The Love Game (22 page)

Braden shuts the door behind him, turning to face me slowly. The look in his eye has my heart pounding furiously against my chest like it's trying to escape.

His slow, calculated steps swallow up the room as he comes closer to me. All breath leaves my body as his tickles its way across my cheek, fluttering my hair. He raises his hand and runs it along the side of my head, pushing my curls back and tilting my face up to him. He grips my waist gently, his fingers flexing, and steps closer to me.

My chest heaves as I struggle to breathe, struggle to
remember
to breathe through the need enveloping me. My legs are beginning to shake with it and after the performance in the bar and being so close in the elevator, I know if it doesn't happen soon, I'll go crazy. He kisses the corner of my eye, trailing his lips down towards my jaw.

He pulls his head back, and the cloudy blue eyes I've come to know so well collide with mine. My chest heaves, and I lick my lips. He drops his gaze, and I feel his resolve leave in the way he pulls me towards him.

His lips find mine. Hot, soft, and slow. He kisses me so thoroughly yet so gently I want to cry. My hands wind around his neck, and I hold him to me, gripping the collar of his shirt. Our feet move in sync as we move backwards towards the bed, our lips locked the whole time. He stops me before I drop backwards and pulls away, looking into my eyes.

His hands slide under my shirt and gently roll it up my body, over my head and along my arms. My swollen lips part as he removes his.

I'm lowered back to the bed, and the second my back hits the mattress I hook my legs round his, kicking off my shoes. He kisses me again, his lips even hotter than last time. I respond greedily, flicking my tongue across his lips. He groans, and I feel his tongue meet mine.

His hands skim my waist, my stomach, my breasts. Every kiss, every touch, every breath - it all finds its way to the pit of my stomach. That red hot pool of lava is back and bubbling fiercely, demanding it gets the eruption it so desperately needs. The eruption I so desperately need.

I slide my hands across his back as his lips brush kisses along my jaw and down my neck. I shiver, the expectation already too much. He smiles against my skin, allowing his tongue to draw lazy circles down my chest. My back arches, and I press into him, his erection hitting my center.

“Beautiful. So, so beautiful.”

He unclasps my bra, and it falls to the sides. He takes one breast in his hand, the other in his mouth. I gasp. Loudly. His tongue swirls around one then the other and I tighten my leg muscles, my fingers digging into his muscular back.

“Braden.”

He ignores me, his mouth leaving me once again, only to ghost down my stomach. I'm panting - I can't focus on anything but the feel of him. The need for him. Want for him. Only him.

Kisses dot along just above the waistband of my jeans. The button is released, and he stops kissing me again. I glance down at him.

Holy. Crap.

He grips the zipper between his teeth, his eyes fixed on mine. I'm lost. I'm lost in the heat of his gaze, the electric blue fire burning there.

Slowly, he pulls my zipper down. With his teeth. His nose brushes the satin material waiting there for him, and my whole body twitches. He unwraps my legs from his, gently peeling the material down me. One leg first, his hands smoothing over the newly bare skin. My other leg rests on his shoulder, and he focuses on that, taking my jeans off completely.
Taking my foot in his hand, he kisses up my instep to my ankle, to my calf. Kisses rain up my leg, getting higher and higher and closer and closer until-

The other leg. The same pattern, the same places, the same kisses. His mouth is millimeters away from me, from the lava pool waiting for him. His fingers hook in the waistband of my thong, making them follow the same path as my jeans.

Hot breath across my hips. A hotter mouth descending slowly. An even hotter tongue making contact.

I gasp and moan simultaneously. One of Braden's hands presses on my stomach to stop the buck of my hips while the other reaches round to cup me behind, holding me to him. His tongue swirls and strokes and slips and slides. His mouth sucks, lips brush and teeth graze. Sensation builds, and I'm whimpering out moans, my hands gripping the cover beneath me, fisting it. My head thrashes side to side until-

I scream.

He kisses up my stomach slowly and in my half-dazed state, I hear the sound of another zipper being pulled. Material hitting carpet. Foil ripping.

Braden kisses me softly, and I can taste myself on him. His hand slips between my open legs, and I feel him move, his tip settling against me. My legs wrap around his waist, offering myself to him. My hands are on his back as he moves in, slowly.

I'm stretching to take him, and he swallows the moan that leaves me. The sensitive skin can't take it - I can't take it. He moves out slowly, finding a steady rhythm that has me going crazy.

“Braden, please,” I whisper against his neck, sucking lightly on his skin.

He slides a hand behind my back, and the other cups the back of my head. I graze my teeth along his shoulder, and he drops his head into my neck, kissing me repeatedly.

I clench my muscles once, and he loses pace, picking back up faster. Yes. This is what I want - what I need. I move with him, my hips undulating against his and I arch my back.

Breathing heavy. Forceful kisses. Desperate touches.

He kisses me hard as the sensation takes over, and I cry out his name, my whole body tensing as the waves roll over me. He falters, stops, and I feel all the air leave his lungs. He relaxes on top of me, his kiss slowly becoming softer.

We lie there, together, and when he discards the condom in the wastepaper basket and pulls me against him under the sheets, I know
its game over - but not in the way I thought.

It's supposed to be over.
We're
supposed to be over.

But when his every touch tells me I'm beautiful, every look tells me I'm sexy, and every smile tells me I'm all he wants, what's really over is my part in the game.

What's just beginning, is the very thing I set out to avoid.

And because of that crazy little thing called love, I don't even care.

~

“Hash House A Go Go,” Braden suggests, glancing at the screen on his cell. “Their food looks really good.”

“Okay.” I lean over the bed and kiss his cheek. “Your choice.”

“We can go somewhere else.”

“No. It's your birthday, we'll go to this a go go place.”

“You're going to insist on paying, aren't you?”

I grab my purse and stop by the door. “Of course I am.”

He groans and pockets his cell, standing up. He grabs a light jacket from the chair and stops behind me, reaching for the door handle. He touches his lips to my bare shoulder, and I turn my face to him, smiling.

“You know what I'd really like for breakfast, Angel?” he murmurs against my skin.

“No idea, but I'm sure you're about to tell me.” I smirk.

“I'd really like breakfast in bed. With you.”

“With me being the breakfast?”

He chuckles and moves my hair away from my face with his nose. “You learn fast.”

He opens the door, and Megan freezes, her hand in a knocking position.

“Maybe another time,” I mutter and step away from Braden. He lets out a tortured breath.

“Good morning, Meggy. Can I help you?” he deadpans.

She blinks, offended. “Well, I was coming to offer to buy you breakfast, but if you're gonna be like that, I'll make you buy your own, you grumpy shit.”

Braden laughs and wraps an arm around her shoulders. “Maddie is already buying mine.”

Megan kisses his cheek. “Happy birthday, stud. And no, she's not.” She looks at me. “I'll buy breakfast.”

“Megs-” I argue.

“You can buy dinner.”

“It's only gonna be pizza.” Braden turns his blue eyes to me and smiles.

“Pizza is fine by me. I love pizza.” She turns and flounces down the hall to the elevator.

“Uh, Meggy?” Braden raises an eyebrow and takes my hand. “Is it just the three of us?”

“Don't be silly. Lila, Ryan and Aston are already downstairs.”

“Let me guess – Kay's still out?” I roll my eyes.

“Of course she is,” Megan says it like I shouldn't even have to ask.

I shouldn't have to ask, to be honest.

The elevator doors ping open, and I spy the others sitting by the main doors. Aston looks like he'd rather be anywhere other than here, Ryan looks like he needs more sleep than he's got, and Lila looks like Lila. She's the only morning person out of us – and it's already nine a.m.

“It's a good t
hing it's your birthday,” Ryan says as we approach. “'Cause otherwise I'd have to kick your ass for having me up at this time to go out for breakfast. Go out.” He shakes his head.

“Right, man,” Aston agrees. “What's wrong with fuckin' room service?”

“What's wrong with room service is they don't have soap to wash your mouth out with like I do.” Megan smiles sweetly at him, and Lila flicks Ryan's ear.

“You miserable shit,” she scolds, then looks at Braden. “Happy birthday.”

“Thanks,” Braden half-smiles.

We all make to leave the hotel, and the dry desert heat hits us as soon as we step outside. There's no sea breeze, no reprieve from the heat that's already burning down on us.

“Sheesh.” Lila fans herself. “I think I just stepped into the desert.”

I look down
at the sidewalk to hide my smile, and Braden laughs silently. I elbow him.

“Um, Lila, honey?” Megan says softly. “You are in the desert.”

“Oh shit.” Lila laughs at herself, and when I look back up, Ryan's head is shaking. There's always one – and it's nearly always Lila.

We walk for what feels like hours, and after a while I start wondering how anyone knows where we're going. I mention as much.

Megan replies by holding her phone over her shoulder. On the screen is Google Maps.

“You planned our route on Google Maps?”

“I did.” She winks.

“And you didn't think it would be easier to oh, I don't know, call a cab?” I raise my eyebrows, and Lila stops.

“Why didn't we think of that?” She looks back at me.

“I didn't know it was so far away.”

“It's round the corner,” Braden says. “Is it really that far?”

“Yes,” I grumble, walking again.

He drops my hand and wraps his arm round my waist, pulling me to stop. He bends and hooks his other arm around my knees, sweeping me up into his arms. I shriek and grab his neck.

“What are you
doing
?”

He laughs, burying his face in my hair as we walk. “I'm making sure you're not too tired for later,” he whispers.

“And what would that be?”

“Whatever you want it to be,” he breathes, kissing my ear. I shiver and tug a lock of his blonde hair at the bottom of his head.

“It's too early for dirty thoughts.”

“Hell no it isn't.” He glances down at my chest and legs before looking back ahead. I sigh and shake my head. Sometimes I know I won't win with him so I'll just leave him to it.

Besides, I can't exactly see another round of sex with Braden Carter being too much of a hardship.

I'm falling in love with Maddie Stevens. I know it. It's her laugh, her smile, her everything. For something that started off as a game, it's damn real now. It's more real than anything I've ever felt in my life.

It's not even sex – although that's fucking amazing. A part of me knows I could live without sex if it meant I could be with her. And I wouldn't give up sex for anything.

Especially not when a red dress that hugs every inch of every curve I've touched is being worn by the girl in question.

But no. Maddie is more than that. She's just more. She's a little broken, a little cracked, but she's also a whole lot of something I can't even describe. She's filling a part of me I didn't even know was empty.

I slink up behind her, sliding my hands onto her hips and kissing the exposed skin of her neck. She finishes brushing her hair and turns her face into me. A small smile graces her glossy pink lips.

“What?” she asks.

“I like this dress,” I reply.

“So do I.”

“I think I'd like it better on the floor, or slung over that chair over there, though.”

“I'm sure you would,” she says dryly. “But since everyone is waiting for us,
it’s gonna have to stay exactly where it is for now.”

“Damn,” I mutter, leaving a trail of kisses across her neck. “Are you sure they can't wait a little longer, Angel?”

“Braden,” she scolds, wriggling from my hold. She turns and looks up at me. “If this dress comes off now, you won't leave this room.”