Breakout (San Francisco Strikers Book 1)

by Stephanie Kay

  “Here you go.” Ethan returned, handing her a martini. Their fingers brushed and little bolts of sensation shot through her body.

  “Thanks,” she mumbled. She ran her fingertips along the glass and couldn’t help but notice that Ethan watched her hands as well. She grasped the glass and took a sip.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yes. I should’ve asked for a water, too.”

  “It’s on the way. Ran out of hands,” he said sheepishly. Dammit, why did he have to be so adorably sweet? He reached out, his finger twirling around one of her curls and tugged. She felt the pull down to her toes, and her stomach clenched.

  She leaned into his touch as his finger caressed her cheek. “Maybe we could have a sleepover,” she replied.

  “I thought you’d never ask,” he murmured as he shifted closer to her.

  She ran her finger over his hand on the table, her eyes half hooded as she looked up at him. His eyes darkened as he watched her, and when he leaned in to kiss her, she didn’t stop him.

  His lips brushed across hers, the softest of touches, and she melted against him, her head tilted back as his lips pressed harder against hers. Her hand gripped his shirt, curling into his chest as she pulled him closer, their heads slanting for a better angle. He deepened the kiss before pulling back, resting his forehead against hers.

  “Sorry. I’ve wanted to do that all night,” he said, his voice rough.

  “Me too,” she whispered.

  Amanda cleared her throat, and Penny pulled back, her cheeks hot.

  “Get a room,” Amanda teased.

  “Maybe we will,” Penny shot back, laughing when Amanda just nodded.

  “I’m probably going to head out soon, anyway,” Amanda said. “I’ll grab a cab home.”

  “Did you drive?” Ethan asked Penny.

  “We took BART to the game. There’s a stop just up the street from here. Didn’t want to have to deal with a car if I had too much to drink. I’m only a few blocks from here, so I figured I’d walk home,” she said with a shrug.

  “Really? By yourself?” His brow quirked up. Sure, her sleepover sounded premeditated when he questioned her like that.

  “I probably would’ve grabbed a cab,” she said, trying to play off her intentions. Not that she’d had intentions. Wait. Had she?

  “I’ll drive you home. Amanda, do you want a ride?” he asked.

  “I’ll drive her home,” Cheesy piped in. Penny’s gaze darted between Cheesy and Amanda. It seemed so random since he hadn’t returned most of Amanda’s flirtations. But Penny had been so focused on Ethan so she might’ve missed it. And now she felt like a crappy friend.

  “Sounds like a plan, Cheese,” Amanda said, draping her arm around his waist. She was a foot shorter than the guy so that was the best she could do.

  “It’s Ben,” he said stiffly.

  “Suits you better than Cheesy,” she teased. “So, Ben here will give me a ride home and you two kids can go get a room.”

  Penny held back her snort. Subtly, thy name is not Amanda.

  “You had to go there, didn’t you?” Penny muttered, and covertly elbowed her friend.

  Amanda grinned, pulling her in for a hug and whispering in her ear. “Have fun. And I want to hear all about it—in the morning.”

  “I hate you,” Penny grumbled.

  “No, you don’t. Now don’t keep that hot man waiting. You ready, Cheese?” she asked.

  Ben glared at her, but dropped some money on the table to cover half the tab. “Yep.”

  “Let’s go,” Amanda said, bidding them good night and following Ben out of the bar.

  “That’s interesting,” Ethan said with a chuckle.

  “Yes. I’m not sure what just happened,” she said, shaking her head.

  “I’ll just settle the tab and then we can go,” Ethan said. Her nerves started as he walked away. Was she making a mistake?

  “Stop overthinking it,” he said when he returned.

  “Sorry,” she said.

  “Whenever you’re ready.” It was a loaded statement.

  She tucked a curl behind her ear. “I’m ready.” She drained her water and hopped off her barstool quickly. Her ankle wobbled.

  Damn shoes. Yes, blame it on the shoes because that’s what’s messing with her equilibrium. Not the alcohol, or the fact that she was now pressed against his body, or the fact that she was about to take him home with her. His arms locked around her waist.

  “Are you okay?”

  “Umm, yes. Totally mortified, but yes.” She tried to step away from him, but her limbs didn’t want to move. His heartbeat raced under her hand on his chest.

  “Are you sure your knee is okay? Not that I mind having you in my arms.”

  “My knee is fine. It’s really my feet.”

  “I’m excellent at giving foot massages. Don’t you remember?” he asked as he kept her flush against him.

  “Maybe,” she whispered. But she remembered. He’d given her a foot massage right before she’d thrown herself at him and then promptly passed out. Not one of her better moments, and she wished he wouldn’t remind her.

  “Come on, let’s go,” he said as he pulled her toward the door, his fingers laced with hers.

  The cool night air hit her as they walked outside, wiping away some of her buzz, and she shivered.

  He tucked her arm into the crook of his elbow, pulling her close. “Better?”

  His warmth seeped through her side, and she could only nod. He led her to his car. A luxury sedan, but not the sports car she’d assumed.

  “Which way?” he asked.

  “It’s just three blocks up and then take a left.”

  “I had fun tonight,” he said as they set off.

  “Me too,” she whispered. He linked his fingers with hers, squeezing her hand as he drove. She’d missed him. Missed this. Sure, they’d only had a week in Italy, but there’d been an ease between them.

  “Turn left here, right?”

  “What?” She shook her head.

  “Left here?”

  She looked away from him. They were already on her street. “Ahh, yes it’s this street. Number 145.” They managed to find street parking, and he was out of the car and opening her door before she could grab her purse.

  He pulled her from the car, and reached behind her to grab his bag.

  “Now who’s presumptuous,” she teased.

  “Would you rather I go home?” he asked, that crooked smile in place. She’d trace it with her tongue tonight.

  “Definitely not,” she said, wanting there to be no more questions between them.

  Chapter 14

  Ethan’s arms tightened around her waist as Penny pressed him against the door. Her hands sunk into his hair, clutching and tightening, and a groan rumbled in his throat. The pull on his scalp, the perfect combination of pleasure and pain. He tilted his head, and deepened the kiss. He traced his tongue along the seam of her lips and gained entrance on her gasp, her tongue reaching out to meet his.

  He released her waist, trailing his hands down her spine, and she arched against him, her tongue dueling with his.

  “Oh, Ethan,” she moaned against his mouth, and he pulled back to nibble at the corner of her lips.

  “I can’t get enough of you,” he murmured against her heated flesh, nipping kisses along her jaw before sealing his lips with hers again. Her heartbeat raced under his touch, and a shiver rolled through her.

  She broke the kiss. “It’s freezing out here.” Her voice came out in shallow pants.

  He chuckled. “You couldn’t keep your hands off me long enough to open the door.”

  “Shut up,” she said, opening the front door, and pushing him against it as it shut behind them. He widened his stance, and she molded herself to his body. There were too many layers between them. She ran her hands up his chest, her eyes glittering in the low light, and his stomach clenched under her touch. He wanted—no, needed—her more than his next breath.
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br />   She pushed his coat from his shoulders, and he let it drop to the floor as her hands trailed back down his chest, and it was his turn to shudder.

  “Before we go any further, I want you to be sure.” The last words escaped on a groan as her fingers traced down the center of his belly, stopping at the button on his jeans.

  She let out a frustrated sigh and looked up at him under hooded eyes. “Stop questioning this. I’ve never been surer of anything in my life. I want you, Ethan.” She ran her hand along his stubbled chin and flattened her body against him. “Don’t you want me?”

  He groaned. “You have no idea how much.”

  “Then stop talking and kiss me,” she whispered before her lips met his. Her hands sunk into his hair as she kissed him, deepening the kiss as her tongue surged into his mouth. She was so eager to take control, and he loved it. All the tension and desire that had been building up tonight, and over the last few weeks, was poured into this kiss.

  He pulled back, his lips trailing down her throat, peppering her with little nips and soothing each bite with a kiss. Her pulse beat erratically under his tongue, and her fingers gripped his hair. He pulled her tight against his body, his cock straining with need as she rubbed against him.

  He kissed along her jaw, before brushing her hair aside and sucking on her earlobe. She moaned again, her body rocking into his, as if she was trying to get closer to him, to mold herself to him. His tongue darted out to trace the shell of her ear, before latching back onto the lobe.

  “Oh God,” she gasped as her fingers clutched his shoulders. “Bedroom. Now.”

  “Are you sure?” he asked, praying she was.

  “Yes.” She sounded exasperated that he kept asking, but he didn’t want her to regret this in the morning.

  They were both reasonably sober, but he had to be sure. “Then what are we waiting for?” he said as he walked her backward down the hallway and toward her bedroom.

  Her eyes were filled with desire and humor as she grinned at him. “You keep stalling with your stupid questions.”

  “Says the woman who never runs out of questions. Open lines of communication are important,” he teased.

  “You’re ridiculous.” She laughed, and trailed her hand down his chest, slipping her fingers under the hem of his shirt, and traced along his waistband. He sucked in a breath as one finger ran down the length of his zipper. He wanted to rip his clothes off and remove all barriers between them.

  He pulled her hand away. “If you keep touching me like that, I won’t last,” he gritted out.

  Her eyes darkened. “There’s always round two.” His chuckle was pained as she pulled free of his grasp and ran her fingers over his chest. She pushed him backwards until his legs hit the edge of the bed.

  A sliver of moonlight coming in from the window washed her in shadow, and he wanted to see her. “Turn on a light,” he whispered against her skin.

  She flipped on the bedside lamp before moving back in front of him. She nibbled on her lower lip as she watched him, her pupils fully dilated.

  “So beautiful,” he murmured, sinking his hands into her curls and tilting her head up for another kiss. He wanted to devour her. To consume her and never let her go. Her taste, her smell. He wanted everything. She gasped against his mouth as their tongues met and dueled. She sucked on his tongue, and he ached to feel her mouth on his cock.

  He finally pulled back, spreading kisses down her throat as she writhed against him. He sat down on the bed, pulling her between his thighs. His hands skimmed down her curves to the nip of her waist before inching underneath her shirt. He trailed his fingers up her belly, along the edge of her bra, and her stomach muscles clenched under his palm.

  She yanked her shirt over her head, her lace-covered breasts at mouth level.

  He smiled. “Impatient, are we?”

  She swatted his chest. “Shut up or I’ll put it back on.”

  He grinned, grabbing her shirt from her grasp and tossed it across the room, far out of reach.

  Her pale pink nipples were visible through the thin lace, and he leaned in, pulling her right breast into his mouth. Her hands sank into his hair, holding his face to her chest as he continued his torment, pulling her deep into his mouth before releasing and tracing his tongue around her lace-covered nipple.

  He reached behind her back, popping the clasp of her bra, and nudged the cups down. She released her grip on his hair, and the straps fell down her arms, the slip of fabric falling to the floor, her heated flesh bared before him.

  Her nipples pebbled to hard points with each shuddering breath, the flush spreading down her chest. Fuck, she was stunning.

  He tugged her close again, his arms locked around her waist as he leaned in and feasted. His tongue tracing along her breast, not touching her nipples, pulling every tormented moan from her lips as she urged him to take her into his mouth.

  He gave in, pulling her breast into his mouth, and her hands clutched at his scalp, her nails digging in, holding him to her body. His cock strained against his pants, his stomach clenched with every soft groan, every whispered plea. How had they waited this long? He would never get enough of her.

  “Oh God, Ethan,” Penny moaned as he treated her other breast to the same torment and heat shot down to her toes. She rubbed her thighs together, trying to assuage the need building in her body. She was going to burst into flames.

  He released her breast, and spread kisses down the center of her chest, across her belly. Anywhere he could reach. She needed him now. Stripped. Naked. Hers for the taking. Now.

  “You are overdressed,” she said. His fingers skated over her sensitive nipples. She bit back a moan at his touch.

  He pulled his shirt off over his head with one hand, mussing his hair in the process, and her fingers itched to explore those strands again. The electric blue of his eyes, now only a thin circle around his large pupils, stared back at her as heat raced through her body.

  She ran her hands over his shoulders, tracing the muscles along his arms before trailing her nails down his chest. His stomach muscles clenched under her touch, and he groaned when she scraped her thumbs over his nipples.

  He stood up, removing the rest of his clothes, along with hers. He turned to pull back the bedding. The muscles shifted along his back as he pushed back the comforter. His high and tight ass made her salivate, and she touched her lips. And he called her beautiful.

  He turned, and her eyes froze on his hard erection. She reached for him, her finger tracing over the smooth head. A shudder rolled through his body as she gripped him. He pumped in and out of her hand in shallow thrusts, and she tightened her hold. She relished in his strength and in their equal need for each other.

  He ducked his head into the crook of her neck, his lips trailing over her shoulder, his scruff scraping over her flesh and sending bolts of pleasure through her body. His hands gripped her ass, squeezing her as she continued to stroke him.

  “Fuck, Penny,” he moaned against her throat before he pulled back to stare at her.

  “We’re getting there. So demanding,” she teased, her harsh breaths belying her calm.

  He chuckled. “God, I’ve missed you. This. You’re even more beautiful than I remember,” he said as he pulled her down onto the bed, rolling her toward him so they were pressed from chest to hip. His cock dug into her belly, and she rubbed against him. His fingers moved down her body, along the dip of her waist, before he squeezed her hip.

  He rolled her to her back, and shifted on top of her. He moved down her body, spreading kisses along every inch of her sensitive flesh. She moaned, her head arching back, as he tortured her nipples with his tongue, pulling each one into his mouth again.

  One hand skated down her body, and she spread her legs, letting him settle between her thighs. His finger traced through her curls, slipping through her wet folds, finding her clit. His thumb rubbed in small circles, and she gasped against his mouth as her body tightened.

  “You’re so ready
for me,” he groaned, his finger slipping inside. Her inner muscles clamped down around him.

  “Oh Ethan,” she moaned, writhing in his continued torment, a second finger joining the first as his thumb moved in small quick circles against her clit. She clenched the sheets in her grip, and her neck arched, her breath coming in shallow pants, as he kissed down her body.

  Her thighs shook, and her stomach tensed as he continued to devour her, his teeth scraping against the sensitive bundle of nerves before he sucked her into his mouth. Her need narrowed down into one point before she exploded around him, her scream of release echoing through the almost silent room. Her limbs stretched out in pure boneless bliss. She wasn’t sure if she could move, even when he started kissing his way up her body, and she felt sparks of need flow through her again.

  “I need you inside me,” she whispered against his lips. She pushed up on her elbows watching as he gripped himself and rolled a condom on. He shot her that crooked smile she loved, then he settled on top of her, his strength a welcome weight covering her body. His chest hair rasped against her tightened nipples, his scruff-covered jaw rubbed against the crook of her neck, making her toes curl.

  “Is your knee okay to do this?” he whispered before nibbling on her earlobe. She couldn’t believe that in his passion filled haze, he still thought to ask her. She’d hadn’t tried to have sex with anyone since Ethan, so she had no idea if her leg would cooperate.

  “I hope so,” she whispered. He leaned down and brushed a kiss across her lips.

  “You know that we will figure it out, just like we did in Italy.”

  Tears pricked the backs of her eyelids at his sweet words, remembering how gentle he’d been. How he’d kissed away her tears when her frustration had gotten the better of her because her knee just wouldn’t work. Wouldn’t bend the way it should. He’d taken the time to make it work. She’d lost a part of her heart to him that night.

  She lifted her left leg and wrapped it around his hips as his erection nudged against her core. She hesitated, fearing pain, but her knee almost completely hooked around his hip and she let out a sigh of relief.

  “Any pain?” he asked.