The Sport of Romance: A Multi-Author Box Set

by Cari Quinn

  “Suka, I got eyes.”

  “That were crossed silly.”

  “Ona ochen stroinaya.” Misha cupped his hands. “What’s word here… She’s hot. You should have some fun with her,” Misha said as he killed another terrorist. Darren clenched his jaw, anger gurgling toward the surface. Misha needed to watch what he said—no matter the language—and who he said it about.

  “I just got a divorce.” His words were clipped, but that was only to keep from kicking Misha in the teeth. “I’m not looking—”

  “Not saying you should marry the babi,” Misha replied. “There aren’t any rules about little rebound sex. I would do her.”

  A growl bubbled in Darren’s throat but he tamped it back down. There was that “rebound” word again. Possession slithered down his spine at the thought of Val with anyone besides him. This couldn’t be a rebound. He had no right to exclusivity. They’d barely even had a date, even if they had slept together several times. He was starting to think maybe he wanted more with her, but he had no business screwing up the easy friendship they had now.

  “You’d do just about anyone identifies as female, Misha!” Cody laughed, slapping the rookie on the back. The sound of his palm pulled Darren back from his thoughts. Cody grabbed a beer from the chest by the table and popped the top with a hiss of the seal breaking.

  The idea of being with anyone exclusively was enough to give him hives. He wasn’t ready for that. There was something about Val, though. A quality that made him want to do right by her. She deserved that.

  “Oh, Cody.” Gavin smirked. “The wife let you off the leash tonight?”

  “Fuck you.” Cody’s eyes narrowed. “Joey had a girl’s night thing. They were going to some kind of wine-tasting or whatever it is that girls do.”

  “How swanky,” Darren said, sitting down in the seat furthest back from the TV. He hadn’t been in the mood to play video games tonight, but the guys came over every Thursday they didn’t have a game. It was ritual, more habit than expectation. And rituals were to hockey players what breathing was to scuba divers. It was the difference between winning and losing. Living and dying.

  It wasn’t too long before Gavin and Misha’s attention shifted to the war on screen and forgot about them, the occasional shout of happiness when one of them killed another enemy.

  “So what’s up with the girl, anyway?” Cody plopped his large body in the armchair next to his. At six foot four, the goalie barely fit in the chair. “You serious about her?”

  “It’s nothing.” As much as he’d deny any feelings to Gavin and Misha, Cody was his best friend. He was usually more honest with him. “We’ve barely even hung out. Thanks to those two losers.”

  He crumbled up paper and threw it at Gavin and Misha, who both turned and glared at him for a second before turning their attention back to the game, and fighting over the controller.

  “Why don’t you do something useful and go get more beer?” Gavin snapped. If it wasn’t for the grin on his face, Darren might have been offended.

  “Did you guys drink it all already?” Cody laughed. “Lushes.”

  Darren glanced at the ice chest. Three beers remained from the 24-pack. He sighed and stood up. “Oh, fine.”

  “Want me to come with?” Cody asked him.

  “Nah, it’s just down the street. I’ll be back in a few. Besides, you have a couple more under your belt than I do.” Cody shrugged and leaned back in the chair.

  Darren grabbed his keys from the counter and his wallet and left the house.

  * * *

  After paying for the twenty-four pack, Darren headed back out towards his car. The parking lot streetlights glared down on him, the Texas heat beating down on him even with the sun gone. In a few weeks, it would cool off, but until then…

  The doors clicked as he approached. He resituated, holding the keys by the ring so that he could open the door. He set the beer down in the floorboard in the back seat and straightened.

  Over the roof of his car, something caught the corner of his eye. He narrowed his eyes, scanning the area. The little red car with the hood up was a dead ringer for Val’s car.

  He stepped toward the car. It was possible he might end up looking a little stalkery if it wasn’t her, but he was pretty sure it was. Hope bloomed within his chest, his heart beat accelerating.

  His theory was confirmed as a girl stepped out from the front of the car to the passenger side where he got to see her face.

  Val looked like she’d just gotten off work. Jean shorts clung to her hips, her shapely leg muscles flexing with each movement. The TCU hoodie hid her top half from him, with sleeves pushed up to her elbows and her hair fell over her shoulders as she leaned over the engine.

  She didn’t see him as he approached. The urge to wrap his arms around her was strong, but he didn’t think sneaking up on her in a parking lot of a grocery store was a good idea.

  He stopped five feet from her. For a moment, he fidgeted, wondering if he should say anything, or if he should go back to his car. Finally, he cleared his throat and said, “Hi, Val.”

  She whirled around her eyes wide, but her entire body slumped in relief when she recognized him.

  “You having some car problems?”

  “No, I just like standing outside the grocery store at night with my hood up.” The wry tone in her voice matched the smirk on her face.

  He laughed and shrugged. “You never know. Some people like that.”

  “Smartass.”

  “Always. So,” he hesitated. “Want me to look?”

  She smiled. “Sure. Not sure what’s wrong with it.”

  He walked around to the front of the car and stared down at the engine. A mess of hoses ran around in circles… or that’s what it looked like to him. He didn’t know why he offered to look at it. He didn’t know jack about cars.

  He sighed, and crossed his arms. “Yep. It’s just like I thought.”

  “What is it?” She asked, curiously.

  “I have no idea what any of this means.” He pointed to the engine. “But… I can take you wherever you want to go.”

  She laughed. “I can call someone.” Her face fell. “Shit. No I can’t.” She looked up at him with trepidation. “Could I borrow your phone?”

  “Yeah…” He reached for his back pocket and trailed off. “Shoot. I forgot it at the house.”

  “I’ll see if the grocery store has one.”

  She started to walk toward the store. He wrapped his fingers around her bicep. “Wait. Look, I can’t in good faith leave you here in the middle of a dark parking lot alone when I have a perfectly good car over there. Come on.”

  “I can’t impose—” Like hell he’d leave her there.

  “Listen.” She didn’t know it yet, but she was going to come with him. “I have a bunch of guys at my house right now. If I don’t get back with the beer soon, they may send out a search party and ransack my newly renovated house. So I’m thinking you can come back and hang with me until you can get a hold of someone to come help you with your car.”

  “That’s a very generous offer but…”

  He held out his hand to her. “It’s not so much an offer as what I feel should happen, because there’s no way I’m leaving you here. Shall we?”

  A frown creased her pretty forehead as she considered his words. Finally, she sighed and turned away, ignoring his outstretched hand and stalked back toward her car.

  “Val—”

  The sound of the hood slamming shut cut him off. She grabbed her purse from inside the car and shut the driver’s side door.

  “Fine.”

  She deliberately walked around him without touching his hand and headed towards his car.

  He jogged up ahead of her and opened the passenger side door for her. Her lips pursed together angrily, but he couldn’t figure out what she was angry about.

  She grunted thanks and slipped into the passenger side. He waited until she was settled before shutting the door for her and
going back to the driver’s side.

  * * *

  Big booming explosions filled Val’s ears as she entered his house. Her mind was sure being there was a mistake, but couldn’t bring herself to say anything. In fact, the feeling heightened as soon as they walked in the living room together, and three heads turned toward them.

  War sounds from the video game on the large TV filled the awkward silence. Darren’s free hand was warm on the small of her back.

  “I have beer!” Darren announced happily, taking the beer to the kitchen. Val followed him, her nerves firing all the way down to her gut as three pairs of eyes followed her to the kitchen. What made her think this was a good idea?

  He set the beer on the counter and turned to her. “You want a beer?”

  “Uh, no,” she shook her head. “I should see if I can’t call someone.”

  His hand covered hers, forcing her to look up at him. “You could stay a bit. Relax some.”

  “I need to get my car fixed.” She groaned. “I can’t even imagine how much that’s going to cost.”

  “Please stay a while?” Her pulse pounded through her body as she gazed up at him. His dark eyes were so sincere.

  “You have company.”

  “They’re just playing video games.”

  “I’m just gonna go make some calls, and see if I can’t get someone to go look at the car for me.” A booming explosion from the other room cut her off, followed by a roar of laughter from the other room.

  Darren frowned as he glanced back at the room. She smiled, trying to put him at ease. “Is there someplace quiet I can go?”

  “Bedroom upstairs.” He grinned.

  She shook her head. “I was thinking somewhere down here.”

  “Office,” he said and pointed the opposite way of the guys. “Through that doorway and around the corner.”

  He pulled out a beer and held it up for her.

  She smiled lightly, but shook her head. “Thanks.” Alcohol so near to Darren was bound to have bad consequences. Ones that might feel really frigging good.

  She walked down to the office and shut the door behind her. This room was so much better than the hotel had been. Sure, it was a ritzy place, but this house… It made her wonder what it had been like before the renovation.

  She’d never been at his house before. They’d spent the majority of their time together at his hotel room, but now that he was home again, that wasn’t an option. She didn’t feel right about this, about making it this intimate. This was his home, and it was a place she didn’t belong.

  Val picked up the landline, but remembered that Nick was out on a date with Jen tonight. She hung up. Who was she going to call? She didn’t really have a lot of friends. None of her family lived in Fort Glasgow. Most of them were in Dallas.

  She really needed to get more friends.

  “Val.”

  She turned around slowly, her hand with the phone lowering to her side. Darren stood in the doorway, his massive frame blocking the entire opening. Her ass hit the desk as she took a step backward.

  “Did you get anyone?”

  She shook her head. “No. I don’t really know a lot of people.” Blood rushed through her ears as he pushed off the door frame and approached her.

  “You could stay here, you know. I know a mechanic that could help you in the morning.” His cologne wafted into her nostrils, turning her legs into jelly. He stopped inches from her, and far too close. The scent of him invaded her personal space. “Unless… you’re afraid to stay here. Are you afraid of me, Valerie Chase?”

  “No.” Tremors seeped into her voice.

  He placed his palms on the desk, on either side of her. “I think you may be.”

  “No.” Her voice was a little stronger.

  “I’ve been thinking a lot about you, Val,” he whispered, inches from her lips. She closed her eyes, which turned out to be a worse idea. Everything about him overwhelmed her. The warmth of his body, the soft scent of his cologne. The world vanished in light of him.

  Then his lips touched hers. Her common sense told her that this was a monumentally bad idea, that men didn’t fit into her plan; that she couldn’t afford to be involved with someone whom she’d have to leave when she moved away.

  Too good. He felt way too good.

  “I thought about you,” he said against her mouth. “All through pre-season. I was playing like shit, because I couldn’t get a hold of you.” His arms left the desk, and slid along her hips, up to her waist. “Coach was pissed at me.”

  “Darren…” she whispered, glancing back toward the open door. Someone could walk in at any moment. His lips softly caressed hers, coaxing her back to life. She found herself leaning forward, wanting more of his affections.

  His hands slid under her hoodie, up her ribcage to the underside of her breasts, where he ran his thumb along her bra. Without thinking, she arched toward him, and one of his palms surrounded her breast.

  He whispered against her lips, “You’re my good luck charm.” He pinched her nipple. Her lips parted on a gasp and his tongue plunged into her mouth. He swallowed the moan that bubbled up in her throat.

  “What?”

  “Last season, the games I played well were the ones that you told me you watched. But when I couldn’t talk to you, I couldn’t focus. I couldn’t play well.”

  “That’s just superstition, Darren. That’s not real.” His fingers brushed her cheek, so tangible.

  “It’s real to me,” he said.

  “Stop. Please,” she said. “You have company here. They could come in…”

  “I need you,” he said. When he kissed her again, his tongue stroked hers, coaxing a moan from her.

  “Someone could come in,” she said. But her body had other ideas, her arms wrapping around his neck.

  He glanced back toward the open door, a devilish smile on his face. “That might be fun.” His hands splayed around her waist, rubbing over her hips as well, like he wanted to touch her everywhere at once.

  “Oh, shut up!” She chuckled, slapping her hand against his chest. He grabbed her ass and lifted her up, setting her down on the desk, her feet dangling helplessly. Control over the situation was slipping, but her body loved every bit of it. Enough to throw caution out with the week old trash.

  He pushed up her hoodie, and pulled it over her head, not even bothering to unzip it. It hit the floor. He pushed up her t-shirt, pulled the cup of her bra down, the fleshy globe spilling out, and took her nipple into his mouth.

  She dug her fingernails into his shoulders. Her center clenched with heat and need. The skin around her nipple tightened with the cooler air that hit her overheated body.

  She leaned back, giving him more room as he moved to the other breast, exposing it and sucking the same way he’d done the first. She fisted his dark hair, pressing him against her. His talented mouth left her bereft of thought.

  “Darren…” He unbuttoned her shorts and ran his fingers along her elastic panty waistline before slipping his fingers into them.

  His finger slid along the smooth, slick folds of her pussy, massaging the nerves all bundled in one spot. She moaned and spread her legs, trying to press against his fingers, to get him to stroke the ache growing inside her.

  “Damn, Val. You’re so wet.” He whispered, reverently lowering her shorts down her legs. The cool air made her shiver and the skin on her arms form goose flesh. “That’s such a fucking turn-on.”

  His palms smoothed back up her legs. Inside, she was thanking God she remembered to shave that morning. Even so, her skin prickled where he touched. His hot breath on her core nearly had her moaning, but she bit back the urge. She didn’t want to attract the attention of his guests.

  She glanced toward the door, which represented a danger that only made her slicker between the legs. Darren’s lips touched her hips, gently, and then his warm, hot flesh slid over her clit. She jerked in surprise, even though she’d been watching him touch her.

  Fingers pushed
into her entrance, filling her with delicious heat. Her chest tightened, her muscles tensed as he worked over her pussy. She’d had boyfriends go down on her before, but this was so different. He was entirely focused on her, building her up to a precipice and yanking her back before she could fall over. He did that so many times she was almost dizzy.

  His fingers pumped inside her. She spread her knees further apart, wanting more of what he was giving her. She stifled a cry as his thick fingers flicked the bundle of nerves, her body tensing.

  He took it into his mouth, sucking hard. It was enough to send her over that precipice. She cried out, her muscles instantly tensing, all at once with the release that washed over her.

  Hot flashes roared through her blood, white seared her vision. Darkness threatened to take her over as her blood rushed through her veins. When her body finally relaxed, she felt limp like overcooked spaghetti, boneless.

  Her super sensitive skin prickled as he smoothed his hands over her body, up her back, enveloping her in an embrace. He grinned and leaned in toward her. Their lips touched, gently. Val clung to his arms, trying to stay upright.

  “You’re beautiful.” His whispered compliment wrapped her in a blanket of contentment.

  Beyond them, male shouts filled the air, accompanied by the sound of explosions and eerie video game music. She couldn’t hear what they said, nor did she care at that point. Her mind and her body were singularly focused on the man standing between her legs and the pleasure he’d just brought her.

  Chapter Eight

  His dick strained Darren’s jeans, the sight of Val’s orgasm burned into his eyes for the rest of his life. He sat down in the chair next to Cody.

  “Where’s your girl?” Cody asked, his eyes glancing back at the hallway where she’d gone.

  “She’s trying to get a hold of someone for her car.” Darren didn’t let himself look. If he did, it was likely that he’d go back and ravage her some more.

  “What’s wrong with it?”

  “Do I look like a mechanic?” Darren snapped, instantly regretting his tone when Cody flipped him off.

  “Fuck you, man. I was just asking.” Cody scowled. “I just meant… I could take a look at it.”