Game On (AN OUT OF BOUNDS NOVEL)

by Solheim, Tracy

  Shane wasn’t the type to bask in the afterglow, so he slid out of bed, gently repositioning Carly on one of the many remaining pillows before heading for the bathroom to dispose of the condom. As he splashed cold water on his face, he tried to rationalize away the guilt. Christ, he was tired. That didn’t help matters. It also hadn’t helped that she had practically thrown herself at him, coming to the door dressed as she had. He should have gone straight home and picked up Beckett in the morning.

  Leaning against the vanity, his body tensed as he replayed the evening in his head. She’d been upset by something when he arrived; he’d sensed it. He’d assumed she was still jumpy from the incident at the gala the other night, but Carly was made of sterner stuff. She’d rallied quickly after the attack, showing none of the hysteria he would have expected from a woman who’d just been physically threatened.

  It had to be something else. And it bothered him that he needed to know what it was. That’s when it hit him: This connection between the two of them was more than sexual. It was why the guilt nagged at him. He actually cared what happened to her. Sex was sex. Only this time it wasn’t. He didn’t have any room in the equation for caring. He needed to focus all his attention on his game. On winning the starting job. But first, he needed to get out of Carly’s house.

  He stalked back into the bedroom to do just that, but the sight of her on the bed halted him in his tracks. She lay right where he’d left her: on her stomach, one arm draped over a pillow allowing a rosy nipple to peek out. Her lush rear end was partially covered by the sheet and her mane of soft chestnut curls covered her cheek. His cock was apparently doing the thinking again, because rather than leave, he climbed back into bed as she murmured softly. Bundling her up, he settled her in the crook of his arm, her warm breath fanning his chest. Forgetting he was trying to extricate himself from the situation, he brushed a kiss on top of her head.

  “Thank you,” he said, pulling the sheet more fully over them.

  “Hmm,” she mumbled. “I’m glad I could do something to make you feel better.”

  “So that was just pity sex then?” The words were out before his brain could remind him exactly why he didn’t engage in pillow talk: he sucked at it. Shane felt her tense instantly. Slowly, she pushed the hair back from her face, rolling more fully on his chest so she could level her eyes at him, eyes that were now as blue as the Arctic Ocean. Her elbow jabbed him in the ribs, but he bit back a complaint; he’d said enough already.

  “What did you say?” Her voice was as frosty as her eyes.

  “Umm . . . it’s like you said, you wanted to make me feel better. You work for the team. I’m sure no one in the organization will fault you for wanting to make the quarterback feel better.” He sounded like an arrogant jerk, he knew. But the more he thought about it, the more this tack made sense. He wanted to sever whatever was between them. He seized on the idea of making her angry with him and ran for the end zone.

  With a huff, she shoved off his chest, slamming her head back against the other pillow and snapping the sheet against her breasts. “Oh. My. God!” she railed at the ceiling. Somehow, it didn’t sound nearly as gratifying as it did when she’d screamed it a few moments earlier.

  “You are an insufferable, egotistical ass! You think that I had sex with you out of some sort of . . . of . . . duty?” She was flailing an arm around in agitation, and the gesture caused the sheet to drop lower, which gave him a nice view of her full breasts. Her skin was flushed and her nipples puckered. The sight was making him hard again.

  “You have definitely taken a few too many licks to the helmet, Devlin, because they don’t pay me enough for that.” She pulled the sheet back up and pressed her arms tightly across her chest. “You’re not the only one in the Blaze organization, Devlin. Maybe I needed a little comfort tonight. Did you think of that, huh?”

  And just like that, the niggling feeling that something—or someone—had upset her earlier returned with a vengeance. Concern for her flickered in his belly, totally distracting him from honing in on her comment about not being paid enough. He reached over to caress her shoulder, but she pulled away.

  “You jocks are all alike.” Her voice had lowered, but her tone was still hard. “You all think the world revolves around you. You wouldn’t even consider the fact that perhaps I might enjoy a little sex now and then.”

  He had to hand it to her. Most women would have either been crying hysterically by now or throwing his clothes out the window. But not Carly. She wasn’t a drama queen. He rolled on his side to face her, propping his head on his hand.

  “So did you? Enjoy it, I mean.” His hand itched to touch her, but he didn’t dare. He knew if he did, he wouldn’t be leaving anytime soon. And the game plan still was to get out of there. Shane was just having a little trouble executing the play.

  She shot him a quick look out of the corner of her eye. With a huff she returned her gaze to the ceiling.

  “It was okay, I guess.” She shrugged.

  Okay? Shane inched closer, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth. She wasn’t going to give him an inch, and he had to admire her toughness.

  “I seem to remember you screaming in the middle of it,” he said, his mouth just an inch away from her bare shoulder. A shoulder he desperately wanted to nibble.

  “It seemed like you could use some encouragement at the time,” she said, examining a cuticle. He stifled a laugh.

  “Are you saying I was a dud?” he taunted her. She had definitely not been a dud, and his body hardened just thinking about it. She tried unsuccessfully to suppress a shudder as his arousal nudged her thigh.

  “Well, I made allowances for the fact that you were tired and you’ve been through a lot these past few days. But I’m not going to be singing your praises to my book club, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  A man’s ego could only take so much. Ripping the sheet from her, Shane pinned her with a leg. She raised her hands to push him away, but he was too fast for her. Shackling her wrists, he pulled her arms over her head. Carly flinched slightly and he loosened his grip. The last thing he wanted was for her to feel threatened. She could get out of his grasp if she wanted, but he made an effort to tame her with his tongue before she tried. Reverently, he traced the outline of the areola on her breast. She shivered as he teased the nipple with his lips. His free hand cruised along the hollow of her waist to the curve of her hip and lower to the thigh.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked breathlessly, most of the fight gone from her tone.

  “I’m giving you something to brag to your book club about,” he said before taking the nipple fully in his mouth and sucking. She bucked off the bed. Grabbing her fingers, he wrapped them around the iron headboard. With that done, he released her wrists so he could settle more fully between her legs. Using one hand he fondled her other breast while his other hand dipped between her legs. She didn’t bother to take her hands from the bedposts as he explored her body.

  “You know, we’re reading the new Kennedy biography. It’s really an interesting book. I don’t think we’ll have much time to discuss you.” Her voice now was weak and raspy.

  “After this, Dorothy, you’ll wanna make time, ’cause I’m about to rock your world.”

  It was the last thing he said before burying his face between her thighs, his tongue invading the sweet, soft folds. He was going to lick her to oblivion. Sounds of her soft panting filled the room as her head thrashed from side to side. Her hands had shifted from the headboard to fist in the sheets. When she tossed a knee over his shoulder, his tongue delved deeper. He wasn’t sure, but he thought she might have growled. Then she came, climaxing in long waves, her body convulsing around him. His cock jumped in anticipation. It was just going to have to wait because he wasn’t finished. Glancing up over her dewy, limp body, he saw her eyes were closed, but a smile graced her flushed face. Once again, he lowered
his head between her thighs. She didn’t have enough energy to stop him.

  “Oh, Shane!” She grabbed at his hair, her hips thrashing. “I can’t! You can’t! Please . . .” She was gasping for air now. He chuckled as he licked her. When he found the nub and sucked, she came again with a silent scream. He kissed the inside of her thighs before raising his head.

  His body ached now. It wasn’t going to be denied. He crawled up over her and her mouth gaped open as she caught sight of him.

  “Oh,” she breathed. But she spread her legs wider as he sheathed himself with a condom.

  “Huh-uh,” he said as he rolled her over on her stomach. He tucked a forearm beneath her slick belly and pulled her backside against his erection. She gasped as he slid into her warm, tight body. He thrust deeply and she instinctively ground her hips against him. Then he was lost. Pumping in and out, he fondled a breast with one hand and her sex with the other. The sounds of her moaning with pleasure filled the room, spurring him on as she thrust back against him. Over and over he pumped into her until he could feel her body begin to tense again beneath his. Her muscles squeezed around him and, with a guttural groan of his own, he followed her into oblivion.

  Carly’s body, glistening with sweat, slumped over her knees as she fought to control her breathing. Leaning over her back, he kissed the knots along her spine. When he reached her neck, he buried his face in her hair and waited for his heart to slow down. He took a long moment to breathe in her scent: citrus and sex. Laying her down on the pillow, he covered her with the blanket.

  This time when he returned from the bathroom, there wasn’t any decision to be made about whether he would stay or not. Crawling under the frilly comforter, he wrapped his arms around her languid body. She pressed her back against his chest, their legs tangling together. He felt his cock twitch again as it made contact with her warm bottom.

  “Seriously?” she gasped.

  He couldn’t help laughing. “Professional athlete,” he said, nuzzling her neck. She shuddered.

  Then, he couldn’t help but ask, “So, what’s the verdict with the book club?”

  “I’m pretty sure you deserve your own book,” she said reverently.

  He snaked his arm around to allow his hand to gently palm her breast as he closed his eyes. “You promised me sleep,” he mumbled into her hair.

  “Umm.” She relaxed against him, her breathing soft and steady.

  He fell asleep trying to remember the last time he’d felt so comfortable.

  * * *

  Sunlight streamed through the plantation shutters when Shane awoke. It took him a moment to become fully conscious of where he was. The citrus smell permeating the fluffy pillows and the sound of a blow-dryer in the other room reminded him that he’d spent the night with Carly. His sluggish body reminded him he was still exhausted. Unfortunately, one part of his body was wide awake and at full attention.

  The blow-dryer stopped and he watched through slightly closed eyes as she quietly slipped out of the bathroom and headed for the walk-in closet. She was dressed in a pair of skin-colored panties that looked like skimpy shorts and a matching push-up bra. He groaned as the rest of his body caught up with his morning woody.

  “Oh, you’re up.” Startled, she turned from the closet door to face him. She held a towel in her hand but didn’t bother to cover herself. Pulling himself up to lean back against the pillows, he placed a hand behind his head and just enjoyed the view.

  “Well, part of me is up, anyway,” he said with a grin.

  He watched as her eyes roamed over him, but she remained where she was, crossing her arms under her breasts. The gesture made him want to bury his face between them. His body got harder as he sucked in a breath.

  “C’mere,” he said, patting the bed.

  “No,” she said with a swing of her head. She looked like a goddess standing there, shards of sunlight sneaking in through the shutters and reflecting off her hair. “I have an early morning meeting with Donovan and I need to get dressed.”

  “It’s still early.” The clock beside the bed said seven thirty-five. “Besides, I happen to know you’re easy and I can set you free in no time. You know you want to,” he teased, giving her a lopsided grin as he reached out a hand to her.

  After last night, Shane knew she liked sex. He also knew she liked sex with him. Hopefully it would be enough to get her back in bed this morning.

  “Unfortunately, you didn’t pack enough protection. Impressive as the stash in your wallet was.” She was walking toward him now, which he took as a good sign. She stopped beside the bed and he traced a hand softly over the skin at the curve of her waist. Reaching inside her panties, he skimmed a fingertip over the birth control patch there. Moving lower, he traced his finger through her curls before slowly burying it inside her. Her back arched as she gripped his wrist.

  “You have access to my medical file. You know I’m clean,” he said as he continued to finger her while he pushed off the sheet with the other hand. She moaned as she caught sight of him. Biting her lip, she pushed his hand away. But instead of retreating, she crawled across his thighs, straddling him, the lacy fabric of her panties tickling his skin. She smiled wickedly as she ran her hands down his chest, trailing her nails across his nipples. His breath came out in a hiss as she bent her head to kiss his belly. A cascade of damp hair hid her face as she moved lower. Before he realized what she intended, she’d taken him in her mouth. He tangled his hands in her hair as he pressed his head back against the pillows. She ran her tongue along the length of him and his breath hitched as she wrapped her lips around him more fully. Cool hair brushed the hot skin of his belly as her round bottom bopped rhythmically.

  “Carly!” he bellowed, pulling her up by her hair so she lay across his chest. He was close to the edge. With another sinful smile she wrapped a warm hand firmly around his cock. She tongued his nipple as she stroked him to climax with her hand. He swore as he came in a rush.

  She busied herself by using the damp towel to wipe him off.

  “Get some sleep.” She brushed a kiss over both his closed eyelids as she pulled the sheet over skin that still burned from her touch, tucking him in like a little boy. He watched her retreating backside through half-closed eyelids, but he couldn’t summon the strength to call her back. She disappeared into the bathroom as he drifted off into oblivion.

  When he awoke several hours later, Beckett sat staring at him, a stuffed cow clenched in his jaw. At the first crack of Shane’s eyelids, the dog’s tail began to wag frantically, the cow mooing as the dog bit down on it in his excitement. Beckett squirmed closer as Shane became more alert.

  “Okay, buddy, I’m getting up,” he said as the dog dropped the cow and tried to scramble up on the bed. “Off, you beast! She may love you now, but I guarantee she’ll never let you come over again if you get dog hair all over her bed. What time is it anyway?” he asked as he threw his legs over the side of the bed. Shane absently patted the dog’s head as he looked at the clock: eleven fifteen. With a groan, he stretched, feeling rested for the first time in days. He glanced at the bedside table and saw the note Carly had left him.

  Beckett’s been fed and put out. Fresh towels are in the bathroom. Coffee’s in the carafe in the kitchen. Lock up when you leave. C

  Shane smiled as he picked up the key chain. It was a miniature beach sandal with Bethany Beach written in rainbow ink on the heel. Most likely a gift from one of her nieces, he thought, because it didn’t fit Carly’s personality at all. But after last night, he wasn’t really sure what her personality was: the straight-arrow conservative administrative assistant or the sex kitten in the white-hot lingerie. One thing he was sure of: one night with Carly March wasn’t enough. Trying not to delve into that too much, he stumbled off to the shower.

  Twelve

  Carly squinted at the bright sunlight as she and Donovan stepped out of the courthouse. It had
taken the better part of the day, but they had accomplished their mission.

  “You’re doing the right thing,” Donovan said as he slid on his sunglasses. Carly dug in her purse to pull out her own.

  “It’s just a piece of paper, Donovan,” she said as they climbed down the steps onto West Pratt Street and walked the half block to the parking garage. The sun was warm on her skin, but she still felt chilled. Three hours in the air-conditioned courthouse cooling her heels waiting for the judge had left her a bit frosty. “I’m not sure what kind of deterrent it will be.” The judge’s pointed questions and insinuations that she was somehow asking for Joel’s attention hadn’t helped her demeanor.

  “I know that was rough, Carly. But a restraining order gives you a little more leverage if he does anything else.” Donovan’s words sent a shiver up her spine. He gently gripped her upper arm as he led her to his BMW. “The judge’s order covers the training facility and your neighborhood. He can’t leave you any more flowers or gifts at home or at work. All he needs to do is send you another unwanted love note via email and he is in violation of the restraining order. Because you went to the trouble of getting the RTO, anything he does that might otherwise have been considered a misdemeanor can now be treated as a felony.”

  “It wasn’t a love note,” she grumbled.

  He opened the car door and she slid in, the sun-baked leather warming her legs. Despite it being nearly ninety degrees outside, she couldn’t seem to get warm. Donovan walked around the car and took off his suit jacket before climbing behind the wheel. The German engine purred to life when he turned the key and a blast of air flew from the air vents. Carly shivered again. Wordlessly, he adjusted the vents away from her.