Game On Box Set: Time Out\Her Man Advantage\Face-Off\Body Check Read online

  “Why does everyone keep acting like this is all my fault? I was twenty-two. Headed for law school. I wasn’t ready to get married.”

  “Did you tell him that?”

  She squirmed a bit in her chair. Made a production of sweeping some stray specks of sugar off the tabletop. Finally she admitted, “No.”

  “What did you do?”

  “I was under a lot of stress. I was about to leave home and leave everyone I knew, including Greg. And then he threw a ring at me. I did what any woman in my position would do. I freaked.”

  “Well.”

  “But he knew me. Better than anyone. All he had to do was write or call. I’d have calmed down, things would have gone back to normal. It was totally his fault.”

  “Did you ever think about contacting him?”

  “Sure, I thought about it.”

  “And did you?”

  “No. I wasn’t the one who screwed everything up.”

  “Are you sure?” The calm voice wasn’t accusing, simply asking.

  Sam scowled into her coffee and refused to answer.

  “Sam, you can’t have a relationship where you are always right. It’s statistically impossible. Sometimes, you are wrong. Even worse, sometimes you have to admit you were wrong.”

  A group of moms with toddlers in tow came in, obviously after some sort of mom-and-tot activity. One kid dragged a green sippy cup, one whined about wanting a cookie. Sam had never felt a single tick from her supposed biological clock. Had assumed she didn’t have one. But suddenly she knew she did want kids. And she wanted them with Greg. A man who would take her offer of seducing a cop, but didn’t seem interested in much else. “But—I don’t know how much more I’ve got in me.”

  “Depends how much you want him, I guess.”

  “Oh, I want him.”

  “Forever?”

  She didn’t even hesitate. “Forever.”

  “Then you’d better think of something.”

  * * *

  GREG WAS SO BUSY preparing for the police and firefighter hockey tourney that she barely saw him. He dropped by a couple of times after work or practice, but it was only for a few hours of sex and then he was gone.

  She’d start to feel used except that she was enjoying sex as she hadn’t enjoyed it in years. Every time they came together she became more convinced that they needed to put their differences aside and commit.

  She wanted lots of things that she saw happening with Greg. She pictured a home, a real home like the kind she’d grown up in, him doing lawn-mowing and hand man projects, her slowing down her practice to spend time with her children.

  Damn it, she wanted to marry the man.

  And now that she was ready, he didn’t seem to want to marry her.

  He was leaving for the big tourney on Tuesday. It was Saturday night. He hadn’t mentioned her coming down to support the team, and she hadn’t brought it up. So far their affair was a dark secret. She hadn’t told anyone except Jarrad and Sierra and if Greg hadn’t told his best friend, then he probably hadn’t told anyone.

  He arrived at ten as they’d arranged and no sooner had she opened the door to him than he had her in his arms, pushing her inside and kissing her deeply. She could feel his passion and need and, as usual, they fueled her own. By the time he’d pressed her against the hallway wall, his arousal was fierce.

  “Oh, baby, I want you so much.”

  She’d planned to sit him down and talk to him, but she was a woman with strong needs and this man always reminded her of how strong her needs were.

  “Bedroom,” she panted, “I put on fresh sheets.”

  He didn’t answer, simply bent down and hoisted her into his arms. She squealed and then laughed as he hauled her off to the bedroom holding her tight to his chest. In anticipation of his visit, she was wearing a sexy black nightgown. He put her on the bed and, eyes never leaving her, ripped off his clothes in record speed. She loved his haste, his obvious need for her. Desire filled the air between them.

  Greg gazed down at the woman waiting for him on the bed. There was no light in the room save a dim glow from the window, so she was more shadow than real, like a black-and-white photograph. She wore some kind of black lacy thing and under it he could see black panties. A rage of lust pulled at him and he stripped rapidly until he was naked. On the bed. He pulled her against him.

  He hadn’t realized how intense his need would be, would continue to be no matter how many times he tried to slake it with the woman he was in love with—the woman he’d loved for years.

  She kissed him, and it was like his first kiss ever. He leaned into it, into her, and she responded with her usual eagerness. He reached for her, tracing her firm breasts beneath the black silk.

  She ran her hands over his bare chest, his belly, then began to touch him as he reached to rub her through her silk panties.

  Her breath hissed as he caressed her, feeling the heat pulsing from her. Too eager for finesse, he plunged his hand into her panties, needing to feel her, soft and slick and ready.

  “I need…” he gasped. “I need you.”

  “Yes. Oh, yes.”

  He began kissing her and rolled her, wanting to be on top of her, but she had the same idea, bossy woman that she was and she kept going.

  They tumbled off the bed and onto the floor—her expensively carpeted floor.

  “I really, really need to see you,” he said.

  She kissed him again, rolling on top of him and straddling him. He felt her shift, lean up and flip on a light.

  He blinked, and blinked again as the black-and-white photo became woman.

  “You are so beautiful,” he said, gazing up at her, her hair spilling around her face.

  “Stay there. I forgot the condoms.” He knew she kept them in the bathroom. He watched her, reminding himself of all the parts of her body he liked so much. The sweet round ass, the thighs that were muscular and sexy from all the running she did, as he was reminded every time they gripped him.

  The long line of her back, and the strong shoulders.

  Hair, eyes, lips, breasts, belly, hips, all of her added up to such an amazing package. No wonder he couldn’t seem to stay away.

  She returned with a couple of condoms, ripped one open with her teeth and sheathed him with her own hands. She took her time about it, sneaking in a caress or two, as though she was enjoying learning his body again as much as he was enjoying relearning hers. He tried to stay cool, but it was tough feeling her magic touch, oh, she knew him so well. Knew exactly what he liked. He stayed where he was, on his back, trying to hold himself in check, feeling the soft wool of the carpet rubbing his spine.

  She straddled him slowly, and he watched intently as she gripped him in her hand and guided him to the entrance to her body. He barely breathed as she lowered herself slowly onto him, inching him slowly into paradise.

  When she’d settled all the way, and he was as deep inside her as he could go, he gripped her hips, holding her against him so he could savor that first moment of complete connection.

  He felt her heat, her snug, wet heat and the connection running between them that was so much more than physical. Their gazes caught and held, and he saw vulnerability flash. Something pulled, deep inside him as he realized that he hadn’t ever connected so deeply with anyone. Ever.

  And then she closed her eyes against him. He felt a slight shudder run through her body, and she was moving, riding him. He caught her rhythm and stayed with her, touching her as she rode him, touching her everywhere, her breasts, her hips, and, when he saw her eyes start to lose their focus, he touched her clit, rubbing it the way he knew she liked. When her head fell back on a cry, he thrust up, up and up inside her, pushing her over the edge, and then following in a spurt of intense pleasure that seemed to get stronger every time.

  “Wow,” Sam panted as she slumped in a heap on top of Greg, her silk nightie bunched between them. She felt his heart thud beneath her breast. “Wow, wow, wow.”