First and Ten Read online

  “That doesn’t seem to be deflating you in any way, shape or form,” she purred as her hand grasped the hardness through his shorts.

  “That’s not the problem,” he replied as his massive hand surrounded hers and guided it up and down. His eyes fluttered from the friction. “I didn’t shower before coming home. I’ll fuck the shit out of you, but the last thing I want to do is leave a bad taste in your mouth, if you know what I mean.”

  “You are so lucky that I had already had a strategic plan.”

  “Am I now,” he replied with a wide smile.

  Dani’s body had calmed enough to step away from the wall and around Jerome. “If we plan accordingly,” she began and unbuttoned her top slowly while backing down the hallway to where she hoped was his bedroom, “You’ll have used and abused my body to the point even I’ll need a rest. Do you have a tub?”

  “Actually I do,” Rome said as if it were a foreign concept he never considered.

  “Master bath?” she questioned and rolled her shoulders back so her shirt glided down her arms to pool at her feet. Standing in just a bra, shorts, and pair of stilettos she’d stupidly borrowed from Esme, for once she felt like she had the upper hand. Rome stared as if he had been starved his whole life then finally offered cake.

  With a hard swallow, he stepped forward and Dani matched him going backwards. “Yes.”

  Her shorts were already unbuttoned, so hooking her two thumbs and wiggling just a bit helped them drop to the floor. She was close enough to a doorjamb she placed one hand on it for support before stepping out of them and kicking them to the side.

  “Well now…I’m assuming this room is yours?”

  “Not even close.” He smiled and she glanced over her shoulder to see a kid’s room made up in blue and maroon.

  “Please say that’s not a mood killer?” she covered her belly with her arms as butterflies took off in her stomach.

  Rome pointed to her left, then stalked down the hall with a predatory gaze. Scooping her up in his arms, he carried her toward his bedroom at the back of the home. The door had been open, but she didn’t even look inside. Rome didn’t have the need her parents did to close his door. He lived alone, he probably never thought about privacy. Even as he stepped inside, he didn’t close the door. He was able to be open here. Uninhibited. Better yet. He was hers for this night.

  To her surprise, the bed he laid her down on wasn’t only made, but the linen smelled fresh as if they’d been hung on a line to dry. Biting her bottom lip, Dani tried to control the drool as he took his t-shirt off and tossed it to the floor. His shorts hung low on his hips and the workout he described was clearly evident in the cuts of his muscles along his abs, forearms, and chest. Then there were his biceps, hard and protruding from his arms. No wonder when he picked her up she didn’t feel him straining or struggling. Instead, she’d nestled her head against his shoulder and relaxed in his arms.

  Jerome walked to his nightstand and pulled out a strip of condoms wrapped in gold. Dani wasn’t as versed in the sexual pleasures of the world, but Esme had taught her enough to know the ‘Gold Standard’, as she put it, meant Dani’s imagination was going to be nothing compared the real thing. Rome sat behind her and brushed her hair to the side so it fell over her shoulder. His lips brushed along the column of her neck, sending chill bumps down her arms. Warmth covered her bare shoulder when he placed his massive hand on her flesh as the rough skin of his palm scratched the surface and sent a chill down her spine.

  Her body fell back against his as his hand unlatched her bra. The straps grazed the overly sensitive skin of her upper arms. Blood rushed through her body pooling at the center.

  “What exactly was that plan of yours?” he purred and gooseflesh erupted across her body. His lips once again brushed along the nape of her neck. “Because I’m thinking I need something more.”

  Dropping to his knees at her side, he inched her panties down her legs. The pads of his fingertips glided along her thighs and Dani inhaled sharply at the ghost like touch that left a trail of heat. Rome’s eyes glanced up at her with hooded desire. Her hand covered her lips when she mewed as his lips kissed her inner thigh.

  “Like that?” he purred in response, low with little hint of an actual question. He knew what he was doing to her. He’d be a fool if he didn’t. With snake like grace he spread her legs enough that he could slide between them and capture her lips. His hands encircled her waist and jerked her to the edge of the bed. “You weren’t expecting some slow movie scene were you? I know how you like to plot and plan shit.”

  “I hadn’t—” she gasped as he once again branded her lips with heat and a kiss that burned down to her toes. Lifting her up off the bed, he turned her around and cupped her breast before outlining her body with his hands until he hit her hips. Another strong tug had her body tight to his and the hardness of his engorged shaft pressed against her bare ass.

  “I love the heels,” he breathed against her neck before nipping her earlobe. The quick sharp pain made her lift her left leg and come off balance. Hell, she’d been off balance from the moment she came in the house. Now he had her. Completely. His hands disappeared from her hips for a moment and the feel of flesh against flesh let her know it was time. She’d have to let him lead because her mind swam and fell into the moment.

  Again, his hand left her body, but only one this time. A flash of gold and the soft sound of tearing let her know of his actions.

  “Bend over,” he commanded. “Put your hands on the bed. Those heels have you right where I want you.”

  Dani’s hands splayed in front of her as his hand landed at the center of her back to push it down and her ass straight up. The fucking tease that he was, he put just the tip inside, once, twice, three times and she collapsed to the bed. Burying her face in the comforter as the torture had her bunching the cover in her fingers. This time when he retreated slowly she cried out and he slammed himself to the root. Filled to capacity, she searched for air but couldn’t find any as his pace increased. The retreat and reentry stretching her as his fingers dug into her thighs for a hold. The strength he possessed made her feel safe and claimed. She was his. He could do what he wanted with her now and forever. Never had her body reacted this way. Her nipples had puckered and burned, begging for a release of the hormone rush.

  Rome shifted his hands. One wrapped around the front of her waist while the other went back to the center of her low back to press her down. Bent like a pretzel, his strokes where shorter, but now he was gliding directly over her G-spot.

  “Oh fuck,” she groaned. “Oh my God, please don’t stop.”

  He increased the friction as he slammed into her until her core clenched him so tight he let out a howl and emptied himself inside her. Pressed against her tightly, his cock pulsed inside her and sent another orgasm skyrocketing through her body.

  Collapsing on her, he stayed buried deep but rolled her on her side. After a minute, he slipped out of her and she turned her head to see him removing the condom and discarding it. A moment later, she was wrapped in his arms as they both lay spent on his bed.

  “Now I can hear your strategic plan,” he said when she trailed her fingers up and down his arm. “Just needed to get that one out of me first.”

  “You sore from your workout?” she questioned with mischief in her voice.

  “I lost feeling in my legs about ten minutes ago,” he admitted.

  She turned so she could face him. “That the only thing that lost feeling?”

  Chapter Eight

  Rome couldn’t remember the last time he’d come that hard. His dick was still twitching against her thigh. With one leg curled around his, the other was directly between his. That also meant he could feel her wetness on his leg. She was far from sated. The kisses on his neck were proof of that. He’d never been big on kissing in general, but he counted the seconds until she moved her way up to his lips. Yes, he loved the way she tasted from head to toe.

  Patience had never be
en one of his virtues and he cupped her cheek and brought her up so he could caress her lips. The gentle soft kisses he’d planned on were not what he found. Not in the slightest. Body verses mind wasn’t his weakness most days, but today he couldn’t control his need of Dani. Their kisses soon had them in a tangle as tongues didn’t lick to gain access. They demanded to be near each other. Hands groped and explored.

  Dani clawed at his back and it was as if she’d pulled the string on a toy doll. His cock didn’t rise, it stood up, took notice, and almost found its way inside uncovered. With all the self-control he could harness, he rubbed between her folds and became enveloped in warmth. This was the sweet, tenderness he avoided with women. They weren’t the only ones who could fall prey to love and he’d already had the damn winged cherub cupid knocking on his door when he looked at Dani. Yet he couldn’t help himself. Not the way she felt in his arms. Soft, warm, inviting…safe. She understood his world to a degree. She wasn’t making demands on him. Best of all, he didn’t feel like he was being played. The opposite was true. Hell, he’d be the one getting more out of the deal with her.

  With a shift, she straddled him and dragged her nails down his chest. Dani didn’t have the claws he was used to, no, her nails weren’t a gel or acrylic. They, like her, were real. Unlike the women he’d met in the clubs, she wasn’t sliding over the uncovered cock so quick he had to react and not enjoy. Instead, she brushed her lips against his chest before giving his nipple a lick sending a shot of nerves exploding from the contact. This was her turn to play and taste. And he was happy to be on the receiving end.

  A flash of gold reflected off the ceiling, followed by the soft tear from the wrapping. He expected Dani would reach behind her and apply the condom, but instead she placed it in her mouth and moved down his body. Inhaling sharply, he pounded his fists into the headboard as a shot of ecstasy wrapped from his cock around his back and up his spine when her lips brushed along his shaft, sheathing him with the latex. Fuck, this woman had him turned out like a damn kid again.

  Climbing back up his body, he was once again lost inside her as her hips moved, but it was her body he focused on. The curve from her breast as he cupped it. Her back arched and he bit his bottom lip to fight back the vision of her pale skin misted with sweat. He couldn’t help but touch as his fingers traced between her breasts to her belly. Her hips thrust over his, jerking down and back until he couldn’t take any more and he clamped down on her hips to drain himself fully.

  “Please say I didn’t leave you short?”

  “Short?” she panted and rested her arms on either side of him so her lips could brush his. “You left that damn station in the hallway.”

  “Yeah, but you got more than one.”

  She giggled before rolling off him. “Are you doubting your skills? You don’t seem the type.”

  Rome sat silent for a moment. Could he admit he’d gotten lost in the sight of her? That even though she was his only thought, it wasn’t her pleasure it was his own. He’d had sex. Came apart in a dozen directions, but this was different. Greed overtook him with Dani. Next time he was going to pleasure her and make sure she was a wet rag before he found his own climax.

  “Speed,” she snapped like a teammate and he came out of his own thoughts.

  “I’m used to satisfying a woman, not taking.” Rome turned to his side and brushed back Dani’s hair that had fallen across her chest.

  “You proved that in the hall.”

  “That,” he pishawed. “That was playing.”

  “We must have had different games growing up.”

  The rush from the climax drained from Rome’s muscles and stiffness replaced it. And not the kind he wanted. When he moved his knee to wrap his leg around Dani’s, he let out an embarrassing groan.

  “I think it’s time for me to implement my strategic plan.”

  “I’m fine,” he lied.

  “So am I.” Dani cupped his jaw before laying a kiss on him then pulling away. Without a hint of inhibition, she got up from his bed and walked naked into the bathroom on tiptoe. Rolling off his side to his back, the sound of water filling a tub called to him. In the six years since he bought the house he’d never used the tub. Strange, since he put so much thought in buying it when he was renovating during the off season. “Sleepy head.”

  Rome opened one eye to see Dani poking her head around the doorframe calling for him. Her lips were curled up at the corners and he couldn’t help returning the look. “Strategical plan?”

  “Falling in place like a game of Plinko.”

  “Why would a rich girl like you ever watch The Price is Right?”

  “Don’t confuse my current situation with who I was when I was born,” she said as he got up and snuggled tight against her back as they walked in unison to the tub. He helped her into the warm water. “I was born when my father took off financially, but he didn’t believe in spending it until he knew it was a lock and not a fleeting success.”

  “Before that you lived in a trailer?” He tested the water with his hand. Finding the water not scalding, he got in the tub with a thin layer of bubbles on top. Dani scooted forward and he slipped in behind her. His muscles began to loosen the moment he settled in and pulled her against his chest.

  “The first place I remember living was a duplex in the South Shore.”

  “Your father became a billionaire and lived side by side with another family?”

  “No,” she replied with a small giggle. “We had the upstairs. And I shared a bedroom with my sister. It wasn’t so bad. The first sacrifice my parents made money wise was to put us in private school. We just had a longer commute in the morning than the rest of the kids. And we never invited them home after school.”

  “That explains a lot about you.”

  “Does it now?”

  “You’ve got the classic elegance of the wealthy, but the common sense of a scrapper.” He nibbled along the column of her neck.

  “I forgot to tell you something when I made my offer.” She spoke with a silent reverence. “I’m a loser who still lives with her parents and has a curfew.”

  Jerome bit his lips to tamp down his laughter. Danika actually thought he’d be able to give her up after a few rounds. She turned to him and he saw she wasn’t joking. “Seriously?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What about Tuesday?”

  “What about it?” she asked.

  “It was getting late and we were just getting started.”

  “I wasn’t planning on spending the night.”

  “Just fuck me and leave me to curl up with my teddy bear, huh?” he joked. “I see what kind of girl you are.”

  “Love ‘em and leave ‘em. There’s a trail longer than Michigan Avenue of broken hearts in my wake. Plus, it was your Tuesday to plan, not mine.”

  Getting out of the tub, Dani reached for a thick gold towel from the rack on the wall and toweled herself off. Rome used the time to rest his arms on the side of the tub and watch her. Normally, she’d be self-conscious of every imperfection she masked and hid with clothing choices, but not with Rome. Instead of judging eyes, his eyes were calculating what he could do with her. A nice change of pace from what she had had to deal with in the past. A soft chime was echoing through the house, but he wasn’t acknowledging it. She wished she could do the same. Sadly, she couldn’t. Wrapping the towel around her chest, she leaned down and gave him a light kiss. “I’ll be right back.”

  The sun was setting in the distance. How many hours had they spent together? Snagging her blouse from the floor of the hallway, she headed to the kitchen. Her phone was going off again and she caught it right before it went to voicemail.

  “This is Danika,” she answered, flipping the phone to speaker so she could get dressed and find food.

  “Thank God,” Dalton Gresham groaned. “Dani, seriously I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for an hour at least.”

  “I’m sorry, I thought my phone was in my purse and I’d left it in the
car,” she lied as she buttoned her blouse. The satin fabric was a cool caress to her sensitive skin. “What emergency could you have on a Thursday?”

  “OTAs are on Monday.”

  “I’d suggest comfortable workout clothes,” she teased while digging through the fridge for snack food. Athletes had to have snacks, didn’t they?

  “You’re hilarious. Can you meet me tomorrow for a fitting? I just got put on the board of Children of Chicago.”

  “Nice, that’s one of the bigger charities. How’d ya wrangle a board seat?”

  “How do you think?”

  “Did you give away tickets?”

  “I have a reputation, my agent wants me to be a snuggly, softer lineman.”

  “Has your agent ever met you?” she asked after closing the fridge because she’d found Colby-jack cheese sticks and the orange pop was cold now. “If you were any more cuddly, they’d have dryer sheets named after you.”

  “Aren’t you the jokester?”

  “So you need what? Suits?”

  “Shoes and all that shit.”

  “I’ve been outfitting you for a few years now.”

  “Paul says I need to be conservative.”

  “You know what that ultimately means, right?”

  “If you say haircut—”

  “I’ll be repeating Paul’s instructions without even talking to him.”

  “I hate you both.”

  “We know,” she laughed as she headed back upstairs with the bottle of pop tucked under her arm and absently nibbling on the cheese as she went. “But can I ask why this can’t wait until Saturday?”

  “I’m being introduced at their luncheon tomorrow.”

  Dani stopped in her tracks as she tried to plan out a day where the whole morning would have to be spent with Dalton.

  “Who said you could have one of my drinks?” Rome asked as she looked to see she’d made it back to his bedroom. He had a towel wrapped at his hips and the gold melded with his skin color in a way that her breath caught.