Bad Business

by Nicole Edwards

  But she will be. Eventually.

  Because I’m going to prove it to her.

  Savannah

  I will admit, I freaked out.

  While Stone was in the shower and I was lying naked in his bed, I panicked. Not only that, but I royally fucked up. Although I thoroughly enjoyed myself—more so than I ever even thought possible—I crossed a serious line and the regrets are strangling me right now.

  The first night was innocent, or so I try to tell myself. We both wanted it, we were both walking into it with no expectations, no agenda.

  But now…

  This stupid plan of my father’s did not consist of me seducing this man. I don’t care how much I love being with him, how eager I am to do it again. I overstepped in a major way.

  If my father finds out what I’ve done…

  Oh, shit.

  My father.

  I pull away from Stone. “I have to go.”

  “Savannah…”

  “No, really. I’m supposed to meet my dad for dinner.” I spin around toward the door. “Shit. I am so screwed.”

  Before I can grab hold of the doorknob, Stone’s big hand is on my shoulder, gently urging me to turn around. Knowing I won’t get out of here unless I do, I give in.

  And when he cradles my face and gently presses his lips to mine, I find myself leaning into him. This man is dangerous. He has the ability to throw me off track when I least expect it. And it’s obvious I have no self-control when I’m around him. I want him in a way that scares the shit out of me.

  “Come back after,” he whispers against my mouth.

  I shake my head. “I can’t.”

  “It’s not a request,” he says softly, demandingly.

  And I’ll be damned if my body does not ignite from that gruff voice, those commanding words, the intensity in his dark brown eyes. Still, I know I have to hold my ground. If I don’t, I’m going to lose a piece of myself that I can’t afford to lose.

  “I have to go,” I finally say, pulling back before kissing him quickly one last time.

  With that, I slip out the door and into the hallway, praying no one I know sees me emerging from Stone’s room. Sure, I could say that I was there on business, but really? I’m sure I look like I was well-fucked not twenty minutes ago because…well, because I was.

  Rather than chance running into someone on the elevator, I run for the stairs, then descend two floors. I peek out and when I realize the coast is clear, I take off at a jog toward my room.

  Fortunately, I’m the type of girl who can shower and dress in a short amount of time. I’ve accomplished my goal in under twenty minutes, which means I’ll only be ten minutes late to dinner with my father. I’m sure he’ll understand, but admittedly, I’m not very good at lying. Certainly not to my father, and I get the feeling he’s going to ask where I was.

  Not like I can tell him that I was with Jason Stone. Definitely can’t tell him that we met in his room. That would be bad.

  So there’s only one thing to do. While I’m heading down to take a car to the restaurant, I dial Allison’s number.

  “What’s up, chickadee?” Allison greets.

  “I slept with him again,” I whisper, praying no one besides my best friend hears me. There are plenty of people wandering around the lobby, probably even a few I know, but I pretend not to notice.

  “Hallelujah!” Allison sings. “You go, girl! Was it amazing?”

  I can feel my face heat even though Allison isn’t here to see me. “So amazing.”

  I mean, I’m inundated with regrets, but I can’t deny that being with Stone has left me feeling a little off-kilter. No, a lot off-kilter. Like I’ve been obliterated and then put back together piece by trembling piece without time to gather my wits or my common sense.

  “And you’re whispering why? Because he’s asleep?”

  “God, no. I ran out of there.”

  Okay, that sounded really bad.

  Silence.

  I laugh. “Not like that. Well, not totally like that. I tried because I freaked, but he caught me. Asked me to stay. Now I’m late to dinner with my dad, so I had to jet.”

  Allison breathes heavily. “You pick dinner with your dad over marathon sex with a super-hot QB?”

  “I didn’t pick anything. I promised my dad.” The attendant opens the limo door and I hop inside, rattling off the name of the restaurant. “If I don’t go, he’ll get suspicious.”

  “Well, I hope you’re gonna go back to his room after dinner.”

  This is the reason I called Allison. “I wasn’t planning to, no.”

  “What?” Allison squeals. “Why the hell not?”

  I shrug, but I realize she can’t see me. “Not sure.”

  Now that I’m in the car, it isn’t like I can elaborate. As it is, the driver is glancing back at me a little too often. I could easily close the partition between us, but I don’t even have the energy to do that. Holding the phone is hard enough. My hands are still trembling.

  “So, I take it your version of amazing is totally different than my version,” Allison says, disappointment in her voice.

  “No. Why?”

  “Because in my version, I don’t get dressed and run out of the room.”

  I sigh. She’s right. As freaked out as I was, I do wish I had stayed with Stone. At least for a little while longer. I’m sure I will flip-flop a million times between now and when I return to the hotel later, but right this second, I wish that I was with him.

  However, I don’t have time to think about that because the car just pulled up in front of the restaurant and the valet is moving toward me.

  “Thanks for the sage advice,” I tell my best friend. “I’ve gotta run, but I’ll holler at you later.”

  “Hopefully not tonight,” Allison says sweetly. “Because that means you’re not having amazing monkey sex with the hot QB.”

  “I won’t be—”

  “Don’t call me back tonight, Savannah,” Allison says with a chuckle. “Go have amazing monkey sex. You can call me tomorrow.”

  I don’t even get the chance to argue.

  My best friend has hung up on me.

  I stare down at my phone.

  “Miss?”

  Shit. Right.

  The door is open and they’re waiting for my exit. I smile shyly, then shove my phone in my purse and drop my feet to the concrete outside.

  “Sorry,” I say absently, not even sure what I’m apologizing for.

  I sure hope this isn’t a prelude to how my evening with my father is going to go.

  * * *

  —

  “Were you able to set up the photo op with the elementary school?” Aaron Jr. asks as soon as I ease into my chair at the table.

  It takes a second for me to piece together what he’s talking about. When it makes sense, I force a smile. “I did,” I tell him, taking the napkin from my plate and draping it over my lap. “I’m finalizing the details, but it’ll be in a couple of weeks.”

  Aaron Jr. nods, then glances over at my father.

  I follow his gaze, noticing my father is looking at me. I instantly feel my cheeks heat, hoping he can’t read my mind, can’t guess where I was before I arrived.

  “Have you had a chance to spend any time with Stone?” my father inquires.

  I nod, lifting my water glass to my mouth. “A little,” I tell him. It’s the truth. When it comes to business, I’ve only spent a small amount of time with him. As for other recreational activities…

  No.

  I can’t think about that right now. My father knows me too well, and I’ll give myself away if I start thinking about what Stone and I did earlier.

  Thankfully, Will arrives, taking some of t
he heat off me. Then my brothers and my father jump right into business talk, and I’m left to my own devices, pretending to be interested in their conversation while doing my best not to think about Stone.

  Admittedly, it’s not easy.

  Not easy at all.

  Chapter 19

  I point-blank asked Stone about his hesitancy toward interviews. I knew going into this that he has a hard time when it comes to on-the-spot questioning. Although I tend to like getting an athlete’s instant reaction, I made some exceptions for Stone. Not like I could pass up the opportunity when the man was selected as football’s bad boy. However, this is one of the questions I didn’t pre-warn him about.

  “It’s been said that you’re football’s golden boy, that you’ve got the Midas touch. Bringing you onto a team all but guarantees success. What I want to know is how does that feel?”

  “I take what I do seriously. I don’t know how to half-ass anything, and I can honestly say that I’ve put everything I have into getting to where I am today. I’ve never sought handouts.”

  “It’s got to be a lot of pressure on one man?”

  “Pressure is the driving force behind success. I don’t think I could’ve gotten where I am today if I thought I didn’t have to earn it. However, games aren’t won by one man. It’s a culmination of the strength of the team, all fifty-three players who are on the active/inactive list. I’m one of them. I can’t win the game by myself and I can’t lose it by myself.”

  Well put.

  —Excerpt from Sports Unlimited’s Bad Boys of Sports edition

  Stone

  The knock on my door interrupts me while I’m sitting on the couch, flipping through the channels on the television. I’m tempted to ignore it, figuring it’s one of the guys wanting to go down to grab some dinner. I’ve already turned down Dowling and Snyder via text messages. I wouldn’t put it past them to show up and try to strong-arm me into going though.

  My phone buzzes on the cushion beside me seconds before another knock sounds. I grab my phone.

  You have two seconds to open the door or I’m putting my clothes on and leaving.

  Needless to say, I launch off the couch, tripping and stumbling on my way to the door. I don’t even bother to confirm it’s Savannah. I simply jerk the door open and…

  Well, she’s dressed, so that’s a little disappointing. However, she’s grinning and that pretty much makes up for it. I don’t know what it is about this woman, or how she has managed to capture my attention in such a single-minded way, but she has and I don’t know how to change that. Nor do I know if I want to.

  Honestly, I didn’t expect to see her again tonight. I thought for sure she was going to spend the rest of the evening coming up with every excuse in the book as to why we can’t…do whatever it is we’re doing.

  “You gonna invite me in?”

  Shit. Now I’m acting like a jackass.

  Stepping out of the way, I motion for her to come inside.

  “How was dinner?” I ask, trying for casual conversation.

  “Do you really wanna talk about dinner?”

  No. I really don’t. And I prove that when I reach for her, jerking her to me and slamming my mouth over hers. The woman’s fire in my arms, molding to me and moaning into my mouth. I know I should probably take this slow, but that’s not going to happen and I think she’s aware of that.

  “Jason…”

  Savannah grips my head when I slide my mouth down to her neck. I breathe her in, sucking on the delicate skin there, enjoying the way she tilts her head, giving me better access. I want to do dirty things to this woman. Deliciously dirty things. For whatever reason, I feel as though I can be myself around her. Maybe that’s because I know there won’t be any pictures on the Internet tomorrow and there won’t be any tabloid stories about how freaky I can get in the bedroom.

  Turning her so that her back is to the door, I lift her arms above her head and hold them there with one hand on her wrists.

  There’s no reason for either of us to pretend she’s here for any reason other than this. It’s clear what we’re both after. And I’m okay with that. For as long as she’ll let me, I fully intend to rock Savannah’s world while she returns the favor.

  No harm, no foul.

  She has changed since she was here a couple of hours ago. Gone is the casual wear, replaced by a pair of gray slacks that accentuate her slim hips and narrow waist. But the silky blouse with the shiny buttons is what I’m focused on right now. While still holding her in place, I easily slip each tiny button from its mooring, allowing the silk to part, revealing creamy flesh.

  The woman is stunning. From her long, silky hair, all the way down to her sexy feet in those shoes that are anything but sensible or ugly.

  Savannah meets my gaze, her lips slightly parted, and I have an overwhelming urge to slide my dick into that sinfully sweet mouth.

  Forgetting what I’m doing for just a second, I slide my thumb over her bottom lip and suck in a sharp breath when she grabs it with her teeth, sliding her tongue over the tip.

  “Fuck…” I allow her to suck my thumb all the way into her mouth. “I want that mouth on my cock. I want to feel those lips slide down my shaft.”

  She groans, a sexy sound that has my dick trying to get closer to her.

  Releasing her hands, I take a step back and stare at her for a second. When she takes a single step forward, I shake my head.

  “I want you to strip for me first.”

  Her eyes are glazed, her desire evident. It’s hotter than hell to see that look on her face, to know that she wants me as much as I want her. That’s something about Savannah Andrews that I hadn’t expected. When it comes to sex, she’s completely committed. It’s clear she’s eager and willing to try new things.

  Good thing, too. Considering I’m eager and willing to try every damn thing with her.

  And I’m going to enjoy every fucking minute.

  As for anything else, well, despite the fact that I’m more confused than I’ve ever been before, I decided in the last couple of hours that I’m not at a point in my life to entertain the notion of a relationship. Sex is one thing.

  And right now, it’s the only thing.

  Savannah

  It’s like the man can read my mind.

  I came here tonight not wanting to talk, not wanting to explain my freak-out from earlier.

  All through dinner, I tried to pretend I wasn’t lost in thoughts of what Stone and I did, but that’s exactly where my head was at. And even when I was walking back into the hotel, I tried to talk myself out of coming here, tried to convince myself it was the wrong thing to do.

  Clearly I didn’t believe the bullshit I was trying to feed myself because here I am.

  Stripping for Jason Stone.

  The way his eyes roam over every inch of skin I reveal empowers me to continue. I’m not entirely body conscious, but I’m not lacking modesty either. Still, my fingers work free the buttons and zippers until I’m down to my bra and panties. The heat I see in Stone’s eyes tells me that my selection was the right one. I chose the turquoise and black lace because it’s one of my favorites. I’m pretty sure he approves.

  When I take a step closer, he holds up his hand.

  “All of it,” he says, nodding toward my chest. “I want to see all of you.”

  Swallowing hard, I reach behind me and release the clasp on my bra, then let it drop down my arms and dangle from my fingers before falling to the floor. All the while, I watch his face. When his gaze drops down to my panties, I slowly shimmy out of them, letting them slide down to my ankles before stepping out of them.

  I can see his cock tenting his shorts and truth is, I want to taste him. I didn’t get nearly enough time to explore him earlier.

  “No
w me,” he insists. “Put your hands on me, Savannah.”

  The way he commands me has my pussy clenching, my clit pulsing, my nipples tightening. This man knows just what to say to make my body burn for him. And yes, I think it has a lot to do with the sexy rumble of his voice and the way his eyes urge me to do his bidding.

  This time when I move closer, he doesn’t stop me. It doesn’t take much to disrobe him since he’s wearing only a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. Once I get his shirt off, I take my time sliding his shorts down his legs, going to my knees while I do. I can feel his eyes on me, but I’m solely focused on the long, thick length of his cock. He’s hard and heavy in my hands and I have to will myself to take my time, to let this moment build.

  The man left me reeling earlier with how incredibly easily he played my body. Until him, that’d never happened to me before. I want to return the favor, to drive him out of his head, to make him crave me the way I continue to crave him.

  Sliding my hand around his erection, I stroke him slowly at first, watching the movement, admiring the swollen head of his cock before leaning in and licking him, tasting his warm skin, the salty essence pooling at the tip.

  “Suck me,” he insists, his tone raspy, deep.

  I peer up to see him watching me, and the slightly dazed look on his face ratchets up my need for him. Admittedly, I love the dirty talk, the direction. It feels different from anything I’ve known before and I want to pursue it more. See where it leads us.

  I wrap my lips around the swollen head, then ease down on him. He’s huge, instantly filling my mouth. While I work him with my tongue, I move up and down on his length, enjoying the rough moans that escape him, the way his hand tangles in my hair as he guides me. It doesn’t take long before he’s fucking my mouth, driving his hips forward, pulling my head down on him.

  There’s absolutely no doubt who’s in control right now. It’s certainly not me, although he’s the one expressing his contentment with gruff groans and rough tugs on my hair.