For the Win

by Sara Rider

  Gabe was dumbstruck for a moment but finally found his words. Hope for his career and his relationship battled with concern that Lainey was sacrificing too much. They’d never talked about how Lainey was her team captain, too. The last thing he wanted was to transfer the danger of Cricket Field to her. “And what did Chester say?”

  “He laughed at me and said, ‘Little girl, did you really think I’d leave a decision like that up to you? I make all the decisions around here, so get your head out of your ass.’ ”

  He had to admit that Lainey was able to capture the arrogant nuances of Chester’s voice with impressive accuracy. He tried not to let any disappointment show on his face. “That doesn’t surprise me, and that doesn’t change how I feel about you. We might be tied in the Battle of the Sexes, but the stakes are gone, as far as I’m concerned. I don’t care who wins or loses anymore. I just want to be with you.”

  Lainey gave him a devious half smile. “Oh, I still plan on winning this whole thing. Don’t forget your car is still up for grabs.”

  He growled and tugged her into his arms for a fierce kiss.

  When they finally pulled apart, her flushed cheeks and panting breath filled him with satisfaction and male pride.

  “There’s one more thing you need to know,” she whispered into his ear. “Chester also said that the new lacrosse stadium is finished ahead of schedule, so the Thunder are no longer sharing field space with us. In fact, rumor has it Cricket Field is slated to be torn down this year. Which means the Surge get their practice space back anyway.”

  After hearing that, what could Gabe do but kiss the heck out of his woman again?

  There was only one question urgent enough to get him to pull away from her embrace. “Your place or mine?”

  “I need a shower first. I’ll meet you at your place in an hour.”

  LAINEY DASHED THROUGH THE rain to the gentle refuge provided by the tiny awning above Gabe’s door. A mixture of giddy excitement and nervousness swirled in her stomach. Being with him made her feel unsettled at every turn, but it also made her excited about the endless possibilities the future held. Even though they had only three days left together before the season opener, he had indelibly changed her outlook on life.

  Gabe answered her knock almost instantly. He’d taken the time to clean up, too, wearing a blue T-shirt and jeans, his feet bare and hair damp. The darkening sky and curtain of rain at her back enveloped them to create a perfect little world where only they existed.

  “Come on in. I’m assuming you’re hungry for more than just my body.”

  As soon as she walked across the threshold, a savory blast of deliciousness hit her, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten anything since the ham-and-cheese sandwich her aunt brought her for lunch. “That smells amazing. What is it?”

  “Cabbage rolls. I was going to barbecue, but the weather had other plans.” He took her jacket and hung it on the coatrack next to the door. “Hope you don’t mind that I pulled some leftovers out of my freezer.”

  “Your mom’s special recipe? I thought those were a magical elixir to fuel you for game nights.” She slipped off her shoes and followed him into his kitchen. Two simple, white tapered candles, the kind that were meant more for emergency power outages than seduction, were perched inside empty Heineken bottles on the dining table. But framed by the incredible view of the red haze of the setting sun against the stormy blue sky, it was the most romantic thing she’d ever seen.

  “We have three days left in our deal. I figured you’d need some extra fuel to get through everything I plan on doing to you.” With an arm at her lower back, he pulled her close for a quick kiss. His tongue glided skillfully through her mouth, awakening every nerve in her body.

  She was about to remind him she had to work the next day when her phone beeped. He pulled back the dining chair for her while she fished her phone from her pocket. It was her uncle Walt. “Go figure. I was just going to say I need to wake up early for work tomorrow, but apparently work’s been canceled for the next few days. Too much rain.”

  He sat down across the table from her and glanced out the window. “Can’t say I’m surprised. It’s coming down pretty hard. Not that I’m complaining, though.”

  She gazed at the unending vista of ocean, cityscape, and distant mountains on display. “Everything always seems to work out your way, huh?”

  “Most of the time, yeah. But a lot of it comes down to a choice. I want to be happy, so I choose to be, and to appreciate everything I have.”

  That was the wisdom Gabe had been trying to impart since the moment they met, wrapped up in one deceptively simple statement. Lainey needed to focus on everything wonderful she already had in her life, not just on the things she was still working toward. She’d done a pretty good job so far. She’d put herself on the line this afternoon to claim her happiness with Gabe, and to make their last few days together as lovers count. Stripping away all her emotional defenses and leaving herself raw and exposed to his rejection was one of the hardest things she’d ever done. But in the end, she didn’t feel weak. She felt powerful. Excited. Euphoric.

  And yet, she still had her doubts. Gabe would be able to walk away in three days and be happy again. Lainey would never be able to do that. He’d probably find a new lover, a new thrill to make his life complete. Lainey would always wonder what else could have been.

  “Are we going to talk about your mom’s hex at all?” she blurted out. She’d taken one curse out of the equation, but she needed to know about the other. Alyssa’s words were echoing in her mind. The hex only mattered if he loved her. Gabe’s mom had even said the same thing to her on the phone a week before.

  He raised an eyebrow while dishing out the cabbage rolls. “I’m sorry you heard that. I just wish you’d stayed long enough to hear the part where I told Ma to knock it off.”

  Her mouth fell open.

  “My ma’s always believed in that stuff, and we’ve been indulging her for so long, sometimes it’s hard to remember it’s not real. Did you know my dad stopped by the other day? He told me that he loved my mom long before the love spell.”

  “Wow.”

  “Yeah. Ma doesn’t know, of course. She probably wouldn’t believe him if he told her.”

  “That’s so romantic,” she said. “In a twisted kind of way.”

  “No one ever said my family was simple. But we are happy.” He cast a curious look her way, like his mind was forming some mischievous plan. “You’ve got a bit of sauce on your chin.”

  “Ah crap.” She’d been scarfing down the tasty cabbage rolls while they were talking, forgetting all about ladylike manners and cleanliness. She grabbed a napkin and dabbed furiously at her chin.

  Gabe stood up and walked over to her chair. “My, my, my. Aren’t we a dirty girl?” He hauled her up by her arms and licked the smudge of tomato sauce from her chin. Shivers ran down her belly, building pressure at her core. He brushed his lips along her jaw and slipped his hand behind her nape. “Let’s find out where else you’re dirty. Here?”

  Her breath hitched as his lips made contact with the delicate spot on her neck. She hummed her agreement, unable to find words. But her body knew exactly what it wanted. Him. Gabe’s tongue pressed gently along her skin, leaving a hot, wet trail as he worked his way to her collarbone. He hooked a finger in her shirt collar, tugged it forward, and peered down.

  “Looks like I’m going to have to do a full inspection.” Holding her hand, he led her to his bedroom down the hall. The lush blue walls blended seamlessly into the view from the windows, making her feel like they were entering their own private universe.

  He walked her to the edge of the bed, then took a step back. His gaze traveled all over her body, like he was appraising her. Nervous excitement exploded in her belly. Needing to touch him and feel his cock hardening in her fist, she reached out. He grabbed her hand and brought it to his
mouth, placing a gentle kiss on her knuckles.

  “I want you,” she pleaded. “I want to touch you and taste you. Please, Gabe.”

  He smiled dangerously. “I love hearing you beg for me, but I’m going to savor this moment. Take off your shirt. Slowly.”

  She grabbed the hem and pulled upward as slowly as she could in spite of her raging desire. The shirt caught awkwardly on her head, sticking for a second before she finally yanked it off. Her cheeks heated with embarrassment, but he winked at her, causing her to laugh and still feel sexy at the same time. He traced the lace edges of her bra. The delicate touch of his fingers over the small mounds of her breasts had her aching for more. Her nipples tightened, needing his mouth.

  “You’re so fucking beautiful, Lainey.” His voice was rough, strained. Even when he took complete control, Gabe always made her feel like she was the one with all the power. That her pleasure was his. “Your pants.”

  She unzipped her jeans and shoved them downward, failing miserably at her attempt to be alluring, but it didn’t matter. Gabe looked at her with hunger in his eyes. He went down on his knees and freed her ankles from their denim shackles. He gripped the back of her leg and kissed her inner thigh. He placed more fluttery kisses on her hip bones, sending gushing waves of heat to her core. The room spun as he teased her. She dug her hands into his hair to steady herself, intending to be gentle but failing as he slipped a finger past the edge of her panties.

  “More, Gabe. I need more. Please.”

  “Lie back.” He eased her onto the bed. The crisp, cool sheets enveloped her burning skin like a caress.

  He pulled off his shirt and knelt between her legs, nuzzling her thigh. He stroked his hand up her leg, from her ankle to the edge of her underwear, leaving a trail of goose bumps in his wake. Slowly, he rose to his feet and settled on top of her. His hands found her bra strap and eased it off her shoulder, revealing her nipple. He pulled the pink bud into his mouth, lavishing her with his tongue. She struggled underneath him as he teased her relentlessly, trying to wrap her legs around his waist to find some relief, but she was trapped beneath the heavy weight of his thighs. She writhed uncontrollably and gripped his shoulders. His powerful muscles flexed beneath her hands.

  Heat built in her core like a bomb ready to explode. One touch was all she needed to set her off, but Gabe denied her release, moving on to her other breast instead. He suckled her until she whimpered and begged.

  “Touch me. Please, Gabe, I’m so wet.”

  He released her nipple slowly and raised his gaze to hers. A wicked grin spread across his face. “I don’t believe you.”

  She gasped.

  He gripped her inner thigh firmly, possessively, and rubbed small circles with his thumb. “I need to see for myself.” He slunk down her body. The roughness of his jeans created a delicious friction against her hypersensitive skin. He kissed her knee and worked his way up her thigh. He paused a fraction of an inch from the spot she desperately needed him to be. His warm breath teased her, like a whisper of ecstasy and agony.

  She mustered her resolve, knowing he wouldn’t move until she begged. “No more waiting. I need you.”

  He licked, sending the most delicious sensation through her body, working his tongue with preternatural skill. In what must have been a fit of insanity, she reached for his head and urged him to stop. “Wait. Together. I want you to come with me. In me.”

  He studied her intensely for a few beats with a predatory gaze, then nodded. He rose to his feet and unzipped his jeans. Lainey didn’t wait patiently. She launched forward and tugged them down. His boxers came next. She wrapped her hand around his beautiful erection, greedily stroking while he leaned over and reached for a condom in the nightstand.

  “If you don’t slow down, we won’t be coming together, babe.” He handed her the wrapper, letting her unroll the condom along his thick, heavy length while he stood in front of her like an all-powerful god and caressed her hair. Even though he’d teased her into a frenzy of need, she worked slowly to savor the moment, not knowing how many more chances there’d be to have him in her grips like this.

  Gabe, however, was clearly no longer in the mood to wait. He pressed her shoulders back until she was once again resting on the bed and entered with a swift, demanding thrust. She wrapped her legs around his waist, meeting him thrust for thrust, as though even microscopic distance between them was too much to bear. His eyes never left hers as he made love to her, driving himself into her body like he was trying to give her his soul. When the first whisper of glorious climax left her lips, he cried out with her.

  WITH TWENTY-FOUR HOURS of near flood-level downpour, they spent the next day and night doing nothing but making love in every room of Gabe’s house. When the morning of the final battle rolled around, dread crept upon Lainey. Their time together was almost up, and Gabe still hadn’t asked her to reconsider their deal. Though he made love to her like she was more important to him than the air he breathed, he’d never once brought up the word “love” since he’d teased her a week and a half ago in her apartment. It was all coming to an end.

  She rolled over in the bed, careful not to disturb a still-sleeping Gabe, whose arm was slung around her chest, holding her tightly to him. Some people looked younger, more vulnerable, when they slept. Not Gabe. He looked like a man, confident and sure of himself. His perfect, kissable lips beckoned her. She brushed her own against them, delighting in the moan that rumbled from him as he snuggled more closely to her.

  “Are you up?” she whispered.

  He ground his hips into hers, pressing into her core with his erection. “In more ways than one,” he said, eyes still shut.

  Lainey freed her arm from his embrace and swatted his shoulder. “It’s game day, remember? No sex on game day. Your rules.”

  His expression sobered. With lightning speed, he shifted on top of her and kissed her like his life depended on it. “Maybe it’ll be canceled,” he said when they came up for air.

  She raised her eyebrows doubtfully.

  “Well, if we can’t have amazing monkey sex this morning, then let’s at least have some coffee. Hang on, I’ll be right back.” Stark naked, he disappeared into the hallway.

  He reemerged with two mugs emitting waves of aromatic heaven throughout the room. One was a typical white mug that probably existed in every household across the continent, and the other a decidedly atypical hideous green-and-red mess.

  “My mug!” She reached for the disaster she’d painted more than a week ago. “I forgot about it.”

  “No way. Finders keepers. This one’s for you.” He lifted it to his lips, out of her grasp, and held out the white one to her. “I picked it up with my plate a few days ago.” It was stupid and inconsequential, but seeing him with her ugly mug at his lips made her heart melt.

  She was about to take her first sip when her phone interrupted her. “Who would call at this hour?”

  “Ignore it,” he said, pulling her mug out of her hand and setting it on the nightstand with his. He planted gentle kisses on her spine as she reached for her pants on the floor.

  His phone buzzed a second later. With a heavy sigh, he leaned over, perfect ass on display, and dug his phone out of his jeans, which had also been lying on the floor for the past two days. He answered tersely, swore, then hung up and tossed his phone on the floor. She ran her hands along the hard muscles that corded from his shoulders to his back.

  “Almost half an inch of rainfall over the weekend. The powers that be are saying Chester Stadium isn’t fit for a charity match.”

  “The game’s canceled?”

  “Nope,” he said ruefully. “Last-minute venue change. We’re playing at Cricket Field this afternoon. Rain doesn’t damage Astroturf like grass.”

  She tried to think of something kind and reassuring to say, but she couldn’t. The irony was too much for her. She fell back against
the mattress and laughed. He shot her a pointed glare, which only made her laugh harder, chest heaving with exertion as she tried to calm herself.

  After a few moments, he cracked a smile. Then gave a small half laugh, half exhale. And then he was done for. He dropped down beside her laughing.

  “Wow, perhaps life doesn’t always go exactly as Gabe ‘Hometown Hero’ Havelak plans?”

  “You’re in my bed, aren’t you?” He tickled her sides mercilessly, making her scream.

  “Okay, okay, lesson learned. Do not tease Gabe,” she said when he released her. “Honestly, it’ll be fine. It’s one game. Nothing bad will happen.”

  “What about you? You’re the captain of the Falcons. Doesn’t that worry you?”

  “I’ve been through worse before, and I came out okay.”

  Lying next to her, he grabbed her hands and held them to his chest. “You missed out on the most important moment of your life. I hate that that happened to you. I would move mountains to let you relive that day properly.”

  Her heart squeezed. “That’s the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. But I meant what I said. I’m a fighter, and so are you. If I’m not meant to win a championship with the Falcons, then so be it. I’ll pour my heart and soul into whatever new team I’m on until I get that trophy. So will you.”

  “That’s the difference between you and me. You’re at the beginning of your career. You’re young and hungry for the win. I’m at the end, and I know I’ll never win the World Cup. Hell, I doubt I’ll ever come close to an ASL championship, but even if I did, I don’t know that I’d want it if it wasn’t with the Surge.”