Page 36 of Pucking the Team

“I was an idiot. A naive idiot.” He shakes his head ruefully.

“You were betrayed. By Madison and by Lukas. You didn’t deserve that,” I say fiercely. I know that I’ve just started seeing Lukas, but now that I’ve gotten to know Ryan on this level, I can’t help the indignation rising up in me. What the hell was Lukas thinking?!

I need to get Lukas’s side of the story, if he has one. Being a playboy is one thing, but I don’t mess around with cheaters. But that’s something for another day. Right now, I just want to focus on this soulful, magnetic man sitting across from me.

“I need to find a way to let it go and be professional,” Ryan says. “It’s fucking with our line chemistry, I know that.”

I’m speechless for a moment, impressed by his clear-eyed self-awareness.

“That shows a lot of growth and maturity, Ryan,” I say softly. Impulsively, I reach for his hand again.

This time, he interlaces his fingers with mine. My skin sparks at the contact, and I have to bite back a gasp. His hands are so big, his skin work-roughened and warm. I have the wild urge to bring his knuckles to my lips…

My insanity is interrupted by our waitress setting down our desserts.

I mentally shake myself and pull back, grabbing my spoon to attack my extravagant root beer float.

The night wears on, our empty dessert dishes pushed to the side, as Ryan and I linger in the cozy vinyl booth. I’ve lost track of how many beers we’ve had, but a pleasant warmth suffuses my body, making me loose and pliant. Every accidental brush of Ryan’s arm against mine sends tingles across my skin.

Finally, Ryan glances at his watch and sighs. “We should probably head back. Early morning tomorrow.”

I nod, not trusting my voice. Back at our hotel, the short walk down the hallway to our room is charged. I’m acutely aware of Ryan’s tall, solid presence beside me, the spicy, masculine scent of his cologne.

What might happen when we’re finally alone?

At our door, Ryan fumbles with the key card, his hand brushing against mine as he pushes it open. The fleeting contact makes me inhale sharply, my eyes jumping to his. In the dim light of the hallway, his gaze is molten.

We hover on the threshold, the moment stretching taut between us. I can hardly breathe. My eyes flicker down to his sensual mouth, my own lips parting on a shallow exhale. Unconsciously, I sway towards him, drawn like a moth to his flame.

And then his control seems to snap. His strong hands cup my face as he swiftly closes the distance, slanting his mouth hungrily over mine. I moan into the kiss, my fingers clenching in his shirt. His tongue sweeps into my mouth, and I open for him eagerly, desperate to taste him. He walks me backward into the room, kicking the door shut, never breaking our fevered kiss.

Oh god, I’m insane, I think wildly before all rational thought flees, lost in a maelstrom of sensation and need. There’s only Ryan’s lips moving urgently against mine, his hard body pressing me into the wall, his hands skimming my curves.

We break apart, panting harshly. My body is alive, arousal pulsing between my legs. I stare at him with dazed eyes, my lips kiss-swollen. His hair is mussed, eyes blazing with want. But there’s a question there too. Waiting for me to decide how far this goes.

In this charged moment, I know with bone-deep certainty that I want him. Consequences be damned.

Slowly, I start unbuttoning my blouse.

CHAPTER 15

EMMA

My insides burning with desire, I finish unbuttoning my blouse, and push it off my shoulders. It falls to the floor in a heap, and Ryan takes in a ragged breath as his gaze tears over me, my peaked nipples taut through my flimsy black lace bra. My mind has melted, my sole focus this beautiful, strong man and my need to get him naked.

Immediately.

I’m desperate to feel the silky length of his cock, to watch his eyes as I ride him.

This desire is so intense. I’ve been eager for other men recently, of course. With Lukas, our chemistry is like a flame that I can’t put out. And being with Alex is like fulfilling my long-held childhood crush, and discovering that he’s grown into a dominant man who makes me want things I’d never imagined before.

But what I have with Ryan is so visceral, so deep. I see him. I get him. And I can sense that he feels the same way about me. Once we cross this line together, we might never go back. This is an unexpected soul-deep connection. What kind of fireworks would we create together?

I step closer, my fingers trailing down Ryan’s muscular chest as his hands grasp my waist, his touch electrifying my skin. Our lips meet in a passionate kiss, tongues tangling with pent-up desire. Ryan breaks the kiss to trail his lips down my neck, marking me as his. Goosebumps erupt in the wake of his heated breath. His strong hands roam my body possessively as he reaches behind me to unhook my bra. It falls away, and he cups my breasts, thumbs circling my sensitive nipples.

I moan softly, arching into his touch, my pussy getting almost uncomfortably slick with my desire.

I need him. Now.

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