Challenging the Center (Santa Fe Bobcats) Read online

  “Yeah. Maybe.”

  “Would this change have anything to do with dry heat and a cat named Benny?”

  “Oh, Benny… He was quite the dance partner. The tail could be a problem though.” She chewed on her lip a moment, a guilty flush taking over her face. “I wasn’t trying to be obvious or an attention whore. I was just… I don’t know.” Setting her jaw, she ended with, “He started it.”

  “That’s your story, and you’re sticking to it, huh? The mascot started it.”

  “Yup.”

  “Okay then.”

  They were quiet for a moment, breathing in each other’s scent, their nearness.

  Kat whispered, “So what now?”

  “Now… you come back to my place.” He lifted her down off the counter.

  “Because you’re going to yell at me over there?”

  “There may be yelling.” He swatted her ass as she walked by him out of the kitchen, and she predictably yelped before laughing. “But it won’t be angry. Not if I’m doing it right.”

  She gave him a look over her shoulder that was hard to read but he took as encouragement. Then grabbed her keys from the hook by the door and left the apartment behind him.

  Chapter 14

  We’re going to have sex. Holy shit, we’re actually going to have sex.

  It had never been so… easy before. So matter of fact. Hey, let’s go back to my place and have sex. It was probably her lack of experience talking, but she had no clue this was how it was done.

  Michael waited for her to lock her apartment door, then fiddled with his own lock. Calm as you please, no rush, no hurry.

  Instantly she realized easy wasn’t what she wanted. It felt cold, like a business transaction. Like something they were just going to scratch off the day’s to-do list.

  Grocery shop: check

  10,000 steps: check

  Have sex with neighbor: check

  As Michael’s door swung open, Kat felt her reservations slide up and grip her throat. She croaked out, “Michael, we really don’t—”

  “Come on in.” He opened up and slid an arm around her lower back, propelling her into the apartment.

  Fine. So they could have the this isn’t a good idea chat in private. Better idea. She walked in and waited for him to close the door. As she spun around to tell him they were better off not crossing this line, her first word was interrupted by his hands fisting in her hair, pulling her head back so he could kiss her deeply.

  All protests died the instant his lips hit hers. This was no polite, cold, businesslike merging of two bodies. It was hot, a little wild, messy. Their lips tangled, teeth bumped, hands groped for purchase in hair, at the back of their necks, shoulders, fisted in shirts. Anything they could do to anchor themselves more firmly together and keep the contact.

  He ground his body against hers, palming her ass and pulling her as close together as physically possible. The moment his erection pressed into her stomach, she knew she was lost to the inevitable. Never before had she felt the bright… need. There was no other word for it. Need clawed through her, erasing all thoughts of slowing down, of stopping, of being rational. This need wasn’t a rational feeling and wouldn’t allow reality to penetrate the fog it created.

  His large hand smoothed down to the junction where her butt met her upper thigh, squeezed hard enough to make her gasp into his mouth, then did the same thing with the other side. “Hitch up,” he breathed.

  It took her kiss-addled mind a moment to realize what he was asking, then she immediately complied, jumping enough that he could catch her under the thighs and give her the chance to wrap her legs around his waist. It pressed her open core into his erection, and she moaned at the feeling.

  “You’ve got to stop making those sounds,” Michael chided in a gruff voice, walking with her. The sensation of moving backward, already deprived of oxygen from their drugging kisses, had Kat’s head spinning. “I won’t last five fucking seconds otherwise.”

  “Not… oh,” she mewled as he hitched her harder against him. “Not doing it on purpose.”

  “Right.” He kicked his bedroom door closed—why, she didn’t know—and walked to the bed. Kat looked at him, eye level, waiting for him to press her against the mattress, cover her with his body and continue making love to her. In preparation, she unwrapped her legs from around his waist.

  Then she went flying, back hitting the mattress and bouncing twice before she settled down. “What the hell?”

  Michael stood beside the bed, grinning, clearly pleased with himself that he’d thrown her—literally—off-balance.

  “You ass,” she ground out. But it didn’t dull the sharp edge of need.

  “You like when I’m an ass,” he countered, toeing his shoes off before sitting beside her. “If I were easy on you, you’d be bored. You’re that kind of woman.”

  Kat’s heart stuttered at that. That kind of woman. Was it meant to be an insult? Was he going to bring up the sex tape now? The thought made her want to throw up.

  Something on her face must have shown, because he bent over and kissed her gently, more a brushing of the lips than a real smooch. As he kissed her lips, her nose, her cheeks, he spoke.

  “I meant that in the best way possible. You’ve fought me tooth and nail every step of the way. You don’t give up ground. You won’t surrender. So when you’re here, in my own damn bed, it’s because I know you want this as much—maybe more—than even I do. You can’t know how much that turns me on.”

  “I can guess,” she breathed as he pulled back. The fact that his erection felt like a tree trunk against her was a pretty good indication.

  His hands glided up and down her arms, head shaking. “Now that you’re here…”

  “You don’t know what to do?” Kat interrupted. “It’s pretty simple. When a boy and a girl like each other very much…”

  Michael gripped her hip and rolled her instantly, giving her a quick smack on her ass for that. She laughed, then moaned as heat spread. It was meant to be playful, she knew, but it still did something to her.

  “You’re such a mouthy one. How they ever thought I could be any sort of influence on you is beyond me.”

  “I’m hopeless.” Kat rolled back to face him, beaming.

  “You’re my kinda hopeless,” Michael admitted, then kissed her once more.

  She was here, in his bed, willing and waiting.

  And Michael had no clue what to do with her.

  Okay, he knew what to do with her. He wasn’t an idiot.

  Or maybe he was since he was sitting there, staring at her, thinking instead of touching.

  With one hand, he pulled her shirt up, waiting for any cue from her to halt progress. But her lids half lowered, as if she was too lost in the sensation to make them stay open to watch. When he reached the edge of her bra, she shifted slightly, letting the shirt glide effortlessly over her breasts to rest below her chin. Then she reached down to rip it up and over her head before launching it across the room.

  So she wouldn’t be a passive bedmate. Good, he thought savagely. She had too much fire in her to lay back and let anything just happen to her. And he wanted to witness every moment of it.

  “You know, I’ve never been with another athlete before,” he commented casually. Her abdominal muscles rippled under his touch. “There’s something really… sexy about all these muscles.”

  “Not masculine?” she asked, a curious uncertainty in her eyes.

  “Why would you…” He realized at once why she’d asked, then fought hard not to scowl. “Did some dumb shit call you masculine?”

  She shrugged, looking sideways across the room, but a telltale blush spread over her cheeks.

  Michael sighed, then reached under to release the clasp of her bra. It popped open without a problem, and she didn’t fight as he took the bra off and tossed it to the side. The sight of her lying in his bed, naked from the waist up, was the most erotic sight he’d ever beheld in his life.

  “Th
is body,” he said, kissing her navel, her ribs, working his way up to the underside of her breast, “is the most gorgeous thing I’ve ever seen.” With one hand, he cupped her other breast as he began working the nipple of the first with his mouth. “These… these are definitely feminine.”

  She breathed in deeply, then let it out on a wavering sigh.

  “So anyone who could see you like this and think you’re masculine, is a fuckhead whose opinion shouldn’t be considered for longer than the time it takes to show him the door.”

  That made her smile a little, and when his eyes met hers, he let go of her breast with a small pop. Her eyes widened, as if shocked by the display. Michael rolled over to give her other breast some attention, fingers playing with the wet tip of the first, pleased with how it puckered tightly in the cool room air.

  Kat’s chest heaved, and her eyes closed now, as if she were too overwhelmed to keep eye contact.

  He kissed her on the lips once, just to anchor himself, before letting one of his hands open the button on her shorts. They slid apart easily, and Kat lifted her hips so he could take them off, her panties with them. And she was naked, finally, in his bed.

  God damn, it wasn’t soon enough.

  Michael sat back on his heels just to watch her. As he did, a flush crept up over her skin, and her eyes darted away.

  “Kat Kelly, don’t tell me you’re shy,” he teased softly.

  “This…” She chewed on her lip for a moment, then whispered, “I’m not used to being with guys. Like… this. I’m not that experienced.”

  He blinked. “But…” He swallowed. There was no easy way to say that.

  “But I have a sex tape,” Kat finished for him, flatly.

  He held completely still.

  Kat’s eyes closed briefly as if she were fighting back emotion. And he wanted to kick himself. “He was the only guy I’d ever been with. Is the only guy.”

  Maybe it made him a macho asshole. Maybe he was a Neanderthal. Maybe… no, there was no maybe about it. He had no problem mentally smudging a pink eraser over the douchebag’s face and inserting himself as the only man she’d been with.

  “Fuck him,” he growled. “Erase him. He doesn’t exist. There’s just you and me in this bed. Period.”

  That had her blinking. Confusion, then relief swarmed into her eyes. “So you’re not… stopping?”

  “Kat, if you think now that I’ve got you here, I’d walk away without being inside you…” Michael shook his head, almost wanting to laugh at the thought. How the hell could he ever walk away now? Lowering himself over her fully so she could feel the weight of him, his thick arousal at the cup of her thighs, he growled, “The only way you’re leaving here unfucked is if you say no. Are you saying no?”

  “No!” she blurted out, then her eyes widened. “I mean yes! I… oh, shit, just do me, please?”

  He couldn’t stop the chuckle then, which somehow morphed into a full-throated laugh. God, she slayed him. Nuzzling her neck, he dipped one hand between her thighs and coaxed them slowly apart. The muscles were reluctant, and he had a bit of fun feeling every inch between those quivering quads as they relaxed enough to part. As his hand dipped between them, feeling her wet arousal at his fingertips, he groaned.

  “This… this is the most feminine thing I can imagine ever experiencing. You’re so soft here, so amazingly ready for me.” Her flesh trembled under him as he worked and soothed and teased with his fingers. “Gorgeous.”

  Her face flushed.

  “You’re ridiculous.”

  “You’re beautiful.” He kissed her again because she needed the reassurance. Then parted her thighs more, encouraging her to raise her knees so he could slide down between them. He waited for some sort of token protest women always gave. Oh, you don’t have to do that. Oh, I’m so embarrassed, don’t look at me there.

  But she stayed silent, even spreading her legs a little farther to give him room to settle his shoulders between. Her eyes met his, and she didn’t break eye contact. She’d taken his words to heart, and wasn’t going to shy away from him.

  Good.

  He spread her with his thumbs, and her eyelids dropped down in response to the cool air touching her heated flesh. With one lick, she moaned and her eyes closed the rest of the way. He flicked his tongue inside, swirling and tasting her. Her hips moved, enough that he lost his rhythm and planted his palms on the inside of her thighs to keep her still.

  That drew a grunt of annoyance from her but nothing more.

  Interesting. Though she wouldn’t have chosen it, she clearly wasn’t pushing back against him taking charge in bed.

  He danced around the area he knew she wanted him at most, licking and sucking around her wet center, taking his time until she finally bucked up once, hard. Her patience had worn itself out, and from the way her stomach heaved with her breaths, so had her body. He finally moved up and gave her a few teasing licks to her clit and watched her explode.

  Her entire body convulsed, each muscle spasming intensely as her head thrashed on the pillow. Michael had to fight to keep from being thrown off, losing contact. God, she was strong, and that was an insane turn-on. Then her hands fisted in his hair and jerked, a sign he knew to let up, that she couldn’t take any more.

  But she didn’t reach for him, just collapsed back onto the bed, breathing heavily.

  He stood, shedding his clothes quickly while she seemed all but incapacitated. After rolling a condom on, he crawled back in bed and nuzzled at her breast.

  “Alive?”

  “Mpphf.”

  One hand came up to cup the back of his head, cool fingers trailing lightly over his warm neck. It was amazing. He could have stayed there for hours.

  “You’ll need to be more awake for the next part. Much as I like this quiet, contained version of Kat, I’m not really into doing sleeping chicks.”

  She smacked his ass—hard—for that one. He ground his hips down, pressing his erection into her thigh in response, and she opened her legs wide to accommodate.

  “I’ll take that as a sign you want to proceed.” Reaching down, he positioned himself at her entrance, then pressed in an inch.

  Her eyes opened, and Michael nearly sucked in a breath at the moment that passed between them. Something hot but more. More enough that he hesitated an instant before continuing on. Something in him needed acknowledgement she felt that something more too.

  Then she nodded, craned her neck up to kiss him, and he sank fully into her. It was electrifying, the feel of her clamping around him, her arms on his back, her mouth on his. They combined to create a full body onslaught, and he barely had to move before he felt his own climax reaching up to get him.

  “God, Kat… damn it, too close.”

  She stopped meeting him in the middle of each thrust. “Foot fungus.”

  “What the fuck?” He reared back, staring down at her in horror. “What the hell are you talking about?”

  She grinned slyly. “Not thinking about coming now, are you?”

  Michael blinked. “You little shit.”

  “I know. I’m a genius.”

  “You’re a sadist.”

  “It was either this or twist your balls a little.”

  “Thanks, I guess?”

  “You’re welcome.” Her hands slid down his back until she gripped his ass—hard—with both hands and squeezed. “Now, where were we?”

  “I believe I was at the point where it felt so good my eyes were going to cross.”

  She rolled her lips in as if fighting a smile. “Then by all means…”

  He slammed his mouth down on hers, hips pistoning fast, unable to stop. Unable to give up this feeling of her in his arms, of being inside her. Unable to slow himself down from rushing to enjoy it.

  And then he came, his breath bursting out in fast huffs, whole body grinding into hers until he collapsed beside her.

  The last thing he remembered before drifting off into a light sleep was her hands smoothing over his
back and her lips on his forehead.

  Chapter 15

  “I have to say, I miss your ugly mug on the line.” Michael leaned over the bench press bar and spotted while Stephen pounded out an eight rep. And because he knew his friend couldn’t talk and focus on proper breathing during the set, he added, “Probably just too pussy whipped anymore to handle the offensive line.”

  Stephen pushed out eight, let the bar rest back in its racked position, then reached backward lightning fast and punched Michael in the thigh, mere inches from his balls. He nearly saw his own life flash before his eyes as he groaned and draped over the bar.

  “Just admit you’re jealous you don’t have a hot woman waiting at home for you, ready to rub all your tender bits and ease the ache.” Stephen sat up, grinning, the sight both familiar and brand new.

  He’d begun filling out a little more since his weight loss from rehab a year ago, adding his gain back deliberately in muscle rather than the flab and beer gut he’d carried before. His face was still thinner though, and while the eyes were all Stephen, it was still sometimes jarring to see his friend’s face so angular where before it was round.

  But it was good to see that clarity in his friend’s eyes, the awareness that wasn’t always there before, the flush on his skin that spoke of hard work and effort, not late-night beer sweats and fatigue from being out of shape. Thank God for Mags, his former housekeeper, now girlfriend, who kept him on the straight and narrow.

  “Maybe I have a hot woman at home. Your mom says hi, by the way.” Michael laughed and jumped out of the way as Stephen went in for another punch, probably dead center this time.

  “Quit fucking around in the weight room,” Caleb growled from the corner.

  “Yes, Coach,” they both said automatically, switching positions and changing out the weights for Michael’s round.

  “Speaking of hot women,” Stephen asked as Michael settled down, back flat on the bench, bar level with his eyes, “how’s that cute tennis player? The one who tangos like an Argentinian?”