| |
Sophie sighed as Derek gave her one final kiss then dropped onto his back beside her.
He didn’t bother to pull the sheets back up his naked body and she could honestly say she wished he’d just never wear clothes with her.
She, however, pulled the covers up to her breasts because, well, it was kind of chilly in his room, even though they’d just had more amazing sex.
With her on top this time, she’d come just from the motion of the base of his cock hitting her clit. And the way he’d stared at her the whole time.
Just thinking about it made her sex clench in remembered pleasure. And made her want him again.
“Damn, girl. I don’t think I can move. You broke me.”
She giggled, almost snorted, and covered her mouth with her hand when he turned to her with a huge grin.
“You’re a big, strong hockey player. I don’t think someone who can barely lift a full keg of beer is any danger to your health.”
Rolling onto his side, his hair fell over his eyes until she could barely see them. Lifting one hand, she pushed the curls away then let her fingers drift down his cheek to his lips. His grin softened as he continued to hold her gaze.
“Oh, you’re dangerous, just not to my health.”
She wanted to say something smart or funny or whatever but she couldn’t think of one damn thing. He’d taken her breath away with a look and a few words.
The silence stretched for almost a full minute while they lay there and stared into each other’s eyes. The spell was broken when they heard Robbie’s bedroom door open, the sound of footsteps and then Robbie swearing.
“Sonuvabitch. What the fuck is that? Goddammit.”
They both laughed and Derek fell onto his back again to stare at the ceiling.
“Amazing how he never stutters when he swears.” He sighed. “I really do need to get up and eat or I will be shit for practice.”
“Want me to make you something?”
He turned his head to look at her again. “How about I take you out? I’m not sure what we’ve got to eat other than eggs. Besides, you cooked for me yesterday.”
“I don’t mind. I like to cook.”
Besides, if they went to any of the restaurants in a five-block radius, it would eventually get back to her dad that she’d been out to breakfast with Derek.
Then her dad would say something to her mom and her parents would definitely want to have a chat. And her dad would probably want to talk to Derek, too.
She wasn’t embarrassed about spending the night Derek. Not at all. She just didn’t want to talk to her parents about her sex life or flaunt it in their faces. Sometimes it sucked to be a good girl.
Derek looked at her closely for a few seconds, almost as if he could read her mind. Then he shrugged and that smile returned. The one that made her stomach tie into knots and her body respond as if he’d run his hands all over her.
“Sure. What idiot’s gonna turn down home-cooked food?”
She released the breath she hadn’t been aware she’d been holding and Derek’s gaze narrowed.
“You know, I can probably go without food for another hour or so.”
She lifted her hand and put one finger over his lips before he said anything else that would make her reconsider.
“I have class this afternoon and I need to do some reading beforehand. So I’m getting up and making breakfast and then I’m going to go so you can go to practice and I can study.”
Before she could pull her finger away, he opened his mouth and sucked it inside.
And oh my god, how the hell could just the pull of his mouth on her finger make her melt from the inside out?
So not fair.
She should get out of bed and get dressed. And yet she lay there another few seconds and stared at him while he made her wet just by sucking her finger.
With a tiny shake of her head, she pulled her finger away, gave him a warning look as his eyebrows rose, and slid out of bed.
“Don’t even think about it.”
Grabbing her clothes from the floor where he’d thrown them, she pulled them on and turned around to find him on his back, hands laced under his head while he watched her with an intensity she remembered from watching him play.
“Aren’t you getting up?”
“I was enjoying the view.”
Shaking her head, though she was enjoying the hell out of every damn minute with him, she walked to the door and turned the knob. “Well, the view is heading for the kitchen so if you want to watch it in action, you need to get dressed and follow along.”
With a sigh, he threw the covers back and her breath caught in her throat. The man had a body that made her drool. Literally. Like, if she wasn’t careful, she’d embarrass the hell out of herself.
But that body was also covered with bruises. Some tiny. Some not so much.
“I thought you wore pads to prevent injuries. Why do you always seem to have more?”
Looking down at himself, he shrugged as he poked a few of the more brightly covered spots on his torso.
“Eh. Hazard of the game. Most of them don’t hurt.”
She raised an eyebrow at him. “Most of them?”
His smile should’ve warned her. “They don’t hurt as much as other parts of me do.”
Her eyes rolled even as she wanted to sigh at that smile.
He took a step closer. “Maybe you should work your magic on my bruises.”
“I’m going to go work my magic in your kitchen. You need to get dressed and come eat.”
Then she opened the door and made her escape before he did something else that totally threw her off track.
She had a feeling he was going to do that a lot.
And she couldn’t wait.
*****
“You look good for someone who looked like shit last night.”
“Yeah, good morning to you, too.” Derek bumped his shoulders against Lad’s as they sat on the bench lacing up their skates before practice. “I’m feeling a hell of a lot better than I did last night. Migraine’s gone.”
“I hear you had help with that.”
Derek gave Lad a look that should’ve made his balls shrivel. Instead, the guy smiled. Since he didn’t do it that often, Derek’s eyes widened.
“Dude, you’re creeping me out. You never smile.”
“I smile when I have something to be happy about. You amuse me. Like Will and Shane. They now have women who make them less...cranky.”
“Hey, I’m not cranky.”
“No, but you are smiling. You do not do that often.”
“Now you’re the smile police?”
Lad raised his hands in front of him like he was surrendering. “I make comment. Nothing more.”
“Uh huh.” Standing to pull his practice sweater over his head, he saw Jake talking to Coach Cary off to the side.
“Hey.” Derek tapped Lad on the shoulder and nodded in Jake’s direction. “How’s he doing?”
Lad didn’t even have to see what Derek was nodding at to know what he was talking about. “He does not talk much anymore.”
Jake had been on the injured reserve for months and had been in rehab for the past few weeks. The hamstring tear in his right leg had been slow to heal and therapy wasn’t going as fast as Jake wanted. Which had turned the normally talkative guy into a silent ghost. No one had been able to draw him out of his persistent funk and a lot of the guys were worried he wouldn’t be back for the playoffs. Which would suck because he’d been an important part of the team’s success last year.
And if Jake wasn’t talking to Lad... Hell, he wouldn’t talk to anyone.
“Maybe we should go out tonight. Force Jake to go with us.”
Lad stood next to Derek pulling his sweater on then grabbing his helmet. “No one forces Jake to do anything. But I will do my best. I would like night out as well.”
“Tell him we’ll go somewhere quiet. Just for some food and a few drinks. No rowdy shit.”
“So I should tell him you will not be there.”
The underlying amusement in Lad’s tone wasn’t lost on Derek and he flipped the guy the finger.
“Just get him to come.”
“Come out where?”
Robbie stopped next to Derek on his way to the ice, which was where most of the rest of the team had already gone.
“We need to get Jake out for the night.” Derek lowered his voice so Jake wouldn’t hear him. “He needs to get out of his head for a while.”
Ian Clark stuck his head into their group. “Who needs to get out of his head?”
Since the kid was too young to drink, he didn’t get to hang with the guys much. Tonight would be an exception, Derek decided.
“Jake. We’re doing dinner tonight. You in?”
Ian’s eyes lit up. “Yeah, sure. Where’re we going?”
“Place in West Reading.”
Robbie coughed out a laugh and Derek stuck his elbow in his roommate’s side. “Shut it. They serve food so we can take the kid.”
“Uh huh. I’m sure that’s the only reason.”
“Ah.” Lad nodded. “Okay. I know where we go. I will talk to Jake. He will go because he will want to see Derek in action.”
Derek rolled his eyes, wondering what the hell he’d gotten himself into. “Jesus, you guys suck. I don’t even know if she’s working tonight. Last time I make plans for you assholes. And I’ll talk to Jake.”
But he was smiling as he walked across the room. He stood far enough away that he couldn’t hear what they were saying. Didn’t want to appear that he was listening in, especially since Jake looked upset.
Finally, Cary clasped Jake’s shoulder before he walked off, nodding to Derek as he headed out to the ice.
“Hey.” Derek ran a hand through his hair before shoving his helmet on. “Dinner tonight. You’re coming. Don’t wanna hear any excuses.”
Derek figured the best way to get Jake to go was to give him no choice.
Jake just shrugged. The guy looked seriously depressed and Derek’s eyes narrowed. “Dude, what the fuck?”
He kept his voice low although everyone had already left for the ice. Derek would be late if he stayed any longer but he couldn’t leave Jake looking like this. He’d take however many sprints Coach handed out.
“Nothing. I just...” Jake huffed out a frustrated breath and sank onto the bench. “Therapy sucks and I feel I am not getting better. I hate being not able to play.”
“I get it but cuttting yourself off from the rest of the team isn’t the way to deal with it. Dinner. Tonight. You’ll feel better. And I’m not asking, I’m telling.”
Jake shook his head and didn’t meet Derek’s eyes but Derek wasn’t taking no for an answer.
“Man, if you don’t show up, I will personally drive to your apartment and drag you to my car then drag you into the restaurant. You need to man up.” Then Derek pulled out his trump card. “Besides, I want you to meet Sophie.”
There, that got a response. Jake’s head rose and he gave Derek a look full of disbelief.
“So she said yes to you? Maybe you are not as helpless as I thought.”
Derek hid a grin. “Fuck you. Be at the bar around six-thirty.”
Jake didn’t give him an answer but he didn’t say no either. “You had better get on ice. You will do sprints.”
“I’ll tell them all I was holding your hand while you cried on my shoulder.”
Jake rolled his eyes but his mouth actually formed a little smile. “You are asshole.”
“Yeah, but I’ve got a girl and you’re still jerking yourself.”
Jake’s response was a middle finger but the guy had a legit smile finally.
“Who in hell would ever go out with you, D-man?”
“Guess you’ll have to come out tonight to see.”
Derek turned and headed for the ice, smiling all the way.
*****
“So your mom tells me you have a new man in your life.”
It’s a good thing Sophie was facing away from her dad when he spoke because her face probably would’ve given away her shock.
She shouldn’t be surprised her mom had told her dad but still... This was a conversation she didn’t want to have at work. Luckily, no one else was in the kitchen at the moment. At least he’d waited for privacy.
She thought about what to say carefully because she realized that her immediate response of “We just met” wouldn’t go over well if her mom had told him Derek had spent the night. Then again, she didn’t want to lie.
“Mm, yeah,” was the best she could come up with.
Her dad didn’t say anything else right away and she hoped he’d drop it. Monday night’s typically weren’t busy but tonight Will had called ahead to reserve a table for ten. Half the team would be here for dinner, including Derek. Her dad had already called in help from her sisters and Carlos, who would be here soon.
She’d just gotten home from class when her dad had asked her to come down and help prep, that they had large party coming in. It wasn’t until she’d seen the name in the book that she realized it was the team. Then she’d whipped out her phone and texted Derek, who said he’d be there and sorry he hadn’t texted earlier. He’d fallen asleep after practice.
Then he’d asked if he’d see here there and she’d gotten a goofy grin that she was happy no one was around to see. Sophie didn’t do goofy. God, the shit she’d take from her sisters if they saw her grinning like an idiot over a guy. It was bad enough her mom had caught him leaving her apartment Saturday morning.
Then again, maybe she just shouldn’t care. Maybe she needed to stop worrying about what everyone else in her life needed and just worry about herself.
“So what’s he do?”
Shit. Okay, she could handle this. “He’s a hockey player. He plays for the Redtails.”
Continuing to chop onions, she didn’t look over her shoulder, tried to act like it was no big deal.
“He gonna be here tonight?”
Shit, shit, shit. “Yeah. But he’s gonna be here with his teammates. He’s not here to see me.”
“You planning to introduce him to me?”
No, she really didn’t want to she knew that wouldn’t work. “Sure. But, Dad,” she looked over her shoulder and waited until he looked at her, “be nice.”
He raised his eyebrows. “When am I not nice?”
She huffed. “When have you ever been nice to a guy I’ve dated?”
He snorted. “When they deserve it. And when you bother to introduce me to them. I can’t remember the last time I met one of your dates.”
She opened her mouth to argue—
And realized she couldn’t. Her lips closed.
Her dad nodded. “Uh huh. So what makes this one different?”
Good question, which she chewed over while she chopped. Was Derek different? She hadn’t known him long enough to know for sure. But...
Or was she just following the same pattern of falling for a totally inappropriate guy because she could blow them off easily because she planned to travel?
Yeah and when the hell is that going to happen?
“How’s classes going? You doing well?”
Amazingly, her dad let her off the hook with Derek.
“Good. Still on track to graduate in December.”
“You still want to teach, right?”
“Yeah. It’s just...”
She didn’t want to get into this now. Every time she said something to her parents about going away to teach, they got quiet. Not upset exactly but...sad. And then she got upset and questioned her plans and it became a mess that made her want to stick her head in the sand.
Argh.
Her dad shrugged, like it was no big deal. “So you get a job at one of the local schools and you figure it out. It’s not like you have to know right away.”
She took a deep breath. “You know I need a teaching certificate to be able to teach in the state.”
“So you take the classes and get the certificate. We’ll support whatever you want to do.”
“And if I want to teach overseas?”
Her dad stayed silent. Which is exactly what she’d expected.
“Dad—”
“We just want you to be happy. If that’s what gonna make you happy, then we’ll have to learn to live with it.”
“And if I want to date a hockey player?”
Her dad gave her steady look. “Then he’ll have to learn to deal with us.”
Huffing out a laugh, she shook her head but didn’t know else to say.
“But you like him?” her dad continued.
“Yeah. He’s a nice guy.” He was more than a nice guy. He was funny and sweet and he seemed to like spending time with her and not just to have sex. Although they did have a lot. Good sex. Really good sex. “But he’ll be going back to Boston or wherever he goes when the season’s over and that’ll probably be the end of it.”
Which was more probably more true than she wanted to admit to herself.
Her dad dropped the subject then because Carlos walked in and he wouldn’t continue the discussion with an audience.
But that gave her more time to get inside her own head, which she totally shouldn’t do.
Why the hell couldn’t she just enjoy the hell out of this guy for as long as he was around and not worry about next week or next month?
Maybe she could actually blame her parents for that. They had a great marriage. So did her sisters. All of them. Actually, her sisters had all either been engaged or in long-term relationships with their spouses by her age.
So what’s wrong with you?
With a sigh, she put down her knife.
“I’m gonna check the front.”
She headed for the bar to make sure it was stocked, though she knew their regular bartender would never leave for the night without making sure the bar was set for the next shift. But it forced her mind to focus on something that wasn’t herself.
At five, she opened the front door and settled behind the bar with a textbook. She didn’t figure they’d have a big crowd. Mondays were usually slow.
She was surprised when a party of five strolled in around six, which meant she was too busy to get grilled by her sister Margret, who’d volunteered to help tonight, along with her teenage son, Logan.
With Logan bussing, Sophie was free to wait tables while Margret handled the bar.
A party of three arrived as she was serving dinner to the five-top so when she turned at the sound of the front door opening again, she was almost surprised to see five tall men walking through the door.
Her heart actually stuttered when Derek’s gaze caught hers across the room. And when he smiled... Oh my god, she couldn’t catch her breath. How stupid was that?
Blinking, she tore her attention away before she dumped a plate on someone’s lap as her sister got the guys seated at the table she’d set up earlier.
But she felt his gaze follow her every move. By the time she’d served the last plate, it was time to take the guys’ drink order.
“Hey, Soph.” Will nodded at her. “How goes it?”
“Surprisingly busy. What can I get you guys to drink? Or do you want to wait until the rest get here?”
“Might as well get started now.”
She went around the table until she got to Derek, who’d watched her the entire time with a half-assed grin on his face. Her own lips twitched at the corners but she fought against giving in. The guy didn’t need any more help and she didn’t want her dad to come over and start interrogating him. Because her dad had decided to stand in kitchen entrance with his arms crossed over his chest, watching the table. Derek couldn’t see him because he had his back to the kitchen but Sophie wasn’t going to give her dad any ammunition.
“And for you?”
His grin widened and it was probably good her dad couldn’t see Derek’s face because he’d know immediately which of the guys she’d slept with. Heat rose through her body. Soon, it’d show on her cheeks. She needed to get out of here as fast as possible.
“I think you know what I like.”
She couldn’t help her eye roll or the fact that she wanted to run her fingers through those messy curls.
Derek laughed and shook his head as the other guys studiously ignored them.
“You’re killing me, Soph.” When she just stood there with her pencil poised over her pad, he shrugged. “Just a Troegs draft. For now.”
Those last two little words made it clear there would be a later. And, oh my god, yes. She wanted later. Wanted him. Sooner rather than later but she could wait.
Desire was an ache in her gut, one that never went away around him. She wanted him so much that the speed she’d fallen for him should have been a little alarming.
And that was ridiculous because, oh my god, they were just having sex, for chrissake.
Giving him a pleasant smile, she headed back to the bar to get the drinks ready. Luckily, her dad had gone back to the kitchen. But her sister stood at the bar, staring at her with a raised eyebrow.
“Not your normal type. He’s smiley.”
Sophie couldn’t help rolling her eyes as she sighed. “I think your age is starting to catch up to you. That’s not even a word.”
Mags hmphed. “Deflecting. Interesting tactic. Too bad I know all your tricks. He’s a cutie, though. And wow, that is one fine ass.”
Whipping around, Sophie turned to her oldest sister with her mouth hanging open. Which just made her sister laugh and pat her on the head.
“I may be older but I’m not dead, kid. I totally see the appeal.”
“I don’t just like him for his ass, you know.” She wrinkled her nose and smiled at Mags as she tapped a pitcher for the table and a few sodas. “Although it is pretty fine. But...he’s a really nice guy, too.”
Mags just raised both brows. “Hope he stays that way.”
Then she moved away to take care of the other tables.
Sophie didn’t think that was going to be a problem.
Her problem was going to be that he was too nice of a guy to forget.
*****
Derek had behaved himself all night.
He hadn’t touched her, even though he’d wanted to put his arm around her and pull her down to sit on his lap or, hell, even talk to her for a few minutes.
She’d been busy all night taking care of their table so she’d barely had more than a few seconds to pay any attention to him.
Not that he was complaining. He totally planned to spend at least a few hours later making sure she paid attention only to him. But he’d had to rein himself in several times tonight and that was different. Not difficult just...different.
Hell, maybe he was becoming an actual adult.
Snorting, he shook his head.
“You okay? Your head still hurt? You’ve been kinda quiet all night and it’s freaking me out.”
Derek looked across the table at Nick. The guy looked so earnestly concerned, Derek couldn’t even laugh at him. A few of the other guys didn’t have the same problem.
Justin slapped Nick on the back and shook his head. “It’s not his head that hurts.”
Which caused Will to reach around Nick and smack Justin on the back of the head. “Watch your mouth. We’re in public.”
Justin’s grin grew wider. “What? I didn’t say anything.”
“Uh huh.” Will nodded. “Keep it that way?”
The rest of the guys laughed and Will got the conversation steered back to the next game but Derek noticed Nick kept watching him.
“Dude, what?”
Nick opened his mouth to speak but closed it a second later when his gaze slid over Derek’s shoulder.
“Anything else I can get you guys tonight?”
Sophie stood almost immediately behind him and, when he looked over his shoulder, he grinned. He couldn’t help it. She made him smile. Hell, just thinking about her made him smile. He’d never had this reaction to a woman, never thought it’d happen to him like this. But for the first time in a long time, he felt like he’d found someone he could share more than a bed with.
So...fuck it, he didn’t care who knew.
Reaching over his shoulder, he grabbed her hand and pulled it down to his lips, pressing them against the back of her hand.
“No, hon. I think we’re finished. We’ll get out of your hair so you can get out of here.”
And so he could have her to himself.
While the rest of the guys went conspicuously silent, he waited to see what she’d do. He was almost disappointed when she pulled her hand away. Until she brushed her hand through his hair and returned his smile.
“Stay as long as you like. We don’t close for another hour.”
Then she leaned down and whispered in his ear. “Then I’m all yours. Wait for me at the bar.”
His head whipped around but she’d already turned to head back to the kitchen.
And he started a countdown from sixty.
*****
They barely made it inside her apartment before they started stripping off each other’s clothing.
Derek had her plastered against the door with one hand up the back of her shirt and the other working at the button of her jeans. They’d been standing here at least five minutes. Maybe more. She really had no idea.
She’d intended to take a shower before sitting down on the couch with him and making out but, as he’d followed her up the stairs to her apartment, he hadn’t been able to keep his hands off her.
She’d slid the key in the lock and both of his hands had wrapped around her waist and his lips had landed on her nape.
Her breath had caught in her throat for a second before she could draw in deeper breath as his hands slid beneath her shirt and touched the bare skin of her waist.
From there, it was only a short trip to her breasts. She had the door open by the time he pinched her nipples between his thumb and forefinger and the shudder that ran through her went straight to her pussy.
Groaning, she’d pushed through into her apartment and, the next thing she knew, he had her trapped between his hard body and the wood door with his tongue in her mouth.
If she thought maybe he’d slow down now, of course she was wrong.
As her hands fumbled with his jeans, his slid around her back to unsnap her bra with an ease that gave her pause.
Oh, he is way too good at that.
And then tilted his head a little to the left and sank his tongue deeper into her mouth and wiped any questions out of her head. The only sound in her apartment was the rustle of clothing and their heavy breathing. And the only rational thought in her brain was to get his clothes off. Since he seemed to have the same idea, clothing hit the floor at a fast pace.
He pulled back for a second to tug her t-shirt over her head, allowing her to draw in a deep breath before diving back down to her mouth while his hands stripped off her bra.
She pulled his shirt up, which meant he had to release her again to pull that over his head. But once he dropped it, he paused, his gaze falling to her chest.
Molding both hands to her breasts, he squeezed, making her draw in a sharp breath.
“I’m not hurting you, am I?”
She wasn’t sure she could answer his question without her voice cracking so she shook her head.
“You have an amazing body.”
She put one hand in the middle of his chest then ran it down his abs to his jeans, where she slowly lowered his zipper. “Says the man with the six-pack.”
Glancing up, she saw his lips curve.
“Yeah, but your ass is a work of art.” He released one breast to curve that hand over said ass cheek, making her shiver with sensation. “I managed to keep my hand off you all night but I plan to make up for it now.”
She opened her mouth to speak but he kissed her again and shoved her jeans down her thighs. Kicking off her sneakers, she worked her jeans off while his hands petted her ass then fought to get his jeans over his hips.
The damn man wasn’t giving her any help. His mouth slipped to her jaw and kept working its way down, sucking at her skin until she felt like one huge live wire ready to spark.
And when his mouth reached her breasts, she wanted to melt. She didn’t realize her feet had left the floor until she attempted to arch her back to get him to give her more. Then she realized he held her up with only one arm around under ass.
She shivered with lust. This man was seriously strong and, oh my god, did that turn her on.
Wrapping her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist, she gave herself over to him. Her head hit the door as he shifted her higher, his mouth hot and wet on her skin.
He made her sigh with just a lick of his tongue and shiver by pressing his lips against her throat. Holding her steady, he threw her entire world off kilter. And she loved it.
After a few more minutes, he lowered her a little and began to walk through her apartment.
“I think we need a bed for the rest of this.” He spoke directly into her ear then nibbled at the lobe. “Wouldn’t want to drop you.”
“The couch is closer.”
It was her turn to nibble on his ear and make him shudder, grinning when he did.
“But not as comfortable. Besides, I want you on top. Bed gives us more room to play.”
God, yes. she totally got that reasoning. “So you’re going to do what I want for a change?’
“Haven’t you figure out yet that I’ll do whatever you want? Anything you want? Your wish is my command, babe.”
She dropped her voice to a sexy whisper. “Then it’s your turn to lay on the bed and hold tight. Because I’ve got plans.”
His arms tightened around her and he picked up his pace. “Oh yeah? Am I gonna like these plans?”
“I certainly hope so.”
He reached her room, where she always left the small bedside light burning, and dropped her in the middle of her bed while he shoved his jeans down and got rid of them and his sneakers and socks. Then he jumped on the bed and lay flat on his back, his grin wide and naughty.
Arms crossed under his head, long body stretched out beside her, his erection hard and flat against his stomach, he looked ready for anything. And she couldn’t wait.
Crawling over him, she got a condom from her nightstand and set it directly on his chest. His grin widened.
“Now be a good boy and don’t move.” She swung one leg over his hips so she was straddling him, her pussy only inches from his hard cock. “My turn to play.”
His breath deepened and he lost the grin but not the gleam in his eyes.
Starting at his shoulders, she worked her way down his body, kissing every bruise he had. And there were a lot of them. Some tiny, some not so tiny. Those she was careful not to linger over. The one on his side looked especially nasty so she merely brushed her lips over that until she reached his cock.
Looking up, she found him watching her so intently, he appeared to be holding his breath. After a few seconds of smiling into his eyes, she bent and took him in her mouth.
He sucked in air and his hand sifted through her hair to hold her close. Unlike before, he guided her movements and she let him because it made her even more wet.
His labored breathing sounded harsh in the quiet room, the muscles of his thighs hard as stone beneath hers. Using her tongue and her teeth and her mouth, she played him until he gasped for air and pulled at her hair until her scalp ached.
Pushing him right to the edge, she finally backed off when he groaned and tugged her head just a little harder.
“I don’t want to come in your mouth.”
His voice sounded like a growl, making her pussy clench futilely.
Pushing back onto her haunches, she grabbed the condom and rolled it down his shaft.
“Wait,” he said, “I thought you wanted to play.”
“Play later. Right now, I want to ride you.”
His groan echoed through the room. “Fuck yeah. Please. Anything you want.”
She wanted to smile but she was too turned on. Pulling his cock up from his stomach, she settled down on him without any teasing. They both groaned as she sank lower. Her head fell back as her body took him in, easing some the ache but making it worse, too.
With her hands planted on his chest, she rose and fell in a rhythm that quickly had them both on the edge. She’d already been so close. This man made every part of her sizzle.
Catching his gaze, she held it as she slowed, sinking down to his root, feeling him spreading her wide. Then she rotated her hips and her clit rubbed at just the right angle.
Her eyes closed as an orgasm hit her hard. Leaning down, she smashed their mouths together and let him take over the kiss. Grabbing her ass, he held her as she shuddered and started to thrust hard and fast.
It only took him seconds to finish and, when she went limp and stretched out over him, their bodies still connected, she pressed her lips against his chest and snuggled closer.
She could get used to this.
They lay in silence for several minutes, catching their breath.
Finally, Derek sighed. “So I think your dad liked me.”
It took her a second to process what he’d said before she started to laugh.
“What?” he asked, as if he totally didn’t know why she was laughing.
“We just had sex. Talking about my dad is not exactly on my agenda immediately after sex.”
“But still, he liked me, right?”
“Were you worried he wouldn’t?”
She felt him move as he shrugged his shoulders. “Nah, I’m loveable once you get to know me.”
Propping one hand on his chest and putting her chin on top of her hand, she smiled at him. “Yes, you are. But you are kinda sleeping with his daughter.”
“Then I guess I’m lucky he didn’t take my head off with a kitchen knife.”
“He wouldn’t have started with your head.”
Laughing, he pulled her closer and pressed his lips against her forehead. “Your sister liked me, too, right?”
“Uh huh. You got her highest praise. She called you a charmer.”
“Better than dickwad.”
She realized she’d laughed more in bed with this man than any other guy she’d ever been with. And that was a good thing.
“What about your mom? Would she like me?”
He paused and, for a few seconds, she held her breath. He didn’t talk about his mom much. She knew his dad wasn’t in the picture but—
“Yeah. I think so.”
“Does she ever come to your games? I’d love to meet her.”
Again, she held her breath. They’d known each other such a short time but she couldn’t help herself. She wanted to know more about him.
“Not a lot, no. Sometimes she can get to the Providence games but...no. It’s hard for her to get time away.”
“What does she do?”
“She works for a cleaning company. Mostly office buildings so she works nights. She’s...had a rough life.”
She stayed silent wondering if he’d open up even more and was rewarded a few seconds later.
“She’s an alcoholic, has been since she was a teenager. My dad was barely in the picture and totally skipped out on us soon after my sister was born. My mom tried but...” He sighed. “The alcohol helped her deal. She finally got sober when I went to college and she’s stayed sober for years now.”
Sophie could tell there was a hell of a lot more to that story but she wasn’t going to push. He’d made it pretty clear his younger years had been tough. She’d grown up in a family where she’d never lacked anything. They weren’t rich, but she’d never had to worry that they’d be living on the streets. She got the impression that was something he’d had to worry about.
“I’m glad.” She really didn’t know what else to say.
“Yeah, me, too. My mom’s tough. I never doubted she loved me and my sister but, sometimes, she just couldn’t deal. It’s taken her a while but she finally learned how. I’m just glad she’s still here. There were times...” Another shrug. “Anyway, now my sister’s in college and my mom has a job and everything’s okay.”
“And that’s good.”
“Yeah, it is.” He sighed. “Sometimes, though, I feel like I’m holding my breath, waiting for her to relapse. And that sucks.”
Good thing it was dark. She didn’t want him to see her tears forming. “It does suck. But it seems like she’s got her life together and she’s a fighter. Like her son.”
He huffed out a laugh. “You can say that. But I’m not thinking about fighting now.”
In a flash, he had her on her back, his nose almost touching hers as he grinned down at her.
Laughing, she put her arms around his shoulders, loving the feel of his heavy body holding her down.
And even though she could feel his erection hardening against her thigh, she asked, “So what are you thinking about?”
“Instigating, baby. I’m thinking about instigating.”
Then he kissed her and instigated her straight into another orgasm.