Lucky Bounce: Game On, Part 2 by Jennifer Lazaris

12

Something about the way he was looking at her stripped her bare. And if he stared at her too long, he would be able to read her mind, and know everything she was feeling.

Like how sweet it was for him to bring home this dinner. Or how much she wanted to breathe in the delicious scent of his skin while stripping him out of his dress shirt. And how she wanted to climb onto his lap, so he could ease the ache between her legs caused by his sexy smile.

Holly dropped her gaze to his lips—a bit full, with a bottom lip bordering on pouty depending on his expression.

She wanted to kiss him again. And she definitely wanted to sleep with him again.

So, so much.

"Hey." He released his hold on her wrist and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Is everything okay?"

The answer to that question was complicated, and she didn't know what to say. No matter how much she'd fought to keep things professional between them, it kept getting personal. They'd gotten physically close and mended long-damaged fences back at the hotel, and now, they'd grown close in other ways, and they were even starting to become real friends again.

Sleeping with him was a bad idea, but she was exhausted from fighting against this attraction, even if she was afraid of getting closer.

"I don't know. I'm not sure what I'm doing anymore when I'm around you, Eli. I just know that I want you, and I'm tired of fighting it."

Surprise flared in his eyes at her revelation, and she swallowed hard. That professional wall she'd demanded they build between them—the wall she'd erected to stop them from getting any closer until she could process all her emotions—was about to come tumbling down.

Way sooner than expected, and well before she was emotionally ready.

"Holly, the last thing I want you to do is fight it."

Eli stood and lifted his hand, sliding his warm palm along her jaw before gently cupping her face. "We've been fighting it since our night together. I know I have. Fuck, you know how I feel about you. But I wanted to give you what you needed. That was more important to me than sex."

"Why?" she asked, studying his face.

"Because I want you to trust me. I needed to earn it. I need to keep earning it. What I said to you back at the hotel was all true, but I know words aren't enough. I have to prove myself to you. You wanted us to be friends again. That was important to you, so it was important to me. But I think we can safely say that achievement has been unlocked, don't you think?"

"Yes. But I don't want to mess things up between us by sleeping together. Because let's face it, if we do this, then what are we? Friends with benefits?"

Holly shivered as he slid his hands down along her back. She could feel his smile against the side of her neck as his lips curved. "Hmm. I'm sure we can arrange an excellent mutually beneficial benefits package. No worries on that front."

She bit back a laugh. "Still giving me lines, I see."

"No. Just truth."

"Truth is good," she whispered, moving closer to him. She wanted to press against his body and get as close as possible. "I need you, Eli."

"Fuck yeah." He let out a breath and tangled his hands in her hair. "I need you, too."

Holly pressed her mouth to his, and the moment their lips met, she got lost. Totally, completely lost.

Kisses she thought would be urgent and demanding were instead gentle and exploring. He tasted like chocolate, raspberries, and wine.

Intoxicating and sweet all at once.

Eli sank down onto the chair and tugged her onto his lap. She straddled him, feeling the press of his erection between her thighs.

She clung to him as he continued his onslaught of achingly hot kisses. Needing to touch him, she unbuttoned his shirt and peeled it off, grinding herself against him.

His breath caught on a groan, and he slid his hands down over her ass and lifted her up, carrying her to his bedroom. He dimmed the lights and gently set her down on the edge of the bed.

Holly undid the button of his suit pants and slid the zipper down slowly as he watched her with those hot, dark eyes. It was rare that the teasing glint left his golden-brown irises, but the only thing there now was desire.

Desire for her.

"I won't need these tonight." Holly gave him a playful smile and stood to remove her shorts and shirt. Her violet-colored underwear were soaked thanks to their intense make out session.

"Definitely not," he agreed.

She sank to her knees on the carpeted floor and pulled his pants all the way down, then off.

"Oh, fuck," he whispered, swallowing as he gazed down at her. He threaded a hand through her hair as she eased her fingers beneath the waistband of his black boxer briefs.

"You're beautiful, Wilkes. So fucking beautiful."

She freed him with one tug before sliding his underwear off, then paused to admire the view.

His cock jutted forward, and she ran her hand down along the length of him. He was big and hard, and the sexy look on her face was doing her in. She hadn't gone down on him when they'd stayed at the hotel together, but she was anxious as hell to give him a proper blowjob and watch him fall apart.

"Sit." She gave him a gentle push down onto the edge of the bed.

"Gonna be really honest. If you do this, I don't know how long I'm going to last."

"You don't want me to?" Holly pouted at him, and the corner of his mouth kicked up.

"Are you kidding? Do you know how many times I've thought about you doing this to me?"

She teased her fingers along his erection as he tipped his head back and sucked in a breath. The muscles of his taut, toned, stomach contracted, and she ran her hand through the soft, dark hair of his happy trail.

His mouth opened on a gasp, and he looked so sexy she lost her breath.

Unable to wait another second, she drew him into her mouth, and he moaned, low and long. It spurred her into action, and she teased him, tracing her tongue along the length of him and swirling her mouth around the tip of his cock before drawing him back inside.

He gently cupped the back of her head, letting out short gasps of breath as she moved. She couldn't take her eyes off him as she worked him over, nice and slow, before finally picking up the pace.

"Holly. Honey, I don't want to come yet."

"Please." She removed his hand and kissed his palm. "Eli, let me do this for you. We have all night. It's okay."

He brushed the tips of his fingers along her jaw, his eyes so burning hot as he studied her that she had to push her thighs together to ease the ache.

"It feels so fucking good, Wilkes. You're driving me crazy, baby."

Holly kept her eyes on his face, eager to watch him come undone by her mouth. He kept his hand on the back of her head as she moved, and his short gasps gave way to longer, desperate pants of breath.

"Sweetheart." He let out a long, ragged groan. "I'm coming. Oh, fuck. Holly."

She backed off at the last moment, keeping her hand wrapped around him as he came.

Eli sank back onto the bed, breathing hard. "Holy shit," he muttered, covering his face with his hands. "That was fucking incredible."

Holly grabbed some tissues from a box on the nightstand and pressed them into his hand before climbing up onto the bed.

He cleaned himself off and tossed them into a trashcan before pulling her tightly against him.

"Hey," he said softly. "You're shivering."

"It’s cold in here." She buried her head in the crook of his arm. "You're so warm."

"Hold that thought. I'll turn down the air." He got out of bed and walked over to a panel on the wall.

Damn, his ass was incredible, and those thighs...

Holly climbed beneath the covers and held them up for him to slide underneath when he returned.

"Come here," he whispered, pulling her into his arms. "Let me get you warmed up."

"You're like a furnace." She cuddled close against him. "This is so nice."

"It's more than nice. It's fucking perfect. Just like you."

"Eli, I'm not perfect." She laughed softly and brushed her cheek against his. "I'm so far from perfect, I'm not even on the map."

"Bullshit. All I see is the perfect woman. With a perfect face, perfect hair, and a perfectly gorgeous body that gets me hard with just one look."

"More lines?" she asked, smiling as she traced her fingers along his lower lip.

He pushed a lock of hair away from her face. "No, sweetheart. Just the truth. I promise."

Holly pulled him down on top of her for a kiss and let herself get caught up in it: the way his tongue brushed softly against hers, the feel of his playoff beard against her skin, the deliciously intoxicating light scent of his cologne, and the way his fingers traced down along her body, coming to rest on the curve of her hip.

She pressed her thighs together again, not even realizing she'd made a sound when he eased her legs apart.

"Let me take the edge off," he urged, pressing a kiss to her neck. "I'll be ready to go any second, but you deserve my undivided attention first. Besides, the last thing I want to do is hurt you. I need you slick and ready for me."

Holly guided his hand between her thighs, and he sucked in a breath as his fingers slipped beneath her panties.

"Fuck, sweetheart. You're soaked."

"Touch me. I need you to touch me."

"I can't wait to touch you," he said, tugging her underwear down over her thighs.

He pulled her closer, brushing her clit gently with the pad of his index finger, then teasing and touching her until she let out a soft moan. He eased two fingers inside of her and began to stroke her, deep and slow, and she let her legs fall open.

"Prettiest pussy I've ever seen," he said, kissing her neck. "So pretty, honey. God, I can't wait to taste you. I know you'll taste so sweet. You're so fucking tight, too."

Holly arched her back and let out a soft gasp as his fingers went even deeper. "Eli."

"You like it deep like that?"

She lifted her hips and matched the rhythm of his fingers. It felt so good she couldn't even speak. He knew exactly how to touch her.

A few more strokes and she came hard, squeezing his fingers as she gasped his name.

"Honey, I need you to come like that on my cock." He groaned as she shuddered against him. "I can't wait to feel that pretty wet pussy squeezing my dick. I'm gonna lose my fucking mind."

"You've got a filthy mouth," she said with a sigh, sinking back onto the mattress and closing her eyes.

"Yeah, and you love it."

She'd barely had a second to recover before Eli found her mouth again, kissing her so deeply that she struggled to catch her breath. Seeing him undone by her orgasm was the sexiest thing ever.

"Let me taste you. I've got to taste you, Wilkes."

Holly stared up at him, dazed from his kisses and the intense orgasm she'd had. Boneless was a perfect way to describe how she felt. Relaxed and boneless, like she was floating on air.

She nodded, and before she knew it, he was between her legs kissing her thighs. When his tongue found the right spot, she covered her mouth with her hands to stop herself from screaming.

"Ohmygod," she whispered through her fingers.

He draped her legs over his shoulders, teasing and tasting her until she was on the verge of another orgasm. Time seemed to slow down as he pleasured her, and she realized how tightly wound she'd been since the last time they'd been together.

Holly dragged her hands through his hair while she teetered on the edge, ready to beg him for mercy. The sexy sounds he made while between her legs—sharp intakes of breath and low, soft moans—were almost enough to make her come.

"I could do this all fucking night," he told her, running his hands along her thighs. "Just eat you out and watch you scream. Fuck, I really want that scream."

His words, along with the gruff tone of his voice, sent her over the edge, and she grabbed the pillow behind her head and rattled off a string of curse words, followed by a sharp cry as pleasure washed over her.

"Oh yeah," he muttered, grasping her thighs with his big hands. "That's it, Wilkes. Let go for me."

Holly collapsed back on the bed, exhausted and completely drained. Eli dragged the back of his hand across his mouth before crawling back up the bed to wrap her in his arms from behind.

His erection pressed against her backside, and she shivered.

"You tasted so good," he murmured in her ear. "I love going down on you. All your little reactions, and how you tug on my hair... I need more of that."

"I'd love more, but I'm so exhausted I can barely speak," she admitted. "I came hard."

"You sure did." Eli slid his hand down over her belly. "But I can't wait to get inside of you." He nuzzled her neck. "I'm aching for it, Holly."

"Me, too. I just... I need a minute."

"You can take more than a minute." Eli pressed a gentle kiss against her shoulder. "I'll be right back, okay?"

"Mmm. 'K."

He came back a few minutes later with their wine glasses and cubes of cheese on a plate. "Here we go. Wine and protein."

Holly struggled to sit up in bed, keeping the sheet drawn over her breasts. She grinned at him. "Did you slice cheese?"

Eli handed her the glass as he slid beneath the covers again, then placed the cheese plate between them. "I did. You looked like you could use a protein boost."

She popped a cube of cheese in her mouth and took a sip of the wine. "I could get used to this kind of service."

"Yeah? Well, I could get used to you in my bed."

She hoped the wine hid the flush creeping up her neck. "Hmm. Well, your bed is very comfortable, but it still feels like a vampire's lair in here."

He grinned. "Want me to nibble on your neck?"

"Nibble? Maybe." She grabbed another cube of cheese. "The neck is an erogenous zone."

"Yeah? I don't know. I never had mine nibbled on." He took a drink of wine, then set the glass on the nightstand.

"What? You've never had your neck kissed? How is that possible?" Holly handed him the tray and wine glass and he set those aside, and she slid on top of him, straddling him beneath the covers. "I have to remedy that immediately."

His gaze heated, and he moved his hands down to cup her ass. "Feel free."

Holly bent forward, her hair brushing against his chest and shoulders as she pressed her lips against the side of his neck.

She gently kissed him, trailing her tongue and lips from his collarbone all the way to his earlobe. Then she tugged on it gently with her teeth.

He let out a low moan and dug his fingertips into the flesh of her behind. His cock got hard, pressing into her belly as he threaded his hand through her hair and guided her mouth back to his.

"I want to sink into you right now," he said, his voice rough. "Bare and wet like this. I want you hot and tight around my cock."

Holly lifted her head to meet his gaze, and the sexy look on his face left her frozen. She loved the idea of riding him, but tonight, she wanted to give up the control and let him take the lead.

"Holly?" he asked, his voice gentle.

Finally finding her voice, she asked, "Is it okay if we do this... traditionally?"

He pulled her close. "As long as I get to be inside of you, nothing else matters."

"I just want to feel you on top of me," she said, fighting to get the words out.

Eli deftly rolled her over onto her back, catching her lips in a lingering, soft kiss. "You know how much I love you underneath me. Whatever you want, I'll give you."

"That's what I want." Her voice trembled as she ran her fingers down along his beard. "It's all I want."

He drew a sharp breath as he studied her face, making her stomach flip. "Do I need to get a condom?"

"Nothing's changed." She brushed a lock of hair away from his face. "Like I said at the hotel, I take birth control—"

"And I haven't been with anyone since that night," he cut in. "I don't want anyone but you, Wilkes. You know that."

"So we're good."

"Yeah." He reached down and fisted his cock, sliding the head against the center of her. "We're good, baby."

Holly closed her eyes, anxious to feel the sweet slide of pressure as he pushed inside.

The sharp sting of his size made her gasp, and he drove himself forward and into her with one hot, deep, thrust of his hips. She cried out in pleasure and gave in to the urge to arch against his body, seeking more of him.

"Oh, fuck," he mumbled, burying his face against her neck. "Holly, sweetheart."

His breath was warm against her ear, and the slight hitch of his breathing as she wrapped her legs around his hips kicked up her pulse.

"I'm inside of you, and it doesn't seem close enough," he whispered, pressing his lips against her neck. "It never does. How is that even fucking possible?"

She relaxed as he propped himself up on his forearms to gaze down at her. The intense way he watched her every reaction as he began to move made her tremble in his arms. He bent low and brushed his lips against hers before threading a hand through her hair and deepening the kiss.

The way he fucked her was unhurried, and his tongue matched the slow rhythm of his thrusts. He went so deep she couldn't help but make soft noises every time he bottomed out.

She used the time to explore his body with her fingertips, tracing over the muscles in his arms and down along his back. His strength was evident in how effortlessly he moved within her, holding himself up with ease as they kissed.

Holly traced her fingers down over his spine until she reached his behind, and she couldn't help but rest her hands on his ass, feeling the strong muscles moving as he fucked her.

"Holly," he rasped, cradling the back of her head and running his thumb along her cheek. "I needed this. So fucking much."

She swallowed as he stared down at her, and she traced her fingers along his cheek and down over his beard. "We both needed this."

His eyes drifted closed, and he reached down and moved his hand between their bodies, finding her clit. A few confident strokes of his fingers made her cry out, and he swallowed her cries with a kiss.

"Promise me we can do this all night," he said urgently, "Promise me, Holly, because I can't get enough of you. I need you so fucking bad."

"Yes," she nodded. "All night."

Eli sucked in a ragged breath and began to move faster. "You're driving me crazy. You feel so fucking good."

He palmed one of her breasts, brushing his thumb back and forth across her nipple. A shiver raced along her spine, and tension made her tummy tense, coiling tight within her.

The rhythm of his thrusts drove her closer and closer to release, making her breasts bounce. She fucked him back, arching herself upward.

"Let go, Holly..." His voice caught, and he gripped her ass and held her steady as he rocked into her relentlessly. "I need you to come, baby. I'm close. Tell me you're close."

He was so incredibly sexy as he stared down at her with those beautiful, lust-filled eyes. But there was something else in those brown depths.

Something... more.

This time felt different from the other times they'd slept together. There was a gentleness that shone through in the way he spoke to her, and the way he touched her and held her felt frighteningly intimate, along with kisses that were soft and sweet one minute and passionate and demanding the next.

It thrilled her and frightened her at the same time.

And turned her on like crazy.

Eli tipped his head forward and drew in a sharp breath before uttering her name—a deep, guttural sound so primal that she fell apart.

Sensation ripped through her, making her belly clench and her legs tremble as the orgasm rolled over and through her.

This time, she screamed.

"Oh fuck," he groaned. "Holly... I'm coming."

He thrust into her one last time, shuddering against her body on a ragged breath.

Holly wrapped her legs around his back and held him close until his breathing slowed. A few moments later, he lifted his head up to look at her.

They stared at each other for a few beats, until he lowered his head to kiss her.

It was the sweetest, deepest, gentlest kiss she'd ever experienced, and she didn't want it to stop.

He whispered her name, pausing to drag his lips along her neck or place wet kisses on her breasts. To her surprise, she was jolted by a small, aftershock orgasm that made her gasp.

He lifted his head, wearing his sexy, trademarked cocky grin, and she couldn't help but giggle.

"What's with the grin?" she teased.

"Oh, nothing. Except that I think you should marry me." He gave her a mock lovesick look and waggled his eyebrows. "What do you say? We can go to one of those drive-thru chapels. Miss can be your maid of honor and my best man rolled into one. It's a perfect plan."

"How much wine did you have to drink?" she asked, rolling her eyes. "You're insane. And my cat would never be your best man. She's a loyal member of Team Holly. Remember that."

He laughed and rolled them over until she was lying on top of him. "Nah. She's totally Team Eli. And I'm perfectly sane. But I'm also one hundred percent sure I'd be happy fucking you until I'm old and gray and can't get it up anymore. Then I'll buy stock in erectile dysfunction pills, and we can bang until we're 100."

"Ah!" she said, giving him a playful swat. "You're still inside of me, Donnelley. Enough with the gymnastics."

"Mmm. I do love being inside of you," he said, his voice husky. He brushed her hair back away from her face, holding it in a loose ponytail. "God, you fucking wrecked me, beautiful. That was... fuck. Words fail me."

"It was pretty spectacular," she admitted.

He gave her ass a playful smack. "Goddamn, you are one sexy package."

She pouted and rubbed her behind. "That's not the first time you've smacked my butt after sex."

"What can I say? You've got a perfectly smackable butt, babe.”

"If you say so."

He sighed. "I'm getting pretty soft here, kitten. And I need to use the facilities."

Holly eased herself off of him and rolled onto her back as he headed into the bathroom. She stretched luxuriously and let out a satisfied sigh.

That was some damned spectacular sex.

Eli came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, still gloriously naked, and she rolled over onto her side, propping her chin on her fist to look at him.

He paused in a slice of light spilling out from the bathroom and stared at her. "Fuck, Wilkes."

She raised her eyebrows. "What? What's wrong?"

"Nothing." He shook his head. "It's just... you really are fucking beautiful. You know that, right? Goddamn."

Holly laughed. "Really? With crazy sex hair, and my makeup a smudged-up mess?"

"That has nothing to do with it," he said slowly. "You're beautiful in spite of it. Hell, maybe because of it. Inside and out."

She froze, completely paralyzed at what was obviously brutal honesty on his part. His compliment made her incredibly happy, but like before, it scared her, too.

"You look like a deer caught in the headlights," he said, walking over to her. "What's the matter? Can't take a compliment?"

"I guess I've never been good at that," she said, fussing with the sheet.

Eli sat down next to her. "Look at me."

Holly struggled to sit up and leaned against the headboard before glancing over at him. "What?"

"You were beautiful in college, but you're even more beautiful now. With your crazy purple hair and your diamond nose stud, smart mouth, gorgeous curves, wit, and intelligence. And you're especially beautiful sitting here in my bed, wrapped up in my sheets." He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "And if you don't believe me, I'm gonna smack that sexy butt of yours again."

Holly snorted. "You can try..."

Soft little mews came from outside the door, along with the sound of scratching, and she vaulted off the bed.

"Shit. I forgot, Miss is due to eat." She grabbed one of his t-shirts and tugged it on.

Holly opened the bedroom door as Eli slid into his cotton sleep pants, and Miss raced into the room, winding her way through Holly's feet.

"I'm sorry, sweet girl. Let's go get you some food."

Eli followed her out into the kitchen and swooped down to pick up Miss while Holly pulled the containers from the refrigerator.

Miss pressed her paw against Eli's nose, and he started laughing. "Is this the ‘talk to the paw’ thing you mentioned?"

"It is," Holly said, smiling as he gently put the chubby cat down. "She's in no mood for anything but food. But it's late, so she'll eat and go right to sleep."

She led Miss into the bedroom, scooped the food into a clean dish, and snuck out of the room, closing the door behind her.

"She'll sleep for the rest of the night?"

"Yeah. I feed her every four hours. It helps with her problem to space it out evenly."

Eli slid his hands down to her waist and pulled her against him. "You're a good cat mama, getting up with her in the middle of the night to feed her."

"Whatever helps her, I do." Holly ran her fingers down along his abdomen. "Mmm, you have delicious abs. So sexy."

"Yeah?"

"You know you do," she said teasingly, leading him back into his bedroom. "They're perfect."

He eased her back onto the bed. "You're perfect.”

"Eli," she murmured as he hovered above her, his hands roaming restlessly along her hips. "We have to talk."

"About?" He kissed her collarbone. "Less talk and more action, baby."

"I'm serious."

He sat up, then frowned. "Talk about what? What's up?"

"You, and me... and whatever this is. This ‘friends with benefits’ thing. We need to keep this strictly between us."

"Okay..."

"You know it wouldn’t look good if Lyla finds out. I'll seem unprofessional. Not that I give two shits what that idiot thinks of me, but she's the only person that can give me a job reference. And I don't need people thinking I slept with you to get some exclusive byline."

"Yeah," he said, scratching his beard. "I know."

"Let's face it, this whole thing with us actually being friends is so new. We're just getting to know each other again. We shouldn't be sleeping together right now, but..." Holly glanced away, then shook her head.

"What?" He tipped her chin up with his finger. "Tell me."

"I just can't help it."

He smiled at her—a warm, sweet smile that took her by surprise.

"What?" she asked, defensive.

"I like that you can't help it. Newsflash, neither can I. But I need to know something Holly. I need to know that when all this shit is said and done—the playoffs, the feature, all of it—that we're not over."

Holly hesitated.

"I want to earn your trust, Wilkes, because I want to be more than your fucking friend. I'm not going to stop trying to do that, okay? But being friends with benefits isn't going to be enough for me."

"I need time to get my head around things, Eli. Can you be patient while I do that? Because honestly? I still might need more time when these thirty days are up."

"Can I ask you something first?"

"Okay," she said, lifting her shoulder. "Sure."

"Do you want to be my girl?"

Holly stared at him, a spark of fear blooming deep in her chest. She'd wanted him and missed him for seven long years. She thought they'd never find their way back to even being able to be civil to each other, let alone where they were now.

But deep down, she was still afraid she would never be enough for him. Not after the life he'd led.

"Holly, I know you're afraid that I'll hurt you again—"

"Then give me the time I need," she said softly. "Be patient. Am I asking too much?"

"No. I can try to be patient."

"Good. Because I reward patience."

The corner of his mouth kicked up in a half smile. "Yeah? Can I get a reward right now?"

She laughed when he swept her into his arms. "What do you want?"

"You. Again. If you're up for it. Cause fuck knows I am."

Holly grinned and teasingly pushed him back onto the bed, swiftly straddling him. "Mmm, you certainly feel up for it."

His eyelids drifted closed as she slid her hand underneath his sleep pants and wrapped it around his erection.

"But this time, I want to be on top."

He opened one eye, then grinned. "Well, then saddle up, kitten, and get ready for the ride of your life."