Dare to Play

by Carly Phillips

  Austin came up beside them. Grabbing Bri’s cell, he watched the screen with a wince. “God dammit. Don’t you know what behave yourself means?” he asked, and as his brother’s agent, he had every right to know the answer.

  Still, Macy felt sorry for Jaxon if he’d been backing up a friend as he claimed.

  “And to say the video has gone viral is an understatement. I’m getting notifications like crazy.” Bri continued to shoot daggers at her bad-boy brother.

  “Dammit, Jax, when are you going to get your shit together?” Austin asked.

  “Some asshole in the bar was throwing shit at Dale Macaffrey for his missed catch in the playoffs. And he swung first. His friends jumped on and Mac needed reinforcements.” Jaxon folded his arms across his chest defensively.

  “Come on, guys. You never know where the paparazzi or asshole fans are going to be,” Damon said in an attempt to help his brother out.

  “My point exactly!” Bri poked her finger at her brother.

  “Not my point. I was saying cut him some slack. A decent teammate helps out his buddies.” Damon tried again to stand up for Jaxon.

  Austin groaned. “Regardless, it looks bad, and management is going to be pissed. But we are not doing this here. Not today. Today is Damon and Evie’s celebration.” Always the head of the family, he took the lead, and his siblings usually listened.

  Glancing at Jaxon, he said, “I hope you’re prepared for a meeting with ownership, because once they see this video, you’re going to be in for it. So will Mac but I don’t represent him.”

  Everyone, including Macy, grimaced at Austin’s furious tone, but Jaxon just looked pissed off.

  After some more family discussion and murmuring quietly, Damon and Evie said their goodbyes, leaving for their honeymoon to celebrate their happiness, while Jaxon headed for the bar and asked for a drink.

  Macy waited until Bri was alone and walked over to her friend. “Hey, are you okay?”

  “If I kill my brother, will you bail me out of jail?” she asked, a wry smile on her face.

  “If I can afford it, you know I will.” Macy laughed. “Is he in that much trouble? Because it sounded like he was just helping out a friend.”

  Austin joined them. “Doesn’t matter. A brawl reflects badly on him.”

  Bri grasped the drink out of Austin’s hand and downed it all in one gulp. “And Jaxon tends to find trouble.”

  “He needs to mature and settle down,” Austin said, as if that were the answer to Jaxon’s reputation and problems.

  “As if any sane woman would marry him,” Bri muttered.

  Macy strongly disagreed. “Come on. I know you can’t see him this way, but he is easy on the eyes.”

  Bri made a gagging sound. “I’m going to make some calls,” she said and walked away.

  Macy kept an eye on Jaxon, who, looking pissed at the world, made his way outside to the patio, where the chairs were still set up, and sat alone on a cushioned chair.

  Feeling like he needed company, Macy headed outside to join him.

  Chapter Two

  Jaxon resented being humiliated and called out in public even if Bri was his publicist and Austin his agent. Jaxon was a grown man, dammit, and could do whatever he wanted, including backing up a teammate when a jackass made fun of him in public and swung first. His brother had played on a team and damn well knew what it meant to be a stand-up guy. Fucking hypocrite giving him shit now, Jaxon thought.

  “Want company?” a familiar female voice asked.

  He glanced up. Macy, his sister Bri’s friend, had been coming around family gatherings more often lately, and with her understated sensuality, beautiful smile, and charming personality, he’d been intrigued. Flirting came naturally to him, but Macy knew his reputation with women, which was legitimately earned, and he was sure his sister had warned her away from him. She might have blushed a time or two at his compliments, but she hadn’t truly engaged with him.

  Smart woman.

  But that didn’t mean the sexual chemistry wasn’t there. He felt it and knew she did, too. In fact, he’d caught her watching him when she thought he wasn’t looking, like during the ceremony earlier. But he was surprised she’d come out here now.

  “Have a seat.” He gestured to the free chair next to him.

  She lowered herself onto the white folding chair. “Sorry it got ugly in there.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “You’re not here to tell me what a dumb move I made?”

  A smile curved her lips. “I kind of admire the fact that you stood up for your friend. Are you really going to get in trouble with management?”

  His shoulders stiffened at the thought. He’d given them enough aggravation over the years that they wouldn’t be happy no matter the reason. “Probably. Can we talk about something else? Anything else?”

  She shrugged. “Sure.”

  “What’s going on with you?” he asked, curious about this woman he’d only seen from afar. This was their first real conversation.

  She sighed. “You really don’t want to hear my problems.”

  He tilted his head and glanced at her pretty profile. “Try me.”

  She shrugged. “Well, I have custody of my fifteen-year-old half sister, and her mother showed up after five years, making noises about wanting custody.”

  Resting his elbows on his knees, he turned her way. “What happened to your parents, if you don’t mind me asking?”

  “My mom died when I was six, and Dad passed eight months ago.”

  Knowing what it was like to lose a parent, even one he hadn’t liked that much, because the Prescott family tree was complicated, he grabbed her hand and squeezed it compassionately. “That sucks. I’m sorry.”

  Her smile was grim. “Thank you.”

  They sat in silence for a while, the sun beating down on them. Glancing at her from the corner of his eye, he took in her pert nose, those lips he’d imagined kissing, and looking lower, her tanned cleavage, making his mouth water.

  “I meant what I said earlier. You look gorgeous in that dress,” he said in a gruff voice.

  “Thank you.” She smiled, her cheeks turning pink in the way they did every time he flirted or complimented her.

  It was sweet and endearing. Most women he dealt with were more assured of their sexuality and usually came on to him. He didn’t have to work hard for it. There was something captivating about Macy and her air of innocent sensuality.

  He glanced down, realizing he still held her hand in his from when she’d told him about losing her parents. “So I take it you have to get home to your sister?”

  To his surprise, she shook her head. “Hannah’s sleeping at a friend’s tonight.”

  He hesitated and thought, what the hell? He could feel his siblings’ annoyed stare from inside and needed peace. “Want to get out of here? Go somewhere quiet and grab a bite to eat?” he asked, because she was easy to be with and wasn’t giving him shit about his life and behavior.

  She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth before releasing it. “Are you telling me there are places you can go and not get recognized?”

  He shook his head and laughed. “Not really, though some owners and managers are stricter than others about letting people bother their customers. But as you probably know, that doesn’t always mean a damn thing. I’d say we could go to my house and order in, but you probably think I’m the big bad wolf,” he said wryly.

  Her brown eyes met his. “You might be the big bad wolf, but I’m a big girl who can handle you,” she said, surprising him.

  He rose to his feet and pulled her up with him. “Let’s get out of here,” he said. “Damon and Evie are gone, and I don’t want to deal with the family. Any reason you need to go back inside?”

  “I can touch base with Bri tomorrow. I’m good.”

  “Follow me to my place? I’m about twenty minutes from here.”

  He watched as she visibly drew a deep breath. “Relax, Macy. It’s just dinner.”

&nbs
p; She grinned. “Says the big bad wolf.”

  Chuckling, they walked around front to their cars.

  * * *

  Macy had lost her mind. Somewhere between walking into the Prescott home and sitting down with Jaxon, her brain had retreated and her libido had taken over. Just dinner didn’t have to be just dinner and they both knew it.

  As she followed Jaxon’s black Range Rover in her Volkswagen Jetta, she knew she was out of her depth, but she wasn’t turning around or changing her mind. Driving through the luxury neighborhood, she thought she might throw up. And as she pulled into his driveaway, the house the size of a mansion and containing a four-car garage, she figured she’d used up the bulk of her courage getting here. What happened next was all up to her hormones.

  After parking, they walked into his house through the garage, where she saw one vintage car, a sports convertible, and an empty spot. Not being a car person, she couldn’t recognize each model but had no doubt they were expensive.

  “Let’s go to the den. We can hang out and I’ll order dinner on an app from my phone. How’s Chinese food?”

  “Love it,” she said, ignoring the fact that she was in a fancy dress and high heels. Those she kicked off, leaving them on the floor beside her.

  “Anything in particular you want to eat?”

  She rolled her shoulders. “I’m not a spicy fan. I love pork dumplings and an egg roll. Anything else I’m good to go.”

  “I can work with that.” He led her to a huge room with – no surprise – a wall-to-wall-size screen and a massive couch with recliners on either end and gestured for her to sit.

  He settled in beside her and turned his attention to ordering dinner.

  When that was finished, he moved the remote, and she couldn’t help but ask, “Is that screen so you can see yourself life-size?”

  Chuckling, he faced her, one arm over the back of the sofa. “Yes, I’m that arrogant.” He shook his head. “No. It’s that I’m a guy and I like big things.”

  She laughed, enjoying his sense of humor. She also couldn’t miss the sexual innuendo in his comment, which led her to wonder about the size of his package beneath the trousers.

  Which caused her to squirm in her seat, and she decided it was time to change the subject. “So tell me. What’s it like playing ball in front of a crowd?”

  He leaned close, and the smell of his cologne wrapped around her, the scent of musk and man arousing her beyond belief.

  “It’s a rush like you wouldn’t believe. The roar of the people, the cheers, knowing you can give them what they want.”

  In his eyes, she saw how much he loved the game. “I take it you have to be a little arrogant to play pro? And believe in yourself that much?”

  “You do,” he admitted.

  The food arrived and they ate in the family room, casually, plates on their laps, telling stories and avoiding her problems with her sister and his issues with his siblings. With the world outside his house, she fell under his masculine, seductive spell, the underlying sexual tension never dissipating, and if Macy had second thoughts about coming here on the ride over, they never surfaced again while sharing a meal. Or as they cleaned up together.

  And when he turned to her, a predatory gleam in his eye, she knew exactly what he desired and had every intention of giving it to him.

  He met her gaze. “You can leave and we can call it a fun night or—”

  Before he could finish his sentence, her lips met his in a sizzling melding of mouths she’d been waiting for all evening. If she was going to do this, there would be no regrets or looking back, and she would enjoy every second in this hot athlete’s arms.

  He took over without hesitation, backing her against the counter, his hands cupped around her neck, bracing her for the onslaught to come. His tongue slid into her mouth, and she tasted him, her entire body coming alive. Heat rushed through her, and she wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him close.

  His erection, thick and hard, pressed against her belly, and she no longer wondered about the size. She could feel every impressive inch of him. He kissed her again, his lips biting one minute and gliding gently the next. Every nip of his teeth sent spikes of awareness shooting directly to her sex. And when his lips traveled over her cheek and found the sensitive spot on her neck, her long-deprived body reveled in the roughness of his facial stubble against her skin.

  He’d already shed his shoes, jacket, and tie when they got home, and she reached for the buttons on his white dress shirt with trembling fingers. His sizzling gaze on hers, he grabbed the sides and ripped open the material, buttons scattering.

  “Holy hell, that was hot.”

  “You haven’t seen anything yet,” he replied.

  Her own dress had a zipper in the back. If she were home alone, she’d be lifting it over her head and doing an unflattering shimmy to get it up and off, but she was going for sexier and more dignified here. But dignity was hard to come by in the face of this man’s tanned, overly muscular chest, and she placed her paler hands on his fevered skin.

  He let out a groan of appreciation and, without a hitch, reached behind her and unzipped the dress, which immediately fell to the floor.

  He took in her matching white silk and lace bra and thong set, bought especially for the dress, tracing the scalloped edge with his rough fingertip. “Now that is hot.”

  Her sex pulsed at his husky tone, the desire he felt for her obvious in his voice, the darkening of his irises, and the taut lines of his face. She swallowed hard, waiting with bated breath because he obviously wanted to be in charge.

  He braced his big hands around her waist and lifted her onto the counter, the granite cold beneath her thighs, but she didn’t have to wait long to be warmed up. He spread her legs with his hands and stepped between them.

  Skin quivering, she looked into his eyes, and the heat and desire she saw there took her breath away. With a flick of his fingers, he’d opened her bra’s front clasp. He drew the straps down far enough to confine her arms, dipped his head, pulled her nipple into his mouth, and she saw stars. He devoured first one breast, then the next, arousing her into a frenzy. Moisture coated her thong and desire thrummed inside her.

  She glanced down, his black hair in inky contrast with her fair skin, and she wanted him inside her, filling her. To make her point, she shook off the bra and slid her hands between them, undoing the hook on his slacks, and as they dropped to the floor, she curved her finger into his boxer briefs and worked them down his thighs, where they would stay until he chose to push them down the rest of the way.

  In the meantime, she curled her hand around his cock, swiping her thumb over the pre-come on the tip, gripping and sliding her hand up and down his straining shaft.

  Eyes on his, she lifted her finger to her mouth and sucked on the salty mixture, emboldened by how much he obviously wanted her.

  “You’re a dirty girl, Macy. Who knew?”

  Certainly not her, she thought, bringing her hand back down and continuing to smooth the wetness over him, pumping her hand up and down his cock. A groan shook his big body, and he yanked her toward him, kissing her, tongue thrusting into her mouth and swirling around, making her dizzy.

  He took a step back, kicked off his pants and boxer briefs, and removed his socks, only to return and lift her off the counter. She wrapped her legs around his waist, holding on as he walked her upstairs to his bedroom. She barely had time for a glimpse of the shuttered windows surrounding the room and the huge four-poster bed in the center before he lowered her to the mattress, yanked her legs so her body slid to the edge of the bed.

  He ripped off the thong and she gasped. As she looked up, a sexy grin lifted his lips. “I need to taste you, too.”

  And then he lowered himself to his knees, spread her legs, and began to devour her like a starving man. His tongue was talented and never stayed in the same place for too long, licking, nipping, lapping until she didn’t know what sensation was coming next, but each one brough
t her higher. Waves of need teased her but didn’t hold on long enough for her to let go and come.

  Damn man knew it, too.

  “Jaxon, please.” She raised her hips and ground into his mouth, unashamed to try and take what she needed.

  “When I’ve had my fill.” He slid a finger inside her and began to thrust, taking her off guard.

  She’d been empty and needed to be filled, and he’d sensed that need. One finger became two, and she cried out at the insistent movement. And when he curled the tips in just the right motion, he hit a spot that made her go temporarily blind, and then her body exploded, the orgasm the hottest one she’d ever had, and his cock wasn’t inside her yet. She rolled her hips, waves and waves of delicious warm heat rippling through her.

  Before she could catch her breath, she heard the rippling of foil from a condom, and then Jaxon poised at the edge of the bed, working his cock into her tightness.

  She groaned at his slick fullness. “It’s been a while.”

  A softness she hadn’t expected touched his eyes and filled his expression as he slowed, inching into her. Arching her hips, she moaned as she stretched to accommodate him until finally he was completely inside her.

  Ripples started to tease her once more. “Move,” she said. “I’m good.”

  “You got it, sweetheart.” He spread her knees wide and began to take her hard, slamming into her, only pausing once early on to check that she was okay. Then it was fast and rough, her body feeling his rigid, thick cock tunneling in and out, finding the perfect rhythm.

  She’d never had such amazing sex before. No doubt Jaxon Prescott was ruining her for all other men, but at the moment, she didn’t care. A second orgasm was brewing, and that was a unique thing for her. She was lucky if she had one during rushed sex before she had to get home to Hannah the few times she’d allowed herself the luxury. Now?

  Jaxon’s rough fingertip slid over her clit while his incomparable cock hit home. And then she was screaming, again something she’d never done. Not even with her vibrator.

  “Oh, shit, I’m coming.” But it wasn’t enough. She needed more. She needed him. “Harder, Jaxon, please.”