by KB Winters
Without another word, he lowered his lips to mine and gave me the softest, sweetest kiss of my entire life. I clung to him, desperate to meld into him. When he broke away, he kept his forehead against mine, his eyes still closed. “Thank you for being here.”
My heart fluttered in my chest at his quiet words. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
Chapter Sixteen
Gwen
We didn’t say much as we continued our long walk through the park. There was more strength in the peaceful silence. The words that needed to be said had been said. We held each other tight as we wandered the path through the park and exited on the street closest to our hotel. We made it back to the hotel room before the snowfall started and we watched from the lobby—standing near the huge fireplace in the center—as the snowflakes fluttered to the ground. After a few lingering minutes, Carson wrapped his arm around my waist and directed me to the elevators.
As soon as we stepped into the hotel room, my hands flew to cover my mouth. Carson had arranged for what looked like a hundred hurricane candles to be lit throughout the room and deep red rose petals covered the white linens on the bed. “Oh my gosh,” I breathed, taking it all in. It was the most romantic thing anyone had ever done for me and it was so much sweeter after the fragile, raw conversation in the park.
I grabbed a hold of Carson and popped up onto the toes of my heels to kiss him deeply. “Thank you. You are beautiful.”
He smiled softly. “I think that’s my line.”
“You know what I mean,” I said, returning his smile. “I just want you to know how special you are to me.”
“I know, baby.” He traced a finger down the side of my cheek. “Thank you for picking at me. I’m not used to that, but I think I needed it.”
I laughed. “Anytime, handsome.”
“Now…can we talk about this special outfit you packed?” Carson asked, his eyes firing up with a twinkle of mischief and heat.
My fingers went to the top button on my heavy coat. “What if I told you I’d been wearing it all night?”
He groaned. “Aww, damn, baby.”
I giggled and finished unbuttoning my coat. I peeled it away slowly, stepping back out of reach when Carson tried to assist me. “Patience,” I said, wiggling a finger at him.
He backed up and reached for the bottle of champagne that was chilling in a bucket on the counter of the small kitchenette. He held it up and I nodded. With expert skill, he popped the cork and poured two flutes like he’d been a cater-waiter in another life.
“What should we toast to?” I asked, holding up the glass he’d offered me.
Carson lifted his own glass. “To Aunt Maggie.”
“Aunt Maggie?” I repeated with a laugh. “Aunt Maggie generally isn’t who’s on my mind right before jumping into bed with someone, and if that was where your mind is headed, we probably need to have a serious talk.”
Carson grinned. “Hear me out.”
I laughed. “Go ahead.”
“If I’d never stumbled into her diner, I’d have missed out on meeting the most beautiful girl in the world.”
“Not to mention you would have missed out on some pretty kick-ass biscuits and gravy,” I added, giving him a quick wink.
Carson smiled but his expression darkened as he took a step toward me. “I’m serious, Gwen. You’re very special to me and I hope you know this is real. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks. The holidays, the playoffs—being the fucking starting quarterback—it’s surreal. But I want you to know how much each minute we are together means to me and how grateful I am to spend this time with you.”
Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes and gave the room a soft fuzziness around the edges. “To Aunt Maggie,” I whispered, not trusting myself to say anything else.
Carson tapped his glass to mine and we both took a sip of the sweet champagne before coming together for a slow, smoldering kiss that quickly ignited into flames.
We clumsily set our glasses down and Carson peeled away my dress. With his hands on my hips, he spun me around, located the zipper at the back and slowly pulled it down, revealing my lace-covered skin as he went. His hands parted the fabric and ran over my waist. “I’ve waited long enough, Gwen. Show me what you’ve been wearing just for me.”
I smiled and dropped the cap sleeves from my shoulders before slowly twirling around. The dress slipped down my torso and I eased it over my flared hips, revealing the black and gold bodysuit I’d been wearing all night. It was sheer lace with gold lining that barely covered my breasts and matching panties that had black garters attached to hold up the thigh high stockings. The dress hit the floor and Carson’s jaw quickly followed.
“Holy shit, babe.”
I reached up and removed the clip holding back part of my hair and set it aside, shaking it free. Carson’s eyes sparkled and he moved forward, his hands unable to make up their minds on where to start as they roved over my waist, breasts, and up my back. He pulled me against him and I smiled at his obvious excitement. “I’m guessing you like,” I teased, walking my fingers up his solid chest.
“If I’d known you were wearing this—I wouldn’t have made it through my first drink,” he said, laughing softly. “You are so damn fuckable.”
“Good.” I popped the first button on his suit jacket. I glanced up at him, holding his stare as I finished the second and third buttons. “’Cause I’m really wanting to get fucked.”
He growled under his breath and hungrily pulled me to him. “I’m going to worship your body all night long, baby. You’re not going to be able to walk onto your plane tomorrow. At least not without a nice wobble to your steps.”
A delicious thrill shot up my spine at his seductive promise. I pushed his jacket off his shoulders as I looked back up at him, my hands sliding over his firm shoulders. “Go ahead and wreck me, Carson.”
“Your wish it my command, little lady” he whispered, dragging his lips back up my neck and to my ear.
I whimpered as he found the sweet spot where my jawline met my ear and Carson chuckled against my skin. “Damn, this is gonna be a good night.”
“Leave the stockings on,” he said into my ear, stroking the thin fabric of the panties.
I gasped as he pulled the panties aside and slid a finger across my pussy. “Mmm, baby, you’re so wet.” He stroked me again, making me shiver and push against him. “I want you in my bed.”
I nodded and made my way to the bed. I paused at the foot, waiting for him, but he didn’t lay me back. Instead, he spun me around and gently pushed me forward. I lowered to the bed, fighting my vulnerability as I propped up on my hands and knees. “Like this,” he said, hiking my hips up so I was on all fours, my ass bared to him.
I craned around and watched as he knelt behind me. With a sharp gasp, I arched my back, popping my ass higher into the air as his breath hit my skin. His tongue made hot little circles up the insides of my thigh and I clenched every muscle tight. He peeled my panties aside, nearly tearing the fabric, as he exposed everything. His tongue worked up and down across my pussy, teasing my clit and circling the opening until I was panting and clawing at the bed like some kind of wild animal. He was giving me just enough to drive me insane, but nowhere near enough to get me off, even as the pressure and ache grew stronger with each heartbeat.
My nails dug into the covers on the bed, twisting the material between my fingers. “Carson, please,” I pleaded, glancing behind me.
He stroked my clit with his fingers and his tongue moved up…up…up…
“Carson!” I cried, my eyes going wide but quickly falling closed again as an intense wave of pleasure sucked me back under the surface again. I couldn’t think straight. His tongue moved between my ass cheeks and danced around the tight entrance and I bit down on my lower lip, hard enough that I tasted a tang of blood. It was so wrong but it felt so fucking sexy. I couldn’t imagine what he was doing, but I was powerless to stop him. I didn’t want him to ever stop.
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nbsp; His fingers slid deep inside of me, caressing and teasing my g-spot as his tongue swirled and stroked my ass with precise, searing flicks that lit me on fire inside and out.
When Carson slipped his thumb inside my ass, I lost it. My orgasm came hard and fast, like a thunderbolt, ripping through the sky and shaking the ground as it hit. I shuddered and moaned, begging and pleading, clinging to the bed for dear, sweet life. Flashes and fireworks exploded behind my eyes.
My thighs shook as I lowered down to the bed. Every muscle was like a well-rung sponge, lifeless and unable to move. I turned my head against the pillow and caught Carson’s eye. “You. Are. A very. Naughty. Boy.”
He gave a lazy, half-cocked smile and didn’t even attempt an argument. Without a word, he moved over me, and I gasped when he teased my opening with the tip of his hard cock. “You have no idea.”
I laughed softly. “And here you play this nice, quiet…vanilla guy.”
Carson chuckled and lifted my hips. “This is all for you, baby. You make me want to do crazy things.”
“Dirty things, apparently.”
He laughed and rocked into me.
My eyes rolled back into my head as he filled me. I’d never been entered from behind before sleeping with Carson, and it was like he was made for me, molded to be a perfect fit. Every move set off fireworks and left me breathlessly clinging to the bed. I moaned loudly, unable to hold it back.
“Oh, fuck yeah, baby. Let me hear you.” Carson tugged my hips. “That’s so damn sexy.”
When he was spent, he released me, and I slid down to the bed like a pool of honey, slow and lazy. Every cell was tingling with the warm afterglow of the powerful release but a new craving welled up as soon as Carson wasn’t inside of me anymore. I rolled to my side and found him facing me, his eyes studying my naked body.
I resisted the urge to shrink up into a ball and hide my too-soft stomach. The look in Carson’s eyes told me that was the farthest thing from his mind. He pulled my leg over his hip and dropped a meaningful glance down between our bodies. My own eyes went wide as he reached down and stoked a finger through my slit. I was already wet again and aching for his touch but the featherlight graze was enough to make me moan. “Looks like that pretty little pussy needs more,” he said, his voice a low growl.
I sucked in my lower lip and nodded, my body throbbing in agreement. “Now?”
He smiled over at me, his grey eyes full of desire and heat. “Fuck yeah, baby. I promised you all night, didn’t I?”
Chapter Seventeen
Carson
Sunlight woke me before the alarm clock beside the bed. Despite the less-than-restful night, I was filled with energy and knew there was no point in even trying to eke out another hour of sleep. Beside me, Gwen’s body was covered up with the sheet. The fabric clung to her body and my eyes took a lingering tour over the curve of her hip, where it flared out and met her shapely thighs. She had no idea how sexy she was, or the way her body affected me. Even after sharing my bed, she didn’t fully realize the power and sway she held over me. Which, somehow, made her even more irresistible.
I’d been to New York at least a dozen times, and had been on countless road trips with the team. I’d never played before, but I still traveled with the team.
This trip was different. The city felt more alive to me. As though it were my first visit. I wasn’t ready to leave, but there wasn’t time to slow down and play tourist. No matter how much I wanted to.
We had one more game in the playoffs and I couldn’t slow down for anything. We had to win. And I had to make that happen.
I wasn’t blind to the fact that my star power was on the rise. Rapidly. My agent had already called and sent over emails from other teams who could become potential suitors. Months ago, I would’ve jumped at the chance to be courted by another team. To go anywhere else. But now…everything was different. I had Gwen. It was no longer just about what I wanted or where I wanted to go. If I left the Cannons, I’d be leaving her too.
I squeezed my eyes closed and sucked in a long, slow breath. There was too much going on inside my head. I couldn’t keep up with it all. The final playoff game. The team. Gwen. And now, my family drama had been dredged back up to the surface of my mind. I didn’t regret telling Gwen about my past, but it was always unpleasant, no matter how necessary it felt. Talking about it with anyone sucked. Sometimes, I wondered if my mom even knew I was playing in the playoffs. If she knew we were one game away from the Super Bowl. If she would even care…
Lost in my thoughts, I didn’t realize Gwen was awake, until she rolled over and traced a finger up my chest. Her hair was a beautiful mess fanned all around her, and her eyes danced with mischief. She was even more beautiful without the makeup she’d had on the night before. “Good morning,” she said, offering me a huge smile.
I shoved the thoughts of my mom as far away as possible, repelling them back to the dark corner they belonged in and rolled over to kiss Gwen and gather her back into my arms. The second her skin touched mine, it was like kindling catching and sparking into a bonfire. Gwen giggled as my cock pressed into her thigh. “That’s some kind of wakeup call you got there,” she teased.
I rocked my hips and smiled as her eyes widened. “Been cooking up all kinds of ideas over here while you were snoring away.”
She narrowed her eyes. “I did not snore.”
I laughed at her defiant pout before dropping another kiss to her sumptuous lips. “What? It was cute. No need to get so defensive.”
Gwen laughed and rolled her eyes. “You’re impossible.”
“Maybe so, but I think you kind of like me.” Her breath hitched as I dragged a fingertip over her cheek and jawline. “God, you’re beautiful. How the hell am I supposed to get out of bed with you looking like this?”
Her lashes fluttered closed as my fingers tangled into her wild hair. “I don’t think we have to. Do we?”
I chuckled. “Tragically, yes.”
“Damn.”
I kissed her again and then dropped my lips to her ear. “But we probably have a little bit of time…”
“That’s very good news,” she whispered, arching against me. Before I could reply, I sucked in a sharp breath as her fingers slid under the sheets and wrapped around my cock.
I couldn’t stifle my groan and leaned down to kiss her, checking out of reality if only for a few seconds more…
****
After a long, lingering shower, we toweled off and started getting dressed before either of us could give into the tempting call of the unmade bed. Gwen slipped into a pair of jeans that had me drooling along with a sweater and her thick winter coat. “Do you have time for breakfast before your flight leaves?” she asked, buttoning the front of the coat.
I pulled on my own jeans and sweatshirt. “I think so. There’s a restaurant downstairs so I’ll see the team when they’re headed down.”
“Okay.” Gwen fluffed her hair before flipping over at the waist to gather it into a ponytail.
I smiled at the concentrated look on her face as she popped back up. “You good?”
“Head rush.”
I laughed softly and went to wrap my arm around her waist. “We better get you some breakfast then, huh?”
The hotel restaurant featured a breakfast buffet and we each piled plates with eggs, Belgian waffles, and fresh fruit before finding a quiet, corner table. A waitress brought us huge cups of coffee and we dug in, eating like we’d just ran a marathon.
“What happens when you get back home?” I asked.
Gwen finished her sip and dabbed her linen napkin across her mouth. “I have a meeting with the public defender’s office to check in. I was hoping to get my test results back by now but so far…nothing.”
I nodded. “I’m sure the holidays don’t help. Seems like everything kind of stops.”
“Yeah. If I don’t hear anything, I’m going to have to go to Lansing and figure out what the hell is going on. I’m hoping the DA will keep my s
pot open, and I’m also going to try and wiggle some info out of them.”
“About what?”
Gwen studied her waffle as she cut it into little squares. “There’s a case…it’s kind of complicated.”
“Complicated or personal?”
She bounced a look up from her intent study of her breakfast. “How did you—well, okay. Yes. It’s not in regards to me. But my best friend from high school. Vivi. She’s the one who came with me to that first game.”
“She’s in some kind of legal trouble?”
Gwen shook her head. “Her brother. He went down for assault, that he had nothing to do with, and the poor guy has been in prison for four years. The family has done all they can, I mean they aren’t rich or anything, but I promised Vivi and her mom I’d get him out and I’m going to.”
“Is that why you went to law school?”
“No. When it all happened, I was already in school to become a lawyer, but Vinnie’s case lit a fire under my ass and changed my plans from trying to swing a job with some corporate firm. Watching everything he went through when he got arrested, and the trial, well, that’s what motivated me to become a public defender and he’s the first person I want to help. I’m trying to build a case to get him an appeal.”
“Wow.” I started toying with the remnants of my breakfast, unsure of how to respond. Gwen had told me she wanted to be a public defender before, but I’d had no idea it was so close to her heart. It explained the passion and zeal she carried whenever talking about her upcoming career. “No wonder you’re eager to get started.”
Gwen nodded, her lips quirked slightly like she was nibbling her lower lip. “It’s more than that. Vinnie is autistic—I know he’s innocent and I’m going to prove it. He confessed, but I know it was a coerced confession under duress or straight up threat. Some overly zealous cop probably wanted his collar for the day. Assholes. I know cops. And there are some really good ones. They put their lives on the line every day, especially in cities like Bitsburg. But this one, he had it in for Vinnie and I don’t know why. All it takes is one bad cop to wreck people’s lives. That’s what happened to Vinnie.”