Author: Jaci Burton

“Is that right?”

“Yeah.” He took her cup and put it down, then leaned in and pressed his lips to her neck, sliding his tongue along the side of her throat.

She shuddered out a sigh.

“Marshmallows taste sweet.” He nipped at her ear, then pushed her back against the pillows and drew her camisole strap down her arms, baring her breasts. He took a nipple between his lips, flicking his tongue over the quickly hardening bud. When he sucked, sensation shot right to her pussy, making her writhe in anticipation.

He popped the nipple out of his mouth and grinned up at her. “Sweet and sugary, just the way I like my marshmallows.”

When he moved down her body, lifting her camisole to lick his way across her stomach, she sighed and relaxed against the pillows, knowing where this was going.

This was exactly what she needed. The tension she felt when she woke dissolved, but when his teeth grazed her hip bone and he drew her panties down, a new tautness took its place, a delicious, anticipation of what was to come.

And when he swiped his fingers across her pussy lips, she shuddered.

“Yeah, you’re a juicy little marshmallow, all right,” he said, then put his mouth on her sex.

“Cole.” His name fell from her lips in a moan. Her legs fell open and she gave him whatever he wanted, because when the warm wetness of his tongue was in command, she was his slave.

He slipped his hands under her and took his time pleasuring her, pressing his tongue against her clit, covering her with his lips, only to take her right to the brink and then back away to press kisses to her thigh. She hovered on the edge several times and he knew it, brought her there, and right when she thought she would come, he’d take the prize away, building her anticipation to a screaming level.

She dug her heels into the mattress, lifted her butt and all but shoved her pussy in his face, demanding he give her what she needed. He gently pressed her hips down, held her there, and put his mouth on her clit, giving her the orgasm she so desperately craved.

It was an epic climax, a tidal wave of heat and sensation that tore a scream from her throat. She was still riding the wave of it when he put on a condom and slid inside her, taking her mouth in a hot kiss that made her pussy clench around his cock.

He groaned against her lips and thrust deep. She wrapped her legs around him, the spirals of orgasm still with her as he rocked against her.

He lifted, braced his hands on either side of her to look down at her, his face drawn with intensity as he moved inside her. She reached up for him and he dropped down, then rolled to his side, drawing her leg over his hip.

“I want you close to me, like this,” he said as he pushed deep, rolling his hips to rub against her clit. He swept her hair behind her ear and kissed her neck while he continued to move inside her.

She sighed at the magic of his mouth, the delicious things he did to her as he made love to her. Everything about him turned her upside down. Being with Cole brought out emotions she’d tried so hard to bury, feelings she’d never wanted to experience.

He kissed her jaw, brushed his lips against hers, then met her gaze again as he gently thrust in and out, taking her ever closer to another orgasm, this time doing it slow and deliberate, brushing his body over her clit, tasting every inch of available skin he could, and running his hands over her as if this were the first time he’d ever touched her. He was so tender in the way he moved over her, pushing her back against the mattress so he could thrust deeper inside her. It brought tears to her eyes and she had no idea why. The way he looked at her tightened her chest and made her want to hold on to him and never let go.

The feelings inside her wanted to erupt, made her want to say things to him she shouldn’t say. It was emotion welling, coupled with the intense feelings of their lovemaking. She held the words back, but not the sensations as he drew the orgasm out and she burst, holding tight to him as she catapulted over the edge, this time with him. He groaned and gathered her close, powering hard into her with repeated thrusts, which only heightened her pleasure.

Spent, perspiring, she held on to him and fought back the ridiculous tears that sprang to her eyes. She had no idea what was wrong with her.

Residual emotion from last night, no doubt. What else could it be?

Cole stroked her hair, kissed her neck, and lifted his head.

“I’m starving. How about you?”

She managed a bright smile. “Totally.”

He climbed off the bed, pulling her with him. “How about a quick shower, then I’ll take you to breakfast.”

Part of her wanted to beg off so she could be alone with her thoughts and emotions, but she knew he wouldn’t let her hide anymore. “That sounds like a great idea.”

COLE KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING ON SAVANNAH’S mind. She’d been quiet during their morning lovemaking, and at breakfast.

Maybe she was still thinking about last night. Breaking through her stone walls had been monumental, and not something she’d wanted to do. So she likely had some regret. He of all people understood that. Telling people about yourself—especially the unpleasant parts—wasn’t a fun thing. Personally, he hated it, yet he’d forced her to do it. What did that say about him that he’d done it to someone he claimed to care about?

But maybe it had helped her?

He dragged his fingers through his wet hair, then grabbed a brush, throwing off thoughts of Savannah. She was a grown woman capable of making decisions for herself. She was confident and capable and smart, and he was the last person who should be able to influence her. If she hadn’t wanted to talk about her crapload of unpleasant memories from the past, she wouldn’t have opened up to him about it.

He finished dressing and left the locker room. Surprisingly, Savannah was waiting outside for him. He fully expected to have to chase her down, that she’d run and hide from him after all they’d been through.

Yet there she was, fresh and beautiful in her summer dress and high heels with her hair pulled into a ponytail. She’d become such an integral part of his life he couldn’t imagine not seeing her every day.

He smiled and walked over to her and they headed down the hall to the exit.

“You had a good practice today.”

“Thanks. It’s coming together.”

“I think you’re a good fit for this team. It also helps that you’re working with the players and the coaches and not against them.”

“That probably does help.”

She stopped and turned to him. “So you’re admitting I might know what I’m talking about.”

“You have certain skills that might be useful.”

She rolled her eyes and continued walking. “I have some other suggestions.”

He held the door for her. The blast of heat nearly took his breath away. “Can it wait until we get someplace air-conditioned? I’m dying. And hungry.”

“Wimp. We’ll go to my place. I’ll fix you something to eat.”

“Sounds good.”

He followed her to her house. Once inside, she threw her purse down. “Let me go change. Help yourself to something to drink.”

He went into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of ice water. Thirsty after today’s practice, he finished it in about four swallows and refilled his glass. Savannah came in wearing a pair of capris and a sleeveless top, then leaned against the center island.

“What are you hungry for?” she asked.

He leaned across the other side and brushed his lips across hers. “You.”

She kissed him back, her lips warm and eager. But then his stomach grumbled and she pulled back, laughing.

“As much as I like that suggestion, let’s feed you first.”

She made grilled turkey sandwiches with salad. He ate two sandwiches, drank two more glasses of water, and ate three cookies for dessert.

“Are you sure you’ve had enough?” she asked, arching a brow.

“Hey, I worked hard today.”

“I pity the poor woman who marries you and has to feed you.”

His stomach twisted at that comment, but he left it alone. “My mom said the same thing when I was a teenager.”

“I’m sure she did.”

They cleaned up the dishes and went into the living room. He stretched out on the sofa and slung his arm over the back. Savannah curled up next to him. He liked that she was comfortable enough, even when they were about to discuss business, to sit by him.

“So what did you want to talk about?”

She shifted to face him. “We’ve talked about your contributions to charity in the past.”

“Yeah.”

“A lot of players start their own charities. I think this would be a good idea for you, not only from an image standpoint, but more important, from a humanitarian one.”

“I’ve never done it before because I wasn’t in a place that felt like home to me. Now that I am home, this is a good place to begin one.”

She half turned to face him, a look of surprise on her face. “What? No arguing?”

“I know. Surprise, huh?”

She grinned. “Totally shocked, actually.”

“Smart-ass.”

“But seriously, I’m glad you agree with me. Is there anything that comes to mind?”

It was something he’d already been thinking about, so he already had a half-formed idea in his head. “When I was a kid, I lived at the local parks. My friends and I would hang out on the equipment, or play basketball or football. A lot of the playgrounds around here need refurbishing. Cities don’t have the money in their budgets to spend on parks and recreation anymore, and kids don’t have places to go. When they don’t have a place to hang out and have fun, they get in trouble.”

“That’s very true. So what’s your idea?”

“I want to refurbish some existing playgrounds and build some community centers where kids have a safe place to hang out and play sports.”

“You’re talking a lot of money.”

He shrugged. “I have a lot of money. I’ve been in the league for a while now. I’m single and I’ve been investing. I’ve got money to put into this.”

She laid her hand on his arm and gave him a smile that warmed him from the inside out. “I love this idea. This is a such a worthwhile investment, Cole.”

“For my image, you mean.”

“No. For you. For the kids of the communities you’re going to help.”

“Good. Let’s get it started. I want to be as hands-on with it as I can. I know with the season about to start I’ll be busy a lot, but I don’t want to staff all of it out.”

“You don’t have to. A lot of it will be hands-on building and rebuilding. You can be involved in that, and get your family and friends to participate. The more volunteers we have on these projects, the better.”

“I know my family would love to get involved. Some of the guys on the team will, too.”

“I’ll get in touch with an attorney who’ll help start the foundation paperwork so you can get the money funneled into it. In the meantime, we can go search for parks and locations.”

He stood. “Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“To look at locations.”

“Now?”

“Yeah.”

She laughed. “You’re excited about this.”

“Shouldn’t I be?”

She stood and slipped her hand in his. “Yes, you should be. You should be very excited about it. But the Cole Riley I met the first day wouldn’t have been.”

He pulled his keys out of his pocket. “That guy doesn’t exist anymore.”

SAVANNAH STOOD IN A FORMER PLAYGROUND IN South City overgrown with weeds and debris. Equipment—at least the equipment that still stood—was broken and long ago rusted.

Kids ran up and down the neighborhood, and some ran through the playground, but none stopped to play. Then again, why should they? There was nothing to play on. No swing sets, no basketball nets, and the grass had long ago stopped growing.