by Amber Lynn
“How in the world do you know about the hotel room and I don’t? Have you guys been here long enough to already go check in?”
Concentrating on her companions, Sarah had lost track of where they were going. She vaguely registered going down an escalator and somehow when she focused away from the backs in front of her, she found they were outside waiting at a cab stand. Being able to walk around with no sense of actually going somewhere was strange, but not unheard of for her.
“I helped pick it out. Reid said you need romantic escape, so I make sure he no skimp and bring big box of condoms. You two have great time.”
Sarah felt her face warm as it turned at least a shade of pink. It’d been hard not to think about what might happen during the three-hour flight, but she hadn’t expected Reid to share with his friend specific plans that involved them and a bed. He hadn’t seemed like the kind of guy who did the whole kiss and tell thing, which made her wonder what other details she assumed about him that weren’t true.
“Just so you know, I don’t have any concrete plans involving the condoms. I brought them because I wanted to be prepared just in case and he caught me packing them. And romance wasn’t mentioned either. This is supposed to be a time for you to relax and think about things back home only if you want to, which is why I got you the room with the Jacuzzi.”
Sarah inhaled a deep breath at hearing Reid explain things. She’d hoped she hadn’t read him wrong, but Nico had known him longer and supposedly knew him better. It was hard to say whether the friend was speaking based on things he picked up from Reid or if he was just stirring the pot. Reid had warned her that Nico tended to think with his smaller brain more often than not, so she decided on believing the latter to be true.
The trio was directed to a cab and she sat in the middle, feeling like the filling of a sandwich between the two bigger guys. Thankfully, they hadn’t been sent to one of the compact cabs waiting in the long line looking for passengers.
“I had only somewhat been joking about you guys already checking in at the hotel, but since you don’t have any luggage, I’m guessing you already have?”
Sarah knew Reid had packed a duffle bag, even though she hadn’t watched as closely as Nico apparently had. Said duffle bag hadn’t made an appearance as far as she saw. It definitely hadn’t been magically already waiting in the trunk of the cab, where her carry-on was stored.
“No, we waited for you to get here. Our stuff was loaded up with the rest of the team stuff and shipped over to the hotel. Generally, I prefer carrying my bag with me, but we’re not that far behind it and I’m sure it will get to the right place.”
Reid reached his arm over to wrap it around Sarah’s shoulders and pulled her close to his side. Even though the plane ride hadn’t lasted long, she was still slightly tired from it. It was only a little after nine in the morning, and she’d spent a lot of her night tossing and turning in Reid’s bed.
She’d tried to convince him to let her take the couch, as her smaller body would be more comfortable on it than his, but he had refused to listen to reason. That left her alone in a queen-sized bed that smelled like the woodsy scent of its frequent occupant. There were way too many hours alone for her to contemplate whether she was being stupid thinking there was a chance Reid could truly be interested in her.
The idea that she was on some kind of hidden camera show kept popping into her head, but she couldn’t figure out the motive or end game for something like that. Their meeting seemed too random, but maybe that was the point. There was no denying the fact that what drove her to the speed dating event wasn’t some ruse.
She’d let Aaron get back into bed with her like nothing had happened, but the picture of him and Trevor in the hallway had made it back into her memory as she laid staring up at Reid’s ceiling. She couldn’t let Aaron back in her life to hurt her again. She was a glutton for punishment, but there had to be a time when she put her foot down, which meant both Aaron and May were people she was avoiding.
Sarah put her hand on Reid’s thigh and squeezed. His left hand reached over and moved it up his thigh, causing Sarah to laugh.
“Don’t start a game you aren’t willing to complete. I remember very clearly that you cut out of it pretty early the other time we played,” Sarah said.
It was one thing for them to play while their hands were under a table, but Sarah wasn’t sure she’d play with their hands visible and Nico sitting right next to them. She couldn’t deny that being caught with roving hands offered some excitement; she just thought it better that the game be a little more private.
“I was too focused on whether I could beat the crap out of Ted and Glenn at the same time. I think I’ll save the game for after you get settled, though. Our little game might get Nico too excited and neither one of us want to see that.”
“You guys are weird.”
Nico’s response to Reid made Sarah laugh. There was no denying she was weird, but other than giving her the time of day, Reid seemed normal.
“Just for that, I’m letting you take care of the cab and finding our bags while we head in and get settled. Just take my bag to the room for now, but try not to rifle through it.”
Sarah had barely settled in for the ride to the hotel, but looking out the window, it appeared they were already there. She hadn’t looked around the airport as she was shuffled into the cab, but she would’ve thought she’d noticed the towering glass behemoth casting a shadow on her as she got out of the cab if it was at the airport complex.
“Let’s get checked in, and then if you feel the need to stare at the building from the outside, we can come out and have a good look.”
Reid had managed to get her bag and worked to get her out of the spot she’d frozen in place. It wasn’t the first time that she’d travelled somewhere, but she hadn’t stayed anywhere as fancy as the hotel they walked into. Her book tours took her to hotels she considered classy, but they didn’t have giant glass chandeliers hanging ten stories in the air, which was what Sarah quickly counted as Reid ushered her over to the front desk.
“Do you think they’d set up a cot for me down here in the lobby?”
Sarah was joking, but the mystification in her voice didn’t match that. It was no wonder Reid wouldn’t let her look at the hotel rooms as he busied himself booking one for her the night before. She would have insisted on getting the cheapest one available instead of what sounded like one on the higher end.
“I’m pretty sure you’re going to want something a little more private, so I’m going to have to veto that idea.”
“Hey, Reid,” a guy with jet black hair said as they got closer to the desk.
Sarah wanted to dive into the need for privacy, and whether it meant Reid had particular reasons for mentioning it, but seeing the newcomer kept her mouth closed. He seemed a little older than Reid, and rounder around the belly, so Sarah didn’t think he was a player. Since he was standing on their side of the front desk, she also didn’t think he worked at the hotel.
“Hey, Johnny. This is Sarah, who will probably stomp on my foot for introducing her as my girlfriend, but I’m going to do it anyway.”
Johnny raised an eyebrow at the introduction, but didn’t hesitate to reach out to shake Sarah’s hand. Sarah didn’t mind the designation, and it wasn’t the first time he’d used it. She just thought when he’d said it to May that he was trying to prove the woman wrong, even if Sarah and he hadn’t sat down to discuss labeling.
“Nice to meet you, Sarah. I’m guessing I’ll see you at the team meal tonight. My advice is to arrive early. We may bring in tons of food, but these guys pack it away like they have hollow legs, especially after a game.”
Sarah smiled and nodded, not sure how to answer. Reid hadn’t mentioned anything about a team meal and the idea sent a tendril of fear through her body. The statement, and the night before had proven to her that she had a lot to learn about being with someone who played on a professional sports team.
She’d sat quietl
y in the suite Reid had gotten her a ticket for, only receiving a few questioning glares in her direction. After the game, she’d wandered out to the parking lot and waited by Reid’s car, which apparently wasn’t the right move because he’d seemed ruffled when he finally found her there.
He’d expected her to stay in the suite and wait for him, but when other people had left, she thought she was supposed to too. She would’ve just called a cab to take her back to his place, like she’d done to get to the game, but she couldn’t get into his apartment without him. The situation ended with an agreement that they would both make it clear the whos, wheres and whens for any future outings they were separated.
Johnny returned Sarah’s smile and then grabbed something from the man helping him at the desk and waved as he headed towards a bank of elevators. Sarah followed his movements, and then let her eyes settle on Reid, hoping for some information.
“Johnny is our equipment manager, and clearly he has a big mouth.”
Reid rolled his eyes and stepped up to the desk to get the keys for their rooms. Sarah didn’t have anything specific to say on the subject of Johnny’s big mouth, so she waited for Reid to explain further. It only took a second for him to get the keys, so he was quick to jump back in their conversation on their way to the elevator.
“They put a feast out after games and for the most part everyone shows up to eat and families are usually included, if they’re around. I had thought we’d maybe enjoy a more private dinner, but if you want, we can go tonight and I can introduce you to everyone.”
“As your girlfriend?” Sarah asked as the elevator doors closed in front of them.
The elevator was glass and looked out into the lobby. As it rose, she was able to see the massive chandeliers closer. The orbs of glass caught light from every direction and looked like they had rainbows dancing in them.
“The title rolls off the tongue a lot easier than possibly, maybe in the near future, girlfriend, so if it’s okay with you, I think I’ll stick to it.”
It was a little funny that there was even a question of whether Sarah would agree to it. When she’d met Aaron, he’d taken a while to officially call her his girlfriend. Even after they’d slept together the first time, he’d introduced her to friends and coworkers as his close friend. Reid had immediately admitted that relationships weren’t his thing, so Sarah assumed that had something to do with his willingness to give things a label five days into the relationship.
“That’s fine, if anyone asks, I’m still using the long title,” Sarah replied with a laugh that she hoped made it clear she was joking.
“If you do, I’m not against proving you wrong with a little PDA. Like I said, though, it’s up to you whether we go to the team thing or have room service delivered.”
The elevator doors opened and Sarah saw that they were on the top floor. She didn’t immediately move to get off, so Reid tugged on her hand to get her moving. The idea was already floating in her head that the top floor was usually reserved for special, otherwise overly extravagant, rooms and the golden hallway that greeted her made it pretty clear that she was in way over her head.
Words weren’t her friends as she stood mute while Reid let loose of her suitcase and waved a card in front of the reader on a door. When the light turned green, he opened the wooden door and pushed Sarah to enter the room ahead of him. She wasn’t letting go of his hand, so he had to quickly grab her bag before it was left as she yanked him in behind her.
The already mentioned huge spa tub was the first thing she saw, simply because it was in the center of the room they entered. She took a brief second to take in the king-sized bed, the glass bar set up with bottles of imported beer and wines lined up across from it and the large television that took up most of one wall, then she spun around to face the man with a goofy smile spread across his face.
“I hope you know that whether you want to or your team rules allow it or not, you are staying in this room with me.”
Chapter Twelve
“I was hoping you’d say that.”
Reid was quick to forget about the luggage and snatched Sarah up before she could reply. Carrying her in more of a bridal style than the usual bear hug, he marched across the room and tossed her on the gold comforter. Before following her down to the bed, he unbuttoned the first couple buttons of his shirt so he could pull it off and throw it to the side.
The widening of her eyes along with the way her tongue darted out of her mouth to curl along her top lip was exactly the response he was going for. He’d made the mistake the night before of thinking she was calling to him from his room. When he’d gone in to check on her, she was basically naked on top of his covers with her hand massaging between her legs. The slip of a nightgown she’d been wearing was bunched up around her neck, giving him a full view of her body. Hearing her moan out his name while he was standing there set his resolve when it came to how long he was willing to wait to taste every inch of her body.
Reid had walked into the room, clearing his throat as he did. When he said her name and wiped some of her tangled hair from her head, he realized she was sleeping and apparently was having a really good dream about them. The urge to wake her up and see if she wanted to reenact it was hard to temper down, but she’d had a rough day and he didn’t want to confuse things.
A day removed from it, he was a little more willing to see if real-life would live up to her dreams. He had to tell himself to take things slow, but he couldn’t get the picture of her out of his head.
Settling himself over her body, he was careful not to put too much weight on her by putting one leg between her legs and the other to the side of her left leg to shift his weight. The moan coming from her chest was loud when he leaned down and locked their lips together. He didn’t mess around with the little brushes he’d tried to keep things at. His tongue immediately sought entrance to her mouth and she was more than willing to welcome it.
Her fingers dug into his back, offering a little pain as she pulled him closer to her. Sarah’s body pushed up into his, rubbing along his very uncomfortable penis stuffed behind his pants. He needed to let the poor guy out, but he was afraid things would be over before they started if he came to the party too soon.
Giving Sarah’s tonsils a little break, he kissed along the side of her face and moved down to her neck to see if there were any tender spots available to play with. With her mouth free, the moans transformed a little more to groans or grunts as she caught her breath.
“I’m not going to stop you, but I thought you said there were no plans for the condoms.”
Reid smiled against the side of her neck, making her shiver, which only made the tips of his lips turn up wider. Kissing his way back up to her face, he pulled his body back a little so he could look down at her better. She fought the distance by pressing her nails further in his back, but he managed to lift his torso.
“There are no particular plans for the condoms in my bag. I do have very specific ones for the few I stuffed in my wallet, as long as you don’t have any objections.”
Sarah didn’t seem to be doing any balking, but Reid was willing to give her a quick chance to say no. He had resolved to do his best to persuade her otherwise if she had an issue, but was pretty sure he’d explode on the spot if she even hinted he needed to cool his jets.
“You’re seriously going to finally let me feel this?” Sarah asked as a hand snaked between them and firmly grabbed the front of his pants.
He couldn’t stop his body as it rubbed against the pressure a few times while he tried to gain a little mental control over the situation. If he wasn’t careful, the pent-up excitement was going to come rushing out before they even got to the fun part.
“Only if you’re a good girl and can keep your hands to yourself.”
Reid reached between them and lifted the errant hand up above Sarah’s head and wrapped her fingers around one of the metal spindles of the cherry wood headboard. Wanting to make sure the other hand didn’t get any
ideas, he did the same with it.
“I’ll warn you right now that if you’re serious about me keeping my hands to myself, you’re going to have to tie them up, because, honey, they are itching to run all over those gorgeous muscles you didn’t let me get a good look at.”
The woman underneath him purred and growled at him, instantly sending a drip of precum to the tip of his penis. Just her making noises was going to end things for him.
“Damn it,” he whispered more to himself than the woman hellbent on driving him crazy. “Are you serious about being okay with that? I’m about to explode here and I’d really like to make things enjoyable for you, but if you’re all handsy, I’m not going to last long.”
Reid had never tied anyone up before, but the idea excited him. Even the small illusion of having some control over the situation sent a bit of calmness through him.
“Honestly, I’ve already had my first orgasm, so if you want to make this hard, fast and dirty, I’m all for getting the first one out of the way so we can get on to round two.”
The bluntness of the words reminded Reid that they had different experiences when it came to sex. They didn’t do anything to kill the mood he was in, just made it clear that Sarah was going to tell him exactly what was on her mind, which he appreciated.
“You already came?”
He had to ask the question. The few times he’d had sex, before turning all career-focused, he hadn’t been sure whether his partners had gotten any kind of real satisfaction. They said they did, but he hadn’t witnessed any proof.
“I’m surprised too. It happened so fast between you throwing me on the bed and locking your lips on mine that I didn’t have a chance to react. If you let me take my pants off, you’ll see that I am well and truly ready for you to stick this bad boy in me.”
Reid had missed her hand disappearing from the headboard, but couldn’t miss her forming it around him and pulling hard. It caused him to swear under his breath and look away from her tempting eyes. Her pupils were dilated so far that it looked like they were black instead of green.