Page 98 of Love Game

Kate slid a hand between them and stroked the hard ridge of his erection. “I think I dropped it with the shoes.”

He groaned again, but this time, it was laced with pain and frustration. “You’ll have to get it. I might put an eye out if I try to bend over.”

She snorted and wound her arms tight around his neck, holding him there for just a moment longer. “Think pretty highly of yourself, don’t you?”

A low growl rumbled in his throat. She felt it roll through her as his mouth covered hers again. “Get the key, or I get to have you here and now.”

The all-too-familiar whir of a camera shutter made her laugh tangle in her throat. Danny froze, one hand up her skirt, the other palming her breast through her jacket. “Millie, you have half a second to run before I take you apart piece by piece,” he said in a deep, menacing tone.

“Sweetheart, I only run if there’s a shoe sale involved,” Millie answered with her sandpapery laugh.

Poking her head around Danny’s shoulder, Kate glared at her friend. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I needed one more shot. Just in case.” Unfazed by Danny’s threats, Millie sauntered over to the shoes Kate had ditched and pulled out the hotel key card.

“In case of what?” Kate asked, holding Danny snug against her as she took the plastic key from her friend.

“In case I need a distraction.” She leaned up on tiptoe and kissed Danny’s cheek. “Congratulations—you won the girl.” She kissed Kate’s cheek next and then pulled back, tears shining in her eyes. “Best wishes to the bride.”

“Thank you,” Kate called after her.

Millie simply raised a hand in acknowledgment. “Strawberries and champagne in the room. Not that you two look like you need them.” The elevator chimed, and she called out, “Enjoy your sexy times.”

The second the elevator doors whooshed shut, Danny pressed his forehead to Kate’s. “We have to get you some new friends.”

She laughed and rocked her forehead against his. “Nope. I like the ones I have just fine.”

“They’re cracked.”

Kate pressed a playful kiss to his lips, then swung her arm back to grope for the key slot. “And they say such nice things about you.”

Danny gently freed the key from her fingers. A quick swipe, and Kate had to make a grab for his forearms as the door swung inward. He pulled her upright, then took her with him as he stepped away from the open door.

“What are you doing?”

But before she got the question out, he’d caught her behind the knees and cradled her to his chest. When she giggled, he pretended to stagger under her weight. “Man, I’d better get back in the weight room.”

“That’s it. I’m crushing you with my thighs just as soon as we get your life insurance straightened out.”

He grinned and stole a hard, fast kiss. “No life insurance. You’re going to have to deal with me for a good long time, Mrs. McMillan.” He swiped one more smacking kiss. “It’s a good thing you can afford to keep me.”

She snorted. “It’s still a pittance compared to what you guys make.”

He shook his head. “Don’t dismiss what you did today, Kate. You scored big, and I know you’re going to come at them even harder next time. You deserve everything you got and more.”

Offering him her sweetest smile, she pressed her cheek to his shoulder. “Were you planning to carry me over that threshold, Mr. Snyder? If so, you might want to step up your game a bit.”

“Yes, Coach,” he answered agreeably. “Whatever you say, Coach.”

“I say I love you, super jock.”

He kissed her soft and sweet, then stepped into the room. Setting her on her feet once more, he tucked her hair behind her ear. “I love you too, my little flower.”

Beaming, she wriggled from his grasp, unzipped her skirt, and stepped out of the pool of fabric with exaggerated delicacy. Shooting him a flirtatious glance, she turned toward the bedroom and called over her shoulder, “Race you for the bed!”

Epilogue

Kate tugged on Danny’s hand, drawing to a stop just outside the door of Calhoun’s bar. “Okay, we have a six a.m. flight, and we still have to pack. We’re in, we drink, we’re out.”

---