Brad tore his mouth from hers and for several seconds their eyes locked. The connection to him she felt shook her to the core. And when he slowly lowered his head to claim her mouth again, she melted, lost in the stroke of his tongue, in the feel of his hard body buried deep in hers, seducing her with ease. With perfection.
Somehow, her shirt was gone, tossed aside, the front clasp of her bra unlatched. Brad’s hands were on her breasts, molding and kneading, his teeth nipping her bottom lip, tongue following the action, soothing.
“You drive me insane with need,” he murmured before kissing her again, his cock doing a slow sensual slide back and forth, his fingers plucking at her nipples.
He pressed her hands to her breasts. “Touch yourself like I was,” he said, straightening, hands going to her hips, anchoring her as he began to pump.
She did as he said, filling her hands with her breasts, aroused by the heat in his eyes as she teased her nipples. Aroused as she watched the flex of muscle in his powerful arms, wishing he was naked. She wanted him naked.
She reached for his shirt, moving her hands beneath the material. She clung to him anywhere, everywhere, never managing to get his shirt off. Never managing to get enough of him. Of his touch, his mouth, his hands.
Her hips rocked against his, the rise of release starting to rush through her body. “Brad. I am…” But the words were gone as she felt the first ripple of orgasm expand. Her muscles grab his cock, pulling him deeper, taking him in. When he pulled back, preparing to thrust, she wanted to scream for his return. And when he dove deep, burying himself to the hilt, shaking with his own release, she sighed with the final, perfect spasms of orgasm.
Long moments later, he lifted his head from where he’d rested it on her shoulder and brushed his lips over hers, tenderness in his expression. Amanda’s chest tightened with the emotion she felt. She loved him.
And that scared the hell out of her.
Carefully, Brad eased her legs down, her feet to the ground. Feeling awkward, uncertain of what came next, or even what she expected or wanted, Amanda gave him her back. She dressed quickly, quiet anticipation charging the air.
When Amanda completed her task, Brad embraced her. “Amanda—”
Her cell phone rang and she said a silent thank-you. She was afraid to hear what he had to say. “It could be Laura. I have to take it.” She reached for her purse sitting in the center of the sink and pulled out her cell.
Amanda answered. “Laura. Hi. Hold on.” She covered the phone, and spoke to Brad. “I have to get out of here.”
“We need to talk.”
No, they didn’t. “Not here. Not now.”
“We’re going to talk, Amanda. Soon. Have no doubt. I’ll wait for you in the café.” He disappeared out the door.
Amanda let out a breath and then took the call. “Hi, Laura. Thanks for calling me back.”
No tears this time. “You saw the paper, I guess?” Laura asked. Her voice was tight. “I’m going to make that sorry jerk pay. I’m going to tell the world his secrets and then he can kiss his career goodbye.”
Exactly what Amanda expected. “What secret, Laura?”
“Steroids,” she said. “That’s how he gets all those great hits. He’s juicing. I know you wanted the story and I’m sorry. Jack called and told me about the paper and I was pretty upset. I told him everything. I can tell you, too. The more bad press Tony gets, the better.”
Telling Laura Jack had set up Tony wasn’t likely to help. “Do you have proof, Laura?”
“I saw him inject himself. If they test him, they’ll know.”
“How do you know it was steroids?”
“What else would it be?”
Amanda went down a short list of possible things, including vitamin supplements.
“Well, it’s not any of those things,” Laura said, rejecting Amanda’s suggestions. “It’s steroids. Test him.”
“You don’t know any of this with certainty and you’re putting the man’s career on the line.”
“He should have thought of that before he did what he did.”
“The entire team is affected by this kind of scandal, Laura. They’re in the playoffs. They need Tony on the field.”
“I guess the team will find out what a jerk he is, too.”
Several minutes later, Amanda hung up the phone, having gotten nowhere except frustrated with Laura. She leaned on the bathroom sink, surveying her image in the mirror and noting her swollen lips.
Why had she let that happen with Brad? Why? She couldn’t think about that now. She had to think about Tony. And though she didn’t agree with Tony doing steroids—if he really was—she understood the desperate need to stay competitive.
This new career of hers had placed her in a horrible position. She hated the idea of destroying someone for a story. How had her job become that? Jack Krass, Tony, Laura. The battle to get the story first, no matter who was destroyed. This wasn’t her way. But before she could even think about that big issue, she had to deal with the current crisis.