Game Changer

by Rene Folsom

  “And then there were two,” I muttered, wondering how we were going to finish this.

  “Hey, Liam?” Maci said as her character tapped mine on the shoulder to get my attention. Within seconds, my character was paralyzed. I knew this was it, and since she pulled her power before I did, there was nothing I could do but hope it started affecting her too with her close proximity to me.

  Then, she did the unexpected. Bringing her gun up to her own head, she looked me straight in the eye—well, her character did—and pulled the trigger. “You win.”

  “Fuck, Maci! What did you do that for?” I nearly screamed while staring at the screen, watching the finale—my character cheering on his own accord because he defeated all the other sins. “You had it won. Why would you puss out like that?”

  “Because I wanted to,” she said, her voice growing husky. Glancing beside me, I watched in shock as she leaned over, crawling onto her hands and knees like a lioness in heat.

  Lightbulb. Duh, Liam. She lost on purpose.

  Forcing me back, she climbed on top of me, her lips mere inches from mine. Her cute braid flopped to the side of our heads as she settled above me, pinning me to the couch. God, she was perfect, other than the fact she just threw the fucking game.

  “You do realize you didn’t have to throw in the towel just to get in my pants, right?” I joked, only she probably knew just how serious I was. “Don’t we need to talk abo—?”

  “Shh,” she shushed against my lips, her warm breath tickling me in the most delicious way. “No talking.”

  “Then what—?” This time, her lips cut me off with a feverish kiss, our teeth nearly clashing together with the force behind it.

  Breaking away, she took a deep breath. “Take me to bed,” she demanded between pants.

  She definitely didn’t have to tell me twice.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Maci: Tetris

  Liam’s strength surprised the hell out of me as he picked me up in one quick movement and began stalking toward his room, my legs and arms wrapped around him in a death grip.

  How girls could continue to kiss while some guy carried their heavy asses around was beyond me. I just held on for dear life and tried not to squeal like a ninny. Instead, I felt my growing smile graze against the cotton of his shirt. Regardless of whether he could see it or not, I was sure he knew I was grinning. I was also hoping I’d jog his memory by being with him in this familiar place.

  I managed to get a growl from him as my teeth scraped on the lobe of his ear, the feel of his power beneath me growing with each step he took. Meaning for it to be a seductive whisper, I said, “God, I need this.”

  “Need what?” he questioned, lightly setting me on my feet next to the bed and looking down into my eyes. The room was dark, except for the soft illumination coming from his killer Tetris lamp above his bed. So, I was thankful to be able to see his face as I responded.

  “You.”

  His answering smile filled my soul with warmth, causing me to close the distance and kiss him more passionately than I had ever kissed a man before. My fingers involuntarily tangled in his hair, pulling him down to meet my lips with fervor.

  “I think gaming has got to be the sexiest foreplay I’ve ever experienced,” he muttered between pecks.

  Biting his bottom lip, I hissed a breath between my teeth and added, “Especially when I kick your ass every time.”

  “For shiz,” he mumbled, never distancing his lips from mine, the feel of his breath tangling with mine was a new sensation I couldn’t seem to get enough of.

  Gripping me around my waist, Liam lifted me from my feet in another passionate embrace, allowing me a moment to kick my Converses off as I deepened the kiss. Our tongues tangled together, warring with each other for dominance. He should’ve known better by now that I would always win the battle.

  God, I wanted him… and my vigorous actions should’ve been enough to prove my need for this geek of a man—should have being the optimal words.

  “Maci,” he said, gasping for air as he pulled away and stared me down, his face barely discernable in the dim light. “Are you sure this is what you want?”

  “What’s up with you, Liam?” I questioned, wondering why he continually insisted on turning me down. “I practically throw myself at you and you’re still pushing me away?” The man seriously didn’t know who the fuck was standing in front of him. I wanted so badly to blurt out that I was both The Black Cat and his favorite Sci-Fi author… but I knew that would only give me the instant gratification I needed. No. I needed the cocky geek to want me for who I was in real life, not for the fictional roles I played.

  “It’s not that, and you know it,” he spat out, shaking his head as he stared down at my shoes littering his floor. “It’s just—”

  Placing my hand over his mouth, I cut him off, not caring what had him all wound up like a virgin about to do the nasty for the first time. “Shut up,” I demanded. Tucking my other hand in the waist of his jeans, I pulled him against me. “I’ve wanted to get in these pants for over a week now. So please, just stop blubbering and kiss me.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he answered with a grin, lowering his head toward me once more, our lips meeting in a soft tangle of passion. The feel of his strong hands pressing against the small of my back felt heavenly, channeling his power to my core and making me feel more confident as I arched and pushed my front against his chest.

  Inching my fingers beneath his shirt, I lifted, reveling in the feel of his warmth beneath my touch. God, it felt good to put my hands on a man like this again. I’d obviously gone way too long without this kind of intimacy. The change of pace was both invigorating and frightening.

  Gliding my hands up the strong muscles in his back, I pulled away and silently asked for his permission, staring into his eyes, the blue barely discernible in the dim lighting. Lifting his arms, he allowed me to raise the shirt over his head, revealing the skinny, yet defined body beneath. It wasn’t like he didn’t have muscles. They were there, and they were perfect for him. His skin was dark with the reflection of light from his dim lamp, the toned muscles he had casting shadowed patterns across the surface.

  Tossing the shirt to the floor, I reached for his chest, digging my fingernails lightly into his flesh and following with a kiss. His body trembled ever so slightly beneath my lips, making me realize I affected him just as much as he did me.

  Pulling at my braid, Liam tilted my head back and placed a light peck on my nose before saying, “Your turn.”

  His pout was almost comical as I backed away and removed myself from his arms. But, his lower lip didn’t stick out for long as he realized what I was doing.

  Crossing my arms around my torso, I took my time to wrap my fingers securely around the hem of my shirt. I made sure his eyes were on me, hunger clear in their depths. With a painstakingly slow pace, I began to lift the scrap of fabric from my body. You could tell the action was pure torture for the man as he stared at me with a stupid grin on his face.

  He thought he knew what was coming, but the surprise was yet to be revealed. And I just loved surprising people. Clearing the last little bit of cloth from my head, I looked him straight in the eye while he stared at my boobs, shock and awe on his face clear with the fact I wasn’t wearing a bra. The shirt I’d just removed had one of those comfortable, built-in bras that I absolutely loved. Best. Invention. Ever.

  The light sound of my shirt hitting the floor went straight to my core. This was really happening. I was internally doing a little booty dance, my stomach entangled with all kinds of little flutters due to the excitement that I’d finally get to sleep with him again. On the outside though, I knew I had to keep my cool or I’d scare the guy off.

  With slow, measured footsteps, I closed the distance between us and pressed my bare chest to his, skin on skin. Heat immediately enveloped my nakedness, coating me with warmth to counteract the chill from the air-conditioned room.

  I thought he’d wrap his a
rms around me, or maybe grab my boobs and cop a feel. Instead, he brought both hands to either side of my face, cradling my jaw in his hands, his touch having a much more intimate feel than I was expecting. His blue eyes were like glaciers—my reflection clear in their depths.

  “So beautiful,” he whispered, the sentiment catching me a bit off guard. He’d told me I was beautiful before, but the gravity of his words seemed to mean so much more this time—in this vulnerable state. Normal Maci would retort with some sort of joke, covering up my discomfort with humor that would be totally inappropriate in the moment. But this man disarmed me, making me feel like he actually meant the words spilling from his lips.

  And what an amazing set of lips they were. I couldn’t help myself. I just had to answer his compliment with a kiss.

  With an overwhelming amount of desire building, I reached for him, wrapping my hands behind his neck, pulling at his short hair with desperate fingers. The force was overpowering, my strength surprising me as our mouths collided. Liam sucked in a ragged breath as our teeth clashed together, yet his struggle to pull away was downright useless. My hold on him was powerful and totally necessary.

  Our noses butted against each other as we struggled for control. His hands, the ones that just skillfully played each button on his gaming controller with expertise, were both clutching to my ass as if letting go would cause me to disappear. I was so worked up and ready, I could just imagine myself trying to climb him like a tree.

  I wasn’t being graceful or ladylike—far from it. Instead, I was grinding every part of my body against his, willing to give him all of myself… worm my way inside him if I could. Actually, scratch that. I wanted the man inside me, and I wanted it now.

  Never allowing our lips to break free, I reached behind me and grabbed one of his hands, forcing him to touch me, tease me, anything to ease the ache building in my breasts. He didn’t fight me either. His thumb grazed my nipple, nearly making me cry out. I could just imagine how wonderful it would feel if he played me as passionately as he played his video games.

  My fingers dug into the strong, flexing muscles of his back, earning me a few delicious groans as he continued to play tug-of-war with my tongue. His kisses were so amazingly yummy, and I couldn’t help but bite that bottom lip of his a few times just to let him know how turned on I was. I could feel my panties getting wetter and was close to demanding he touch me more.

  Without prompting him to do so, he took his sweet time and glided his fingers up the side of my bare torso. My body quivered at the feel of his warm hands trailing a path up my side, creeping ever so slowly to their destination. His fingertips teased the sensitive skin on the side of my breast, causing electric jolts to cascade through my entire body. Cupping my flesh with his large hands, Liam feathered his fingers over my nipple, the feel of his touch making me break away from his lips and gasp, pushing my breasts further into his hands.

  Throwing my head back, I couldn’t help but moan, my voice filling the void in the quiet room. “Oh, God,” I cried out, needing him to know that his touch was driving me mad. My fingers were clutching his biceps, holding on for dear life as he paid close attention to both my breasts, flicking his thumbs over the sensitive buds and making me feel tingles all the way to my toes.

  Lowering his head, Liam brought his mouth to me. The anticipation of his lips closing around my nipple had my knees nearly buckling, so when he finally did make contact, I thought for sure I’d lose my balance.

  He hummed his satisfaction against my most-sensitive area, the vibration of his voice adding to the intense feeling. Every inch of my skin was perceptive to his touch, and the feel of his palms braced against my back went straight to my core.

  Continuing to devour me, my nipple buried deep in his mouth and his tongue causing all kinds of crazy feelings, he increased his hold on me and guided me to lie back on the bed. I let him, completely trusting this man would never let me fall. He was so gentle, yet vigorous in his touch. The conflicting sensations seemed to mesh perfectly as I gave up full control and let him pleasure me.

  Licking the sensitive nub before pulling away, cool air flickering over me with the loss of his mouth, Liam kissed a trail from one breast to the other and said, “You. Taste. Absolutely. Amazing.” His voice came out in a broken staccato as he spoke between each kiss, each word taking on all new meaning as he complimented me.

  “More,” I demanded, lacing my fingers in his dark hair and pushing out my chest, wrapping one of my jean-clad legs around his waist to bring him even closer than before.

  He didn’t hesitate—taking my other nipple in his mouth with such delicious torture, I was sure I’d explode without him even touching me further down. Oh, just the thought of him touching me down there had my hips bucking wildly. My body began to tremble, needing to feel every sensation possible.

  Trailing my fingernails down his back, I snaked my hands around his waist and to his front, twisting them between our bodies so I could start working at the button of his jeans. I wanted to feel his power between my fingers, make him feel just as good as he did me. He lifted his hips slightly, allowing me the room I needed to do the deed.

  My fingers fumbled with the button, and I couldn’t seem to get the goddamn thing undone. I was actually beginning to forget about the feel of his mouth on my nipple as I struggled to release him from his jean confines, frustration overpowering all other sensations as I tugged hard.

  “Fuck, Liam. Get these things off,” I demanded, throwing my arms to the side in defeat, my limbs lightly bouncing on the plush surface of his bed. I felt his growing smile as he chuckled against my breast, obviously thinking my little hissy fit was funny. “It’s not funny. I can’t get them undone!”

  Pulling his lips from my nipple, he pressed his body to mine and brought his hand to my face, brushing a stray hair from my eyes. His smile was infectious as he stared at me, laughing more and saying, “A little impatient, are we?”

  “Hell yeah, I am. You’re driving me nuts, and I haven’t even gotten the chance to touch you yet,” I pouted. He responded to my tirade with a kiss to my forehead.

  “Okay, scoot up onto the bed a little,” he instructed, backing off me a bit to give me some room. I would’ve complained at the loss of him if I weren’t so eager to see him in the buff. I may have slept with the man before, but my memory was a bit fuzzy. Too bad I couldn’t tell him how antsy I was to have a quick refresher.

  Still in my jeans, I pushed myself up and scooted back, lying back down and gazing at him expectantly. I needed this—needed him.

  Instead of doing what I wanted and removing his jeans, he crept toward me on the bed and lowered himself to my waist, placing a soft kiss on my belly and making me giggle. Yep, I said giggle—like a fucking schoolgirl. It didn’t take long for me to figure out what he was doing as his long, strong fingers wrapped inside the waistline of my pants. Without struggle, the man popped the button and began to lower the zipper in one fell swoop, revealing the tiny, pink bow on the front of my black, satin panties.

  His lips landed on my stomach again, this time lower, touching the hypersensitive skin just above the line of my bikinis. After teasing me with a few more scruffy pecks and making me writhe beneath his tormenting touch, he inched his fingers between my hipbones and jeans and began to tug. I didn’t argue, or bother to pout that he still had his damn pants on. Instead, I lifted my hips, allowing Liam to skillfully undress me. The man sure did know how to drive me wild.

  The feel of my pants being removed, his fingers grazing down my legs at a deliciously measured pace, had shivers running over my skin like ripples of water right before a storm. Pulling the last bit of heavy jeans from my ankles, I suddenly felt a bit self-conscious as I lay there with nothing but a scrap of cloth covering my crotch. When he didn’t say or do anything after I heard my pants hit the floor, I looked up, wondering where he had gone.

  My gaze followed my bare legs to the edge of the bed where my calves hung half off the side. There he s
tood, hands on hips in a powerful, superhero stance, as he stared down at me, shadows covering most of his face and making it hard for me to see his expression. I wanted so badly for him to speak, to know what he was thinking.

  After a few more moments of silence, my heavy breathing the only noise in the room, I began to fidget and considered covering myself. The fact I was now the center of attention made me feel uncomfortable in so many ways, and I knew I had to take a little control of the situation before I wimped out and ran.

  “Liam?” I questioned, needing to hear his voice, for him to say or do something.

  “Yes,” he answered, as if he had to affirm it was really him standing there staring at me like a creeper. But I knew him—I knew he wasn’t a creep or a weirdo. I just needed him to take action instead of continuing to gawk.

  Propping myself up on my elbows and crossing my legs, I smirked and said, “You’re still clothed.” There, show confidence, no matter how uncomfortable you actually feel.

  “Yes, I am.” His voice was gruff, filled with some sort of unnamed emotion I couldn’t pinpoint. “Is this a problem?”

  “Well, I’d like for you not to be, especially considering I’m sitting here damn near in the nude,” I affirmed. Jesus, did I have to spell it out for the man?

  Leaning over me, Liam placed both his hands near mine on the bed. His face was so close to mine, I could feel his breath coming out in short bursts of air. “What’s the matter? You don’t like to be admired?”

  “Not unless I can admire in return. Tit for tat, Mr. Allen.” Reaching for his waistline, I cupped my fingers into his jeans and tugged lightly. “Now strip.”

  He broadened that cocky smile at my words, placing a light kiss to my cheek before backing away and saying, “Yes, ma’am.”

  I couldn’t seem to take my eyes off his, our gazes intertwined in some sort of supernatural trance, as he worked at the button of his jeans and let them fall to the floor. Maybe it was the author in me, but I immediately began to burn his actions to memory, the intensity of the moment searing my soul as words began to flow in my mind. I prayed to the literary gods that I could hold onto this burst of inspiration, sure as shit I’d forget the verbose imagery by sunrise. In any other instance, I would’ve scrambled for my phone, jotting down the scene that came so freely so I could use it at some point in the future.