Page 101 of The Riskiest Move

I lean into her touch. “I was nervous, but once I got into the grind, everything clicked as usual.”

“You played like you never missed a beat.” She turns to pour the champagne into two flutes. “Now, let’s celebrate properly.”

I take the glass from her, clinking it gently against hers. “To an amazing return to the field,” she says, smiling.

“And to having the woman I love here with me to celebrate my return,” I add.

We sip the champagne, our eyes locked on each other over the rims of our glasses. The excitement and joy of the win, still coursing through me, mingles with the desire Scarlett ignites in me.

Setting my glass on the island, I take hers from her hand and set it down next to mine. My arms pull her close, settling on her lower back. “You know, I think I’d like to start the celebration a different way,” I murmur, my lips brushing her ear.

Scarlett shivers in my arms. “Oh? What did you have in mind?” she asks coyly.

My response is to slant my lips over hers in a passionate kiss that leaves no doubt as to what I want. She melts against me, her arms winding around my neck, humming her agreement.

I deepen the kiss, my tongue sliding against hers as my hands roam down her back to cup her ass. Scarlett moans into my mouth, pressing her body flush against mine. The feel of her soft curves ignites a fire in my veins.

Without breaking our connection, I lift her up. Her legs wrap around my waist as I carry her up the stairs to my room. Once there, I gently lay her on the bed, then pull back to look at her. With her flushed cheeks, desire-swollen lips, and heavy lidded eyes, she’s beyond gorgeous. She’s breathtaking, and I wonder what I did to deserve her. I feel emotion welling inside me.

“God, I love you,” I say in a choked whisper.

Scarlett’s smile is soft as she reaches up to stroke my cheek with the back of her fingers. “I love you too, Cooper. So much.”

Capturing her lips again, I pour all my feelings into our kiss. My hands roam her body, memorizing every curve and dip. She arches into my touch, threading her fingers in my hair.

I trail kisses along her jaw and down her neck, relishing the little gasps and sighs she’s making. My hands grip the hem of her jersey—myjersey—slowly raising it until she lifts her arms, allowing me to tug it over her head.

“You’re so fucking beautiful,” I murmur, taking in the sight of her satin-covered breasts.

She smiles up at me, her hands slipping under my shirt to stroke my lower stomach. “And you’re overdressed,” she says, tugging at the fabric.

I tear my shirt off, then steal her breath with my lips. The feel of her soft skin against mine sends electric pulses to my groin.

Sliding my mouth from her lips down to her neck, I trail kisses down the elegant column while my hands yank at the shiny blue material covering her breasts. I take one rosy nipple between my lips, sucking on the beaded tip.

“Cooper.” She gasps, arching into me and clutching the back of my head. “Don’t make me wait,” she pleads.

I undo her jeans, peeling them down her long, lean legs only to realize she’s naked beneath them. “Fuck. You’re so…everything.” It’s the perfect word for what she is to me.

I climb from the bed, stripping off the rest of my clothes before I rejoin her. Slipping between her thighs, my cock finds her warm, slick entrance. Unable to wait another second, I thrust inside, and I’m overcome by the purest emotion in the world.

Love.

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