The Ace

by Rhonda Shaw

  She felt so thoroughly seduced from just his kiss that she couldn’t imagine what the rest of the night would bring. She smiled lazily as he stood there, flushed and breathing hard, looking down at her. Such an intense sexiness had replaced his usual humorous expression that she wanted to purr. She definitely hadn’t expected this extreme dominance from him and it only turned her on more. Reaching out, Karen was almost frantic with the need to touch him but was spurned again when he grabbed her hand in his and held it down.

  “Jerry,” she protested weakly.

  He shook his head as he quickly removed his jacket and dropped it carelessly onto the floor before grabbing her arm to walk them around to the couch. He pushed her down, causing her dress to flutter up high on her thighs.

  She tried to sit up, but Jerry got down on his knees and spread her legs apart so he could kneel between them. He shoved her dress up the rest of the way and lightly traced the black silk that barely covered her slick folds. “I’ve wanted to taste you since I first laid eyes on you.”

  “Oh, Jesus,” Karen breathed, a flash of heat flooding her as she watched him move aside the fabric to replace his fingers with his mouth. Her eyes fluttered to a close with a moan as she sank into the deep cushion and gripped his hair to pull him closer. He did wicked things with his tongue, things that she’d only imagined, and it didn’t take long before she was crying out with a release so strong that it exploded through her body.

  Her bones felt liquefied and she wanted to stretch out to savor the pleasurable pulses still radiating within her, but Jerry was having none of that. He yanked her up, holding on to her when her legs refused to cooperate.

  “Come on,” he said giving her no room to protest as he walked them around to the back of the couch. “You’re not done yet.”

  Karen giggled as if she were drunk as her head lolled against his chest. “You might not be, but I think I am.”

  “Like hell you are,” Jerry said as he turned her back to him and pressed her into the back of couch. “I’m nowhere near done with you.”

  His breath was hot on her neck as he kissed and nibbled on her ear. His hands reached up to unzip her dress, letting it pool around her feet while his fingers quickly found the clasp to her bra. He cupped her breasts, gently massaging and teasing before releasing one to snake his hand down across her stomach. He pushed her hips back and Karen felt the solid length of his erection against her bottom. Reaching up, she twined her arms around his neck and tilted her head to the side so her mouth could find his.

  Their tongues tangled as his hands continued to trace a path over her skin, not leaving anything untouched. He caressed and stroked, laying a hot trail of jolting tremors in the wake of his rousing explorations. She itched to feel his bare skin, but Jerry had her pressed so tightly against the back of the couch that it was impossible to move. She wanted to roll her hips to rub against his erection, do something to give him some pleasure, but he had her trapped and at his mercy. She groaned as she tried to push back against him.

  “Jerry,” she said with a voice that was nothing more than a croak. She cleared her throat before trying again. “Jerry. Move.”

  “I told you I’m not done with you yet. It’s all you right now.” His hands plunged into her underwear and she gasped when she felt his fingers brush against her.

  Still drained and light-headed, Karen shook her head. She could breathe nothing but him; all of her nerves were on high alert and overly sensitive. The sharp sensation of his touch made her frown and she squeezed her eyes shut.

  “It’s too much,” she protested in a small voice.

  “No, it’s not. Come on, you can take it. I can feel how ready you are and it’s so hot.” She felt more than heard the moan in his chest as his fingers teased and explored. “Move,” Jerry commanded.

  Despite the razor-sharp intensity, her hips moved in the rhythm he had set and somehow Karen felt herself starting to build again. She ground hard against his hand, flooding it, as her body started to shake and quiver. He moaned again into her ear, but he didn’t stop.

  When Jerry introduced another finger, she saw stars. She reached back and pulled down on his neck as she cried out, a bone-deep orgasm tearing through her. He moved with her, his mouth hot on her sensitive skin, as she rode out the wave until she was trembling.

  Floating down from her high, she collapsed like a rag doll, breathless and completely sapped of energy, into his arms. He lifted her up, cradling her, and turned toward the hallway.

  “Where’s your bedroom?”

  She waved a weak hand over his shoulder. “Second door on the right.”

  * * *

  Jerry walked them into her room and laid her gently on the bed before reaching down to remove her shoes and underwear and then ripping off his clothes. If he wasn’t in her soon, he was going to explode. It had been hard enough to hold back, knowing if he’d allowed her to touch him he wouldn’t have lasted all. He couldn’t remember ever being so hard that he ached before, but enduring the pain had been worthwhile as he had her right where he wanted—loose, pliant and unable to think straight. He knew she would probably be pissed about it in the morning, but it was totally worth it. He’d never been with someone who was so uninhibited, had no restraints whatsoever, and it was a complete turn-on. He’d known she’d be this way and he wasn’t disappointed, even if he did have to fight her on who was in control.

  He spread out next to her on the bed and kissed her gently. “You okay?”

  “Mmmmm...” Karen gave a satisfied hum, her blond hair forming a halo around her face. “More than okay.”

  He ran his hands down her body as his eyes followed, taking in her toned, trim figure and light golden skin tone. “You have an amazing body.”

  She tried to lift up on one elbow, but fell back weakly.

  He laughed at her. “Where are you going?”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Karen said with a scowl. “I was trying to check out your ass.”

  “Oh, yeah? Go right ahead, but I’m afraid my ass is probably not my best feature.”

  She gurgled with laughter as she sat up on her elbows and took in the full length of him. “What’s your best feature then? And don’t say your penis.”

  “What if it is?” he asked as he rolled on a condom with a smirk on his face.

  “Shut up. No penis is a guy’s best feature. Trust me.”

  Jerry laughed so hard that it shook the bed. “You seem to have an in-depth knowledge of this.”

  She gave a small, bored shrug. “Seen one penis, seen them all.”

  “Ah, I see,” he said as he raised himself over her, causing Karen to lie back. “My penis seems to be done with this conversation, since it isn’t going to be voted best feature.”

  Karen let out a sigh when he slid into her. She looked so peaceful and at the same time almost sinful that he paused, wanting to drink it in. He gently brushed the hair away from her face in order to see the deep blue of her eyes and immediately was lost in them. The depth of the passion and desire he saw there tripped up his need to a level Jerry hadn’t known existed and he could hold back no longer.

  “Goddamn, you feel incredible,” he said on a moan before he started to move.

  Karen wrapped her legs around his waist, trying to pull him in deeper, and tugged him down tight to her. The heat between them quickly flamed and soon they were both sweating and breathing hard, but not relenting.

  Reaching under her, Jerry lifted her up as he pounded feverishly into her and before he knew it, she was crying out. The feeling of her tightening around him, urging his release, was too much for him to resist, and so he finally surrendered. He hitched her back up with one hand, while supporting his weight on one elbow, and gritted his teeth.

  “Stay with me,” he demanded between pants.

  His release roared through
him and he rode it out, lost in the intensity of it, before finally stilling. He couldn’t catch his breath and he felt as if he’d run fifty flights of stairs in record time the way his heart was trying to pound out of his chest, but he’d never felt better. Jerry glanced up and found Karen watching him. He gave her a crooked smile before he said, “Holy shit! Why the hell did we wait to do that?”

  They stared at each other silently before falling back on the pillows together, laughing.

  * * *

  Karen woke a few hours later to find herself wrapped around Jerry. Lifting her head gently so she wouldn’t disturb him, she looked over his chest to the clock at the side of the bed, where bright green numbers told her it was four in the morning. Crap, had she passed out for that long?

  Lowering back down, she remained still, trying to figure out just what the hell had happened. One minute she was determined to show him who was in charge, who the boss was, and the next thing she knew he had her over his knee in complete control. Instead of showing him the door after she was through with him, which was standard protocol in her book, Jerry was sleeping in her bed as if he owned it. And what was worse, she obviously didn’t mind because she was snuggled right up to him like a big pillow.

  He’d shown the same command with her that he showed whenever he took the mound on game day. He constantly changed up what he pitched to her, keeping her on her toes, always guessing. Just when Karen thought she’d figured out his next play, he adjusted for it and took her totally by surprise, causing her to swing wildly at nothing but air.

  Not that she hadn’t enjoyed it.

  It was more than she ever expected, nothing like the usual plain, mildly pleasurable casual sex. It had been a religious experience, so much that all of her fantasies of him had fallen miserably short of reality. The things he’d done to her still had her tingling down to her toes and she wondered just where he’d learned his tricks. Jerry Smutton was turning out to be a yummy puzzle, with more layers than she’d ever imagined.

  She felt refreshed, alive and happy, and with that last thought, Karen shot up in alarm. She couldn’t be happy. Happiness led to sadness, to feelings of utter desolation, and she had to stop before she made an idiot of herself.

  Climbing out from under the sheet, Karen stumbled in the dark, cursing under her breath when she tripped over his large shoes left haphazardly at the foot of the bed. She was somehow successful in making it to the bathroom without waking him up and she shut the door quietly behind her. She pointed at herself in the mirror, her reflection lit by the moonlight coming in from the small window above the shower.

  “You are NOT allowed to have any feelings for him besides lust.” She admonished the woman looking back at her in a hushed voice. “He WILL hurt you. You can put your money on that.”

  She didn’t know what had come over her. She wasn’t violating only some of her rules; she was breaking all of them. This was surely not the way to keep things casual and so he had to go. Ignoring the tiny voice in her head trying to convince her that she had actually liked not being the one in control for once, Karen decided that she needed to get her universe back in some sane order and the only way to do that was to show his cute little ass to the door.

  Taking a deep breath, she shook the emotions out of her and turned on the faucet to splash a handful of cold water on her face. If she was going to go out there, wake him and tell him it was time to leave, she had to be clearheaded.

  Opening the bathroom door, she stepped out and tried to tiptoe her way back to the bed just as the overhead light in the room flashed on.

  Her hands flew up to cover her eyes as she yelped. “What the hell, Jerry? Are you trying to blind me?”

  When she could manage more than a squint, she found him standing stark naked by the bedroom door with his hand on the light switch and a stupid grin on his face. Jerry was a big man—long and solid, strong and cut with muscle. His arms and shoulders bulked with strength, as did his legs; his chest was broad and chiseled, with a smattering of dark hair, and his stomach taut. He was so far and away the most delicious representation of the male species she had ever seen in the flesh that she had to keep her jaw from dropping.

  Jerry chuckled as he watched her cowering in the middle of the room, unable to decide if she should cover her eyes or other areas with her hands.

  “I wanted to see you naked.”

  “Wha...you’ve seen me naked, you moron!”

  He walked back over to the bed and reached out for her, pulling her down with him. “I know, but I forgot what you looked like.”

  Karen rolled her eyes, but let him lay her down onto her back, quickly forgetting about her decision to throw him out, as he looked her over. “Holy shit!” he exclaimed. “Is that what you look like under your clothes?”

  “Funny.” She arched so her boobs popped out at him. “What’s my best feature?”

  He pretended to think it over, his eyes passing over the full length of her before shaking his head. “I don’t know, I’d better not say. You might get mad.”

  She frowned. “Why would I get mad? What are you going to say? My fingernails?”

  Jerry grabbed her hand and looked at her French-manicured nails. “They’re nice, for sure, but no, that’s not your best feature.”

  She pushed herself up and climbed on top of him while at the same time reaching out to grab a condom off the nightstand. She took her time, teasing and tormenting him as she slowly worked it down the length of him. “Don’t be an ass. What were you going to say?”

  He cupped her butt in his large hands and hitched her up as he leaned against the headboard. “I don’t know. You’ll just call me more names if I tell you.” Jerry lifted Karen by her hips and lowered her down atop him, both of them closing their eyes as he slowly buried himself within her. “Mmmmm...” he grumbled deep in his chest.

  She quickly shot up on her knees, breaking their connection, as she glared at him and poked his pec. “No! You were not going to say...”

  His eyes widened innocently. “Say what?”

  “If you were going to say my hooha, then you can kiss my ass on your way out.”

  “Your hooha,” he repeated with a snort. “While I’m very fond of your hooha, no, that’s not what I was going to say.”

  “Oh,” she said, as she guided him back into her and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t understand what the big secret is then.”

  “Shhhh...” Jerry murmured as he guided her hips with his hands for a moment before pulling her down to claim her mouth. She moved over him as they kissed, slowly increasing the pace.

  Just as she started to lose herself, he pulled back slightly so he could look directly into her eyes. “Look at me,” he commanded in a low voice.

  Karen struggled, lost in the extreme pleasure of their lovemaking, but when he gently shook her head, she forced herself to look at him. His dark brown eyes were scorching, demanding her to keep eye contact. “You want to know what I think your best feature is?”

  She nodded and again had to fight not to close her eyes as she felt herself on the edge of the precipice.

  “Your eyes,” he said, his voice deep and rough. “They’re incredible. They speak to me and they make me want to do crazy things to you.”

  Karen cried out and shuddered against him shortly before he followed her, his fingers digging into her hips as he held on tightly and groaned out his release. Her last thought as she floated down toward her pillow was that he could do all the crazy stuff he wanted, whenever he wanted. She wasn’t going to stop him.

  Chapter Twelve

  Relaxing in his downtown Seattle hotel room the day before his next start in the pitching rotation, Jerry stretched out on his bed with his head in his hands as he stared at the ceiling. He was ready. He knew the batters he would be facing on the Seattle team, knew what pitches th
ey looked to make contact with and knew how he was going to mix things up.

  His game plan was set and he remained confident in it, despite the lingering irritation—that was quickly morphing into uneasiness—that something was still off. He’d somehow managed to continue to squeak out some wins, but it was getting more and more difficult to put it out of his mind and keep the stress away. He could feel it building even as he tried to shrug it off.

  Jerry had no idea what was wrong. His mechanics were solid, his arm angle was the same, he didn’t have any pain but he wasn’t anywhere near where he needed to be by this point in the season. He should be going deep into games, getting strikeouts and keeping his earned run average low, not struggling with it all.

  He was unsettled, as if something had shifted and left a gaping hole, but he was clueless as to what that “something” was and he felt like an idiot when he realized he was focusing on a feeling. He was a guy and the last time he checked, he didn’t focus on feelings.

  He still hadn’t vocalized his concerns to anyone, not really even knowing what to say. How did one explain the vague sense of something missing without having to hand over his man card?

  So Jerry kept it to himself, unwavering in his decision to ride out the storm as quietly and under the radar as he could, and stuck only to conversations about mechanics with his coaches. He didn’t want to overanalyze it and was determined to keep to the basics, not wanting to change anything unless he really had to. More articles speculating as to what was wrong with him, wondering why his performance wasn’t what it should be, continued to pop up and he did his best to ignore them. Even in the short interviews that he gave after some games, the reporters always somehow managed to sneak in one question, asking if he was worried about the pressure from his new contract, and Jerry would try to laugh it off, refusing to give them anything to run with. He was going to continue to ignore it and act like everything was normal—no reason for concern. With each start, he put on his game face, tucked away the feeling of incompleteness and tackled it all with a renewed vengeance.