Delay of Game (The Baltimore Banners Book 6) (9 page)

Heat exploded inside her, instantaneous and all-consuming. Val pressed her body against Justin's, needing to feel him. All of him.

Her shoes and purse fell from nerveless fingers as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Giving in, surrendering to the wonders of his kiss. All this, from a kiss.

Insanity. The word dashed through her mind, there and gone in a heartbeat. She didn't care. If this was insanity, then she'd gladly be committed. As long as she could have Justin's kisses, as long as she could feel the hard heat of his body against hers, she didn't care.

His hands cupped her face, tilting her head back as he trailed his mouth from her lips, to her jaw, to her throat. Back again. Over and over until she could do nothing more than stand there, holding onto him so she didn't collapse into a puddle at his feet.

"Valerie." Just her name, but so much more, a ragged whisper full of need, a question and answer at the same time. She clung to Justin, sagging against him as his hands caressed her back, cupped her ass and tilted her hips toward his. Val moaned, rubbing herself against his hard length, heard his moan echo in her ear.

Too much, not enough. She wanted more. Needed more. She dragged her hands along his shoulders, down to the edges of his sport jacket, and pushed it off. Her fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, undoing them one by one, not stopping until she felt bare skin.

Hard, hot. Val ran her fingers along his chest, memorizing each dip and plane. His muscles tightened and flexed under her touch, his breath hitching when she ran her palms over his flat nipples.

He groaned, his mouth crashing against hers, harder, more demanding. His hands tightened around her hips, lifting, guiding as she wrapped her legs around his waist. Then he was walking, carrying her further into the apartment, through the living room and down the hallway, not stopping until they reached her room.

He lowered her onto the mattress, following her down, never breaking the kiss. His hands were magic, everywhere at once, stroking, caressing. Justin tugged at her slacks, pushing them down past her hips, his fingers skimming her flesh.

The outside of her thigh, her hip, up along her side, under her sweater to the swell of her breast. His thumb teased her nipple through the lace bra, soft and rough, gentle and teasing.

Val lifted her hips, searching, needing more. Too many clothes, too many barriers. She heard herself moan, surprised at the sound, at the need and desperation.

Justin dragged his mouth from hers, trailed his lips up to her ear and nipped at the lobe. Val's back arched, her hands digging into the corded steel of his biceps. He murmured something, his voice a gravelly whisper, his breath hot against her skin. She shook her head, trying to tell him she couldn't hear. And then she couldn't think, because his hands were all over her, touching, caressing, teasing. He moved down her body, pushing to his knees as he straddled her. Val thrust her hips forward, searching, needing to feel more of him. He tightened his legs around her thighs, holding her still. Then he leaned forward, pushing her sweater up, up further, easing it off her arms and over her head.

He stared down at her, his gaze so focused, so heated, her skin burned. Then he reached out with one finger and trailed the tip along her flesh. From the line of her neck to her collarbone, down to trace the swell of each breast at the edge of the lacy material. Over and over, back and forth. Her nipples tightened, straining at the lace, waiting for his touch.

Val's breath was nothing more than shallow gasps of need, of anticipation. She wanted him to touch her, to feel his hands on her, to feel his tongue swirl around the hardened peaks.

"Justin, please."

His gaze slid from her breasts to her eyes. The desire, the heat, the need in his dark eyes burned her as much as his touch. She lifted her hand, cupped his cheek against her palm and traced his lower lip with her thumb. He turned his head and captured her thumb in his mouth, sucking gently before nipping.

Val gasped, the ache between her legs growing, pooling. She tried to lift her hips, to ease the ache, but Justin shifted, holding her still with the barest squeeze of his legs around hers.

"Justin."

"Shh. Not yet." He nipped her thumb one last time then took her hand in his, stretched her arm over her head and held it there. He shifted, just the smallest bit, his mouth lowering to her chest.

Liquid heat filled her as his mouth closed over one nipple, his tongue teasing it through the lace. Val's breath escaped in a hiss, her back arching as sensation ripped through her.

Justin moved to her other breast, teasing and nipping, always through the lace. He ran the fingers of his free hand along her neck, down her breastbone, the touch gentle, searing. Then his fingers slipped under the lace of her bra, sliding it down, freeing first one breast then the other.

Then God, yes, his mouth was there, his tongue swirling around her nipple, sucking. His teeth closed over the tight peak, nipping gently, licking again, sucking.

Her back arched, her heels digging into the mattress, but she still couldn't move. Pressure was building, knotting her stomach, coiling tight between her legs.

"Justin."

He ignored her cry, filled with breathless need, his mouth moving from one breast to the other. She reached down with her free hand, tangled it in his hair, holding him in place as he sucked, licked, teased.

Too much, not enough. Val threw her head back, her eyes closed, her chest rising and falling with each harsh breath, with each gasp. Justin's hand tightened around hers for a brief second then released it. He trailed his fingers along her arm, cupped her breast and squeezed, his thumb grazing the hard peak of her nipple. Then he moved, sliding down her body, his mouth and tongue trailing fire, dipping into her navel, down even more, teasing the swell of hip.

Justin shifted, his strong legs no longer holding her own together. He grabbed her pants, slid them all the way off, tossed them to side. Her thong followed.

Val pushed to her elbows, her eyes slowly focusing on the man kneeling between her legs. His shirt hung open, revealing the hard planes and dips of his sculpted chest and abs, the thin line of dark blonde hair that started at his navel and disappeared below the waistband of his jeans.

His eyes, so dark, filled with liquid heat as he watched her, his finger caressing the sensitive flesh of her inner thigh. Higher, teasing, slowly moving higher still, so slow—

Val fell back, her hips surging forward as finally, finally he touched her, his finger running along her clit, up and down, again, over and over. He slid his finger inside her, slowly, teasing.

"You are so wet. So ready."

"Y-yes." God yes, please. She wanted him, needed him. Needed to feel him inside her, filling her.

"Not yet."

She heard the words through the haze of need, tried to focus, struggled to make sense of them. Then his mouth closed over, his tongue licking, tasting, stroking. Val sucked in a breath, her back arching, her hands clenching at her sides, fisting the comforter.

Too much. It was too much. She dug her heels into the mattress, groaned when Justin grabbed one leg and placed it over his shoulder, opening her even more. And his mouth, that wonderful talented mouth, drove her to the brink, held her at the edge until she wanted to beg, to scream, to promise whatever he wanted. Anything, as long as he'd send her flying.

His tongue stroked, teased, tasted, holding her on the edge. And then he slid a second finger inside her, his touch slow and deep.

Val exploded, the world around her shattering into bright shards, a rainbow of lights behind her closed lids. She screamed his name, or maybe it was just a moan, she didn't know, didn't care.

Nothing existed, nothing except the searing pleasure washing over her, around her, inside her. Over and over, never-ending.

The waves slowed, a little at a time, the shallow gasps of her breathing evening out. And then Justin was there again, a heavy weight between her legs, the tip of his cock teasing her, threatening to send her over the edge once more.

"Val."

She heard her name, tried to force her eyes open, the lids fluttering as her hands reached for him.

And then he was inside her, stretching her, filling her. She cried his name, wrapped her arms around him, buried her face in the crook of his shoulder as he thrust.

In. Out. Harder. Faster. Over and over. Sensation spiraled, swirled, pulling her under. Pushing away the rest of the world until they were the only two there.

Until the only thing that existed was the man in her arms, filling her, sending her flying.

"Valerie."

Flesh against flesh, searing. And then the world exploded, crashing around her. Justin's mouth closed over hers, swallowing her screams as he thrust. Once, twice. Once more, their bodies melded as one, their groans swallowed by the other.

Sensation exploded again, searing, intense. Waves crashed around her, over her, pulling her under, Justin's soft kisses and murmured words the only anchor she needed.

Val wasn't sure how much time had passed, didn't care, not when she was curled against the hard length of Justin's body, his arm wrapped so protectively around her. She turned her head, dropped a kiss in the middle of his chest, snuggled a little closer. His hand drew lazy circles on her back, trailed down her arm, the touch light and soft against her skin.

She wanted to close her eyes, drift off to sleep, wake up next him in the morning. But she couldn't, not yet. Val shifted, turning over so she could prop herself on one elbow, and looked down at him.

Her heart stumbled in her chest, took off at a crazy uneven pace. He looked so peaceful. Calm, at ease. His eyes were closed, his thick lashes fanned against his cheek, too long and dark for a man of his size but somehow, just right on him. His mouth was relaxed, one corner tilted just the tiniest bit, like the smile was a permanent part of his expression.

And no matter how small that smile might be, it lifted Val's spirits to see it. Justin hadn't smiled in a long time. Too long. To think that maybe, just maybe, she had something to do with it filled her with a warmth she didn't want to examine to closely.

"Did you need to leave?"

Justin's body stiffened under hers, his hand stilling on her shoulder. He opened his eyes, their color so dark in the shadows of her room. He didn't say anything for several long seconds, the silence between them heavy. Val held her breath, waiting.

"Do you want me to?"

"No!" She winced at her quick answer, at the almost desperate tone in her voice. "I just—I meant, I wasn't sure if you wanted to stay."

Justin smiled and closed his eyes, his hand moving along her skin again. "There's no place else I want to be right now."

"Good."

Justin chuckled, tightened his arm around her and pulled her down, settling her head in the crook of his shoulder. He dropped a kiss on her temple, his breath warm against her skin. "You should stop thinking so much, get some sleep."

"I'm not the one who has practice and a game tomorrow."

"I'll be fine. Better than I have been in a long time." His voice was soft, just above a whisper, fading into the quiet surrounding them. Val sighed and snuggled closer, her hand resting in the middle of his chest. His heart beat steady, strong, beneath her palm, hypnotizing her, lulling her into the grayness between slumber and awareness.

She didn't want to surrender to the grayness. Not yet. There were questions she wanted to ask Justin. Questions she had no business asking but needed the answers to anyway. Questions she should have asked earlier. Not now, not when they lay here together, their bodies entwined in the dark.

Her eyes drifted shut, snapped back open, closed again. She should just give in, let herself drift off—

"What happened with your wife?"

Justin stiffened beside her, tension pouring from him, thick and oppressive. He didn't move, barely breathed. The steady beat of his heart changed, becoming harder, pounding against the palm of her hand.

Several long minutes went by, minutes where Val cursed herself for speaking. For bringing it up. Why couldn't she have just stayed quiet? Why did she have to ask? Especially now, of all times. It wasn't her business, never would be. She took a deep breath and let it out, ready to apologize, to tell Justin to forget she asked. But then he moved, rolling to his side to turn on the light.

For a second, Val thought he was going to leave. That he was going to climb out of bed and get dressed, that she had ruined a perfectly good night by opening her mouth. But Justin merely sat up, leaning against the headboard. He watched her for a few long seconds, his dark eyes filled with shadows. Then he let out a deep sigh and ran one hand through his hair, mussing the dark blonde strands even more.

  He bent one leg and drew it to his chest, the sheet hanging dangerously low across his hips. He must have seen her look because he laughed, nothing more than a quick burst of air, and pulled the sheet higher.

"I won't be able to talk about much of anything if you keep looking at me that way. Especially not about my ex." He ran a hand through his hair once more, tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. Then he let out a long sigh, the sound filled with resignation.