Page 51 of Playing to Win
“Like how you put your hand around my face and around my…neck.” I can feel my cheeks grow warm and what little confidence I had to ask the question vanishes in a flash.
I wish I hadn’t said that out loud. What’s he going to think?
His gaze locks with mine, his expression serious. “You like that sort of thing?”
I nod, breathless. No longer able to speak.
“I don’t really remember doing that to a woman before. Sexually.” He’s frowning, seemingly lost in thought. “Like I don’t think ever.”
“You did it earlier. To me.” His frown deepens. “At practice. You touched my face. Curled your fingers around my chin and tipped my face up.”
“Oh yeah?” He lifts his brows.
“Uh huh.” My mind goes back to that moment. The way all the air stalled in my lungs when he did it. The pressure of his warm, rough fingers on my skin…
“Like this?” He reaches for me, holding my chin with his index finger and thumb, tilting my face up. His finger streaks slowly across my skin, like he’s savoring touching me, and I want to die, it feels so good.
“Yes,” I whisper, my eyes falling closed when he slips his fingers under my jaw, streaking them down my throat, his touch featherlight. He pauses at my collarbone, just above the neckline of my T-shirt and I can feel my nipples beading into hard, aching points beneath the fabric.
All from him barely touching me. As if he knows exactly what I want, and how I want it. His fingers are light, yet exert enough pressure that I know he’s there. That he has the power to crush me.
But he never would. Ever.
His lips kick up on one side in a closed-mouth smile as we continue to stare at each other. “You’re a dirty girl, Red.”
“What do you mean?” I can’t even take offense to him calling me dirty because I think he’s right.
I think I might be.
“Getting off on me putting my hand around your throat.” He then drifts his fingers upwards, all four of them pressed against my neck, his thumb coming up to trace along my jaw. “You like this?”
A sigh escapes me and I practically melt into the seat. When Ace’s hand falls away from my neck, I miss his touch so bad, I physically ache from the loss. I’m reaching for my beer, drinking as much as possible, because I remember I told him I wanted to finish my beer first.
And now I’m desperate to finish it so we can get out of here.
Together.
“You two look cozy.”
We both glance over at Derek, who’s watching us with a suspicious gleam in his eyes.
“It’s nothing,” I say at the same time that Ace admits, “She’s driving me home.”
Derek’s gaze jumps between us, his smile sly. “If Knox were here, he’d lose his shit.”
“Well, he’s not here, is he,” I say, sounding vaguely bratty, but I don’t care. “And what he doesn’t know, won’t hurt him.”
“Truer words were never spoken,” Ace says in agreement.
Derek watches us for a moment. Silently assessing. Then he shakes his head, chuckling. “You kids are on your own. I said my piece.”
He turns his back to us, resuming his conversation with another team member who’s sitting next to him and I breathe a sigh of relief, glancing over at Ace.
“Where’s Nat?” Ace asks me, taking a sip from his beer.
“Nat? Oh, she had to work.” She was beyond excited that Ace asked me to meet him here because all she wants is for me to get laid and have fun, which I appreciate.
It’s what I want too, but with Ace?
