She was starting to like Jacobe. Not just like him as a sponsor and ally, but like like him. Like him as she would a guy she wanted to date.
Because you do want him. You want him bad.
Danielle swayed slightly, the thought an unwanted shock to her system. She did not need to fall for a man who clearly said he wasn’t looking for a serious relationship.
He instantly looked her way and put a hand on her arm. “Are you okay?”
She nodded, but couldn’t meet his eyes. The giddy, I-could-fall-for-this-guy feeling hadn’t gone away. “I’m going to sit for a second. I think it’s a combination of the ride and being on the water for so long. You two keep talking.”
He didn’t let her arm go. “Do you need to lie down?”
“No. Just a few seconds to settle my brain.” She met his dark sexy eyes. Heat flooded her face.
Jacobe frowned. Maybe he saw that she was on the verge of losing it. “Come with me. Excuse us, Liberty.”
He took her hand and led her into the cabin, then down into the bowel of the ship.
“Seriously, I’m fine.”
“Just trust me. It’s much quieter down here. Besides, you look as if you’re about to pass out.”
They went down a wood-paneled hall and into another room.
Danielle took one look at the queen-sized bed and her heart jumped in her chest. She did not need to be alone in a bedroom with Jacobe. “What are you doing?”
“Lie down for a few minutes. Take as long as you need. I’ll go back up.” He released her hand and went over to the bed, where he moved the covers. “The bathroom’s in there. I think there’s some antinausea medicine in there and something for a headache. Don’t worry about falling asleep, I’ll check on you in about thirty minutes if you’re not back up.”
He returned to stand in front of her. His concerned gaze studied her. She was a sucker for a man who cared.
He made a move toward the door. Danielle grabbed his arm. “You’re really concerned about me?”
“I shouldn’t have insisted that you ride the Jet Ski. I didn’t think about you not feeling okay after you got off.”
“I’m someone who doesn’t like to be blindsided, and you’re doing that to me.”
He frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“You’re being thoughtful and considerate. Not to mention talking to Liberty as if you really care.”
“I do care.” He sounded a little annoyed that she’d implied otherwise.
The fluttery feeling, the one she needed to ignore, intensified. “I’m...impressed. I didn’t know what to think when you brought me down here.”
He shifted back and eyed her warily. “You didn’t think I would bring you down here for something else if you’re not feeling well.”
Danielle shook her head and waved a hand. “No. I just didn’t realize you could be so sweet.”
“Don’t let the word get out. Some people take sweetness for weakness.” A hint of cynicism entered his voice.
“Is that what Christy did?”
His body went rigid. “Something like that. Look, I’ll leave you alone.”
He tried to move away and again she held on to his arm. “I’m sorry. I said I wouldn’t bring that situation up again.”
“I know your intent isn’t malicious.”
“I’m sorry that she hurt you.”
“Finding out that the child I thought was mine really wasn’t came with a bit of pain.” His face and voice were impassive, but she felt the hurt that accompanied the rigid tension of his body.
Danielle took a step forward and placed her hand on his chest. His heart beat wildly beneath the wall of muscle. “She sounds like a bitch.”
Jacobe’s eyes widened. The tension in his body evaporated. “Did the river general really just call another woman a bitch?”
“I’m sorry, but for her to treat you that way, to lie to you like that. There’s no other word for it.”
Jacobe shifted close until only her hand separated their bodies from touching. She was tempted to pull it away. “Danielle, let me apologize right now.”
“For what?”
“I’m about to be anything but sweet.” He gripped her hips and lifted her off her feet. Danielle gasped and grabbed onto his shoulders. He wrapped an arm around her waist to hold her against him.
“Just because I called her that?”
“That, and a little bit because of your bikini.”
“It’s sporty, not sexy.”
He shifted her higher, nudging her forward with the movement. “Everything you wear is sexy.” He kissed her.
She went with instinct. Her arms wrapped around his neck, and her legs circled his torso. Kissing would not help her get over the crazy feeling that she wanted to take a risk and be with Jacobe, yet there was no way she would stop.
In two swift steps, he had her across the room. A second later, her back met the cool sheets on the bed. Danielle opened to him. His large body pressed her deep into the soft mattress. The smell of the ocean, clean sheets and Jacobe drugged her. The heat of his skin over the play of firm muscles ignited her even more. Her short nails dug into his shoulders.
Jacobe gripped her hips and settled his firmly between hers. The insistent press of his erection pushed against the flimsy material of her bathing suit. The thick length rubbed enticingly against her dampening core. He rocked his hips. The ridge of his cock slid against the most sensitive spot on her body.
Danielle gasped and her head pressed back. Pleasure slipped over her body like silk. Jacobe pulled her lower lip between his, before deepening the kiss. She grabbed his shoulders. Pulled him closer. Jacobe’s achingly thorough kiss was a sweet, intimate caress that slowly intensified her desire. One hand gripped the hair on his head, holding him tight. The other ran across the strength of his back. His hips continued to slowly push back and forth, winding her body tighter and tighter, pressure building in her midsection with each movement.
He broke the kiss to lick and suck along her chin, neck and torso. One of his hands cupped her breast. His fingers playing with the hard nub of her nipple.
“Damn, Danielle, you smell so good.” He groaned into her neck. The tip of his tongue flicked against her neck. “Taste so damn good.” His hips rotated again.
Danielle bucked, her fingers clinging to his head as he tasted her. “Jacobe,” she moaned.
“If we were alone on this boat I’d strip this damn bikini off of you and taste every part of you. I still remember what you tasted like. Do you remember the way I licked you?” His tongue leisurely explored across her neck.
Did she remember? Was the ocean salty? He’d spread her legs wide that night so long ago. Spread her open and savored her for what felt like hours even though it was only a few rushed minutes. She hadn’t lasted long. Had climaxed almost immediately around his expert tongue. Then he’d kissed her, and she’d been helpless to do anything but tear his shirt open and push his pants down in a frenzy to get more of him.
“Oh, you remember.” The male satisfaction in his voice only melted her bones more.
Danielle pulled his head back up for another kiss. Memories of that night fused with the delicious imprint of his body on top of hers. She wanted more, needed more.
He reached down, rearranged himself until the full ridge of his erection pushed firmly against her swollen nub. His hips moved in deliberate, firm thrusts. The movement was both delicious and maddening. She wanted her bottoms off, his swim trunks gone and his body thick and deep inside of her. The image of him was so clear, the memory of their time together so real, that her body tightened. Her mouth opened to beg for more when her world exploded. Pleasure burst through every filament of her being. Her legs clenched around his waist.
Her shout was cut off by his mouth over hers.
He kissed her deeply, slowly, as she eased back to reality. All too soon the reality of what had just happened set in. Her cheeks burned and embarrassment slammed through her.
“Oh, my God, I can’t believe we just did that,” she said between pants. She felt his gaze but kept her eyes firmly closed. She could only imagine what he thought. How uneventful her love life had to be for her to orgasm so easily. “We shouldn’t have done that. We’re just supposed to be working together. We’re—”
He cut her off with a quick brush of his lips across hers. “Worry about what we just did tomorrow, okay. Today is about having fun.”
“I know, but we shouldn’t have—”
“Danielle, I’m still between your legs with a pretty uncomfortable hard-on, and you’re already telling me this was a mistake.”
“Oh. I’m sorry. Do you want me to do something?” All the eagerness she’d felt earlier was gone, replaced with mortification and regret.
He shook his head. “No, you can stay. I’ll need a few minutes to get...myself straight. If you know what I mean.”
“What does this mean?”
“Let’s not analyze that right now. Okay?”
Not exactly what she wanted to hear, though not a surprise, either. He’d already said he wasn’t ready for a committed relationship. Of course, he wouldn’t want to analyze getting her off with just a slow grind. More heat flushed her cheeks. “You’re right. I’m sorry. You stay. I’ll go back up.”
“If that’s what you want.”
They stared at each other. His erection was not decreasing an inch. “You need to get off me.”
“Yeah. Right.” He pushed away from her in a rush. His gaze roamed over her on the bed before his lips pressed together in a thin line. He rearranged the bulge in his shorts and turned away. “I’ll be up in a minute.”
Danielle jumped off the bed and scurried to the door. “Take your time. You know, finishing—”
“Goodbye, Danielle.” His voice was strained, almost angry. She hurried out and back up to the deck.
Debra came over immediately. “What’s wrong? Liberty said you were sick. Where’s Jacobe? Did he give you something?”
Danielle gripped Debra’s arm. “Not now, Debra. I’m good.”
Debra’s gaze sharpened. A second later her jaw dropped and she leaned in. “Did you?”
Danielle shook her head. “No!” she said in a harsh whisper. “Not. Now.”
Debra waved a hand. “Fine. Not now, but later.” Her eyes sparked with interest.
Danielle’s face burned so hot she was surprised smoke didn’t rise from her cheeks. There was no way she could tell the story of how humiliating it was to get off from a fully clothed, slow grind.
Chapter 8
Leading the Gators to a twenty-point win in New York was the pièce de résistance at the end of Jacobe’s five-game suspension. He leaned back and stretched his arms over the back of the leather couches in Mahogany, the swank uptown nightclub owned by Calvin Rush, a connection Jacobe had made through his friend, movie star Irvin Freeman. Isaiah sat on the leather chair to Jacobe’s right, and buckets of champagne and empty glasses covered the marble table in front of him in the VIP section.
He normally enjoyed clubbing after a game but was having a hard time finding his groove tonight. If he didn’t let off some steam he was likely to burst. His gaze roamed the crowded club, taking in all the beautiful ladies. Any one of them could help release the pressure building inside. Ever since Danielle had walked away last Saturday, he’d had a semi hard-on that only seemed to disappear when he played ball.
Frustration pounded through him with every beat of his heart. Not because she’d walked away—he’d never push her into anything she didn’t want to do—but because she’d immediately regretted what happened the second after she’d climaxed.
And her climax had been something to behold. The way her small hands clutched his shoulders while her slim legs wrapped around his hips. The way her dark eyes had gone out of focus and rolled to the back of her head. The sexy sweep of her tongue over her lower lip. Her body jerking and bucking beneath him.
Jacobe groaned and reached for the glass of champagne on the table. Damn, he had to get her out of his mind. He’d been in a one-sided relationship before. If her first thought when they were in that position was that they’d made a mistake, then obviously she was still unsure about moving forward with him. That should be good. He knew he wasn’t ready for anything serious. That didn’t mean he wanted her to regret it if their relationship naturally progressed physically.
He needed to move on. He wouldn’t get caught up in a woman who wasn’t ready to acknowledge the heat simmering between them. Tonight, he was going to celebrate being back on the court and the team’s win with one of the beautiful women in the place.
Kevin walked up with three beauties surrounding him. It was divine intervention telling Jacobe he was on the right path.
“Ladies, let me introduce you to my teammates. Jacobe and Isaiah. Fellas, these beautiful ladies are Teresa, Nicole and Davina,” Kevin said, pointing to each of the women as he introduced them.
Davina, a sexy brunette with tan skin and attractive green eyes sat next to Jacobe. The edges of her tight black dress rode up her toned thighs and the light scent of her perfume surrounded him. “Congratulations on your win.” Her voice was like warm honey.
“Thank you,” Jacobe said. He shifted away to give her more room on the couch, but she followed his movement, plastering her curvaceous body against his side. “Are you a fan?”
“Of basketball, no. Of you, most definitely.” Her hand played along his thigh.
Jacobe waited for the arousal that had nagged him from the moment he’d left Danielle to take over his body. His body said yes. This is what he needed. This was what he should be doing. On a physical level he was fully capable of accepting what Davina had to offer. His brain on the other hand was hesitant. He could take Davina back to his hotel room, but he wouldn’t be satisfied. The desire pushing at him from the inside wouldn’t go away. Davina wasn’t the woman that had caused the buildup.
“Excuse me, I’m going to get a drink.” He pushed Davina’s hand off his thigh and stood. Ignoring her gasp of surprise and Kevin’s knowing smirk, Jacobe left the VIP section and headed to the bar.
Calvin stood at the edge of the bar talking to one of the bartenders. Calvin was quiet and mostly kept to himself, but Jacobe liked him. Calvin always found a table for Jacobe when he popped in, and he had let him leave through a secret exit once when Jacobe had wanted to avoid the paparazzi.
“Calvin, what are you doing hanging out at the bar?” Jacobe and Calvin clasped hands.
Calvin moved to the side to give Jacobe more room at the bar. “I like to come out and check on things every once in a while. I don’t spend the entire night in my office.”
“You really aren’t enjoying all the perks of owning one of the hottest clubs in New York. If you let these women know who you were you’d have most of them trying to take you home tonight.”
Calvin chuckled but shook his head. “Not interested in taking anyone here home. Too much of a chance they’d come back angry when things didn’t work out. Speaking of which, why did you leave a beautiful woman to come hang out at the bar?”
Jacobe shook his head and motioned for the bartender to come back. “Crown and Coke,” he ordered, before turning back to Calvin. “I’m not interested.”
A knowing expression covered Calvin’s face. “Really. Who’s the woman?”
“Who said there’s a woman?”
“Whenever a man is uninterested in a beautiful and willing woman it’s usually because there’s another woman he doesn’t want to answer to.”
The bartender returned with Jacobe’s drink. He took a sip and shook his head. “Not the case here. I’
m still single.”
“Single and pining, from the looks of it,” Calvin said with a grin.
A hand slapped him on the shoulder. Jacobe turned to Isaiah. “Sorry to interrupt, but I think it’s time to go.”
Jacobe looked at his watch. “We just got here.”
“Believe me, it’s time to go.” Isaiah emphasized the last words.
Calvin straightened. “What’s wrong? Is someone giving you any trouble? I can get rid of them.”
“Not yet,” Isaiah said.
“What do you...” Jacobe’s words trailed off. Christy strolled up behind Isaiah. Her new man, some actor she’d started dating after she’d split with Jacobe’s former roommate, best friend and teammate. The real father of her child.
“Hi, Jacobe. Good game tonight,” she said in a sweet but hesitant voice. She looked good. Honey-toned skin, curved to perfection, long silky hair. She wore a tight red dress that was high on her thighs and low on the cleavage.
She met his eye boldly. The question that was always in her light brown gaze when they ran into each other still there: Are we cool now? Hell, no, they weren’t cool. Never would be. Not after what she’d done to him.
He looked to Isaiah. “You know what, it is time to go.”
Christy held up her hands. “Don’t be that way, Jacobe. There’s no reason for you to leave just because I’m here.”
He glared at her, too pissed to talk. The way she was so blasé about the entire situation grated on his nerves. Her disregard for the way she’d betrayed him was a slap in his face.
He brushed past Christy without a word. More than ready to get the hell out of there.
“Hey, man, you heard my woman talking to you,” the not-quite-B-grade actor she was dating said. “I can’t let you disrespect her like that.”
Jacobe’s rage stiffened his spine and he spun back to the guy. “This ain’t your fight, man. Stay out of it.”
“It’s my fight when you disrespect my woman.”
“Your woman doesn’t deserve my respect.” He cut a glance at Christy.
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