Linebacker's Second Chance (Bad Boy Ballers) (35 page)

I have the fleeting thought that I ought not to be messing with a woman who has to leave. But I’m overpowered by the thought of her skin against mine, her hot body melting against me, the wild and reckless abandon of the way she makes love.
 

“It’s amazing,” I say as I put my shoes up on the shelf in the mudroom. Like everything else in this damn house, it’s made of dark reclaimed wood. I wish Cadence could stay here and be the person who appreciates it all, lives in this rich, silent world I built to house a family and keep it safe.
 

She turns around and shrugs out of her coat. “What’s amazing?”
 

“Us, here. This. What’s happening between us. It’s amazing. That’s what you were going to say, right?” I stand up and go to her, even though she’s awkwardly kicking off her boots.
 

“That’s all true--but--“

“If it’s all true, don’t say a damn thing more.” I brush one hand against her cheek, and she leans into me. Her skin is still cold and flushed from riding, and I bet her fine ass is sore, after riding for the first time and then dramatically falling to the ground like a thirteen year-old girl whose never seen a horse before. I smile at her and kiss those sweet, juicy lips. Just tasting her makes my cock stiffen, the fire lighting deep inside my body. Those lips make me think about spreading her apart and tasting her again, flipping her over and riding her until she’s shaking against me.

That’s the thing about this fine woman, as fiery and deep as a fine whiskey. She’d probably kick my ass if she knew how much I think about whiskey when I’m kissing her. Maybe she wouldn’t if she knew how much I liked whiskey.
 

She doesn’t say anything, but I feel her body starting to melt against mine, her hands finding the muscles of my arms, then roaming down my back and squeezing my ass hard.
 

“Seeing you out there today...” I growl the words and bite her lip before I finish my thought. “Your legs across that great big horse, using your body to ride her--“

“Oh my God, it was a hot mess.” She laughs and then crumbles in embarrassment.
 

“Damn right it was. Emphasis on *hot, though. You did damn good for your first time. Well enough that I want to ignore every damn thing you’re saying and have you again.” I pause and bring my fingers to the buttons of her shirt. I hadn’t noticed but she’s wearing one of the shirts I left in her room. “Jesus, sweetheart. You look fine in my clothes. Wish I could see you wearing them every day.”

“I have to leave on the 31st--“ I’m barely listening to her, and my fingers are swiftly starting to unbutton the clothing between us, tugging the waist of the shirt out of her jeans, revealing the deep, beautiful brown of her skin.

“That’s why I need you right here. Right now.”

She gulps. “Right... right now?”
 

I run my hand over the graceful curve of her neck and then turn her around so she’s facing the wall, pulling her shirt off and dropping it to the floor. “Rowan,” she murmurs. Her tone is hesitant, but she pushes her body back against mine, and I’m unhooking her bra and cupping her full breasts before she can say anything else.
 

“Right now,” I growl. “You’re leaving. You keep saying that. So I’m going to take you as often as I can, as much as I want. I’ll make you come, make you scream my name. I’ll give you something to remember for the rest of your life.” I pull her jeans down, and she wiggles out of them, her ass shaking, a tantalizing temptation that’s sending heat through my limbs, setting my body on fire. “And when you close your eyes years from now, you’ll remember me sliding inside of you while you’re still sore from riding, while the snow falls outside.”

The gooseflesh appears on her body, interrupting the fineness of her exquisite skin. I run my hands back up to her breasts and feel that her nipples are stiff against my fingertips. I roll them between my fingers and listen to her breathy little moans. My cock is straining hard against my jeans, but in my house, ladies come first. And my big boy can wait. Moving my hands lower, I slip inside the lace of her little black panties, and find that she’s already soaked. Groaning, I push my cock against her backside and nearly topple her over. In response, she spreads her legs apart and puts her hands forward to catch herself against the wall. I rip her panties off with my free hand, the delicate fabric crumpling in my fingers. She turns and watches me as I lift the ripped lace and inhale its scent deeply, her scent, deep and rich and fine. Her lips part, and she moans even though I’m not even touching her, though I’m just looking at her body and thinking about fucking her.
 

Locking eyes with her and stuffing the panties in my pocket, I kneel on the rug in the mudroom and grab her perfect, naked ass. “And now, sweet girl, I’m going to make you come. Bend over and spread your legs a little wider for me.” Her eyes grow wide, but like she does every time I get her naked, she obeys. Without thinking any more, I bury my face between her legs from behind, licking her slippery, wet slit and sucking on her clit, tasting every inch of her. Unable to wait any longer, I unbutton myself while I’m still licking her, whipping out my cock and stroking it from shaft to head as I force my tongue inside of her. Her body starts to shake against my face, and I know she’s coming for me. I’m rock hard, tasting her, sensing her as she meets her release.

After she’s done shaking, I stand and shed my clothes, my feet bare against the carpet in the cold little room. Pausing for a moment, I reach for the condom that I kept in my pocket this morning. But she turns to me and brushes her hand against my face. “I want you to come inside of me, Rowan. I’m clean--and I’m on birth control right now.”

It feels like molten lava is pouring through my insides at the words she’s given me. She opens her mouth like she’s going to negate herself, like she’s embarrassed at what she said. But I just grin and stroke myself and push her back against the wall where she was. I press my cock against her entrance because I can’t bear it any longer. With one swift movement, I push inside of her and fill her completely. I let forth a deep, throaty groan and start fucking her, taking her waist with my hands and controlling each movement so she feels my full length with each thrust.
 

“Shit, baby, you feel so fucking good. So sweet, so tight.” She whines and moans and thrusts her ass back against me. The walls of her pussy are tight as hell, hot and slippery and perfect against my shaft. Her body shakes with each thrust, my balls start to tighten as she begins to shake against me all over again. “I’m going to come fast, baby. But I want you to come for me again first.”
 

The electricity that she alone creates is sparking hard inside of me, and I slow down so that I won’t end it before she does. I want to feel her tighten against me and release--and oh shit, she’s doing it. She moves her body so that her hips slam back against me, her ass quivering, her pussy swelling like it’s going to milk me dry.
 

“Now, Rowan, now. Come inside my pussy. Please...” Her words come out in a demanding hiss, and boy am I ready to deliver.
 

“Oh hell, woman.” I move my hand down to her clit and rub it in circles so she keeps shaking against me as I thrust into her hard, over and over again. “You belong to me, Cadence. Say it baby, and I’ll give you all of my come right now.”

She cries out and whimpers like she’s trying to talk, but she’s coming again, shaking hard against my cock.
 

“Say it, baby.” I groan, and I know I’m not going to last any longer. But fuck, I want to hear those words, especially if she’s leaving me in a matter of days. It’s the week before Christmas, and damn if I’m not going to *try to give her a reason to stay. I think of the necklace I bought her last week, sitting in my nightstand. I think of it dangling around her neck, showing the world that she’s mine. I think of her wearing that thing and nothing else. And then she says it.

“I’m yours, I’m yours, baby,” she mumbles. I grip her hard and thrust inside of her, groaning as I release my seed deep inside her.
 

This woman is better than anything, better than anyone before or since.
 

I don’t say it. Instead, I just hold on to her waist and close my eyes. If she must leave me, she must. If she’s not ready, she’s not ready. But hell, I’m going to do my best to convince her she *is.
 

As I’m still inside of her, I know it for sure know. This is the woman that I love, the woman that I should grow old with.
 

She’s different. She’s a city girl, and every person I know except maybe for Star will say she’s a no-good gold digger, but they’ll carefully avoid the issue of her race because of how much money I do have.
 

But I don’t give a flying fuck.
 

Cadence was meant to be mine, just like this. And the whole world can jump off a cliff if they think otherwise.
 

For the rest of the day, she stays in her nightshirt and drinks cocoa by the fire in the living room. It’s usually a big, lonely living room, and it feels even lonelier without a Christmas tree. But tomorrow, when I give her the necklace and let her know what I’ve been thinking, maybe it won’t be so lonely anymore.
 

But for now, I let her work on her designs, and I carry the memory of our morning together as the snow keeps falling around us, like a thick white blanket that protects us from the real world outside.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The next day, I map out the project to its completion and read the rest of a romance novel I’ve been meaning to finish. The snow falls outside almost continuously, making it too white to see anything. We’re both glad that the man came to tend the horses, that we didn’t have to go out in the mess.

 
I think about the comfortable time spent with Rowan, our feet entwined under a blanket, Eliza perched on top of the sofa that likely cost several thousand dollars, crushing the cushions. The time I spent with Eli was never like this. It was always fraught with expectations, with disappointments, with all the heartbreak we gave each other over the years we were together.
 

With Rowan, I don’t expect anything. And I hope he doesn’t either. Though our silences are comfortable, sometimes it feels like there’s something he’s keeping hidden. He has hinted that he’s none too pleased I’m leaving, but he hasn’t mentioned it today. Maybe he’s letting it go, like he should.
 

Forget a summer romance. This is even shorter. It’s a Christmas romance, and it will be over with the season, even if we both want it to continue. I need the time and space that I promised myself, and here I’m burying myself in Rowan, burying myself in sex and human contact that I so desperately needed. But there’s a bigger part of me that needs to heal. Maybe I should have been upfront, told Rowan about everything as soon as we first kissed.
 

But no one wants to hear about that particular kind of sadness. I glance at him after I finish the last page of my novel, though, and the words feel like they’re forming at the tip of my tongue. A romance like this deserves an explanation.
 

This is why. This is why. This is why I can’t stay. I know this is what I need.

“I—” I start. He looks up from his laptop, and I gulp away my fear. This isn’t how the plot is supposed to go. But real life is messy and horrible, and sometimes the story doesn’t make sense. “I have something to tell you.”

“And I have something to give you. Maybe it won’t convince you to stay, but well, it’ll show my intentions.” He gets up, and my jaw drops down. I know that he’s been on this kick of wanting me to leave New York for him, and until yesterday, he pursued it with single-minded determination in nearly every conversation we’ve had. Before I can respond with what I need to say, he’s rushing off to the upstairs like he didn’t even hear me when I opened my mouth.
 

My heart drops when I think about what he might want to give me. It couldn’t be a ring, could it? I twist my hands around and sit up straight on the sofa. Eliza shifts and looks at me like she might be worried about my sanity. And I might be worried about it too.
 

After all, what woman says no to a handsome billionaire with a big cock... who knows how to cook... and eat pussy?
 

Oh fuck, what am I doing? I can’t do this. Can’t say no to him, can’t explain what’s gone wrong in my life. Maybe I can—

I start breathing hard, clutching at my chest, trying to calm the panic that’s rising inside of me. I throw the blanket off of my lap and leap to my feet, shaking with anxiety. And this is the image that greets Rowan when he comes back into the room. There’s obvious pleasure—no, beaming happiness—when he walks in the room, holding a little velvet box with a blue ribbon wrapped around.
 

“What’s wrong, Cadence? I know you don’t want to stay—but I thought I would try one last time. I
know
this is right. Hell, I’ll buy you an apartment in New York. I’ll fly you between here and there. I’ll—”

“Rowan, stop. I can’t stay here. Please don’t—” My voice cracks, and he comes over to me and puts the little box down on the coffee table.
 

“It’s not an engagement ring. I know very well you won’t marry a man that you’ve really just started dating—”