Chapter 12
Lorelei got out of bed,threw on the granny sweatshirt, and headed out of the room. At the door, she stopped. She shouldn’t have done it. She should’ve kept on going, but she couldn’t help herself. She glanced at him over her shoulder and found him watching her like a predator.
So, she flipped the hem up, exposing her ass, and then continued into the kitchen.
He didn’t follow, and that was fine.
It’s not about me.
She knew he was as into it as she was. It was just that he shied away from intimacy.
This is a grown-ass man who’s never had a girlfriend.
Whatever.The sex had been great. In fact, it had healed some of the broken parts of her. And that helped her shrug it off and not be as upset about it. So, she’d make enough for two and bring it into the bedroom. He’d be hungry, too.
Just to see, she checked the freezer for waffles but found it empty. Too bad. That would’ve been funny. Instead, she’d put together the kind of charcuterie board her chef made for her when she didn’t want a full meal.
She cut wedges of cheese, opened a box of crackers, and put mixed nuts into a bowl.
What else? Her chef often put chunks of mango, dates, figs, and grapes, but Slick didn’t have anything like that.
Big, warm hands slid under her sweatshirt and cupped her bottom. “You think you can flash this ass at me and run away?”
“Oh, come on. You wanted me gone.”
He squeezed her cheeks, parted them, and wedged his hard cock in the crevice. “I said I didn’t snuggle. That doesn’t mean I don’t want to be with you. Now, get on your knees.” He waved the condom in front of her face. “And put it on me.”
A torrent of lust crashed over her, and she dropped the bag of nuts, turning within the tight space of his arms. What was it about his commanding tone that made her libido soar? She did as he asked, trembling as she stretched the latex over his thick erection. She wrapped both hands around it and squeezed. “How do you want me, Slick?” On shaky legs, she stood up again.
He set his hands on her shoulders and spun her back around. “Brace because that ass is sexy as fuck.” He flipped up her sweatshirt, palmed a cheek, and reached around to stroke her a few times. “You’re ready for me.”
So ready. Desperate, in fact. “I could’ve told you that.” Every part of her body was hyper-sensitive, every sense heightened. She’d never been so acutely aware of the sound of her rapid breaths, the throb between her legs, and the heat from a man’s body.
And right then, she knew what it was about him that got her so wildly aroused. For so long, she’d been in charge of her career and all her relationships. Until this moment, she didn’t understand the toll it had taken on her. Her reaction to his commands told her just how badly she needed to give up control. And oh, did this man know how to make her feel good.
Tilting her hips, he lined himself up and rocked his erection against her core in a dance of push and retreat. He reached around, his fingers stroking her, his knuckle grazing her clit.
She swiveled her hips. “Come on.” Gripping the counter, she lowered her head and lifted her ass higher. “I couldn’t be more ready.”
“You think I don’t know that? You’re fucking dripping. I’m trying to get a hold of myself, so I don’t lose it the minute I get inside you.”
Me. This gorgeous, intensely masculine, bossy man was losing it over her.
She almost couldn’t believe it.
Sure, she was successful. She had a decent body and could rock a costume. But she’d always been the good girl. Wholesome. In a million years, she wouldn’t expect a man like him to go for her.
With him, she felt sexy, sultry. And she loved it. “I want to be so bad for you.” The moment the words slipped out, she regretted them. A dirty woman wouldn’t need to say something like that.
“You’re fucking perfect.” Grabbing hold of her hips, he pushed inside.
She couldn’t help but thrust back, burying him deep inside her. He filled her so perfectly, and the friction as he drove into her lit her up until she was sure she glowed like a night star.
He slid the palm of his hand from one breast to the other, stimulating her nipples and working her into a frenzy. “You’re so tight.” He fucked her hard and fast.
Her hair shook, her breasts bounced, and all she could do was hold on to the counter and slam back against his powerful thrusts. She was out of her mind, fully lost in this moment with him.
His hands clamped on her hips, and he used her body, yanking her against him in a brutal rhythm. She’d never felt so full, so aroused, in her life.
“Fuck, Hellcat. Fuck.” He reached for her breast, cupping it lightly, as if he wanted to feel the bounce in the palm of his hand. Each brush of her nipple against his skin drove her wild.
“You just gushed all over my cock.” He circled her clit. “So fucking hot.”
Her orgasm came roaring through her like a sudden storm, the intensity as bright and electric as a lightning strike. The hair at the back of her neck stood on end, and flashes burst behind her eyelids.
While she slowly calmed down, she tuned into his grunts, the clamp on her hips, and his short, powerful thrusts as he came hard and wild.
It was magical. Powerful. Intense.
And she wanted to stay here in this cabin with him forever.
When he finished, he slowly pulled out and draped his body over hers, wrapping his arms around her waist.
She wanted to turn around in his arms and hold him, but he’d made it clear he didn’t want that kind of connection. So, she rested her forehead on the cool tile counter, happy and sated. She’d take what she could get.
What?
Ew, no.
I’ve never settled for scraps in my life, and I won’t start now.
So, she straightened. Turning around in the circle of his arms, she clasped her hands around his neck and tucked her cheek against his chest. He held her lightly, clearly uncomfortable.
She tilted her head back and looked into his eyes and saw the struggle between wanting intimacy and recoiling from it.
She could almost hear a voice whisper between them.
What is happening?
Is this real?
No, she didn’t know this man. But on some level, she understood him.
He’d believed in his friendships. He’d never once doubted the truth of his family.
And both had turned out to be a deception. Like her, he had a hard time trusting.
And so, she let him go. She couldn’t change him. Couldn’t heal him. The only thing she could do was enjoy this time with him. She slipped out of his embrace. “Hungry?”
“Yes.” He reached for a cracker. “What’ve you made?”
“It’s a charcuterie board.” Was it not obvious?
“Looks great.”
In her mind’s eye, she compared what her chef served versus what she’d just thrown together, and she could only shake her head. She’d just dumped things onto a cutting board. It didn’t look appetizing. “You’re very nice.” She wasn’t feeling lighthearted enough to laugh about it.
He grabbed a handful of nuts and tossed them in his mouth. “How about I make us grilled cheese sandwiches to go with it?”
“Is this not enough?”
“It’s a good snack.” He pulled a skillet out of a cabinet. “But after that workout, I need more than crackers.”
“That’s fair. Sure, let’s make grilled cheese.”
As he sliced more of that crunchy loaf of bread, he said, “Grab the butter.”
“Oh, yay. You’re teaching me another life skill.”
“Turn the burner on medium-low. That way, we won’t burn the bread before the cheese melts. It takes patience.”
Seemed silly to get hurt about him not liking to cuddle. Once she left this cabin, she wouldn’t be Hellcat anymore. She’d be an entirely different person, swept into a life he wouldn’t understand. A man like him wouldn’t take a back seat to anyone.
The truth slapped her in the face like a wet fish.
The only reason she and Landon had stayed together for so long was because he had no spine. He was nothing more than an accessory in her life. She had the meetings, the calls, the tours, the buses—it was all hers. She was the star of the show, and he stood in the wings.
She understood it in a way she never had before.
And it eased the hurt just a little. Enough to breathe.
Enough to shake out her limbs and start to feel life in them again.
Slick would never know how much he’d helped her.
She couldn’t help wondering if she’d impacted him in any way.
Or would he even notice when she left?
* * *
Booker was not himself. He was on edge, jittery.
This had never happened to him before.
It was part of his role as a sports agent to act like he had his shit together. Why would anyone trust him with their career if his life was in chaos?
So, he kept his life clean. He had no emotional messes.
On the one hand, he was happy. As they lounged in bed eating sandwiches and devouring cheese, crackers, and nuts, he could admit he’d never felt more comfortable with another person.
So, why did he feel like he’d just knocked back a dozen energy drinks? He knew exactly how this would play out. He’d go back to New York, and she’d go back…wherever she belonged.
Maybe that was part of the problem. He liked her. He could see actually dating her—how crazy was that? But he didn’t really know who she was. He didn’t have enough details.
Yeah, that was it. A threat lurked just beneath the surface of his happiness—her ex barging in to win her back, finding out she was the wife of one of his top clients—something that would burst this bubble.
“Favorite food.” She lay on her side on top of the covers. Her plump breasts strained against the T-shirt she’d thrown on, and her rounded hip sloped down to a thigh covered in black leggings.
She was sexy as fuck and didn’t have a clue. When she’d asked what kind of woman he was attracted to, he hadn’t had the right answer. He did now.
It was an attitude. A woman who could abandon her inhibitions, lose herself in sex—that was hot.
It was Hellcat tipping her head back and crying out, wrapping her thighs around his neck and holding him in place as he licked her pussy. Telling him what she wanted and making sure she got it.
She sure as fuck let herself go. Her responsiveness drove him out of his mind.
They were good together—in and out of the bed. He shifted the blanket to cover his growing hard-on and forced himself to think about her question. “Pot de crème.”
“Are you serious? Pudding’s your favorite food?”
“It’s closer to a mousse than a pudding, but yes.”
“Slick has a sweet tooth. Huh. I love that.”
“What’s yours?” He picked through the nuts for a cashew, his favorite.
“It’s this avocado toast…someone makes for me. It’s got a poached egg and salsa, and it’s unreal. Delicious.” She pinched her fingers together and kissed the tips.
“Someone, huh?” Was her ex a chef? Maybe that was why she couldn’t cook. She relied on him.
“Favorite way to relieve stress.” Idly, she ran her fingers over his forearm.
The slow, rhythmic caress gave him goosebumps. “Fucking.”
She shot him a look.
“What? You asked.”
She squeezed his biceps. “I figured you’d say going to the gym.”
“Nah. That’s how I solve problems. All the mindless repetitions, the counting, it takes the pressure off and enables me to see more clearly. You?”
“It’s the gym for me. I used to go seven days a week.” She pinched her belly. “You wouldn’t know it now.”
“Still bitter about the muscle loss?” He got that. It was why, even when he traveled, he continued workouts.
“I am. How is it fair that you can be so diligent for so long, and then two weeks without training, you lose it all?”
She was an athlete. It was the only thing that made sense. Someone made her high-protein, healthy meals. She was singularly focused and preoccupied.
“Favorite person in the world to hang out with?” she asked.
“Used to be my dad.”
“That’s fine. If no one’s replaced him, you can still say him.”
“Okay, then. My dad.”
“Tell me about him.”
“He was smart as hell.” See how she did that? Get him to open up so easily? He didn’t know what it was about her. With her warm body stretched out beside his, her hair smelling like flowers, and the easy way she talked to him, it was like they’d known each other forever. If it wasn’t so ridiculous, his answer would’ve been her.
You’re my favorite person to hang out with.
“How could you tell?” She bit half a peanut. “Maybe you were young and dumb, and everything he said sounded smart. Maybe he wore sweaters with elbow patches, so he just looked smart.”
She cracked him up. “You have a weird way of looking at the world.” And eating peanuts. “But I can answer that. My dad read everything, and he remembered. You’d be talking about a soccer game, and he’d throw out some random fact. He could recite the ingredients in Cheerios because he’d read the back of the box as a kid.”
“My dad’s like that. I love it. You can ask him the most random question, and he’ll have an answer.” She popped the other half into her mouth.
“Before law school, he got an engineering degree at the Naval Academy, so he was fascinated by how things worked. I remember when our disposal wasn’t working, and the plumber said it couldn’t be fixed. We had to buy a new one. When my dad came home from work, he just stood there staring. About thirty seconds later, he gets his tool kit, lies down under the sink, and fixes it.” He smiled, remembering his awe. “I asked him how he’d done it, and he said, ‘I just broke it down. I tried to figure out what made it work.’ He kind of shrugged it off and said he’d gotten lucky that time.”
“But it wasn’t luck. It was his engineer brain.”
“Yeah. He read everything, watched documentaries. He just knew a little about everything.”
“You miss him.”
So much. “Yeah. He was an impressive man. He flew fighter jets.”
“Really? Like in Top Gun?”
“Exactly like that.”
“What was his call sign?”
“MOTO.” Again, he smiled. “For Master of the Obvious.”
“What? That’s mean. Why did they call him that?”
“He was the first in his family to go to college. No one in his world had done anything like the Naval Academy, and he wanted to fit in.”
“So, he tried too hard?”
“Yeah, exactly. He didn’t feel like he was as sophisticated as the other guys, so he compensated by explaining things.” Done with the sandwich, he set his plate on the nightstand. “What about you? Who’s your favorite person to hang out with?”
“You.”
Her unabashed honesty knocked him on his ass. Because he would’ve given the same answer had he not been so…
So what?
Afraid of getting attached to someone he’d never see again.
“Relax.” She rolled out of bed and reached for the cutting board. “It’s not hope you see in my eyes.”
“Yeah, what is it, then?” He tried to go for a teasing tone, but he still hadn’t found his equilibrium.
“You have a body made for flipping women over and ramming them into the headboard. You have this deep, growly voice that makes us spread our legs.” She got to the door. “You’re smart. Honest. Thoughtful. I like you, Slick. And I can’t help if that makes you uncomfortable, but I’m not going to pretend I’m anything other than who I am.”
“I don’t want you to be anyone else.” But she was gone. And he didn’t like it. “Where you going?”
“It’s time for dessert,” she called.
“I got your dessert right here.” But she wasn’t there to see him grab his cock. Which was a good thing. He could do better than relying on lame humor to hide his discomfort.
He collapsed onto his back, and instead of seeing the log beams crossing the ceiling, he saw her smile. What was happening to him? Why did he have this reaction to her?
She wasn’t exceptional. She wasn’t special.
A voice in his head said, Oh, but she is.
She’s magnificent.
Her smile was like sunshine, burning through his jaded layers. Warming his core.
It happened again. That tightening in his chest, the quickening of his pulse. Every time he opened the door to his feelings for her, a steel trap slammed shut.
Because she’s hiding something. Otherwise, they’d have exchanged names. Talked about their professions. He’d only gone along with it in case she happened to be involved in the sports world. He couldn’t risk word getting back to Marcus.
Oh, hey. It struck him that he hadn’t thought about work in hours.
That’s a first.
Well, hell. That got his gears churning. Had Marcus fired him today? He’d need Wi-Fi to find out.
No, that didn’t make sense. He wouldn’t do it while this deal is still in play.
I have time.
But he’d come here to figure out his next move. Not play with Hellcat.
And the only thing he should be doing was making sure his snowmobile was gassed up and that he had a path out of there.
Just as he sat up, she entered the room. “Where you going?”
“I need to clear more of the driveway. I want to park my car here. So the plows don’t hit it.”
“Plows? Are we going to get dug out?”
His gaze shifted away. “At some point. But by the time they get here, it’ll be too late. I should do it now.” If he saw that smile, he’d be a goner. But he heard a pop, and he found her opening the can of whipped cream. “That’s dessert?”
“It’s the topping for dessert.” She tossed a condom on the nightstand. “But you go on and shovel snow. Don’t worry about me. I’m good at playing all by myself.”