I nod, and he presses his lips to my neck.
“I need you to stay safe, Gia.”
I lean back against him, turning my head to the side and breathing in his warm, woodsy scent.
“I’ll be more careful,” I say softly.
He slides a hand beneath my shirt, his large palm stroking the bare skin of my midriff. I inhale sharply, my self-control shaky at best. If he unfastens my pants and tries to take me right here on the kitchen island, I won’t stop him.
His lips return to my neck as he slides his hand upward, his thumb gently grazing the center of my bra’s underwire.
Do it, the voice in my head begs. Fuck me right here on this counter.
“So many things I want to do with you,” he says, the warmth of his voice on my skin sending a delicious shiver down my spine.
He tightens his arm around my waist, pinning my body to his so I feel his thick erection against my lower back as he moves his other hand higher, sliding it into my bra and cupping my breast.
A moan escapes my lips, my head spinning from the sensation of his touch.
“I can’t control myself when I’m around you,” he says in my ear. “All I can think about is your perfect round ass and that smart mouth.”
All I can think about is having him inside me so I can find out how he likes to fuck. Nothing feels right in this moment except having him buried inside me, thrusting and groaning until he’s completely satisfied.
Seeming to read my thoughts, he groans softly. “What are we gonna do about this? I don’t need a distraction any more than you do, but Jesus fuck do I want you, Gia.”
“Someday,” I say, the word barely audible. “Not now, but I hope…someday.”
His hold on me loosens, and I sigh with disappointment. He removes his hand from my breast and kisses my neck once more, and then the heat of him behind me is gone.
“Someday soon,” he says, his tone confident. “Night, Gia.”
He walks away then, and I manage to say good night and keep myself upright until I hear him go up the stairs. Then I melt into a seat at the kitchen table, my pulse still racing.
There’s a good chance I won’t make it back from Philly. But if I do, the first thing I plan to do is spend a very long night in bed with the man who just lit my entire body up without even taking my clothes off.
Chapter Seventeen
Maverick
“Another win last night,” Gia says in a teasing tone as I walk into the kitchen after getting home from my latest road trip. “That’s three in a row now, right?”
“Yeah. Here’s hoping I’m one of those guys who can pull off the bald look.”
“You could always try a wig,” she cracks.
I open the refrigerator and take out ingredients for a sub sandwich, stacking them up on the island. “You want one?” I ask her.
“A sandwich? Sure.”
“You slice the onions and tomatoes. I’ll do the rest.”
“Deal.”
“Hey,” I ask her as we both get the sandwich stuff ready. “Have you ever had your…intimate area waxed?”
She laughs. “I have.”
“And?”
“There’s no good way to have your hair ripped from your skin by the follicles. It hurts.”
I layer turkey, salami and roast beef onto our sandwiches, thinking of my own salami.
“It only hurts where there’s hair, at least,” I mutter. “So my balls are in for it but my dick should be fine.”
Gia bursts out laughing. “You’re going to be the first guy to ever walk into a salon and ask to have his dick waxed. They’ll think you’re a perv.”
“Really?”
“Yep.” She grabs a piece of cucumber from the bowl in front of me and pops it into her mouth. “Just stick with the balls. That’ll be punishment enough. Unless you want a silky smooth butthole.”
I shake my head. “We’d have to win every game for the rest of the season for me to get my asshole waxed.”
“It’s not that bad,” she says. “Unless it’s really hairy.”
“I’ve never seen my own asshole. You want to take a look and let me know?”
“Pass,” she says, wrinkling her nose.
Gia is fresh out of the shower, her skin clean and glowing. She shakes her wet hair out of her way so it falls behind her back. I can’t help noticing how kissable her throat and collarbone look in the V-neck shirt she’s wearing. I haven’t stopped thinking about the other night, and wanting more.
“Is Ro here?” I ask.
“No, she’s at class.”
Our eyes meet, and the tip of Gia’s tongue darts out to moisten her lips. I can tell by the fire in her eyes that she’s thinking about our encounter the other night in the same spot where I’m standing now.
“So,” I say, a smile playing on my lips.