Bad Reputation

by Nicole Edwards

  “Well, then, you come with me,” she instructs me, then smiles over at Chase. “And you’ll go right in this dressing room here. There are plenty of tuxedos for you to choose from. However, it might be tricky to find one for your height.”

  He’s going to back out now. I can feel it.

  Any second now.

  My head spins when Chase merely offers a shrug of his wide shoulders, then turns and heads into the dressing room.

  Oh, crap.

  Talk about a serious backfire.

  “You didn’t back out,” I inform him.

  “I didn’t.”

  Glancing over, I see Chase has his head in his hands. He looks tense.

  “I guess we can blame it on our competitive nature.”

  “Excuse me?” His tone drips with puzzlement.

  “You know. We were both pushing the boundaries. Seeing who would give in first.”

  Chase shoots to his feet, his movements startling me. I sit up straight, watching as he heads toward the kitchen. He stops suddenly, then turns to face me.

  “I wasn’t testing you, Cassie.”

  Confused, I wait for him to elaborate.

  He doesn’t.

  “Then why, Chase?”

  He looks away. “I…Fuck.” His hand dives into his dark hair and he turns away. “I don’t know.”

  I feel his pain. That night is still somewhat fuzzy. He might not know exactly why he went along with the ruse and I’m not going to hold it against him. It doesn’t matter. This—a fake marriage—is the least of my worries right now.

  “I’m sorry this got so out of hand.”

  He turns his head, meeting my gaze, but he doesn’t say anything.

  I’m not sure how to fix this, but I know I have to. Getting to my feet, I head toward my purse and grab my phone.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Calling my mother. I need to tell her that this is all a lie in case she hears it from someone else first.”

  Chase gets to his feet and before I can dial the phone, he’s standing in front of me, his hand curling around my wrist.

  Looking up into his face, I feel the bottom drop out of my stomach. I’m reminded of the way he touched me in Vegas, how it felt to be skin-to-skin with him. I’ve never felt like that before, and until it happened with him, I was starting to think it would never happen for me. But that doesn’t mean Chase feels the same. Perhaps he’s merely looking for a repeat. After all, the sex was incredible.

  Our eyes are locked for what feels like forever, but neither of us is saying anything. And then he’s leaning down, or maybe I’m leaning toward him. I don’t know, but there are warning bells chiming loudly inside my head.

  When our lips nearly touch, I inhale deeply.

  “Cass…”

  “Hmm?” I feel his breath against my lips. A billion butterflies take flight in my belly, making my knees weak.

  Chase kisses me. Just a slow, sensuous brush of his lips against mine. I have to hold myself back. If I give in to this, where will that leave me? Leave us?

  Then again, could it really hurt? Us pursuing this sexual relationship for a little longer?

  I moan when Chase’s tongue slides into my mouth. I meet him halfway, my arms coming around his waist. The man can kiss, and I’m lost to it. That’s when I notice I’m sliding my hands beneath his T-shirt, my palms grazing the smooth skin covering his rock-hard abs. His muscles flex beneath my hands and I long to see him naked.

  I’m losing it. What are we doing?

  “Sex,” I mumble against Chase’s mouth, answering my own question.

  “Thinking out loud?” Chase pulls back, staring at me. A smile forms and he once again is the most attractive man on the planet.

  “Wishful thinking,” I correct him.

  That earns me a laugh, but the sound quickly dies when Chase crushes his mouth to mine once more. My amusement is obliterated by my hormones and I can think of nothing but getting this man naked.

  When he grinds his hips forward, his erection trapped between our bodies, I think of all the things I want to do to him. All the ways I want to explore his body. I didn’t get nearly enough of him in Vegas.

  Or maybe I’m just horny. Before Chase, I hadn’t had sex in years. Hadn’t met a man I wanted to have sex with.

  Chase makes me feel safe. With him, I can lose control and not worry about what happens next. It’s only sex.

  What do I have to lose? It’s not like I could fall any further than I already have. He’s offering me something that will take my mind off everything else.

  I lift my hands higher on his chest. He seems to catch the hint because he pulls back and tugs the cotton over his head. I take a second to admire him. All ripped muscle and smooth, bronzed skin. He really is a beautiful man.

  Meeting his eyes, I smile as I reach for the button on his jeans. While I work on freeing him, I manage to flip our positions so he’s against the wall. I feel his eyes on me, hear the hungry growl that escapes his throat when I slide my hand over his velvety-smooth length.

  Now that I think about it, all those rumors about the size of his cock…True. Definitely.

  Feeling empowered, I meet his eyes once more and lick my lips. His back hits the wall with a thud and his nostrils flare. I know he’s waiting to see what I’ll do next.

  Without hesitation, I drop to my knees before him, caressing him with my hand before lapping the engorged head of his cock with my tongue. He’s huge. Long and thick…my body aches with the memory of how it feels to have him inside me.

  “Aw, fuck, Cass…” His hand slides into my hair, gently.

  He doesn’t force me on him. Instead he seems to be holding on as I explore him with my lips and tongue. I lightly scrape my teeth down his shaft and he hisses in a breath.

  “Cass…I won’t last long if you keep that up.”

  “Mmm.” I don’t care how long he lasts. He’s young. I’m sure it won’t take much time before he’s ready to go again.

  That’s when I realize I’ve made a decision.

  Sex with Chase Barrett is the best plan I’ve had lately.

  And as long as he’s on board with it, I fully intend to ride it out for as long as it lasts.

  After all, I really don’t have anything left to lose.

  Chapter 24

  Chase

  When I came over to wait for Cassie, this is the absolute last thing I expected to happen.

  Now that Cassie’s lips are wrapped around my dick, I’m not even sure why I came over in the first place.

  Holy fuck.

  “Cass…Seriously.” I’m doing my damnedest not to lose control, but it isn’t easy when she’s working her tongue like that. And her teeth…I’ve never been big on having a chick scrape my dick, but Cassie could do that forever and I’d never tire of it.

  She takes me to the root, the head of my cock brushing the back of her throat, and I realize I’m fighting a losing battle. I’m going to come. It’s inevitable.

  Tightening my grip on her hair, I pull her closer, making her gag as I bring her back onto my dick again. Her eyes meet mine and I know she sees how close to the edge I am.

  “So fucking good,” I groan, taking control and fucking her mouth while she kneels before me. “Your mouth…Goddamn, Cassie. Fuck. I want to come in your mouth, watch you swallow me. Son of a bitch.”

  When she moans, the vibrations shoot straight to my balls, triggering my release. I’m transfixed by the sight of my dick in her mouth as I shoot my load. She swallows it down, not even moving when she releases me from the heaven of her mouth.

  If that’s the way she wants to play…

  I jerk my jeans up to my hips, but don’t bother buttoning them. I’m more focused on getting her to her feet. Once she’s standing tall, I crush my mouth to hers and jerk her closer, gripping her ass with both hands and lifting her feet off the floor. When her legs wrap around me, I think of the closest surface and that’s how we end up in her kitchen.

&n
bsp; Depositing her on the island, I can feel my body humming. The need to make this woman come apart is all I can focus on.

  Pulling her ass to the edge, I fumble with her skirt. I know there’s a zipper there, but I’m not sure how exactly it works. Cassie giggles, then proceeds to do whatever needs to be done. I relieve her of the skirt and stand back to look at her. Her cheeks are flushed, her hair tangled from my hands. She looks so damn fuckable right now.

  “Lean back,” I instruct, resuming my position between her thighs and assisting by lifting her knees up, propping her legs over my forearms. It forces her legs wider, and the only thing covering her pussy is the thin strip of her panties. I eliminate that in no time at all.

  “Chase…”

  Smiling, I lean in and kiss the inside of her thigh. “You’ll be saying my name again in a minute. Only louder next time.”

  “You think so?” she teases.

  “I know so.” And to prove my point, I slide my tongue along the wet folds of her cunt, teasing her.

  “Oh!” Cassie’s body jerks, so I hold her more firmly, then dive in.

  She tastes so fucking sweet. The way she moans and shifts, trying to get closer to my mouth, is such a turn-on. I force her legs back farther. She has no choice but to lie flat on her back. The position allows me to feast like the starving man that I am while she’s held firmly in place.

  “Chase! Oh…my…God!” Her body convulses when I suckle her clit, frantically flicking it with my tongue. “I’m coming…oh, God. Don’t…stop.”

  Her climax seems to last forever, but I don’t let up, allowing her to ride the waves of pleasure for as long as she can. When her body goes lax, I stand up and admire her for a moment.

  Without waiting, I stroke my dick a couple of times, then line up with her cunt, pushing in deep while pulling her closer to me. I don’t even bother with a condom because…well, because I’ve had the pleasure of being inside her without one and I don’t want the barrier between us.

  “Damn, you feel fucking fantastic,” I groan, sinking into her.

  The counter is the perfect height and I take advantage, pushing in slow, allowing the wet depths of her body to ease the way.

  Cassie’s back bows when I retreat. It’s a torturously slow pace for both of us, but I’m enjoying the fuck out of it. The way she pleads for more. Never in my life did I picture this, me fucking Cassie on her kitchen island, her moaning my name over and over again.

  “More, Chase. I need more.”

  Pulling out of her, I quickly drag her off the counter and onto her feet, spinning her around so she can grab on to the marble countertop. I guide my cock back into the tight depths of her body and slam home.

  “Yes!” she hisses as she goes up on her toes.

  Gripping her firmly, I begin pounding into her, allowing all the emotions I’ve kept bottled up these past few days free. This…being with Cassie…It’s what I want every day for the rest of my life.

  “Make me come,” she pleads, her words choppy as I thrust into her again and again.

  The friction on my dick is exquisite, better than anything I’ve felt before. But it’s more than that. For me, anyway.

  As for how Cassie feels…

  “Fuck me!”

  I chuckle, then shove all the useless thoughts out of my head and focus on making this woman come harder than she ever has in her life.

  If nothing else, maybe she’ll keep me around, because there’s no doubt about it, sex with her is out of this fucking world.

  Cassie

  “I think it’s your turn to cook dinner,” I tell Chase a little while later after we’ve cleaned up and planted our butts on my couch.

  It’s taken me at least an hour to catch my breath, but I’ve thought little of it because Chase spent all that time with his arms wrapped around me, cuddling me to him while we watched television. He hasn’t said much of anything, which I take as a good sign.

  Well, sort of.

  I think we have plenty of things to talk about. Namely the fact that we’re married. Plus, this new sex thing we’ve got going on.

  However, I don’t intend to be the one to bring it up.

  “My turn?” he asks, shifting and pulling me closer to him.

  His lips find mine and I sigh, loving the way he makes me feel.

  Of course, I’m not going to think on that too much. I’ve always known that Chase treats his sexual encounters with the utmost care. He’s always been the kind to treat the women he sleeps with like princesses. It’s the reason he has no jaded ex-girlfriends.

  “Yes, your turn.”

  “But this is your house,” he says, as though it’s not clear. “That means you’re in charge of the kitchen.”

  I lift my head and look at him. “So that means I can tell you what to do?”

  He grins. “You’re the boss.”

  Actually, I’m not. Not anymore.

  And just like that, it all comes back to me. Everything that happened this morning. Getting fired, knowing that I’m going to be hung out to dry by the company I gave my life to because I screwed up.

  Knowing I can’t lie here and pretend that nothing happened, I push away from Chase. His arms fall from around me. I instantly miss the warmth, the security he affords me.

  “Where’re you going?” He sits up too.

  “I need to call my mother,” I tell him. “Someone is going to leak the information that we got married in Vegas. Too many people know about it. I have to warn her that it’s…” I was going to say fake, but I stop talking when I look at Chase’s face.

  He looks pissed.

  “What?”

  Chase shakes his head, then rests his elbows on his knees and stares down at the floor.

  “It’s going to get out, Chase. There’s nothing I can do about that.”

  He nods. “I’m not worried about it.”

  “You’re not?” How can he say that?

  Jumping to my feet, I pace toward the kitchen.

  “Let me tell her, Cass.”

  Spinning around, I stare at Chase. “What? Why?”

  He lifts an eyebrow and I immediately shake my head. “No. This was all my idea. I screwed up, therefore I should be the one to explain.”

  I stare at the floor, trying to think of the best way to tell her without getting some serious backlash. It’s not my mother I’m necessarily worried about, but she does have a flair for the dramatic. The last thing I need is for Matt to call or worse, Chase’s dads.

  I’m so lost in thought, I don’t even notice that Chase is on his feet until he’s putting his arms around me.

  “Why don’t we let things settle for a little while,” he says as he pulls me against him. “We’ll just go on like this. Take it one day at a time.”

  I put some space between our upper bodies and stare up into his face. “What do you mean ‘like this’?”

  Again, he cocks an eyebrow, which is infuriating. “You mean the sex?”

  His eyes soften.

  “You do mean the sex.” Leaning into him again, I put my arms around him. “So? What? Have we graduated to friends with benefits now? Is that how this plays out?”

  He shrugs, but doesn’t say anything.

  Once more, I’m trying to look into his eyes. “For how long?”

  “I don’t know, Cass. I haven’t thought it through.”

  There’s something he’s not telling me, but for the life of me, I don’t know what it could be.

  “It’s just you’ve got so much going on,” he explains. “This shouldn’t be something that you worry about.”

  “No?” It makes sense.

  I guess.

  “No.” His head lowers. “Plus, I hear orgasms are good stress relievers. While you’re taking care of other things, I can be taking care of you.”

  When he puts it that way…

  I know I shouldn’t do this, but Chase is right. I have too much to think about right now. Mainly, I have to salvage my reputation and find a job. The tw
o-year no-compete doesn’t help, so it’s going to take some effort on my part.

  “What do you say, Desrosiers?” His voice rumbles against my ear.

  “Okay.” I chuckle. “You deliver the orgasms, and I’ll focus on picking up the pieces of my life.”

  “Mmm. I like that plan.”

  “I figured you would.” I smack his chest and he grips my wrist gently, his smile wide.

  Only then do I realize that I’m still not making the best decisions. Not only have I screwed up my life, but I’m dragging Chase down with me. And worst of all, when this is over and my heart is shattered into a million pieces, I’m not sure how I’ll be able to move on.

  Because no matter what I want, there’s not a chance in hell that I’m not going to fall for the Bad Boy of Hockey.

  It’s inevitable.

  But when he smiles at me like that, I can’t bring myself to care.

  Much.

  Chapter 25

  “What is your training regimen like during the off-season? It’s been said that you spend as much time working on your game over the summer months. Is that true?”

  “Absolutely. It would be easy to slack off, to sit around and eat pizza and drink beer during the summer, but where would I be come September? Fat and irritable. Yeah. No, thank you.”

  —Excerpt from Sports Unlimited’s Bad Boys of Sports edition

  Chase

  “Son of a bitch,” I grumble as I force myself out of my car in front of Cassie’s house.

  It’s a good thing she offered to make me dinner, because I’m not sure how much good I’d be to anyone right now. Being that today was the first day of my summer training, my body’s revolting against the rigorous workout.

  Sure, I work out regularly. Maybe not so much these past couple of weeks, unless of course sex counts, though I know it doesn’t. However, I hadn’t realized how much I’d let myself go until Edward got his hands on me today. Now I’m paying the price for slacking off.

  When I finally make it up the stairs, my quads are on fire and I want nothing more than to sink down to the porch and wait for Cassie to come and drag my ass inside. Somehow I manage to remain upright and even unlock the door myself. Once I’m inside, I hang my keys on the metal penis and slowly make my way into the kitchen.