by Ali Parker
I frowned. “I’d never thought about that.”
“Just because you’re going to retire from playing the game one day doesn’t mean you have to give up football altogether. You’re the perfect person to help others break into the career. Maybe you could be a scout? I don’t know how all that works, but there must be opportunities for someone like you, especially with your reputation.”
“I suppose.”
She turned to me and planted a fist on her hip. “You suppose?”
“What?”
“Have a little faith in yourself. I think you’d be good as a coach. No, not good. Great. And I bet I’m not the only one who thinks so.”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged.
Piper pulled the hose down from the sink, aimed it at me, and shot hot water right at my chest. I sputtered and shielded the spray with my hands as she burst out laughing and hit me again.
“Lighten up!” she cried, blasting me again with more hot water.
My shirt was soaked, and through the water clinging to my lashes, all I could see was her big smile, pink cheeks, and sparkling big brown eyes.
I decided to make sure she got as wet as I was.
“Give me that,” I growled, reaching for the hose in her hand. She let out a playful shriek and tried to run, but she was too slow, and I soaked her with the water. Her hair stuck to her cheeks, and her shirt clung to her skin and inched farther up her stomach.
She wiped her face and stood in front of me with drops of water dripping from her nose. “Okay. I might have picked a fight I couldn’t win there.”
“It depends what you consider winning,” I said.
I reached up, cupped her cheek in one hand, and kissed her how I’d wanted to back on the yacht before I pulled away.
This time, there was no stopping it. I was taking it all the way.
And based on the way she wrapped her arms around my neck and yielded to my kiss, I knew Piper wanted the same thing.
Chapter 16
Piper
Easton’s kiss was fierce, hungry, and much wilder than I expected. If I had to guess, I would say he’d been thinking about this for a long time, and now the gloves were off and he was going for it.
And I was ready.
His hand on my cheek was warm and wet, and soon, he moved it into my hair, which he pulled free from the pins securing it in a bun at the base of my neck. It fell in wet curls down my back, and he plunged his fingers into it, tightening his fist into a coil and holding me in place as his tongue slipped between my teeth.
I didn’t know how it was possible, but somehow, this moment was sexier than the dream I’d had about him. And Joshua.
Easton pinched my bottom lip between his teeth as he pulled my head back, forcing me to look up at the ceiling. I closed my eyes as his lips moved from mine down my jaw and throat. He kissed the wet skin along my collarbones and then trailed his lips over the neckline of my shirt.
I whimpered.
He released my hair.
“No,” I whispered, clinging to his shirt and holding myself against him like my life depended on it. “Don’t stop.”
He let out a short growl that I felt between my legs. It was primal and desperate, just like I was.
Easton put both hands on my hips and slid them up my shirt, inching it up over my stomach. I lifted my arms over my head when he pulled it over my breasts. Then he worked it up over my shoulders and arms to pull it free. He threw it on the floor where it landed with a wet slap.
Then like a man possessed by his intense desire, he pulled my leggings down.
I stood nearly naked before him. My thong covered barely anything, and I was glad that it matched my black lacy bra.
Easton’s gaze raked over my body. When he had soaked up the sight of me, he lifted me up and put me down on the kitchen island. The counter was cold on my bare ass, and I let out a surprised giggle. He smiled and leaned over me, planting his hands on either side of my hips. He kissed me softly at first, just little teasing pecks that left me wanting more.
As he kissed me, he ran his hand up my thigh, working his way to the inside of my legs the closer he got to my pussy. He was about to find out how wet I was, and it wasn’t just because of our mini water fight.
It was because of him. He was so fucking sexy.
He gave me one last wet kiss before pushing my panties to the side. Then he stared into my eyes, watching me as he touched me for the first time.
I gasped. Easton let out a soft moan. I took his face in my hands and kissed him hard, pushing my tongue into his mouth and exploring him. He tasted like wine.
All the while, he was rolling his fingers over my clit and down, tracing his fingertips through my wetness to pull it back up to my clit.
I whimpered into his mouth and spread my legs so he could stand between them. He filled the space between my thighs perfectly but became annoyed that my panties were in the way. He tugged on them hard, ripping the strap on my right hip. He pulled them off my left leg.
“I’ll buy you new ones,” he purred as he nudged my cheek to the side so he could kiss and nibble his way along my neck and shoulder.
I didn’t give a damn about the panties. Not even a little bit.
I inched closer to the edge of the counter, hoping he would take the hint and reward me with a finger inside my pussy. I needed more. I craved it more than anything. And he was so close. He smelled like wine and citrus and sandalwood, and all I could see, smell, feel and hear was him.
Easton ran two thick digits up and down my swollen slit. My legs trembled on either side of his hips.
“Does that feel good, baby?” he asked as his free hand ran up my spine to cup the back of my neck.
“So good,” I sighed.
“And this?” he asked, pushing both fingers inside me at once.
I gasped. He groaned. It was almost too much, but then my body relaxed, and he began thrusting his fingers slowly in and out of me. I clung to him, hooking one arm around his shoulders and devouring his mouth with mine.
I could feel my orgasm building. Part of me wanted to let the release come, but another part wanted to hold off. I couldn’t come that fast. He’d think I was too easy.
I wanted him to work for it, at least a little bit. And work for it, he did. Easton dropped to his knees and pushed my legs back, forcing me to lean back on my elbows as he dipped his head to run his tongue over my clit. I closed my eyes and hung my head back.
He slid a finger inside me. And then another. His tongue danced over my swollen clit, and within seconds, it became clear that he was going to earn an orgasm from me much faster than I wanted him to. But that was out of my control, and that was the best part.
He smiled into my pussy when I came. My legs trembled, and my back arched, and all of my muscles seized as if they were under attack.
I cried out with pleasure, and he drew my clit between his lips, suckling gently until I shuddered one last time and sucked in deep breaths of air.
He stood back up. His lips glistened. He plunged a hand in his pocket and pulled out a condom. I didn’t ask how long he’d had that with him or whether he always kept it with him. It didn’t matter, and I didn’t care. He was prepared, and that served my horny little self well just then.
He tucked the condom in my bra. “Hold this.” Then he unbuckled his belt, undid his pants, and dropped them around his ankles.
I licked my lips and watched as he stepped out of them. His quads were insane. So were the deep cuts of his hips that pointed to his groin. His cock was swollen underneath his tight dark gray boxers. He unbuttoned his white shirt while I stared at his package.
He shrugged out of his shirt and let it fall to the floor behind him. Then I lifted my gaze.
His torso was riddled with bruises of varying shades of purple and yellow. I reached for the largest one on his collarbone and traced my fingers over it. I hoped he wouldn’t take any big hits in his upcoming game on Sunday. It had been hard to watch him out on
the field this past weekend. Now that there was real intimacy between us and I saw the aftermath of a hit, it was going to be so much worse.
Easton closed his hand over mine and held it to his chest. He’d been watching me the whole time.
He dropped his boxers. His cock was ready for me, and he hooked his arms under my thighs, tugging me roughly toward him and balancing me right on the very edge of the counter. If he wasn’t supporting me, I would have slid right off onto the floor.
Easton plucked the condom out of my bra, tore it open with his teeth, and rolled it on his cock. I watched every move as my insides began to burn with hunger. He dipped his hips toward mine and ran his cock over my clit. The sensation had me gripping the edge of the counter, and I stared up at him as he lifted one of my legs to rest my calf on his shoulder.
Then he entered me.
Little stars exploded behind my eyelids as I closed my eyes and reveled in the feeling of him sliding deep inside me. I held myself on the edge of the counter as he quickened his rhythm.
Easton gazed into my eyes as he fucked me. Then he reached around behind me and snapped my bra clasps open with a flick of his wrist and a pinch of his fingers. He pulled it off my arms then cupped my breasts in his hands, caressing them gently at first. Then he grew more aggressive as he fucked me harder.
I cascaded into delirious pleasure. He rocked his hips back and forth and cupped my cheek in one hand. He kissed me and let my leg fall from his shoulder. I hooked both legs around his waist and my arms around his neck, snaking my fingers up into his blond hair.
He slowed his rhythm, and I smiled into our kiss. It felt so fucking good. He needed to know that.
“Your cock feels so good,” I whispered.
He shuddered between my legs and bowed his head to run his lips over my breasts. I ran my hands over his shoulders and pressed my nails into his skin. He bucked more wildly inside me, and when he hit me in the right spot, I let out a sharp gasp and clung to him tighter.
He pushed me back, forcing himself deeper inside me, and quickened his tempo. I bit down on my tongue to stop myself from screaming when I came.
The new wetness that slicked his cock sent him over the edge. Easton sealed his lips to mine as his own orgasm broke over him. He groaned into my mouth, and I held him to my chest, loving the feeling of our hot flesh pressed up close to each other.
It almost hurt to break apart.
When we were done, he lifted me down from the counter. I stood nude before him, feeling perfectly secure in my nakedness. He ran a thumb over my cheek, and I nuzzled my face into his touch. He smiled softly and then stooped down to collect his clothes. He passed me mine as well and then held up my torn panties.
“Sorry,” he muttered.
I giggled and swiped them from his hand. “It’s all right. It was a turn on. Totally worth it.”
“I surprised myself.”
“Speaking of surprises,” I said, hurrying over to the fridge. I tugged it open and pulled out a tray covered in tinfoil. I brought it over to the counter and peeled the foil back, revealing a chocolate cake I’d made earlier in the afternoon when Easton first left for his meeting. “I made a cake.”
“I can see that.” He chuckled.
“What’s better after sex than cake?”
“I should be good. Game day is coming and—”
I plunged a finger into the icing and popped it in my mouth, blinking innocently at him as I sucked the icing off. I smacked my lips after, and he stared at my mouth. “Live a little, Easton. Just a taste.”
A wry grin stretched his lips. “All right. One slice. And then I’m having seconds from between those legs of yours.” He grabbed my hip and pulled me into him, and I forgot all about the cake.
I forgot about everything but me and him and his stiff cock.
Chapter 17
Easton
Sweat ran into my eyes, and the thundering roar from the crowd assaulting my ears.
This was it. There were only five minutes left in the game. We were down by a mere two points. We could win this and get back on top. We still had a shot to keep pushing toward the Super Bowl.
But the other team was relentless. They were a powerhouse, and I had no fucking clue where they were getting their energy from. They called down the line, signaling the positions to their runners as I crouched near the back, waiting for the ball to snap back to me.
I had one throw left in this game. Maybe two if we got lucky. And we were right at the fifty-yard line.
If we couldn’t make it in one run, we’d have to do two. There were no other options.
My eyes wandered to the sidelines. My coach was yelling out orders. A few feet down from him stood Piper. She had her ball cap on and a pair of blue jeans. Her white sneakers stood out against the green turf as she cupped her hands to her mouth and cheered my name.
“Go Easton!”
Her lips were red, and her eyes were darker than normal, lined with thick black pencil. She’d gotten all dolled up just for this, and we might not even win the damn thing.
I gritted my teeth. There was no sense in thinking that until the game was done. There was still a chance, a tiny margin, and we were going for it.
The whistle blew. The ball snapped back to me. I spotted Brodie running up the sidelines, legs pumping furiously, and I wound back. The other team was closing in on me. I had seconds.
Five.
Brodie wasn’t far enough. Not yet. I needed more time.
Four.
I wove to the right, snaking around one of my linebackers and coming up on his other side.
Three.
I spotted Brodie. Still running. He looked back.
Two.
I released the ball. It spun and sailed through the air. Brodie reached his arms out to catch it like a baby.
One of the other players leveled me.
The hit sent me skidding across the turf. The whistle blew. I had no idea whether Brodie had the ball, but I knew he hadn’t gotten far enough, and we were going to have to run the play one more time.
I clenched my jaw against a furious pain in my side from the tackle as the other player pushed himself up to his knees, dealt me a rough kick to the thigh, and then stood up to rejoin his team.
“Son of a bitch,” I hissed, rolling over to cradle my burning side.
My coach screamed at me to get up.
Brett skidded to a halt beside me and dropped to a crouch. He put his hand on my shoulder. “You all right, man? He fucking laid you out, didn’t he? Anything broken?” I shook my head. “Good. Got one more throw in you?”
I shrugged out from under his hand and stumbled to my feet. It hurt to take a breath, but I did it nonetheless. I ran my eyes along the bench, past the other players waiting anxiously for me to get my shit together, past my coach who was red in the face, and to Piper, who had her hands over her mouth. Her eyes were wide, and she stared at me before moving her hands from her mouth and mouthing the words, “Are you okay?”
I nodded and turned my focus back to the game.
“This is it, brother. Make it count.” Brett jogged off to his place in line to protect me from another potential hit.
I didn’t want to take another hit. This had been one rough fucking game. I’d taken a knee to the chest and several kicks all over. Everything hurt, including two of my fingers that I was pretty sure were either broken or sprained.
I stared down the field. We’d gained four yards. Not enough, but better than nothing.
The teams settled back into position. I assumed my place and waited for the ball. The other team shuffled around, and I ignored their stares as my team moved to compensate for their adjustments.
They had to keep them away from me just long enough for me to get the ball to Brodie. He had to lose the guy who was going to be on his heels as soon as the ball was in my hands.
The whistle blew again. The ball landed in my hands without me even having to look. Brodie shot off down the sideline. The cro
wd leapt to their feet and cheered. They stomped their heels on the bleachers, and Piper screamed bloody murder.
I let the ball fly. My coach threw his fists in the air as it sailed across the field. It was a perfect throw. There was nobody alive who could deny that. It was spiraling beautifully and heading right where it needed to be, the top right corner of the field two yards away from the end zone.
Brodie wasn’t going to get there in time, though. He went down hard. The ball sailed past him and bounced on the turf before rolling out of bounds. Just like that, it was all over.
My shoulders slumped with defeat as the other team let out victorious cries and jumped around each other. The crowd deflated like a punctured balloon with groans of disappointment, and the weight of it all crashed over me.
I should have run it. I shouldn’t have put the whole game in Brodie’s hands like that. I should have handled it myself and got the job done.
“Fuck,” I growled, ripping my helmet off and throwing it down on the turf. I wasn’t the only player to do so. I raked my fingers through my sweat-soaked hair and looked up at the starry night sky. It offered no sympathy. Instead, it seemed to glitter in defiance, celebrating the victory of the other team.
The boys on my team knew better than to approach me after a loss like this. I needed time to get my head on straight, but Piper didn’t know that. She came across the field in hurried steps, and when she reached me, she looked up at me with those big, warm, brown eyes of hers and frowned. “I’m sorry, Easton.”
“Forget it.”
“You did your best out there. I really thought that last throw was going to seal the deal. I think your coach did too. Did you hear him screaming like a madman? It was awesome. And Brodie… well, he was just so close, you know? I think everyone could tell you—”
“Enough,” I growled. Piper blinked and closed her mouth. “I don’t want to talk about this right now. Just leave me the hell alone.”