by Cher Carson
“There are guys on the team who never cross that line, and then there are guys who cross it every day. Chase just wouldn’t do that. I’ve seen some hot women coming on to him over the years, and he just walks away. I’m telling you, he’s not interested in anyone else, Taylor.”
She wanted to believe him, more than anything, but she still had a niggling of doubt in the back of her mind. “How do you explain what happened tonight then?”
Mark threw his hands up in the air. “Didn’t you tell the guy you wanted a divorce last night?”
She nodded.
“Haven’t you had a boyfriend for months?”
“How did you know that?”
He shrugged. “Chase’s kid brother may have mentioned it in passing.”
“But you never told Chase?”
“Nah, I figured he was already going through hell. I didn’t want to make it worse.”
She felt guilty that she had placed the blame squarely on Chase. “Okay, I guess you’re right. I’m as much to blame for this mess as he is.” Maybe more, but Mark didn’t need to know that.
“Look, I’m not saying that hooking up with that girl was the right call, but he was hurt and mad as hell. Not to mention drunk.” He laughed. “That’s a lethal combination.”
“You’re right. Thanks, Mark. You’ve given me a lot to think about.”
“Does that mean you’re gonna go upstairs and talk to your husband now?”
She reached for the wallet inside her purse to settle the bar tab. “No, I think we both need a good night’s sleep. I’ll get a room here and talk to him in the morning.”
He beckoned to their waiter as he extracted a platinum credit card from his wallet. “Drinks are on me.”
She stood up, slinging her purse over her shoulder as she reached for the handle of her small suitcase. “Thanks again.”
He slid out of the booth and pulled her into his arms, stroking her hair. “It was my pleasure. Any time you need to talk, just call me, okay?”
She leaned her head against his chest, grateful for the support. “I just might do that.”
He cupped her face in his hands, looking into her eyes. “Remember what I said, okay? Your husband loves you. Don’t ever doubt that.”
Taylor walked toward the front desk, praying the desk clerk who had given her Chase’s room key would have finished his shift by now. No such luck.
“Hello again, Mrs. Hudson, how can I help you?”
“I was wondering if you have any rooms available.”
He frowned. “I don’t understand, is there a problem with Mr. Hudson’s suite?” His fingers were poised over the keyboard in front of him. “Because if there is, we’d be more than happy to...”
Taylor could feel the heat creeping up her neck. “No, it’s nothing like that. I’m sure Mr. Hudson’s suite is fine. I’d just like a separate suite.”
He flushed and dipped his head, fixing his attention on the computer monitor. “Of course, I’m sorry. I must have misunderstood.”
“It’s not your fault,” she muttered. It was her fault for coming here to surprise Chase in the first place.
“Let’s see what we have available.” His eyebrows drew together, creasing his smooth forehead. “Uh, it seems the only suites available are on your husband’s floor. There are a few occupied rooms at either end of that floor, but we usually try to keep the players separate from the rest of the hotel guests because...”
She held her hand up. “No need to explain, I understand.” Based on the stories she’d heard from Chase over the years, she knew his teammates were notoriously loud, often disturbing other hotel patrons. “I’ll take whatever you have. I plan to check out first thing in the morning.” With any luck, she’d be able to slip in and out of her room, unseen.
“Very well, I’ll just need some identification to verify your address and a credit card, please.”
She handed him her driver’s license along with a credit card. She tapped her fingers against the countertop, hoping Chase’s teammates wouldn’t have the urge to quench their thirst at the hotel bar before she could sneak up to her room.
The desk clerk, whose name tag read Matthew, typed the pertinent information into the computer and ran her credit card. He extracted a document from the printer behind him and passed it across the counter. “If you would just sign that, I can give you the key to your suite.”
She quickly scribbled her signature on the appointed line and waited for him to produce the key card.
He slid the plastic card across the desk. “I hope you enjoy your stay.”
“Thank you, I’m sure I will.” She walked quickly toward the bank of elevators, almost bumping into Mark as he stepped out of the bar. “I’m sorry,” she said, laughing.
“No problem. Did you get a room?”
“Yes, on your floor, as a matter of fact.”
“Great, let me walk you up.”
Taylor snuck a peek inside the bar. “What happened to the cutie sitting at the bar? It looked like she was trying to get your attention.”
Mark pushed the elevator button as he glanced into the window of an upscale jewellery shop. “She wasn’t my type. Besides, I’m kind of tired after the game.”
She grabbed his forearm. “I should’ve thought of that.” She pressed her palm to her forehead. “I was so wrapped up in my own problems that I didn’t even consider the fact that you might want to go to bed after...”
He laughed. “Relax, Taylor; I haven’t fallen asleep before one in the morning since I was eleven. I’m a bit of an insomniac.” He ushered her onto the elevator.
“Thanks.” She sighed. “What a day.”
He pushed the button to close the doors and selected their floor. “You still plan to talk to Chase in the morning?”
“I don’t know. To tell you the truth, I was thinking about getting a good night’s sleep and sneaking out early.” She chuckled. “I know I’m a coward, but I think I may need a little more time to sort things out.”
Mark put his arm around her, drawing her into his side. “Take all the time you need, sweetheart. I have a feeling Chase isn’t going anywhere.” They stepped off the elevator with Mark’s arm draped loosely over her shoulder. “Which room are you in?”
She checked her key card. “312.”
“That’s the same direction as mine.”
Before she could respond, Chase stepped out into the hall.
He walked toward them, scowling at Mark.
“Here we go again,” Mark muttered, dropping his arm to his side.
Chase stood toe to toe with Mark, pointing a finger into his chest. “You mind telling me where the hell you think you’re going with my wife?”
Mark rolled his eyes. “Relax, Hudson; I was just walking the lady to her room.”
Chase turned to Taylor. “You’re staying here, in the hotel?”
She nodded. “Yes, and I think you owe Mark an apology. He just spent the last hour pleading your case.”
He stared at his teammate, appearing dazed. “Seriously? You went to bat for me with Taylor?”
Mark shrugged. “It was no big deal; you would’ve done the same for me.”
Chase gripped his shoulder. “It is a big deal, man. Listen, I’m sorry I’ve been such an asshole lately.”
“Hey, you’ve been under a lot of stress. I get it.”
Taylor gripped Mark’s bicep as she reached up to kiss his cheek. “Thanks for being such a good friend, to both of us.” She smiled. “It was an unexpected surprise, to say the least.”
“Listen, I’m gonna leave you two to talk. I’m beat.”
Chase took a step back, allowing Mark to pass him. “See you in the morning, buddy.”
“Good night, Mark.” Taylor watched him walk down the hall to avoid facing Chase’s intense scrutiny.
He took a step closer and stroked her arm. “Can we talk now, please?”
She felt his gentle caress like an electric current travelling straight to her core. �
��Where’s your girlfriend?” she asked, refusing to meet his eyes.
“Come on, baby,” he whispered, dipping his head to brush his lips against her hair. “She’s just a kid; she means nothing to me.”
She stiffened, refusing to melt into his touch. “That didn’t stop you from letting her...”
His hand coiled around her upper arm. “Hey, nothing happened.”
She wanted to believe him, but years of conditioning prevented her from accepting his words at face value. Trusting him without question would mean opening herself up to a world of hurt. She thought she was ready, but seeing Chase with another woman tonight made her realize she may never be ready to let her guard down with him. “That’s not the way it looked from where I was sitting.”
He released her arm, rubbing his eyes. “Look, I screwed up, okay? I was hurt and angry and I acted without thinking about the consequences.” He grabbed her waist, holding her body flush against his. “You’re all I’ve ever wanted, all I’ve ever needed, honey.”
She wanted to believe him, but the fear and uncertainty she’d been wearing like a second skin proved nearly impossible to shed. “I love you, Chase, I do, but...”
“That’s all I needed to hear,” he said, dipping his head to kiss her lips. “That’s all that matters.”
She pressed her palms to his chest. “No, it’s more complicated than that.”
He brushed her hair to the side, exposing her neck to his roaming mouth. “It doesn’t have to be. Just let me love you.”
Despite the protests flooding her mind, she leaned into him. “I can’t just forget all the problems we had,” she said, closing her eyes as he nuzzled her neck. “I can’t pretend our marriage was perfect.”
“No one’s marriage is perfect,” he said as his hand slid into her hair, cupping the back of her neck. “But you can’t deny we were good together, Taylor.”
She wanted to deny it, but he was right, she couldn’t. The years she’d spent with him were the happiest of her life.
He reached down to grab her hand. “Come on; let’s go into my room so we can talk.” He claimed her suitcase and walked the few steps to his door.
She wanted to protest, but it was pointless to deny her attraction to him was as powerful as ever.
He slipped a key card out of the pocket of his dress pants. He was still wearing the suit the team required their players to wear to the arena, but he’d lost the jacket and tie. He had re-buttoned his shirt at some point since she last saw him.
Taylor couldn’t help but wonder if that was before or after his girlfriend had stripped it off. The image made her tense as she slipped her hand from his.
He turned around to face her. “Hey, what’s wrong?”
She shook her head. “I don’t think this is such a good idea. I’m really tired. I think I’ll just go to my room. Maybe we can talk about this tomorrow, or you can call me when you get home?”
“Now,” he said, grabbing her hand and pulling her into the room. “I know I won’t be able to sleep until you tell me you believe nothing happened between me and that girl tonight.” He reached around her to close the door, flattening her against the wood panel. “Just tell me you believe me, sweetheart.”
She felt her pulse pounding against her throat. “If I do, will you let me go?”
He grinned. “Hell no.”
“Chase, please...”
He wrapped his hand gently around her neck. “I love you.” His calloused fingertips brushed against her jaw. “Let me show you again.”
Her eyes drifted closed, and she knew he had her right where he wanted her, wet and needy and at his mercy.
He popped the buttons of her shirt open, stopping to caress her rib cage when he reached the last button. “Hmm,” he murmured, leaning closer. “Your skin is so warm, so soft.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck, drawing him closer. “I should hate you,” she whispered, arching her neck to give him better access.
“You should, but you don’t. You should hate me just like I should’ve hated you last night.”
She opened her eyes and was surprised to finding him staring at her. “Did you hate me last night?”
“No, I hated your boyfriend because he went home with you and I didn’t.” His hands spanned her waist. “Did you really break up with him?”
She nodded, running her hands up his back. “I should’ve done it a long time ago. He wasn’t right for me.”
“Of course he wasn’t right for you.”
She watched his hand cup her breast as the moisture pooled between her legs. “How can you be so sure about that?”
He traced a fingertip over the swell of her breasts. “Cause I’m the right guy for you, we both know that.”
She smiled at his trademark arrogance. “Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”
“I’m sure of us,” he whispered, slipping his fingers inside the front of her bra to release the closure. “About the divorce...”
She knew it was time to come clean. “I haven’t filed yet. I’d intended to, but my lawyer was away on vacation when I called to set up the appointment.”
“Thank God,” he whispered, cupping her breast as he brushed his fingertip over her distended nipple. “It’s not too late to convince you to take me back.”
She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, lost in the sensation of his hands stroking her.
“You need more, don’t you, baby?”
She rolled her hips and groaned. She needed to be naked now, to feel his hands all over her. “Yes.”
He grabbed her hands and walked backward toward the bed. “Tell me why you came here tonight,” he whispered.
“I needed to see you.” She unfastened the buttons running down the front of his shirt. “I wasn’t comfortable with the way we left things last night.”
“I’m glad you came,” he whispered, slipping her shirt over her shoulders.
“I’m so confused,” she admitted, leaning into him. “I want you, I need you, but I know sex isn’t going to solve all of our problems.”
He eased her back on the bed, but remained standing. “We can work this out, sweetheart. I know we can.” He pulled her shoes off one by one, letting them fall to the floor at his feet. “I love you, and I know you feel the same way.” His eyes trailed from her cleavage, down her stomach, to the front of her pants. “Unzip those for me.”
She did as he asked, watching him, waiting for him to finish what she’d started.
He peeled the pants down her legs, pausing to kiss the inside of her calves when he finally tossed the pants on a nearby chair. “I need to be your husband in every way. I need to share your bed again.”
His words incited an intense throbbing sensation between her legs.
He gripped the inside of her thighs, spreading her legs apart. “I need you to let me love you again.”
She whimpered, waiting for him to make good on his promise. “I need you too.”
He smiled as he settled onto the bed beside her. He propped his head in his hand as he traced circles on her stomach. “I like the sound of that. Tell me more.”
She closed her eyes, desperate to feel his hands all over her, pleasuring her.
“Did you ever lie in our bed, touching yourself, thinking about me?”
There had been too many nights over the past year when she’d had to rely on inanimate objects to fill the void, but nothing rivalled the intensity of the orgasms she experienced with him.
“Yes,” she admitted, closing her eyes as she sunk her teeth into her bottom lip.
His hand dipped below the elastic of her lace thong. He leaned forward and whispered in her ear, “Tell me what I was doing to you in these fantasies.”
Her mind travelled back to the latest, most vivid fantasy. “You started by touching me,” she said, praying he intended to act out her fantasy now.
“Where was I touching you?”
His deep voice slid over her skin like a soft caress. “You were stroki
ng my clit.”
“Hmmm.” He slipped his finger inside her panties and began to stroke her. “Like this?”
She shook her head. “Oh God, yes, just like that.”
“What else was I doing to you in this fantasy?”
“You were kissing that sweet spot on my neck,” she whispered. “The one where you always lick me when you’re trying to turn me on.”
He leaned over until the hair on his chest brushed against her nipples. “You mean right here?”
He proceeded to lick and suck the hollow at the base of her throat until she writhed under him. “What else was I doing to you?”
“You were licking my nipples.”
He continued to make her fantasy a reality, licking and sucking her nipples, kneading her tits, and stroking her clit until she finally found her release.
“Wow,” she whispered, throwing her hands over her head. “That was amazing.”
He chuckled. “Baby, I’m just getting started. What else was I doing to you?”
She opened one eye to look at him. “How do you know I didn’t get off thinking about what I was doing to you?”
He groaned. “Stop, you’re making me crazy.”
She laughed and reached for his belt buckle. “Baby, I’m just getting started,” she mimicked. She made quick work of stripping his clothes, anxious to go down on him. “I can’t wait to take you in my mouth,” she whispered.
“If you keep this up, I’m gonna come in no time.”
She flicked her tongue over the head of his cock, licking her lips when she tasted the drop of pre-come. “Hmmm, I love the way you taste.”
He reached for the back of her head, trying to force her to take him in her mouth. “Please, sweetheart, I need you to wrap your lips around me.”
“Not just yet.” She proceeded to lick his cock from base to tip as she cradled his balls in her hand.
He fisted the sheets in his hands as he rotated his hips. “Oh my God. Taylor, I’m not gonna last if you keep that up.”
She eased his cock into her mouth, relaxing her throat so she could take more of him. She circled the base of his cock with her hand as she stroked him hard, sucking him harder.
He grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her head back. “Stop, I want to come in your pussy, not your mouth.”
