by Tara Wyatt
As if they had a mind of their own, his legs took him into the bar, not stopping until he was sliding onto the empty bistro chair beside her. She glanced over at him, smiled a little, and closed her laptop.
“Missed you at the bar tonight,” he said, turning his attention to the TV, showing highlights of the Reds-Giants game. He smiled, a pang of nostalgia hitting him right in the gut as he watched his old team play.
She picked up her wine and took a small sip. “Thought I’d give you some space.”
He immediately understood her meaning. She didn’t want to cramp his style, in case he wanted to find some ballgirl to warm his bed for the night. It made him want to punch a hole through the goddamn wall.
“You should’ve come. I wanted to hang out with you.” Understatement of the year, right there.
She toyed with the stem of her glass. “Maybe I needed some space, too.” She looked up at him, her deep brown eyes wide with everything she wasn’t saying. And she didn’t need to, because he was feeling it all too. She returned her attention to the TV. He practically vibrated with the need to touch her, to connect with her somehow, so after a quick glance around the empty bar, he laid a hand on her knee.
She sucked in a sharp breath but didn’t move away from him. No, she bit her lip and closed her eyes for a second, as though savoring his touch. He allowed himself the luxury of rubbing his thumb over her knee, a small gesture that made his blood sing with how much he wanted her. She shifted slightly in her chair, her cheeks a little pink. But then she shook her head and downed the rest of her wine.
“I should turn in for the night.”
Reluctantly, he took his hand back and nodded. “Yeah, me too.”
She gathered up her laptop, slipping it back into her shoulder bag, and he followed her to the elevator.
Abby’s entire body tingled with awareness just from Jake’s big hand on her knee. Tingled with missing him and wanting him. Tingled with everything she couldn’t have, even though he was right there, walking beside her.
He reached out to press the button for the elevator, but then stopped and pointed up instead. “Hear that?”
She did. Through the speakers, she could hear one of her favorite songs, “Wild Horses” by the Rolling Stones. She loved the Stones. So did Jake. Without hesitating, he reached out and pulled her into his arms, slow dancing with her right there in the lobby.
She knew she should pull away, but she couldn’t. She just didn’t have the strength. Not when she felt like her bones were melting at the feeling of Jake so close, their bodies moving easily together in time to the music. She couldn’t move away when he felt so good, so big and warm and smelling like Jake. So instead she let him spin them in a slow circle in time to the music, her heart beating wildly in her chest.
He dipped his head, his lips brushing against the shell of her ear and making her shiver. “Wild horses,” he sang softly, his breath warm against her skin. “Couldn’t drag me away.”
“Cheeseball,” she whispered.
He pulled his head back just enough to brush his nose against her cheek. “Your cheeseball. If you want me to be. Even if it’s just for tonight.”
Her heart beat so fast and hard against her ribs, she wondered how it was still inside her. She trembled with the effort of trying to contain everything pulsing through her. The need, the want, the ache. All for Jake.
The song ended and he moved away, but wrapped his hand around hers, then pushed the call button for the elevator. They waited in silence, her entire body humming as she wrestled with herself. They shouldn’t do this. And yet, in that moment, it felt almost impossible to remember why. Yes, she had her career to think about. Yes, he was a player on her team.
But they could have tonight, couldn’t they?
Couldn’t they?
One last night, knowing it was the last night?
The elevator doors opened and they stepped inside. Jake stared at her, the question of the hour—of the night—written all over his face. It was her call. She knew what he wanted. But he was leaving it up to her, because she was the one with more to lose. When she didn’t move, Jake leaned forward and pressed the number for his floor.
She left her hand in his and faced forward, watching the numbers tick by as the elevator neared its one stop.
Tonight. They could have tonight.
Five
Abby’s heart throbbed in her chest as the elevator doors opened and she let Jake lead her down the empty hallway to his room. She watched with breathless anticipation as he pulled his key card from his pocket and tapped it against the door. The little green light flashed and he pushed it open. They stepped into Jake’s darkened hotel room, and the door hadn’t even fully closed when he backed her up against it, causing her to slam it the rest of the way shut with her shoulders.
And then his mouth was on hers, and it was everything she’d needed. Everything she’d missed. His kiss—hot and urgent—felt like coming home. She wove her hands into his hair, opening for him and deepening their kiss. A hot current of electricity coursed through her as his tongue slid against hers. He made a gruff sound in the back of his throat that she felt right between her legs, and she knew she was already wet and swollen for him. Hell, she’d started to soak her panties the second his hand had landed on her knee.
“This is reckless,” she whispered against his mouth, and he slowed his movements, pulling back and resting his forehead against hers.
“Do you want to stop? We can stop.” His breathing was labored, matching her own frantic breaths. He shifted against her, pressing his erection against her hip. Everything inside her softened, hot and melting, at the feel of him.
“You’re worth the risk, Jake. This is the last time, but I don’t want to stop. I need this.”
“Oh, thank God,” he said right before crushing his mouth to hers again. Their moans tangled together at the same time as their tongues, the kiss growing hungrier and needier the longer it went on. He skimmed his hands over her breasts before starting to undo the buttons of her blouse, slipping them free one by one. She felt like she was going to jump out of her skin with how much she wanted this. Even if it was the last time.
That thought caused a pang of sadness to stab through her, but she pushed it away, not wanting to feel sad right now. Not wanting to feel anything but Jake. There’d be enough time for feeling sad and missing him tomorrow.
He opened her blouse and palmed one of her breasts, his thumb teasing over her beaded nipple through her lacy bra. She moaned and arched into his touch, all of her nerve endings on fire for him. Dropping his head, he trailed kisses from her jaw to her collarbone, his stubble rasping against her. All of her senses felt heightened, as though she were trying to imprint all of this on her memory. His warm, masculine scent. The rasp of his stubble and the softness of his mouth against her skin. The sighs and moans coming from both of them.
“How do you want it?” he asked, sliding his hands up into her hair and loosening her ponytail. She closed her eyes, going through the delectable menu of options available to her. Jake pushed her blouse down her shoulders, taking one of her bra straps with it. He kissed down her shoulder and then bent so he could tease her nipple with his mouth through the lace covering it. The back of her head thumped against the door as a heavy throbbing took root between her legs, relentless and needy.
“Intense. A little dirty.” She moaned as his teeth scraped over her nipple. “Memorable.”
He let out a low chuckle. “I’m nothing if not memorable.” Then he lifted his head and kissed her again, kissed her until she lost herself in it, until she felt ready to burst, eager for more. If this was going to be the last time, they were going to make it count.
She heard the rasp of his zipper as he undid his jeans. “Get naked and then get on your knees.” His voice had a ragged edge that sent a thrill spiraling through her. He wove a hand into her hair and gave a little tug. God, she loved him like this, in charge and a little rough. “I want your mouth.”
He licked a path up her neck. “I want your fucking throat.”
She made a desperate, strangled sound, her entire body on fire. With trembling hands, she shoved her blouse down her arms, flinging it to the floor. She made quick work of her bra and then shimmied out of her jeans and panties, kicking off her shoes as she went. Racing to get to whatever came next. Tonight wasn’t a night for slow stripteases and teasing touches.
Naked, she dropped to her knees in front of him, and she watched, almost giddy with excitement as he pushed his jeans down, taking his boxer briefs with them. His cock, thick and hard, sprang free, snapping up against his toned stomach. He pulled his T-shirt off over his head, exposing the hard, chiseled planes of his physique, and dropped it to the floor, then wove a hand into her hair. With his other hand braced on the door, she was caged in, trapped between the door and his muscular legs. Leaning forward, she trailed her lips over the length of his cock, the skin hot and velvety against her mouth.
“Suck me. Suck me like you missed this cock.”
She made a small humming sound in the back of her throat and kissed the swollen head, swirling her tongue over and under it. “You know I did.” Curling her fist around the base of it, she grinned, loving the way her fingers didn’t quite meet.
“Show me.”
She glanced up at him, his eyes intense and full of need, full of everything else they weren’t saying tonight. She kissed him once more and then parted her lips, taking him deep.
“Fuuuuuuuck, Abby. Sweetheart. That’s it,” he moaned, his hand tightening in her hair. “You have the most incredible mouth.” He urged her forward and she obliged, bobbing her head and taking him even deeper, trying to relax her throat enough to swallow him. She gagged a little and pulled back, then went in for more. “So fucking hot when you choke on me,” he said, his voice a ragged groan. “Take it. Take it all.” He moved his hips and his hand at the same time, fucking her mouth in earnest. But she wasn’t sure who was giving and who was taking because her entire body was alive for him. She spread her knees and slipped a hand between her legs, not at all surprised to find herself soaking wet. With small strokes, she circled her clit as he used her mouth.
He let out a desperate, almost pained groan, and pulled back. “I’m not gonna last if we keep that up,” he said, smiling down at her with the playful, lopsided grin that made her feel like a lovestruck teenager. She smiled back at him, and then he took her hands and helped her up. The grin still in place, he pulled her fingers to his mouth, sucking them and then groaning appreciatively. “I’m gonna need you to bottle this for me.”
“Would if I could.” The words were so true, so honest, so relevant to everything about their situation, that for a moment, he just looked at her, his eyes bright. A silence hovered in the air, and then he kissed her, a long, sweet kiss that she felt not just between her legs, but everywhere.
“I know,” he finally said. And then, steering them back on track, he toed off his shoes and stepped out of his pants. “Get on the bed. All fours. Ready for me.”
She bit her lip and moaned, then moved away from his warmth and onto the bed, crawling up on all fours just as he’d asked. She spread her legs wide, giving him the view she knew he wanted. She waited for a moment, and just as she started to turn around to see what he was doing, she felt his mouth on her, his tongue sweeping through her folds as he kissed her aching pussy.
Her fingers curled into the duvet and she practically shouted his name. “Oh, fuck. Yes, Jake. Make me scream.” She felt him smile against her and her arms gave out when he nipped at one of her outer lips, pulling at it with his teeth and then sucking it into his mouth. He repeated the torment on the other side, then swept his tongue over her clit with slow, gentle strokes. With his fingers, he spread her open more, sliding his lips over her. Teasing her and building her up.
She was already so worked up, so primed for him, that it didn’t take long before her orgasm pulsed through her, tightening all of her muscles to the point of aching as pleasure, bright and sharp, radiated through her, making it hard to breathe or think or move. She screamed his name, writhing against the duvet, senseless with how good he made her feel. No one had ever made her come the way Jake did.
No one had ever seen her the way Jake did, either.
Her orgasm still throbbing through her, she buried her face in the mattress, trying to fight back the sob rising up in her chest. As if he could sense what she needed, Jake wrapped his fist around her hair and pulled her up, then slammed into her from behind. She started to come again, just a little, a few more bonus throbs as she contracted around him. His other hand gripped her hip, urging her back against him.
“Oh, God, I missed having you inside me,” she panted out, her almost-tears all but forgotten. “Fuck, you feel so good.” He pulled all the way out and then slammed back into her, rocking her entire body with his thrust.
He leaned forward and bit at her shoulder, working his cock in and out of her in steady, bone-melting thrusts. “Fuck, Abby. So perfect.”
Moans and anguished sighs filled the air, coupled with the sound of skin slapping skin, the wet slide of his body in and out of hers. When he picked up the pace of his thrusts, she knew he was close, and Abby’s throat tightened because she didn’t want it to be over. But he thrust into her twice more, hard and deep, then shuddered and swore, his cock pulsing inside her. He dropped his head to her shoulder, and she could feel the sweat dampening his skin.
“Stay tonight,” he said, his voice rumbling against her overheated skin. “It doesn’t need to be tomorrow yet.” She nodded, and he slipped out of her and pulled her into his arms.
Jake lay on his back, Abby pressed up against him, her head nestled in the crook of his shoulder, as though it belonged there.
It really felt like it belonged there.
Ignoring the sadness and disappointment tugging at him, he ran the tips of his fingers up and down her arm, savoring the softness of her skin. Dipping his head, he inhaled deeply, pulling the scent of her hair into him.
She sighed and snuggled into him. “I think you murdered me with cock. I can’t move.”
“The best kind of murder.”
“The best.”
After a few moments of silence, she shifted against him. “So this is really it, huh?”
“Unless you can think of some way us being together is okay, then yeah. I guess so.”
He felt her shake her head. “Believe me, I’ve thought of almost nothing but that since I found out you got traded, but I just don’t see how.” She sighed, a shuddery breath against his skin, and when she spoke next, her voice cracked. “I’m sorry, Jake.”
“Don’t be. Neither of us chose this.” He blew out a long, slow breath, tucking her hair behind her ear and then tracing his fingers over her cheekbone. Despite the spectacular sex they’d just had, his entire body hurt, and for once, it was a pain that had nothing to do with baseball. “I have a favor to ask you. Don’t tell me when you start dating someone else, okay? It’ll just create a lot of problems for me.” The words tasted sour as he spoke them. The idea of Abby moving on with someone else made him want to rage at the world.
She looked at him, one eyebrow arched. “It’ll create a lot of problems for you? Like what?”
He grinned, trying to turn it into a joke. “Where to put the body, for starters.”
She laughed, and he could see the sadness, the longing in her eyes. “Meh, I’m kinda hung up on someone else right now, so I think the chances of that happening are virtually nonexistent.” She bit her lip, her eyes flashing up to his. “But, um, same to you. I don’t wanna know.”
Dating someone else was pretty much the last thing he wanted right now, but instead of making things harder, he just nodded. “Deal.”
She trailed her fingers down his stomach, outlining the ridges of the muscles there. Then her hand wandered lower, stroking him. She kissed his neck. “You got another round in you?”
“Are you implying that I’m old?”
“Well, if you’re inferring it…” She trailed off, her tone teasing. With a growl, he curled his fingers around her wrist and rolled her under him, kissing her.
It turned out that he did, in fact, have another round in him. A slower round, with deep kisses and soft touches as he moved above her, inside her. Until she came with a quiet little cry and he spilled himself inside her one last time. Afterward, he pulled her against him, right where he wanted her.
She yawned and then pressed a kiss to his chest. After a moment, he felt her breathing slow and become deep and even. Jake stared up at the ceiling, wondering how he was supposed to let her go.
He was in love with her, plain and simple, but that didn’t change who they were or their circumstances. No, all that knowledge did was leave what felt like a festering wound right where his heart was.
He tightened his arm around her, soaking up what was left, and eventually, he fell asleep.
The next morning, Abby’s eyes fluttered open, and she sat up, clutching the sheet around her. Jake snored softly beside her, his face buried in his pillow, his thick hair an endearing mess. Light glowed from around the drawn curtains and she slipped out of bed, retrieving her phone from her laptop bag, which she’d left by the door last night. Just after seven. Perfect.
She tiptoed into the bathroom, closed the door and flicked on the lights. The skin on her neck was faintly pink, just a hint of beard burn from Jake’s perma-stubble. Glancing through the toiletries on the counter, she snagged the little bottle of mouthwash and cracked it open, taking a swig and swishing it around. Morning breath wasn’t sexy, and wasn’t the memory she wanted to leave Jake with.
She’d just spit her mouthwash into the sink when there was a soft knock at the door. “Abby?”
