by Rhonda James
They fucking knew better than to try anything.
They wouldn’t if they knew what was good for ‘em.
The tournament is going well; Cage and I wipe the floor with every team we are put up against, until these last guys show up at the opposite end of the table. Little by little, the basement begins filling up as word gets out that it is down to the last two teams.
The crowd is getting rowdy, and when our opponents land four balls in the center of each cup, we have no choice but to slam the beers. I already had a decent buzz going when I came downstairs. The two beers I downed during the tournament only added to that. But I’m still not drunk. I am happy.
Very. Very. Happy.
I reach for the first cup and tip it back.
“Hey, 14, you sure you can handle all that?” a female voice calls me out.
“Darlin’, you outta know by now I can handle it,” I toss back over my shoulder before I even know who I’m speaking to. When I see Stacy Preston standing behind me, a smug smile on her face, I grimace. As I turn my attention back to the game, my eyes land on a familiar face. A face that isn’t smiling.
Shit. She looks pissed.
I’m fairly certain she didn’t hear that interaction, but I’m not about to take a chance. I falter for a moment then crook my finger, beckoning her over. But she doesn’t come right away. She keeps me waiting. She gives me a hard stare then turns to whisper something in Cassie’s ear. When she pulls away, neither of them is smiling.
When she finally does look back at me, she stands, smoothes her hands over the front of her jeans, then sashays her fine ass across the room and launches herself at me. I catch her, laughing as I stumble back a couple of steps. She wastes no time, rubbing herself over the front of my jeans. I don’t stop her. Instead, I lick her cheek and kiss my way across her face. She giggles loudly and brings her sexy mouth to my ear.
“I’m tired of waiting for these assholes to leave. I need my daily dose of Vitamin D.”
“Your dose of what?” I give her a look that tells her I don’t understand what the fuck she is asking me. She laughs and brings her mouth to my ear, but she doesn’t whisper.
“I want you to fuck me.”
Nope. No whisper there. Everyone within earshot heard that command.
Her words take me by surprise. My girl can be aggressive in the sack, but she’s normally not this bold. I know I’ve had a bit to drink, but I don’t think I’m drunk enough to be hearing things.
I look at the faces around me and confirm my suspicions. A few of my teammates are giving me a thumbs up, and one guy over by the stairs is thrusting his junk like he’s trying to fuck the air.
I lower my mouth to her ear and drop my voice a notch. “You mean right here?”
That remark earns me a slap on the back of the head. “I am not having sex with you in a crowded room. I want you to take me upstairs, where you can take your time and do things right.”
I angle my face to get a better look at her. Her cheeks are flushed, but she doesn’t appear drunk, and her eyes are blazing with desire. My girl clearly wants me, and I’m not about to turn her down.
I toss a glance over my shoulder at Cage. “Dude, you’re on your own. Win it for us.”
A loud chorus of Davis. Davis. Davis. follows after us as I carry her up two flights of stairs.
Straight to the privacy of my bedroom.
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
LANEY
The house is full of people. But the moment Derek turns the lock on his bedroom door it becomes just the two of us.
Nothing else matters.
Not Stacy.
Not my house or my dad.
Just Me.
Just Derek.
Just the two of us.
The urgent need to connect seems to fade the moment he closes the door behind him. He carries me to the dresser and places me down on the smooth surface. His hands come up and tenderly cradle my face, and he steps between my parted legs. He stares for the longest time, brushing the back of his hand across my cheek. I lean into him; letting my eyes drift closed as I give in to the powerful sensation his touch creates.
His lips close in on mine, using the same unhurried pace. A brief touch followed by the caress of his tongue over my lips. Touch. Caress. Touch. Caress. There is no pressure to seek entry. All of his focus remains on my lips. He makes love to them, teasing and tasting before he moves to my neck and repeats the process all over again. He kisses me until I nearly come apart with wanting.
Without warning, he lifts me in his strong arms, and my legs tighten around him to keep from falling as he carries me across the room and places me on his bed. Using the same unhurried pace, he leans back on his haunches and takes a moment to drink me in. His heated gaze sets my belly on fire, and perspiration beads the nape of my neck, prompting me to fan my hair out over the pillow behind me.
“Have I ever told you how much I love seeing you in my bed?” he asks tenderly.
I gave my head a slight shake. “I don’t think so.”
“That’s a damn shame.” He crawls over and lowers his face to mine. “I’ve had you in my bed numerous times, but tonight I finally realize how empty it is when you’re not in it.”
“Derek,” I whisper, as a tear spills down my cheek for him to kiss away.
The teasing caress of his lips on my clothed skin has me writhing beneath him. How can he bring me to this point without even using his hands? His lips pepper along my jaw and settle on the sweet spot below my earlobe. I moan unabashedly every time his tongue slips out to savor my salty skin. He nips at my tender skin, biting and sucking before soothing the sting with another slow sweep of his tongue.
His hand slips beneath the hem of my shirt, coming in contact with my skin, and I release a small cry of victory.
This is what I’ve been craving. Skin to skin contact. I lift the hem of his shirt, wanting more than just his hands against my body.
“Take this off,” I urge, and he stops to pull it over his head in that one-armed motion only guys can do.
“Now, you.” His hands dip under my shirt to lift the material up and over my shoulders, but he stops once the soft cotton covers my face. My arms are pinned over my head, and I can’t see him. My wrists are clasped in his hand as he pushes me back against the bed and kisses me. “Stay right there. Don’t move. Okay?”
“Derek? I need to see you,” I pout.
“No, baby. Right now, I need you to feel me. But not with your hands or by what you can see. I want you to lie back and allow your body to experience what I’m about to do to you.” His mouth hovers over mine, and I shiver when his warm breath fans out across my skin. “Understand?”
“Yes,” I answer shakily.
“Keep your arms up here. Every time you move them, I’ll stop what I’m doing. Got it?” His voice is thick and husky.
“Got it,” I agree, eagerly anticipating what’s about to happen.
Even though I can’t see through the dark material, I close my eyes and try doing just as he requested.
I let myself feel.
He settles near the foot of the bed and lifts one foot to remove my shoe. He unties the laces, pulls off my shoes, then slips the socks off my feet. For a moment, I worry about my feet smelling, but that all ends when he takes my bare foot in his hands and starts kneading the arch with his magic fingers.
Why is it when a man massages a woman’s feet, she moans like she is trying out for a staring role in a bad porno?
I whimper and moan like a seasoned pro, flexing my hips as the sensation rocks through my limbs and pools between my legs. If he keeps this up, I’ll be soaking wet before he even gets near my lady bits.
After massaging both feet, he reaches for the waistband of my jeans. Once the button is released and the zipper slowly lowered, he takes his time peeling the denim down my body, inch by inch, one leg at a time. He touches the tip of one finger to my inner ankle and follows an invisible path up my leg. When he reaches my knee
s, my legs automatically fall open.
A wicked chuckle falls past his lips, and he pulls back his finger. My first thought is to plead with him to keep going, so I open my mouth to do just that, but the words fall silent on my lips when his mouth picks up where his finger left off. When his mouth meets the top of my thigh, he pulls away and starts the process all over again with the other leg, stopping only when he reaches the apex of my thighs.
I’m a horny, sweaty mess. Until now, we’ve both been quiet, focused only on the magic taking place between us. But when his fingers curl around the sides of my panties, I open up and cry out the first words that come into my head.
“Rip them! I don’t care! I can’t wait any longer!” I squirm beneath him, breathing out a sigh of relief when I hear the fabric tearing.
He takes each leg and bends it at the knee, then slides them back until my heels touch my ass. Next, he grasps each knee and spreads me wide open.
A low growl fills the room as he crawls between my legs. “So fucking beautiful.”
I’m expecting his mouth on my sex, but that doesn’t happen. Instead, he presses his lips above my belly piercing, then slowly works his way up to my breast. His chest presses against mine as he reaches around me and releases the clasp on my bra. I wiggle, thinking he’ll pull the shirt over my head to remove my bra, but instead he pushes it back over the top of my breasts and leaves it there.
Warm breath fans over my skin, heightening my desire. The tingle I feel when his tongue circles my nipple. The heat pooling between my legs when his lips draw it in. It’s almost too much. I love having his mouth on me, but I especially love it when his lips are on my breasts. When he sucks and pulls on my nipples. When he teases and tugs on the jewelry.
Huge turn on for me.
Fearing he’ll stop the breast seduction too soon, my hands reach for him to hold him in place.
“Eh, eh, eh.” He catches my wrists and presses them back into the pillows. “No touching. Not yet.”
I heave out a frustrated sigh and change tactics.
“Derek, please,” I beg.
Taking mercy on me, he dips his head between my legs. I open my legs further, dropping my knees to the mattress so he can see all of me. It’s my silent way of telling him he owns every inch of me. He presses a teasing kiss against my outer lips, then alternates between licking and kissing the sensitive flesh. Having him down there, touching every part of me but the engorged nub, leaves me panting and thrashing my legs beneath him.
“D. You’re driving crazy,” I whimper through my shirt. “I need you to finish me. Please.”
“Did you just call me, D?” Although I can’t see him, I feel the muscles in his face spread into a smile. I nod my head and tilt my pelvis up to meet his mouth.
He gives a sinister chuckle then parts my slit in one agonizingly slow lick.
My head sinks back against the pillows as his mouth laps at my heated sex, savoring me. He teases his tongue from side to side then sucks the tiny bud between his teeth for a gentle nibble. When he releases it, he flattens his tongue leisurely, licking straight up, soothing the sting from his teeth. The muscles in my thighs tighten, then I feel it spread to my core as the orgasm takes over. It comes faster than I was expecting, which can be attributed to the fact I can’t see what he is doing. All I can do is feel.
And I feel everything.
The bed dips as he slides off to remove his pants. Seconds later, he’s back between my legs and the shirt is pulled away from my face and tossed to the floor along with my bra. I blink a few times, allowing my eyes to adjust to the darkness in the room. The blinds are still open, and moonlight filters in through the windows, allowing me to see his face. His lips are puffy, and my juices coat his upper lip. I lift my head and swipe my tongue over his mouth, tasting myself. His head falls forward, and when it does, his hair flops down over one eye.
“Welcome back, baby,” he greets me.
“That was… incredible.” My eyes roll back in my head to express just how amazing he made me feel. “Let me take care of you.” I wiggle my hand between us and wrap my fingers around his rigid length.
At first, he doesn’t stop me. He lifts his hips and rocks against my hand. His eyes close, and he moans thickly as I slowly work his cock between the circle made by my thumb and forefinger.
“I love the sounds you make when I touch you.” He moans appreciatively at my words. “In fact, I love everything you do.”
He stops moaning and opens his eyes to stare down at me. He regards me a few seconds then places the sweetest, softest kiss on my lips before leveling me with his next words.
“I love you, Laney. I’ve loved you ever since our first dance. I don’t care about any guy before me. All I care about is this. Right here. Right now. Me and you. I don’t care if you’re not ready to say it back. I know it’s probably too soon. But I know what I feel, and all I feel when I’m with you is love. Just promise me you won’t get scared and run. Promise me you’ll let me love you the only way I know how. By taking care of you.”
His thoughtful words rock me to the core. I want to scream, Yes, it’s too soon. There’s no way this could work.
But with one look in his eyes, I know. Without a doubt, I know these aren’t just words to him.
He actually means them.
I search within myself, knowing what I need to do. Now that he professed his love, there isn’t any reason for me to keep my feelings locked away. I am free to express them without risk of being rejected. For the last year, I kept my heart guarded. Tonight, Derek made it clear that not only did he find the chink in my armor, but little by little he’s broken through my walls and filled the hole in my heart I feared would remain empty forever. By offering me his love, he’s telling me that from now on, he will be my new armor.
All this time, I’ve been relying on my body to express my feelings.
Hearing his confession tells me it’s time I start using my words.
“I love you too, D,” I whisper, trying out the new nickname on him. I like the sound of it. “And I promise I’ll never run from you again. But I also need you to promise me something.” My voice shakes as he holds me close.
“Anything.”
“Promise you won’t break my heart. I don’t think it can handle much more.” Tears roll down my cheeks as he rolls on a condom and settles himself between my legs.
“Baby, I don’t want to be the guy who breaks your heart. I want to be the one who heals it.”
He pierces my opening, filling me in one fluid stroke, and as we rock together, we move to our own rhythm. When he comes, I feel the strain in his muscles and see the love in his eyes. As he fills me, he brings his mouth to my ear and whispers the words.
Let my love heal you.
As his words of love sink in, I feel him doing just that.
Healing me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
DEREK
I love you.
Three powerful words on their own. But the impact they make when strung together is life altering.
Well, at least it has been for me.
Saying those words to Laney was easy. I meant them. From the very depths of my soul, I meant them. I finally understand why Cage risked everything to be with Cassie. I couldn’t imagine how it must have been for him to have those feelings for her and not be able to talk about them. Hell, I want to shout it out to everyone over the loudspeaker.
I’m just happy Laney and I don’t have to keep our love a secret. Secrets can destroy relationships.
Now that we professed our love, I want my parents to meet her. I’ve never introduced them to girls I dated in the past, because I never dated them long enough to develop feelings. I’ve only known Laney for two months, but that hasn’t stopped my heart. The heart doesn’t keep a calendar and ticks off the days until the appropriate amount of time has passed.
Fuck that.
You know it’s love when the person you’re with smiles and your heart beats faster.
<
br /> You know it’s love when just holding their hand turns you on.
You know it’s love when a kiss from them is all you need to feel better.
You know it’s love when the sight of her on your pillow, rumpled and sleepy, is the most beautiful sight you’ve ever seen.
Once you know these things, you start to feel like the most invincible man on the planet.
I know my parents will love her, too. There is no way they can’t. Will I tell them she is a stripper? No, I won’t, because frankly, it isn’t my place to tell them. If Laney wants them to know, she’ll have to be the one to tell them. On her terms. Do I think it will change their opinion of her? Not a chance. Mom and Dad have always been supportive of the choices I made, no matter the circumstances.
I haven’t told Laney yet, but I plan to drive her up to Pentwater after the game against State next week. I figure we can spend the weekend and I can show her where I grew up and the rink where I played my first game of hockey.
Laney has classes all afternoon, then she is working later this evening. She won’t get off until after midnight, but I plan to be waiting in the alley and see to it she makes it home safely.
Seeing as how I don’t have class today, I have the day to do whatever I want. Tuesdays are usually gym days, but Coach worked us extra hard at practice yesterday, so he gave everyone the option of having the day off. Some of the guys still went in, but I opted to stay home and relax. I walk into the kitchen and realize I’m not the only one who decided to take advantage of the break. Rivers, Masterson, and Cage are already sitting around the table talking when I go to make myself a cup of coffee.
“Glad to see I’m not the only slacker in this house.” I smirk and pour some creamer in before filling the mug with. “What’s going on? What were you guys talking about before I came in?”
Cage makes eye contact over the rim of his mug. “We were just going over last week’s game and talking about our match-up with State next week. It doesn’t seem possible that we could be eliminated before the semis even get started. What happened to the team?”