Page 69 of The Player in New Zealand
And then my body tipped, the tension popping and snapping as I came hard. Tane gripped me firmly as I cried out, and I might have kicked him in the face.
He stilled, forehead pressed against mine as we breathed together. I assessed the damage—leg still trembling, maybe my fingers, too, lips a little numb, hamstring protestinghard.
Lungs protesting too. I gasped out for air and pressed Tane back.
His arms took my weight off the wall, and I grimaced as my legs unfolded.
I closed my eyes and clung to him as he carried me through his apartment to the bathroom. There was a clink and then a swoop and my butt hit the cold, hard toilet seat.
I opened my eyes in time to catch Tane turning on the shower before taking care of the condom. He stood in front of me, hands on hips.
Something niggled the back of my mind. “Did... ?”
He tipped his head and I tried again.
“Did you... ?”
Bah. Words.
He smirked at me. “Did I fuck you stupid?” he teased, clearly proud of himself.
I snapped my fingers—or tried to—and attempted to put my brain back together after a mind melt.
Tane bent down, running his fingers through my hair and tugging my head back. He gave me a swift kiss and a little tap on my cheek. “Come on, babe, let’s get you cleaned up so we can get to bed.”
TWENTY-FIVE
It was weird,in a good way, waking up in Tane’s bed. First of all, it was giant. And soft. And maybe it felt extra good from the brain-melting sex last night.
I had no idea what time it was, but Tane was next to me, facedown and spread eagle. Okay, maybe the bed wasn’t quite big enough.
The shower had brought my body back online, even though Tane had had to help me in and out of it. We had rinsed off and crashed.
Nature called and I used the bathroom, letting out a quiet groan when I felt how sore my legs were. When I came out, I climbed back into Tane’s bed and took the opportunity to look around. It was a studio apartment, bare-bones and bachelor. The kitchen had a few dirty dishes on the counter, a small fridge and a stove. A big TV, a massive armchair.
And a big naked man.
I couldn’t believe Tane was still sleeping. Maybe he’d exerted himself a little too much last night. Downstairs, soft music sounds and the occasional scrape of a table or chairs drifted up.
I sat up in the bed and focused on the arm nearest me. Tane’s brown skin was laced with tattoos, and while I’d seen them before, I’d never gotten to gawk at them so freely. They were all tribal, not a hodgepodge like mine.
He twitched as I traced a finger down his triceps.
“Careful” came his voice, rough and scratchy from the morning. Glancing up, I saw one eye open, watching me.
I slid down, twining my arm with his and pressing a kiss to his shoulder. “Good morning.”
His chest vibrated with a chuckle. “Morning. How ya feeling?”
I nipped his skin with my teeth. Even thinking of last night sent a shiver down my spine. “Better.”
His grin turned smug, but a phone buzzed somewhere in the room. We both looked up and around, and it buzzed again.
“Where is your phone?” he asked.
“Downstairs, probably. With my stuff.”
With a sigh, Tane threw back the sheet and sat on the edge of the bed, scrubbing his face. Another buzz.
