Game Over (On the Wild Side #1)

by Cheryl Douglas

  She wanted to make tonight as memorable for him as he’d made their first time for her. She knew she should be tied up in knots, questioning what the hell she was doing, moving so quickly, but none of those doubts or reservations crept in. When she was with him, she was all in. The past didn’t exist. Broken promises, shattered hearts, lost dreams, none of it seemed to matter when he had her wrapped up in his arms.

  His kiss told her everything she needed to know. She was the only woman he wanted. And that was the only reassurance she needed.

  “Wow,” he said, his gaze travelling over the room. “You’ve been busy.”

  She smiled, enjoying the dark look of satisfaction in those light blue eyes. “I have. Did you find the monitor?”

  He held up the small plastic device in his hand before setting it down on the sofa back table. “We’re good to go.” His smirk was dirty and laced with promise, making the rush she was experiencing travel south.

  “Glad to hear it.” They were walking towards each other slowly, anticipation building with each step. “You’re wearing too many clothes, Deke.” He was wearing faded jeans and a tight black t-shirt, showing off those massive inked biceps she was sure she’d be holding on to for leverage later.

  “Oh yeah?” He cocked an eyebrow. “Why don’t you fix that?”

  “Gladly.”

  Her tongue traced her lips slowly as she dragged his t-shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. She sucked in a breath because… damn… she couldn’t help herself. She’d seen him half-naked in his bedroom the other morning, but then his nephew had been a few feet away and she’d had to rein in her libido. Now she was free to unleash it and seeing Deke’s powerful chest brought all of her erotic fantasies about him back to life with a vengeance.

  She curled her hand around his neck, bringing his ear down to her lips. “It was you. Always.” Her tongue flicked out before her teeth sank into his lobe. “Every time I slipped between the sheets alone, it was you who got me off.”

  A tremble moved through his big body and she had the distinct pleasure of knowing she had the power to bring this badass to his knees. Just where she wanted him. On his knees and pleasuring her the way only he could.

  “You like knowing that?”

  He growled before cupping her ass in his huge hands. “You know I do.” He lifted her top over her head before his gaze travelled to her full breasts. “It was always you too, Harper.” His eyes were intense, like he was pouring his heart out to her without words.

  She believed him, that she’d been the only one for him. He never married. Never got engaged. Never had any kids. It was like he’d been waiting for her to come back to him, just like her heart had been slowly guiding her back. To this place. This man. Her first… and only love.

  Before she knew it she was sinking into his kiss, and she didn’t want to come up for air. Her whole body was humming with excitement and anticipation, just like the first time.

  He hooked his thumbs in her shorts, guiding them over her thighs so she could step out of them as soon as they hit the floor.

  There was so much she wanted to say, so much he needed to hear, but with his mouth exploring hers, she couldn’t find the will to break contact.

  He was walking her back toward the bedroom, one hand around her waist, the other on the wall so he wouldn’t lead her astray. The only time he broke the kiss was when his lips travelled to her neck, licking, laving, and kissing her tender flesh.

  The heat between her legs was searing her and it was killing her that he was still wearing too many clothes. “I need to feel you,” she whispered, in his ear. “All of you, Deke.”

  He groaned in her ear before fisting his free hand in her ear. “You don’t know what you’re doin’ to me right now, girl.”

  She pulled back, looking into his eyes. He was baring his soul to her without words. Consuming her with the force of raw, unleashed passion like she’d never seen in the eyes of another man. Only Deke had ever looked at her that way. It was a heady feeling, knowing his hunger for her was no-holds-barred primal.

  “Tell me what you’re thinking.” His voice was gruff, like talking was too taxing.

  “Just thinking about how much I want this.” Accepting the fact she’d never be intimate with this man again was the hardest thing she’d ever done, but time and distance forced her to.

  “Hey.” His voice was laced with concern when he tipped her chin so she was looking him in the eye. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

  She could hear the fear creeping into his voice, so she forced herself to be real. “It took me a long time to get over you. I guess there’s a part of me that’s afraid to open up again. I don’t want to get hurt—”

  He silenced her with a sensual kiss, gripping the back of her head with one hand and her ass with the other. “I get that I was the stupidest sonofabitch alive to let you go,” he whispered, fiercely. “But I’m not that same dumb, insecure kid anymore, Harper. I know what we’ve got, how special it is, and I wouldn’t let you go for anything. Not this time.”

  She closed her eyes, letting his assurances wash away the lingering doubt. He made her feel so safe, so protected, like his shoulders were broad enough to bear the weight of his burdens and hers too.

  “I just need to know that you trust me,” he said, skimming her cheek with her lips. “Before we can take this any further, I need to hear you say it.”

  The fact that he was willing to wait for sex until he’d earned her trust told Harper all that she needed to know. He wasn’t interested in a one and done deal and neither was she.

  Her eyes met his and her breath got trapped in her throat. She felt… so much for this man. “I trust you,” she whispered.

  He closed his eyes and held her cheek against his, his hand still gripping the back of her head. “I know I don’t deserve it, but—”

  “Sssh.” She couldn’t allow him to go on blaming himself for something that happened when they were both too young to understand what they were giving up. “No more talk about the past okay? From now on, we live in the present.”

  A look she couldn’t read crossed his handsome face before he nodded. “I’m good with that, baby. Whatever you need.”

  “What I need,” she said, reaching for his belt buckle. “Is to get these out of the way so I can have what I want.”

  She was practically salivating, thinking about how much she wanted to pleasure him. Deke was so big, so powerful, with a tight leash on his control, that made her want to set him free and make him wild. It had always been like that with him. Nothing satisfied her more than watching him come unglued and she felt like a goddess when she made it happen.

  “Harper,” he said, reaching for her when she dropped to her knees. “Baby, let me—”

  She silenced him when she looked up at him, licking her lips as she slowly freed him. “No way, Deke. You’re not gonna talk me out of this.” She was lost in the experience: the rasp of his groan, his laboured breathing, the tension in his powerful legs, and the sweet bite of pain as he tugged her hair. It was all closing in on her, giving her tunnel vision. The way he liked it came flooding back, every stroke, every tease, every kiss and thrust, with one goal in mind. To. Rock. Him.

  “Jesus, Harper, baby, I can’t.” He grabbed her, hauling her to her feet. “I’m sorry, but I can’t let it go down like that, angel. Not this time.” He grabbed a faux fur blanket off the back of the sectional, tossing it over the cushions. “Lay down, sexy.”

  She’d never had a man look at her the way Deke did. Like he wanted to consume her. It was hot… and scary… and her undoing. She eased back on the couch while she watched him shed the rest of his clothes.

  He was thicker than she remembered. Broader. More powerful. Then he’d been a boy. Now he was all man. And if the look in his eyes was any indication, all hers.

  He tossed the cushions next to her aside, adding depth to the sofa. “So much I want to do to you,” he murmured, letting his gaze sear her as his callouse
d palms travelled up her thighs. “I don’t even know where to start.” His gaze finally landed on the nude scrap of silk covering her landing strip. “I take that back. I do know where I want to start.” His hands closed around the lacy string before he quirked an eyebrow, as though asking her permission.

  Her response was a saucy smirk as she watched him tear the fabric in two.

  Damn. That was hot.

  He released a breath as she stole one, watching his hands coast all over her body, closing around her breasts. He flicked both taut peaks at the same time, as her legs fell open, shamelessly begging him to make good on his promise.

  Deke had never been slow on the uptake. His lips tipped up as he traced her curves, skimming so slowly she was on the verge of pleading before he finally zeroed in. His finger barely brushed her core before he whispered, “This where you want me, baby?”

  “Yes.” The single word was a broken plea, almost a sob, as she felt her skin prickling with anticipation.

  “So hot,” he murmured, sliding his finger up and down, around, and God help her, bypassing her fun button.

  “Deekkkeee.” Her back was lifting off the cushions, her hands fisting, as desperation crept in. “Please.”

  “You don’t have to beg me, angel. Pleasuring you is a privilege.”

  A privilege? Deke was the only man in her life who ever made her feel as though loving on her was an honour he couldn’t believe he deserved. He’d always cherished her, in and out of bed, like she was the most precious thing in his life. Those thoughts triggered memories that made her eyes burn with sadness when she thought of all the nights just like this they could have had and lost.

  His broad shoulders spread her wide, his touch forcing her to let go of sadness and regret as she focused on how incredible he made her feel. His intimate kisses ratcheted up her desire, reminding her that other men phoned it in, but Deke was right there, present, giving it his all.

  Every lash made her whimper, every caress made her moan. Seconds drew into minutes, but she lost all track of time when he worshipped her like her body, her enjoyment, was the only thing that mattered to him.

  She could feel her toes curl, her back bow as the tension spiralled through her body. The white hot heat teased the edge of her consciousness, promising a freefall, but holding it just out of reach.

  “Oh God, Deke.” There were no words, only sensations. Her body was his for the taking. He owned her in that moment, and she had a vague desire to tell him so. “I’m yours.” Her head rolled back when he groaned his pleasure, sending vibrations coursing through her. “Oh yeah, just keep doing that and I’ll be yours forever.”

  He picked up his pace and… did her in. She was plummeting over the edge, opening her mouth on a soundless scream as he continued to lash at her during the most powerful release she could ever remember having.

  Oh God. Had it always been like this with him? If so, was she out of her mind to let him go?

  He kissed her thighs before dropping open mouthed kisses on her belly and breasts as he crawled up her body to claim the tight space beside her. “How do you feel, gorgeous?”

  She could barely breathe and he had to ask? “Pretty sure I’m going to have a heart attack.” She rested his hand on her thumping chest. “See?”

  He chuckled. “That’s just the beginning, sweetheart. I am gonna make you feel so good tonight.”

  If she felt any better she was pretty sure she’d be catatonic.

  His hand glided over her stomach before she grasped his wrist when she realized his intent. “Are you crazy? I can’t—”

  “Yes, you can, sexy. Trust me.”

  He had been the one to introduce her to multiple orgasms all those years ago. And not the intermittent kind. The ones that stretched one into another, making her feel boneless and brainless.

  “I do trust you.”

  Chapter Ten

  Deke would never tire of hearing Harper tell him she trusted him. Regaining the intimacy they’d once shared was a gift, but earning her trust and love again… that was everything.

  He slid a finger through her slick folds while kissing her. It was so easy to get lost in this woman. To forget that anyone else existed. There was never a question about whether she was the one. He knew she was.

  The way she kissed him, wrapping her arms around her neck, while she opened for him, inviting his exploration, had him wrestling with the urge to sink inside of her or claim another orgasm. Watching her lose herself to him was the sexiest thing he’d ever witnessed, and he knew he wanted more… every night for the rest of his life if he had his way.

  Knowing he couldn’t hold out much longer, he picked up the pace, smirking with satisfaction when her breath stuttered and she moaned, arching her back as she silently pleaded for him to finish her off. He could read her body like a book. A classic he hadn’t picked up in years, but changed his life the first time he read it.

  “Feel good, sweetheart?” he asked, his voice husky against her ear.

  From now on making her feel good would be his mission. He had the money. He had respect in his field. He was proud of the man he’d become and what he could offer her. The only thing he needed to make his life complete was Harper and he knew if he put her and their relationship first there was no way he could lose her again.

  “Amazing.” She closed her eyes and tipped her head back. “Oh God, Deke, right there.”

  He felt the tremble shoot through her body, smiling with satisfaction as he watched her ride the crest, experiencing her own seventh heaven, until her whole body finally relaxed, curling into him.

  Deke brushed his lips over her forehead, trying to ignore his body’s demands as he cupped the back of her head. He was dying to be inside of her again, but knew she needed a minute to recover. “You need a water or anything, babe?”

  “I need you.” Her lips curled against his shoulder. “Just you.”

  He closed his eyes, savouring the words he never thought he’d hear again. Knowing that she needed him again, made every grueling day without her worth it. He couldn’t give her everything she needed back then. But now he could. Everything… and more.

  “You got me, Harper. Anytime. Anywhere. Anything you need, angel. Just remember that.”

  She tipped her head back to look him in the eye, a smile teasing her lips. “How’d I get so lucky?”

  He chuckled. “You? Hell, I feel like I just won the lottery.”

  “You make me feel…” She curled her hand around his beard-roughened jaw. “So special. I can’t even put it into words.”

  He kissed her, closing his eyes, savouring every second. Her taste. The brush of her soft skin against his. Her scent. It was the kind of rush he’d never expected to experience again and they hadn’t even made love yet.

  She pushed his shoulders against the cushions as she slung one leg over his waist and straddled him. “Do we need a condom?”

  He swore softly, thinking about how incredible it would feel to take her the way he’d always wanted to. “Condoms have always been non-negotiable for me. But with you? Anything goes, sweetheart. You just need to tell me what you want.” He wasn’t even going to ask if she was on the pill. He didn’t care. This was the woman he wanted to make babies with, and it didn’t matter whether it happened tonight or three years from now. It was her call.

  She linked their hands, her eyes locked on his, as she claimed him inch by agonizing inch. He tried to focus on the music filtering through the speakers, the glow from the candles, anything except the tight grip she had on his body and heart. He wanted this to last, to take control, and give her his all, but the look in her eyes told him she was taking what she needed from him, and he was more than willing to let her.

  Harper licked her lips as she picked up her pace, her eyes glazing over with desire as he struggled to catch his breath. She was grinding on him, stealing pleasure in small doses, while he was trying to prolong the inevitable. She was taking him on a slow and sensual ride, making love to him�
� and making him lose his mind.

  He’d never felt like this before. So lost in a woman that nothing else mattered. His building could burn to the ground and he wasn’t even sure he’d realize it until the smoke enveloped them. All he could see was her. The dazed look in her eyes. The soft sway of her curvy body. The sheen on her full lips. Her peaked nipples, begging for his touch, but she was holding him hostage with her hands, directing the show, and forcing him to let her.

  Her head rolled back as she started to pick up the pace, forcing her palms into his as she braced for leverage. “Oh, I, ah, feel’s so good…”

  He’d been teetering on the edge ever since she sheathed him, but he’d never let go until she did. Her pleasure meant more to him than… anything. Taking care of her, giving her what she needed, was his job now and he took it seriously.

  Her pace was frantic as she built up to her release, but he bit his lip, clenching her hands, trying like hell to control his reaction to her. She was the sexiest woman he’d ever been with, the love of his life, loving him in a way he’d fantasized about for years, so holding on was torture, but letting go before she had was unthinkable.

  When she was finally spent, she leaned over, finally releasing his hands as she kissed him so passionately he could have sworn he’d fallen in love with her all over again. Damn. This girl was his one weakness, yet loving her only made him feel stronger.

  “Get up,” he whispered, kissing her neck. “Toss the blanket on the floor over there.” He wanted her flat on her back, his body poised over hers. It was finally time for him to have his way with her.

  She smirked before doing as she was told.

  Harper was too feisty to take orders from him outside of the bedroom, but she’d never minded indulging him behind closed doors and he loved that. Everything he said and did when they were intimate was with one goal in mind: her pleasure. And she knew that.

  She was lying flat on her back in front of the fireplace when he braced his hands on either side of her head. Her hair was fanning out around her face and the flames were dancing across her flushed skin, while her legs parted to welcome him, making his fantasy come to life.