Chapter 6
RHODES
“We’re headed to The End Zone tonight,” Cole O’Hara, our offensive coordinator, murmured as he walked beside me across the tarmac.
“I have somewhere to be.” My mind was already focused on who I would see, so I didn’t notice Gage falling into step on my other side. The running back elbowed me in the ribs, and I tossed him an annoyed glare.
“Come on, man. We have to celebrate!” He was grinning so big that it looked like his face might break.
But his exuberant attitude was understandable.
We annihilated the opposing team in the wild card game today, officially giving us a spot in the playoffs.
I was beyond ecstatic, and normally, I’d be at the club getting smashed with my teammates.
Today, though, there was only one person I wanted to celebrate with.
It had been hell not seeing Finley the past few days. The phone calls and text messages just hadn’t been enough. I’d gone to bed after an icy shower every night after hearing her sultry voice wishing me sweet dreams.
They were sweet alright. And sexy, filthy, and delicious.
“Another day,” I told Gage as I dug my phone out of my pocket. Finley had said that she’d be home when I arrived, but I wanted to call and make sure she was there before heading over. “We can celebrate tomorrow when you come over for the game.”
“Who is she?”
I stopped dead in my tracks, and my head swiveled toward Cole. “How do you know there is a she?” I asked warily. Finley was by no means a secret, but if the word was already out, I wanted to be prepared for the fallout.
Cole laughed. “Only a woman would keep you from celebrating a win like this with your teammates. And the look on your face confirmed it.”
Inwardly wincing, I smoothed out my expression as I resumed walking. “I never said I was meeting a woman,” I grumbled.
“Definitely a chick,” Gage agreed.
Rolling my eyes, I picked up my steps and left those two gossiping behind me.
I’d ordered a ride share to meet me at the small, private airport where Lennox stored the team’s jet.
I waved at the driver so she wouldn’t get out and opened the back door, tossing in my duffel and sliding onto the bench seat.
We greeted each other, then she began driving, and I hit the speed dial to call my girl.
“Hi.” Her voice was soft when she answered, sending warmth spreading through my chest…and desire straight to my groin.
“Hey, baby. Are you at home?”
“Yep.”
“I’m on my way to pick you up. Pack a bag.”
“What happened to going slow?” she laughed.
“Is that what you want?” I would give it to her if that's what she wanted, but it would probably kill me. Besides, nothing had to happen tonight. I just wanted her with me because no matter what we were doing, Finley made me happy.
“Slow is overrated.”
I didn’t have the patience to wait for the elevator.
Glynnis popped her head out of her door and grinned at me. I waved a greeting before taking the stairs three at a time until I stood in front of Finley’s door. Before my fist hit the door, it swung open, and Finley threw herself into my arms.
“Damn,” I muttered as I buried my face in her hair. “I missed you. I forgot how good you feel against me.”
Finley hummed and dropped her head back to smile up at me. “I missed you, too. Congratulations, Rhodes. You guys were incredible.”
“Thanks, baby,” I mumbled before I gave in to my driving need and sealed my mouth over hers.
A groan rumbled in my chest, and I wrapped my arms tight around her, lifting her up to her toes for better access.
Her hands clutched my shoulders as she gasped, giving me the perfect opening to slip my tongue inside.
Fuck. She tasted as sweet as candy, and I was quickly losing all sense of reality.
If I didn’t stop, I would push her back through her door and take her up against it.
I might be speeding things up a little, but I wasn’t going to fuck her like an animal our first time together. Her tongue tentatively rubbed against mine, and I ripped my lips from hers, burying them in her hair as I attempted to catch my breath.
After a few seconds, my pulse slowed, and I managed to set her back on her feet. “Where’s your bag, baby? We need to go before I lose my shit.”
Finley’s eyes filled with curiosity and heat, making my already swollen dick hard as a fucking rock.
“No,” I grunted with a sharp shake of my head. “Someday, maybe. But tonight, I just want to celebrate a fucking awesome win with my girl.” If she wasn’t ready to have sex, I would respect that, no matter how difficult it would be. But I had no intention of sleeping without her tonight.
Finley pouted, making me laugh. “We’ll negotiate the terms later,” she huffed, then spun around and bent over to pick up a small overnight bag.
Smiling, I took the duffel from her, frowning at how light it was.
I probably should’ve been more specific when I asked her to pack it since she would need more than that.
I didn’t intend to let her go back home any time soon.
Then I mentally shrugged. She could wear my shit, and I’d order anything else she needed.
The thought of her in my clothes put the upward curve back on my lips.
I laced my fingers through hers, and we walked to the elevator. It was an old building, so it was slow, and I used the time to get a little more acquainted with my woman’s delicious mouth. The ding when it reached our floor made us both jump, then laugh as we stepped onto the lift.
As we rode down, she recounted her favorite plays in our game, and I was yet again impressed with her knowledge of football. She’d grown up with an uncle who owned a team, sure, but not everyone exposed to the game understood or spoke so passionately about it.
After we hailed a cab and slipped into the back, I pulled her close and murmured, “You just get sexier and sexier, you know that?”
Finley blushed, and I leaned over to kiss each pink cheek before brushing my lips over hers.
Fire raced over my skin, and I plunged a hand into her hair, cupping the back of her head and angling so I could kiss her deeply.
A little moan escaped her, and I suddenly remembered where we were.
I didn’t want anyone hearing Finley’s sounds of pleasure. Those were for my ears only.
She was panting when I pulled back, causing her tits to bounce enticingly. I had to look away and tuck her against my side before I gave in to my body’s demands.
There wasn’t much traffic, so we reached my apartment in twenty minutes. It had seemed like hours, but with the way New York City traffic could be, especially on a Saturday night, I had to count myself lucky on that score.
After paying the driver, we exited the vehicle, and I took her hand once more, leading her into the building and over to a bank of elevators.
There were six in total, but only two went up to the top floors.
They required a fob, which I dug out of my pocket and tapped on the pad.
When the doors glided open, I inhaled deeply before walking inside.
I knew the lift would quickly fill with her scent, just as the car had, and it was driving me crazy.
It took all my energy not to drop her bag, tug her into my arms, and take her mouth. I inwardly sighed in relief when we reached the penthouse. Again, I touched my fob to the pad, and the doors whooshed open.
When we stepped out into the vestibule, I spotted a couple of bags of groceries next to my front door.
I’d ordered them on the plane and asked the doorman to bring them up.
Since I normally partied at the club with my team after a win, I had nothing to celebrate with at my apartment.
Also, I rarely cooked when I was home, so there was very little food except for the healthy meals and snacks I had delivered each week.
I picked up one bag, and Finley grabbed the other, rolling her eyes and waving away my protest.
Once we were inside, I led her to the kitchen, and she helped me unpack the groceries. I would have told her to go sit and relax, but truthfully, I enjoyed the sight of her in my kitchen—loving how natural it felt to be moving around the space together.
“Are you hungry?” I asked when we’d finished. I leaned against the counter and reached out for her hand, tugging her into my arms.
“Not really. You?”
I was fucking starving, but not for the kind of food she was referring to. “No.”
“Well,” she murmured as she slid her hands up my chest and around my neck to toy with the ends of my hair. “What do you want to do?”
Every dirty fantasy I’d ever had of her was on the tip of my tongue. “How about we crack open the champagne and cheesecake?”
Finley licked her lips. “I love cheesecake.”
“I know.” I grinned and released her so I could hunt for the corkscrew and glasses. “You mentioned it the other day.”
Finley was quiet for so long that I stopped and turned to look at her. She watched me with soft eyes and a sweet smile. “I can’t believe you remembered that. I mentioned it for like a half a second in one conversation.”
“I remember everything you’ve told me about yourself.”
“That’s really…sweet.”
I glared at her. “What did I say about calling me sweet?”
Finley laughed and sashayed over to me, her hips swinging sexily. “You’re also extremely hot.”
“Better,” I grumbled.
“I changed my mind,” she whispered when she reached me.
“About what?” I frowned. “You don’t think I’m sweet? Or hot?”
“Oh, no. Those are still most definitely true.” She pressed her body to mine and placed a kiss at the corner of my mouth. “I changed my mind about being hungry for cheesecake.”
“Oh,” I grunted, trying to think about anything besides her supple curves and how well she fit into the grooves of my body. “Well, I bought the stuff to make—”
Finley laughed, distracting me from what I was about to say. “Not for food, Rhodes. I…um…” Her cheeks flooded with color, but she didn’t look away when she finished. “I’m hungry for you.”
Oh fuck. I was not expecting that, but my cock got on board with the idea instantly. I was painfully interested in her roundabout suggestion.
“Finley…” I hedged, unsure about what to do. “I’m not sure you’re ready. Why don’t we take it—”
“I thought we agreed that slow was overrated?” She leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to mine, then ran her tongue along the seam of my mouth. “I want you,” she whispered.
A man could only take so much…and my willpower fled. I scooped her up into my arms and marched toward the primary bedroom.