Page 41 of Playing the Field
He continues to gaze at me with dreamy eyes.
“I know.” My voice is soft, breathy. It sounds sexy, but I’m not in control of anything. I feel dizzy and elated and so damn turned on that I let everything go. I give in and let myself feel the sizzling electricity between us.
It’s new. I’ve been attracted to a handful of men in the past, but this is a different level. My whole body craves his in a way I’ve never experienced. A voice deep in my core is begging me for more.
Hunter’s thumb lightly rubs the back of my neck while he continues cradling my head in his large palm. He’s looking at me like he can’t believe I’m real. I feel the same.
“I want to keep kissing you, but I need you to know. This, you…” He takes his hand from behind my head and trails his index finger down my cheek the way I did earlier. “I didn’t expect it. Didn’t even know how much I needed it. Gracie, I didn’t see you coming. Not at all.”
I nod.
“But now that I have you, all bets are off.”
Hunter’s hand continues moving, his finger tracing the shape of my jaw and moving slowly down my throat. I go completely still, unable to pull in a breath. I watch him watching me as his finger trails lower over my dress, tracing the contour of one breast. My eyes flutter. It’s hard not to melt into a puddle because he’s leaving a burning trail on my skin as his hand moves down.
When his hand reaches my stomach, I brace for him to touch me lower, my panties wet and my core aching for his touch. But he stops abruptly and reaches for my hand.
“Not yet.” He growls the words as though it hurts him as much to slow down as it hurts me to wait for what I want.
I follow him into the hotel room, noticing for the first time that there’s music coming from somewhere. It’s an easy jazz track that makes the whole scene of a wild fling in a hotel room even sexier.
The bed is gigantic, covered in a crisp white sheet over a perfectly fluffed down comforter, and I try to convince myself that I belong here, with my head on those large, white pillow shams, with my hair splayed out, and this man taking his time, doing things to my naked body that I’ve only read about in saucy novels.
And I panic.
“Hang on. This isn’t me. I’m not that girl.”
He turns, still holding my hand. Since I’ve stopped moving, we’re a few paces apart. He takes a breath and lets go of my hand. It makes me sad that I’ve ruined the moment, but I need him to know who I am.
“You’re not what girl?” he asks calmly.
“The kind who goes to hotel rooms with every guy I date. And I know we’re not dating. I just felt the need to be clear. I was trying to be all flirty and bold, but I don’t know what I’m doing here, and I wanted to warn you. In case you thought I was, you know, a pro at hookups, I wanted you to know that’s not me. It’s not what I do.”
His chuckle unleashes a new wave of goose bumps over my skin, and I can’t tell if he’s laughing at my confession or at the situation. “Gracie, I didn’t come here because I thought you were a pro at hookups.” He comes close enough to put his arm around my shoulders and pulls me toward him. “Do you want to go home? You’re not obligated to stay in this hotel tonight, or even for the next ten minutes, if you’re uncomfortable.”
I take a long inhale and let it out slowly. My shoulders drop an inch, and I feel a tiny bit calmer. “I don’t want to be a tease.”
Hunter rubs a hand over his forehead and runs his fingers through his hair a few times. It isn’t lost on me that he’s gorgeous even with an anguished look on his face. He walks farther into the room and sits on the bed, patting the space next to him.
“C’mere, Tink.”
I do as instructed, sitting far enough away that our bodies aren’t touching. I put my blazer down next to me.
Hunter drapes his arm around me again and pulls me next to him. “You’re not a tease.” He cups a hand beneath my chin and turns my face to see his. The molten gaze is gone, and he looks like the guy I’ve gotten used to living in Kyler’s office. Less intimidating but no less scorching hot.
“It’s me. You and me. We can do whatever you want tonight, and if you tell me to take you home, that’s what we’re doing.”
“Thank you.”
Neither of us speaks for a minute. Eventually, I tip my head against his shoulder, which feels no less rock hard than any other part of him. “I’m sorry I’m freaking out.”
“Nothing to be sorry about.” He smooths my hair, running his fingers through it. I want to fold into him like a cat because it feels so good. “Can you tell me why, though? I mean, other than the obvious—the fact that we work for the same soccer club and Kyler would lose his shit.”
I shake my head. “It’s not about any of that. This is exactly where I want to be.”
“O-kay…” He blinks at me, looking like a lost puppy. “Sorry, I’m not getting the issue, then.”
Is he really going to make me say it out loud?
