His Seduction Game Plan (13 page)

“Will you let me come in with you?” he asked. “I want to talk to you about a few things I've uncovered in your father's office.”

She sighed and looked over at him. “Yes. When did you find the time to go through my dad's things?”

“I'll tell you when we are inside. I think this will surprise you,” he said.

He got out of the car and took a deep breath. The key was to be cool and act normal. That was all he had to do.

Ten yards at a time. It felt like the longest game of his life and each ten yards he ran for was longer than the ten yards before. He was tired and ready for it to be over, but then he remembered something his father had said to him a long time ago. There are no shortcuts in life.

And he had only himself to blame for trying to take one with Ferrin.

Fourteen

F
errin didn't want to talk about the past or football. She was still trying to figure out exactly what it was Hunter had been trying to communicate in the car. He'd sounded as if he cared for her. Okay, maybe even loved her but wasn't sure enough of himself or maybe of her to say it.

She'd had a long talk with her mom about him while she'd been in Texas. And that was part of the reason why it was so easy for her to remain calm now. Her mom had pointed out that Hunter was the first man she'd been in a relationship with that she was actually upset about when it ended. Her mom had pointed out that Ferrin had never allowed herself to really get emotionally involved before.

She walked up the path to the house; Hunter was behind her carrying her bag. The door opened and a large man came bounding down the steps. He was holding something in his left hand and as he got closer Ferrin noticed that his nose was bleeding and that she recognized him.

“Graham? What are you doing here?”

He seemed surprised to see her. “Ferrin, I thought you were still in Texas. I stopped by to get a videotape for the tribute we are putting together about your dad.”

Graham's face was flushed and his salt-and-pepper hair was disheveled. She put her hand out to steady him as he looked past her and sort of feinted to the left. “You have a nosebleed. I have a tissue in my purse. Why don't you sit down on the front porch and I will get you some ice for it.”

He wiped his hand under his nose and looked down at the smear of blood on the back of his hand as Hunter joined her.

“Coach Peters, nice to see you,” Hunter said, holding out his hand.

“Hunter. I'm surprised you're back in California,” Graham said. “I'd avoid it if I had your reputation.”

Ferrin stepped in front of Hunter. “Excuse me? I think you know as well as everyone at the college that Hunter was falsely accused.”

Hunter put his hand on her shoulder and shifted her to the side. “It's okay, Ferrin.”

“Stop him!” Joy yelled from the door. “He's stolen that tape.”

Ferrin's gaze met Graham's and he shoved her hard to the ground as he tried to sprint around Hunter. Hunter took a running leap and tackled Graham to the ground. Graham tried to wriggle out of Hunter's grip but Hunter went for the tape, not the man, and wrested it from Graham's hands.

They heard the sound of sirens just as Hunter stood up. Ferrin got to her feet, rubbing her side, as Hunter stood over Graham until the cops arrived.

Joy came down to meet them.

“I called 911,” she greeted the cops. “He hit the coach and stole some of his property.”

“It's the property of the college,” Graham said. “Everyone in this house is crazy. The housekeeper. The old man who punched me and this guy who tackled me. I'm thinking of pressing charges.”

“Let's get everyone's statements first. I'm Officer Daniels and this is Officer Stevens,” the first cop said. He took Graham's arm in his. “Are you okay? Do you need medical assistance?”

“I'm fine.”

“Can I go check on my dad?” Ferrin asked.

“Yes,” Officer Stevens said. “I'll come with you.”

Hunter caught her hand in his. “Are you okay?”

She nodded. “Are you?”

“Yes.”

Ferrin went into the house with Officer Stevens on her heels. She found her father in his desk chair in his study. His lip was bleeding and his shirt was torn.

“Dad! Are you okay?”

“Yes,” he said. “Just feeling stupid.”

“What happened?” Officer Stevens asked.

“Graham Peters broke into my house and tried to steal my property,” Coach said. “I think he's responsible for Stacia Krushnik's death.”

“Really?” Ferrin asked.

“Yes. There was something odd about that time, and when Hunter stopped by a few days ago to talk about what was going on in the gym, I remembered the tapes we had. I thought I'd review them before Hunter did and I saw...well, I saw that poor girl being raped and killed by Graham. I called him to tell him I knew what he'd done and that it was time to turn himself in.”

“Dad, that was—”

“Stupid, I know. Did you get the tape?” he asked. “It's on the tape.”

“We got it,” Ferrin said. “Can you arrest him, Officer Stevens?”

“We can hold him but the DA will have to review the tape before we see if charges can be brought against him,” Officer Stevens said. “We can arrest him for breaking into your house and assaulting your father.”

Ferrin went to her dad's side as the officer asked him a few more questions. She dug around in her purse for a tissue and reached over to dab at the blood on his lip but he stopped her. He squeezed her hand and then held it while he continued talking to the police.

Graham was taken to the station. A copy of the tape and the rest of Coach's files were requested by the district attorney's office. It was almost midnight before her father was safely tucked into his bed and Ferrin had a moment to think. Hunter and Kingsley had both given new statements to the district attorney.

Ferrin didn't know when she'd see Hunter again. Joy had gone home and Ferrin had given her the next few days off.

She had showered and changed into a pair of yoga pants and a long-sleeved shirt but couldn't sleep. She went back downstairs to the kitchen and made herself a cup of tea. She kept looking at her phone and realized that she was waiting for Hunter. They hadn't had a chance to talk and she was worried about him.

* * *

Hunter left the district attorney's office at a little after midnight and drove to Ferrin's house. He knew it was late and he should go home but he needed to see her. To think that tape had been in a box the past ten years and he and Kingsley had walked around with the guilt and the condemnation while Graham Peters had hidden in plain sight.

He'd taken time to call Stacia's parents and talk to them. They had believed him when he'd been released, but then they'd seen the same evidence that Hunter had. The proof that another man was responsible but there was no DNA evidence to link it to any of the players. That was the rub. They'd tested all the men in the frat house and every football player, looking for a DNA match, but had never tested the coaches. In hindsight everyone was saying that was something that shouldn't have been overlooked. But at the time the DA had been determined to get the case out of the spotlight once the charges against Hunter and Kingsley had been dropped.

There was still so much to do but Hunter needed to find Ferrin first. Today had made him realize all the hemming and hawing he'd done in the car was ridiculous. He loved her. He needed to tell her and convince her to really give him a second chance. And though he'd said he'd had no more secrets he knew he'd hidden his love for her and he didn't want to do that. Not anymore.

Knowing what happened to Stacia had set him free and he knew that he'd been waiting for that before he felt safe loving Ferrin. And asking Ferrin to take a chance on loving him. He hadn't been able to before but he could now.

He texted her because it was after midnight and he didn't want to knock on her door and freak her out. Or have her send him away. He needed her. He hadn't realized how much until Gabi had shown up at the DA's office and Hunter had watched her and Kingsley leave together.

Hey. Are you still awake? Can I come over?

Yes. I'm waiting for you.

Waiting for him?

He liked the sound of that.

He got out of the car. The air was crisp and cool. The sky was full of stars and the moon was big and bright, lighting his way toward Ferrin's house. As he walked up the steps he remembered Graham shoving Ferrin. His knuckles ached from the punch he'd gotten in but he didn't regret it. He wished he'd punched Graham more than once.

The door opened and Ferrin stood in the doorway. Backlit from the hallway, her thick black hair curled around her shoulders as she leaned against the doorjamb. He hurried up the steps and scooped her up in his arms, kicking the door closed behind him. He knew they needed to talk but he needed her first.

It was primitive and primal but none of that mattered. He buried his hands in her hair as he plundered her mouth. Her hands were on his back, holding him tightly to her. He pulled her off her feet as he leaned back against the wall. She tasted of mint and tea and he realized how hungry he'd been for her.

He'd been parched for this woman and not just since she'd gone to Texas. He'd been missing her in his life for too long. He pulled his mouth free but he couldn't lift his head. He rubbed his lips against hers and she wrapped her thighs around his hips.

He settled his hands on her butt and carried her down the hall to the kitchen, where the lights were on. He set her on the counter on the island and stood between her legs. She probably wanted to talk.

He should let her talk. But he could see the shape of her nipples beneath her light-colored shirt and he lifted his hand to trace one, and then he had to kiss her again.

He braced one hand next to her hips on the counter and leaned over her, taking her mouth with his again. His tongue thrust deep into her and she held his head, rubbing her fingers against his scalp in a way that made everything in him tingle. His heartbeat was so loud he was sure she could hear it echoing around the kitchen.

She sucked his lower lip into her mouth and bit it, causing him to lift his head and look down at her. When he put his hands on her waist and drew her closer to him. She pulled back and bit his lip again.

“What was that for?”

“Making me think you might not come back tonight,” she said.

“Were you waiting for me?”

“Duh,” she said. She framed his face with her hands and stared into his eyes, and he felt something that had been tightly held inside him for so long break free. He dropped his head, resting it against her torso and hugging her closer. He wasn't letting go.

She clung to him just as fiercely, her fingers stroking the back of his head and his neck until he lifted his head again.

“I love you, Ferrin. I hedged it earlier in the car but that's the truth. I can't imagine a future for myself without you.”

She leaned down and kissed his jaw, ran her fingers over his beard as she nibbled her way to his ear.

“I love you, too,” she whispered into his ear. “I'm afraid.”

“Me, too,” he admitted. “I've never cared for anyone like this before.”

“Me either.”

He pushed his hands up under her shirt and caressed her back. Somehow knowing they were in the same boat made it easier to deal with his emotions. He wasn't alone. In fact it felt as if he had the kind of partner he'd been unconsciously searching for in his life for a long time.

“What are we going to do next?” she asked.

“I'm going to make love to you until we both fall into an exhausted sleep and tomorrow we'll figure everything else out.”

“I like the sound of that,” she said.

He took the hem of her shirt in both hands and drew it up and over her head, tossing it aside. She put her hands behind her on the counter and leaned back, thrusting her breasts up and into prominence.

He lowered his head between them, plumping them up on each side of his face, and rubbed his beard over the tips before sucking one of her nipples into his mouth. She held his head to her breast and arched underneath him.

Her legs parted and she shifted forward on the counter so that he was pressed more tightly to her. He wrapped one arm around her hips and pulled her yoga pants down. He wanted to take things slow but he felt a sense of urgency. Desire and lust had combined with his newly realized feelings of love and he had to have her. Had to make her his so that she knew that he was never going to let her go again.

He stepped back to take off his jeans and watched as Ferrin shimmied out of her yoga pants and her panties.

Hunter had never seen anything more beautiful than Ferrin. Her skin was creamy and pale, her nipples pink and the hair between her legs dark and neatly trimmed. He'd seen many different sides of her but he realized for the first time he was seeing all of her. Maybe it was that she felt comfortable now that she knew he loved her, but he'd never in his life seen any woman who could hold a candle to her in this moment.

“You're gorgeous,” he said, his voice deep and raspy. He knew he was lucky to be able to speak since every instinct he had was screaming for him to climb on top of her and thrust himself deep inside her body until he came.

But he wanted this to last. At least for a little bit longer. He'd never said those words to a woman and he wanted to show her how much she meant to him.

It was hard to believe that he was finally free of the past and that he had the woman he wanted here with him now. She was naked and spread out on the counter waiting for him.

She lifted one hand and crooked her finger at him and he took a step toward her. He ran his hands slowly over her torso, almost afraid to believe that after everything they'd been through together she was his now. He felt as though he'd run his last ten yards and they were in the end zone now.

Reaching out, she took his erection in her hand. She shifted forward and stroked him up and down, cupping him with her other hand. She smoothed her finger over the tip and then continued to caress his length.

She kissed his neck and then made a little moan of disappointment. “Take your shirt off.”

He moved so quickly he almost tore the fabric, wrenching his shirt up and over his head and tossing it aside. She nibbled at his chest, slowly following the line of hair that went down his stomach. She let go of his hard-on and put her arms around him, cupping his buttocks and drawing him closer to her. She spread her thighs and wrapped her legs around his hips. She shifted until the tip of his erection was poised at her entrance.

He pushed into her slowly and then stopped. He caught her chin in his hand and tipped her head back. Their eyes met as he slowly pushed his way into her body, not stopping this time until he was fully seated.