She moaned against his lips. Her tongue mated wildly with his. Their mouths devoured each other. She wanted him as she’d never wanted any man in her life, giving in to the lust with the enthusiasm of a porn queen. Those hands left her ass and slid up her hips, under her shirt. He traced her ribs and cupped her breasts through her sports bra, teasing her nipples into hard, painful peaks of pleasure. Her body descended into a mindless pursuit of pleasure in a country where nothing mattered but Hunter.
He was all male, like no man she’d ever known. Hard and demanding one minute, kind and gentle the next. He whispered to horses and now to her body, and those whispers were naughty and enticing.
The clip-clop of aluminum horseshoes rang in the aisle and snatched them from the jaws of lust and kept them from doing the nasty in a somewhat public place for anyone to see.
They leaped apart. Hunter looked as adorably guilty as she felt. His hair was a mess, part of it no longer in that neat little ponytail, framing his face in messy clumps. For the first time, Kate was grateful Lilli couldn’t see them.
Hunter’s sister walked into the grooming area and put her horse in the crossties. She turned and listened. “Hunter? Kate? Have you two taken up jogging together?”
She must have heard their heavy breathing, yet her expression and teasing tone indicated she suspected much more.
“Uh, no,” Kate answered quickly.
“I understand.” A knowing smirk crossed Lilli’s face as she turned away from them to attend to her horse.
Flustered, Kate glared at Hunter, annoyed he found the situation amusing instead of embarrassing. “I need to be going.” She untied Sol and hurried down the aisle. She put him away in his stall to find Hunter lounging against the stall door with that smug smile. She hated that smile and scowled in response. His grin grew wider.
Hunter opened the stall door for her with a flourish and a low bow, as if he were a gentleman. They both knew differently. “You and I have unfinished business. I’ll see you tonight at seven o’clock.”
“Our business is finished.”
“I’ll see you at seven.”
“No, you won’t.”
“Yes, I will. I’ll get your address from Lilli.”
“She doesn’t have it.”
He laughed. “Oh, but she does. Tonight. Seven o’clock. Don’t make me go looking for you.”
He turned and walked down the aisle. Kate watched his muscular ass until he disappeared from sight. She’d be damned if she’d be home tonight. She wasn’t going to be at any man’s beck and call—not even this infuriatingly hot man.
* * * *
Hunter stepped out of the barn into a fall drizzle. He didn’t mind the rain. He embraced it. After all, his people had lived in this area for generations. The rain was in his blood just as the towering fir trees and once-plentiful salmon were.
And now Kate was in his blood. He didn’t want her there, but there she was. He should be chastising himself for losing control, but he wasn’t. He couldn’t. She’d burrowed under his skin like a tick, and he couldn’t dislodge her.
He’d never been one for brief flings, but he guessed there was a first time for everything. That’s all Kate could be to him—a fling. He had bigger plans for the woman who would be a partner in his life. She would have the same passion he had for his people, as Talia had. Together they’d work tirelessly to build a better life for the children of his tribe. That person was not Kate. Her concerns were superficial, not spiritual.
They were certainly not a match.
Despite the obvious, his body didn’t agree. His carnal self desired her with an ache deeper than any he’d recalled. Normally, he didn’t indulge that part of his psyche, but he couldn’t seem to resist this time. She did that to him, and damned if he could figure out why.
Hunter jogged home and plopped down on an overstuffed love seat on the porch, gathering solace from the patter of the rain. A while later, Lilli and Charlie walked into view, enjoying the rain as he did. At least, Lilli was, Charlie, not so much. The poor dog had his head down and tail tucked between his legs, the perfect picture of misery.
“Hey,” Hunter called out, not wanting to startle her.
Using that uncanny sixth sense of hers, Lilli didn’t startle. She stepped onto the porch, paused, and turned in his direction. She reached out and felt her way to a nearby wicker chair. She sank down into plush cushions, releasing her hold on Charlie. The dog dutifully lay at her feet with a long-suffering sigh.
“So what was all that about?” Lilli asked.
“I don’t know what you mean.” Hunter was shitty liar. He knew exactly what she meant, but he was going to force her to spell it out for him.
“You and Kate. The sexual energy in the air ricocheted off every flat surface in the barn.”
Hunter grunted.
“I knew it,” she said simply.
“What exactly do you know?”
“There’s something between the two of you, and you can’t deny it, though it is amusing to watch you fight it.”
Again, Hunter grunted.
“It’s nothing.” Hunter defended himself. “She’s an attractive woman, and I’m—well—I’m—let’s just say it’s been a while for me.”
Lilli laughed. “Ah, little brother. She doesn’t fit into your plans so you’re fighting the attraction and denying the obvious. Good luck with that.”
“What is ‘the obvious’?” He frowned, battling a grouchiness he couldn’t explain.
“There’s something magical. I felt it the first time I was in the same room with the two of you. You can pretend it’s dislike and play it that way, but your bodies already know what your minds don’t.”
Lilli rose from the chair, found the door, and opened it. She disappeared inside with Charlie, leaving Hunter alone with his troubling thoughts.
Chapter 8—Running Away
Kate fully intended to go out that night. She didn’t know where. The where didn’t matter. Getting away before Hunter appeared did. Only, her feet refused to cooperate. Her body got its way. Her practical side refused to surface.
When a sharp rap sounded on the door of her plush Eastside condo with a view of Lake Washington, she froze. Regret for being so stupid flowed through her. She and Hunter didn’t mesh well. For starters, they were competitors, and in the world of horse racing, that said a lot. She’d lost her mind and her practical common sense, the one trait she prized over all others.
She should’ve run like hell, only he’d track her down, of that she was certain. She and Hunter had less of a chance of having a meaningful relationship than a long shot had at winning the Triple Crown.
Damn it all. She wanted his horse. If sleeping with him would change his mind, she’d gladly take one for the team. Yet she knew in her heart he wouldn’t succumb to that particular ruse. The man wasn’t wired like that. She put her head in her hands and rubbed her eyes, but she couldn’t wipe out the vision she’d just invoked of those intense brown eyes watching her as he entered her. He’d propel her to paradise with one quick thrust.
Kate blew out a long breath. The pounding on the door intensified. He wasn’t going away. Her lady parts tingled with anticipation. She was going to open that door, despite every internal warning to the contrary.
Kate checked her makeup in the hall mirror and unlocked the door with trembling hands. She swung it open, fighting back the urge to run to the bathroom and lock herself inside.
Hunter nodded brusquely at her and sauntered by as if he owned the place. He put a bottle of wine on the kitchen counter, which was open to the great room. Turning, he glanced around, taking it all in. She tried to see what he saw. A place decorated in dark wood with white furniture as was the current style. Expensive abstract paintings on the walls. Nothing in this room gave a hint of who she was and what she liked.
Kate stood several feet away and wrung her hands.
“This place doesn’t surprise me.”
“How is that?” She didn’t th
ink he’d say that. She’d expected something different.
“It’s stark, no frills, no girlie stuff, just blacks and whites, and very clean, modern lines. Devoid of your essence. Anyone could live here.”
“I had no idea you were into interior design,” she quipped.
He frowned. “I’m not.”
“I didn’t think so.”
He lowered his dark head, his eyes roamed leisurely up and down her body. His hair was loose tonight and fell over his shoulders. She’d always thought long hair on a man made him more vain or feminine. Not this man. He was pure male with the restrained power of a graceful wildcat of some kind. A lion or cougar. She didn’t know. She didn’t exactly watch the animal channel in her limited spare time.
“No other animals?” His perceptive gaze swept the room one more time before resting on her face.
“No. None. I’ve had dogs before, but my old dog died a few months ago.” She swallowed around a lump in her throat. Even now, thinking of Beau hurt like hell.
“You miss him.”
“Of course I do.”
“Loving animals says a lot about a person.”
“Yes, it does.” She recognized the absurdity of them standing in the living room making small talk about animals when all they wanted to do was screw each other’s brains senseless. The heat in his eyes refuted the casualness of his words.
“Would you like a glass of wine or a beer?”
“I brought a nice bottle of red.” He nodded and followed her to the kitchen.
“You’re a wine connoisseur?”
“Hardly. Lilli knows her wine.”
“What doesn’t Lilli know?”
“Not much.” He leaned against the counter, his pose deceptively casual, like a cat crouched down and waiting for the precise moment to strike his unsuspecting prey.
“Nice wine,” she noted as she picked up the bottle and examined it.
He shrugged.
Kate poured them both a glass.
He took a sip. The delicate stem of her crystal Tiffany wineglass looked ridiculously fragile with that big hand and those long fingers holding it. “Not bad.”
“Are you normally a wine drinker?”
“I bet you already know that answer.” He studied her with his usual intensity.
“And I’ll bet you know what I’m going to say next.”
His lips lifted in a smirk. “That this isn’t a good idea.”
“Well, is it?”
He considered her words and took another sip. “It’s not a bad idea. There’s no reason I can come up with that would prevent us from indulging in a little adult entertainment.”
“You make it sound like a porn movie.”
“It could be.” He laughed. “I don’t—I don’t usually sleep with women I’m not having a relationship with. This is a first for me, but I’m willing to venture into new territory.”
She squinted at him as if that would help her see him better. “You don’t? I find that hard to believe. You’re a good-looking professional athlete.”
His grin grew feral. “Am I now?”
“You play for the Steelheads.” She stated the obvious in order to avoid her slip.
“You think I’m handsome.” He preened a little.
Kate hedged but couldn’t come up with a graceful out to her hasty but honest statement. “You’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen. You should be a model.”
“Beautiful?” He frowned, not looking too flattered by her assessment.
“In a purely masculine way.” She hadn’t seen him naked yet, but she really wanted to. Her panties were already wet, and the sexual tension building inside her for the past few hours demanded relief. Minutes ago, she’d been ready to bolt and save herself from a man with the power to ruin her—at least, sexually. She waited too long to make that decision, and now her body had made it for her.
Hunter’s dark gaze captured hers and bound her tightly in its hold.
“I’m dying to see you naked,” she blurted out, having never spoken more sincere words.
He set the wineglass on the counter with a definite thunk and took a step toward her. She couldn’t take her eyes off him. Rational thought stalled, and only a mental reboot would get it going again. She didn’t want to reboot, she wanted—him. She wanted this man, a proud warrior with the intelligence of a scholar and the charisma of a practiced politician.
He’d come here to finish what they’d started earlier, and she wanted to finish, hopefully drive him out of her mind, and stop her insane obsession with the man.
“I want you naked, too. Get naked for me.” He delivered his last sentence as an order, not a request.
Her body celebrated by shooting desire through her. Kate reached up and unbuttoned the first button on her silk blouse. Hunter’s nostrils flared and his breath hitched. She watched him through lowered lashes. Fumbling with the buttons, she shrugged out of her blouse and folded it slowly across the back of the barstool. Every movement was deliberate on her part, designed for maximum arousal. Her hasty plan appeared to be working, Hunter’s breath sounded ragged as his powerful chest rose and fell, matching the force of her pounding heart.
“You’re the one who’s beautiful.” He met her gaze briefly before dropping his attention downward to her heaving breasts, barely concealed by her black lace bra. “The skirt,” he said impatiently.
Kate unzipped the side zipper and slid it down her hips and thighs, stepping out of it as it fell to the floor. She folded it neatly and put it on top of her blouse.
“Fuck,” Hunter whispered.
She’d dressed for getting undressed in her matching bra and lace thong. “Your turn.”
One corner of his mouth lifted in an almost cocky smile. “Prepare yourself.”
“Consider me prepared. Now. Get. Naked.”
She wasn’t prepared.
Not one damn bit.
Never in her life had she ever been in the same room with a body like his. He pulled off his Steelheads long-sleeved sweatshirt, revealing a stylized, distinctly Native American whale tattoo on one shoulder and what appeared to be a fish on the other. They were the only art on his cut and ripped male body. He pulled off his athletic shoes and shucked his jeans.
Holy mother of all things sacred.
He wasn’t wearing underwear.
The man brought her to her knees, figuratively, though she’d gladly sink to her knees right now and take his beyond impressive erection in her mouth and suck him into eternity.
Maybe getting naked with Hunter was a bad idea, but it was a very good, bad idea.
He moved toward her with stealthy, catlike grace, rippling raw muscles beneath bronzed skin. Her gaze raked across his abs to his pecs. He was a god. A wild, untamed god of pleasure.
Without a word, he lifted her onto the counter. “You’re the one who’s fucking beautiful. I’ve dreamed about seeing you naked since the moment I laid eyes on you.” He said the words as though he meant them.
“You have?” She concealed her shock. She’d assumed he’d greatly disliked her, but then, this had nothing to do with liking each other. It had to do with physical satisfaction.
“Yeah,” he growled from deep in his throat. His big hands held her shoulders with a surprisingly gentle touch as he bent his head and slid his tongue over the lace of her bra and across her nipple. She heaved in a breath and moaned. Hunter pulled down the lace cups and freed her breasts.
“Oh, yeah, fucking beautiful.” He sucked one painfully tight nipple deep into his mouth. His tongue flicked across it as he maintained suction. She was going to die. Right here. Right now. Reduced to nothing but lust in its purest form. She buried her fingers in his hair and threw back her head. He drew back. Before she could protest, he treated her other nipple to the same pleasure.
“Hunter. Oh my fuck, Hunter.” She reached for his cock and stroked the silky skin. Wrapping her fingers around the shaft, she milked him.
He shuddered and looked up at her.
His eyes were glazed with lust, his hair fell over one eye, and his lips were moist. “Keep that up, and this’ll be a short ride.”
“Sometimes it’s the quality, not the quantity.”
“But having both is better than having one.”
She couldn’t deny his logic. “Then perhaps you should saddle up and get into the starting gate.”
He lifted her off the counter, and she wrapped her arms and legs around him to keep from falling. He carried her down the hall, checking the rooms until he found the master, and dumped her unceremoniously on the bed. She lay there, sprawled out on the duvet, her legs spread and her body shaking with anticipation.
He disappeared briefly, returning with a handful of condoms. He rolled one onto his impressive dick and pulled off her panties.
“Come here.” She crooked her finger at him, and he smiled, slow and predatory.
The bed dipped under his weight as he moved between her legs, his knees pressed against her inner thighs. She reached for him and scraped her fingernails across his pecs and down to his abs. His balls hung heavy and his cock stood proudly, as if saluting her pussy. He held her gaze as he pushed into her. She started to close her eyes, but he pinched her nipples. Her eyes flew open.
“Don’t close your eyes. I want to see them when I make you come.”
She nodded, devoured by the passion in his dark eyes and owned by the sheer power of his sleek male body. She’d never had a man as large as him inside her. Despite her arousal, her body fought to adjust to the massiveness of his cock. Pain mixed with pleasure and dissipated until all she felt was pleasure. He filled her, surrounded her, owned her.
Hunter moved inside her; his thrusts built from slow and powerful to hard and achingly deep. With each thrust of his cock into her body, he buried his soul into her heart. She arched against him, finding a new angle to take him even deeper, so deep she’d never dislodge that small piece of him that would forever remain engraved on her heart.
Game Changer: Seattle Steelheads Football (Game On in Seattle Book 7) Page 7