Page 28 of The Playmaker
"But not as good as mine."
A flush of arousal consumes me, my breath catching in my throat. I feel a strong sensation of need and want and denial all working together to confuse me. This is the dangerous dance we keep falling into—this pull between professional boundaries and primal attraction.
"Jax, if you want me to go back to your room with you…"
His eyes turn sensual and dark. It makes my heart stutter.
"Well, if you want to play sleuth with my secrets, what better way than being?—"
"Close," we both say.
"Fuck," I whisper. I totally should not do this. For too many reasons to count.
My career. My reputation. The promise I made to myself after watching my mother crumble when my father chose fame over family—never trust an athlete with your heart.
But I find myself eyeing his tall frame and broad shoulders as he slides out of the booth, towering over me. There's something about him that defies all my carefully constructed rules.
"Avery," he says, leaning down to brush a kiss to mycheek…only to stop an inch from my face. "You have hot sauce right…here."
His thumb brushes against my skin, taking me back to the last time we had sex when I had chocolate on my face. The gentleness contradicts everything his public image suggests.
I shoot him a withering look that he squashes with a heated kiss on my lips. A kiss that leaves me breathless, wanting, haunted by its absence.
"Walk with me," he says.
And I know when we have sex this time, it's going to be different.
There's enough time to back out, to say no. Doing this with him isn't impulse. It's intentional. Deliberate.
Exhilarating.
And terrifying—because this time, I'm risking more than my body. I'm risking the walls I've built for years. Something tells me Jaxon Carter could be the story that changes everything.
CHAPTER 12
JAX
The moment my door closes behind her, Avery is on me. Her lips meet mine in a kiss both fierce and yielding, urging me to match her energy and take it higher. I pull her shirt off and press her against me, her soft curves molding to my hard planes.
"You are exquisite," I breathe, lost in desire. She bites my lip in response.
"Flattery will get you," she pulls back, part coy temptress and part vulnerable doe, "everything."
"I love these gorgeous tits," I murmur, leaning down to kiss her pale skin and rosy nipples, sucking and tugging until her fingers dig into my back. On the field, I'm used to being in control. Here with her, I'm following her lead, and the surrender feels like freedom.
"Yes. More," she breathes out.
Then I feel her fingers reach for my belt, undoing it and dropping my pants.
"And this ass. Fuckin' hell, it's so perfect…" I squeeze her soft curves in my hands, fantasizing about bending her over, spreading those cheeks and… "Oh, fuck yes!"
Her hand grasps my naked cock and starts to stroke me, firm and fast.
"More." She looks at me from under hooded eyes, squeezing the tip before continuing. She's a goddess like this, so liberated and open. I know "I'm ready" energy, and it's drowning me.
"Watch out—I'm closer than either of us want," I grit out. She pulls her hand away slowly, painfully slowly. "God, Avery."
In seconds, I've stripped her of her last piece of clothing, leaving her in lingerie. My hands trace her curves before I drop to my knees and kiss her stomach, then her thighs. I look up at her. She bites that lower lip, sending a surge of arousal straight to my cock.
