For the Win

by Sara Rider

  She felt like a five-year-old as he gently cleaned her face and loosened the braid in her hair. After the evening of champagne and impulsiveness, she wanted to close out the night as a woman, not a child. “What about your superpowered penis?”

  He laughed. “Good night, Lainey.”

  “Are you rejecting me because my breasts are small?” she asked, feeling self-doubt creep upon her.

  He leaned over her until their noses were nearly touching. “Your breasts are a shrine to all that is holy in this world and I cannot wait to get my mouth all over them. But you’ve been drinking, and I refuse to be a regret.”

  Gabe stood up and walked out of the room.

  “The couch folds out,” she called after him. The telltale creak of the rusty frame unbending echoed through the cabin, letting her know he got the message.

  “I wouldn’t regret you,” she whispered to herself. With a groan, she pulled the blankets all the way over her head and tried to ignore the aching between her thighs.

  IT WAS RARE IN the Pacific Northwest for a burning ray of sun to streak through the window in April. The fact that said burning ray of sun managed to sneak past the dark curtains and land directly over her eyes was the kind of goddamn miracle that Lainey could’ve really done without that morning.

  Every bone in her body felt like it was encased in cement as she rolled onto her tummy. Memories of the previous night infiltrated her brain like a slow-building deluge. The champagne. The donation. Making Gabe drive fifty miles to Uncle Walt’s cottage and propositioning him. Even worse, his rejection.

  Knowing he was probably asleep just outside her door, she slowly peeled off her dress and heels as quietly as possible and found the spare clothes and running shoes she kept stashed in the closet. She did not want to face him right now, but her need to escape this small cabin and the memories of last night was esclating. She shoved her feet into the sneakers and pulled the laces tight.

  Gingerly, she opened the door, tiptoed into the living room, and tamped down her panic when she saw him on the couch with the afghan pulled up to his bare chest. If she ever forgave herself for the embarrassment of begging him to sleep with her, she had no doubt he’d rub it in her face for the rest of her playing days in Seattle.

  In times like this, she needed to run. Literally. Her head was pounding, and the toxins coursing through her body were making her jumpy. Hitting the pavement, or in this case the muddy trails, was the only way she could center herself. The clock on the stove read 5:57 in the morning, which made sense considering Lainey’s internal clock never let her sleep later than six. It would’ve been nice for that particular mechanism to be a little flexible on the night she stayed up late and drank too much, but Lainey was nothing if not consistent.

  Figuring Gabe would sleep in at least another couple of hours, she crept to the front door.

  “Running away?” he asked just as she pulled open the door, causing her to jump.

  “Just running,” she croaked, her mouth raw and dry.

  “You were a fun drunk, but you’re sucking at the hangover part of it. Most people stay in bed until four in the afternoon, watch bad sitcoms, and eat a greasy breakfast.” Gabe grunted as he swung his legs off the couch. Lainey’s heart skipped a beat when she saw his tight navy boxer briefs detailing every line of his rock-solid body.

  “Give me a break, it’s my first hangover.”

  “Hold on, I’ve got some gear in the car.”

  Within minutes, Gabe reemerged wearing a hoodie, track pants, and sneakers. He handed her a bottle of aspirin. “Take a couple of these first. Trust me on this.”

  “There’s a trail that leads up through the hills, about four miles,” she said, swallowing the pills dry. The point of this run was to distract her from how miserable and awkward she felt, but with Gabe tagging along, she’d be forced to think about him the entire time.

  She led him down the narrow path at the back of the cottage, picking up her pace as they hit the steep incline. The misty air was cold and abrasive on her throat, but her head was starting to feel better from the strained yet rhythmic movement. They crested the first small, verdant hill after about twenty minutes.

  “Stretch?” she asked as they hit a clearing. There were easier trails in the area, but Lainey loved the serene view of endless blue water framed by deep green hills from this spot. Growing up in Nebraska, she never knew such wondrous places existed until she visited her aunt and uncle here for the first time. This view was the only thing in the world that made her almost as happy as soccer did.

  Gabe nodded, a wide smile on his face. “That’s quite the pace you’re setting,” he said while pulling his ankle back to stretch his quad.

  “No point in doing it if you’re going to take it easy,” she answered, reaching her arm over her head and leaning to the side. She still couldn’t look him in the eye. Sharing this spot, her favorite place in the world, with Gabe made her feel more vulnerable than she could ever imagine.

  “I think you’re just trying to prove yourself after the last time we raced.”

  “You wish,” she said, feeling a bit more relaxed as he reassumed his trademark competitive personality. That was the Gabe she knew how to deal with. She bent over with her legs apart and stretched her tight hamstrings.

  “It’s really beautiful. I can see why you wanted to run this morning,” he whispered from behind her. Lainey’s heart jumped as a pair of hands landed on her hips and settled her butt against what she could only describe as a giant heat-seeking missile. “The view isn’t the only beautiful thing here.”

  She righted herself, causing his erection to slide deliciously between her thighs. He slipped his hands beneath her shirt, fingers grazing along her stomach. Every muscle clenched beneath his fingertips. When his lips found the tender spot at the base of her neck, her body relented to the desire she’d been fighting for weeks. She melted into him.

  “You had your chance last night,” she said, gripping his forearms to brace herself against her weakening knees.

  “You were drunk last night. Seems to me that if you can run that hard uphill, you’re fully capable of consent now,” he whispered in her ear before nipping at her lobe. “Do you want me? Do you want to experience all the indecent things I plan on doing to your gorgeous body?”

  Heat flooded her core.

  His hand dipped below her waistband, trailing along her hip bones. They stuck out too far and she’d never considered them a sexy part of her body before, but the simple touch of Gabe’s fingers changed her entire perception. Chills caressed her skin as her brain retreated into hibernation. Pure physicality took over as his hands dipped lower and lower. She pressed up on her toes and reached a hand behind his neck, desperate for him to make contact where she needed it most. His fingers circled agonizingly close. Just another fraction of an inch . . .

  He retracted his hand and backed away, leaving Lainey stunned and breathless.

  “You obviously still need time to think it over. I’ll see you at the end of the trail. If you can keep up, of course.” With a wicked grin, he took off.

  “Bastard!” she called out, sprinting after him on legs that were mush. She refused to let him win on her trail. “I hope you get eaten by a bear!”

  BY THE END OF the run, they were both red-faced and panting. She’d intended to go on a leisurely jog to wake up her achy muscles; instead she’d gotten an all-out race on the overgrown, hazard-ridden path. Once inside the cottage, they collapsed on opposite ends of the sofa. Lainey wished they were breathing heavy from something else, instead of sitting there exhausted and sexually frustrated. But she still couldn’t figure out if he was attracted to her or just messing around. When she finally caught her breath, she trudged over to the linen closet and grabbed a couple of towels.

  “The hot water is limited, so you should take the first shower,” she said, handing him a towel.
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br />   He gave her a stern look. “In spite of what you think of me, I’m a gentleman, and I insist you shower first.”

  She’d experienced enough of his resolve over the last few weeks to know there was no point in fighting him on this. Despite the tiny bathroom, the shower stall was full-size. Her uncle was a big man and knew better than to scrimp on the essentials when he built this place. She stripped off her clothes and turned the cold water on. Besides wanting to save the hot water for Gabe, she needed to quench her sexual frustration.

  She stepped into the stream of water and let out a small shriek as the cold lashed her skin. She shrieked even louder when the glass shower door swung open.

  “A little chilly, huh?” Gabe said, reaching a hand under the spray. Lainey’s jaw nearly hit the floor. He was naked. Completely and utterly and beautifully naked, standing in front of her like an Adonis with an erection. He stepped into the stall, cornering her with his powerful limbs, and twisted the tap to full-blast hot. She tried not to stare at his penis, but it was the most impressive thing she’d ever seen. “That’s better. Now we can both have a hot shower.”

  Apparently, they had different ideas of what constituted a “hot shower.”

  Gabe cupped her face and brushed a soft, slow kiss over her lips. Their tongues met briefly before he released her. He spun her around and lathered her hair with the sweet-smelling shampoo. It was the most tender, sensual thing Lainey had ever experienced, and every ache in her body faded. The only thing she could feel was his fingers making contact with her skin and the hungry press of his thick cock into her back. Silently, he rinsed her hair and soaped her body. First her arms, then her chest, placing soft fluttery kisses on her neck and shoulder. Steam clouded the walls, while imprints of their hands and bodies streaked against the condensation.

  “This is probably a bad idea,” she forced herself to say, despite her body’s protest.

  “Do you want me to stop?”

  “No,” she said in a shaky voice. “I’m just, uh, stating that for the record.”

  “Then let the record show I’m guilty of thinking some very dirty thoughts since the minute I met you at that press conference.” He traced his hands down her body, cupping her breasts and teasing her nipples with delicate pinches, stealing her breath away. Anticipation kindled in her belly as his strong hands massaged their way down to her ankles, and back up again. He gave her a soft, soapy stroke between her legs, caressing her folds like a maestro. Lainey moaned.

  “More,” she uttered. He complied, working her clit with slow circles until it plumped, like he had a sixth sense of exactly how to please her.

  She was on the verge of climax, but the urge to touch him overwhelmed her. She wanted to explore his taut, powerful body. She wanted to learn how to bring him to his knees and hear his breath hitch.

  She wanted to connect with him at every level.

  Lainey took the soap from him and placed a kiss on his incredible chest before sudsing it up. She liked how he was built—she was attracted to strength and power in every facet of her life, and Gabe was the walking epitome of that.

  She ran her fingers through the patch of hair on his pecs. It was something she’d wanted to do since he’d taken his shirt off at the skills competition. With shaky palms, she worked her way across his body, down the cut line of his hips, to the silky skin of his cock. He shuddered as she eased her hand up the hard, veined length of him until she reached the head.

  “Lainey,” he whispered, cock pulsing in her hand. She loved the way he said her name, like it was the only thing anchoring him to the world. She cupped the heavy weight of his balls with one hand and worked his shaft with the other. Her arousal intensified as she listened to the measured panting of his breath. It was the most erotic thing she’d ever heard. She pumped harder, craving the hot, sticky explosion of his desire on her skin.

  He clasped his hand over hers, halting the motion of her wrist.

  “Not here,” he murmured, raising her arm to his mouth and gently sucking on the pulse point on the inside of her wrist.

  He reached up to the showerhead and angled it to let the water rinse the soap from their bodies, then turned the tap off. He opened the shower door and took one of the large towels that was perched on the edge of the sink and wrapped it around her before grabbing another for himself and leading her to the bedroom.

  He lowered her onto the bed, tossing both their towels to the ground. The late-morning sun gleamed through the window, highlighting his still-wet body. Gabe’s hands glided up from her ankles to her knees and eased her legs open.

  “Let me see you,” he said, gently pushing past her hesitation.

  The hungry look on his face made her feel like the sexiest, most beautiful woman in the world. She wanted to be that woman for him and for herself. She let her legs part.

  He growled and leaned forward, cupping his hands around her bottom. The power of seduction she felt was intoxicating. Her chest tightened with anticipation as his hot breath trailed along her inner thigh. He reached her most sensitive spot, licking and caressing until she couldn’t breathe. Just as she thought he’d pushed her to the edge, his fingers slipped inside, pumping rhythmically while he sucked and stroked her clit with his mouth. She screamed his name as she came.

  Panting, she pushed her damp hair out of her eyes, then reached for him, wanting to give him the same torturous pleasure she’d just experienced. He pushed her back to the bed and lowered his mouth to her navel.

  “I’m not done with you yet,” he said in a tone that made her shiver. He worked his way up to her breast and swirled his tongue along her nipple. “You called out my name when I made you come. It was the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard. Say it again.”

  Her throat was tight.

  “Say it.” He drew her nipple into his mouth.

  “Gabe,” she whispered, fisting the sheets and arching into him.

  He gave her other breast its fair share of attention, then leaned back with a lustful smile and grabbed a condom that was lying on the bed beside her. She didn’t know or care where it came from; she was just grateful to see it. He ripped the package open with his teeth, never taking his eyes off her, and rolled the condom over his long, throbbing erection.

  He guided his cock into her with agonizing deliberation, studying her reactions to see what moves set her every nerve on fire. He filled her so deliciously and completely. A flurry of emotions erupted inside her as he slammed his cock into her slick, hot core, holding nothing back. Gabe hoisted her leg around his waist, deepening the angle until Lainey lost all inhibitions. He pumped his thick cock into her slowly at first, pulling almost all the way out until the threat of emptiness had her writhing beneath him, and rammed back into her. She worked her hips against his, desperately wanting to lose herself in him completely. He groaned and gripped her hips, amplifying the intensity of her swiveling pelvis against his.

  “Come with me,” she begged.

  “Say my name,” he ordered, picking up the rhythm to a dizzying pace.

  “Gabe. Oh god, Gabe.” She repeated his name over and over again until the pressure building inside her shattered into the most explosive, sweet ecstasy. Seconds later, he cried out and collapsed on top of her, the whisper of her name trailing on his lips.

  13

  How hard is it to be a female athlete? Well, I run like a girl, I kick like a girl, and I play like a girl. And that’s why I’m the best.

  —Lainey Lukas, quoted in Sport Fitness Magazine

  GABE RAN HIS FINGERS absentmindedly along Lainey’s arm, marveling at how right it felt to be snuggling with her in their postcoital glow as she curled into his chest. He’d expected sex with Lainey to be explosive and angry, based on the kind of chemistry they’d had leading up to this weekend. He hadn’t expected to feel like his heart had been scrubbed raw afterward. This was more intimate, addictive, and mind-blowing than h
e could have ever imagined. He wasn’t just attracted to Lainey Lukas, he actually liked her a hell of a lot. Once with Lainey would never be enough. He needed to know her, feel her, experience everything she had to give. The moment wasn’t even over, and all he could think about was how to make it happen again.

  The truth hit him so hard, he could barely breathe. This enigmatic woman who kept everyone at arm’s length had just let him into one of the most secret and vulnerable places in her heart and body. And he was probably going to fuck everything up.

  A low rumbling growl filled the still air.

  “Was that your stomach or mine?” Lainey asked lazily, playing with his chest hair.

  “I have no clue, but I’m starving,” Gabe said with a chuckle.

  “There’s not much food in the fridge, but I know a great hole-in-the-wall serving all-day breakfast a few miles out.”

  “Sounds perfect,” he said. Any excuse to linger in her presence would be perfect.

  He eased up to a sitting position, but Lainey pushed him back and straddled his lap with a serious expression. “I need you to answer one question before we leave this room.”

  His heart sank. She was probably going to ask him to forget their encounter ever happened. “Whatever you need, sweetheart.”

  A wry grin spread across her face. “Any more of those condoms? It’s my turn to be on top.”

  AN HOUR LATER, THEY grabbed a quick meal at a greasy spoon a short jaunt off the highway. Gabe had expected some awkwardness to set in between them but instead they ended up laughing together at the perplexed reactions they got from the other patrons. Apparently, it wasn’t every day that Hank’s Hankerings Diner and Convenience Store had customers wearing tuxedoes and cocktail dresses and pulling up in fire-red Porsches.

  In true Pacific Northwest fashion, the morning sunshine made a hasty retreat by midday, replaced by ominous gray clouds and howling wind. Any other time, Gabe would’ve been freaking out about his car, but considering he was stuck in a cozy booth listening to Lainey reveal precious details about her childhood, all he could do was smile with every howling gust of wind. Lainey shared a few snippets of her life growing up on a farm in Nebraska, coming out to Seattle to live with her aunt and uncle as a teenager, and eventually landing a scholarship to the University of Washington.