One Last Shot (Cupid's Conquests) (5 page)

He jerked his shirt over his head and reached for his pants. She hesitated a second, admiring his muscular chest before pulling her own shirt off.
Damn he was sexy, but
not the over-chiseled, rock-hard type. His muscles were well defined, but still soft enough to touch. His jeans were on the floor before she was done drooling over his physique.
He stepped forward
and
s
he lifted her butt
. H
e helped her out of her
pants
then they
were pressed together again, only the thin lace of her panties between
them
.

She tasted the beer on his tongue as he
ran
h
is
fingers
up her
back and unhooked her bra
. He
lean
ed
back just long enough to whip it across the r
oom, then his mouth was on her, rolling the hard bud of her nipple across his tongue and
catching
it
between
his teeth. Heat
swept
across her skin, cresting in each twist of her nipple
. M
oisture gathered between her thighs.

He lowered her to the couch
and paused, his
eyes
drinking in every
inch of her flesh
. She bit her lip, worried he might be disappointed with her after all this time
. Lord knows he’d seen his fair share of flawless women in
L.A.
H
e
gave her
a wicked grin as he took it
all in.
I
t was
a look of
pure satisfaction at the bounty laid before him. She flushed with relief and a little embarrassment at her doubt as he lowered himself to her
.

He started slower this time. His fingertips brushed her
hair away
and slid down her face, following the line of her neck. She stretched her head back, drawing out the touch. He kissed her softly, lips tentative as his hand rested on the curve of her hip.
Tears pricked her eyes at the tenderness she thought she’d never feel from him again. She sucked in a breath, fighting back the emotion. He misread and his tongue darted into her mouth, hand gripping her hip. She reciprocated by thrusting her hips up and grinding against his stiff cock. Lust was so much easier than love.

She started to shove her panties down
, desperate for the feel of that hard flesh inside her
, but he
grabbed her hand. “That’s my job.” His voice vibrated against her ear and she
clenched her jaw
to keep from moaning. He
rose
above her. A
chill rushed
across her skin at the loss of his warmth. His cock stood at attention, the tip resting against his abdomen. She reached for it as his hand smoothed over her hip, thumb hooking in the edg
e of her panties. Gripping his
erection, she
propped herself up
and began to stroke him, teasing the soft tip of his head with her thumb. His eyes fluttered shut as
he leaned forward and she
lowered her mouth to him
,
lick
ing
a soft
circle
around the head.

He shuddered and pulled back.
“Me first,” he sai
d
,
pushing her back to the couch, forcing her
to let go. Her protest stuck in her throat when his strong hands gripped her thighs, mas
saging their way to the center.
A gasp stole her breath
as he slid his finger between
her legs
, brushing her clit then diving
in
again
, d
amn near making
her lose the ability to
think
. Clenching her muscles around h
is
finger, she tried to push back the
orgasm mounting inside her. But God it felt so fucking good.

“
J
ay
.
”
S
he mean
t
to tell him to stop, but his lips crushed against hers and her tongue was lost in the warmth of his
mouth. He slid his finger out of her
and broke their kiss. S
he gripped his shoulders, not wanting to give up a single inch of their closeness, but before she could find the words, he jerked her panties below her hips and tugged them off one leg. Palms on her knees, he spread her legs wide and dropped his head
between
them
. With soft laps at first, he moved his tongue across her opening then up between her folds. Her fingers slid into his hair again, clutching the sides
of his head
,
pressing him against her
.

T
he tip of his tongue
slid
higher
to
circle her clit before
pulling it between his teeth and sucking so hard
the sensation
hovered
in that perfect plane
between pain and pleasure. She screamed his name
as two fingers plunged deep inside her
.
His tongue continued to explore
while
he
massaging that special spot from within, not giving her a second to catch her breath
. The s
wells of
lust
rose higher, arching her back and exploding
between her thighs.
Sparks
shot through her nerves and
s
he could hardly rememb
er where she was
as r
ipples of p
leasure
rolled
out from her center, flooding her senses,
until he finally released her. She collapsed,
panting
against the cushions.
He sure as hell hadn’t done that the last time they were together, but damn she felt
amazing
.

Justin
reached down for his shirt and wiped his face
. His eyes sparkled and he gave her that grin that made her want to slap him and kiss him at the same time. The grin that said he’d won and there was nothing she could do about it. And for once she didn’t want to. Except maybe…

“
I want you inside me,” she said
. H
is eyes widened and he
let out a near growl
. He
drove his cock between her legs, pushing until he
could
go no further
,
then
held
it there—a second of pure perfection as they were as close as two people could be.
Every moment she’d missed him in the last decade faded
to nothing
as she soaked in the warmth of his skin.

Shelby
clung to his arms as he braced himself above her. She
focused on
his soft brown eyes and flashed back
to
the first time they’d
been in this position. His broad shoulders and
smooth
chest were more filled out
now
, but the look in his eyes was the same. Anticipation
pricked
her skin. Nothing was as exciting as that first touch, except maybe reliving it.

He pumped his hips, slamming against her thighs
,
his tip thumping against the back wall of her pussy, stoking the flame blazing through her
body.
His
tenderness was gone, replaced by pure need
—a need she was determined to fill
.
She clenched her muscles
with each stroke, massaging his length a
s
it slid in and out.
He moaned his approval and she grinned, watching him move above her in a constant rhythm as euphoria coiled in her belly. His face tensed,
pushing his body
harder, faster, until ecstasy surged through her, lighting her nerves on fire. A groan escaped his lips as he gave a final thrust, body stiffening above her, both locked in a moment of pure rapture. The room around them faded and nothing existed but
their bare skin,
the taste of his tongue on her lips
, and
the pleasure coursing through her veins
.

Chapter
Three

Sunlight pressed against
Shelby
’s lids. She
yawned
and stretched her arms above her head
,
pulling the
sheet
away from
her bare chest
.
R
ealization slapped her in the face. Peeking out one eye, her fears were confirmed.
Justin
Tanner
lay
face down on the mattress beside her, his toned back rising gently with each breath.
Her body tensed
,
drawing attention to the
throbbing
between her legs. The thought of how that ache was earned se
nt a tingle rippling through her musc
les
.
Dammit
,
Shelby
.
Breath held
, she inched out of bed and tiptoed to the closet
,
grabbed
the first
clothes
she
could reach
and headed downstairs to shower
, hoping not to wake him
.

If it weren’t for the meeting she had this morning, she’d shower at the bar.
P
anic
swelled in her gut
with each passing minute
and she moved as quickly as she could
. Every creak of a floorboard sent her heart leaping to her throat. She’d hold her breath and cock an ear toward the second floor, waiting for some sign that
Justin
was awake, but she didn’t hear so much as a shifting of the bed.

How could she have let him slide into her bed so easily last night? He wasn’t a one night stand kind of guy. He’d said as much the night before. She’d give anything to make it work again, but too much time had passed, too many secrets kept. There was no way he’d understand what she’d done, which is why she hadn’t confessed last night. She’d wanted to hold onto the illusion of him for just a bit longer, but it had gone too far. And now she’d have to walk away again, or tell him the truth and watch him walk away.

Shelby
snatched her keys and gripped the front door handle
, b
ut her mother’s words stopped her
cold
.

Hospitality first.

Dammit
,
M
om, now is not the time
.
She
glared at her mother’s ring on her finger then gave in.
She marched back to the kitchen and started a fresh pot of coffee. After setting
out a mug and sugar,
she
scribbled a note about creamer and fresh towels on a napkin then ran for
the Mustang
before her mother whispered anything else. How the ghost of her mother’s memory thought it was okay to
jump into bed with a man
she
hadn’t
seen for ten years
, but it wasn’t okay to leave without a note was beyond her. Shelby
cringed as the engine roared to life then
she
tore out of the driveway and cranked the stereo before she could put any
more thought into it.

#

The sharp scent of coffee nudged
Justin
from his sleep. He
rolled
onto his back and stretched, wincing at the darts of pain shooting through his shoulder.
Eyes closed, he
fingered the small scars from the arthroscopic surgery. He’d paid damn good money for the best surgeon
in
California
and a shit load of broken promises.

After the official press con
ference announcing the end of his too short stint in the Major League
s
, he’d tried to stick it out in
Los Angeles
, but
without
the constant practices, games, and traveling to distract him, the glitter of the golden coast faded all too fast and he bought a one-way ticket hom
e. Sean showed up a few days later
with
girls on his arms and a list of possible endorsements and speaking engagements, already planning his next commission check.