She slid her fingers over his goatee. “Worked for you, didn’t it?”
“You saying I need sexing up?”
She pressed her thigh between his legs, rubbed against his erection. “Honey, any more sexing up and you’ll kill me.”
He brushed his lips against hers. “Glad I’m able to satisfy you.”
Butterflies danced in her belly. Gavin was dangerous to her in so many ways. She should have turned around and run like hell back to Saint Louis when he asked her to stay with him.
But it was just sex. At least to him. He had no idea how she felt about him. As long as she remembered that, she could survive this.
SIX
GAVIN DRANK A WHISKEY OUT ON THE DECK, LISTENING to the sound of the waves. This was always his favorite part of the night. Sometimes he’d sit here for hours, just listening to the sound of the ocean.
But tonight he was plotting. Elizabeth might have distracted him earlier with amazing sex, but he still wanted answers from her.
Why he cared about who she was before, he had no idea. It really didn’t play into what they had right now, but for some reason he wanted to know. And for some reason she didn’t want him to know. And he thrived on competition, on winning.
She was in the bathroom changing, washing her makeup off, taking her hair down.
Time to make his move.
He laid the glass down on the kitchen counter and headed into the bedroom.
She stood in the bathroom brushing her hair, wearing only a cream strapless bra and matching panties. He went into his drawer and pulled out four neckties, grateful for the occasional media interviews he had to give that required him to dress up. He threw the ties on the seat at the foot of the bed, then went into the bathroom to press a kiss on the soft skin between her neck and shoulder. She smiled at him in the mirror, the softness of her green eyes mesmerizing him. He saw something in them. A vulnerability or something else he couldn’t figure out, and he was struck by a punch to the gut so strong it almost knocked him to his knees.
What would it be like to see a woman like Elizabeth in his bathroom every night, to have someone to come home to instead of an empty house?
He’d never wanted a woman in his life before, never craved companionship. He liked his life just the way it was, liked being able to travel, to come and go as he pleased without having to answer to anyone. He had no ties and no obligations.
His life was perfect and he had no plans to change it.
But he liked having Elizabeth here, liked seeing her female doodads on his bathroom counter, loved seeing her dressed only in her bra and panties, loved ogling her creamy skin, loved feeling her next to him in bed at night.
Hell, he liked waking up next to her.
Whoa. Gavin wasn’t the domestic type. And Elizabeth sure as hell wasn’t, either. And if he was looking to settle down, get married, and start having some kids, she was the last woman on earth he’d choose to do it with.
Not the soulless cold shark.
But was she soulless and cold? Or was that just a part she played in business?
What did he really know about Elizabeth Darnell?
Time to find out.
She turned to him, wrapping her hand around the back of his neck. “Ready for bed?”
“You could say that.” He took her hands and led her to the side of the bed, reached around and unhooked her bra, then bent and pulled her panties down.
He undressed, glad to be rid of his clothes so they were both naked.
Elizabeth reached out and fanned her fingers over his chest. “Mmmm, I like where this is going.”
“Do you? We’ll see. How about you lay in the middle of the bed. I’m going to tie you up and have my way with you like you did with me this afternoon.”
Her eyes flashed with desire. “You weren’t tied up this afternoon.”
“Do you trust me, Elizabeth?”
She arched a brow. “That’s a loaded question, Gavin.”
“Then trust me enough to know I won’t hurt you. Because I won’t. I never will.”
She sucked in a breath. “All right. But you know I can’t spread my limbs as wide as your giant orgy bed.”
He laughed. “I know. I’ll take care of it. Go spread out in the middle of the bed.”
She crawled onto the bed, her sweet ass and pussy on display for him as she did. His cock tightened and hardened as she rolled over onto her back, then lifted her arms up over her head and widened her legs. He couldn’t resist palming his shaft and balls, and giving them a squeeze. Just looking at her spread out on his bed like that gave him a lot of ideas.
First he had to secure her. He grabbed the twine he’d pulled from the garage, measured the length he’d need from the posts at each end to her legs and ankles, allowing for the length of the neckties, then cut four strips. He tied the ends of the twine to the end of each necktie, then secured her ankles and wrists, giving her enough room to move comfortably but not enough to roll and get away.
She watched him the entire time without saying a word, her nipples beading hard, moisture gathering at the entrance to her pussy. He swept his finger along the seam of her sex and brought his finger to his mouth and sucked.
“This get you wet?” he asked, positioning himself on his knees between her spread legs.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I wonder what you’re going to do to me.”
He cupped her ankles above the restraints and smoothed his hands up her legs. Her skin was smooth silk, buttery soft. Having her under his control like this was tempting, made his cock so hard it was painful. He wanted to slide inside her right now and fuck her until he came. But that would ruin the fun and anticipation for both of them.
“The answer is easy. I’m going to give you pleasure. I’m going to make you come. You’re going to make me come.”
Her breasts rose as she inhaled a deep breath.
He laid his hands on her hips and swept his fingers over her belly. She flinched, sucking her stomach in. He bent down and pressed a kiss to her navel, then dragged his tongue south. He heard her breath catch and smiled.
She didn’t think he’d go right for the holy grail, did she?
He stopped at her pubic mound, pulling his tongue up to her belly button again, dipping the tip into her navel.
“Dammit, Gavin.”
Oh, he was just getting started. If she thought he was torturing her now . . .
He swept his hands over her rib cage, rose up, and straddled her, letting his dick rest against her pussy as he took her breasts in his hands, filling his palms with the globes as he rubbed his cock against the softness of her sex.
She lifted her butt, sliding against his cock. He smiled down at her but didn’t let her have it.
“We’re not nearly ready to fuck yet, Elizabeth.”
“Bastard,” she said, her eyes green slits of frustration and desire.
He rolled his thumbs over her nipples, then bent down and took one in his mouth, keeping the other entertained by squeezing it between his fingers. Her cries of delight made his balls quiver. He cupped her breasts in his hands and rolled his tongue over both, sucking and licking them until Elizabeth started to pull against the ties at her wrists.
“Fuck me, Gavin. Lick my pussy. Do something to make me come.”
Now he had her. He leaned over her and brushed his lips against hers. She lifted her head, her tongue meeting his in a hungry kiss. He tangled his fingers in her loose hair, loving the soft wildness of it. He spread it over the pillow under her head, then kissed her jaw and her neck. He ran his tongue across the side of her neck, her shoulder, her collarbone, before taking a lazy trail over her breasts and belly again.
“You’re making me crazy.”
She was losing patience. Good. He wanted her willing to do anything.
He licked his way to the top of her sex, his tongue hovering near her clit. He inhaled the sweet scent of her sex, the tangy aroma of her arousal, then lifted his head to see her looking down at him with hunger and demand.
Oh, yeah. His gaze still focused on her, he dragged his tongue along the crease of her inner thigh, across her wet pussy lips, avoiding her clit, licking all around her, taking her so close he saw the muscles of her biceps bulge as she pulled at the restraints.
“Gavin!”
And yet he wouldn’t lick her there just yet. He circled the bud with his tongue, flattened his tongue across her pussy lips, dipped inside to lap at her juices, held on to her hips and legs when she started to buck against him.
“Goddamn it, Gavin, this isn’t fun.”
Oh, yes, it was.
Because when he dragged his tongue up her pussy and laid it right on her clit, she moaned a long, low sound that made his cock swell, made him grind his pelvis against the mattress, made him want to come inside her.
And then he stopped, rose up on his knees.
She jerked her head up.
“You have got to be kidding me. You are not stopping.”
“Tell me about Arkansas, Elizabeth.”
Her eyes widened. “Are you out of your fucking mind? Get your head back down there between my legs and lick my pussy. I’m not talking about Arkansas. Not now, not ever.”
He laid his hand on her sex, dipped his fingers inside her, and pumped once, twice, felt her shudder, felt her pussy tighten around his fingers.
“Fuck you, Gavin. Untie me.”
He withdrew his fingers and took all that wet cream and painted her clit with it, teased the nub until it hardened and bloomed under his finger.
She dropped her head and moaned, her hips rocking under his hand.
And then he stopped. “Tell me about Arkansas, Elizabeth.”
“Screw you. This is supposed to be fun between us.”
“I’m having fun.”
She stared up at the ceiling. “I’m not.”
“Aren’t you?” He swept his fingers along the seam of her pussy again, circling her clit until her lips clamped tightly closed and her jaw tightened. “You want to come, Elizabeth. I know how good this feels.” He slid two fingers inside her and began to move. “You want me to fuck you, to make you come. I want to come in you, to feel your pussy squeeze me until I shoot off inside you.”
She refused to look at him. “Then shove your cock in me and fuck me.”
“I want to know you, to know all about you. I want to know where you came from, who you were before.”
She lifted her head and tears filled her eyes. “No, you don’t. You don’t want to know that, Gavin. Please.”
He pulled his fingers out of her, laid down on top of her. “What hurts you about that? Tell me.”
“Damn you. I can’t. Don’t make me talk about it. This isn’t a game to me.”
Was she manipulating him, or was that the truth? With Elizabeth, he was never sure.
And what did she mean by it not being a game? Being tied up, talking about Arkansas, or something else?
He swept his hand over her hair, turned her to face him. “Talk to me.”
“Let me go, Gavin. Just let me go.”
He kissed her. She whimpered against his lips, fighting him at first, but then she gave in. Gavin untied the restraints at her wrists, and she wrapped her arms around him, tight. He swept his arm around her back, and something elemental passed between them, something fierce and primal as he fit his cock at the entrance to her pussy and slid inside her.
Elizabeth lifted, and Gavin reached underneath to hold on to her ass, pulling her closer to him as he ground against her, still kissing her, his tongue licking against hers as they met each other in a hot melding of passion that caught him by surprise. Maybe he felt bad for asking more than she was willing to give, but his guilt was torn away as desire took over and he fucked her with deep strokes.
Elizabeth raked her nails across his shoulders and moaned against his lips. It was as if neither of them wanted to break the contact. He wanted to untie her legs but didn’t want to break his hold on her as he rolled his hips against her, giving her the contact she needed against her clit. She bit his lip, and he dug his fingers into the globes of her ass, dipping her pelvis up to drive harder inside her.
Her pussy gripped him as he felt the first waves of her orgasm clench around his cock. She cried out, and he swallowed her cries with his own loud groans as his orgasm crashed into him and left him holding tight to Elizabeth.
It wasn’t until he pulled out and went to untie her that he realized he’d fucked her without a condom.
His hands were shaking as he released the restraints and rubbed her legs, wondering how the hell he’d lost control like that. He never, ever lost control.
He crawled up onto the bed and pulled her into his arms. “God, Elizabeth, I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.”
“No, I mean I didn’t use a condom. That has never happened before. I am always protected.”
She lifted up and looked at him. “Gavin, I’m on birth control. And I haven’t had sex in two years. I told you that. You don’t have to worry about me. I’m safe.”
Jesus. She thought . . . Jesus.
He dragged his fingers through his hair. “Honey, I’m worried about hurting you, not the other way around. But I’m tested regularly. Clean bill of health. And I’ve never, ever had sex without a condom. Until tonight. I don’t know what happened.”
She laid her head back down. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not like I’m going to pop up pregnant or try to trap you.”
That wasn’t at all what he was worried about.
“And about me asking you questions.”
She stilled. “Forget it, okay?”
“Okay.”
But he wasn’t going to forget it.
SEVEN
ELIZABETH WAS WAITING FOR HIM OUTSIDE HIS LOCKER after the game the next day.
“I thought we’d go have dinner at this new Italian restaurant in West Palm Beach.”
She’d brushed aside the night before, hadn’t said anything further about it. Gavin wanted to talk about it, but every time he’d try to bring it up she changed the subject. He wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, but he could grab a clue.
“Italian it is.” He grabbed his bag, put his arm around her, and they pushed through the doors to the parking lot.
He stopped dead in his tracks when he saw his brother leaning against a car.
Mick’s smile died instantly when he spotted Gavin with his arm around Elizabeth. Mick pushed off the car and came toward them.
“Oh, shit,” Elizabeth whispered, stepping away from him.
“Hey,” Gavin said as Mick approached. “I didn’t know you were in town.”
Mick hugged him, but he wasn’t smiling. “Yeah. I had a meeting in New York, so I thought I’d take a quick flight down here and catch one of your games.”
He nodded at Elizabeth. “Liz.”
“Hi, Mick.”
“So, what’s going on?”
Gavin shrugged. “Preseason stuff. You know the drill.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it. What’s going on with you and Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth turned to Gavin. “I’m going back to the house. I’ll let you catch up with your brother, okay?”
Gavin nodded. “Sure.”
He watched her walk away. She looked miserable. “Give me a second, Mick.”
He caught up with Elizabeth. “Hey. I’m sorry. I didn’t know he was in town.”
She lifted her head. There were unshed tears in her eyes, but she masked her unhappiness with a wide smile. “It’s no big deal. You catch up with your brother. I’ll see you later.”
Uncaring whether his brother saw or not, Gavin cupped her cheeks and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “I won’t be long.”
Elizabeth grasped his arms. “You take your time and enjoy catching up with Mick. I have some contract stuff to work on anyway.”
He waited while she got into her car and drove off. When he turned around and walked back, Mick had a furious look on his face.
“Want to go get something to eat?” Gavin asked.
“What the fuck is going on?”
“Look. I’m hungry. Let’s eat and then we’ll talk. Follow me.”
It was a chickenshit excuse, but Gavin needed a few minutes alone in his car to get his bearings before facing his big brother. He drove them to a restaurant several miles away from the ballpark where they could grab some burgers and where Gavin could get a beer. Since Mick was an alcoholic, he ordered a soft drink.
Once the waitress took their food orders and brought their drinks, Mick leaned forward.
“What the fuck, Gavin? Elizabeth? Are you out of your mind?”
Gavin’s chin lifted, irritation making him grip the glass tightly in his hand. “What about Elizabeth?”
“You know what she did to Tara and Nathan. Her betrayal of them hurt them. It hurt me.”
“And she knows it. She apologized and she fixed it. And you fired her. What the hell do you want from her, man? Blood? A limb, maybe?”
“I can’t believe you’re seeing her. How long has this been going on?”
Gavin’s lips lifted. “Now you sound like Mom.”
“Not funny. I’m serious here. Or maybe I should ask if you’re serious. Are you just fucking her? Or maybe you’re just fucking
with
her. Surely you don’t care about her. Do you have any idea how screwed up this is?”
Once again it was all about Mick. How many times in Gavin’s life had the world revolved around his brother? First it was football, then his alcoholism. The family had always rallied around Mick. Gavin supposed being the oldest had its advantages. You got to do everything first. Mick had always been the shining example that Gavin had to follow. And then when Mick had fallen from grace with his battle with alcohol, he’d dragged himself up by his bootstraps and shown everyone what a hero he was and become an NFL star.
Oh, sure, Gavin had his own successes in baseball, but really, after everything Mick had been through, Gavin’s success in the major leagues was pretty much an afterthought.
And now with Elizabeth, she was the agent Mick had fired. So Gavin wasn’t supposed to date Elizabeth because she had screwed over Mick’s fiancée? Even Gavin’s girl wasn’t good enough for Mick?
Fuck that.
The waitress brought their burgers, and the conversation was put on hold temporarily while they dove into their food. Unfortunately, Gavin’s voracious appetite waned as he thought about Mick’s attitude toward Elizabeth and Elizabeth’s reaction to seeing Mick there.
“So, are you going to tell me what’s going on?” Mick asked, pouncing as soon as Gavin pushed his plate aside.
“I don’t know what you’re fishing for, Mick.”
“You and Liz. What’s the deal?”
“Stay out of my personal life, Mick. Shouldn’t you be concentrating on your own?”
Mick’s gaze narrowed. “Don’t bring her around the family.”
“Mom loves Elizabeth.”
“Not right now, she doesn’t.”
“Has she told you that?”
“She doesn’t have to. She knows everything that went down with Tara and Nathan.”
“And she said . . . what, exactly?”
Mick tossed his napkin on the table. “You know she doesn’t like people who interfere in other people’s lives. And she doesn’t like people who hurt kids.”
Which meant Mom hadn’t directly said anything negative about Elizabeth. “You’re just making this all up as you go along. Look, Mick, I get that you’re defending Tara. If she were my woman, I’d do the same. And I understand you’re still pissed at Liz for the way she manipulated all of you. But my relationship with her isn’t the same, and you can’t judge me . . . or her . . . for it. You need to stay out of it.”
Mick shook his head. “Sorry, but you’re my brother, and you haven’t always made smart decisions where women are concerned.”
“Oh, so now you’re saying I’m stupid.”
“I didn’t say that. But you know Liz. Or at least I thought you did. Can’t you see what she’s doing?”
“She isn’t
doing
anything. We’re having some fun together and that’s all. It doesn’t have anything to do with you. Leave it alone.”
Mick stared long and hard at him. It reminded Gavin of when they were kids fighting over a toy. But Elizabeth wasn’t a toy. And this time Mick wanted Gavin to throw her away.
“I think you’re making a mistake. She’s only with you because she’s trying to keep you as a client.”
“I’m not that stupid, Mick.”
Mick leaned back and grabbed his glass of soda, finished it and took the bill the waitress presented. He took out cash and handed it to her with a smile. After the waitress left, Mick’s smile died as he turned his attention back to Gavin. “Just clear your head and try not to think with your dick. She’s playing you.”
“Thanks for thinking so highly of me.”
“I care about you, Gavin. I don’t want to see her hurt you the way she hurt me and Tara.”
“I think you need to get over your grudge against her and move on with your life. Plan your wedding to Tara. Forget about what Elizabeth did.”
They walked outside to their cars.
“Thanks for coming down here to see my game.”
Mick finally smiled for the first time. “You’re looking good.”
“Thanks.”
They hugged. “At least think about what I said.”
“Give Tara my love. And Mom and Dad, too. I’ll be back home soon.”
Mick inhaled and let it out. “This isn’t a game, Gavin.”
Gavin hadn’t felt that way before.
So why did he suddenly feel like it was? A game between Gavin and his brother, and Elizabeth was right in the middle of it.