“Good point,” I agreed.
He was pretty good at this. He hadn’t even looked at my slide deck and he’d gotten right to the point it had taken fifteen pages for me to get to. Our project needed to focus on two streams of thinking. First, the more obvious was how we could assist the public with the adoption process and with finding resources, like animal shelters or pet stores. Second, and possibly more important to a more consistent revenue stream was that we needed to focus more on shelters. They had established, underutilized budgets, and they had an interest in minimizing the number of animals left in their care due to mismatches between the pets and the people who visited their specific shelters.
While the coffee brewed, he sat beside me and took a look through the presentation. “Looks good.”
“I went with the idea of rotating the pet adoption drives at individual shelters instead of a centralized off-site location for several shelters to come together. This way we can draw attention to each location, and then cycle through the locations so it’s fair and lets people know where they all are. This also helps for people who want to adopt when there’s not a drive going on. They’ll know where to go to do that, since we’re not going to be running an actual shelter ourselves.”
“Smart. Did you email this to me?”
“Several times, but check the last email for the final draft.”
“Cool. How are we going to deliver this presentation? Maybe you can do the intro and I’ll get into the budgets and answer questions.”
“That could work.” This was going way better than I thought.
“So, we’re done with the first two hand-ins for this project?” Slade asked, getting up again to fill his coffee mug. I’d already declined on the late-night coffee buzz, so he didn’t bother asking me again if I wanted to partake.
“Pretty much. I’ve finalized your draft business plan, and if you’re good with this deck as is, we can call it a wrap until the write-up is due after Thanksgiving.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. We’re way ahead…”
“Sounds perfect.”
“With our notes from tonight, I’ll finalize the speaking notes for the pitch. We’ll need to run through it once or twice, and then I’ll set up a meeting with an owner or investor through Dr. Taylor.” I laughed. “He’ll be excited to know that we were able to work together on this project after all.”
“Yes, he will,” Slade agreed.
“I guess I should be thanking you for going all gung-ho and setting things up with the shelter.”
“Hell yeah. I can think of a few ways you could do that.” He stood up to stretch and walked over to me as I finished packing up my things.
“Slade,” I cautioned him, though my body knew what was coming and hell, I wanted him.
“Stop talking,” he growled, and I closed my eyes when his fingertips caressed my shoulders and ran down my arms, then hooked around my waist.
His other hand reached up and I think I moaned when he laced his fingers through the hair at the nape of my neck. I definitely moaned when he lowered his head to mine and our lips met. That hungry kiss sent a heat wave of pleasure and need through my body, right to my toes, now curling inside my loafers.
He tightened his arm around my waist and pulled me against him. I could feel the heat radiating from his groin, and God, I think I soaked my panties just knowing he was hard already. I gripped onto his biceps, feeling the contours of his perfectly sculpted muscles. I wanted him so bad, but no.
I pulled away from that smoldering kiss before we could get too far again. “No,” I told him. “This can’t happen. I need to get home.”
“You want this, Cassidy. Stop fighting it.”
“I don’t… I can’t, okay?”
“That’s not what the rest of your body’s telling me,” he whispered, taking the bag I brought over out of my hand. “Let’s talk about it in my room. The kitchen’s a bit too open for me to convince you.”
“I don’t think so. Now give me back my bag so I can go.”
He pulled the handle of the bag up over his head. “This bag?” he said playfully. “Come get it.”
“Not funny, Slade. Give it back.” He shook his head, stepped back into the hallway and turned toward the staircase. “For Christ’s sake, Slade. It’s too late for this childish crap.”
If my wallet and dorm room keys weren’t in that bag, I’d have just left and gone home, just so he’d know I wasn’t playing. Too bad it wasn’t and a minute later I was at the top of the stairs trying to figure out which room was his. Thank goodness none of his frat hounds were anywhere around. At the end of the hall, I saw the door close slowly. That had to be his room.
He was standing just past the doorway when I stormed in and almost mowed him over—except with his height and my tiny frame, it was more like me bouncing off his body the way a ball would on a brick wall. He steadied me by holding onto my shoulders. For a second all I wanted to do was pound on his chest for luring me up to his room like this.
After that subsided, he kicked the door closed behind me and asked, “What is it about my wanting to be with you that’s so repulsive?” He waited for me to answer. I had nothing to offer that would come out without sounding like a scathing attack. “You know what I think? I think you’re afraid you’ll enjoy it too much.”
I scoffed out a laugh. Did he really believe I was so dumb that I’d fall for a dare like that? “Whatever, buddy. Give me my bag. Now.”
“Find it and you can have it.”
Good Lord. Did we really have to do this at almost two in the morning?
I scanned around the room and didn’t see any sign of it. I walked to his closet. Nothing there. I checked under his bed. No dice. I dug around in the two bottom drawers of his armoire as they were the only ones large enough to fit it. It wasn’t there, either. “Did you even bring it in here?”
“That’s a whole other question, isn’t it?”
Frustrated, I sat on one side of his bed. “Like I said… childish.”
He sat beside me and put an arm over my shoulder. It was more of a friendly gesture than anything seductive. Still, I took his arm and pushed it off anyway. “Not as much as this game you’re playing, Cassidy. We’re both adults now. I want you. You want me. Just roll with it. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”
“I’m not afraid of you.”
“You’re a virgin, aren’t you?”
“What? This has gone from stupid to just plain ridiculous!”
I stood up and made to leave. If I had to, I’d walk my ass home and pound on my dorm door until someone opened it, and if Miranda wasn’t home I was ready to sleep on the concrete floor in the corridor. I’d had enough.
I didn’t get away from him fast enough. Slade gripped onto my wrist before I took a step away from his bed, and he pulled me back until I was sitting in his lap. By then it was too late. All that anger had turned into desire, and when he pulled me in and our lips touched, it was practically over. It didn’t hit me how much I wanted him. Or maybe I’d just been lying to myself, biased because of his cocky attitude and superstar façade. I must have wanted this all along. Why else would my body react so strongly, so suddenly?
Even as his hands moved over me, sliding over my clothes, under my clothes, I wondered if it was really happening. How was it possible? I wondered if I should pinch myself and snap out of it, but then I realized I didn’t want to wake up. It felt so incredible. Something inside me was coming to life. I decided to go with it, to see how far we could take this. He was supposed to be so damn good, wasn’t he? I’d see for myself.
I touched him—softly, at first, then more confidently. He was magnificent, every muscle bulging and flexing under his soft, hot skin. Pulsing and throbbing under my hands, which deftly undid each button of his shirt without hesitation. He lowered me beside him on the bed, then sat up, giving me a look at his massive chest, shoulders, and arms while he undid the waistband and zipper of my jeans. I lifted my hips up and
wiggled as he tugged my jeans down my hips and legs. His rippling abs begged for me to lick them. I ran light, teasing fingers down the length of his abdomen, and he groaned, bending forward again to crush his lips against mine. All the pent-up passion inside me poured out, taking my breath away.
I tipped my head up and he took the invitation to kiss more of me. Slade devoured everything he could reach, then pulled off my top, leaving me in only my underwear, practically writhing underneath him. By then I didn’t care about anything except feeling more of him between my legs. He rolled me on top of him, and I reached back to unhook my bra, noticing the way his eyes drank me in. I pushed my hips back so I could undo his belt and zipper. Sliding one hand past his boxers, I gripped his manhood. He seemed surprised—he hadn’t expected me to be this assertive. I wouldn’t have been this brazen, either. My body had taken over, and now I was dragging his pants and boxers down his legs before I climbed back on top of him. My eyes widened when I saw what I’d only felt before. He was huge, throbbing. I bit my lip, nervous and hungry at the same time. I would have taken a taste of his raging hard-on just then, but honestly, my core was aching for this.
Smiling with a goofy, drunken expression, he reached over to his night stand and passed me a condom. I had it out of the wrapper and rolled up his erection in no time, silently appreciating his girth and length as I rubbed against it, needing the pressure to ease some of the ache between my legs.
“That’s right,” he whispered. “Take what you want.”
Slade moved his hands up and cupped my breasts now, massaging and kneading. I moaned out, arching my back as he sat up and took one nipple into his mouth. With a gasp, I lifted my hips off him and positioned myself to take him inside me. I lowered myself onto him, inch by massive inch, enjoying the feel of him filling me taking my pleasure so high I was soaring. He lowered to his back again, and held on to my waist to pull me down the rest of the way when he couldn’t wait any longer. By then my hips were grinding against his, and he met my every move with thrusts of his own, anchoring me with his hands on my waist, lifting me off then pulling me down his shaft. I closed my eyes and held on to his biceps, losing myself in the sensation and our sound and scents, aware that I was so close.
He released one hand from my waist, sliding it down past my mound until his thumb was over my sensitive spot. My hips moved more wildly now, relishing the extra stimulation and the way he flicked against it as I barreled toward my peak. I heard his groans but only faintly over my own climactic cries and gasps. I was lost, letting go of everything I’d been pushing back all this time. I shuddered through that jolt of pure electricity, only vaguely aware of my loss of control, and of his hands still roaming around my body, and his breath as he pounded into me and got closer.
As I came back into myself, Slade held on to my back and rolled us over. He lifted my legs over his shoulders and buried himself in me all the way to the root. I whimpered out a foreign, desperate groan of pleasure and didn’t recognize my own voice. Who was he turning me into?
His eyes were half-closed, his face flushed. He pushed forward into me, filling me so completely I had to cup my hand over my mouth to stop my scream.
“Cassidy…” he whispered again. At least he knew it was me and not some random girl he banged without even finding out her name. Not that it made what we were doing any more special, but hell, at least he knew who I was.
He pulled back, then slid home again. Out, then in. Now there was only pleasure—a deep, warm, throbbing pleasure in my core which spread like tongues of flames, licking through the rest of my body.
“Yes.” I whispered fiercely.
A light sparked in his eyes, and he was quick to give me what I asked for. He began grinding slowly, sensually, making sure I felt every inch of him. A second later he moved my legs to around his waist and lowered his body onto me. He kissed me hard, parting my lips to explore my mouth with his tongue the way he filled me south of the border. I gripped his ass and pumped my hips up now, and soon he was grunting, his body tensing above me until pleasure seemed to rip through us both. My core tightened around is staff, and he threw his head back, the veins popping out along the sides of his neck as he roared in orgasm. I watched, satisfied to see him completely lose control, giving in to the pleasure I gave him. It was powerful and thrilling and addictive.
And scary as hell.
He relaxed on top of me when it was over, holding on to me like a prized possession as we both caught our breath. I didn’t expect this part, that he’d actually lie here with me, and not just throw his clothes back on and call it a night. Probably with a handshake or a wink as he kicked me out. I bit back a laugh at the visual.
He pushed himself up until I could see his face. For a split second, there was something warm there. Something I couldn’t quite name. I smiled gratefully, and then it was gone. It was like a wall came down between us.
He grinned, raising an eyebrow. “So. You finally got a piece of Slade, huh? I bet you’ve been waiting a long time for that.”
I blinked, thinking oh crap, Slaughter’s back. We were back where we started.
I frowned, disappointed. “I think you should probably get me home.”
“Sure, doll. You wouldn’t want anybody to know you finally gave in to me,” he muttered. But he didn’t sound angry—in fact, he winked at me and got up to pull his clothes back on. I didn’t bother telling him he was wrong, that it wasn’t about that. Not entirely, anyway.
It didn’t matter. The moment had passed. He was cocky Slade again. Was I kidding myself when I thought he could be any different? Maybe I did that to make myself feel better. I sat up, pulling the sheets around me to get up and gather my things, a bit sorry to see his body go. I wondered if I’d ever see it again. It was one thing to resist him back when I didn’t know what I was missing. Now I’d have something to miss, but not his attitude.
He left the room for a minute and retuned with my bag. “Ready?”
“Yeah.” I followed him to his car and didn’t say a word for the entire drive, not until he stopped his car outside my dorm. “See you,” I said, trying to sound cool and unaffected.
He smiled—a little too knowingly, maybe. I hardened a little bit. He was so damn cocky. I wouldn’t let myself fall any further. I still wasn’t sure why I was disappointed. He was a dick before I slept with him, and was still one afterward. So why did I find him more irresistible now?
9
Slade
It was the fifth game of the season, and the second home game in a row. We were on a winning streak, which was no surprise to me. In the locker room, suiting up with the other guys, I could feel the energy coming off of our last two wins. Our momentum was growing, and our team was stronger as every week passed.
For tonight’s game, I took a moment to let it sink in as I looked around the locker room. I watched my team members proudly put their uniforms on over the protective pads, and on the Coach’s signal, looked on as each picked up his helmet in his hand, eager for the next win. It was a giddying sight to look around the room and see all those helmets held up with pride.
“Okay, boys. Bring it in tight,” Coach said, stepping into the middle of the room. “Let’s talk tactics and then I’ll give you one of my less popular spiels.”
He sounded serious. It wasn’t his normal, energized, charismatic pep talk, and that made us all pay attention.
“Tonight we’re coming in off of consecutive wins. What happens when you get to this level of success? You get lazy. You get too content. You get careless. But you aren’t growing when you’re content, and if you’re not growing, you’re not wining. You gotta ask yourselves tonight, are we content?”
He looked around the room at the somber faces.
“Well, are we?” he asked again.
“No!” the team shouted.
“Then, go out there tonight and play like a team that’s set an awesome foundation for a winning season, and let’s keep growing. Wake up, boys! Those guys coming in
here tonight know what you got, and they want it. They don’t respect your house. This is your house. You’re going to show them what happens to intruders who set foot in your house. You’re going to teach them how to respect you. They will not get to take what you earned with hard work. And you have to want it more than they do. Special teams, know your role. Defense, let’s hit them hard. Offense, let’s play fast. Let’s move that ball. Give defense a lead to protect. Are we ready to play some football?”
“Yes, Coach.”
“I said, are we ready to play some football?”
“Yes, Coach!” The team roared.
“That’s better. Now get out there and show them whose house this is.”
We stormed the field like we were going into battle. We weren’t just going out there to play football. We were going out there to crush bones and stomp on the other team’s backs. I went out there every week to earn my spot in the draft next year. That was a given. This season was the end of my college career, and I knew that in order to get where I wanted to be in the NFL, I had to play like I was already there.
The game started off with a bang, and the offense played fast during the first half on both teams. Those boys from out of town were good. They made our defense work for it and we gladly returned the favor. Personally, I wasn’t satisfied unless I threw a touchdown pass every time we had possession. The better our defensive line played, the more often I got to do that.
On our first possession, my first pass of the game, Evan caught the ball and ran it in. The crowd loved that. Our rivals for the night, not so much. I came off the field with a smile on my face. It was going to be that kind of night. We were looking at scoring big if we kept up the pace, but they showed us during their next possession that they were looking at doing the same thing. Where we’d gone for the extra point, they went for a two-point conversion, putting us behind.
Go Deep: A Bad Boy Sports Romance Page 7