I curled the fingers of both hands into my palms to stop me from doing something monumentally stupid and stared straight ahead. "You're one of Daddy's players."
"Yeah. So?"
I spun my head to the side and gaped at him. "So? Even if I wanted to, we couldn't see each other anymore. Not now."
A shadow crossed his eyes and he sat back, his face carefully blank. "You want to end things?"
"End what? Nathan, we were never together. We were just...I mean, it was..." My voice faded, the words drifting away in the growing wind. Heat filled my face, both from embarrassment and from the tiny sliver of hope building inside me.
"It was what, Addy?"
"You know what it was."
"What? Sex? Fun? No commitments?"
I shifted on the bench, oddly uncomfortable at the casual way he tossed the words at me. Uncomfortable at the casualness of the words themselves even though I was ready to say something similar. "It was just supposed to be a one-night stand."
"Was it?"
"Yes!" I tossed the word between us, muttering a small prayer that Nathan wouldn't see it for the lie that it was. He reached out and cupped my chin, holding me immobile when I would have turned away. His eyes grew darker, though whether it was from the low clouds overhead or something else I didn't want to acknowledge, I didn't know. My lungs ached from the breath I held and my heart sputtered and stammered from the way his gaze held mine. I held myself still, refused to let my body sway toward his in search of the kiss I was so sure was going to happen.
"Bullshit."
I blinked, my mind trying to figure out what it wanted to deal with first: his sharply-spoken oath or the disappointment over a kiss that didn't happen. I finally settled on the former. "Excuse me?"
"I said bullshit. A one-night stand is just that, Addy: one night. We went way past that."
"Which means absolutely nothing."
"Doesn't it?"
I opened my mouth to respond, closed it when I realized I had no idea how to respond. Thoughts whirled through my mind with such dizzying speed that I couldn't grasp any of them. Was he saying that we did have a relationship of sorts? That he wanted to pursue one now?
I finally shook my head, breaking free from the gentle hold of his hand and the stronger one of his gaze. "Why did you ask me here?"
"I told you: to apo—"
"To apologize. Yes, I heard." I pushed to my feet and busied myself with adjusting the strap of my small purse. "If that's all—"
"Addy, wait." He caught my arm, spinning me toward him before I could step away. The move caught me off-balance and I stumbled into him only to have his free arm wrap around my waist—and hold me there against him. I should have pushed away. Should have stepped back.
But I couldn't. Not with those piercing blue eyes gazing into mine with the same promise and need and desire coursing through me. Maybe I didn't really see all those things. Maybe it was nothing more than wishful thinking on my part. No maybe about it because it probably was wishful thinking—
But I couldn't seem to muster up enough energy to care.
That didn't stop me from shaking my head and at least trying to make an attempt to act uninterested. "Nathan, we can't do this."
"Why not?"
"Because..." I hesitated, trying to come up with all the reasons why not. "We just can't."
"Because I'm one of your daddy's players?"
I didn't miss the emphasis he'd put on the word daddy but I couldn't figure out why he'd said it that way—or why it left me feeling confused and maybe even a little mocked. I chose to ignore the feelings and focused on answering the question instead. "It just isn't done."
"Why not?"
"Because it's not. There are rules about those things. At least, I'm sure there are. Or there should be."
"Addy, I don't give a shit about rules. I never have."
"But I do."
"Do you?" I started to nod, to answer in the affirmative, but he kept talking. "Because you didn't seem to care four weeks ago. You didn't seem to care last week."
"I didn't know who you were then."
"It would have made a difference?"
"Yes!" I nodded once then blew out a frustrated breath and looked away before he could see the lie in my gaze. But I couldn't lie to him any more than I could lie to myself. "No. No, it wouldn't have."
"Then why is now any different?"
"Because things have changed."
"The only thing that's changed is that I was an ass earlier this week. I should have never stood you up."
"But you did."
"And I've regretted it every day since. I just want—" His words stopped short and I held my breath, waiting for him to finish. Waiting to hear...I wasn't sure what I wanted to hear or if there was something I needed to hear. Maybe it was a case of both. In the end it didn't matter because Nathan didn't say a thing. He simply lowered his head and caught my mouth with his, swallowing my breath of surprise as he immediately deepened the kiss.
I reacted immediately. Instinctively. Instead of pushing away, instead of asking him what he wanted, I leaned into him. The small purse I'd been struggling to keep in place fell to the ground beside me as I moved my arms to bring them around his neck. My fingers played in the ends of his hair, marveling at the silky softness so at odds with the rest of the man kissing me like the world was about to end.
And maybe it was because a minute later, the heavens opened up around us, drenching us with wind-swept rains.
Chapter Eleven
Nathan
I swore beneath my breath when a blast of arctic air hit us. The air would have been welcoming at any other time but not right now, not when we were both drenched from the downpour that had left us soaked and shivering.
I toed my shoes off then shuffled across the plank flooring in my wet socks, leaving behind a trail of damp and muck whose origins I didn't even want to consider right now. I nudged the thermostat up a few degrees, briefly considered switching it to heat instead of AC then just as quickly decided against it. A hot shower would warm us quicker; once we were dry, the cooler air would feel better than it did now. I may not have been in New Orleans for very long but even I had learned that the heat and humidity was a constant around here, even after a torrential downpour.
I turned back to Addy, surprised to see she was still huddled in front of the door, a small puddle of water pooling on the small rug under her feet. Her wet hair was black as ink, rivulets of rainwater dripping from the thick strands to coat her shoulders and chest and arms. Her leggings were soaked to the knees and I was pretty sure her woven sandals were ruined. I sure as hell wouldn't want to wear them again, not after running through the dark puddles along the streets in our dash to get back to my place.
I swore again, this time at my stupidity at giving in to her insistence of walking from one corner of the Quarter to the other. No, it really wasn't that far, not technically—as long as a soaking storm wasn't raging around you. I'd tried calling for an Uber but everyone else must have had the same idea because the wait was ridiculous—which is why I'd given in to Addy's insistence on walking when she'd said we'd be back at my place by the time a car arrived.
I yanked my soaked socks from my feet then hurried to the guest bathroom and grabbed a few towels. Addy still stood by the door, a pathetic imitation of a drowned rat. I swallowed back the bark of inappropriate laughter and handed her a towel.
"You need to jump in the shower."
"I'll be fine."
I cocked one eyebrow in disbelief. "You're soaked. You need to clean off and warm up while I throw our clothes in the washing machine."
Surprise widened her eyes for a brief second, only to be replaced by suspicion as she fixed me with a narrowed gaze.
"You can wear a pair of my sweats while we wait." My clothes would be too big on her but there was something appealing—and maybe a bit too possessive—about the image of her wearing my clothes. I'd much prefer her wearing nothing at all but that w
asn't an option, not just yet.
A man could hope, though.
She must not have had any inkling of the inappropriate thoughts spinning through my head because she slowly nodded then went back to blotting the water from her hair. I turned and headed toward my bedroom, cringing when I saw the rumpled sheets and the comforter hanging half off the bed. I rarely bothered making it and this morning was no exception.
Whatever. It wasn't like Addy had never seen my unmade bed before. And to be honest, it was in better shape now than it had been in all those times she'd joined me—
No. I couldn't entertain those thoughts right now, no matter how much I wanted to. Not with Addy following me into the bathroom. Not when that haunted look of distrust and confusion and wariness still lined her face. Part of me understood it. Something had shifted between us, something I was still trying to come to grips with myself. We were in uncharted waters, feeling each other out, trying to figure out where we went from here—if anywhere. I knew what I wanted: for things to continue the way they had been.
Fun.
Sex.
No commitments.
More sex.
But even I wasn't foolish enough to think that was entirely possible. Not right now. Not after learning who she was.
Didn't mean I couldn't hope.
I reached into the tiled shower and turned on the water so it would heat up then grabbed a stack of towels and placed them on the counter so they'd be in easy reach. "I don't have any smelly soap or fancy shampoo but—"
"This is fine. Better than nothing, right?"
I returned her shy smile then stepped past her and made my way back into my bedroom. I returned, a folded pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt in my hands. I placed both on the counter next to the towels then backed out of the room.
"I'll use the other shower," I said, pulling the door closed before I could do something stupid, like asking her if I could join her.
Fifteen minutes later, I was standing in the kitchen, clean and dry in my own sweats and t-shirt. I heard the water turn off in the master bath and forced myself to focus on the sandwiches I was making instead of images of Addy stepping from my shower.
Fully naked.
Droplets of water dripping from her body.
Her gentle hands rubbing the towel over all her luscious curves.
Fuck.
I closed my eyes and took a steadying breath, forcing my imagination away from the woman in my bathroom. Only imagination had nothing to do with it because I'd seen her nude body before, knew exactly what she looked like stepping out of my shower.
I took another deep breath, willing my cock to settle down instead of jumping to attention with anticipation. No way in hell would Addy miss my hard-on, not when it was doing its damnedest to push through the thin cotton of my sweatpants. Maybe if I stayed behind the island counter—
I added the top piece of bread to the first sandwich, tossed a handful of chips on the plate next to it, then placed the plate on the placemat at the edge of the island. I slid the second placemat closer to me then put my plate on top of it. There, problem solved. Addy would take the seat across from me and wouldn't be able to see anything below my waist.
I hoped.
She stopped in the middle of the room, her gaze darting to the sandwich and glass of iced tea like she hadn't been expecting to see them. Her bare feet were silent as she padded across the wood floor and slid the stool out.
"Who are the Bombers?"
"Hm?"
"The Bombers." She pulled the oversized t-shirt away from her and pointed to the faded logo on the front. Had she known I was staring at the way the thin cotton molded to the lush roundness of her breasts, or the way the points of her nipples pushed against it? Probably not. Her face was a perfect image of innocence mingled with genuine curiosity that had nothing to do with the fact that I was trying my best not to drool.
I gave myself a quick mental shake—a hard one—and popped a few chips into my mouth, hoping that would give me enough time to regain some composure. I followed the chips with a sip of water then carefully focused my gaze on a spot just over Addy's shoulder.
"A team I used to play for."
"Before coming here."
"Yeah. Up in Pennsylvania."
"Why did you come here if you were playing up there?"
"I didn't have a choice." I popped three more chips into my mouth and obliterated them with my teeth.
"I don't understand."
"I was traded."
"Why?"
I bit back a frustrated sigh and told myself she wasn't deliberately antagonizing me. Addy's father might be the owner of the Bourdons but that didn't mean she knew anything about hockey. Something told me that was a family trait.
"Things weren't working out up there." It wasn't exactly a lie but it was a hundred times better than telling her I got traded because I was a fuck-up.
She ran her finger around the rim of the plate for several seconds, her brows pulled low over her eyes. A minute went by before she finally looked up at me, the delicate frown still in place. "They can just do that? Trade you, I mean."
"Yeah." It was a little more complicated than that but I wasn't about to try to explain about contracts and waivers and clauses and deadlines and the fact that I had an agent specifically to deal with those headaches. And I sure as hell wasn't about to admit that being here in New Orleans was my one last shot to save my floundering career. I nodded toward her plate, a misplaced attempt to change the subject. "Eat up."
She stared down at the sandwich, picked at the bread crust with the tip of one fingernail, then looked back at me without taking a single bite. "Is that why you haven't unpacked anything or decorated? Because you might not be in New Orleans for very long?"
I forced my gaze away from hers, told myself I was seeing things in the depths of her dark eyes. Did my best to convince myself what I saw was nothing more than my imagination. Maybe I was just projecting what I wanted and she really wasn't staring at me like she'd rather be nibbling on me instead of the sandwich in front of her.
I popped another chip in my mouth and stared at the empty wall behind Addy. "Your clothes should be almost ready for the dryer. Once they're done, I can take you home—"
"I don't want to go home. Not yet."
Her words froze me in place. I held myself still, unable to move even if I had wanted to as she lowered herself from the stool and walked around the granite-topped island. Who the hell was I kidding? A fucking earthquake couldn't make me move right now, not when Addy was stepping toward me. Reaching for me.
I still didn't move, not even when she ran the fingers of one hand along my arm and across my shoulder. Not when she stepped closer and pressed the full roundness of her breasts against my chest. Not even when she tilted her head back and watched me with eyes filled with sharp need.
It wasn't until she leaned up on her bare toes and pressed her lips against the scar at the corner of my mouth that I moved. I wrapped my arms around her waist, held her against me and caught her mouth with mine. Hard. Possessive. Claiming her as mine like I had every right to. Her small sigh mingled with my groan of need, the sound fading between us as our mouths melded together.
This was what I wanted. Addy. Here. With me. It didn't make sense, this sudden possessive need I had to conquer her and make her mine. A part of me—the last sane part of my brain—wondered if this all-consuming need was simply because I couldn't have her. She was off-limits and out of my league. She should be untouchable.
I pushed the thought away and focused on the woman in my arms. On her soft curves and feverish kisses. I thrust my tongue into her welcoming mouth, drank her tiny little moans as our tongues swirled and danced together. I reached between us, caught the hem of the oversized t-shirt and shoved it up, baring both of her breasts to my touch. I broke the kiss and leaned down, caught the tight peak of one hard nipple into my mouth and sucked. Fingers clenched around my head, threading into my hair and holding me in place.
/>
It was all the encouragement I needed.
I grabbed her hips and lifted, sitting her on the edge of the counter and steadying her as I peeled the sweatpants down her legs. I stepped back, drinking in the sight of her lush legs and the tightly trimmed curls framing her pussy. A small blush stained her flesh and she started to close her legs, only to gasp in surprise when I grabbed them and spread them even further.
"Nathan—"
I closed my mouth over hers, swallowing whatever words she'd been about to say, and slid my finger along her tight folds. Wet, so fucking wet. I teased her clit, felt a shiver go through her at the touch. Swallowed her cry and my own smile as her hips rocked toward my hand. Seeking. Searching.
I shoved her t-shirt up higher, breaking the kiss so I could pull it over her head. Then I dragged my mouth along her cheek. Her jaw. Nibbled the lobe of one dainty ear and was rewarded with a shuddering sigh as her body swayed toward me. I dragged my mouth lower, traced the curve of her collarbone with my tongue. Lower, to the fullness of her breasts, lavishing them both with attention as I fingered her clit. Harder. Demanding. Insistent.
I slid one finger inside her wet pussy, swallowed my own groan when her muscles clenched and squeezed around it. Kissed my way even lower, down along her stomach and the flare of her lips, lower still until my mouth closed over the tight bud of her clit and sucked.
"Nathan."
My name was a breathy sigh, her voice soft and wavering in the humid air between us. I grabbed her hand from my shoulder, eased it between her legs then stepped back to watch as she slowly, hesitantly, rubbed her clit. Pleasuring herself—and me, simply from watching.
I shoved my sweatpants past my hips and curled my fingers around my throbbing cock. Stroking. Teasing. Matching the rhythm of my finger sliding in and out of her wet pussy. I wanted to come, to release the hold on my control and lose myself. In her. On her. I wanted to drive my cock deep inside her, watch her wet lips close around my thick shaft and feel her muscles clench around me, milking me until I collapsed.
I eased my finger from her pussy, wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her from the counter. A gasp of surprise fell from her parted lips and she stared up at me, her eyes glazed with the same need and desire that threatened to consume me.
Rule Breaker (New Orleans Bourdons Book 1) Page 7
