The Sport of Romance: A Multi-Author Box Set

by Cari Quinn

  “I’m going to fuck you before the night’s over.” His steady gaze drove home the promise.

  She nodded, unable to speak or even comment.

  “I’d like to take you up against that wall over there while everyone watches.” The intensity in his eyes said he wasn’t kidding, and right now she’d probably go along with anything he wanted. Anything. Including fucking her brains out in a crowded ballroom up against the wall.

  Waltzing her into a dark corner away from most of the dancers, he slid his big hands under her skirt and gripped her ass, grinding her against him. She was ready, her common sense replaced by blind lust. Izzy wrapped a long leg around his thigh and wedged her hand between their bodies, rubbing his erection. He groaned and his eyes rolled back in his head.

  “It’s your turn next, handsome.”

  “I’m counting on it,” he rasped as she continued to stroke his erection. “Oh, fuck, you are so hot.”

  “So are you.” Izzy nipped his earlobe, and he groaned, sounding like an animal in pain.

  “Let’s get to fuck out of here.”

  “We’re on a boat.”

  “We’ll swim to shore if we have to.” Grabbing her hand, he pulled her along with him.

  She couldn’t do this. Shouldn’t do this. Well, crap, she was going to do this.

  “I thought we were going to do it in the ballroom?” she teased breathlessly as he stopped at the dessert table.

  His heavy-lidded eyes regarded her. “Ever done it in public?”

  Izzy shook her head.

  “I figured as much. Probably be better if the first time was private.”

  “We’re on a boat with a couple hundred other people.”

  “We’ll find a place.” He loaded up a plate with delectable desserts.

  “Are you hungry?”

  “I will be after I’m done with you. Screwing a beautiful woman’s brains out makes me hungry.”

  “You romantic devil. Talk sexy some more to me.” She moved closer to him, drunk on his hard, muscled body and hypnotic blue eyes. She’d lost her mind, her common sense, and every other thing she’d held dear over the years. All Izzy wanted was him, and the consequences be damned. She glanced over her shoulder, but none of her sisters paid her any mind, busy as they were entertaining their own sexy hockey players.

  So much for their moratorium on sleeping with the guests.

  Balancing the plate on one hand, Cooper led Izzy back toward the private dining areas and hoped like hell no one was using them.

  “So we’ve tried both bathrooms. What do you suggest this time?”

  “I think I know just the place.”

  Minutes later after a few large bills were laid in a waiter’s palm, Cooper escorted her into a private dining suite suitable for a small group of six to eight. On the upper deck of the boat, the large windows afforded a great view of the city, not that they’d be looking at the view.

  Cooper placed the plate on a spare serving cart and turned to her. “This could get messy.”

  “I like messy,” she countered. Oh, God, what was she doing? This was so unprofessional, so incorrect, so bad of her.

  “You’d better take that expensive dress off.” He looked her up and down and licked his lips.

  “Why don’t you take it off for me?” she teased with a saucy smirk. He seemed to like that idea.

  Cooper backed her against the wall and lowered the straps on her dress, freeing her breasts. He dipped his head for an encore performance and sucked on a nipple. She arched her back and moaned while she unzipped his pants, slid her fingers along his flat belly, and squeezed his cock. It was his turn to groan.

  “Let’s get—”

  Footsteps and voices came closer and closer. They both froze, him with his lips on her nipple, her with her fingers wrapped around his penis.

  “Oh, crap, someone’s coming. Did you lock the door?” Izzy asked.

  “I thought you did.”

  The doorknob turned, and they dived behind the small bar in the corner of the room.

  “Hey, in here. Nice and private and no one’s in here.” Cedric’s voice.

  “Perfect, big boy, now let’s see if your stamina extends beyond the ice.” Bethany giggled.

  “I assure you, it does.” Cedric was breathing heavily, his voice muffled at times. Izzy didn’t want to picture what might be muffling it, such as a part of her sister’s anatomy.

  A zipper was unzipped. Clothing rustled. Another zipper, more rustling, a hearty chuckle, followed by heavy breathing. Talk about a mood killer. This was her sister about to have sex with a virtual stranger and only a few feet away.

  “They’re going to do it right here,” Izzy whispered.

  “Like we weren’t?” Leave it to a man to point out the obvious.

  “Yeah, but we were here first.”

  “They don’t know that.”

  More groaning, laughter, dirty sex talk. Izzy so did not want to hear this.

  “I need to stop them.”

  “Why?” He nuzzled her neck, planting little kisses along her jaw.

  “Listen to them.” She held her hands up to her ears, but couldn’t block her imagination. She had to stop them before they got naked.

  So much for the Party Crasher pact. How odd, it wasn’t like either of them had ever done anything like this before. Chalk it up to hockey players with hot bodies and hotter intentions.

  * * *

  Cooper couldn’t believe his bad luck, but as a closet optimist, he wasn’t giving up yet. He could take her behind this bar while her sister and his buddy drowned out any noise Cooper and Izzy might make. Izzy’s sister was pretty damn vocal.

  Stupid, maybe. Desperate, hell, yes. Hard as a rock, abso-fucking-lutely.

  Cooper slid his hand under the V of Izzy’s dress, cupping her breast. She stiffened and shoved his hand away. “They’ll hear us,” she hissed.

  “You’re ruining the mood, honey.” He sucked on her earlobe.

  “It’s already ruined. I can’t hide here while they’re doing it a few feet away. She’s my sister.”

  Well, hell.

  Cooper’s brain worked overtime in an attempt to salvage the evening. His dick throbbed, almost painfully. God, he needed her. He couldn’t explain it, but she’d burrowed under his skin, a place he hadn’t allowed a woman in a long time, and she’d done it in a few short hours.

  Besides he had an entire tray of desserts he’d wanted to sample—on her body.

  Oh, yeah, that’s it. Right there. Bethany let out a rebel yell to equal all rebel yells.

  Izzy leapt to her feet before Cooper could stop her. “That’s enough.”

  Cooper sheepishly crawled to his feet to survey the scene before him. If he hadn’t been so horny, the twin deer-in-the-headlight expressions on Bethany’s and Cedric’s faces would’ve doubled him over with laughter.

  Bethany lay sprawled on the table—the exact table he’d planned to use to take Izzy. Dammit. The straps on Bethany’s dress were pulled down, her skirt was pushed up, and her thighs were spread wide. Cedric lay across the top of her, one hand between her legs, one on her breast.

  Bethany screeched, an ear-shattering screech, and twisted away from Cedric. The violence of the motion sent her rolling to the floor and Cedric slamming to the floor on the opposite side of the table.

  Izzy ran to her sister’s side, while Cooper walked more leisurely to Cedric’s side and glared down at him.

  Cedric sat up and rubbed his back. “Fuck, that hurt.”

  Cooper gave him a not-so-gentle nudge in the ass with his foot. “What the fuck are you doing in here?”

  Cedric pushed himself to his feet, still rubbing his back. “I could ask the same of you.” He stared pointedly at Cooper’s crotch, calling attention to Cooper’s unzipped fly. Cooper quickly zipped it up.

  Together, they glanced at the women. Bethany was on her feet, smoothing out her dress, pulling up straps, pulling down her skirt. Both women looked as if they’d b
een out for a stroll in gale force winds.

  Hands on her hips, Izzy turned to her sister. “You know we have a pact.”

  “And so do you.” Bethany braced her hands on her hips too, making them look like a pair of sexy bookends.

  “This—this—Swedish oaf had his hand between your legs, and you were screaming for more.” Izzy pointed accusingly at Cedric.

  “Hey, now, I’m not an oaf—”

  Izzy and Bethany both shot Cedric a murderous look. The huge man, who’d faced down the toughest men in the league, backed up several steps, obviously not wanting any part of a possible bloody catfight, as he inched toward the door. Cooper was no fool; he skirted the two women himself, several feet from safety and freedom.

  “What were you doing in here with that toothless Neanderthal?” Bethany shouted.

  Cooper ran his tongue over his mouth. All his teeth were still there. “I’m not—”

  Both women turned on him and Cooper froze. He tried a tentative smile and received two kiss-ass scowls in return. Cedric reached the door and bolted through it. In three long strides, Cooper followed.

  Both men stood in the hallway staring at the closed door. Angry, muffled words echoed from the other side.

  Cooper ran a hand through his unruly hair and smoothed it back. “Damn.”

  Cedric blew out a relieved breath. “That was close. I thought we might end up castrated.”

  “No shit.”

  “I haven’t seen you so tied up over a woman in a long time.”

  “I’d like her to tie me up, or even better, I’d like to tie her up.” Cooper grinned. Cedric didn’t.

  “Are you walking away or are you going for it?”

  “I don’t know.” He really didn’t know. She did stuff to him, not just physically, but emotionally, getting more than his dick involved in this insane attraction to a woman he barely knew. That made him vulnerable, and he avoided vulnerable more than he avoided sushi.

  Cooper cast one last, longing look toward the closed door, imagining Izzy all messy and ready for sex. He wasn’t done with that woman yet. The night was young and the boat would soon be docking. This party wasn’t over until the fat lady skated home, and she wasn’t skating off the rink until he said so.

  Chapter Five

  Drop Pass

  Izzy threw back her head and started laughing when the guys ran out like the devil was on their tails. She couldn’t help it. Those big, strong alpha males couldn’t handle a little sisterly disagreement. How funny was that? Bethany joined in, both of them laughing until their sides hurt. Finally, Izzy managed to catch her breath.

  “We scared the crap right out of them, didn’t we?” Bethany smiled, even though her eyes were still a little dilated and her hands shaky.

  Izzy turned toward her and went on the offensive before her sister had a chance to state the obvious. “What were you thinking, fooling around with a guest at a party? You know we don’t do that.” She spoke calmly in her matter-of-fact, older sister, lecturing mode. No one would guess what a screwed up mess she was inside with conflicting thoughts bouncing around inside her head like a duck in a whirlpool.

  “Really? And what were you doing in here with him?” Bethany raised her eyebrows and tilted her head toward the door the men had escaped through.

  “We were dressed,” Izzy shot back, trying to muster up indignance over something she had very well planned to do if she hadn’t been interrupted.

  Bethany walked over to the dessert tray and made a show of clearing her throat. “I see you were in here for a little dessert.” She popped a chocolate-covered strawberry in her mouth.

  Izzy joined her and picked up the small bite-sized cheesecake. “That’s right. Just dessert.”

  “Us, too.”

  “What the hell were we both thinking?”

  Bethany looked longingly at the door. “He’s really hot, sexy, and a great dancer.”

  “So’s Cooper.” Cooper attracted her to the point that she’d been willing to ruin her new business, destroy her reputation, and decimate her sisters’ respect. No man was worth that.

  Or was he? Obviously in the heat of the moment, she’d thought he was, and so had Bethany. Yet, she expected this behavior from the family wild child. No one expected it from the practical older sister.

  “You’re really hot for him, aren’t you?” Bethany asked.

  Izzy snorted and licked some chocolate off her fingers. To think she could’ve been licking chocolate out of Cooper’s belly button or off his—

  “Isabella!” Bethany snapped her fingers in front of Izzy’s face.

  Izzy jumped with a guilty start. “Sorry, he is hot, so frigging hot, I almost gave up everything we’ve worked for just to screw his brains out one time.”

  “Me, too.” Bethany tried to look solemn, but she didn’t do solemn well. In fact, her lips twitched until she gave into a full-blown bad girl grin. “Go after him. Even good girls need to be bad once in a while.”

  “I can’t. Not here.”

  “Then go home with him. I’m sure you’d be invited.”

  “I don’t do one-night stands.”

  “By the look in his eyes, it wouldn’t be just one night. The man was completely smitten.”

  “You think?”

  “I know. Trust me.” Bethany turned on the lights, dug a compact out of her purse, and refreshed her makeup. “Let’s go back out and join the world.”

  Izzy grabbed her sister’s makeup kit and did her own emergency makeover, but no amount of makeup covered up lips swollen from Cooper’s kisses, eyes shiny with desire, and hair so messy it looked like she did it that way on purpose.

  Composing herself, she walked into the hallway and ran headfirst into Ethan Parker. He put his hands on her shoulders and set her back on her feet. “Isabella, I’ve been looking for you.”

  “Oh, I, uh, my sister and I were discussing strategy.”

  Ethan grinned. “As far as I’m concerned, you’ve done more than enough. You’re off the clock. Enjoy the party. It’s a rousing success and wouldn’t have been without you and your sisters. The guys are dancing up a storm, talking to the coaches, making plans. You’ve broken the ice, literally, and I can’t pay you enough for what you’ve managed to accomplish.”

  “Well, thank you.” It was nothing that couldn’t be solved without having the team captain’s tongue down her throat, hands on her ass, and lips in places they shouldn’t be.

  “I don’t know how you did it. The way those boys were scowling at the beginning of the night, I didn’t think anyone would get through to them.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Parker.” Izzy smiled her most gracious smile.

  “It was our pleasure,” Bethany added in total innocence.

  “Call me Ethan. Great job. You’ll be getting a bonus for this, and I’ll be recommending you to our friends.” He grinned as Lauren came up beside him. “Stop by the team office next week, and I’ll have a check waiting at the front desk.”

  “I will, and thank you, Ethan.”

  Ethan grinned at his fiancée and headed outside to the deck.

  “We did it.”

  “We sure did.” Izzy should have felt on top of her world, and she did to a point, but there was still the little problem of Cooper and wanting to see him again.

  “Let’s get back to the party.” Izzy almost broke into a jog, but something solid stopped her progress as she rounded the corner.

  Cooper’s sold chest filled her line of vision. She lifted her face upward. Judging by the thin, angry line of his lips and his hard jaw, he’d heard every word of her conversation with Ethan.

  And he wasn’t happy.

  * * *

  Cooper had made up his mind. He wasn’t going to let this woman get away. Sure, he wanted to sleep with her, but it was more than that. Something he hadn’t felt in a long time, and he wanted to explore that heady feeling of being with a woman who intrigued him beyond the bedroom.

  So he’d gone in search of Izzy to
do the right thing and ask her out like a proper guy would a classy lady. Surely, the bathroom incidents were aberrations. They’d never happened to her before, but it was this intense chemistry between them—the same crazy feelings he felt—that drove her to do something she would never normally do.

  At least that was what he’d wanted to believe.

  Until he’d overheard her talking to Ethan Parker.

  Humiliated and feeling like all kinds of fool, he rounded the corner with both guns blazing. She’d used him and used him quite nicely. He’d let down his guard for one night, believed in a woman for the first time in years, and this was what happened.

  Her eyes opened wide as she spotted him in all his indignant fury.

  “Are you going to be okay?” Her sister gave her a pat on the arm.

  Izzy gave Bethany a curt nod to dismiss her. “I’m fine. Cooper and I need to talk.”

  Without another word, Bethany scurried away, glancing over her shoulder one last time before she disappeared back into the party.

  “How much did you hear?”

  “All of it.” Cooper ground his teeth together, expecting his jaw to shatter any moment or at least for his many implants to be ground to dust.

  “I can explain.” She moved toward him, but he held his hands up to keep her body out of his personal space.

  “You were paid to do me.” Beneath the anger, he sounded pathetic and betrayed, even to his own ears.

  “That would make me a prostitute, wouldn’t it?” Now her annoyance matched his. She propped her hands on her hips, stood straighter, and pulled her shoulders back, inadvertently drawing attention to those nice breasts of hers, the same ones he’d been enjoying several minutes earlier.

  His mouth went dry, and he licked his lips. “Uh, that’s not what I’m saying.” No, he didn’t believe she screwed for money. Not deep down inside. Maybe his instincts hadn’t always been the best when it came to women, but something rang true in her words and her previous actions. Her out-of-control attraction couldn’t have been an act, any more than it had been with him.

  “Then what are you saying?” she asked.

  He didn’t know what he was saying, had no clue what he was accusing her of. His anger turned to confusion.