“You want me?” she whispered.

“Jesus, yes. I’ll do anything.”

“Anything? What are you willing to do?”

“You thought that orgasm was big. Wait until you find out what I’ve got for you now.”

“You are such a sweet talker,” she said as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

“Kendall. Let me in, for God’s sake. I have to have you.”

“How badly?” she said.

He groaned again. She felt his fingertips biting into her hips as he pulled her up to her knees.

“Ride me,” he hissed. “Fuck my brains out.”

Oh, she would. She reached to position him, and she sank half an inch onto him. He let out a long, harsh breath. “Want more?”

He said something unintelligible, and she sank another half an inch onto him. She could feel the head of his penis sliding into her, and she raised up and down on her knees a couple of times for the hell of it. He pulled her down a little more onto him. She wasn’t sure how long it took while she teased him and moved down a fraction of an inch at a time but finally, he was seated inside her, and his hands guided her into a rhythm that worked for both of them.

Up and down, up and down, and she gasped for breath. She felt his fingers stroke through her wetness again, and he applied his thumbs to the opening between their bodies. He tried some direct pressure this time, and she couldn’t control her gasps.

“Ride me. Harder,” he said. She increased the tempo, and his groans increased too. “Shit, that feels good. More.”

She heard their bodies slapping against each other, and the bed moving with his thrusts. She could feel the tell-tale rushing in her head of an oncoming orgasm. Her body gripped him, and sweat poured off of her in the cool room. She was gasping, her body was shuddering around him, and fireworks burst behind her eyelids.

He let out a shout, and she felt him thrust up into her even faster. They were racing to the end. It didn’t matter who got there first; they were both going to the same place. Her world burst into unbearably intense sensation as the orgasm took her over. She forced herself to open her eyes and watched his face convulse as he came.

Sweaty and sated, she slumped onto his chest. He was sweating too. He was trembling. His arms surrounded her as his lips brushed her hair. They were both silent while she tried to catch her breath.

A few minutes later, Drew’s breathing was deep and regular. He’d fallen asleep. She wasn’t sure why she was disappointed by this. He still held her close and didn’t seem to mind the fact she was lying on top of him, so it wasn’t all bad. She shifted a little.

“Sweet dreams,” she whispered.

She felt the rumble of his voice. “I’m not asleep. I’m very, very relaxed, though.” He stretched a little. “That was incredible.”

Her momentary unhappiness dissolved into a starburst of elation. “I enjoyed it.” She could lie on him all night, but he might like to take a deep breath. “Maybe I should move off of you so you’re more comfortable.”

He let out a snort. “I’m fine if you are, Kendall.” He pulled her into his side and reached over her head for the mini-carafe of filtered water and clean drinking glass she kept on her nightstand. “Want some water?”

They took turns sipping out of the water glass. He propped himself up on one elbow.

“Are you hungry yet?”

“Nope,” he said. “I believe I promised you a little chat, and I’m too comfortable right now to leave your bed.”

“Ahhh. That’s right.” Kendall was sated and happy in her post-orgasmic haze. She really didn’t want to spoil a wonderful evening with any discussion about her ex, but it was time to come clean. “Once upon a time, there was a woman who chose the wrong guy to date.”

He tipped her chin up with one finger. “Weren’t you dating Tony Kelly?”

Her mouth dropped open. She felt the surge of embarrassment all over her body. Oh, God. “How did you know that?”

“My agent was negotiating with his company for an endorsement for me at that time. You made quite an impression on Lance. He said, and I quote, ‘It’s too bad San Francisco’s director of football operations is dating such a shit. I’ll bet she has no idea about the wife and two kids he already has.’ ”

“And you didn’t sign with them.”

“Again, a better offer. I’m no choir boy, but I don’t want to associate myself and my brand with any guy who thinks he’s only married and a father when it’s convenient for him.”

“You must think I’m really gullible,” she said. “I still can’t believe I fell for him.”

“I think you were attracted to him and you didn’t know.”

“His wife called me at the office one day.”

“I’m sorry.” He shook his head and gave her another squeeze.

“It was the worst fifteen minute conversation of my life. I apologized to her. I’m always going to feel guilty. He was too good to be true, and I should have known that.” She let out a sigh. “When we played in New Jersey last season, I met her for a drink. She’d like to leave him, but she needs a job first. We’ve been working on it ever since.”

In other words, his first impression of her was correct. Instead of being so embarrassed at finding herself caught in a situation that any other single woman would do almost anything to distance herself from and shift the blame, she apologized and did her best to make some kind of amends. It was impressive.

“How’s that going?”

“Miami’s front office needs an executive assistant. She’s not going to live in a five thousand square foot house and drive a Cadillac Escalade anymore on the salary, but I don’t think that matters to her. There’s also a place for her in Atlanta if she wants it. Mostly, she’s getting her ducks in a row before she makes the move.”

“That’s pretty nice of you.”

“Thank you for saying that, but it was the only way I could live with the guilt. I could help her and the kids get out and make sure they were on a better path.” She let out a sigh. “If anything good came out of this, I made a new friend. And I learned.”

“We all learn,” he said. “I’d like to learn some more about you.”

He rolled atop her again. His fingertips brushed the ticklish skin under her arm, and she let out a laugh as she reached up to kiss him.

One night was not going to be enough. She was crazy to think it ever would be.

Chapter Eight

DREW AWOKE IN Kendall’s bed at the soft light of dawn. He glanced over at the clock on her bedside table. Five AM. He’d have to be at the airport in the next hour or so to have any chance at all of being on the eight-thirty flight to Seattle. He didn’t want to go.

Kendall was lying on her side, the sheet wrapped around her hips, breathing deeply. She’d tucked one hand beneath her pillow sometime during the night. She was still naked, and he was hard.

He knew continuing to see her was out of the question. She was right: Even if their relationship was consensual, it would cause more of a furor than the league’s attempts to eliminate kickoffs. She’d be the one that would suffer. The guys he spent nine months a year with would give him a ration of shit, but he cringed to think of what they’d say about her.

He knew what was waiting for her too. She’d told him that she enjoyed being the director of football operations; managing the team’s salary cap made sure she mostly stayed off the radar of men in the league who thought women had no business in a pro football team’s front office. Being an interim GM left a huge target painted on her back, especially if she decided she wanted the job for real. Even more than the job title, the proof she was intimately involved with one of the Sharks might be enough to cause the owner of the Miners to fire her on the spot, SEC investigation or not.