Slamdunked By Love (One on One #2) Page 15

  “Because I would really, really hate to disappoint you,” he continued, again in that dangerous, sexy tone that sent a wave of desire rushing through her.

  She gathered her faculties enough to arch an eyebrow. “Then don’t.”

  “Them’s fighting words, woman.”

  Her laugh was cut off when she found herself floating above the ground. What the…? He’d hoisted her off the counter. “Hey!”

  He set her on her feet with a swat to her butt, then a squeeze.

  “Clothes. Off.” He didn’t give her much time to respond. She kicked off her shoes a moment before he whipped her skirt down. Fine by her. More than.

  She wanted him now. She needed him now. Was literally shaking from the need. He whipped her around so that she faced the counter.

  She twisted her head around. His mouth met hers a second later. He knew how to take her higher, his tongue mating with hers expertly, drugging her senses. His sense, his taste, it all consumed her. He broke away, the desire for her crowding his face, twisting his features.

  “I can taste you.” His voice caressed her ear. “I love chocolate. But not as much as I love the taste of you. I can’t get enough of you, baby.” He nipped down her neck desperately like he couldn’t get enough of any part of her.

  She wanted him. It could have felt like an anonymous hookup, but it was anything but. She could feel him everywhere. He surrounded her, his front against her back. The cotton of the shirt pressing into her back, his heat seeping into her. Her hands gripped the edge of the counter. He intertwined their fingers and squeezed, connecting them even more. She ground her butt against his crotch.

  She was naked. But he wasn’t. His denim rubbed against the backs of her legs. He’d unzipped, pushed aside underwear. His erection pressed against her. She ground against it. She didn’t care that she was the only one naked. Actually, she loved it. Felt more free, more herself than she’d felt in forever. He touched her with his fingers, zeroing in on her clit. A slight twist of his fingers left her moaning and grinding against him.

  “Does that feel good?” he murmured in her ear.

  “Yes.”

  “Are you ready for me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Let me be the judge of that.”

  He sank a finger, then another, inside of her, filling her. “Does that feel good?”

  She moaned even louder as he pulled his fingers out, his actions dragging against her sensitive nerve endings, releasing a fresh wave of desire in her.

  “What was that?” He worked his fingers in and out, circling her clit with his other hand, then pinching it between his thumb and index finger.

  Another moan was all she could manage. She gripped the counter, the tile biting into her flesh. Only his hips and hands kept her from sinking to the floor.

  “Not good enough.”

  Suddenly the pressure was gone, leaving her bereft, teetering on the edge with no anchor. “Brady,” she whimpered.

  “Look at that ass. I’ve dreamed about it. So many times.” His hand made contact, cupping her, startling her, then he smoothed the flesh. Caressed her. “Spread your legs.”

  She did, though it took effort, they were shaking so badly.

  She heard a package rip—he’d remembered the condom, thank God—and then he was back, right where she needed him.

  He gripped her hips, his fingers biting into her flesh, and tilted them upward. He sank into her in one long thrust that left her quaking.

  “Do you lie awake at night thinking how good it would feel to have me inside you like I do?” he whispered in her ear, sliding out and sliding back in a powerful thrust, awakening all of her nerve endings. He gripped her hips harder when she didn’t answer. He stopped moving, leaving her dangling on the cusp of something extraordinary. “Do you?”

  “Yes,” she released on a shaky breath.

  “How does the reality feel?”

  “Good.” All she would offer. Challenging him. Wanting him to admit to feeling as out of control as she did.

  “That’s it? I can do better.” He slid his hands up her body and cupped her breasts. Rolling her nipples between them. Tugging on them, sending a spike of arousal through her body. A little harder when she pushed her chest into his hands, the pinch of pain ratcheting up her desire. She couldn’t get enough of his actions. She was a mass of desire.

  He chuckled and tugged again. He thrust inside her. “I can feel you surrounding me. Hugging me. It feels so damn good I can barely stand it. Can you feel me deep inside you?”

  “Yes.” He filled her. Made her feel complete. Whole. She licked her lips. “Brady?”

  “Hmm?” He flexed his hips.

  A burst of pleasure almost waylaid her. “I-I…can’t wait anymore.”

  “Yes, you can. I don’t want this to end. I’ve dreamed of it too long.”

  He slowly slid out of her, scraping against her sensitive flesh, then back inside. Over and over again in an unrelenting pattern. Driving her out of her mind. But no more than she was doing to him. His voice was strained. His breaths came hard and fast. She concentrated on his hand tracking down her quivering stomach. The skin of his hand pulled tight over the bone like he was at the edge of his control. They were in this together. His hand delved, homing in on her clit. Driving them closer to the edge.

  “Brady!”

  “Come for me, Caitlin.” His command was accompanied by a twist of his hips. She screamed as the tidal wave swept over her. His hoarse shout in her ear a second later was all she’d longed to hear and more.

  Chapter Eleven

  “So, umm, yeah.” That sex afterglow didn’t last long enough, especially when you were standing in your kitchen naked while your partner only needed to adjust a few things to be fully clothed. Or when said partner didn’t take his dark, glittering gaze off you while he did said adjusting. A gaze that reminded you how he made you feel. Sexy. Wanted. So maybe there was a little bit of glow left.

  She turned in a circle searching for her panties, but her eyesight wasn’t at its best at the moment. Not to mention that her limbs were still shaking and she no longer had Brady’s support to keep her from sliding to the floor. And her mind still whirred from what had just happened. The best sex of her life. With the guy she wasn’t supposed to be getting involved with. Who’d given her an orgasm she would never ever forget.

  Memories consumed her. Fine. The glow thrived.

  What was she doing again? Oh, yeah. Looking for her clothes. She still couldn’t find her underwear, so she settled for grabbing her skirt and stepping into it. She snatched the shirt Brady held out to her and yanked it over her head. “Thanks. Um, want some sugar cookies? I saved you some.”

  “They can wait.”

  “Oh, okay.”

  “Want to tell me why you’re back to not looking at me?”

  She spun. “I am looking at you.”

  His eyebrows lifted. Waiting. Not giving an inch.

  “It’s just…”

  “What?”

  She shrugged. “We had sex, which was…”

  “Amazing?”

  A brief smile tugged at her lips. “Yeah, but that wasn’t my point.”

  “Then what was?”

  “I told you I cared about you, and you said you cared about me.”

  His eyebrows drew together. “I do care about you. I think about you when we’re apart. I missed you when I was on the road trip. I live for your texts. For your calls. For your insults and backhanded compliments.”

  She smiled. How could she not? He always made her smile. Always made her happy. “I try my best.” Her smile faded. “Why did you push me away at the station? I still can’t forget that.”

  He took a deep breath, shadows creeping into his dark chocolate eyes. “When we got back from the trip, Mack called me into his office. It didn’t end well. He wanted to know the whole story, and I didn’t tell him. I saw that same doubt in Noelle’s face that I saw in his. When you kept asking me about New York, I th
ought it meant you didn’t trust me either, and I shut down.”

  “No, I kept asking because you looked so lost.” God, she hated defending Mack, but he’d left her with no choice. “Are you sure that wasn’t your coach’s motivation, as well? To get the truth, so he could help you.”

  Brady blinked like the thought had never occurred to him. “I…don’t know.”

  She reached out for his hand. “Why haven’t you defended yourself in public? Told the whole story? Noelle was right in one regard. Everyone thinks you’re a troublemaker because of the media reports.”

  Brady sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “It was my fault we went to the club.”

  “You couldn’t have known some drunk guy was going to be there looking for a fight.”

  “Yeah, but I should have kept a better look out for my teammates.”

  “They’re grown men.”

  “I know, but I feel like I’ve found something here with the Stampede. Something worth fighting for. I’ll be okay. Another scandal will occur in the next few days, and the media will forget about me. And this way, Maguire won’t get in trouble with his fiancée.”

  She threw her hands up in the air. “Gah. There you go being nice again. I can’t resist you when you act like that.”

  “Good. Exactly what I wanted to hear. Where do we go from here?”

  Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”

  He looked resolute. “I distinctly remember us both saying we cared about the other more than once.”

  “You mean the orgasm didn’t obliterate all your brain cells?”

  The corner of his mouth lifted. “Most of them, but I have a few left.” His face went serious again. “You know you could act a little happier about this turn of events.”

  She reached for his hand and gestured for him to sit at the kitchen table. “It’s not you. It’s me.”

  “If you’re going to tell me you didn’t mean it and break up with me, couldn’t you at least come up with something a little more original?” He said it in a joking manner, but he couldn’t hide the hint of vulnerability that crept into his voice.

  She settled on his lap and caressed his strong jaw. “I’m not breaking up with you.”

  “Then what’s the deal? And don’t deny that there is a deal. It’s written all over your face.”

  Caitlin drew in a deep breath. She wanted this man in her life. As much as it pained her to dredge up the past, he deserved to know why she was so reticent. At least part of the reason. “When I was in college, I met a guy. A pro football player.”

  Brady shifted. “Okay.”

  “It was great. He was great. My mom was against the relationship, said she didn’t trust him, but I was twenty years old and thought I knew everything. She couldn’t give any solid reason why she didn’t like him, and I clung to him even harder, which he loved and encouraged.”

  “What happened?”

  She dropped her head against his shoulder. Being with him, knowing he had her back, comforted her. Made telling the story a little easier. “More like what didn’t happen. I’ll never forget getting a phone call from his wife calling me all kinds of names.”

  “What?”

  “Oh, yeah. He played in Dallas, but left his young family in Florida because he didn’t want to uproot them. Or at least that’s what he told his wife. I was such an idiot. I never questioned anything he told me. Never googled him. When I met him, he told me he was divorced. But there was no divorce. Not until I came into the picture anyway.” Caitlin closed her eyes for a second. Forced out the rest of the embarrassing tale. “His wife tried to sue me for breaking up her home. That was the icing on the cake of humiliation.”

  His hold on her tightened. “What happened?”

  “My mom is a lawyer, and she called in some favors at her firm. It all went away, but until it did, it was awful. He was a second-string player, so the story didn’t gain much traction nationally, but people here would say horrible things. It’s why I don’t like being the center of attention.”

  “Who was it? I’ll kick his ass.” The threat in his voice was real.

  She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter. He’s long gone and not on the team anymore.”

  “It does matter if he’s the reason you’re keeping me at arm’s length.”

  “I’m not.”

  “You sure?”

  Caitlin looked down at her hands. She didn’t know how to answer that.

  “I’m not him,” he said quietly.

  Her head jerked up. “I know, but…”

  “But what?”

  “What if you break my heart?” She spoke so softly she wasn’t sure he heard her.

  “What if you break mine?”

  “What? I’d never do that.” The thought had never occurred to her. That she could hurt him.

  “Then don’t shut me out. You said you didn’t like it when I did it earlier, and I don’t like when you do it. Yes, I have a past. But that’s what it is. A past. I’ve grown up. I want to be with you and only you. I’m in. All the way. Are you?”

  She searched his eyes. Sincerity shone there. She gave him the only answer she could. “Yes. I want to be with you. Let’s see where this goes.”

  A dazzling smile broke across his face. “I’m glad I found someone I can really talk to and trust.”

  She bit her lip, uneasiness gathering inside. She had to tell him about her connection to Mack. “About that.”

  “Nope.” He nibbled at her neck. “You agreed to give us a try. No more doom tonight.” He pressed a hot kiss to the spot where her neck met her shoulder.

  “Ahh…”

  He swept her up in his arms, his eyes dark and sexy. “Where’s the bedroom, Ms. Caitlin?”

  Later. She would tell him later.

  Caitlin stared at the brightly wrapped package in Brady’s hand, afraid to touch it like it would reach out and bite her. “What’s that?”

  He leaned in for a kiss. A small brush of lips, but more than enough to turn her insides out. As usual. “Hello to you, too. Are you going to let me in?”

  Her eyes fluttered open to meet his amused gaze. She stepped back. “Oh, yeah. Sorry. Come in.” She kept a wary eye on the package as she followed him into her apartment.

  “I bought you this.” He held out the present. “I saw it in Target and couldn’t resist.”

  She paused. “You go to Target?”

  “Doesn’t everybody? Now stop stalling and open it.”

  She took the offering with shaking hands, unwrapped it, and laughed. This is why she’d been afraid. Because he was starting to know her too well.

  “I know you’re always worried about ratings, so what better way to get people listening?”

  She sent a look his way. “With Yo-Ho-Ha-Ha-Ha!: A Pirate Joke Book?”

  “Yeah, they’ll laugh and tell their friends.”

  Her heart took a swan dive to land at his feet. “Why did you buy this?”

  “To see that smile on your face.”

  No doubt the joy blooming in her heart had manifested itself on her face. How could it not? She froze. Wait. What was he doing? “Are you wooing me?”

  “Yes.”

  She blinked. The way he said it. Like it was obvious. Like he had no hesitation about what he was doing. It concerned her. Okay, scared the crap out of her. She was supposed to be seeing where this thing between them went. Slowly. He wasn’t interested in slow. No, not the man who played basketball at one hundred miles per hour. She couldn’t keep up.

  Trust came slowly for her. She didn’t jump headfirst into relationships with men who weren’t suitable. Even though they’d both admitted to having feelings for each other, it was hard to throw away years of conditioning. Panic seized her heart. Sweat broke out on her palms. “Stop.”

  “Why? I know you like it.”

  “I do not.” Except she did. Way, way too much. She took a deep breath. “I’m being rude. Thank you for the book. I”—love—“really like it.” It was so
her. She stared at the book with Spongebob Squarepants in a bandanna and eye patch taking center stage on the cover.

  Oh God, they’d gotten to the stage where they had inside jokes. When? How?

  “I’m glad. Although I wouldn’t be upset if you cracked a smile. Or sounded a little more excited.”

  “Showed my appreciation?” She closed the gap between them and rose on her toes. Kissing him never got old. How could it when he was a genius at it? Slow and steady. Teasing her with a small nip to her bottom lip which led to her chasing him. Led to her moaning when their tongues met. She only came up for air when her phone rang. “Hold that thought.”

  She reluctantly stepped away and grabbed her phone. And scrunched her nose when she saw who was calling. With a sigh, she answered. “Hello.”

  She conversed for a few minutes, only offering a few “I sees” and “okays” at the appropriate intervals. She moved a few feet away to her desk in the living room and picked up a sheet of paper, frowned, and nodded some more. She ended the call a minute later.

  Brady was watching with concern on his face. “Everything okay?”

  She rubbed her eyes. “Um, yeah. I guess.”

  An eyebrow lifted. “It’s not possible to sound less convincing. Want to try again?”

  “It’s not anything serious. Ugh. The mechanic is getting a little annoyed that I haven’t committed to all the repairs. I keep dragging my feet on all the stuff the car needs done to it. But I can’t keep borrowing my brother’s car forever, I guess.”

  He frowned. “Do you not have the money to get it fixed? Do you need a loan?”

  She recoiled in horror. “What? No!”

  “To which part?”

  “All of it. I don’t want or need your money.”

  “Then why don’t you get your car fixed? Or better yet get a new one? From what I remember, Hans was on his last legs. It’s not shameful to admit you need some help.”

  Caitlin spoke through gritted teeth. “For the last time, I don’t need your help. I’m fine.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  Why wouldn’t he let this go? Based on the mutinous expression on his face, he had no plans of doing so anytime soon. Caitlin sighed. “I grew up without a lot of money. My mom was great, but money was tight.”