Chapter 14
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
A couple of hours later, Reese found himself on the dance floor with Sutton for the second time that night.
Holding her close as they moved across the floor, she laid her cheek against his with a sigh.
“Tonight has been fun,” Reese said, peeking down at her. “I bet the rest of the team thinks so too.”
He could see the side of her lips kick up, and she leaned back to look up at him. “Thank you.”
He spun her around and drew her back into his arms, her eyes round. “First a two-step and now a spin? I’m impressed, Mr. Vaughn.”
He shrugged. “My mom taught me how to dance.”
Sutton’s brows shot high. “Your mom?”
He nodded, deftly maneuvering her around the other couples. “I was sixteen and going to my first dance with a friend of mine, and I didn’t know how to dance. So, I asked my mom to teach me, and she did. My friend was so surprised when I asked her to dance and didn’t step on her feet.”
Sutton giggled and gasped when Reese dipped her at the end of the song.
“Ready to go back to the table?”
She nodded, and when they headed in that direction, they were surprised to see Tito and Eliana there.
They were seated at a different table, mostly comprised of other agents and some players.
His agent was all shiny smiles in his gold, diamond-encrusted grill. He held Eliana’s hand; his assistant was dressed to the nines in a shimmering silver number with a Swarovski diamond clutch similar to the one he’d purchased for his mother.
“Tito,” he said, shaking his hand. “Eliana, you look lovely tonight.”
Tito winked at him, adjusting the lapels of his white suit, the silver braiding along the edge sparkling underneath the chandelier’s light.
“Please, sit,” Sutton said, motioning to the chairs across from them.
Reese and Tito tugged out the ladies’ chairs for them and took their seats next to them.
“How are you two enjoying your evening?” Sutton asked, taking a sip of her water.
“It’s gorgeous,” Eliana said, looking around. “The purple is so rich and amazing and works so well with the gold and white.”
“Thank you,” Sutton replied, a huge smile coming to her face. “The inspiration for the color scheme came from a wedding I went to recently, and it was fantastic.”
“I love it. I would love something like that for my wedding.” Eliana took a sip of her Cosmopolitan and set it back down. Her eyes suddenly rounded as Jace Austin appeared at their table; a small squeal elicited from her.
“Evening, everyone,” Jace said, stepping back to reveal Callie McCoy approaching the table as well.
“Hi, you two,” Sutton said, joining Reese as he stood to shake their hands. “I hope y’all are having a great night.”
“We are,” Callie replied, slipping into the chair that Jace tugged out for her. “Thank you for the invitation. Even the mayor is here!”
Sutton positively beamed in the seat next to him. “I know! I’m so happy we got her to come.”
“She’s so busy all the time, I’m surprised she could,” Callie said, setting her clutch down on the table. “She wasn’t even able to make it to one of my concerts here.”
“I’ve had multiple invitations returned with regret,” Sutton said, leaning forward. “Apparently, she wasn’t going to be able to make this one, either, but when they found out that her opponent for re-election was coming, they changed their mind.”
“It wouldn’t look very good if the mayor wasn’t here to support a local children’s charity, along with the local football team that is less than a week away from the country’s biggest game,” Andre said as he and Nicole joined the group.
Reese stood to shake his hand. “Welcome to the table.”
Andre pulled Nicole’s chair out for her and sat, saying hello to everyone at the table.
Reese could see Eliana’s barely contained excitement at being at the table with so many celebrities; her lips pursed tightly as she squirmed in her seat.
“Eliana, I’m sure you know Jace Austin,” Reese said, bringing Jace’s attention to her.
Her face flushed pink, and she nodded. “I do. I’m such a big fan,” she squeaked out.
Tito laughed and tugged a CD from his jacket pocket and handed it to her.
“Could you sign this?” she asked. “I know it’s a charity ball and everything, but I’d truly appreciate it.”
Jace’s smile lit up the table, and he tugged a sharpie from his pocket and reached for the CD. “I always carry it just in case. Don’t want to disappoint my fans.”
“Thank you so much,” Eliana replied, turning to Callie. “I’m sorry to bother you, but could you sign this?”
She tugged a folded-up poster from her purse and unfolded it, the large paper over two feet high.
Tito’s eyes rounded, and Reese barely held in a laugh at his astonished look. “Where did you find that?”
“I got it at Callie’s concert last year,” she replied. “I wasn’t able to get a meet and greet ticket, though, so I’ve been holding onto it.”
Callie grinned and looked at Jace. “Mine is bigger.”
She plucked the sharpie from his hand and scrawled her name in large letters, and Reese was unable to hold in his laughter at the look on Jace’s stunned face.
“Wow,” he said, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed. “Wow.”
“There we go,” Callie said, folding up the poster. She handed both back to Eliana, who sat beaming in her seat.
“Thank you so much!” she exclaimed, tucking the poster back into her clutch. “You’re both so amazing.”
“Not amazing enough to get a poster signed,” Jace muttered, Callie’s tinkling laughter filling the space.
“Oh, stop it,” Callie said with a playful swat on his arm. “Don’t be upset because she likes me better.”
Jace rolled his eyes at her but left his arms crossed.
Reese saw Carter and Amy walk across the room, and he waved, Eliana catching a glimpse of the couple. “Who was that?”
“My cousin and her new husband,” Sutton replied, taking a sip of her drink.
“They look so in love.” Eliana sighed, leaning on her elbow on the table. “Is that where you two met?”
“It is,” Sutton said.
Reese looked over at her and leaned over, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder.
It might not have been true, but it was what Reese would say until the end of his days.
Reese saw Andre’s brows dip together in confusion, but his teammate stayed silent.
“That must have been so romantic.”
Sutton smiled up at him, her blue eyes filled with sweetness that took his breath away.
“I think so,” he replied, bringing their lips together for a quick kiss.
Callie’s eyes lit up when the next song started, and she held out her hand. “Come on, cowboy. Take me out on the floor and spin me around.”
Jace’s frown turned into a grin, and he took her hand, waving as they left the table to take the floor.
“Oh, me too, Tito,” Eliana said, taking his hand.
“Anything for you,” Tito replied. He stood and headed for the dance floor, Eliana’s hand in his.
“Do you want a refill?” Sutton asked, pointing to his drink.
“That’d be great, thanks,”
She took his empty glass and stood.
“I’ll come with you and get a refill,” Nicole replied. She looked at Andre’s glass. “Do you want another one, babe?”
Andre pressed a kiss to her cheek. “I would. Thanks, love.”
She smiled at him, and Reese felt nothing but happiness for them, desire starting a low simmer as he watched Sutton walk away from the table, the yellow silk clinging to her curves.
Andre didn’t say anything for a moment, but then he hopped the couple of chairs between them. “Did y’all really meet at the wedding?”
“We did,” Reese replied with a smile. “Since I was famous, and she wasn’t, she wanted to keep it under wraps for a while. At least until we had a chance to get to know one another.”
“Then why did y’all act like y’all just met at the house party?”
“She hadn’t told her uncle yet, and you know how Magnus gets. He can be over-protective and doesn’t want to see her hurt.”
Andre looked suspicious, like he didn’t fully believe Reese, but his features eventually relaxed. “Magnus is a bit of a ball buster, that’s for sure.”
“Yeah,” he replied, rubbing the back of his neck. “He wasn’t happy about it at all, especially since he learned about it on social media instead of from Sutton or me.”
That was the one thing Sutton and Reese had forgotten about.
Sutton and Nicole made their way back to the table, and Andre slipped back to his chair so the ladies could retake theirs.
“Is everything all right?” Sutton asked, looking between the two of them.
“Absolutely.” He leaned down to give her a quick kiss. “Never been better.”
A little while later, Reese and Sutton lay wrapped in the satin sheets of his bed together—their clothes crumpled in a pile at the end of the bed.
“I can’t believe I jumped you like that,” Sutton said, a laugh rumbling deep in his chest.
“I can assure you, you didn’t,” Reese replied, brushing a stray lock of hair from her face.
She smiled at him, and his heart raced in his chest. He wondered if he’d ever stop feeling like this.
“You’re amazing,” he whispered, leaning down to kiss her.
A pink glow tinged her cheeks in the soft light of his bedroom, her blue eyes sparkling from his words. “Thank you. You’re pretty amazing yourself.”
“I definitely think you win,” he said, covering her body with his own as his cock stiffened between them, ready for another round. “Didn’t the CEO say that this was the best event they’d had in years?”
She covered her face with her hands and wriggled beneath him in excitement. “He did!”
He barraged her hands with kisses until she moved them, excitement and happiness mingling with desire in her eyes.
“I have to thank the team,” she said, clasping her hands behind his neck. “If they hadn’t gotten the word out, then this event wouldn’t have been as big as it was.”
“I think you underestimate yourself, Miss Cooke.” He dropped a gentle kiss to her lips. “Your events are wonderful. You didn’t need the team’s help.”
“You, Mr. Vaughn, are too humble,” she replied, arching her body against him as he moved his hand to cup one of her breasts.
He didn’t respond, instead taking her lips as he rolled her nipple between his fingers.
Breaking the kiss, he teased his lips down her neck to her chest, tossing the sheet away to drink in her body.
“Perfect,” he whispered, swirling one nipple with his tongue.
She moaned into the room, her hands tangling in his hair to hold him to her breast as he tugged her sensitive tip into his mouth.
“Yes…” she breathed, the sound stiffening his body further.
He moved his hand from her nipple down to the apex of her thighs, her body already ready for his fingers. He dipped one digit inside her, and she cried out, her fingers tightening in his hair as he slipped another finger inside her and slowly thrust into her.
Releasing her nipple, he took the other into his mouth, the cold flesh pebbling under his ministrations.
His cock twitched with desire as she moaned—louder this time.
Fuck.
Thrusting into her, he moved his thumb to her clit—the soft flesh already ready and begging for his attention.
“Yes,” she muttered, moving her hips against his hand as she chased her orgasm.
“Take it,” he grunted, urging her on. “Take what you want.”
“Fuck,” she cried, grabbing his arm as he continued to pleasure her.
Dragging her hand from his hair, she reached over to grab the satin beside her, squeezing the dark fabric between her fingers as he teased her desire higher and higher.
She let out a cry when her body contracted on his fingers, squeezing the digits tightly as she came against his hand.
Slipping his fingers from her, he pulled away from her breast to look down at her.
A deep red flush of exertion appeared where the pink glow had been, and he smiled, leaning down to kiss her.
“You look so beautiful after you’ve come all over my fingers,” he said, stroking his hard cock before he leaned over to grab a condom from the nightstand. Slipping it on, he slowly teased his thick shaft up and down her slit.
“You ready for me?” he asked, drawing back before she responded, “Yes.”
She shuddered as he slid his cock inside her, tugging his body tightly to hers.
A thought came to him, and he was a little surprised that it was coming to him just now, but he decided to say something instead of waiting.
“I wanted to let you know that I didn’t take a dime for the Reboot commercial,” he said, thrusting slowly in and out of her.
Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped. “You didn’t?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t even sign a contract to appear in the commercial. It’s only the kids and the team.”
He buried his cock inside her, and she cried out, digging her nails into his back.
“I think I’m falling in love with you,” she whispered, tears in her eyes.
He froze above her, his heart rejoicing at the statement.
Love?
He hadn’t even thought about love.
I guess sometimes it hits you when you least expect it.
He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her. “I think I’m falling in love with you, too.”
“Be careful, Mr. Vaughn,” she warned, “If I fall in love with you, you can only be mine.”
“Don’t worry, Miss Cooke,” he replied, “You were mine from that very first night.”
Then he showed her what it was really like to be fully, undeniably, his.