Chapter 15
Georgia
Bad decisions had obviously been my forte the last few years.
Why not make another?
The team had taken the brutal loss hard, our moods in the toilet. While the group of guys had converged on the hotel’s bar, one player had been missing.
Ford.
The posts on social media were terrible, more so than what I’d seen on the ice. The team had played well but so had LA. And in every picture highlighting Ford’s face, I’d seen pain.
Something continued to nag at me and would until I had a heart to heart with the man. The agony in his eyes wasn’t solely based on his ribs. There was something else going on.
But if he had no interest in talking to me then there was no chance I could help.
I’d hoped he would stay for a massage or at least so I could talk to him.
He’d suffered the press conference and the annoying questions asked, including about whether his shifter abilities had been the reason for the loss.
He’d managed to handle the question with some modicum of grace, but I’d witnessed a different level of despair than I’d seen in him or any other player before.
He’d tried to defend himself and his ‘beastly species’ as one horrible reporter had called it, but the questions had come fast and furious.
In the throng of people trying to gain some access to him, he’d managed to escape. One of the players had seen him catching an Uber, but no one was certain if he’d returned to the hotel or had gone somewhere else.
I wished one of his brothers or Samantha had come on the trip, so I had someone to help me understand what he’d been talking about on the plane.
Was it possible sex meant more to shifters in some crazy way?
I honestly didn’t know and would laugh off the suggestion if I hadn’t seen Ford’s eyes when he’d made the claim.
Funny enough, I’d brought more than one sexy pair of panties with me on the trip. Not because I’d anticipated spending the night with Ford, but because owning a few sexy things made me feel better as a woman.
Oddly enough, the trench coat had been a purchase made while driving to Seattle, believing all the hype about days of rain even though it hadn’t rained once since I’d arrived in Washington State.
I’d also brought the coat with me on the trip because of the weather forecast for Los Angeles. Maybe karma had played a hand in what I’d packed. Either way, what I didn’t have were the heels.
I certainly hadn’t expected to need them on the trip. I’d had to be a little clandestine in asking the front desk if there was a shoe shop close. Thankfully, there’d been one within walking distance of the hotel.
While I had no doubt if anyone caught me going to Ford’s room dressed the way I was, my reputation would take a ding, at this point, I was willing to push the envelope.
Even if the hair on the back of my neck was damp and my heartrate was twice what it should be.
Something that bothered me, although luckily I knew he wasn’t sharing a room with anyone. Was that by design or by request?
And by whom?
Wha the hell was the big deal with shifters anyway? It wasn’t like they finished their day by turning furry. Or maybe they did. Right now, I couldn’t care about that. What I did know was that the assholes making comments had never spent even ten minutes with a shifter or their family as I had.
They were completely normal people.
Period.
The fury continued to increase as I stepped off the elevator, carefully glancing down both sides of the corridor before smoothing down my coat and heading toward Ford’s room. This was a long shot, but one I was willing to explore.
Why was it that lying to myself felt so dirty? I was excited to be with the man. After the night we’d shared, my mind had been anything but on work, even though I’d been busy.
When I was standing in front of the door, I took several deep breaths before lifting my arm to knock. A laugh bubbled to the surface just before I cracked my knuckles against the door.
Hearing nothing, I dropped my head, second guessing my decision. Maybe I was nuts after all. One more time. I knocked again, disappointment coiling into my stomach. Before I had a chance to walk away with my tail tucked between my legs, the door opened.
Ford stood in the doorway with one arm over his head, his hand on the edge of the door.
Shirtless, his only item of clothing was a pair of sweatpants hugging low on his hips.
As much as I tried to disguise my delight in seeing him, when I slowly dropped my gaze as he’d done with me, there was no doubt what I was thinking.
His nostrils flared as his eyes concentrated on drinking in what I was wearing.
There was an intense physical hum between us, a shattering of resolve in only a few seconds.
I wasn’t certain how to play this game, but I’d picked up a little implement I’d found at a dollar store nearby when I’d purchased the shoes.
I slipped my hand into an inner pocket of the jacket, pulling out a cheap but effective plastic ruler.
When I cracked it against my hand, I almost broke into laughter because of the sting.
But I managed to remain in costume.
For now.
“You’ve been a very bad boy.”
“Oh, yeah? How so?”
“You removed the tape around your ribs. Obviously, you need to heal so you can be good as new tomorrow night.”
Reaching out, he ran his finger down the lapel of my coat. “Well, then I guess I’ll need the only other medicine that can fix me right up.” He tugged me into the room, shutting and locking the door behind him.
Enjoying the roleplay, I cracked the ruler against his hand, issuing a tsking sound. “If you don’t want to be punished like a very bad boy, I suggest you mind your manners.”
“Why, yes ma’am.” His hard cock was already tenting his sweatpants. Even the color of his eyes had changed, becoming darker. I dragged my tongue across my bottom lip and placed the tips of my fingers against his chest, pushing him backward step by step.
“See. You can be a very good boy when you put your mind to it.” When we were at the end of the bed, I tossed the ruler onto the comforter and took a step away. There’d been no time to find handcuffs and I could only imagine if any puck bunny or reporter had noticed me making such a purchase.
However, I did enjoy wearing scarves, bringing my favorite one with me. Coincidentally, it happened to be red, my favorite color.
I flexed the material, showing him what I had in my hands before running my fingers down the length.
By now, his mouth was watering.
His breathing was more labored, which further excited me.
My eyes never leaving his, I untied the sash on the coat, using both thumbs to push the material over my shoulders.
Gravity took it to the floor. With a slight move of my foot, I managed to kick the material out of my way without killing myself or falling flat on my face.
“Holy shit,” he breathed, shaking his head very slowly. He even blinked in appreciation, his entire face pinching as a rush of desire was evidenced there. “Fucking perfect.”
“No talking,” I threw out, although I knew that wasn’t going to last.
I sensed he was itching to touch me, his chest rising and falling. When he did lift both arms, I wagged my pinky in his face.
“Such a naughty boy. I might need to teach you a lesson.” When I pushed him in the chest with my finger, his smile didn’t match the lust in his eyes.
But he fell back on the bed, immediately moving onto his forearms so he could look me directly in the eyes.
“Lie back. Arms over your head,” I commanded, trying to use a deep voice as he’d done with me a few days before.
He cocked his head as if debating obeying me. But he did finally, taking his time to lift his arms. I crawled onto the bed, taking my time to straddle his waist without sitting directly on his ribs.
The heat he exuded was even more explosive than before and we were both so stimulated I wasn’t certain I could do what I’d played out in my head. At least he was acting as if he was eager to comply.
But I already knew enough about him to realize he’d turn the tables on me in a heartbeat if I wasn’t careful. I remained on my knees as I crawled further up on the bed, daring to rub against the thick bulge between his legs.
His groan had nothing to do with the condition of his ribs.
When my damp thong was only inches from his face, I rubbed the crotch across his mouth and nose just once. Another deeper and huskier growl brought dozens of tingles and tiny goosebumps to my naked skin. Leaning forward, I was forced to pull both his arms together so I could tie his wrists.
My pussy was only a couple of inches from his mouth and his hands flexed even as I made the knot in the scarf. I had to be careful not to put any weight on his chest. I could tell if he had it his way, he wouldn’t pay any attention to his obvious pain.
“You’re the one who’s very bad,” he growled.
“Now see. You can’t follow orders. That’s part of the problem. I’m here to fix everything that’s causing you… issues or pain. But you’re going to need to trust me. And…” I purred while dragging the edge of my nail down the bridge of his nose, encircling his mouth, “do everything I say.”
Scooting back, I left just enough room to rake my nail down the underside of his arm. I enjoyed tracing lines on his body, including the tattoo on his shoulder. I rubbed my finger across his shoulder blade before cupping both sides of his face with my hands.
Every move slow and easy, I crouched over until our lips were almost touching.
“What would you say if I told you I was planning on devouring you?” My whisper was hoarse yet ripped with passion.
“Then I’d say you were wrong. That’s what I intend on doing with you.”
His deep voice created an even more intense throb between my legs, the ache in my pussy incredible. In feeling so free with him, it was almost like I could wipe out the last few years as if they’d never happened.