Play Maker

by KB Winters

  I grabbed a hold of Ross and popped up onto the toes of my heels to kiss him, wanting my lips to show him exactly how he made me feel. “Thank you. You are beautiful.”

  He smiled softly. “I think that’s my line.”

  “You know what I mean,” I said, returning his smile. “I just want you to know how special you are to me.”

  “I know, Shelby.” He traced a finger down the side of my cheek. “Thank you for picking at me. I’m not used to that, but I think I needed it.”

  I laughed. “Anytime, handsome.”

  “Now can we talk about this special outfit you packed?” Ross asked, his eyes firing up with a twinkle of mischief and heat.

  My fingers went to the top button on my heavy coat. “What if I told you I’d been wearing it all night?”

  He groaned. “Aww, shit..”

  I giggled and finished unbuttoning my coat. I slowly peeled it away, stepping back out of reach when Ross tried to assist me. “Patience,” I said, wiggling a finger at him.

  He backed up and reached for the bottle of champagne that was chilling in a bucket on the counter of the small kitchenette. He held it up, and I nodded. With expert skill, he popped the cork and poured two flutes like he’d been a cater waiter in another life.

  “What should we toast to?” I asked, holding up the glass he’d offered me.

  Ross lifted his own glass. “To Aunt Maggie.”

  “Aunt Maggie?” I repeated with a laugh. “Aunt Maggie generally isn’t who’s on my mind right before jumping into bed with someone, and if that was where your mind is headed, we probably need to have a serious talk.”

  Ross grinned, letting out a chuckle. “Hear me out.”

  I laughed. “Go ahead.”

  “If I’d never stumbled into her diner, I’d have missed out on meeting the most beautiful girl in the world.”

  “Not to mention you would have missed out on some pretty kick-ass biscuits and gravy,” I added, giving him a quick wink.

  Ross smiled, but his expression darkened as he took a step toward me. “I’m serious, Shelby. You’re special to me too, and I hope you know this is real. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks. The holidays, the playoffs—being the fucking starting quarterback—it’s surreal. But I want you to know how much each minute we are together means to me and how grateful I am to spend this time with you.”

  Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes and gave the room a soft fuzziness around the edges. “To Aunt Maggie,” I whispered, not trusting myself to say anything else.

  Ross tapped his glass to mine, and we both took a sip of the sweet champagne before coming together for a slow, smoldering kiss that quickly ignited into flames.

  We clumsily set our glasses down and Ross peeled away my dress. With his hands on my hips, he spun me around, located the zipper at the back and gently pulled it down, revealing my lace-covered skin as he went. His hands parted the fabric and ran over my waist. “I’ve waited long enough, Shelby. Show me what you’ve been wearing just for me.”

  I smiled and dropped the cap sleeves from my shoulders before slowly twirling around. My dress slipped down my torso, and I eased it over my flared hips, revealing the black and gold lingerie I’d been wearing all night. The top was made of a sheer lace lined with gold and barely covered my breasts. The matching panties had black garters attached to hold up the thigh-high stockings. When my dress hit the floor, Ross’s jaw quickly followed.

  “Holy shit, babe.”

  I reached up and removed the clip holding back part of my hair and set it aside, shaking it free. Ross’s eyes sparkled, and he moved forward, his hands unable to make up their minds on where to start as they roved over my waist, breasts, and up my back. He pulled me against him and I smiled at the feeling of his obvious excitement. “I’m guessing you like,” I teased, walking my fingers up his solid chest.

  “If I’d known you were wearing this—I wouldn’t have made it through my first drink,” he said, laughing softly. “You are so damn fuckable.”

  “Good.” I popped the first button on his suit jacket. I glanced up at him, holding his stare as I finished the second and third buttons. “’Cause I really want to get fucked.”

  He growled under his breath and eagerly pulled me to him, leaving wet, tantalizing kisses along my neck. “I’m going to adore your body all night long, baby. You’re not going to be able to walk onto the plane tomorrow. At least not without a nice wobble.”

  A delicious thrill shot up my spine at his promise. I pushed his jacket off as I looked back up at him, my hands gliding over the firm muscles of his shoulders and chest. “Go ahead and wreck me, Ross.”

  “Your wish is my command,” he whispered, dragging his lips back up my neck and to my ear.

  I whimpered as he found the sweet spot where my jawline met my ear, and Ross chuckled against my skin. “Damn, this is gonna be a good night.”

  “Leave the stockings on,” he said into my ear, stroking the fabric of my panties.

  I gasped as he pulled my panties aside and slid a finger across my pussy lips. “Mmm, baby, you’re already so wet.” He stroked me again, making me shiver and push up against him. “I want you in the bed.”

  I nodded and made my way to the bed. I paused at the foot, waiting for him, but he didn’t lay me back. Instead, he spun me around and gently pushed me forward. I lowered to the bed, fighting my vulnerability as I propped up on my hands and knees. “Like this,” he said, hiking my hips up so I was on all fours, my ass bared to him.

  I craned around and watched as he knelt behind me. With a sharp gasp, I arched my back, popping my ass higher into the air as his breath hit my skin. His tongue made hot little circles up the insides of my thigh and I clenched every muscle tight. He peeled my panties aside, exposing everything. His tongue worked up and down across my pussy, teasing my clit and circling the opening until I was panting and clawing at the bed like some kind of wild animal. He was giving me just enough to drive me insane, but nowhere near enough to get me off, even as the pressure and ache grew stronger with each heartbeat.

  My nails dug into the covers, twisting the material between my fingers. “Ross, please,” I pleaded, glancing behind me.

  He stroked my clit with his fingers, and his tongue moved up, up, and more up.

  “Ross!” I cried, my eyes going wide but quickly falling closed again as an intense wave of pleasure sucked me back under the surface again. I couldn’t think straight. His tongue moved between my ass cheeks and danced around my asshole, and I bit down on my lower lip, hard enough that I tasted the tang of blood. It was so wrong, but it felt so fucking sexy. I couldn’t imagine what he was doing, and I was powerless to stop him. I didn’t want him to stop.

  His fingers slid deep inside of me, caressing and teasing my g-spot as his tongue swirled and stroked my ass with precise, searing flicks that lit me on fire inside and out.

  When Ross slipped his thumb inside my ass, I lost it. My orgasm came hard and fast, like a thunderbolt, ripping through the sky and shaking the ground as it hit. I shuddered and moaned, begging and pleading, clinging to the bed for dear, sweet life. Flashes and fireworks exploded behind my eyes.

  My thighs shook as I lowered down to the bed. Every muscle was like a well-wrung sponge, lifeless and unable to move. I turned my head against the pillow and caught Ross’s eye. “You. Are. A. Very. Naughty. Boy.”

  He gave a lazy, half-cocked smile and didn’t even attempt an argument. Without a word, he moved over me, and I gasped when he teased my lower lips with the tip of his hard cock. “You have no idea.”

  I laughed softly. “And here you play this nice, quiet normal guy.”

  “Normal is overrated.” Ross chuckled and lifted my hips. “This is all for you, girl. You make me want to do crazy things.”

  “Dirty things, apparently.”

  He laughed and rocked into me.

  Damn this feels good!

  I’d never been entered from behind before Ross, and it was like he was made
for me, a perfect fit. Holy shit! Every move set off fireworks and left me breathlessly clinging to the bed. I moaned loudly. It embarrassingly sounded like a wild animal, but I was unable to hold it back.

  Jeez Louise, that’s good.

  “Oh, fuck yeah. Let me hear you.” Ross tugged my hips. “That’s so damn sexy.”

  Ross pushed into me again. His dick was a perfect fit. Every time he thrust, it hit THAT spot. He spreads my legs further apart. “You're so fucking wet… and sexy.”

  His guttural moans were going to unravel me. And his dirty whispers.

  Ross growled, “Come for me, baby. Cover my cock in your creamy juices.” And I did. Like a wave washing up to the shore in a hurricane.

  When he was spent, he released me, and I slid down to the bed like a pool of honey, slow and lazy. Every cell was tingling with the warm afterglow of great sex, but a new craving welled up as soon as Ross wasn’t inside of me anymore. I rolled to my side and found him facing me, his eyes studying me.

  I resisted the urge to shrink up into a ball and hide my too-soft stomach. The look in Ross’s eyes told me that was the farthest thing from his mind. He pulled my leg over his hip and dropped a meaningful glance down between our bodies. My own eyes went wide as he reached down and stroked a finger through my slit. I was wet again, aching for his touch, and the featherlight graze was enough to make me moan. “Looks like that pretty little pussy needs more,” he said, his voice a low growl.

  I sucked in my lower lip and nodded, my body pulsing in agreement. “Now?”

  He smiled over at me, his blue eyes full of desire and need. “Fuck yeah, baby. I promised you all night, didn’t I?”

  17

  Ross

  Sunlight streaming through the window woke me before the alarm went off. Despite the less-than-restful night, I was filled with energy and knew there was no point in even trying to eke out another hour of sleep. Beside me, Shelby’s body was covered up with the sheet. It clung to her body and my eyes took a lingering tour over the curve of her hip, where it flared out and met her thighs. Her skin looked so soft, almost like porcelain.

  She had no idea how sexy she was, or the way her body affected me. Even after sharing my bed, she didn’t fully realize the power and sway she held over me. Which somehow made her even more irresistible.

  I’d been to New York at least a dozen times and had been on countless road trips with the team.

  This trip was different, though. The city felt more alive to me. As though it were my first visit. I wasn’t ready to leave, but there wasn’t time to slow down and play tourist. No matter how much I wanted to.

  We had one more game in the playoffs, and I couldn’t slow down for anything. We had to win. And I had to make that happen.

  I wasn’t blind to the fact that my star power was on the rise. Rapidly. My agent had already called and received emails from other teams who could become potential suitors. Months ago, I would’ve jumped at the chance to be courted by another team. To go anywhere else. But now everything was different. I had Shelby. It was no longer just about what I wanted or where I wanted to go. If I left the Knights, I’d be leaving her too.

  I squeezed my eyes closed and sucked in a long, slow breath. There was too much going on inside my head. I couldn’t keep up with it all. The final playoff game. The team. Shelby. And now, my family drama had been dredged back up to the surface of my mind. I didn’t regret telling Shelby about my past, but it was always unpleasant, no matter how necessary it felt. Talking about it with anyone sucked. Sometimes, I wondered if my mom even knew I was playing in the playoffs. If she knew we were one game away from the Super Bowl. If she would even care

  Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t realize Shelby was awake, until she rolled over and traced a finger up my chest. Her hair was a beautiful mess fanned out all around her head, and her eyes sparked with mischief. She was even more beautiful without the makeup she had on the night before. “Good morning,” she said, offering me a huge smile.

  I shoved the thoughts of my mom as far away as possible, sending them back to the dark corner they belonged in and rolled over to kiss Shelby and gather her back into my arms. The second her skin touched mine, it was like kindling catching and sparking into a bonfire. Shelby giggled as my cock pressed into her thigh. “That’s some kind of wakeup call you got there,” she teased.

  I rocked my hips and smiled as her eyes widened. “Been cooking up all kinds of ideas over here while you were snoring away.”

  She narrowed her eyes. “I did not snore.”

  I laughed at her defiant pout before dropping another kiss to her sumptuous lips. “What? It was cute. No need to get so defensive.”

  Shelby laughed and rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible.”

  “Maybe so, but I think you kind of like me.” Her breath hitched as I dragged a fingertip over her cheek and jawline. “God, you’re beautiful. How the hell am I supposed to get out of bed with you looking like this?”

  Her lashes fluttered closed as my fingers tangled into her wild hair. “I don’t think we have to. Do we?”

  I chuckled. “Tragically, yes.”

  “Damn.”

  I kissed her again and then dropped my lips to her ear. “But we probably have a little bit of time. I think.”

  “That’s very good news,” she whispered, arching against me. Before I could reply, I sucked in a sharp breath as her fingers slid under the sheets and wrapped around my cock.

  I couldn’t stifle my groan and leaned down to kiss her, checking out of reality, if only for a few minutes more.

  After a long, lingering shower, we toweled off and got dressed before either of us could give into the tempting call of the comfortable bed. Shelby slipped into a pair of jeans that had me drooling along with a sweater and her thick winter coat. “Do you have time for breakfast before your flight leaves?” she asked, buttoning the front of the coat.

  I pulled on my own jeans and sweatshirt. “I think so. There’s a restaurant downstairs, so I’ll see the team when they’re headed down.”

  “Okay.” Shelby fluffed her hair before bending over to gather it into a ponytail.

  I smiled at the concentrated look on her face as she popped back up. “You good?”

  “Head rush.”

  I laughed softly and went to wrap my arm around her waist. “We better get you some breakfast then, huh?”

  The hotel restaurant featured a breakfast buffet, and we each piled plates with eggs, Belgian waffles, and fresh fruit before finding a quiet corner table. A waitress brought us huge cups of coffee, and we dug in, eating like we’d just ran a marathon.

  “What happens when you get back home?” I asked.

  Shelby finished her sip and dabbed her napkin across her mouth. “I have a meeting with the public defender’s office to check in. I was hoping to get my test results back by now, but so far, still nothing.”

  I nodded. “I’m sure the holidays don’t help. Seems like everything kind of stops.”

  “Yeah. If I don’t hear anything, I’m going to have to go to Lansing and figure out what the hell is going on. I’m hoping the DA will keep my spot open, and I’m also going to try and finagle some info out of them.”

  “About what?”

  Shelby studied her waffle as she cut it into little squares. “There’s a case—it’s kind of complicated.”

  “Complicated or personal?”

  She bounced a look up from her intent study of her breakfast. “How did you—well, okay. Yes. It’s not in regard to me. But my best friend from high school. Rayna. She’s the one who came with me to that first game.”

  “She’s in some kind of legal trouble?”

  Shelby shook her head. “Her brother. He went down for assault, that he had nothing to do with, and the poor guy has been in prison for four years. Their family has done all they can do. I mean, they aren’t rich or anything, but I promised Rayna and her mom I’d get him out, and I’m going to.”

  “Is that why you went
to law school?”

  “No. When it all happened, I was already in school to become a lawyer, but Hudson’s case lit a fire under my ass and changed my plans from trying to swing a job with some corporate firm. Watching everything he went through when he got arrested, and the trial, well, that’s what motivated me to become a public defender—because his sucked so bad—and he’s the first person I want to help. I’m trying to build a case to get him an appeal.”

  “Wow.” I started playing with the remnants of my breakfast, unsure of how to respond. Shelby had told me she wanted to be a public defender before, but I’d had no idea it was so close to her heart. “No wonder you’re eager to get started.”

  Shelby nodded, her lips quirking slightly like she was nibbling her lower lip. “It’s more than that. Hudson is autistic—I know he’s innocent, and I’m going to prove it. He confessed, but I know it was a coerced confession under duress or after a straight-up threat. Some overly zealous cop probably wanted his collar for the day. Assholes. I know cops. And there are some really good ones. They put their lives on the line every day, especially in cities like Bitsberg. But this one, he had it in for Hudson, and I don’t know why. All it takes is one bad cop to wreck people’s lives. That’s what happened to Hudson.”

  “Well he’s lucky he has you on his side,” I said, offering her a smile. “You know, you should talk to Lacey. She’s really involved with the community because of her job. She has a lot of connections and might be able to help you.”

  Shelby nodded. “That’s a good idea. Guess I know what we can talk about on the flight home.”

  “Thanks for going out with them last night.”

  “Of course! I really like Lacey. Are you and Chance good friends?”

  I shrugged a shoulder. “We’ve been on the team together for a little while, but before Chance met Lacey, he was different.”

  Shelby laughed softly. “I could see that. She’s like his counterbalance.”

  “He’s slowed down, and we have a lot more in common now. Or at least it feels that way. There’s a certain stigma that accompanies being a pro football player, I guess. For every party hard, light it up kind of guy, there’s another one who has a wife and kids and tries to get home to read bedtime stories and spends the off season at the zoo, instead of living it up in Cabo.”