Page 9

CHAPTER 9

GUNNAR

I ’m breathing heavily by the time we make it up to the top floor of our room. With no one else in the elevator, I pushed Amber against the wall and continued my exploration of her mouth. I can’t seem to quench this overwhelming need to touch and kiss her, but I also don’t want to scare her. I don’t want her to think I’m just here for the sex. I’m going to let her control what we do tonight, even if all we do is talk until we can’t keep our eyes open anymore. Regardless of what happens, this is still going to be a night I know I’ll never forget. I get to be around a beautiful woman who not only seems smart and sweet, but also doesn’t have a clue as to who I am. She wants to be with Gunnar, the person, not Gunnar, the baseball player, and fuck if that doesn’t make me want her even more.

I slide the keycard into the lock and hear it click, the light on it turning green signaling for us to enter. I open the door and push it to the wall so she can walk in front of me. Once we’re both in, I shut the door and lock it.

“Wow, this place is really nice,” she comments while taking in her surroundings. I got a corner suite that has a living room, dining room, and kitchen that’s separate from the bedroom with a killer view of downtown Nashville. The curtains are wide open, the city lights casting a glow inside the dark room. I watch her walk to the windows to look outside. I take off my jacket and hang it on the back of one of the chairs and join her.

“Would you like something to drink?” I ask, wanting her to feel comfortable and at ease.

She turns to me and smiles. “I’ll just have some water.” I nod and walk to the kitchen. I open the refrigerator to grab a bottle of water and notice there’s champagne and chocolates inside. The receptionist told me they had a last-minute cancellation of their love and luxury suite, so I guess that was included with it.

I take them out of the refrigerator and show her. “Someone’s cancellation is our gain. Would you like some?”

“I will never say no to chocolate.”

I grab two pieces of chocolate with some bottles of water and walk back to her. I hand her the chocolates and watch her take a bite, her eyes closing with the first taste of the sweet treat.

“Hmm, that’s amazing.” I gulp at hearing her moan and take a swig of my water, telling myself to calm down.

“Want some?” She holds a piece out for me. I nod and before I can grab it from her, she has it in front of my lips. I stare at her while I open my mouth and let her slip the chocolate inside. I close my lips around her finger and suck the remnants of chocolate off it. She gasps when she feels my tongue lick her finger and she slowly pulls it out.

I chew on the piece that is in my mouth and swallow. “You’re making it very difficult for me to be a gentleman right now.”

“Who says I want you to be a gentleman?”

I smirk at her brazenness. “Tell me what you want, Amber?”

She breathes out a shaky breath. “I want you to kiss me again. Isn’t that why we’re here?”

I cup her face with my hands. “Hell yeah it is.”

I start our kiss slowly this time, wanting to savor the feeling of her lips. Our kisses are gentle and sensuous, but soon she flicks her tongue against my bottom lip, demanding I open wider for her. I groan with desire, those all-consuming carnal feelings of need start to build, and I deliberately slow our kisses to a stop and step back.

Her lips are swollen, and her hooded eyes are glazed over with passion. I rest my forehead against hers and take a deep breath. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been intimate with anyone.”

“Me too,” she whispers.

“So you understand that if we keep going at this pace, I’m not going to last very long.”

She gives me a smirk that makes me want to spank that lovely ass of hers.

“I want tonight to last for us both, so will you do me a favor?” She nods, her gaze becoming wide, alert, and eager.

“Good girl,” I tell her. “Now turn around and go to the window.”

She narrows her eyes at me with a hesitant smile, but does as I say. Once she’s there, she looks over her shoulder at me.

“Look forward and place your hands against the window.”

She swallows and turns to look straight ahead at the view of the city.

I slowly come up behind her, my one hand resting gently on her left hip while my right hand sweeps her hair to the side, exposing the nape of her neck. I start pressing soft, feather-like kisses along her skin while the hand that was on her hip wraps around her waist, pulling her against me. I move my mouth along to the bottom right side of her neck, flicking my tongue against her sensitive spots. Her breath starts to hitch, and I nip once at her earlobe before sucking it into my mouth. She moans and drops her hands from the glass to wrap her arms around me.

“Keep your hands on the window,” I demand in her ear. She huffs but places them back on the glass. As I kiss back down her neck to suck on the exposed skin of her shoulder, my hands roam her waist until I move them to her breasts. Gently, I squeeze while my thumbs circle around her nipples. She pushes her ass into my erection and starts to move, the friction making my cock throb against my slacks.

“You’re playing naughty,” I growl because I’m not done teasing her, but I’m also aching to be inside her. I take a small step back and remove my hands from her breasts, sliding them down her waist to her hips, then to the top of her butt cheeks. I lift up her dress and squeeze her ass. I start to squat while my hands glide down the back of her shapely thighs to her calf muscles. I wrap my hands around her ankles and slowly massage my way up the front of her legs, standing back up as I go underneath her dress and walk my finger to the inside of her thighs. Once there, I lightly graze against her clit and I can feel how damp her panties are. I groan, my fingers itching to touch her.

“You’re so wet and we’re just getting started.” I run my hands up underneath her dress to her hips and grip the sides of her thong. “Let’s remove these to let them dry.” I push the material down and watch them pool around her high heels. I help her step out of them and flick them away so she doesn’t trip. My hands make a slow, agonizing journey back up her legs to her core.

“Please,” she begs while straining her hands against the window. She continues to rub against me, so I grip her hip with my left hand to hold her still while the fingers of my right hand find her clit and start to rub.

“Please, what?” I press harder against her bud and slowly move against it, entering her ever so slightly.

She drops her head, resting it on her arm. “Please get inside of me.”

I take two of my fingers and move them back and forth against her, getting close enough to her entrance, but pulling back right before. Her frustration grows with need and she begins bucking against me.

“Ahhh,” she moans as I finally give her what she wants and slide both fingers inside of her.

“Fuck, you’re so tight.” I lay my forehead against her shoulders as my left arm again wraps around her waist and clutches her to me. Her hips are thrusting against my fingers, her ass moving along my erection.

Her whimpers are getting louder, and I can feel her walls pulsing around me. If I don’t stop, she’s going to come soon and selfishly, I want that to happen around my cock. I stop rubbing and remove my hand.

“No, please, don’t stop,” she whines, making me snicker, and I love the fact that I’m the one making her delirious with desire.

“Soon, baby, but for now, we need to remove some clothing.” I grab the zipper that’s in the middle of her back and bring it down. She hastily removes her arms from the sleeves and the dress falls to the floor. She kicks the dress away and I turn her around and push her against the glass, her ass on display for everyone outside to see. Fortunately, we are high up and the lights are not turned on. I lift her up and she wraps her arms and legs around me. My lips slam into hers, our tongues dueling with one another.

I can barely feel her nipples through the confines of our clothing, so I break my lips away from hers, and start kissing along her neck while my hand pushes down her strapless bra. I grip her breast, lower my head and pull her nipple into my mouth. I lash my tongue against it, her hand gripping my head closer. While I continue to tease her, my left hand snakes behind her back and manages to unhook the bra. I rip it out from behind her and move my mouth across her sternum to give her other breast the same attention.

“I need to feel your skin,” she pants. I pull back from her slightly, grab the fabric at the base of my neck with one hand and pull my shirt over my head.

“Yes,” she moans when her nipples touch my hot skin. “So much better, but you still have too many clothes on.”

“I agree, so hold on. It’s time to take this into the bedroom.” She grips me tighter and I carry her into the bedroom and lay her down on the bed. I disconnect our lips to stand up straight to remove my clothes. She sits up on her elbows and watches me as I unhook my belt, unbutton my pants and pull down my zipper. My cock springs free as I push my pants and briefs down my hips. She licks her lips while she stares at my cock, and I groan.

I fist myself and start moving my hand up and down against my shaft. “Are you sure you still want to do this?” I give her one last out, because I know as soon as I get inside of her, I’ll be a goner.

She nods and suddenly a thought occurs to me. “Shit, I don’t have any condoms.” I’m not the kind of guy who carries a condom in my wallet since I normally don’t randomly hook-up with anyone. I was so consumed with Amber that I didn’t even think to stop somewhere to pick some up.

She sits up and holds a finger up. “I think I do.” She stands up and walks around me to the living room and rummages through her purse. “Ah-ha.” She pulls a strand of four condoms out. “Please believe me when I tell you that I did not put these in here.”

“Let me guess, Grace did?” She saunters back into the room, rips one from the strand and tears it open.

“Yes, and while I kept handing them back to her, I can now say I’m grateful she was persistent and put them back in my purse.” She pulls the condom out of the wrapper and starts kissing me. Once again, I quickly get lost in our kiss, so I inhale sharply when I unexpectedly feel her cover the tip of my cock and roll the condom down my shaft. I clutch her tighter to me, my kisses becoming more demanding as the anticipation of being inside her builds.

She walks me backward and the back of my thighs hit the bed. I sit down and she straddles me. She wraps her arms around my neck and continues devouring my mouth. Her hips start to gyrate against me, but I’m not yet inside of her. The feeling of her heat and wetness is too much for me to bear. I maneuver us around so that she’s pinned beneath me. She immediately opens her legs for me to settle in between them. I grab my cock, bring it to her entrance and rub the tip back and forth against her clit.

“Lewis, please,” she pleads, and I know exactly what she needs. I line myself up with her opening and slowly push in. She’s so incredibly tight that for a moment I stop so she can get used to me.

“Are you okay?” I ask in a strained voice. I don’t know how much longer I can keep still, my body vibrating with the need to move.

“You feel so good,” she moans. She lifts her legs to wrap around my hips, making me plunge deeper inside of her. We both groan at how incredible it feels.

“I’m not going to be able to go slow,” I murmur as I start thrusting in and out of her.

Her hands move down my back and grip my ass at the same time she clenches around me. “Harder,” she demands and my hips start rocking faster against her. Our breathing gets heavier, our panting faster, and I know I’m seconds away from having the best orgasm of my life.

“I’m coming,” she mewls, and I feel her entire body pulsing around me as she clenches me to her and screams.

It only takes me two more thrusts before I completely explode and feel as if my world has been completely turned on its axis.

* * *

I ’m jarred awake by the vibration of my phone alarm against the nightstand. I pick it up to see that it’s seven-thirty in the morning. If I was home with Izzy right now, this would be considered sleeping in, but since I’m kidless and have barely slept due to multiple rounds of sex, waking up at this hour is brutal.

I turn on my side to see if Amber is awake. She’s laying on her back with her face tilted toward me, still asleep. I’m tempted to take a photo of her because she looks so angelic and beautiful but decide against it. Izzy sometimes goes on my phone to take photos. It would be hard to explain to her why there’s a photo of a strange woman sleeping on my phone.

Despite my exhaustion, I can’t seem to go back to sleep. This would be the perfect time for me to get dressed, leave Amber a note of thanks for the incredible evening, and slip out of here, but I’m not that kind of guy. I want to spend what little time I have this morning with her. Today, we travel for some away games, so my time is limited, and I need to go home and pack.

I frown at the thought of this being my last time seeing her. I would like to see her again, but how do I bring up the subject of maybe just being friends with occasional benefits? I don’t see how that would be fair to her, even though she did mention she also isn’t looking for anything serious right now. But does she really mean it? With the way we seem to ignite around each other, I think feelings would develop quickly. I can’t have the complications of a relationship in my life right now. I need to focus on Izzy and my new team. Starting a relationship as soon as I arrive in town would be a distraction that I’m not sure I have the time for. Besides, what if it doesn’t work out? I don’t want to bring this woman into Izzy’s life only for her to leave. Despite the incredible time I’ve had with her, the right thing to do is to just say goodbye with no strings attached.

For some reason, I keep second-guessing myself. You’re just overthinking this due to the phenomenal sex that you haven’t had in years. This is a no brainer, Gunnar! I quietly get out of bed, put my pants on and go into the other room. I find the binder that has the room service menu and flip through it. Since I’m unsure of what Amber likes to eat, I decide to get a bunch of options. I call the room service number and place the order. After I hang up, I grab the remote, sit on the couch and watch some television. I make sure the volume is low so I don’t wake Amber. As much as I would love to go back in the bedroom and wake her up with my mouth, I need to start creating some distance.

Thirty minutes later, there’s a knock on the door. I pick up my shirt from where I left it last night by the window and put it on before answering. The hotel employee rolls the cart of food in. He meticulously sets everything up on the dining room table. Once he’s done, I sign off on the check and give him a tip. I open the door to let him out and try to close it gently behind him.

“Something smells amazing.” I turn around and see Amber walking out of the bedroom in a white terry cloth robe that the hotel provides. Even with bedhead, she looks sexy as hell.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you up. I decided to order breakfast for us, but I wasn’t sure what you like to eat so I got a little bit of everything.” I pull off the lids to show her the eggs, pancakes, potatoes and fruit with whip cream.

“Wow, that’s a lot of food,” she laughs. “Thank you so much. You didn’t have to do that.”

“I know I didn’t, but I wanted to.” I pull out her chair and wait for her to sit down before taking the seat across from her. “Coffee?” I ask, reaching for the pot.

“Oh yes, please. Going to need lots of that today.” I pour her a cup and hand her the cream and sugar before pouring myself some. We fill our plates and start to eat in compatible silence.

“Mmm, this is so good,” she moans and my dick starts to twitch at the memories of what else makes her moan. Her eyes are closed while she’s chewing and my gaze trails down to the lapels of her robe that are slowly starting to reveal the valley in between her breasts. Of course she would be naked underneath. My eyes shift to the floor by the window where her dress, underwear, and bra still lay. Focus on the food, Gunnar, I tell myself while I take another bite of my sausage.

“What do you have planned for today?” I ask, curious as to what the rest of her weekend will be like.

“Laundry, errands, and I’m sure Grace will show up on my doorstep, demanding to know what happened last night.”

I put my fork and knife down and push my plate away. My appetite for food dissipates as I stare at her. “And what are you going to tell her?”

She brings her coffee cup to her lips and smiles. “I’m going to tell her I was rescued by a handsome stranger.”

I smirk. “Is that all?” I ask, knowing full well it won’t be.

She takes a sip and then puts her cup down. She leans back into her chair, causing her robe to open wider. “I don’t kiss and tell, Lewis.”

“And if you were going to tell, what would you say?” The air thickens with sexual tension and I can feel my heart pounding with anticipation of where this is going to go.

“I would tell her that the handsome stranger gave me the best sex I’ve ever had in my entire life.”

I wish I didn’t love her response as much as I do, but fuck if that doesn’t make me puff up my chest knowing I can make her feel that way. I quickly glance around at the morning sun streaming in and I know I need to see what she looks like while she comes in broad daylight.

Fuck creating distance between us.

“Come here, Amber,” I demand huskily and a coy smile plays on her lips.

“Don’t you want to finish your food?”

“There’s something else I want to eat.”

I love the way her face starts to flush, telling me she knows exactly what I’m referring to. She gets up from her chair and slowly walks around to me. She stops right in front of me and my hands immediately untie the knot in her belt. It loosens and my hands push apart the robe to reveal her beautiful body.

I look up at her as I kiss my way around her abdomen. I move her hips back so she is leaning against the table. I reach over and grab a spoonful of the whipped cream off the berries. She jumps and giggles at the coldness of the cream when I cover her right nipple with it. I spread the cream around her breast and then I do the same thing to her other one.

“Mmm, now I’m fucking hungry again,” I growl and start lapping up the cream from her nipple.

She inhales sharply and moans when my mouth suckles her hardened peak. Once the cream is all licked up, I move to her other breast and give it the same attention. I then proceed to drop dollops of cream all over her body and lick, kiss, and suck it all up until I make my way down to her mound.

“Lay down on the table.” I stand up and help her push the dishes of food to one side before hoisting her up. I stand in between her legs and slam my mouth into hers. She tastes like maple syrup and coffee, the sweetness causing the ache in between my legs to deepen.

I start kissing my way down her neck and to her breasts, forcing her to lay back on her elbows. My appetite for her is insatiable and I quickly get down on my knees. Without giving her any warning, I fuse my mouth to her clit and start licking.

“Oh my god,” she pants while she watches me. I watch her lie all the way down and her hands start coursing through my hair, gripping tightly as waves of pleasure start to roll through her. Her head is thrown back, her mouth open as if she’s gasping for air. I grab her hips and pull her closer to me, burying my tongue deeper inside of her.

“Please,” she begs, her back arching off the table. Her hands tighten their grip on my head, holding me in position to where she likes it. My tongue thrashes harder against her bud and I feel her inner thighs shaking.

“Yes, that’s it,” she encourages as I continue my assault on her and within seconds, she screams out her orgasm and convulses all over me. Her arms and legs fall limp, freeing me to stand up. I watch her chest rise and fall as she comes down from that incredible high. Fuck, if that’s not the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. I could never get tired of making her come.

“That was…wow.” I help her sit up and softly kiss her on her lips. She places her hands on my chest and moves them up to wrap her arms around my neck. “Now it’s your turn.”

She hops down from the table, grabs my hand and starts leading me toward the bedroom. I pull off my shirt and get out of my pants, my cock standing at attention and ready to go. We’re just about to get into bed when a loud sound from my phone blasts from the coffee table in the living room.

“Shit, my alarm.” I run out of the bedroom to grab it to turn it off. I check the time and realize if I don’t leave now to go home and pack, I will miss the team flight. “I’ve got to go.”

“Wait, now?” she asks, walking into the living room.

“I’m sorry, but I’ve got to go to work.” I grab my articles of clothing and hastily put them back on.

“You work on the weekends?” I glance up at her to see she’s wrapped back up in the robe again. Such a pity.

“Yes, I’m sorry.” I grab my jacket off of the chair, put it on, and pat my pockets to make sure my wallet and keys are in there.

“You have nothing to apologize for.” She shifts on her feet and nervously pushes a piece of her hair behind her ear.

We stare at each other in awkward silence. I don't know how to say goodbye because I don’t want to leave her. “Give me your phone number,” I blurt out against my better judgment.

She gives me a sad smile and shakes her head. “Lewis, I think it’s best just to leave this as we intended it to be—one night only.”

“But I want to see you again.” Telling her that wasn’t as hard as I was expecting it to be. In fact, it feels right. I do want to see her again. “We need more time together.”

She walks toward me, grabs my hands and squeezes. “You just moved here, Lewis. You need time to get acclimated and your daughter settled.”

I give her a pointed look. “This isn’t my first time to Nashville. My brother has lived here for years and I’ve visited him often.”

She chews on her bottom lip in uncertainty. I grab her face and kiss her hard. “Give me your phone number, Amber.”

“We barely know each other?—”

“And we can get to know each other better if you give me your phone number,” I interrupt, getting frustrated as to why she just won’t give it to me.

“How about we let fate decide.”

“What do you mean?” I ask in confusion.

“Nashville is not that big of a city. If fate has us crossing paths again, then we exchange phone numbers.”

I stare deeply into her blue eyes, not understanding what is happening. This is the first time in years that I’ve asked a woman for her phone number and she’s rejecting me? This seems so not like her, but then again, what do I know? She’s still a stranger. I shouldn’t care as much as I do right now. I don’t even want to get into a relationship. The only logical thought is that maybe she would catch feelings quickly if we kept this physical. I drop my hands from her face and sigh. While I don’t like her suggestion, I also can’t force someone to give me their number.

Maybe it’s for the best, Gunnar.

I give her a tight smile and a peck on the cheek. “I’ll respect your wishes and stop asking.”

She grabs my hands again and rests her forehead against my chest. “Don’t be mad at me,” she mutters and then raises her head to look at me. “Fate might have us seeing each other tomorrow.”

I scoff and shake my head, keeping to myself that I will be in a different city tomorrow. “I’ve got to go. Check-out isn’t until eleven, so why don’t you take a nap before you leave.”

She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “Thank you for being the most amazing fake ex-boyfriend, Lewis,” she whispers softly, before leaning up and kissing me gently on the mouth.

She pulls back but I grab her biceps and crush her to my chest for one more scorching kiss. She sighs in contentment when my tongue invades her mouth and she wraps her arms tightly around my waist.

The kiss is starting to get out of control so I break apart from her delicious mouth and rest my forehead against hers to catch my breath. I close my eyes, inhaling her scent one more time.

“I’ll see you soon, Amber,” I tell her confidently and with that, I turn around, open the door and will myself not to look back as I walk out.