In the Red Zone

by Crista McHugh

  “I know, but I have all the man I need tonight.” She smiled up at Frank and wondered how he’d managed to carve out a place in her heart so quickly. “Care to dance?”

  His grin slipped. “Dance?”

  “Yes, dance. I thought you had plenty of moves.” She led him to the small dance floor where couples swayed to the gentle jazz melody. “Besides, this is white people dancing. It should be easy for you.”

  But when she wrapped her arms around his neck, a look of panic tightened his face. “Confession time.”

  “What?”

  “I have no problem gettin’ down in a club, but I haven’t danced like this since junior high.”

  She guided his arms around her waist as though they were a couple at an awkward school dance. “And why is that?”

  “Because if I make an ass of myself at a club, I can blame it on a number of things. Too much booze, for example. But this…” His voice trailed off, and he stared at her face. “When I’m dancing this close to you, I forget about everything else around me.”

  “Then keep your eyes on me and know I’m right here with you until the end.”

  “Even if I step on your feet?”

  She laughed as she pressed her forehead to his. There was little danger of that. For all his hesitation, Frank glided across the floor with the same ease he’d demonstrated when they danced the salsa weeks ago. In his arms, she felt safe, secure, loved. And it was all too easy to fall in love with him on the dance floor.

  ***

  The ballroom had six bars set up around the perimeter, but Frank zeroed in on the one his friends and teammates had claimed for most of the evening. He ordered a scotch for himself and a glass of champagne for Kiana before asking Tre, “How are you doing?”

  “Okay, I suppose. Bored with all the fancy nonsense.”

  A chill coursed down his spine, and Frank hesitated a moment before asking, “I meant, how are you doing overall?” When Tre didn’t answer right away, he added, “I saw the notice.”

  “So?” Tre replied with a healthy dose of surly attitude.

  Neither of them wanted to say out loud that Tre had been released from the team that morning.

  “Have you told them?” Frank nodded to where Kiana and Denise were chatting at a table.

  “Why? So I can distract them from all the wonderful work daddy’s little girl has done?” Tre slammed his glass down on the bar and indicated that he wanted a refill. “Besides, my agent is already on it. Some other team will pick me up. Everything’s going to be all right.”

  He sounded like he was trying more to convince himself instead of Frank, especially with the way his voice wobbled at the end.

  “I hate to lose you as a teammate.”

  “More like you’re worried that I’m going to run you over when I’m playing for someone else.” He took his full glass and stumbled forward. “But keep it just between us for the night. I don’t want Mama and Kiana worrying.”

  “Don’t worry, Tre. I’m sure I can find plenty of ways to distract your sister.”

  Tre cut him off, his eyes turning into narrow slits. “What are you playing at with her?”

  “I’m not playing at all. I like her, and I hope you’re okay with us dating.”

  Tre’s eyes narrowed even more, and his chest puffed out. “Watch it, Romeo. Kiana’s been through enough shit already, and she doesn’t need any more from you.”

  Shit was putting it mildly, based on what little he’d read from Cully’s investigation. “I know. She told me about Malcolm and Savannah, and that’s why I’m on my best behavior around her.”

  Tre fell back a step and blinked several times, his expression going lax with surprise. “She told you about Savannah?”

  Frank nodded. “A couple weeks ago, actually. I haven’t met her yet, but I understand why Kiana wants to shelter her.”

  “Fine.” Tre took a long drink from his glass. “Just remember—I’m watching you. You’re my friend, but she’s my sister. Got it?”

  “Noted.”

  Frank turned his attention back to the woman who’d held it from the moment he entered the ballroom. He meant what he’d said earlier about her being tempting enough to taste. The yellow dress she wore exposed a swath of silky skin along her back and shoulders that practically invited him to press his lips to it, and the soft pink of her lips was innocent and yet delectably kissable.

  Of course, he wanted to do more than kiss her. Two weeks had passed since the “date” in her office, and he’d been suffering a string of nightly hard-ons from wanting to be buried inside her again. But with the gala so close, they’d had very little alone time. He only hoped that once this evening was over, he’d be able to enjoy more than just a few naughty kisses from her.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Kiana wasn’t sure if her giddiness was due to the champagne she’d consumed throughout the evening, the warmth of Frank’s hand pressed into the small of her back as he peered over her shoulder, or the final number on Sherita’s iPad. “Is that correct?”

  “I triple checked it just to make sure,” her best friend replied. “The final tally for the evening’s auction was $267,519.”

  Kiana sank back in a chair. The gala had ended less than an hour ago, but the ballroom’s staff was still cleaning up around them. “That exceeded our expectations.”

  “That’s because some people flat out gave us donations.” Sherita pulled out the bank bag and showed her the contents. “Look at all the checks we collected.”

  Denise clapped her hands and then pinched Kiana’s cheeks. “I knew if anyone could pull this off, it was you. Your daddy would be so proud.”

  Kiana’s joy was tempered by the sulk forming on Tre’s face. She reached out to him and pulled him closer. “We all did it.”

  But she knew where the real thanks lay. Her smile widened when she looked up at Frank. “I couldn’t have done this without all of you.”

  “Just come out and say it, Kiana. It was all due to my pretty face on your ad.” Frank gave her his cheeky grin before bending down to place a chaste kiss on top of her head.

  “Oh, yes, Frank, it was all you,” she said, tongue in cheek.

  It wasn’t far from the truth, though. The amount of support he’d been able to gather from the sports community still boggled her mind. If her estimations were correct, he’d been responsible at least in some part for eighty percent of the money they’d raised.

  “You’ve all done well.” Denise covered her mouth as she yawned. “And if y’all will excuse me, it’s time for this old lady to get to bed.”

  “I’ll take you home, Mama. Just give me a minute.” Tre rose from the chair he’d been slouching in for most of the evening and approached her. “If you want, I can deposit the checks in the morning for you.”

  “I can do it.”

  “Kiana, please, let me do something. Besides, you deserve a few days off after all the hard work you’ve put in.”

  She was too tired and too tipsy to argue, especially when her brother was finally making an effort to help with the foundation. She nodded to Sherita. “Let him take the bank bag.”

  Her friend zipped it up and secured it with a zip tie. “Here you go, ready to deposit. I even filled out the forms for you.”

  “Thanks.” Tre’s mouth twitched as he took the bank bag, and he lowered his gaze. “Mama’s right, you know. You did a good job, Kiana.”

  “Thanks, Tre.” It was the closest thing to a compliment she’d gotten from him since she’d taken over the foundation.

  Her brother left the ballroom with Denise, and Sherita bounced up from her chair. “And now that I’m off the hook, I’m out of here, too. Have a wonderful weekend, you two.”

  Her best friend was all but basically telling her to hook up with Frank while she had a chance. Not that the thought hadn’t crossed her mind more than once this evening. As good as Frank looked in his tux, she wanted to get him out of it. She just wished she could pay Madison to stay overnight with Sav
annah so she could enjoy a sleepover at Frank’s house.

  “Can I walk you to your car?” he asked, still playing the part of a complete gentleman all too well.

  But now, she didn’t want the gentleman. She wanted the bad boy.

  She rose from the chair slowly, employing every seductive move she could. She held his gaze. She nibbled on her bottom lip. She pressed her hand over the place where his heart pounded, followed by the curves of her body. “I suppose you could.”

  His pulse jumped, and he licked his lips, but he made no move to touch her. “Or?”

  “Or you can give me a ride home.” The frantic pace of her heart matched his, but for an entirely different reason. She was taking a risk with him. She was going to reveal where she lived. But her gut offered no warnings. She trusted him. “After all, I did have several glasses of champagne, and my place isn’t too far from here.”

  He swallowed hard and covered her hand with his.

  His hesitation kicked her fear into overdrive. Maybe she’d misread him. Maybe he was done playing the boyfriend role now that the fundraiser was over. Maybe he was secretly freaked out over the fact that she had a kid. She lowered her eyes and started to turn away.

  Frank pressed his other hand on her ass and kept her pressed against him. A rough edge laced his voice as he asked, “And then?”

  “And then we’ll see where the evening goes.”

  Her reply sounded too polite, too calm for what she really wanted. Inside, she was screaming that she wanted to drag him to bed and keep him there for a solid week. She wanted to rip his clothes off and admire the hard muscles of his body. She wanted to take his cock deep in her mouth and watch him writhe in pleasure as she made him come. And then, once he was hard again, she’d ride him like she had that night in her office until she came.

  She didn’t need to say all that, though. The hunger in his eyes told her he knew exactly what she had in mind. He grabbed her wrap and draped it over her shoulders. “Let’s get you home.”

  She hadn’t been lying when she said her place was nearby. Her Buckhead condo was a mere ten-minute drive at this time of night, which was perfect. Any longer, and she might have been tempted to lower her head to his lap while he drove. It was hard enough as it was to keep her hands off him.

  Touching him, measuring his response to her touch, would have done wonders to ease her rattled nerves. She was venturing out into unfamiliar territory. For the first time since she’d had Savannah, she was inviting someone outside of her close circle of family and friends into her home. For the first time in almost two years, she was bringing a man home with her. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that Frank would never tell Malcolm where she lived. It was the other possible complications that worried her.

  Frank stopped at the security gate that blocked access to the parking garage under her building and waited for her to give her code. Once she gave it and told him where to park, he eased his Maserati in the spot but didn’t turn off the engine. He stared straight ahead. “Now what?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m trying not to assume too much, Kiana. If you were any other woman, I’d assume an invitation back to your place meant only one thing. But you’re not like other women, and I feel like I’m walking on eggshells all the damned time because as much as I want you, I don’t want to scare you. I know what you’ve been through. I know you have a daughter to protect. And I don’t want to sink to the level of that asshole by stepping over the line.”

  Her chest tightened to the point where it was hard to breathe. When she’d first met Frank, she’d been ready to believe he was nothing more than a player. But in the weeks that followed, she’d discovered a man worthy of her heart. And she trusted him with it, just like she trusted him with her secrets.

  “Then let me cut to the chase. I want you to come upstairs with me. I want you to follow me to my bedroom. I want you to do all the things you said you’d do to me that afternoon in my office. But if you’re not ready—”

  He snapped his head in her direction. “I’m more than ready.”

  The wild desire in his eyes sent a shiver of delight coursing through her. “But we’d have to be quiet.”

  “I can be quiet.” That cocky grin appeared. He turned off the engine and dashed around the car to open her door. When she got out, he pulled her into a searing kiss that heightened her own arousal. “I make no promises for you, though.”

  He was teasing her, but she had little doubt he’d make good on it.

  She beckoned him to follow her through the security measures in her building. First was the key code and hand recognition pad to get into the building. Only a handful of people were registered on her list of people who could get past that point without registering with the guard in the lobby—Denise, Tre, Sherita, and Madison. Then there was the security guard in the lobby, followed by another key code for the elevator. And finally, when they got to her condo, a third key code unlocked the dead bolt of her steel door.

  She’d chosen this building because she’d wanted to feel safe, but each layer of security added to her impatience. She couldn’t wait to get Frank in her bed. But first, she had to play the part of a respectable matron until her nanny left.

  Madison was reading a magazine when they opened the front door. Her eyes widened when she saw Frank, but she managed to keep her voice calm as she asked, “How was the gala?”

  “An overwhelming success.” Kiana removed her wrap and set her purse down on the small table in the foyer. “How was Savannah?”

  “A perfect angel, as always.” Madison gathered her things, her gaze flickering to Frank every few seconds. “Um, are you Frank Kelly?”

  His grin widened. “The one and only.”

  Madison opened her mouth like she wanted to gush about what a huge fan she was, but the way his arms were wrapped possessively around Kiana’s waist made it very clear they were an item. The nanny nodded once like she got the hint and dashed out of the condo. “See you on Monday.”

  Frank pressed his lips to Kiana’s bare shoulder before whispering in her ear, “Now where is your bedroom?”

  “This way. Just let me check on Savannah first. And remember—quiet.”

  “As a mouse.” That didn’t keep him from placing feather-light kisses along the nape of her neck as they went down the hall, his arms keeping her backside plastered against him until he took a detour into her room.

  She wandered to the nursery and cracked open the door. Just as she’d expected, her daughter was sound asleep and oblivious to the world around her. Assured that everything was as it should be, she tiptoed back to her own room.

  Frank pulled her back into his arms the moment she walked through the door. Once the door was closed, his kisses grew hungrier. His hands moved up to cup her breasts, and a low moan rumbled through his chest. The next thing she knew, her dress was puddled around her ankles, and she was left standing in a strapless bra and black lace panties.

  “Although the granny panties had their merits, I like these, too.” Frank ran his hands over her bare skin, caressing her curves as though she was a Victoria’s Secret model instead of a mother with a little extra padding on her bones. “Of course, I’d like it even better if they were gone.”

  In a matter of seconds, he’d unhooked her bra and cupped her breasts in his greedy hands, his fingers pinching her nipples as his teeth grazed her shoulder. It was rough, but surprisingly sensual, and she allowed her body to relax against him.

  “If I remember correctly, I said I was going to strip you naked and taste every inch of you.” The raw want in his voice heightened her anticipation and made it all too easy to surrender to his control. He turned her around and backed her onto the edge of the bed, his eyes never leaving hers, his breaths coming sharp and quick.

  She sat and tried to kick off her shoes, but he halted her. “No, allow me.”

  He removed the sling-back pump as though it were a glass slipper, trailing soft kisses her along her calf in the
process. He did the same with the other sandal, going past her knee and up her thigh. When he came to her panties, she half expected him to rip them away in impatience, but he slid them down with the same gentle touch.

  But that was where the gentleness ended. The next thing she knew, his mouth was firmly pressed between her legs, her thighs draped over his shoulders. He explored her sex with a series of greedy licks and nibbles, each flick of his tongue making her crave more.

  She moaned and rolled her bottom to give him better access, but he clamped down on her hips and held her still while he drew her clit between his teeth. The shock of pain made her draw in a breath with a hiss, but the delightful rush that followed released the captive breath with another languid moan that belied the tension coiling deep inside. The less she tried to fight him, the better it felt. And when she surrendered completely to him, he took her over the edge.

  She was still floating in bliss when he whispered her name. She opened her eyes a crack to find him staring down with a mixture of want and wonder.

  “Are you ready for more?” he asked.

  She nodded and sat up to help him out of his clothes. A half-dozen passionate kisses hampered the process, but as soon as he’d kicked away his boxer briefs, she pulled him on top of her. His solid, muscular body contrasted with her softness. His erect cock pressed against her thigh, so hard, so thick. She wrapped her hand around him and stroked his length while he deepened the kiss.

  He broke away, gasping for air. “Condom?”

  “In my nightstand.”

  He fumbled for it, knocking over the lamp and the baby monitor in the process before retrieving one of the foil-wrapped packets she’d stashed there a week ago. She winced at the sound of the crash, but when she didn’t hear any crying from the next room, she relaxed and wrapped her arms around him.

  Frank slipped the condom on and wasted no time. He entered with a single thrust and smiled. “You feel like heaven, Kiana.”

  “So do you.” He filled her completely, stretching her inner walls to the point it was almost painful, but in a good way.

  The sting eased as he began to move inside her with slow, smooth strokes. He wedged his arms under her shoulders and propped up his weight on elbows that pressed against her sides. His thumbs massaged tiny circles along her neck to the same tempo as his kisses. There was nothing rushed or frantic about his pace. This wasn’t a quick Friday night fuck. It was relaxed and easy, like a Sunday morning lovemaking session.