Page 9 of In The Game

I smile and shake my head.Little brat.

I kick my shoes off and take the stairs two at a time. Her too-tight dress lies in a tiny crumpled pile at the top of the steps.Goddamn.Now I want to chase her. It’s a new feeling for me, but the playful side of her excites me. The thought of catching her and throwing her down gets me hard.

There’s no sign of Raleigh in the dark bedrooms or upstairs bath.That leaves my office. After pretending to peek inside, I shut the door. I know my house a lot better than she does, and I’ll bet she hasn’t found the hidden stairwell in the office closet. I want to find her, but first I want to have a little fun. It might be fun to trap her. Corner her like prey.

A strange primal sensation takes the driver’s seat. I don’t know who this girl is or what she’s done to me, but her days of fucking other players is over. That ends tonight. She’s my bunny now, and I’m the only one that gets to nip at her heels.

I know almost nothing about her, but one thing I’m certain of, I’m keeping this woman. She’s mine.

Something about her makes me possessive. I need to claim her. Sounds cheesy as fuck, but it’s as if meeting her is some monumental moment in my life.Is that crazy?It’s a bizarre feeling of contentment, like when you slip in the last puzzle piece. Like everything in my life has been leading me to this night. I was meant to meet her. It’s not love, that would be ridiculous. But…it’s not far off.I shake my head to clear my thoughts, this shit’s confusing. I don't need to figure it out tonight.

I clomp back down the main stairs and prowl up the back stairwell. It’s to serve as a nanny suite private entrance. Or, apparently, when I need to ensnare a certain vixen who enjoys being caught.

As silent as I can be at six foot seven, I ever-so-gently slide the pocket door open. It feels like a whole minute passes before it’s fully open. I smell her perfume; she’s in here.Looks like my luck is back.She’s facing away from me and then cracks the door to the closet and peeks out. Before she can take another move, I step forward and wrap my arms around her, pulling her back in. I love the feel of her in my arms. Naturally, she screams. I’m too turned on to laugh.

I like Raleigh—a lot. This night has been a straight-up disaster, but I’ve never had more fun with a woman. I’m not letting this one go. I want her at my games with my name on her back. The emotions running through me don’t make sense—this isn’t like me.I’ve sobered up since leaving the bar, and the acute connection between us seems to grow by the minute. I have no proof she reciprocates these feelings, so I need to keep my shit together so I don’t freak her out. I’m already freaking myself out.

Running my nose up the side of her neck, I growl against her skin. “Never run from a bear.”

The gasp that leaves her mouth is so fucking sexy, it makes me feral.

“You like being chased before you get fucked, Ral?”

“I love it,” she pants.Beautiful.

“Do you know what bears do when they capture their prey?”

She grips onto my arms, trying to push off me, but her fingers refuse to let go. She doesn’t know what she wants.

“What do they do?” Her heart is pounding.Fuck, this is hot.

“They take them back to their den.”

RALEIGH

The flirting between us has been stripped down, and now all our actions are purely instinct. Never in my wildest dreams did I think a sweet man like Barrett would capture me like this. I’ve always had the curiosity, but this is the first time I've gone for it. Something in my gut told me I’d be safe with him. Safe enough to be vulnerable and weak, and he wouldn’t take advantage. Even if I desperately want him to…

The sexual tension bouncing between us has turned into something else. He flips me over his shoulder, and I grip the shirt on his back. I try to clamber down and get away, but his hold is firm. I can’t get away from him. He ducks under the office doorway, and I assume carrying me to his bedroom. Hopefully to be ravaged.

“Put me down!”

With one palm gripping me behind my knee, the other one comes up between my legs as he clears another doorway.Oh my god.

“Goddamn, you’re fun to play with.”

He must feel how slick my inner thighs are. I’ve never been so turned on before.

I bounce when he flips me onto his enormous four-poster bed. He grabs my calves and yanks me to the edge again. His teeth graze my stomach and he drops three bites in a line, spanning from under my breasts to above my pelvis. He grips the sides of my underwear and rips them off.He actually rips them off my body.

Then he drops to his knees and spreads my legs. As soon as his face lands between my thighs, he takes a deep breath. He’s fuckingsavage.

“Ah, Bear,” I moan, grabbing a handful of his hair.

He licks up my seam, splitting me open.

“This is mine.”

Warmth sweeps over me when he smiles, but when he gives me those words, it’s like I can’t breathe.

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