I finished up with Kutch, who was paying no attention to me, and stood. Frozen in place, I was almost afraid to look over at Lucas. Afraid that when I did he too would be gawking as much as the rest of the players at the cheerleaders.
My heart stopped, that’s how nervous I was.
When I finally forced myself to look over at him, my pulse started to beat erratically. His gaze wasn’t over at the door, but rather, it was on me. And it was filled with an emotion I hadn’t seen before. He nodded his head toward a counter where a water container sat and I started walking toward it.
It was halfway between us, and with each step closer I took toward him, the air seemed thicker, and it was harder to breathe.
He poured a glass of water. I stood beside him. My knees were a little weak, and my breath grew tight and ragged while I pretended to be waiting for a turn at the pitcher. Slyly, he handed me the paper cup and then started to fill another. “You look beautiful,” he whispered.
Beautiful was not anything anyone had ever called me, except him. Cute. Pretty. Freckled. Sure. But the way he said it made me feel beautiful. I flushed from head to toe. “Beautiful is in the other direction,” I quipped, trying to be funny.
He set the pitcher down. “No, it’s standing beside me.”
I sipped my water and hated that my hands were trembling. “Thank you,” I said, and it sounded bashful, something I had never been.
Those blue eyes simmered when he glanced toward me. “I can’t wait until tonight.”
I was just opening my mouth to tell him I couldn’t either, when two short blondes with big boobs started rushing for him. “Oh my God, you must be the new quarterback.”
To his benefit, he didn’t turn right away. Instead he allowed his gaze to linger on me a moment longer. “I’ll text you,” he whispered.
I nodded, and then tossed my cup in the trash before heading toward the door. I didn’t turn back as I left. I couldn’t. Jealously was roaring in my ears and I knew the best thing I could do was walk straight ahead.
Yeah, so I guess Lucas wasn’t the only one who had to learn to temper the green-eyed monster.
I hated that this thing between us was so hard. It felt so right when it was just the two of us that being together should have been the easiest thing in the world.
Too bad it was anything but.
TOUCHDOWN
Gillian
I’D BEEN ON my share of dates.
Ranging from disastrous, to sweet, to not really memorable, there wasn’t a single one I would ever want to repeat.
Gatorland was my least favorite. That date was with an animal science bio major. Then there was the completely unexpected Soduko tournament, which turned out to be more fun than the guy I was with. That date was with an accounting major. I’d also gone on a date with an art history major, and he took me to a museum, which I found really boring.
The thing all those dates had in common was that I had nothing in common with the guys.
Lucas and I had everything in common. And yet, as I got out of the Uber and stood across the street from the hotel, I couldn’t help but think having to get a room to have sex was a bit sleazy. I almost felt like I should have worn a raincoat with nothing under it.
He’d left with the guys on the bus to go to the village around seven. The plan was that he’d hang out with some of them and then disappear and go to the hotel.
The plan must have worked without him getting sidetracked by girls sitting on his lap because he’d sent me the address and room number thirty minutes ago. I’d replied immediately and told him I’d be there soon.
The both of us had called this a date, but it didn’t feel like one. It felt like what it was, an arrangement to have sex.
Of course there was the cover-up lie I was still concocting in my head should my father ask me tomorrow where I’d gone, which didn’t help ease my feelings about the situation.
The night off was for the players, of course, but the staff always took advantage as well. While most of the players headed to the bars in the village, the staff did things like go to the movies or do some shopping or go out to dinner.
I usually went to the yoga studio, and my father knew this. He also knew I liked the coffee shop next door to it and hung out there whenever I could.
At twenty-three, I sh
ouldn’t have to lie about meeting a guy, but in this case I did.
I was such a bad daughter.
All of a sudden that engineering major I had turned down for a date last semester was looking more appealing. Although I do think I was about three inches taller than he was, and if I remembered correctly, his hair was longer than mine.
Okay, so maybe not so appealing, after all.
Besides, Lucas was all I had been thinking about for the past two weeks. And although I had never been obsessed with a guy before, I was pretty certain that since I was, that meant if I wanted to get him out of my head, I wouldn’t be able to.
I straightened my shoulders and looked at myself in the glass as I entered the building. I hadn’t changed my clothes because I liked the way Lucas had looked at me earlier.
As I strode quickly into the building, I kept my head down. The light breeze of the closing door behind me caused my dress to flap open and expose my legs. It was a bit chillier tonight than most nights, and I felt a little cold.
In the elevator, I let out the breath I’d been holding, and suddenly felt nervous. Lucas and I weren’t strangers anymore. We had kissed and touched and explored each other’s bodies, but we hadn’t gotten naked. Hadn’t had sex. That was about to change, and I wasn’t sure what else would change along with it.
The hotel room door was propped open and I knocked lightly before pushing in. The room was decorated in reds and golds with dark wood and antique furniture. The lights were dimmed and the curtains drawn. Neither of us drank alcohol, so when I saw the bottle of sparkling juice on the dresser with two wine glasses beside it, I knew Lucas had brought it.
Romantic.
He had been sitting on the end of the bed, but jumped to his feet as soon as I walked in. He looked as nervous as me, and instantly I felt at ease. Suddenly this didn’t seem sleazy or unnatural at all . . . it felt right.
“Hey,” he smiled. He’d changed since dinner and was no longer in his dress shirt and black slacks, but was now wearing a pair of worn jeans that hung low on his hips. He was wearing a Bears T-shirt, and it molded to his muscles like a second skin.
Unable to resist, I devoured the sight of him and when my mouth went dry, I licked my lips. “Hi,” I replied, dropping my purse to the floor.
His gaze drifted over me, warming every inch of my skin, which only moments ago had felt chilled. When his eyes reached mine, he held out his hand for me to join him. That warmed me too. With his head, he indicated the bottle of sparkling juice. “Do you want some?”
I shook my head no. “Not yet, thank you.” What I wanted was to run to him, but I settled for walking as I closed the distance between us. When I was close enough, I slipped my palm over his.
He circled my fingers to squeeze them, pulling me toward him. “God, you’re so fucking beautiful,” he said as he stared down at me.
“You’re the beautiful one,” I responded squeezing our locked hands.
He shook his head. “Don’t say that. It’s way too much for my ego to stand. And besides, you are the beautiful one. I don’t get why you don’t see it. You’re a thousand times better looking than any of those cheerleaders.”
How had he known what I was thinking earlier?
Could he read me that easily?
“You’re just saying that so you can get in my pants,” I joked, trying to make light of my insecurity.
His face grew serious and his stare was fierce. “I’m telling you that because it’s the truth. Do you believe me?”
“I do now,” I said, feeling slightly intoxicated by him. Feeling beautiful just because he was looking at me the way he was.
His mouth descended in a fiery rush over mine and his hands came up to touch my face where strong fingers stroked my cheeks.
I closed my eyes and surrendered all of my doubts as I melted into his strong arms. Our desire for each other was turning into a living, breathing thing that was swallowing us up whole. It was so strong that I swore the air crackled around us as it rose.
When his tongue pushed into my mouth, it was soft and slick and warm over mine, and I melted a little more into his embrace. Passion ignited and we lit up the room. His hands skimmed down my neck, my shoulders, my arms, gripping me tighter and pulling me closer as the heated sounds of our kisses erupted to fill the space between us.
In that moment, we both burst out in laughter. It was hard not to considering all the noise we were making.
With the heart-stopping kiss broken, my mouth tingled from his rough possession in the sweetest way. I touched my fingers to his lips. “Sorry,” I said at the same time he did.
“It’s strange not to have to worry about being quiet or sneak around, isn’t it?” he asked.
I nodded and giggled until his gaze turned dark and scorching hot. Lucas had this way of looking at me that made my breath catch and hold at the same time it made my chest tighten in anticipation. This time was certainly no different than any other.
“I want you,” he whispered even though he didn’t have to.
Little wings that felt like butterflies hit the inside of my belly, and I closed my eyes. “I want you, too, so much.”
He slid a hand to one of my breasts and started caressing it. He was softer and gentler than he normally was. It was surprising. “Do you like this?” he breathed, hot in my ear.
I opened my eyes then and looked into his. “Yes.”
Something flickered in his gaze. It got hard and then his hand slid up to cup the back of my neck, where his fingers threaded through my hair. He pulled it, tilting my head back and exposing my throat. “And this?” he asked as his lips skimmed down my neck.
I nodded. “Uh-huh.”
He pressed his lips harder and began biting as his mouth slid down, down, down. His fingers tightened in my hair, and I gasped when he tugged on it again.
I wanted to touch him, to strip him naked and stare at him before I explored every single inch of him. But when I tried to move, I was rendered motionless. He was sucking my skin between his teeth, and then circling his tongue against it to sooth the pain. As if the sensations flooding my body weren’t already causing havoc, his hand began to thumb my nipple, and soon it was turning into a stiff peak even through the fabric of my dress.
Through all of that, I still somehow managed to run my fingers up his muscled chest, over his broad shoulders, and down his strong back. I stopped touching him the moment his other hand slid between my legs.
“And this,” he said, no longer asking.
“Yes, I like it,” I cried out. There was no reason to deny any of it.
I liked it all.
I wanted it all.
I wanted him.
“What do you say we put that big bed to use,” he said as he brought his mouth back up to mine. Again, it was not a question.
“This one? I asked, letting my head fall toward it.
“Yeah, that one,” he grinned trying to capture my mouth even at the awkward angle I was at.
It happened so fast. Both of us a little off balance, we fell to the mattress in a tangle of arms and legs. I burst out into laughter, covering my face with my hand before peeking through my fingers at him. “God, I’m so sorry.”
Lucas was laughing too, and then he pulled me into his arms and stroked a hand over my hair. “Don’t be, it was my fault.”
I shivered under his touch and turned my head to kiss his palm. “It kind of was, wasn’t it?”
He stared at me in silence for a moment and then pulled me even closer. “I’ve never had anything like this with anyone.”
I pressed my cheek to his chest and closed my eyes. I knew exactly what he meant. “I haven’t either.”
“I have to be honest, Gillian, it scares me,” he whispered.
Opening my eyes, I pulled away to tip my face to his. “It scares me, too, Lucas. I thought my life was perfect until I met you, and now I feel like I don’t know anything anymore.”
He stroked his thumb along my lower lip, urg
ing me to open for him. “You know this,” he said, kissing me, hot and wet. “And this,” he whispered as he pushed his tongue inside my mouth.
It sent an electric thrill all through me.
I did know that.
Boy, did I know that.
His hands moved down my body to slide beneath me, lifting me in a way that caused me to let out a startled gasp. With a chuckle, he moved a little, or he rolled, and somehow I ended up on top of him.
Straddling him, I pressed my knees to his hips and pushed his shirt up to reveal every ridge, ripple, dip and hollow of his abs.
God, he had strength.
And God, he was so hard.
I felt like a kid in a candy store as I traced the lines of his body, discovering nothing but sculpted muscle with each stroke. I was careful not to press too hard near the bruises, which served to remind me what he did with his days. Soon I found myself needing more, so I bent to nuzzle him, to taste him, to do more to him.
Fast as sin, he had me on my back and he held both my wrists above my head with one hand. Like this, he settled between my thighs and stared down at me through the dark fringe of his lashes. Those eyes of his were summer-sky blue, and I found myself lost in them.
In a heartbeat, he lowered his mouth very close to mine, but didn’t kiss me. I craned my neck, seeking to meet his lips, but Lucas kept them a breath away. Control. We were fighting for it.
We were always fighting for it.
But when I felt heat and hardness on my hip, I made a disgruntled noise. I yearned to touch him, taste him, have him, and I couldn’t. Shouldn’t? I blinked that thought away. Here, it was the two of us, and no one would know.
Still, I knew I was the bad daughter.
“I’m first,” he said, and his grin tipped the corners of his mouth. I let everything go and looked at him. Smug-like. Annoying. Really annoying. And really, really cute.
“Why are you first?” I asked, impatiently.
His free hand inched up the hem of my dress and found my bare thigh. “Because I am.”
I thrust my body upward and huffed. “Haven’t you heard of ladies before gentlemen?”
“I have,” he chuckled. “And that is exactly what I plan on happening here, if you would stop wiggling.”
