Page 53 of The Game

"Coffee?" He rolled from the bed, threatening to pull the sheet off my snuggled form.

"Don't you dare.” I clung onto it tightly. "I'm too comfortable."

I pretended to keep my eyes shut, but I was watching him through my narrowed eyelids. He was still butt naked and had been all night, although we hadn't repeated any of the earlier activities. We'd just talked. At two he'd announced there wasn't much chance of him sleeping and maybe we should watch a movie, so I went and grabbed Sammy's iPad. Then we'd both fallen asleep, his golden arms wrapped around me tight.

For a moment, I thought he was going to lean in and kiss me, but I watched through barely opened eyes as he hesitated and ran his fingers through his hair before stalking into the bathroom and grabbing his clothes. "These stink," he shouted through the door.

"Hold on." With a groan, I heaved myself off the bed. I ached considerably which was impressive considering I was used to running miles daily. It was the story of my life that my body was better adapted to running than it was sex. I padded to the built-in cupboards and rifled through my drawers until I found some old football shorts and a spare T-shirt. "Here." I flung them through the door.

The next thing I knew he was by the door, his manhood swinging proudly between his legs as he waved the clothes back at me. "These better not be your ex-boyfriends or anything like that." His voice growled on the word boyfriend.

I snorted, the idea was so preposterous.

In one stride, he was filling the space in front of me, his hands grazing up my shoulders until his fingers captured my jaw and tilted my face to his. His kiss was long and lingering, and the kindle of desire spread through my warm body. I wanted him so bad. My chest heaved a shuddering sigh, and my nipples sprung to attention, brushing against his chest. When he pulled away, he kept his hand on my face as his eyes watched my face intently. "I can be very possessive. Some women find it a turn-off."

My cheeks flamed a scorching pink. "Is that so?"

"What are your thoughts on the subject?" His lips twitched and I wanted more than anything for him to kiss me again.

Opening my eyes wide I gave as innocent a shrug as I could muster. "I can't say I've ever given it much thought at all."

"Mm, I see." He dropped his hands, allowing them to fall by his naked hips and stalked back into the bathroom, retuning a few moments later with the shorts pulled on low, but the T-shirt still happily absent.

I took a moment to appreciate his form in all its glory. And there was a lot to appreciate. Bundled under one hand were his dirty clothes from the club. "Can I use your machine?"

A bubble of laughter exploded from my lips. The Lancashire Lion was standing in my spare room asking to use my washing machine, wearing only a pair of shorts, after last night doing things to my body that I'd only ever dreamt about.

"What's so funny?" he asked, his expression serious.

"Nothing, nothing at all."

"Does this dog ever get walked?" he asked as Jasper bounced around his bare feet.

"Yes, he does, sometimes."

The Lion lifted an eyebrow, and I put my hands on my hips.

"Look have you seen the size of my garden? He doesn't need walking that often."

He turned his eyes and cast them out to the huge garden that surrounded the house. "It's an impressive house."

I shrugged. "Yeah, well when Anthony and Vanessa died there was a lump sum insurance pay out. It was used to buy Sammy a home to grow up in, it's not technically mine."

His eyes held mine for a moment before he changed the subject. "So only three games left, do you think we will win the league?"

I slid my coffee mug towards me. "I hope so. I could do without getting the sack for you all being crap."

"Waller wouldn't get rid of you, he fancies you." He laughed though, and I knew he was joking.

I flung a tea towel at him. "Kiss my arse."

He wiggled his eyebrows, and my erratic brain went off on a tangent mulling over the fact I never thought he could be like this, not ever, not in a million years. "Did that already.” He smirked.

I was out of missiles to throw, short of a chopping knife. I didn't want to be the one imprisoned for accidentally murdering the Lancashire Lion, so I left it where it was.

"What do you think you will do, when the season is over, stay on?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I hope so. I need the stability for Sammy."