The Final Quarter Read online

  Then she clamped her lips around the rim and sucked, using her tongue to circle around the head. He groaned. Oh, dear God, he wanted to reach under the table, slide his fingers into her hair, grip the sides of her head and drive into her mouth. He wanted to watch her take his cock, inch by inch, until she’d taken all she could. He wanted to see her eyes. Wanted to know what she was feeling, what she was thinking while she went down on him.

  Then she relaxed her mouth and slid her lips along his length. Every surface of the inside of her mouth rubbed his skin—the smooth sides of her cheeks, the bumpy ridges along the roof of her mouth, the sharp edges of her teeth. She took him as deep as she could, until the tightness of her throat hugged him when she swallowed.

  He sat up straighter in his chair. His breathing grew heavy as he scanned the bar, searching for any sign that their secret was out.

  Up and down she went. He felt the tickle of her saliva as it dripped down to his balls. He clenched his hands in the white cloth cloaking his wife. When she hummed, the vibrations shot through this dick, causing sweat to pop out on his brow.

  “Can I get you another drink, sir?”

  He snapped his eyes open. When did I close them? A young waitress stood next to him, holding a tray with three empty glasses and two empty bottles. She blinked and widened her eyes. Was she the same one from before? And why the fuck did he care?

  Serena grazed her teeth along the underside of his erection. He clenched his jaw.

  “Sir?”

  “Uh…”

  “Do you need another drink?” She looked around. “Wasn’t there a woman here with you?”

  “Um…yeah.” Said woman was currently on her knees, his cock sitting in her slack mouth while she vibrated with laughter, her shaking body knocking against his legs. “She…uh…went to the restroom.”

  “Oh. Can I get her anything? Hey. Where did this tablecloth come from?” She wrinkled her eyebrows in confusion.

  “About that. My, uh, wife was showing me this. She just bought it. She was, uh, just testing it to make sure it would fit our table at home.”

  “Oh.”

  “We’re good for now. Thanks.” He tried a smile, unsure if it worked, but nodded anyway. He just wanted her to disappear—now.

  Serena had resumed her task and now used her wet tongue to lick up and down his cock like she held an ice cream in her hand. Cherry was her favorite. He swallowed. Why that had popped into his head, he had no clue.

  “Hmm?” She was still here?

  “The drinks? We’re good. I’ll let you know when my wife comes back if we want anything else.”

  She shrugged. “Okay.” And off she bounced, not a care in the world.

  He, on the other hand, had a few.

  “Serena,” he hissed. “Get up here now before we get caught and kicked out of this bar.”

  “Not until you come,” she murmured loud enough for him to hear. His beautiful wife returned her attention to him, this time holding his cock out of the way while she sucked each of his balls into her hot little mouth. Good Lord, she was going to kill him.

  First one then the other rolled over her tongue. Then she lapped all around them, in-between them and even back to that sensitive spot behind them, making him moan, grit his teeth and dig his nails into his palms. She pressed a kiss to the root of his cock before she fisted him and began giving him head in earnest.

  Mitch sucked in a breath as Serena took his cock deep. Every time she pulled away, she pumped him with a firm grip.

  This is torture. Pure and simple. Why is she torturing me?

  Lady Marmalade began to play. Christ. Did they turn up the fucking heat in here? And when did I start swearing in my head so damn much?

  “Babe. I’m gonna come.” He forced the words out between clenched teeth. His new goal was to keep the entire bar from hearing as he blew his load into the recesses of his wife’s mouth. His jaw ached with the effort.

  She slurped his length and pulled with just the right amount of vigor. The need to release rushed through him and he tensed, his whole body turning to stone, though he burned like an inferno on the inside. She held him tight with both her hands wrapped around the base while she used her throat muscles to do the rest. Fuck. Fuck.

  She swallowed. And he lost it.

  Moaning from deep in his belly, he jammed his lips together and hummed through his orgasm like a pro as he shot spurt after spurt of cum straight down Serena’s throat.

  He shook with the force of his climax, and when it was over, sapped of strength, he took a deep breath and wilted like a piece of lettuce in his chair.

  His wife licked him clean, each dainty caress contrasted to the eagerness of a few moments ago. This was the woman he knew. The wife who gave a good blow job, but not typically with the gusto of a pro.

  When she had finished, she tucked him back into his pants, gave him a little pat then appeared beside him, a wide grin on her gorgeous face.

  He couldn’t rip his gaze away from her mouth, her lips swollen and red.

  “Happy with yourself?” he asked her, while he waited for his heart to return to its natural rhythm.

  “I am. Did it feel good?”

  “You know it did. You might want to wipe that tiny drop of cum from the corner of your mouth, though.”

  She blushed and raised her right hand to swipe at the corner he’d indicated. But instead of wiping her finger on a napkin, she stuck it in her mouth and sucked it off, letting him see each swirl of her tongue around the digit. He groaned.

  “Now sit your ass in the chair and tell me what the hell you’re doing here and what that was all about.”

  She pouted, but he glimpsed worry in the look she shot his way as she signaled for the waitress and settled back into her chair. He waited until their drinks were refreshed and they were alone again before he spoke. Besides, it took that long for his heart to stop racing. While they waited, he studied his wife. She tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. Played with her hoop earring. Drank most of her water.

  Funny, all through high school, he’d gone for the blonde bombshell… The outgoing party girls. The ones who liked to give head. Once he’d made the school football team, it was only natural that he gravitated to the head cheerleader. He’d stayed with her through their senior year. Then he had to get away.

  But in the rookie year of his football career, he’d been introduced to Serena, and his world had finally changed for the better. The shy brunette with the pretty chocolate-brown eyes had drawn him in. She’d looked so out of place with the other fans at the bar that night that he’d taken pity on her when one of the team’s cheerleaders introduced them. And while his single teammates took advantage of all the female attention, he’d zeroed in on her.

  Many people mistook her for an introvert. He knew better. She simply preferred to watch people. It’s what made her a fantastic photographer. She caught things that others missed—facial expressions, emotions hidden in certain looks and actions that betrayed true feelings. She’d taught him how to see them, and right now, she avoided his eyes. Her fingers trembled.

  “Serena. Honey, why are you here in Dallas?” He wrapped his fingers around the glass now dripping with condensation, when he really wanted to take her hands, but he didn’t. He tuned out the people and the music.

  She sipped from her water before she responded. But she looked him straight in the eye when she did.

  “When you decided to stay with the team while you’re injured instead of coming home, I decided to come to you.”

  He sighed.

  “I’m worried about you, Mitch.”

  “I’m fine.”

  “I don’t think you are. You always come home between games. And Mason told me you don’t need to be here. What’s going on?” She cocked her head. “Is it something I did or said?”

  “It’s nothing to worry about, Serena.”

  “Then why have you shut me out?” She reached across the table and took his hand, twining their fing
ers together.

  He hated not telling her the whole truth. But he didn’t want her worrying about him and he definitely didn’t want her pity.

  “Mitch, tell me.”

  He shrugged. “Like I already told you, I hurt my arm a while back, and it’s been giving me a bit of trouble, so the doc and the coach want me to sit out a few games, rest up, then I’ll be good as new.” He needed her to believe it just as much as he needed to believe it.

  “How serious is the injury, Mitch? And please don’t lie to me.” Her concerned eyes took in every aspect of his demeanor. He knew she was trying to read between the lines. Something he couldn’t allow her to do.

  “I dislocated my shoulder a few times.” He pushed on before she could dig further. “Your turn. What are you doing here and what was this little stunt all about?”

  She released his fingers and slouched into her chair. “I got a chance to do some freelance work. So I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to come to you for a change.”

  “How long are you in town? And what about the gallery?”

  “Only for a couple of days and one of my staff is covering. That’s why this works. My contract is for various photos from the cities of my choosing. And I don’t have a solid deadline. I got in town earlier today and scoped out some locations. Tomorrow, I’ll go back and take the shots. Then the following day, I’ll head home. And I’ll meet you in Seattle next week. I’ll only stay a couple of days, but I’ll take the photos I need then we can spend game night together.” She smiled. “It will be like going on dates.”

  “Dates?”

  “Yeah. It will be fun. I’ve got it all planned out.”

  “Hon, when I’m not with the team, I’m at the gym or on the training field. My hotels are already booked and you can’t stay with me.”

  “I know. I’ll have my own room.”

  “I don’t get it.” He didn’t understand any of this.

  “On each of your game nights, we’re going to have a special date. The only caveat is that you have to be open-minded.”

  “Excuse me? What exactly do you have planned?”

  “It’s part of the game, Mitch.”

  “I refuse to dress up as a police officer or a pirate for you, babe.”

  She giggled and her eyes lit up. “Not those kinds of games. You’re just going to go along with whatever scene I’ve established. Don’t worry. I can guarantee you’ll like it.”

  Well, he enjoyed mostly everything with his wife, but he still had reservations about this.

  “Didn’t you have fun tonight? Wasn’t it naughty?” She winked at him and licked her lips, paying special attention to the corner of her mouth.

  He snorted. “Yes, of course. A little risqué for my comfort level but I’ll admit, it got me off.”

  “Not into public displays, are you?”

  He squinted his eyes. “How would you like it if I took my turn under the table?”

  Her skin flushed and her eyes glowed.

  “You like the idea.” His cock stirred again at the thought of going down on his wife while all these people around them went on with their evenings. “I have to say, this is a new side of you, sweetheart.” He started to slip off his chair, but she stopped him with her hand up.

  “No.”

  He cocked his head. “What’s good for the gander isn’t for the goose?”

  “It’s not that. I know as soon as you touch me, I’ll want you so deep inside me, fucking me fast and hard. I haven’t seen much of you, other than on television, for weeks. And the last time we made love, I mentioned starting a family and you got this strange look on your face.” Serena looked down at the table then cast her gaze out around the bar. “I miss you, Mitch. And I think I screwed up by suggesting the baby thing.”

  God, he missed her too. And he felt like a total dick for making her feel this way. “You just surprised me, that’s all.” He’d known the topic would come up eventually, but he didn’t know if he was ready to deal with it yet. “Let’s get out of here and go to your hotel.”

  She gifted him with a shaky smile. “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Mitch paid the tab while Serena pulled the linen from the table, folded it into a neat and tidy square then tucked it away in her briefcase. Then he ushered her through the crowd and out of the door, where he paused. “Taxi?”

  “No. I rented a car.”

  He held out his right hand for the keys. She rolled her eyes at him but handed them over after she had unlatched the locks to a silver Mazda in the middle of the first row of the parking lot. They climbed in, and he waited for her to tell him where she was staying.

  “The Hilton downtown.”

  Mitch started the car, put it into gear then pulled out onto the road, wondering what his wife had in store for him when they reached her room. Because he sure as hell knew exactly what he was going to do to her.

  Chapter Six

  The drive to the hotel was done in silence. Only her husband’s deep breathing filled the cramped space. A guy of his size in this little car took up every available inch. Serena wondered if he was angry with her. He’d seemed to enjoy her little surprise, but she knew he didn’t appreciate being blindsided by anything.

  She played with the leather strap of her handbag laying in her lap. At this rate, she’d probably wear a hole right through it.

  Traffic zipped along beside them. Darkened stores flew by as they passed. People were there and gone before she even acknowledged them. They seemed to hit every green light between the bar and her hotel. She knew Mitch and his teammates were staying in the hotel right across the street from hers. She’d chosen her location for that purpose. He might not spend the full night with her, but at least they’d be together for a decent chunk of it.

  If he wasn’t too angry with her for mentioning the baby discussion again.

  She shot a quick look to where he gripped the steering wheel. His fingers were curled around the black leather, his knuckles white. He repeatedly stretched his fingers out, a habit he had when he was anxious. Or angry. Or horny. She crossed her fingers and said a prayer for door number three.

  He turned into the hotel parking lot, found an empty parking space near the end of the building and shut off the car. Only the ticking of the engine could be heard. A few spots down, a minivan pulled in and a group of young adults spilled out.

  He opened his door and climbed out. Should she wait or jump out to meet him? Arousal pooled between her thighs. The sense of urgency had cooled since leaving the bar but only minimally. It had been almost four weeks since she’d had the pleasure of being seduced by her husband. Typically, she only had to go a few days, a week at most, without seeing him, sleeping with him, making love to him.

  Mitch appeared at her side of the car, opened the door and reached in to help her out—one of the things she loved most about him. Her husband never failed to hold a door for a woman or a child. He offered to carry groceries to the car for an elderly person if they needed it. During the off season, he offered his services doing charity home building projects, in soup kitchens, or talking to school kids about the benefits of sports in addition to an education.

  For somebody who’d grown up without a solid foundation, he strived to instill the advantage of one in others. She knew his early years had shaped the man he was today, but she wasn’t certain if it was because of his life then, or in spite of it.

  Mitch locked the car behind them and, taking her hand in his, he walked her through the hotel’s front doors, crossed the lobby and headed straight over to the bank of elevators. He pressed the up button. The door opened immediately. He still hadn’t said a word to her and she remained quiet, unsure what to do or how to proceed. With his hand on her back, he ushered her inside.

  “Room number?”

  Her husband’s deep voice startled her. She jumped. “Five, one, one, six.” They were the only people in the elevator. She thought he’d finally say something. But he simply leaned over and pressed the
button for the fifth floor.

  The sudden lift of the car jolted her stomach. She licked her lips and took a nice, deep, calming breath. Then another. When the doors swooshed open, she stepped out and her husband followed. Serena led the way, needing to come to terms with how this evening might turn out. They’d either jump each other’s bones, or hash out their future.

  She fumbled with the key card until Mitch took it from her and slipped it into the slot. There was a click and the green light came on. He tugged the handle down to the right and pushed open the door, standing aside so that she could enter before him.

  Serena crossed the threshold, flipping on the bathroom light as she passed by. She tossed her purse on the king-sized bed and prepared to turn and face her husband.

  Next thing she knew, she was up against the wall, her husband’s chest pressed to hers, her wrists imprisoned in his hands and held over her head. His eyes glittered, his pupils large, overpowering the green she so loved. His nostrils flared then he crashed his mouth down on hers.

  The kiss was harsh. He ground his pelvis against hers. His chest heaved. Mitch forced his tongue past her lips, not that it was much of a test.

  Then suddenly he gentled. He released her hands, bringing her arms down to her sides. He cupped her face and kissed her with so much emotion her knees very nearly buckled.

  “God, baby.” He broke their connection. “When I walked into that bar tonight and saw you, I couldn’t believe my eyes.” His eyes drifted shut and he leaned his forehead to hers. “At first I thought something was wrong.”

  Something is wrong.

  “And when you started talking that nonsense about my contract, I was so confused. I thought Mason had set me up.” He chuckled, the sound low, raw, sexy. “But when you dropped to the floor and did what you did… Fuck me, Serena. All I wanted to do was toss that table aside, spread you out on the floor and fuck you silly.”