Hard Limit (St. Louis Mavericks 2)

“Not so much during hockey season,” he said slowly, a frown on his face. “I am very focused.”

“I noticed. But you must do something to relax?”

He shrugged. “Sometimes I do things with my teammates, but not so often. I see Annalise a few times a month. And you.”

Our eyes met again, and I felt a shiver of desire so strong he probably saw it.

“You were just thinking about sex,” he said, a faint smile playing on his lips as he looked at me.

Oops. Busted.

“It’s been a few days,” I said, shrugging. “And I’m kind of spoiled with how good it is.”

He downed the second half of his fourth taco in one bite and then took a long drink of water. Without another word, he wiped his mouth with a napkin and slowly got to his feet.

“Will your back be okay if I put you on the counter?”

My heart rate instantly kicked up a notch because I had a feeling I knew what was coming.

“As long as you don’t twist me in any weird way.”

Before I could move, he’d swept everything aside and had me up on the counter.

“I have eaten enough food,” he murmured, moving between my legs as he bent his head to kiss me. “Now dessert.”

Three glorious orgasms later, we finally made it to the bedroom and I nestled into Lars’s arms as we got under the covers. He had a massive California king bed and the kind of furniture that reminded me of something Vikings would have slept in a thousand years ago, including a huge stone fireplace that was currently the only light in the room.

“I think I like your bed almost as much as mine,” I murmured, the side of my face resting against his wide chest. I heard the faint beat of his heart and it made me smile because it was such a simple thing after the crazy shit he’d just done to me. I wasn’t a prude, and I was learning a lot about what I did and didn’t like in bed, but after sleeping with no one but Hugh until now, it still took a little getting used to.

“Yours would be good if it was bigger,” he said, stroking a hand down my back.

“I can buy a bigger bed,” I murmured.

“Your apartment is very close to arena,” he said, resting one of his hands on my ass. “So I don’t mind staying there.”

“Nice to know,” I said, chuckling. “The only problem with me staying here is you have to drive me home in the morning and you get up so early.”

“Is already almost two,” he said. “I cannot get up at five thirty to work out on three hours of sleep after a game. Tomorrow I will go later. We can both sleep.”

I tipped up my head. “Are you sure? You don’t like changing your routine and I don’t want to be the reason you do.”

“Is okay.” He leaned down to kiss my lips, his mouth hovering over mine. “Was worth it.”

“I’d say let’s go again but I don’t know if I have another orgasm in me. That last one…” My voice trailed off because it had been the strongest one I’d ever had. “Well, I’ve never gotten off like this. Like I do with you.”

“No? Were your other lovers so selfish?”

“I told you—I’ve only ever been with one other guy.”

“You have really slept with only one other man? How is this possible? A woman as beautiful as you?” He sounded genuinely confused.

“I met him when I was sixteen. He became my agent, then my boyfriend. He was my first and only. He was verbally and emotionally abusive, taking advantage of the fact that I was overweight to make me feel bad about myself. Then, when I started making money, he became controlling and manipulative because he didn’t want to fall off the money train. And finally, when I found out he’d been lying, cheating, and stealing from me for essentially our entire relationship, he hit me and called me names.” I felt his arms stiffen around me.

“I will hurt him,” he growled under his breath. “Tell me his name.”

“Don’t worry. It was the first and last time. I walked away and never looked back. Unfortunately, I’ve been trying to break the contract between us for two years now and haven’t gotten very far.”

“Contract?”

“Technically, on paper, he’s still my agent. He gets fifteen percent of every penny I make.”

“This is why you don’t model now?”

“It’s why I haven’t been in a hurry to get back to it since the accident. Eventually, I have to find a way to get rid of him, but the amount of money he wants is…insane.”

“He is large?”

I wasn’t sure what he meant at first. “You mean could you take him? Oh, yeah. You’d snap him in half. He’s not big. I weigh more than he does. I’m also an inch taller than him.”