My heart was racing with anticipation. I had one shot to make him see how good this could be between us.
So I took it.
“One night to satiate the desire. Twenty-four hours to forget the world and live like there’s no tomorrow. To fuck and be fucked. To wring out every ounce of pleasure we can from a single moment in time that will ruin us for anyone else.”
Carson swallowed but never broke our connection. I watched as he clenched his jaw, making the muscles tense. But his expressive eyes told me he was struggling.
“What if it’s not enough? What if it only feeds the flames, rather than smothering them? What if I get you under my skin, and every time I look at you, the ache to have you again won’t stop? How do I live in constant need of the drug I can’t have?”
He was right. If it was as good as I hoped, it was going to hurt.
Taking yet another chance, I took his face between my palms. I could feel his heart beating erratically as my fingertips caressed his neck.
Carson’s hands went to my hips. He curled his fingers in the hem of my shirt as if he needed me to steady him.
“I don’t know,” I whispered. “But I’d rather burn with you than live without the scars.”
He winced, then closed his eyes as if absorbing the pain. Leaning into my touch, I swiped my thumb over his lips. I wanted to kiss him so badly, but giving him a moment of proximity seemed more important.
My eyes poured over his face until he placed his left hand over mine. When he opened his eyes, a new resolve was there, along with an insatiable desire that took my breath away.
“One night, then we’re done.”
I nodded slowly, closing the last few centimeters between us.
“One night,” I agreed, then sealed my mouth over his.
Chapter 9
Carson
We were doing this.
I wouldn’t say no to him if someone held a gun to my head. Colin stirred feelings up inside me I had begun to doubt I had. He brought out every emotion I tried to hide, then turned me upside down. Arguing with him made me feel more alive than football had. And that was scary as shit.
Pushing away all my thoughts, I sank into the kiss and let Colin negate everything standing in our way. There was no conceivable reason for something that felt so right to be wrong. At some point, we would be teammates, but tonight, he was mine.
As we fought for dominance, I smiled into the kiss. I should have known he’d take charge, and for once in my life, I was going to let him.
Pulling back, he gripped my face, sending shivers up my spine. “Let’s have the talk before I lay into you.”
“How very responsible of you.”
He shrugged and smirked. “I’m not a complete Barbarian, even though I might act like one.”
Dropping the playful tone, he sobered. “I wanna make this good for you. Something you’ll remember the rest of your life when I’m gone.”
I kissed him softly, then pulled back. “Then let me be transparent. I’ve had anal sex, but not with a man. I always use a condom because you can never be too careful. And I’ve had my pre-season physical, so I have nothing to give you but my attention.”
Colin raised his brows as I reached up and ran my fingers through his thick hair. I couldn’t stop touching him. “Does that work for you?”
He nodded and bit that lip again. “More than. And I, too, saw the doc before I came over. As far as sex goes, I’ve done it all, and I’m happy either way. I, too, have nothing to give you but the best night of your life.”
As if I needed proof, he rocked his hips side to side, allowing me to feel his erection. “I’ve been like this since the airport.”
I leaned in and rubbed my cheek along his beard before nipping his earlobe. “Then we should do something about that.”
“Immediately,” he agreed, then slipped from my arms. He took my hand and pulled me toward the guest house.
