And just like that, he started moving with her in his arms, their feet in perfect rhythm as he heard this idiotic song in his head. She was a princess tonight, and they needed to dance together.
“Mick.”
“Yeah.”
“Do you realize we’re dancing?”
“Yeah.”
“I have to say again how good a dancer you are.”
“You can thank my mother for that. She insisted on ballroom.” He raised his hand, and she slipped hers in his. He began to glide around the marble floor of the living room.
“I’d love to thank your mother for this. You’re amazing.”
“Don’t tell the people at Dancing with the Stars. You know they love to get football players on that show.”
She laughed. “I can’t see you wanting to do something like that.”
“No. So for the love of God, don’t put that bug in Elizabeth’s ear, either. That would be right up her alley.”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
That was the thing. He could well imagine any of his secrets being safe with her. But not the biggest secret. It was too soon to tell her everything.
He danced her to the balcony, slid the door open, and led her outside. The night was warm, the lights of the city bright and glowing. She looked over the city, and Mick wrapped his arms around her, breathing in her scent.
“It’s been a perfect night, Mick. Thank you again.”
“You’re welcome. I’m glad you had a good time.”
“Your life is amazing. The opportunities afforded to you because of your fame are incredible.”
“They are. I’ve enjoyed them while I have them, appreciate them for what they are. Fame is fleeting, especially for someone in sports. We don’t tend to have a long shelf life.”
She turned to face him. “That’s a very reasonable outlook. So what will you do when your football career is over?”
“I’ve invested well, haven’t lived beyond my means. I’ll have plenty of money when I retire from football.”
“But you won’t just do nothing, will you?”
“No. I run a few charities, so I’ll oversee those. Maybe get into coaching. There are a few other options I’m exploring. Haven’t really decided yet what I want to do. It depends on how long I play.”
She stared at him, didn’t say anything.
“What?” he asked.
“You’re just a little too good to be true. You’re educated, wealthy, you don’t piss away your money on drugs or partying. You give to charity, and you’re actually planning for the future. Don’t you have any skeletons in your closet, Mick? Isn’t there a bad boy lurking in there, something that makes you less than perfect?”
If only she knew. “No one’s perfect, Tara. Not even me.”
She sighed. “I don’t know. You sure seem that way.”
“Would it make you happy if I was bad?”
She frowned. “No, not at all. I’m just afraid I can’t even begin to live up to ...”
“To what?”
She shook her head. “Nothing. Never mind. I’m being ridiculous.” She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips. “This has been a wonderful night, and I’m giddy and exhausted. But not so exhausted that I can’t show you how utterly happy I am to be in your company. Now come help me out of this expensive jewelry and sinfully expensive dress. It’s time for Cinderella to turn back into a pumpkin.”
He laughed and let her lead him into the bedroom. He helped her remove the jewelry, unzipped her dress, held his breath when she stepped out of it, revealing the sexy-as-hell strapless bra and matching barely-there panties she wore with those stiletto heels.
“I like the pumpkin more than Cinderella. Can you keep that outfit on? With the shoes?”
She laughed, untied his bow tie, pushed his jacket off his shoulders, and then took her damn sweet time undoing the buttons on his shirt.
“Seems it wasn’t that long ago we were getting you out of a tux.”
“Our first night together,” he said, remembering it as clearly as if it were yesterday.
She lifted her gaze to him while she jerked his shirt out of his pants. “Yes. I loved watching you undress. Tonight I’m going to undress you.”
He shuddered when she reached for the clasp at his pants, damn near lost it when her knuckles brushed against his zipper. His c**k strained against the fabric of his slacks, hard and throbbing and ready for her touch. She drew his pants down, then his boxer briefs. He kicked his shoes off, and she knelt to remove his socks, leaving him naked and standing in front of her.
Tara sat on her heels, staring up at his cock. “Sit on that chair, Mick.”
He’d stand on his head if she’d continue to look at him like that. He moved to the chair and sat, spreading his legs as she moved between them to kneel. He shuddered when her br**sts brushed against his thighs, then his stomach, as she leaned forward to kiss him.
He cupped her face between his hands and kissed her with a hunger he hadn’t known he possessed. Though he tried not to care, he felt something for Tara, and it was getting harder and harder to pretend that what was between them was something casual. And when she kissed him with a soft moan and a need that matched his own, his c**k lurched against the softness of her belly, and all he could think of was being inside her, of how safe he felt, how right it felt, and he suddenly wanted her to know everything about him.
Whoa. Time to slow the hell down. He took a deep breath and concentrated on the physical, on the way her flavor burst in his mouth whenever she kissed him, on how damn difficult it was going to be to hold off and let her play this game of seduction.
She pulled her mouth from his and dragged her lips over his jaw, his neck, her fingers playing with his ni**les. He drew in a breath, realizing how much he liked her hands on him. She kissed his ni**les, licked them. He liked seeing her mouth on him, liked watching her flatten her tongue across his chest and snake it down across his abs, knowing what she was doing, anticipating every movement. He shuddered as she slid lower across his stomach, resting her face on his thigh as she looked at his cock, then back at him.
She smiled up at him before grabbing his c**k with both hands. He hissed out a breath. His patience was hanging on by a thread. It cost him to let her do this when all he wanted was to throw her down on the carpet and sink inside her. But this was her game, and he was going to let her play it her way.