Play Date (Play Makers Book 3) (22 page)

And again, her body possessed by wild pleasure and disbelieving shockwaves.

Convinced it was never going to end—she was going to die from ecstasy—she was surprised again when it subsided almost as quickly as it started. No romantic cool-down, no charming afterglow, just unbelievable stillness. Covering her face with her hands she realized her cheeks were damp with tears of pleasure, so she wiped them away quickly, then opened her eyes to look at him in wonder.

He was kneeling on the bed, his back straight, his eyed fixed on her as if waiting. She wondered if he expected her to return the favor, but she wouldn’t know where to begin. He was too huge for her to do a good job, at least this first time. And she wanted to do a
perfect
job.

So she got on her knees, pulling the dress over her head and tossing it aside, proudly celebrating her naked boy. Then she slipped her hands behind his neck, stared into his eyes, and offered the only thing she could think of.

“Doggie-style.”

For a moment he just stared at her, visibly stunned. Then a huge grin spread across his face and he stepped back onto the floor to remove his vest and shirt, never taking his eyes off her. When he shrugged out of his jeans, she broke eye contact long enough to acknowledge his huge erection. She had assumed he had climaxed during one of her many orgasms, but he had waited for this.

Grappling her nude body close, his nuzzled her neck and shoulders, then her breasts. Then he turned her away from himself and positioned her on her knees.

She expected him to penetrate her right away, but instead he leaned over her spine and whispered in her ear, “Bareback, right?”

“Just this once,” she said without thinking. And then she was glad she did, because he invaded her with wild intention, working his way slowly, taking advantage of her slick condition and the new arousal that drooled expectantly.

Then, as if to make her totally crazy, he pulled her upright, her hands no longer braced against the mattress, her back against his chest as he fondled her breasts with one masterful hand while the other slid down her torso and between her legs, his fingers going to work on her. She hadn’t expected anything for herself. Not only was she already spent, but doggie-style?

Who knew?

He pumped rhythmically, bringing her to a fevered state, and only then was she back on all fours, climaxing as he thrust himself into her, wild now with his own needs. When he came, it really was the Wild West.

And he really was the sheriff.

Collapsing again, this time on her belly, she felt him stretch out next to her, his arm draped across her rump. He didn’t say anything, and she wondered what would happen next. Would they just go to sleep? She could do that easily. But then what?

She needed him to make a joke. Tease her.
Kiss
her. He hadn’t kissed her the whole time, had he?

What was
that
about?

If he didn’t say something soon, she would panic. Already she could imagine Mrs. Rayburn piling all the students into the cafeteria for one final presentation. That was his escape plan, wasn’t it? If he had had enough? Mission accomplished? Or if things got too serious?

This definitely felt serious. Or maybe everything was fine and he had just fallen asleep. That would make sense, wouldn’t it? He had to be exhausted, since he had done all the work, as usual.

So why wasn’t he teasing her about
that?

He spooned her closer, then murmured in her ear, “Doggie-style was a nice touch.”

Confused, she turned to look at him. Was he serious?

“Excuse me?”

“I didn’t see that part coming.”

“But you saw the rest coming?”

He gave her a knowing smile. “I knew you’d make me work my ass off, if that’s what you mean. But it was worth it.”

She stared.

It?

With “it” being sex without a condom?
That
was all
this was about?

She knew she should be offended, but instead, her spirits soared. Because nothing had changed. So she smiled teasingly. “What happened to my roses?”

“They’re in the kitchen. Turns out I didn’t need them after all.”

“What?” She scanned his face and realized he wasn’t kidding, so she jumped out of bed and grabbed her lacy robe, her feet barely touching the cool red tiles as she sped through the house. And there they were, right on the butcher block cart. A dozen red roses in a cobalt blue vase.

“Wow.” She buried her nose in the bouquet, inhaling the pungent scent, only dimly aware of him behind her. “They smell so good.”

“So do you,” he assured her, wrapping his arms around her. “I almost got white ones. But I figured red would get you lathered up quicker.”

“Good call.”

“Come on,” he urged, turning her and guiding her back to the bedroom. “Let’s hit the showers, then we can track down some dinner.”

• • •

They tracked down dinner at a drive-thru—hamburgers for him, a chicken sandwich for her, a jumbo bag of fries to share—and headed for the beach. It was still warm, with the sun low enough in the sky that most families had deserted the place, leaving some scattered beachcombers and Frisbee players, a fair number of joggers, and a group of teenagers playing touch football. Rachel had grabbed her blanket from her car before they piled into his pickup, and now they stretched out next to each other, both wearing shorts and T-shirts, chatting as they dined, mostly about her survival of the hellhounds.

“What’s the story with that dress?” he asked suddenly.

“I bought it last week. To wear for you,” she admitted. “I just didn’t realize I’d need it so soon.”

“It’s awesome.”

“I liked your vest too.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” He cleared his throat. “So I’ve gotta be back in Portland tomorrow night. We can hang out during the day if you’re free, though.”

“As long as you’re willing to go grocery shopping.”

“Yeah, I’m willing.” He studied her warily. “You still haven’t heard from Deck?”

“No. Why?”

“The McSpurlings get home tomorrow, so we’re having a party. I was hoping he’d invite you, so I could bang you in the big dog’s bed.”

Lovely . . .

She knew he couldn’t ask her to the party himself, since they were keeping things quiet, but still, the suggestion annoyed her. “I thought you said Sean has a girlfriend these days.”

“He’s been bitchy all week, so I’m guessing it crashed and burned. Luckily, we invited some wild women. So if he wants to get laid, he can.”

“That
is
lucky,” she said, trying not to sound as bitchy as Sean.

“I wish you could be there.”

“Portland’s on my bucket list,” she said lightly. “Because I’d vomit in a bucket if I ever got stuck there again.”

He eyed her for a second, then chuckled. “That’s the first joke I ever heard you crack. Not bad, teach.”

“Let’s walk.” She stuffed the empty wrappers into the take-out bag, then stood up. “We can come back for the blanket and shoes.”

“Hey.” He stood too, then looked down at her with teasing eyes. “You still owe me a kiss, you know.”

“Pardon?”

“You always kiss me after we get it on. So let’s have it.”

She wanted to cling to her annoyance, but he looked so good—so ridiculously irresistible—she reached up, dragged his mouth down to hers, and kissed him adoringly.

“That’s more like it,” he said when she had finished, and she smiled up at him, loving their return to innocence. Had she dared question the wisdom of this arrangement? It was Friday night, wasn’t it? So he was all hers.

And she was all his.

“Hey, Bam,” a tentative voice said from nearby.

They turned to see that the teenagers had grouped together and were gaping at him. One stepped forward and insisted, “You’re Bam Bannerman, right?”

“Last time I checked,” he agreed cheerfully. “You guys are living the dream, huh? Football on the beach while you scope out the babes?”

Rachel bit her lip to keep from laughing as her date entertained the spellbound guys, calling each of them “dude” and “buddy” and acting like he’d known them for years. When they lamented that they didn’t have paper or pen, she rummaged in her beach bag and found some, and the football idol handed out autographs like candy, attracting other fans in the process.

They all thanked him, then one awed kid blurted out, “Your girlfriend’s so hot.”

“Are you looking at my woman?” Bannerman growled. When the boy backed away in shock, the halfback burst out laughing. “Just kidding, dude. Because yeah, she’s smokin’.”

The boys all laughed in relief, but had the good sense to thank him again and return quickly to their game.

“So are we walking or not?” Bannerman asked her.

“Does this happen a lot?”

“Yeah, I’m a god to these kids.”

“Be quiet.” She took him by the hand and tugged him toward the damp sand of low tide, anxious to feel the moisture on the soles of her feet. This was her favorite time of day, and doubly favorite here with the breezes and the waves. The sky had erupted in red and gold as the sun set over the ocean, casting a romantic haze over her. Maybe even over him, although she doubted it.

It’s better than love,
she decided with a contented sigh. Then she remembered what he had said about Sean’s mood, and her heart went out to Kerrie. What if it had ended? The lonely, neglected wife would be so devastated. And given the kicker’s tender heart, Rachel knew it would hurt him too.

“Did you ask Sean why he was feeling so unhappy?” she asked, trying for a casual tone.

“No, but Erica will. She’s got the touch. Especially with him.”

“He seems really close with her. Like brother and sister, right?”

Bannerman laughed. “Hardly. She’s too damned hot for that.”

Rachel laughed too. “I noticed how he acted around her at the wedding. You too, by the way.”

“Yeah, but he’s got it worse.” He turned her to face him. “Did he tell you how we met her?”

“No. I assumed it was through Johnny.”

He hesitated, his eyes warming. “You heard about Deck breaking my hand, didn’t you? It was an accident, but still, things got bad between us. It seems crazy now, but back then . . .” His voice trailed off.

“I can’t imagine you guys not being friends.”

“Yeah, but that’s where it was going. Until
she
stepped in. So she’s not just John’s girl. She’s ours too.”

“I like that story,” she said, honestly moved.

“Yeah, she’s the best. Plus, when she and John were first dating they kept things secret. Like you and me are doing, but for different reasons. So when she showed up at games or parties,
we
pretended to be her dates. So we got a fair amount of action.”

“What does
that
mean?”

“Ask Deck.”

“Maybe I will.” She looked out over the ocean again, catching the last rays of the day. “Should we head back?”

“Yeah. Time to get my money’s worth on those roses.”

She smiled wearily. “You’re a waste of a good sunset, you know.”

“Sorry, babe.” He gave her a sincere wince. “I’ve never been good at this part.”

“That’s okay. You’re just what I want.”

“Yeah, you’re just what I want too. Plus . . .”

“Plus I owe you for the roses?” She pretended to glare. “Fine, but you’re wearing a condom.”

He threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing over the sand and water. Then he grabbed her into his arms. “I deserved that. But you didn’t really mean it, right? You’re so beautiful, Rachel—”

“Oh, be quiet.” She kissed him happily, wondering how she could have complained even for a moment. Wasn’t this his best quality? Keeping things light? Without it, they never would have clicked. Not at the wedding. And definitely not thereafter.

So she would gladly give him his money’s worth for the roses. And from now on, she would do her part to keep things light between them too.

Starting with that condom.

Chapter 9

Come on, Kerrie,” Sean said pleadingly as he paced room 108. “We can’t keep having the same fight over and over. We need to make some progress here.”

“I’m tired of being the reasonable one all the time,” she retorted.

His laugh was tinged with unexpected anger. “Of all the crazy shit you’ve said,
that’s
the craziest.”

“What?” There was a long moment of silence as her amber eyes dimmed. “Maybe you should just go.”

“You’re right. I shouldn’t have said that.” He adopted a calmer tone. “Just explain to me how
you’re
the reasonable one.”

“I want to marry you. Right now. This minute. It’s all I want in the entire world. But I’m willing to wait. Or at least, I
was
willing. Now I think we should either fly to Vegas tonight or just break up.”

Sean shook his head. Was it even possible to break up with someone else’s wife? He didn’t think so. And while he shouldn’t have called her crazy, her ideas were batshit for sure.

“I don’t want to break up,” he said carefully. “But maybe a break is a good idea.”

“You could do that?”

“It wouldn’t be easy. But neither is this.”

Her lower lip quivered. “Fine, let’s try it. But since you can’t call me, what’s the plan? Should I call you in a week? A month? Longer? I’m not going anywhere, so just tell me what to do.”

Had it actually come to this? She was quoting him back to himself?

I’m not going anywhere.

That was
his
line. His way of assuring her that if she started divorce proceedings, he would wait patiently.

Unbelievable. Or at least, unworkable.

She seemed to read his mind. “How do we end this? A handshake? A kiss? How do I say good-bye to the man I love?”

“You’re making me
nuts,”
he growled. “If I’m that guy, and Coz isn’t, then leave him. It’s a big step. I get that. But it’s gotta be done. So do it.”

“Or we could do it together. A giant leap off a cliff, hand in hand.”

“Huh?”

“In Vegas. In a wedding chapel.” She blanched. “You thought I meant a
real
cliff? I love you, Sean, but not
that
much. No offense.”