Page 16 of Match Point

“And it’s fun. You should try it. Fun. You should try having fun.” She stepped back and licked her lips. Off-balance, she hit the back of the cage.

His weight on the other side kept it steady. “Come out. I’m taking you home.”

“If you want me to come out, you’re gonna have to come get me.” She could practically see the eye roll behind the patch. On most men it would have looked comical, but Leo pulled it off. She crooked her finger, unable to keep the laughter back. Gay men had surrounded her all night, handsome and charming, all untouchable. He was straight and sexy, two things she was looking for in a guy. “You look like a pirate. Are you going to make we walk the plank?”

The corners of his mouth climbed higher and she giggled, glad to see him lighten up, even the slightest bit. He continued to stare up at her, the crisp whiteness of his shirt against the darker hue of his skin somehow erotic, although she had no idea why it would be so.

“If you’re done making fun of me, let’s go. Howler has a meeting with a sponsor on Monday, a very family-oriented sponsor. Seeing you in a cage might be seen as un-family friendly.”

She moved closer to the entrance. Meeting his stern gaze, she tilted her head. “If I was a bird, it wouldn’t be. Birds live in cages and occasionally their managers let them free to fly. I’m like a bird. I need to fly.”

“Yet you’re in a cage by your own choosing.” He crossed his arms, biceps straining the soft cotton. Broad shoulders and thighs to die for, he was all man. Her nipples peaked, a delicious shot of pleasure pooling between her legs. She was crazy to lust after Leo. But her body didn’t always agree with her mind. She teetered on the edge of the cage, and raising her arms, fell out.

Leo caught her around the waist, hands splaying her back in support. “Are you crazy?”

“I’m drunk.” She wrapped her legs around his waist, her hands on his shoulders. He smelled good. Would he taste good? Curiosity overrode her common sense. If she kissed him, would her body melt or would it be a turn off? She leaned back, meeting his startled face. Time to find out. Angling her chin, she leaned in and brushed her mouth across his, exploring the fullness of his lower lip. Soft and supple, nothing like the stiff Leo who lectured her nonstop. Nope. Not a turn off. She cupped his jaw in her palm, allowing her tongue to tease the seam of his lips. Yep, definitely not a turn-off.

He didn’t respond and her stomach dropped. Even drunk, she knew when she wasn’t wanted. She made to break the kiss when he released a telling groan. The silky tip of his tongue met hers, his lips playing across her own. She arched her back, nipples hardening. Who would have thought kissing Leo would send her into a tailspin of want? Because as she deepened the kiss, she wanted more. Much, much more.

Chapter Twelve

Do. Not. Kiss. Her. Back.

Even as his mind screamed no, his body begged to continue with the seduction. Sorcha tasted of cinnamon and alcohol and woman. Sultry, sexy woman. And her legs were wrapped around him, a fantasy come true. A dangerous, dark fantasy that could end in disaster.

“Looks like somebody found her boy toy for tonight. You turned some gay guy straight. If anyone could do it, it’d be Sorcha Templeton,” Trent said.

The man’s voice was the catalyst Leo needed to bring things back to earth. He tore his mouth from hers, breath coming fast. Every nerve was tuned to the soft body in his arms. He turned his head to look at Trent while Sorcha nestled closer in the crook of his neck. The other man blinked, surprise lighting his face before he grinned.

“It’s not what you think. She’s drunk and she kissed me.” Way to sound guilty.

“You kissed me back,” she slurred before her body went limp.

He ignored her commentary. “She kissed me. Not the other way around. And I’m taking her home. To bed. By herself.” Who was he trying to convince? Trent or himself?

Trent put his hands palm-up, the knowing grin only adding to Leo’s guilt.

“Hey, I’m not here to judge, but she did come here with me. I don’t mind taking her home. It might be more, um, prudent,” Trent said. He glanced to the corner of the room where Jake, the Pioneers’ quarterback, sat in the shadows, clearly torn.

“I’m her manager. I’ll take care of it. You go have fun.” Leo made a mental note to inform Howler of the quarterback’s presence in the club. Neither one of them could give a shit whether one of their talents were gay, but even now, the outside world still judged. It was unfair as hell, but it was the reality of the game. Every player who had come out had been accepted by society, then dumped by their team the second their contract was up.

Sorcha slumped in his arms, her steady breathing a sure sign she’d fallen asleep. “I’d better get her home.”

Leo received many strange looks and a few amused ones as he exited the club. The valet had kept his car in the front per his request and he placed Sorcha in the front seat. Drunk off her ass. He didn’t even have to look to know this would be all over social media. Who could pass up the opportunity to share a video of a top athlete dancing in a cage in a skimpy top and cut-off shorts, her hair about her creamy shoulders?

Climbing into the driver’s seat, he accelerated onto East Madison, the streets becoming less crowded the further he drove away from the club. In the quiet of the car, one question rolled around in his head. Whatever in the world possessed him to kiss her back? Because now he couldn’t stop thinking about kissing her again.

She shifted in her seat and curled her legs. The shorts rode up, exposing the creamy skin of her toned ass. Fuck. Less than a week into this gig and she was already challenging his resolve to remain detached. She wasn’t girlfriend potential. Far from it. He’d do better to focus on his relationship with Kat, an accountant who drank in moderation and didn’t dance in gay bars. Or at least if she did, she hadn’t admitted it to him, not that she would this early in their acquaintance.

Leo turned down a side street, shaking his head at the inane argument spinning around in his head. Yes, she’d kissed him. She was also drunk, and he was shocked enough that he’d responded in kind. Except it wasn’t exactly the truth but a version of it. Regardless of his reasons or lack thereof, he had to get things back on a forward trajectory. To do so meant isolating her from distractions. She needed a place to concentrate on her workout and regroup.

She groaned in her sleep, mumbling something about maggots. He grinned despite himself. She was dreaming about him. It would be amusing if it weren’t so serous. There was nothing between them. Well, there had been something. He couldn’t get around the fact that he desired her, but what man wouldn’t? Perhaps he should throw in the towel on this one and insist Howler get someone else to put up with her shit. Only he couldn’t do that. He wasn’t a quitter and refused to become one now.

He could always find her another trainer and stay on the periphery, delegating someone to work with her day-to-day. But he couldn’t play the coward. Howler had tasked him with getting her life on track and he’d follow through with his obligation. And try to forget the way her mouth felt under his.

Yep, like that was going to happen.

The light at the end of Howler’s driveway triggered, and he clicked the garage door open. It was after midnight, and if things hadn’t gone to hell, he’d be in bed. He cut the engine. There was no use lamenting what could have been. The quiet in the car was broken by her steady breath. She was sleeping peacefully, and he was a hot mess. He shook his head, opening his door and moving to the other side. Her head was back, the slender column of her neck exposed. Unfastening her seat belt, he tried to ignore the fragrance of perfume, mingling with enticing woman.

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