Out Of Bounds (Brit Boys Sports Romance Book 3)

by J. H. Croix

  She moaned and arched further, her bottom rising to me. I was so far gone, I almost forgot a condom. At the last second, my cock in my fist and its tip resting at the entrance to her core, I remembered.

  “Bloody hell! Hang on…”

  I started to step away and whipped back to her when she spoke.

  She was looking over her shoulder, the sight of her so sexy, it hit me right in the chest. With her damp locks partially drying, her hair was a rumpled mess. Her eyes were dark and her cheeks flushed. “Where are you going?” she asked, her question impatient, her tone husky.

  I swallowed. “Condom.”

  She shook her head. “I’m on the pill. Until you, there was no one for four years. I’m not worried if you’re not.”

  I stared at her. “Are you…?”

  Her eyes darkened further. “Oh. My. God. If I wasn’t sure, I wouldn’t say anything.”

  She started to straighten, but that’s all I needed. I was back behind her in a flash. I glanced down between us. Wetness slicked her folds, tempting me further even though I was already ruled by my need. My cock was about to burst, but I hung on with every ounce of control I had left and slowly eased inside of her. Her channel throbbed around me, its warm, wet, pulsing clench felt so bloody good, I groaned. I gripped her hip with one hand and slid the other up her back and threaded my fingers in her hair as I set to rocking into her.

  She’d taken me so close to the edge before, I was there already, pleasure thundering through me with every drive into her. I hung on, determined she’d find her release first. I slipped my hand down through her curls, finding her clit hot, swollen and wet. She cried out, her creamy clench tightening around my cock and sending me hurtling. My release pounded through me and poured into her. I eased my grip on her hair and curled my hands over hers where she held onto the wall. We stood like that with me leaning over her, my forehead resting in the dip of her shoulder, breathing her scent in, as we slowly caught our breath.

  After a few moments, I felt her skin pebbling again and realized she must be cold. Between running through the rain and the heat of our encounter dissipating, it figured she would be. I straightened and stepped back, regretfully sliding out of her, and lifted her into my arms.

  She didn’t resist and relaxed into my hold, her eyes flicking up to mine. “Where are we going?” she asked, a subtle smile curling one corner of her mouth.

  “Shower.”

  Chapter 16

  Harper

  I stepped into the hallway outside Alex’s front door, reluctant to leave. Although I didn’t have to work today, I’d promised Olivia I’d stop by and help her paint the extra bedroom in the apartment she shared with Liam. They were in the midst of looking for a house to buy and sprucing up the apartment in advance. I looked up at Alex, straight into his dark chocolate gaze, and felt my heart thump. It should’ve been enough that we’d just ripped each other’s clothes off and he’d sent me flying with another intense climax, but it wasn’t. I hadn’t allowed myself to give in to how much and how often I wanted him. I kept thinking I’d start to slake my need. The opposite seemed to be happening. Every time I was with him, the need gripped me more deeply. I was about to say something when I heard a sound.

  I glanced to the main entrance door, which had been left slightly ajar. I surmised Alex and I hadn’t quite closed it in our rushed stumble inside. Callie stepped through the door, a soft mewling sound coming from her. She was drenched. Her fur, a calico mix of brown, black and gold, was sticking up in spikes here and there and wet everywhere. Her mostly gold face lifted, her dark eyes looking at us. For a moment, we both froze. When she didn’t dash away, I knelt down.

  “Hey Callie girl,” I said, trying to keep my voice low.

  Alex stepped into the hallway and knelt beside me. He was quiet and simply held a hand out. Callie approached slowly, while I hardly dared to breathe. She looked rather bedraggled and was likely cold. I glanced through the window outside to see the rain had picked up from its earlier drizzle and was falling steadily now. She incrementally approached us, sidling along the hallway wall until she reached Alex. After a moment of complete stillness, she sniffed his hand and remained still when he softly scratched under her chin. She emitted a rumbling purr.

  I looked at him and was torn between laughter and tears, although I kept my emotions in check. Here was this man, tall, strong and imposing, called the Beast by his teammates, trying to make himself as reassuring as possible for a stray cat. I didn’t know what to think of what it said about him as a man. Perhaps, it was more honest to say I didn’t know what to think of what he was coming to mean to me. As a man, he held true strength, the kind where he didn’t need to use it to intimidate anyone. Underneath his thoroughly masculine, alpha-sexy exterior beat the heart of a true gentleman and a softie to boot.

  I thought Callie was precious, but she looked rather pathetic at the moment. She was wet, dirty and skinny. After a few quiet moments of Alex rubbing her chin, she dashed past him into his apartment. He stood slowly and glanced to me, his eyes questioning. I gestured with my hand for him to close the door, so he did.

  “Do you have food for her?” I whispered, hoping the sound of my voice wouldn’t scare Callie.

  “No. I didn’t… Dammit. I didn’t even think of that. What else do I need?” he asked in whisper.

  “I thought you’d been leaving food out for her.”

  “Just things like leftover chicken and tuna,” he said with a shrug.

  “Have you ever had a cat?”

  He shook his head, his eyes wide and worried.

  I bit my lip to keep from laughing aloud. “Okay, you need food, a litter box and cat litter. How about I go get everything and you stay here?”

  He nodded quickly. I started to turn away and then spun back. “Maybe let her explore a bit, but if it looks like she’s getting skittish, open the door. We don’t want her to feel trapped. She’s been living under the stairs here long enough, I doubt she’ll take off.”

  I started to turn away again when I felt his hand curl around my arm. He reeled me back, right into his arms. “Thanks,” he said gruffly before dipping his head for a kiss.

  All he did was brush his lips against mine, but it felt so damn good, it left me flustered. I watched as he stepped away and quietly went back into his apartment. I jogged the few blocks back to my place and quickly changed into dry clothes before heading out to the grocery store.

  I called Olivia on the way.

  “Hey, what’s up?” she asked as soon as she picked up.

  “Just calling to let you know I might be a little later than I planned.”

  “Okay. If you don’t have time…”

  “Oh no. I have time. I’m just picking up cat supplies for Alex.”

  “Now you have to explain,” she said, and I could hear the smile in her voice.

  I quickly summarized how he’d been trying to lure Callie inside and Callie finally braving the inside this morning. Olivia laughed, the sound petering out with a sigh.

  “You know, I’ve been trying to stay out of your way, but Alex is a really great guy. In case you hadn’t noticed yet,” she said pointedly.

  I took a breath and tried to beat back the little dance my heart did. “I’ve noticed,” I finally said.

  My chest tightened and a funny feeling rose inside. It was so unfamiliar, I wanted to shy away, but it was like a ray of sun casting a beam across my heart and I couldn’t ignore it. It was joy. Something I’d thought long gone from my life. I’d been content with feeling peaceful and not afraid. I hadn’t dared to consider more. Most certainly not what I felt with Alex—this scalding hot desire, softened only by the way it felt to be with him. He was so strong, so protective, that I wanted nothing other than to wrap myself in him. Safe wasn’t something I’d ever counted on again, but it’s how I felt with Alex...and that scared the hell out of me.

  “While I’m at it, I also think Daisy’s right. You’re not really a fling kind of person,”
Olivia added.

  Laughter bubbled up. My emotions were running so high, I felt almost punch drunk. When I could catch my breath, I said, “Wow, Daisy would love to hear you think she’s right.”

  “I’ll make sure to tell her. Meanwhile, nice deflection there. No comment on whether you’re a fling person?” she asked.

  I bit my lip and clicked on my blinker to turn into the grocery store parking lot. “Maybe I’m not. I’ll have to think about it.”

  “Well, while you’re thinking about it, don’t forget there aren’t too many guys who would play the long game to take care of a stray cat. Alex is one of a rare few. Plus, he’s totally hot. Not my kind of hot, but you’re kind. And he’s way into you.” I could hear another voice in the background. “Gotta go. Liam’s about to fall off the ladder. I’ll see you whenever you get here.”

  ***

  A few hours later, I stood in the hallway outside Alex’s door again. Callie was still inside. She’d gone outside once or twice while he’d wisely opened the backdoor of his apartment, which opened onto a small, enclosed yard. She’d carefully investigated the yard and leapt the fence to run around the front and check her little spot under the stairs. The rain kept falling all day. After her brief return to the outside, she’d raced back inside and curled up on the windowsill on a small pillow Alex had placed there for her when she kept circling and trying to get comfortable.

  I could’ve stayed there all day and really wanted to, yet the depth of that wanting made me anxious, so I found myself where I was. Looking up at Alex, rubbing the soft fabric of my sweatshirt hem between my fingers and clutching my car keys with the other. “Well, I should go. Olivia’s probably wondering where I am now.”

  His dark eyes held mine. After a beat, he nodded. “Right then. I’d offer to come with you, but…” He gestured behind him.

  “You have to stay with Callie,” I said quickly.

  “How about you come back later? You could bring Stanley back with you,” he offered with a slight smile.

  I had brought Stanley with me after my trip to the store. He’d wandered in the back yard and curled up by the door. Callie didn’t seem bothered by him, and Stanley had enough sense to hang back. At the moment, Stanley was waiting by the outer door, his eyes pinned to the street. Before I thought about it, I was nodding. Because that’s exactly what I wanted to do. Come back here and curl up on Alex’s couch while it was raining.

  At my nod, Alex flashed another one of his devastating grins. His grins weren’t thrown around casually, so every time I got one, my heart did a little hop, skip and jump. He dipped his head and brushed his lips across mine. I instinctively flexed into him.

  “Not enough,” I murmured against his lips as I slipped my hand into his rumpled hair and tugged him to me.

  I could feel his smile against my lips, just before his tongue swept into my mouth. He lifted me against him and spun me against the door behind us. I’d gotten more than I bargained for with his hard, hot body pressed against mine. There were kisses and then there were Alex’s kisses—long, slow, hot, and deep. By the time I came up for air, it was a damn good thing I had the wall behind me and Alex holding me up. Otherwise, I’d have melted to the floor. Somehow I managed to gather myself together enough to push away from the wall when Alex stepped back.

  “Okay, then…I’ll see you later,” I said weakly, little shocks of pleasure pinging through my body.

  He reached over and brushed a lock of hair off my cheek, tucking it behind my ear. A shiver chased in the wake of his touch. “Okay then.”

  I had to order my feet to move and made my way down his front steps on shaky legs. I reached the sidewalk and stopped, discombobulated enough I couldn’t recall where my car was. Stanley nudged my leg and I glanced down to see him looking to the right. Following his gaze, I remembered where my car was—a block down the street on the other side. I gave myself a mental shake and started walking that way, Stanley following alongside me, his presence steady and calm.

  We crossed the street. I had my keys in hand and my eyes on my car when I heard a voice call my name. I reflexively turned toward the voice, but my body reacted before I knew for certain who it was. Dread coiled in the pit of my stomach, a flash of panic knotting my chest. I didn’t want to look, but my eyes went right to Joe Schmidt. He stood a short distance beyond my car. He was tall and lanky. His dull blonde hair was damp from the rain. I swallowed and fought the urge to run. I was frozen in place, my feet rooted to the sidewalk. Stanley stepped closer to me, his body pressing against my leg. I could feel his low growl rumbling.

  I stared at Joe, unable to look away. He looked back at me, his flat gray eyes exactly as I remembered. I’d only seen him a few times up close, but the expression in his eyes had been the same—flat with a hint of anger. I didn’t remember the look in his eyes when he raped me. I watched as Joe closed the distance between us, panic tightening like a vise around my throat and chest. He stopped a few feet away, as if conscious of the fact we were on the street in full view of anyone who happened to be nearby.

  “Tell your boyfriend to back off,” Joe said, his expression never changing. “I don’t have anything else to answer for and I sure as hell don’t need the media stirring this shit up.”

  I stared at him, genuinely puzzled by what he meant. Alex hadn’t done anything with the press. In fact, I’d said more to the press with my interview than Alex had at all. Anger rose inside, a forceful wave rocking me. I could feel myself shaking, tremors rippling through me. This feeling—the fear, the panic, the inability to reel in my visceral reaction to Joe—had been what drove me to accept the prosecutor’s suggestion that they offer a plea deal to Joe. I had the option to refuse, but the months of volleys from his defense attorney had only made it worse. I’d gone from numb to paralyzed by anxiety and so many sleepless nights, I could hardly function. It had been a relief when it all ended.

  I finally managed to speak. “You got off easy, and you damn well know it,” I spat out, experiencing a flash of satisfaction when Joe’s eyes widened slightly. I imagined he thought his intimidation tactics would work with me. He should’ve remembered I’d fought like hell before even if I didn’t have enough strength and force to hold him off. “Alex hasn’t talked to the press, but I have and I’ll keep doing it if I feel like it. You took the deal they offered and it didn’t involve me keeping my mouth shut.”

  “You fuckin’ bitch,” Joe said, advancing on me.

  Panic roared through me—I felt cold and numb all over, my hands tingly and my pulse racing so fast, I could hardly breathe. I heard my name again. This time it was Alex’s voice, the sound of it ringing like a bell inside of me. Relief hit me so hard, I almost stumbled. Before I could even turn to see him approaching, I heard someone call his name. I turned to see Alex running toward Joe with Ethan hot on his heels. Alex bolted past me, his hand curling into Joe’s jacket and yanking him off his feet.

  Ethan caught Alex’s arm just as he pulled it back, I assumed to plow it into Joe’s sneering face. Alex tried to shake free, but Ethan didn’t back down. “Don’t make things worse, mate.”

  Alex never even turned Ethan’s way and held tight to Joe. “Back the fuck off, you bloody arse. Don’t you dare come near her again. Understood?”

  Spit flew from Alex’s mouth and landed on Joe’s face, the force of his words vibrating with his anger. Ethan caught my eyes and nodded his head toward Alex’s building. I had no idea where he’d come from. I’m sure Alex would’ve preferred I get the hell out of the way, but I wasn’t going anywhere.

  Ethan’s focus shifted away from me when Alex tried to shake his arm free again. Ethan held firm. “Bloody hell,” Alex muttered. He eased his grip on Joe’s shirt and took a step back. “Stay the hell away from her.”

  Joe’s sneer hadn’t faded. “Not gonna look too good for you now, is it?” he taunted.

  Ethan stepped in front of Alex, literally shoving him out of the way. It was only now dawning on me Joe might’ve b
een trying to provoke Alex. Ethan’s unexpected appearance was a huge relief, if only because he had the height and strength to contain Alex. While a part of me would’ve relished witnessing Joe get his ass kicked, I didn’t want Alex in any more legal trouble than he already was.

  “You got nowhere with this,” Ethan snarled, his finger in Joe’s face. “Now get the fuck out of here before I punch you next.”

  Joe backed away rapidly. “Fuck off!” he called as he reached the corner and bolted down a side street.

  Ethan turned back to us, his gaze scanning Alex. “Don’t follow him, mate. That’s what he wants.”

  Alex glared at him. “What the hell are you doing here?”

  “Saving your bloody arse from more charges,” Ethan retorted.

  Joe was out of sight now. Alex’s fists were clenched and his features hard. After a moment, he gave his head a shake and looked to me, his concerned gaze coasting over me. “Are you okay? What did he say to you?”

  “Not much. He said to tell you to back off and something about not needing the media to stir things up.” My entire body was buzzing—the panicky numbness had given way to relief.

  Alex stepped to my side, his palm sliding down my back in a slow pass. His touch was so comforting and his presence so strong, I wanted to collapse against him.

  “Hey, easy luv. You’re shaking. Fuck, are you sure you’re okay? That fucking asshole. I’ll…”

  Alex had started to tense up, and I shook my head. “You will not chase after him,” I managed. I hadn’t even noticed I was still shaking, but my brain was functioning enough to know Ethan was right. It was way too convenient that Joe happened to be across the street from Alex’s apartment and happened to be there right after I was leaving. The thought that he might’ve been watching us sent a cold bolt of fear through me. “I’m fine. The shaking thing is just because…well, just because. Come on, let’s go inside.”