Page 5 of The Unexpected Lineup (Lost in Translation #2)

IF WE WERE TRULY ALONE, WITH NO CAMERAS AROUND, YOU’D BE RIDING MY FINGERS RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW

RASMUS

I take a lock of Poppy’s hair between my fingers as we walk arm-in-arm toward the hotel where the team is staying after dancing another hour at the club. “Is your hair normally this deep, dark red color?”

“No, it’s a wig that my hairdresser spent almost two hours applying earlier today.”

My eyes widen and I stroke the strand. “It looks real.”

“That’s the whole point. But thanks, Mister ,” she flips the hair over her shoulder and flashes me a flirty smile.

We reach the hotel, and she releases my arm to grab the door. “Superheroes with masks first,” she says playfully.

“I’m not a superhero, but I thought the saying was villains first .”

She gasps mockingly. “Are you calling me a villain?”

“If the sexy dress fits,” I reply, giving her a playful nudge as we step inside. “You’re a temptress who might ruin me. ”

Poppy raises an eyebrow. “Oh, so you’re taking a detour to the dark side?”

“That’s the plan.”

The faint hum of the elevator is the only sound surrounding us as we’re finally alone. Poppy leans against the mirrored wall, being the embodiment of ultimate sin wrapped in dark red. My heart races as I admire her, my fingers itching to feel the softness of her skin.

I swallow hard, eyes fixed on the floor numbers ticking upward. If I touch her before we get to the room, I won’t be able to stop. But I don’t want to wake up to our faces splashed across the tabloids, so I must behave. Once we get to the room, all bets are off.

My attention still returns to her. The confident way she carries herself draws me in, her long legs and the tempting as fuck shade of red on her lips only adding to the sex appeal.

“You’re staring,” she whispers, her voice soft like silk.

“Observing,” I correct with a smirk.

She pushes off the wall, closing on me. The sound of her sophisticated black heels clicking against the floor echoes in the confined space. I can picture her in those heels and nothing else. Now that’s a perfect plan.

I’ve forgotten how to breathe as she drags a manicured finger down my chest. “Observing, huh?”

I grab her wrist, stopping the movement of her hand. Her breath hitches, and her bright green eyes find mine.

“Poppy,” I rasp, her nickname tasting like a warning but coming out as a plea .

She closes her eyes, and I take that as my cue. My hand slides to her waist, bringing her against me as I lean in and capture her mouth with mine. We meet with a fierceness that matches the fire burning in my chest. She tastes sweeter than before, if that’s even possible.

Her hands tangle in my hair, tugging at the strands, making me moan. I push her into the mirrored wall, my hand wandering lower, my hardening erection pressing against her stomach. She makes a muffled sound in her throat, a mix between a gasp and a growl.

“If we were truly alone, with no cameras around, you’d be riding my fingers right here, right now,” I whisper breathlessly against her lips. “Fuck, sweetness, you’ve no idea how much I need you.”

“Then show me.”

The elevator dings, signaling we’ve reached my floor.

“Perfect timing,” I mutter, and she steps away, smoothing down her dress. Her lipstick is smudged, just enough to make me feel possessive. I fucking did that.

“Seems you aren’t as unshakable as I thought,” she teases.

“And you’re every bit as dangerous to my sanity as I expected.”

Poppy laughs and steps out into the hallway, the sway of her hips as hypnotic as her taste still lingering on my lips.

I catch up with her, one arm snaking around her waist as I lead us to my door. Once inside, I push Poppy against it with a soft thud.

“Look at you, a work of art. Pinned right where you should be. ”

“Less talking, more doing,” she moans, her hands sliding down while she leaves a trail of kisses along my jaw and down to my neck. “Show me what’s under this suit.”

The raw desire in her voice does something to me. My fingers work on taking off the jacket as she pulls at the fabric underneath, tearing my dress shirt open.

“Holy shit,” she says, gawking. Her gaze is intense on my chest covered in ink. “If I’d known all those tattoos were waiting for me, I would’ve gotten you naked much sooner.”

Hearing the admiring words coming from her makes my cock harden more. It’s useless to hide the way she affects me.

Poppy’s gaze drops down, a stunned laugh slipping out. “I thought I was imagining your size in the elevator, but it’s really that huge .”

“You think so?” I tease, my fingers brushing against her cheek, then tracing the outline of her lips with my thumb.

“Oh, we both know so,” she murmurs. “You’re from my wildest fantasies.”

Planting my lips on hers, I devour her and swallow every moan while undoing my belt.

“You’re seriously testing my sanity,” I pant between kisses, undressing her as my pants drop to the floor, leaving me in a pair of well-fitted black boxer briefs.

“Good,” she whispers when my lips move to her throat. “That’s my main goal. To make you lose control and use me tonight.”

“Fuck, I love when you talk dirty to me, Poppy.”

Her dress pools at her feet and I take a moment to admire how breathtaking she is .

I should have known she wasn’t wearing a bra underneath that damn dress.

The only thing on her is a pair of nude lacy underwear with embroidered flowers and those heels, leaving her upper body completely uncovered within my reach.

The faint dim of city lights spills into the room, casting her tempting silhouette against the wall behind her.

My eyes trace her rosy nipples and perfect small breasts that will feel amazing in my hands. Fuck, I already can’t get enough of her, and I haven’t even touched her in all the ways I’m planning to.

“You’re staring again,” she says softly, seeming shy for the first time all night. It shouldn’t be such a huge turn-on, but I find it enchanting. This confident woman being all humble for once weakens my resolve to behave.

“How could I not?” I reply, stepping closer. “You’re beyond incredible. Every part of you.”

She looks down for a second, then back at me, her lips curving into a knowing smile. “But it’s boring if you watch and don’t touch.”

She’s right. I want chaos. I want passion. The kind that only we can make.

“Then we should do something about it,” I murmur, starting to remove the last part of my getup.

“Leave the mask on.” Poppy’s voice is soft yet commanding. Brushing her lips against my jaw, she whispers, “I like the mystery.”

“Careful what you wish for, sweetness,” I warn, running a finger down the side of her breast, making her shiver. “Are you sure you don’t want to see all of me? ”

Her painted nails trail down my chest, tracing my tattoos and leaving goosebumps on their way. “I haven’t been surer about anything in my entire life.”

With a swift motion, I spin us toward the window, placing myself behind her. The hotel room is situated high enough that nobody can see us. But the city sprawling below still provides a sense of someone being able to watch.

Poppy presses her palms against the cool glass, offering her back to me. My hands glide down her sides, appreciating her bare, unmarked skin.

“How does it feel to be this exposed?” I whisper, my lips grazing the shell of her ear. “If they looked up, they’d see you on display. But they can’t have you. You’re mine.”

Her breath catches, the heat in her eyes reflecting in the glass. “I feel powerful. Like I’m the one in control.”

“You aren’t in control,” I challenge, my tone low and teasing. I grip her hips, pulling her tightly against my front, letting her feel how our banter is affecting me.

“Prove me wrong. I dare you.”

Her provocative voice ignites something primal inside me. My grip on her hips tightens as I lean forward to kiss her neck. I can’t decide which is more addictive—the way she looks or the way she feels. Both make me want more.

“You really should be more careful about what you ask for, sweetness.”

Her response is a breathy moan as I slide my hand up her thigh, inching toward the edge of her lacy underwear, teasing her by being deliberately slow. I clock every shiver that ripples through her addictive body .

“Such a tease,” she whimpers.

I trail my lips down her spine, peppering kisses on my way down. I linger at the curve of her lower back.

“Tell me,” I whisper against her warm skin. “How does it feel to be this tempting?”

“I should ask you how it feels to be completely under my spell.” Her words are laced with desire and playfulness.

Fuck that sassy little mouth. The urgent need to fill it passes through me. This woman drives me absolutely wild. She makes me want to slow down, to be rough and have all of her at once. There’s no middle ground, only extremes with her.

I turn her to face me and pin her against the window, placing my hand around her neck. Round, elated eyes find mine, and her little nod gives me permission to add pressure.

I don’t want to hurt her, so I don’t put all my strength into it. But I press enough to make her breath catch, a filthy moan leaving those gorgeous lips. I can’t wait to have them wrapped around my cock later.

“You’ve no idea what you’ve started. Acting like a good girl, when all you want is to be filled with my cock.” My voice drops lower as I loosen my grip.

“Then show me and finish what you started,” she dares, her hands moving up my chest, nails scraping over my tattoos.

Pulling her forward, still gripping her throat, my mouth crashes onto hers. The kiss is demanding and possessive.

I shift my grip, one arm sliding around her lower back as I lift her effortlessly, her toned legs wrapping around my waist. Her heels press against my back as I fuck her mouth with my tongue, and shift my hips against her.

The friction draws a desperate sound from her throat.

It takes every ounce of control I have left not to take her right there.

“Sweetness,” I growl, my voice barely intelligible. “If you keep this up, we won’t make it to the bed.”

“Who says we need the bed?” she sasses me. “Just take me here.”

I wish I could, but I’m not prepared. We need protection. Letting out an annoyed breath, I slide her down my body, setting her back on her feet.

She blinks, her brows furrowing. “What happened?”

“Need a condom.”

Her lips part and she lets out a laugh. “Of course. It must be your magical dick that made me lose all my common sense.”

I stride to the bathroom to grab protection and lube from my travel wash bag. Within seconds, I’m back in front of her, all covered.

Her hungry gaze drops, and she lets out a low, appreciative sound. “No wonder I forgot how to think straight.”

Not saying a word, I reach for her, hands skimming over her hips as I hook my thumbs into her lacy underwear. She lifts her hips without a word, eyes locked on mine as I slide the delicate fabric down her legs, peppering kisses on her skin.

By the time I reach her ankles, she’s trembling. I drop the lace to the floor, rise to my feet, and drink her in before making my next move.

Gripping the back of her thighs, I lift her again. “Still feeling daring?” I ask, my voice a growl as I line myself up with her center .

She arches her back, rubbing her clit against my rock-hard cock. “Always.”

That’s all I need to know. I slowly push into her snug pussy, letting her adjust to my larger size as I go deeper, inch by inch. She’s so fucking tight.

Her head falls back against the window as she moans softly. “Fuck, you r eally are huge. I don’t think you’ll fit.”

“It’ll fit, trust me,” I promise, rubbing her clit. “Take a deep breath for me.”

She does as asked. What a good girl, indeed. The glass behind her fogs with our body heat as I thrust further when she relaxes. Her long nails dig into my shoulders, and I relish the sting. It grounds me when all I want is to get completely lost in her.

“Fuck, sweetness,” I groan. “You’re going to ruin me.”

“Good,” she whimpers. “Because you’ve already ruined me.”

I bury my face in the crook of her neck, my hips and hand between us moving in a steady rhythm. The world beyond this room feels distant and irrelevant as the connection between us builds every second.

Her breath comes in short, broken gasps, each one laced with need that mirrors my own. She threads her fingers into my hair, tugging just hard enough to draw a growl from deep in my chest. My pace quickens, each trust deeper and firmer, pushing her higher.

Close to the finish line, I capture her mouth again.

The tension snaps in a rush of heat and pleasure, her cries of release muffled against my lips as I follow her over the edge.

For a heartbeat, all I can hear is the pounding of my heart and the sound of her ragged breathing mingling with mine between kisses.

And then I realize something feels off. Too wet. Too sticky. Too wrong. A chill creeps up my spine as I carefully pull out and glance down.

The fucking condom broke.

“Well, fuck,” I swear, heart slamming against my ribs, desperate to break free. “The condom broke. Shit . I’m so sorry.”

My mind spins, gut twisting. This is not happening.

Not to me. I’ve seen too many athletes get caught up in situations they never meant to be in after a condom failed.

They’re trapped in headlines and custody battles, handing over huge chunks of their paychecks to women they barely know.

I can’t be one of them. I won’t be one of them.

“Relax,” she assures me, voice calm and steady. “I have an IUD.”

I blink, trying to process if she’s telling the truth. “Yeah? Fuck, good. I really am sorry.”

She meets my gaze, hers never wavering, as her hand rests on my chest. “I wouldn’t lie about something so important. I’m covered.”

Relief floods over me, loosening the knot in my chest. I force myself to breathe while I search her face for any sign of deception, but all I see is honesty.

“That’s, um, really good to hear,” I manage.

Her smile turns knowing. “We could still salvage the night… if you’re up for it.”

I huff out a shaky, surprised laugh at her attempt to lighten the mood. She’s way more composed than I am right now. “Only if you’re cool with starting in the shower.”

“Thought you’d never ask.”