The covers were now pushed to the bottom of the bed. He held me curled with my back against his chest, my legs pulled slightly into my stomach. He'd arranged me how he wanted me then skimmed his fingers from my hip past my knee. God this man's touch drove me wild even in my sexually exhausted state."You hungry?"The words broke the spell, but it took me a moment to switch from the prefrontal cortex orgasmic part of my brain to the lateral hypothalamus hunger part of my brain. He waited patiently, never stopping the lazy slide of his fingers."Starving."In one fluid movement, he rose from the bed, totally unconcerned with his nakedness. I looked at the hand he held out. My nudity caused me to hesitate."Um." I sat up, ignoring his hand, and made a grab for the rumpled sheet.His fingers closed around mine. "Naked, in my kitchen-now.""No way," I yelped.I wasn't sure what to expect with my rebellion, but even so, I was surprised over what I got.His dimples flashed and be beg
I could do nothing but blink several times at the quick change in subject.He gave me a lopsided grin. "Things are about to get fuck-all hectic. I don't handle relationships well during football season. I'd like you to stay the night."My heart dropped. I wouldn't be meeting his cook. I looked away, feeling tears well behind my eyes like some stupid heartsick teenager."Hey," his fingers hooked my chin and turned my head his way. "It doesn't mean I won't try, but I have no idea if you can put up with the intense focus I need during season.""Focus?""It's what I eat, live and breathe. I make no excuses and I get paid a hell of a lot of money to be the best. I'm a very poor loser and not even my mother wants to be around when that happens. I want to give you tonight and tomorrow before you judge me on more than what you'll see when regular season starts."Really, when I thought about it, none of this made any sense. "Why me?""Truth." He stared intently into my eyes. "The party.
He kissed my forehead and rolled out of bed in complete darkness after his alarm went off. He explained the night before that watching film of the coming week's rival team was the highlight of the week.I grumbled and fell back to sleep.My eyes popped open when the covers were yanked away, and I squinted against the light shining through the open blinds.He held a tray in his arms. "One of the few things I can cook, sleepyhead, is waffles, and I make a mean cup of coffee.""No coffee. Not till after I run." My voice was still groggy with sleep."Sit up. I'll drink yours, and you can have my water."I adjusted the pillows behind my back, looked at the pushed down covers, and glanced at him while trying to snag the sheet.He shook his head and gave me his "just-try-it" look.Killian was really into this naked thing, though he was completely dressed. All my insecurities returned."You shouldn't drink coffee before running," I said grumpily to hide my awkwardness.He scanned my
Lyle made the trip worth his time. He ogled and leered, lifting his eyebrows and making a complete cake of himself. That was Lyle, and surprisingly Killian didn't seem to mind and even played along."Thanks for saving me. I think I'm giving up jogging. I'll just stick to weights.""Excellent idea. Weights are good." Ogle, leer, eyebrow lift.This went on even after Killian took us to a late breakfast. I scarfed, both men watched, and I didn't care."She eat like this all the time?" Killian questioned Lyle."I've invested in pizza stocks and made a fortune. She eats a large, topped with everything, all to herself. Touch a slice and lose a finger. Not with a knife or anything, she'll just bite it off and eat it.""Ha ha, funny." Amanda and Lyle always teased me about food. Killian was great to go out with because he actually managed to eat a little more than I did. If I added the five waffles he ate this morning, he was holding his own.Lyle dropped Killian and me off at my apartm
When we got to Killian's house, he took me out back to his humungous swimming pool. I hadn't packed my suit and looked around for a way out."You won't need it," he said with a sexy leer, obviously guessing what caused my anxiety. He stripped me down, then himself, and pulled my hand until the water surrounded us. It was perfect. He began swimming laps while I leaned back on a rounded step and watched.Maybe he was a nudist. I'd never known anyone so comfortable in their naked skin. I admired his arms as he ate up the length of the pool, turned around, and repeated the process. I lost count of his laps and just enjoyed the pool's cool water and my favorite pair of arms in the entire world. His naked ass propelling through the water wasn't bad either.Eventually, those big powerful arms brought him to me. He circled my hips and lifted me half out of the pool. My palms rested on his shoulders as he held me up. For the first time, outside of me being above him in bed, I looked down a
The week went by like a turtle on ADHD medication. Killian called each night sounding tired and irritable, but he said he just wanted to hear my voice before he kicked it. Other than his nightly voice, the week basically sucked until Thursday when I met my crew at a local restaurant bar. Amanda and Lyle were there before me and somehow managed to get a booth in the back corner away from prying ears. I knew they were both capable of camping out in the parking lot until the place opened to get that booth. I also knew they wanted the inside scoop on Killian.They sat across the table with me in the inquisition seat. We ordered our drinks. I acted normal, took my time looking at the menu, and basically played it cool."What the fuck, sis?" Lyle broke first.I glanced up. "Huh?"Amanda jerked the menu from my hands and slammed it down on the table. I started laughing."You are cruel." Amanda had her best school marm bitch-face on."Yes, I am, but you guys don't really expect me to giv
Dinner with the star quarterback of the Phoenix Scorpions was not what I expected. Football fans requested autographs, asked questions about the coming season, and even took a few pictures. Killian handled it like everything else he did. He smiled, made the pictures something to remember, and talked the talk about his team.For the most part, once our dinner arrived, they left us alone."Sorry about that. I should have warned you."My teasing smile came through. "I'm sure it was hard for you the morning you took me and Lyle to breakfast and no one paid you any attention.""The only things hard that morning were my burning calves and my cock. All I could think about was getting you home and tapping that sweet pussy."I took a drink of water, looking around to see if anyone heard what he said. I was learning very quickly that teasing Killian had consequences. I'm not sure what came over me, but I decided to test my theory. I reached under the table and checked to see just how hard h
We dropped our clothes in the laundry room and then took a long, warm shower. Soap led to caresses and caresses to more. I was beginning to think everything with Killian led to more. We were too tired to watch a movie, so we went straight to bed after I braided my hair to ensure the wet mass wouldn't dry hairy scary. Killian patiently watched me and then as soon as we climbed into bed, he slowly removed the hair tie and unfurled my handiwork."Argh, you must like the Medusa look on me.""Hmm," he said tiredly and pulled me in close.His musky, just-washed scent surrounded me as I closed my eyes and fell asleep.The alarm woke me up."It's Saturday," I mumbled."You don't run on Saturdays?"I rolled over expecting him to next to me, but Killian was standing beside the bed dressed in sweats. I squinted with tired eyes and noticed the brush in his hand."Sit up."I tried to pull the sheet over my upper body, but he stopped me. I shouldn't have bothered, but I chalked it up to sle
I hid in Italy for three weeks. Greg came with me and kicked my ass on the court. He actually made a great practice partner. I was back to clean eating and drinking only water. It surprised me when Greg brought a bottle of wine to my room one night."What's this for?" I asked when he gave me one of his golly-gee smiles. Greg was cute. And, married to a lovely woman who worshipped him."I've been your coach for three months now and I have no idea what makes you tick. It's time for a come to daddy talk. Or in your case, come to coach. I figured the alcohol might make it easier.""You'll need more than one bottle," I told him. He came back to my room ten minutes later with two more bottles in his hands. "Does your wife know you're getting drunk with a slutty tennis star tonight?" I smiled to take the sting out of calling myself a slut."She suggested it. We've had many long conversations about you.""How romantic."He poured our first glasses and tilted the edge of his glass against
I never returned to the hospital, which was entirely unfair of me. My anger at my father carried over to Brack. I was horrible. The man I loved hadn't fully recovered and I left him at the hospital alone. Okay, he had his parents and his team. But, bottom lineI was horrible and a coward. I ignored the calls from Brack and my father. Again- coward.I needed complete control of my life. It took me two weeks to come up with a plan. During those two weeks, I hired a new coach and trained until I could barely walk. I trained with a purpose. I'd had my own money. Not just from tennis but from my mother. I'd never used it. That was the way I punished her and myself. Now, for the first time, I paid for my own coach.I liked him. I could actually smile over the fact that my father paid for Jerry all those years while the two of them hated each other. Greg, my new coach, kicked my ass. I had no idea if I had a chance this season. But, winning the Grand Slam was in my peripheral vision and not
Two days later, the doctors discontinued the medication that kept Brack in a coma. My father showed up the morning after surgery and made me go home, shower, and change clothes. Brack's parents were staying in shifts. His mom promised she wouldn't leave his side until I returned. I hadn't really spoken to them. We stayed relatively quiet in Brack's room. I whispered encouragement and told him I was there. They gave us privacy, too. That's when I told him I loved him. Again and again, I whispered the words.My father and Senator Jacobs were cordial. Brack's mother treated my dad like a family friend. Apparently she'd been friends with my mom. I tried not to think about the ramifications of our two families tied together through me and Brack. It was too much to take right now.Brack still had the ventilator. The doctor reviewed best and worst case scenarios with us. I refused to listen to brain damage, paralysis, learning to walk and talk again, and so on. My focus was full recovery. I
Four hours later, I was passed out against Mack's shoulder when his cell rang. My brain registered the noise and I was pulled quickly from sleep."Yeah," he answered quietly. He listened for several minutes before responding. "I have her here with me. We'll be there in a minute." He slid his phone back in his pocket and looked at me. "He's in recovery. It was touch and go, but he pulled through. They have him in a sedated coma. He has a stent in his skull to relieve swelling. The doctor told his parents he came to before surgery and demanded to see you. His mom wants you up there if you think you can handle it."I was up and walking out of the emergency room before he finished, my heart pounding a hundred miles an hour. "What floor? I'm not waiting for you to waddle behind me."Snickers came from several of the guys. "I've got her," Molly said."Second floor."The elevator took so long I almost turned to the stairs. I'd do anything to get to him. Brack asked for me and I had to se
I ran toward Brack, who had fallen to the floor. There was so much blood and I tried wiping it off his face. My hands turned dark red."You did it, baby," he whispered before his body went completely limp.Sander and a woman who must be Molly ran into the enclosure with guns drawn. I could barely hear them. Echoed gunshots continued ringing in my ears."Call an ambulance and please someone check on my father. He's in the van," I said as I held Brack's head in my lap. Blood soaked my panties and covered my legs. Head wounds bleed, I kept saying to myself. Sander practically jumped over us and went straight to Ty's body. He turned back when he had assured himself Ty was no longer a threat."Where were you?" I asked softly. I didn't want Brack to hear me yelling at his team.Sander sat down next to me and took Brack's arm checking his pulse. "The bastard used some kind of scrambler. It took us a while to figure out the van didn't leave the premises. We recovered the phones. Brack had
Kids laughed. A mother scolded a young child for attempting to go under the bar and get closer to one of the cages. Brack and I stood in the center of the primate exhibit. My phone chirped. It didn't startle me this time; I was too numb. "Yes.""Walk over to the primate exhibit sign and you'll find another cell phone behind it. Exchange it for the one you're using. Have Mr. Jacobs leave his phone behind, too."Brack followed me to the sign and I did exactly as told. The phone was there. I picked it up and lay mine down. "He said to leave yours, too." Brack took his from his jeans pocket and placed it beside mine. Thankfully, no one paid attention to us. I had no idea what we needed to do next. The phone in my hand vibrated. This time I clicked the call button without saying a word."Go to your left and keep walking on the path. Did you bring my present?" I carried a bag with the dress inside so both of Brack's arms would be free. He carried a gun in a hidden leg holster."Yes, it's
The inside of my father's home was a crime scene. We sat on the couch in the front room away from the forensic team that arrived a few minutes before. The media camped at the gates added to the growing chaos.Even knowing Ty would eventually call, I jumped when my cell phone chirped. The display read "Unknown." My fingers trembled as I picked it up and answered, "Hello, Ty, or should I call you Leo?"His husky laugh sent goose bumps across my arms. "I told you not to call the police. You wouldn't listen and you'll pay for disobedience."My voice remained steady. "It wasn't me. You killed your mother, so what exactly did you expect? She worked for my dad for over thirty years. One plus one equals two, Leo." Fuller and Brack told me not to push him too hard. I had to make him believe I hadn't gone to the police, though."My mother had cancer and it was eating away at her. I did her a favor. She didn't walk in God's light. By making her repent and then killing her God may show mercy."
My heart stopped. Dread and terror filled me. Colors danced before my eyes making it hard to see. The whoosh of blood traveling into my head made it hard to hear. I had to get control of myself. I gulped in air. "You goddamn son of a bitch. If you hurt my father I'll kill you.""He that blasphemeth the name of the LORD shall be put to death and stoned. Remember that when you feel the pain of my hand, Olivia."Brack startled me by gathering me close and placing his head against mine so we both listened. "Where's my father?" I demanded."That's better. I have instructions for you, Olivia. You will follow them to the letter. Please bring that man with you. The one you've been with lately." His voice took on an eerie quality. "If a man commits adultery with another man's wife, both the man and the woman must be put to death." He breathed heavily and then gave a sadistic laugh. "You may choose your father or lover to pay for your sins. One shall die and the other walks away.""But-"He
I don't know what I expected love to be like. Violins playing, little cupids flying around with bow and arrows, hell maybe just cuddles in bed for hours. That wasn't what happened the following morning. Brack paced across the carpet of my living room with his cell to his ear listening to one of his men on the other end. He cast a glance or two my way. I could tell before the call ended that he would try his non-communication shit with me again.I was right."What's the news?" I asked the second he lowered the phone.He came over and sat beside me. "Nothing to worry about."I gave him my I'm-about-to-slam-you-with-a-tennis-racquet look. "Bullshit." I was beginning to notice his tells. The fingers traveling through his hair was a sign that he didn't want to enlighten me. I waited.He breathed out a slow and steady breath of air. "Mack didn't see his attacker, but he heard him before he lost consciousness."My heartbeat accelerated. "Okay. Spill it.""Mack told Herman that most of