Page 53 of The Lady and the Footballer
“You are wondering whether I would take it.”
“No. I know you wouldn’t,” she said, but he heard the skepticism there.
“I wouldn’t,” he said, needing her to know. “Yes, I need money to support my family, and I am not above accepting the money that your father pays me to play football for the club and taking the higher position he offered in the mill. But I am a loyal man. I would never betray my teammates or the club I work for.”
“I understand,” she said softly, shifting toward him. “And I am sorry if you thought I was doubting you.”
“You have no reason to understand the lengths to which I would go to provide for my family,” he said quietly. “But I wonder if I will be next to be removed from the field.”
“You are the club’s most valuable goal scorer,” she said. “Losing you would be a blow to the team. You need to be careful.”
“Always am,” he said before he heard her yawn. “You’re tired,” he noted.
“I’m fine,” she insisted. “I can sleep the day away tomorrow.”
“Still, you might not make it through the night without some rest. Why don’t you lie down? It’s dark, anyway.”
“You still need to sleep.”
“I can rest,” he said, leaning back against the sofa, realizing that the only way to make her rest might be by pretending to do so himself.
He lifted an arm, slowly wrapping it around her shoulder, giving her time to pull away if she chose before drawing her in toward him. She came willingly, placing her head on his chest.
“We’ll rest together,” he promised, and she relaxed into him.
Colin was lying – he wanted her to sleep, but he knew he never would, not when he was holding her so closely, his entire body on edge at her proximity.
He rested his chin on the top of her head, holding her against him, both loving and hating how right it felt to have her in his arms.
“Colin?” Lily whispered, tilting her head up toward him. “Would you kiss me again?”
He groaned inwardly.
He should say no, just as he should have before, even as he couldn’t deny that he wanted her, all of her, with his mind, body, and soul.
But he just couldn’t seem to refuse her.
And so, pushing away all of the thoughts that told him this was a very, very bad idea, he leaned down and took her lips with his.
They initially met tentatively, but quickly grew in intensity as his desire for her nearly overwhelmed him. He pulled her tighter against his chest, one hand tangling in her silky hair, a couple of pins dislodged and falling from her strands, while the other pressed against the small of her back. Lily responded eagerly, her soft lips parting beneath his as she melted into his embrace.
A low groan escaped Colin's throat as Lily's tongue brushed his. She was intoxicating, making his head spin. Every fiber of his being yearned to be closer to her. His hands roamed her curves through the thin fabric of her dress, caressing her narrow waist and the swell of her hips. Lily shivered and sighed into his mouth, spurring him on.
He could have kissed her all night, but finally, with great restraint, he broke the kiss, though he stayed close as they both panted heavily. Colin rested his forehead against hers, trying to regain some semblance of control.
"Lily, we shouldn't—" he rasped, even as his body screamed in protest.
"Please, Colin," she breathed, her voice full of longing, likely matching her expression if he had been able to see it. "I want you. I need you."
Her impassioned plea shattered the last of his willpower. Capturing her mouth again in a searing kiss, Colin lowered Lily down onto the sofa, covering her body with his own. She arched up to meet him, all soft curves and warm, willing flesh. A jolt of electricity raced through him as she pressed up against him, bending one leg beside him, eliminating any remaining distance between them.
Lost in sensation, Colin trailed fervent kisses along the graceful column of Lily's neck, inhaling her sweet floral scent. She gasped and clutched at his shoulders when he found a particularly sensitive spot just below her ear. Encouraged, he lingered there, lavishing attention with his tongue and lips until she was writhing beneath him.
"Colin, please," Lily whimpered, her fingers sliding into his hair. "More…”
Groaning, he slid a hand along her calf, then her thigh, pushing up the hem of her dress. Her skin was like satin, impossibly smooth. He ventured higher and higher, savoring every new inch revealed to his touch. Lily's breath hitched when his seeking fingers brushed the lace edge of her undergarments, fabric from her dress spilling around them. Colin paused, silently asking permission.
"Yes," she whispered ardently. "I trust you, Colin."
