Crossing the Line (The Baltimore Banners Book 1)

by Lisa B. Kamps

  AJ pursed her lips and looked around in feigned innocence, waiting to see how Alec would handle her introduction and explain her appearance here. He still looked as shocked as he had when they first arrived—even more so. And she still couldn't figure out why he thought bringing her here had been a good idea. Although, judging from his reaction in the parking lot, he really hadn't realized exactly where he was bringing her. And if it had been any other club, she would have never stepped foot inside.

  The lack of conversation finally caught her attention, and she turned to find several sets of eyes focused on her. The looks ranged from speculative to wary to intrigued. She smiled at the two players she actually knew—Ian Donovan and Randy Michaels—but the others were barely more than familiar faces. Yeah, she knew who they were, but she hadn't really had any interaction with them.

  "You seriously brought your girlfriend here?" Jean-Pierre Larocque asked in his slight French-Canadian accent. He tipped a beer bottle back and drank deeply as his gaze roamed over her with an appreciative gleam. He was slouched down on the bench seat, his lean legs stretched out before him, a dark red polo pulled tight across his broad chest.

  AJ crossed her arms and stared back with an unimpressed look on her face. Jean-Pierre was another one of the hockey team's attractive players, but he was too cocky. He offered her a half-smile then turned to Alec. "That is so wrong, Kolchak. No wonder you never go anywhere with us."

  "She's not my girlfriend, Larocque. And stop staring, it's disrespectful." This time it was AJ's turn to swing a surprised gaze in Alec's direction. He was actually telling someone to stop staring? When had he ever noticed before? He wouldn't meet her gaze. In fact, his gaze wasn't resting in any one spot, just shot from place to place every few seconds.

  Everywhere except on her. And the stage.

  She almost started laughing when she realized it. Alec was embarrassed! Embarrassed from either being in a strip club or from bringing her to a strip club. Or both. Probably both. She was getting ready to say something when she heard a squeal and felt thin arms wrap around her from behind.

  "Amber, sweetie! Leon said you were here."

  AJ turned, smiling as Tawny jumped up and down, her ample bare breasts barely jiggling with the movement. Tawny squealed again and gave her another big hug then stepped back, clasped AJ's face in both hands, and planted a loud kiss on her lips.

  Stunned silence echoed from the seven men behind her. A split second later AJ heard a bottle fall to the floor with a muted splash, and she turned to see seven sets of eyes glued on the two of them. She looked down at Jean-Pierre, at the now empty hand he still held in front of him, seemingly oblivious to the fact that he just dropped his beer.

  AJ and Tawny shared a knowing look and rolled their eyes simultaneously. Jean-Pierre blinked at them, shifted in his seat, then looked at Alec, who was still staring in mute shock.

  "Since she's not your girlfriend, I'll take her."

  The words triggered something in Alec and he snapped out of his daze. "Go to hell Larocque. AJ, we're leaving." He grabbed her hand and tugged, pulling her away from Tawny, away from his teammates. She dug her heels in to stop him but it was no good. AJ looked over her shoulder and saw Tawny waving good-bye, a twinkle in her eye as she made a 'call me' motion then turned her attention to the cocky French-Canadian.

  AJ said good-bye to Leon in much the same way as Alec rushed her out of the club and to his car. He opened the door for her, giving her barely enough time to get situated before closing it and climbing in on the other side. She turned to look at him, surprised to see his jaw clenched and his brows lowered in a scowl. His hands were fisted around the steering wheel as he pulled out of the parking lot, and he refused to look at her.

  "Alec—"

  "AJ, please." He turned to glance at her, and she was taken aback at the steely look in his eyes. "Don't say anything. Not a word. Please. Just...don't say anything."

  AJ clamped her mouth shut and faced straight ahead, wondering what it was she had done to upset him this time.

  **

  Alec unlocked the door to the condo and opened it as AJ pushed past him, not even looking at him. He gritted his teeth at the physical contact but said nothing, just closed the door behind him and tossed his keys on the hall table before following her into the living room.

  She kept going, turning through the formal dining room into the kitchen. He heard the refrigerator open and close, then her footsteps as she retraced her path into the living room, a large can of iced tea in her hand. She carefully stepped around him, not touching him, not even looking at him.

  "AJ—"

  "Good night, Alec." She kept going, heading for the stairs, her foot touching the first one before Alec moved after her, grabbing her arm to stop her from walking away. She turned and finally looked at him, an expression of impatience written clearly on her face. Impatience, and something that looked like disappointment. Alec dropped her arm but didn't move away, just looked down at her, trying to figure out what to say.

  The night had not gone even remotely close to how he had expected, not that he had known what to expect. All he wanted was for them to go out and have fun and get over the awkward distance that had developed between them the last couple of days. To get back to the light bantering relationship they had.

  Yeah, and taking her to a strip club was the perfect choice. Christ, he still couldn't believe he had done that. He hadn't been thinking, hadn't even realized that it was a strip club at first because he had been so distracted just by having her sitting next to him.

  But she had taken it in stride and even surprised him by going in. It didn't matter that she had obviously been there before, and that she knew people there. Although yeah, that had surprised him even more, but not for long.

  But even after that shock, he had stupidly thought there was still a chance for them to just kind of hang out and have fun.

  Until that asshole Jean-Pierre Larocque—who Alec actually used to like before tonight—had opened his mouth. Irritation had swiftly taken over Alec when he had caught Jean-Pierre blatantly ogling AJ. He had been ready to leave right then and there.

  And then the stripper had come over and rubbed against AJ, had actually kissed her and...shit, there was no doubt in Alec's mind that every single one of his teammates had an instant hard-on at the sight. And that infuriated him, knowing exactly what was going through their minds as they stared at AJ. They had absolutely no right to stare at her like that, to think what they were thinking about her.

  And he knew exactly what they were thinking, because the same thoughts had raced through his mind. Which was bad enough because—

  "Alec! Do you want something or are you just going to stand there giving me dirty looks all night?"

  He shook his head and realized he had been staring at AJ, though he didn't think he was giving her dirty looks. What was it she asked? Did he want something? If she only knew...

  He stepped forward and grabbed her, pulling her toward him and dropping his mouth to hers so fast that she stumbled against him. It took less than a second for him to realize that the move was one of the stupidest he had ever made, and he stepped back, aided by AJ pushing against his chest with her free hand.

  "Shit, shit. I'm sorry. God, that was so stupid." Alec ran his hands through his hair and down across his face, almost afraid to look at AJ. She was staring at him with one eyebrow raised, a look of disbelief etched across her features.

  "Yeah, I get it. Typical male reaction. See two girls together and boing! Whatever. Good night Kolchak."

  "Wait!" He reached for her again before she could turn around, but wisely stopped before touching her. "Is that what you think this is about? A quick fuck because of what happened back there? Christ, AJ. Is that what you really think of me?"

  "So, what are you saying? You and your buddies didn't get turned on back there? It didn't effect you at all?"

  "No! Trust me, I know exactly what was going through everyone's minds and it pis
ses me off. And I'd be lying if I said it didn't have a certain...effect...on me, which pisses me off even more. But that's not what this is about, AJ."

  "Really? Then what is this about?" She crossed her arms in front of her, the can of tea dangling from one hand, and leaned one shoulder against the wall. It was the perfect picture of casual disbelief and impatience and Alec gritted his teeth, trying to figure out what he wanted to say.

  "It's...I..."

  "Because you know, Alec, you've pretty much gone out of your way to ignore me since the other night, and you made it quite obvious that you think it was a huge mistake so I'm not sure what you think—"

  "What! I have not been ignoring—"

  "Good night Alec." AJ turned and began the climb up the stairs, leaving Alec standing there staring after her. He gritted his teeth as he caught himself staring at her tight ass, hugged in the soft denim of her jeans. It took him all of five seconds to take off up the stairs after her and jump in front of her before she could open the door to the guest bedroom.

  "I didn't mean to ignore you. I was, but I didn't mean to. I didn't know what to say to you or how to act and then you stopped talking to me and then I was afraid that anything I did say would only make things worse, only it turns out that it made it worse anyway."

  AJ frowned at him but didn't try to push past him into her room, which he figured was a good sign until she rolled her eyes at him. "I have no idea what you just said."

  Alec took a deep breath and ran his hands through his hair again, trying to swallow his frustration. It was no surprise she didn't understand, not when he didn't quite know what he was trying to say himself. "I don't know what I'm trying to say, either. It's just...I like how we always joked around and now that's all changed and I wish it hadn't. Except every time I look at you, all I want to do is...never mind. Forget it."

  "No, tell me. What?" AJ looked up at him, her eyes curious, and he wondered if she really didn't know. How could she not know? He shook his head and let out a deep breath, figuring what the hell. It wasn't like he could make things any worse than they already were.

  He lifted his hand and cupped his palm against her cheek, encouraged when she didn't immediately pull away. So he took a chance and cupped his second hand against her face and stepped closer, running his thumb along her lower lip. Tension immediately gripped him, and he had to clear his throat before he could speak.

  "All I have wanted to do since you walked out of my room the other morning is chase after you and pull you back into bed." He still couldn't read the expression in her eyes so he leaned forward and gently touched his lips to hers. He increased the pressure, just a little, and inwardly rejoiced when she didn't pull away. Her hand reached up and closed around his bicep, squeezing, but she didn't push him away.

  He deepened the kiss, coaxing her mouth to open under his, exploring her mouth with his tongue, feeling her hand glide up his arm and across his shoulder, then slide down across his chest. She fisted her hand in his shirt and gently pulled away, resting her forehead against his shoulder, her breaths coming in short gasps that matched his own.

  "And this has nothing to do with the strip club?" Her voice was a hesitant whisper, and it took more control than Alec would have thought not to laugh at her uncertainty. He reached up for her hand and cradled it in his, then dragged it down his front, not stopping until her palm was cupping his hard-on. His breath hissed as she pressed her hand against him, rubbing, squeezing.

  "I have been walking around with this for the last two days, non-stop, so no, this has nothing to do with tonight."

  AJ's eyes were wide and uncertain as she stared up at him. Their blue depths swirled with a mix of hesitancy and desire, and Alec realized he should have done this two days ago, instead of letting her walk out of his room, out of his bed.

  He grabbed the can from her hand and tossed it to the floor, then guided both of her hands up around his neck. Alec grabbed her around the waist and lifted her, biting back a groan as she wrapped her legs around his hips. Each step he took toward his room was exquisite agony as she rubbed against him, their eyes still locked together. He braced her against his bedroom door, and tried to reach around her to turn the knob.

  AJ tilted her hips against his and he forgot about opening the door, just crushed his mouth against hers and wedged her between his body and the door. Her hands roamed over him, pulling at his shirt, yanking it up between them. His breath hitched as her hands raked against his bare chest, and he pulled at her own shirt, needing to feel her flushed skin against his.

  AJ broke the kiss, leaning her head back against the door as he ran his lips along her neck and along her collarbone. "Alec...Alec, we need to talk..."

  "No. No talking." He claimed her mouth again and turned the door knob, tightening his hold on her as the door swung open. He reached the bed in record time and gently lowered AJ to the mattress, following her down, her legs still wrapped tightly around him.

  Alec pushed up, breaking away from her just long enough to pull his shirt over his head, then leaned down and removed hers as well. His gaze roamed over her body, at the fullness of her breasts spilling over the lacy edges of her sheer yellow bra, at the smooth expanse of her flat belly. He trailed his hands along her skin, starting at her wrists and working his way up her arms, across her shoulders and down along her chest. He teased the taut peaks of her nipples with his thumb, then leaned over her, taking one nipple in his mouth, teasing it through the lace of her bra, groaning when she arched up into him, her hands digging into his shoulders.

  He pulled back, his hands still trailing downward until he reached the waistband of her jeans. With a quick motion, he unfastened them and skimmed them down over her hips and thighs, following his hands with his lips, dragging his mouth across the skimpy triangle of her matching lacy thong. Again AJ arched against him, her hands curling at her sides, clenching the comforter.

  He teased her clit through the lace, sliding his hand under her to cup her bottom, to hold her more tightly against his mouth. Her body arched into him as a soft moan escaped her, feeding his own excitement.

  Alec pulled away from her, dragging his mouth down the inside of her thigh, as he pulled her boots from her feet then dragged her jeans all the way off. He reached for the boots and put them back on her feet before dragging his mouth back up her legs, across the lacy thong, up her flat stomach until he was poised above her, bracing his weight on his arms as he looked down at her.

  "Do you have any idea how much those boots turn me on?"

  Her eyes fluttered open at his hoarse confession and slowly focused on him. Alec wasn't sure what she saw in his gaze, but her lips turned up in a slight smile, a gleam in her eye.

  "Hm, they do?" She ran her hands up his arms to his chest, wrapping her legs around him once more, pulling him closer against her before she tightened her hold and tried to roll. Alec grabbed her as he spun around, pulling her on top, feeling her settle against him as she pushed herself up, straddling him.

  He reached out and grabbed her hips, holding her steady as she ground against him, her head tilted back, her bottom lip held between her teeth. Alec grew even harder as she rubbed against him, straining against the confining denim that kept him from burying himself deep inside her hot sweetness.

  He let go of her hips to unfasten his jeans, pulling the zipper down and reaching in to free himself. AJ slid down his legs, leaning forward and grabbing the waist band of his jeans and tugging them down, allowing him to free himself even more. Her hand tightened over his, keeping it in place, then began stroking, up and down, long excruciating moves along his hard shaft.

  Alec clenched his jaw, his breath hissing between his teeth when AJ leaned forward and ran her tongue over him, up his stomach and chest, the soft tendrils of her hair teasing his bare flesh, her hand still guiding his in long strokes, faster, harder.

  "I want you now, AJ."

  She stretched against him, nipping at his chest before looking up at him, the heat in her eyes
searing. "Then take me." She pushed herself up, straddling him again, rubbing against him even as he stretched across the bed, reaching for the nightstand, cursing under his breath until his fingers closed over the packet of condoms. He grabbed one and brought it to his mouth, tearing open the foil with his teeth.

  AJ rocked herself against him, liquid heat forging hot iron, and Alec damn near forgot about the condom, came close to reaching for her, to sliding her lacy thong out of the way and shoving his cock deep inside her. He sucked in his breath, wanting to do nothing more than just that.

  He reached between them and sheathed himself with the condom then slid his fingers along the edge of her thong, easing the damp material to the side, teasing her clit first with his thumb, then with the tip of his cock.

  AJ sucked in a deep breath, her head falling back as he continued to tease her, her hips surging forward, seeking him. Alec had thought to tease her, to drive her wild, and had succeeded in doing the same thing to himself. No longer wanting to hold back, no longer wanting to tease, he grabbed her hips and lifted her above him, whispering her name until she opened her eyes and looked down at him. He held her gaze, his hands tightening around her hips, guiding her onto him, driving himself into her with a quick thrust that took his breath away.

  Their bodies stilled, their gazes locked, then Alec began moving, pumping his hips, driving himself deep inside her, pulling out, driving again. AJ's eyes drifted shut and her head fell back, her breasts thrust forward, the hard peaks of her tightened nipples pushing at the lace of her bra. He reached up and tugged at the material, pulling downward until her breast spilled out, filling his hands. He massaged her, pulling at her nipples, tweaking the hard points with his fingers as he continued to drive into her.