Collision (7 page)

Brady rounded on him. “We haven’t slept together—yet. But
keep your voice down. She’s not like other girls. She’s a classy woman, and I
don’t want it getting back to her that we’re talking shit.”

Conner’s eyes narrowed. “You
really
like her, don’t
you?”

“Fuck, I don’t know. She gets my blood boiling, that’s for
damn sure.”

“So what’re you gonna do about it?”

“She said before she wanted to be friends, but now I’m not
so sure. The way she looks at me sometimes…” He thought about that smile she’d
given him earlier and his cock began to harden. Bad time and place for that and
he willed it to subside.

They picked their bulls in the draft, took the pictures with
Leah, and then made their way back to the rider’s area. Conner spoke again.
“Well, you’d best make a move soon, ’cuz with the attention she’s getting from
the guys it won’t be long until she’s spoken for.” His gaze slid up to Jessica,
who was waiting for them a short distance away. “I would know.”

A surge of adrenaline rushed through Brady. “Over my dead
body,” he snarled, striding away to find his woman before one of his jackass
compatriots got his hands on her. He heard Conner’s chuckle behind him, but
didn’t waste time trying to play his cards close to the vest. He and Conner had
been close for a while now, and he couldn’t hide what he felt for Leah from his
friend even if he’d wanted to.

He found her surrounded by fans and riders alike and had to
fight through the crowd once again to reach her. He tapped her arm and she
smiled up at him. “Second place. That’s great, Brady. You know, bull riding is
a lot like figure skating, actually.”

“How’s that, darlin’?” He couldn’t wait to hear this
comparison.

She tilted her head and pursed her perfect, full lips. Only
the size of the crowd kept him from bending down to nibble on them. “Well, both
competitions last two days. You have two rides—we have a short program and a
long program. In both sports, you can make up ground on the second day. And
from what I read in the program, you get to choose your bull tomorrow, which
can affect your score, kind of like how we can sometimes choose what order we
skate in depending on our rankings after the short program.” His eyes roved
over her face. He had to get her out of here. “Brady?”

“Yeah?”

“Are you all right?”

“Fine.” It came out as little more than a squeak and he
cursed his raging hormones. He cleared his throat and tried again. “You ready
to go?”

“Um, sure.” She turned to everyone and gave a brief wave.
Brady couldn’t handle it anymore. He needed her and hoped to hell she felt the
same way. Otherwise he was in for a very unpleasant night. As he tugged her
along, she said, “Brady, seriously, slow down. I can’t keep up with you in
these boots with my ankle the way it is. What’s the rush?”

Brady swore. He’d totally forgotten about her ankle. Now he
felt like an ass. He pulled them into a little alcove and pressed her to the
wall, pushing his body against hers and letting her feel his erection. “This is
the rush,” he rumbled. “I want you. I need you. Please,
please
tell me
I’m not the only one with this ache.” He gave her a brief, hard kiss and pulled
back, searching her face. Her eyes flared and he wondered if it was in arousal
or anger.

“Take me home.”

Anger. He deflated. “All right, darlin’. If that’s what you
want. I’d never force myself on a woman. I hope you know that.” He began to
move out of the alcove but she grabbed his arm and yanked him back.

“I meant, take me back to the hotel because we can’t do this
here.”

Groaning, he sank into her for another kiss, but pushed away
again. “Come on.” Spurred on by his sexual hunger, he moved as fast as she
could follow him with her injured ankle. He considered picking her up, but
there were too damn many people around for that. Reaching the door of the
arena, he flagged down a taxi. Once in, he reached for her almost immediately,
drawing her to him for a long, drugging kiss. She tasted of mint and pure, hot
woman. There wasn’t a damn thing icy about her. Running his hands down the
sides of her body, he found the hem of her blouse and slid underneath,
caressing the smooth skin of her waist.

He was consumed by want of her, and she wasn’t holding
anything back either. Dragging his mouth away from hers, he planted kisses down
her jawline to her neck. Finding her pulse point, he bit down gently, eliciting
a swift inhalation from Leah. She arched her back and he took the opportunity
to grab her legs, hauling her up to straddle him. Nuzzling into her cleavage,
he marveled at her incredible softness. She was like nothing he’d ever felt
before and he knew if he couldn’t touch more soon he was gonna lose it. He
couldn’t wait to run his hands and mouth all over her body.

She writhed on top of him and he groaned in response.
“Sweetheart, if you don’t stop that we’re gonna have an embarrassing situation
right here in the back of this cab.”

Her hands slid into his hair, knocking off his hat. “Kiss
me.”

“Now that I can oblige,” he told her, gripping her hips as
he laid claim to her mouth again. She opened instantly and he pushed his tongue
inside, sampling her sweet taste. A low moan rose from her chest and he caught
it with his mouth as he continued to build the raging fire between them. He
barely noticed when the cab arrived at the hotel. Pulling away, he set her down
on the seat. “We’re here.” Reaching into his wallet, he handed the driver a
bill and opened the door, helping her out. They rushed to the elevator. “Your
room or mine?”

She bit her lip and he couldn’t help it. He bent down and
licked the spot, then straightened as the doors opened. “Um, I’m not…prepared…”
she finally got out, refusing to meet his gaze.

His eyebrows drew down in a tense frown. “Are you having
second thoughts?”

Her head snapped up. “No, no.” She blushed and he grabbed
her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“What, then?”

“I don’t have any condoms. I don’t tend to travel with a
hidden stash of them.” Brady was so relieved he laughed. She pulled her face
out of his grip. “I didn’t think it was a particularly funny comment.”

“No, it wasn’t. I’m just so happy you’re not saying no. I
have condoms, darlin’, so just tell me, are you more comfortable in your room
or mine?”

“Why don’t you get the condoms and meet me in my room?” she
suggested when they reached their floor.

He gave her one last sweeping look, his gaze filled with
heat. “Be ready for me.”

Leah made it to her room in record time. Once there, though,
she sank onto the bed. She was sure this wasn’t a good idea, but dammit, she
was tired of being the good girl, tired of being the one who dated only the
guys she was “supposed to date”. Brady made her feel things she’d thought were
impossible. Unrealistic. Things like red-hot lust, and that lust didn’t seem to
hinge on who she was or what she could do for him. When he’d pulled her into
the alcove and kissed her she had melted right away—it was simply too hard to
fight against the tide of arousal he stoked in her. Though she knew getting
involved with him wasn’t a smart idea since she was leaving in a few short
weeks and would never see him again, she was tired of denying what she really
wanted.

Biting her lip, she wondered what he meant when he said to
be ready for him. Did he want her to undress? She looked down at her clothes.
Shrugging, she took off her shirt, leaving her lacy, black La Perla bra on and
then removed her boots and socks. Rising again, she shimmied out of her slacks.
She took her clothing to her bag of dirty clothes and deposited everything inside,
then grabbed her robe, wrapping it around herself.

She ducked into the bathroom to check her appearance and was
brushing her hair when she heard a brisk knock at her door. Knowing he was
probably standing on the other side of the door vibrating just like she was,
she scurried to answer.

He ducked past her and turned around, his mouth dropping
open when he spied her. “Holy mother of… Open the robe.” His tone brooked no
argument. She noticed his Adam’s apple bobbing. Slowly, to tease both of them,
she parted the sides of the robe and let it fall to pool at her feet. He closed
his eyes briefly, and when they opened they were shining with a heat she’d
never seen before from any man she’d slept with. She took a small step back.
“Oh no, you don’t,” he warned, crooking his finger. “Come here.”

She moved toward him and when she got close he reached for
her, bringing her into the circle of his arms, his hands resting possessively
at the top of her butt. He kissed her and she latched on to his bulging biceps
like a lifeline as his tongue plunged into her mouth, taking what he wanted
from her. With a groan from deep in his chest he lifted her to press into his
insistent hardness. Feeling just how big he was, she pulled away from his lips
with a gasp.

“You’re so… I don’t even know what, Brady.” She glanced down
at his arousal.

His features went taut with excitement as he rubbed his
erection into her stomach. “Fuck yeah, darlin’, that’s what I want. I won’t
hurt you, though, I promise. You can take me.”

He walked them both backward to the bed and pushed her onto
it, following immediately after, covering her with his leanly muscled body.
Pushing one thigh between her legs, he forced hers apart and she eagerly opened
for him with a welcoming rise of her hips. “You’re so hot, baby,” came his
raspy whisper, tickling her ear. “Do you have any idea what you do to me?” He
pulled back and grasped the sides of her face in his big, rough hands. His eyes
held so much heat that Leah felt herself melting from the outside in. Her sex heated
and contracted around his thigh and her breasts scraped against their lacy
confines.

“Touch me,” she begged him. She’d hardly gotten the words
out before his mouth had descended on her neck, pulling strongly on the
sensitized skin and forcing a huff of breath out of her mouth. “Brady…” His
lips moved down to her collarbone as his hands swept down, pulling her breasts
free from her bra before he palmed them, cupping and kneading in turn. Her
overwrought brain could hardly keep up with the sensations bombarding her, but
she knew she wanted to touch him. She needed to feel his bare skin against
hers. “Take off your clothes.”

He looked up at her, the glazed expression in his eyes
clearing. Sitting back on his haunches, he gestured to himself and then leered at
her. “Do it for me.”

She sat up quickly and attacked the buttons on his shirt
like a starving person would a sumptuous buffet. His eyes widened before they
became heavy-lidded as she pulled his shirt out of his jeans and tossed it
aside. Moving her hands down his chest, she wove her fingers through the light
sprinkling of blond hair that led down to his flat, ridged abdomen, finally
touching him like she’d wanted to during that photo shoot in New York.

“God, you’re perfect, Brady.” Letting out an involuntary moan,
she scratched her nails over his six-pack and heard him gasp.

He grabbed one of her hands. “I had no idea you liked to
play a little rough. I like it.”

Raising her gaze to his, she lifted an eyebrow in challenge.
Normally she wasn’t big on rough sex, and the men she dated could best be
described as “polite” in bed, but Brady seemed to bring out some crazy
impulses. He flashed a cocky grin. Deciding to call him on his bluff, she
grabbed the waistband of his jeans and tugged hard, pushing him to the side.
Clearly he hadn’t expected that because he yelped as he fell, landing on his
back on the bed, laughing. “Uncle, uncle,” he cried as she straddled him.
“Mmmm, that’s a pretty picture.” He grabbed her hips and pushed his pelvis
upward. “I’ve gotta get inside you soon or I’ll explode, darlin’.”

“All in good time. I want to play a little more first.” She
gave him a smile and he moaned in response.

“You’re gonna be the death of me, woman.”

Leaning down to him, she feasted on his mouth, nibbling on
his full bottom lip before exploring inside. He held her tight to him and
returned the kiss, finally taking over and rolling them both so he was on top
of her again.

“This is hardly fair. You’re still fully clothed save for
your shirt,” she protested as he attacked her neck again, running his tongue up
to her ear, where he sucked the lobe into his mouth before biting down gently.

She bowed up and he moved enough to allow her hands to slide
between them. Undoing the huge belt buckle at his waist, she asked him, “Why do
all you guys wear these huge belt buckles, anyway? I noticed a bunch of the
riders had them.”

“Checking out their packages, huh?” he retorted, tracing the
outer shell of her ear with the tips of his fingers before leaning down to
caress the sensitive spot behind it with his lips.

“No, they’re hard to miss. They’re practically obscene—almost
like you’re
trying
to get women to check out your so-called packages.”
Pushing him upright, she finally wrenched the damn thing open. Pulling the belt
through his pant loops, she threw it across the room as he chuckled. She made
short work of his snap and zipper and his cock was in her hand in a flash.
She’d wanted to surprise him, and apparently she had, because his chuckle died
in his throat as he hissed.

“Dammit! Give a guy a warning.” She squeezed him, stroking
upward as his eyes drifted shut. She loved the feel of him, so hard, yet so
soft, a contradiction, much like the man himself. Looking down, she saw a drop
of pre-cum had appeared on the purplish head of his penis and she drew her
thumb over it, spreading it around as he panted through clenched teeth. Never
before had she felt any particular need to taste a man. If she went down on
them at all she’d always pulled off before one could come in her mouth, but she
had an overwhelming need to know what Brady’s particular taste would be like.
Bringing her thumb to her lips, she licked and he groaned in response. “If you
want any sort of finesse on my part we need to slow down, darlin’. I’m about to
blow.”

“Funny, I was actually thinking about blowing—”

“That’s it. I can’t take this shit anymore. I’ve gotta have
you now,” he snarled, rising and turning to pull off his boots and socks, then
hauling off his jeans and underwear. She took the opportunity to shimmy out of
her bra and panties. After grabbing a condom, he was back and levering himself
over her. He rolled the condom down his impressive length and then entered her,
obviously trying to be gentle as he gritted his teeth. She threw her head back,
her mouth opening on a silent shout, her body going liquid to the slippery hot
intrusion of his cock. A keening sound she hardly recognized as her own voice
escaped her as he pulled back and thrust again, then remained seated deep
within her.

He gazed down at her. “Do you need me to go slower? I don’t
want to hurt you—you just make me crazy.” He shook his head slightly and her
heart caught a little.

“No, I want you to take me, Brady. Take me fast,” she
pleaded.

His eyes darkened even more. “I’m not sure you know what
you’re asking, sweetheart. A pretty little thing like you isn’t used to a brute
like me, I’m sure of it. Someone like you should have a nice guy who’ll make
nice, gentle love to you.” He looked away, but not before she detected a flash
of something. Regret? Pain? Insecurity?

Reaching up, she forced his eyes back to hers. “Brady, I’m
sick to death of nice guys. I want a guy who’ll get me a little revved up. That
guy is you.
You
get me revved up. Revved
way
up. Now, are we
going to lie here and talk all night long or are you going to show me you know
what to do with this beautiful body of yours?” She stroked up and down his
torso, gently raking him with her nails, and heard a rumble erupt from his
chest. Biting back a smile, she pulled him to her in silent invitation.

“Just remember when you can’t walk tomorrow that you asked
for it,” he grated out before beginning to move. She hooked her ankles around
his waist, pulling him even deeper inside her, until she didn’t know where she
ended and he began. Her arms were around his neck, and when she pulled him down
for a kiss, he bracketed his forearms on either side of her head, plunging his
hands into her hair. Turning her head to change the angle of the kiss, he pushed
his tongue farther into her mouth. Finally, he pulled back. “You okay?”

“Stop asking if I’m okay. I’m not a china doll, I won’t
break.”

“All right, all right,” he answered, grinning. “Forgive me
for trying to be a gentleman.”

“Don’t be a gentleman. Give me what I want.”

“And what do you want?” His wide-eyed gaze didn’t fool her
for a second, but since he’d stopped moving again she knew she had to say
something or risk having a coronary from unfulfilled sexual desire.

She went for shock value again. Looking him straight in the
eye, she said, “I want you to fuck me.” Then she squeezed her internal muscles
around him as hard as she could and he bit off a curse.

That got him going. “You wanna get fucked, huh? Oh, I’ll
fuck you good.” With that, he pulled out. “Turn over. I wanna take you from
behind.” She rolled over and he pulled her up, pushing a pillow underneath her.
“Ass in the air for me, darlin’.” Plunging back inside, he began to thrust
again with long, measured strokes. “Oh yeah, that’s better. Is this what you
wanted?”

“Yes,” she breathed out, beginning to claw at the sheets as
the ache in her pussy grew tighter. Grabbing her hips, he began to pull her
back as he pushed forward and every sensation intensified further. “Brady…oh God,
Brady…I can’t take it…”

He leaned down and nipped her ear. “Yes, you can, and you’re
gonna. You’re gonna take everything I give you.” Rising again, he started
pounding into her and before long she exploded, her heart thundering in her
chest as her pussy contracted around him. She groaned out his name as her back
arched, and his release followed on the heels of hers. Finally, both were
spent, and Brady rolled to the side while she simply collapsed on her stomach
and fought to catch her breath.

She’d never experienced anything like what she and Brady had
just done. Whenever someone had used that statement about their world being
rocked she’d always looked down on them with disdain, but now she knew exactly
what they meant. As she sneaked a peek at Brady, who lay on his back wearing a
smile of pure male satisfaction, gooseflesh rose on her arms.

Leah shut her eyes, willing the negative thoughts beginning
to invade her mind to cease. She’d just had the best orgasm of her life and the
good feelings had already vanished into thin air because she couldn’t stop
overanalyzing or reminding herself how different she and Brady were. Rising,
she scurried to the bathroom, feeling tears threatening to rise. He couldn’t
see her cry. She didn’t let
anyone
see her cry. Brady would have far too
much power if he knew how he affected her. She could never let that happen.
This was a fling. She couldn’t get emotionally attached to him. She had too
much to lose.

* * * * *

Brady woke up the next morning and rolled over, stretching
out. Surprised to find the bed warm, he cracked open one eye. Looking around,
he remembered where he was. Leah’s room. He grinned and rolled onto his back,
but his grin quickly changed to a frown when he realized he was alone in bed
and Leah was showering. He didn’t remember a damn thing after he’d had the most
explosive orgasm of his life—he must’ve conked right out.

Way to impress her with your staying power, stud.

He thought about surprising her in the shower, but something
made him hold back. Leah didn’t seem the type to appreciate a surprise like
that and he didn’t want to screw up the tenuous bond they’d begun to form last
night. As he lay there, additional insecurities crept in. Why had she decided
to sleep with him? What did she want now? Should he get up and dress? Wait for
her in bed and hope she was in the mood to fool around? Hating himself for the
uncharacteristic waffling, he glanced at the clock.

Shit.

He had to be at the arena in an hour and a half and he still
needed to shower, dress and eat. Sure, they could have a quickie, but the
thought of lingering over her delectable body sounded far better than bending
her over the counter in the bathroom and ramming his cock into her pussy for
thirty seconds. He frowned. When had quickies become unappetizing?