Huddle with Me Tonight (Kimani Romance) Read online

  “Leave your bag on the curb, I’ll get it.”

  “Don’t be silly, Torrian. Just pop the trunk and I’ll throw my bag in.”

  Paige could sense his gallant and sensible sides warring with each other. Sensible won out. He popped open the trunk. She placed her bag next to a black leather duffle. Torrian had already opened the passenger-side door from the inside. Paige slipped into the car and was greeted with a deep kiss.

  “You look amazing.”

  “In a skirt and flip-flops?”

  “In anything.”

  This man was way too smooth for her peace of mind. Paige knew he would have her out of her panties in record time. Pinpricks of anticipation skittered along her skin. Now that she’d decided to give in to the desire to sleep with him, she couldn’t wait for it.

  “How long until we get to your place?” Paige asked.

  “If traffic cooperates we should be there by four. We’ll have to stop at a grocery store to stock up on supplies for the weekend. I used to have a housekeeper on standby, but since I rarely use the house, it wasn’t practical to keep her on.”

  She was curious, “Why don’t you use the house more often?”

  He shrugged with the arm that was expertly guiding the sleek automobile through traffic, “I’m not really a beach person.”

  “Which begs the question…”

  “Why have a house at the beach.” He laughed, then shrugged. “I succumbed to the status game. Back when I bought it, having a home in the Hamptons meant you’d reached some invisible rung on the ladder of success.”

  “It sounds as if that doesn’t matter to you anymore.”

  Another shrug. “It took me a while to realize it, but I finally figured out that money isn’t everything.”

  “It is nice to have, though,” Paige felt the need to point out.

  He looked over at her, his eyes crinkling at the edges. “Yes, it is nice to have, but not for the reasons I used to believe. It used to be all about showing what I could buy. If one of my teammates bought a car, I bought a bigger one. A house on the beach? I had to get one, too.” He shook his head. “None of that stuff is important. As long as my sister and nephew are taken care of, it’s all good.”

  She stared at him for a few moments, ruminating over all she’d learned about him over the past few weeks. “I pegged you all wrong,” Paige said. “You’re the complete opposite of a self-centered jerk.”

  He laughed. “So that’s what you thought of me?”

  “Most definitely,” she admitted. “In my book you fell into the category of pompous, professional athletes who used your God-given talent to get rich and become a jerk.”

  “Ouch. Just a bit harsh.”

  “It is. You’ve opened my eyes, though.”

  He reached over and covered the hand in her lap. “I’m happy you gave me the chance to.”

  The drive from Manhattan to the eastern edge of Long Island was a nice change from her usual view on the subway. As they sailed along the Long Island Expressway, Paige allowed the soothing jazz streaming through the BMW’s speaker system to lull her to sleep. After what felt like only a few minutes, she heard in her ear, “Wake up, sleepy head.”

  Paige blinked rapidly several times. She looked out the window, her eyes zeroing in on a gorgeous wooden home with huge windows.

  “We’re here already?”

  “Actually, it took longer than expected. We ran into a bit of traffic, but you slept through it.”

  Torrian exited the car and came over to her side, opening the door for her.

  “I’m sorry,” Paige said, accepting the hand he offered.

  “No apology necessary. Your top kinda got twisted up there. I had a good view the entire drive.”

  “Pervert.” Paige laughed, adjusting her top. “What about the groceries?”

  “I figured I could go back out once we got here. You can take the time to nap.”

  “I feel awful for falling asleep. I just had so much work to do after this morning’s show, and I wanted to finish it so I wouldn’t have to do any while we’re out here.”

  “Good, because I don’t want to share you with work.”

  They entered the house and Paige took a swift intake of breath. It was exactly the way a house at the beach should be decorated, with soft cool colors of blue, green and sandy brown. The wide-open space was sprinkled with several sets of seating areas instead of a formal living room. The area was made for mingling.

  “This is lovely.”

  He stopped and looked around for a moment as if he was just really seeing the place. “I guess it is.”

  “You really need to take the time to enjoy some of the luxuries you’ve been blessed with.”

  His eyes traveled the length of her body. “I plan to,” he said, his voice low, seductive.

  A flush of heat swarmed over Paige’s body. She knew the instant blush was evident on her skin. She had a feeling she’d be doing a lot of that this weekend.

  “So do I,” she said. She was just as excited at the prospect of enjoying his body, and was woman enough to let him know it. She’d told him early on that when they decided to make love, it would be a mutual decision. She was not going to play games.

  Torrian blew out a deep breath. “Do you want to see the rest of the place?”

  “Or.”

  His brow hitched.

  “We can do this,” Paige said. She brought her hand up and grabbed hold of his neck, pulling his head down to her. She heard the thud of the duffle bag he’d brought in from the car falling at their feet. Torrian’s hands found their way to the small of her back, then lower, cupping her backside and pulling her in close contact with his hardening body.

  Paige moaned as intense pleasure cascaded through her veins. His mouth was decadent, the feel of his body pressed up against hers: pure sin.

  She explored his mouth with her tongue, tasting the chocolate he must have consumed on the drive over. It was the absolute best-tasting chocolate ever.

  Torrian wrenched his mouth from hers and went for her throat, laving at her skin with his skillful tongue. “God, you taste good,” he breathed. He got a firmer grip on her butt, then slid one hand down the underside of her thigh, hooking it behind her knee and pulling her leg up.

  Paige gasped as her core came in direct contact with his erection, their clothes the only thing separating them from ultimate pleasure.

  “I want you naked,” Torrian whispered in her ear.

  Paige nodded. She couldn’t speak actual words to save her life.

  Torrian lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Paige could feel his muscles bulging underneath his shirt. She ran her hands along his back, her own body shivering in expectation of what his barely contained power could do to her once it was unleashed.

  Torrian carried her down a hallway into a huge, airy bedroom with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking a wide expanse of beach. He deposited her onto the bed, pulling his shirt over his head and flinging it across the room.

  “Wait,” Paige said. “We’re not going to do this in front of all these windows, are we?” She wasn’t a complete prude, but she was no exhibitionist either.

  A grin formed on Torrian’s lips. He walked over to the far wall and flipped a switch. Rattan window shades descended from a narrow slit in the ceiling, covering the windows and leaving a warm glow of light.

  “Is that better?” he asked, working free the buckle at his waist as he strolled back to the bed.

  “Much,” Paige answered. She scooted up, bracing her back against the mountain of pillows.

  Torrian nodded toward her. “You want to take off that top, or do you want me to do it?”

  Paige didn’t feel an ounce of self-consciousness as she reached for the hem of her sleeveless top and pulled it over her head. She tossed it next to where he’d deposited his shirt on the floor and settled back against the pillows.

  “Your turn,” she said.

  His brows rose with a surprised
grin. “Oh, is that what we’re doing here? You want a little striptease.”

  “Well, when you invited me here, I expected entertainment as part of the package.”

  “I’m not much of an entertainer,” he said. His unzipped his pants and pushed them down past his hips. His erection strained under the confines of his boxers. Paige’s mouth dried up at the sight. She wanted that so bad and right now.

  “Um, I think most of your fans would disagree,” she said, trying to concentrate on their little game instead of his body. “You’re very entertaining on the football field,” she said, bringing her eyes back up to his face. The smile she found there was inspiring.

  “I guess there are some similarities between this and football. I strive to do my best in both arenas.”

  Paige held up one finger as he knelt next to her on the bed. “One difference,” she said. “This time you’re guaranteed to score.” She plunged into a fit of giggles at Torrian’s eye roll. “I know that was so cheesy. Sorry, I couldn’t help it. It was just too perfect.”

  “Kind of like this spot on your neck.” He dived for the spot just behind her ear and nipped at her skin.

  Paige angled her head to give him better access, her eyes closing as pleasure seized her. He knew just when to go from biting to licking to sucking. He trailed his tongue from her neck to her collarbone, pulling the strap of her bra down her arm in the process.

  “I can’t take much more of this,” he said.

  Paige brought her hands to his chest and gently pushed him away. She knelt in the center of the bed and brought her hands behind her back, releasing the single clasp and letting the bra fall from her breasts.

  Torrian’s chest expanded with his huge, audible intake of breath. He came up on his knees; he was so close Paige could feel the heat from his body. She took his hands and brought them to her breasts, shutting her eyes and letting her head fall back as she pressed her hands over his. He played upon her skin, squeezing, releasing, applying more and more pressure with every clasp of his huge palms.

  He went for her throat again, nuzzling the spot that had come to expect his touch. The erotic swipes of his tongue along her skin, the roughness of his fingers as they pinched her nipples, the pressure of the erection that stirred back and forth against her stomach, wrangled a moan from deep within her throat.

  Torrian’s hands moved from her breasts to her waist, then around to the small of her back where he undid the clasp of her skirt. He unzipped and pushed the garment down, dragging her silk panties with it. He leaned her back upon the pillows and pulled her clothes the rest of the way.

  Paige lay before him completely naked, her skin burning with the need to have his hands all over her.

  For long, passion-filled moments, Torrian just stared at her, his heated gaze scorching. “God, you’re beautiful,” he breathed.

  Paige closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, her chest expanding. Her body tensed as she felt his fingers graze lightly along her throat. They traveled down the center of her body, through the valley between her breasts and over her stomach, which tightened under his touch. His fingers lingered, smoothing up and down her ribs, then went lower, closing over the spot between her legs. His palm pressed against her, one finger slipping between her folds to circle her clitoris.

  Her body arched to meet his erotic caress, a soft cry escaping her throat. Torrian pinched the silken bundle of nerves between his thumb and forefinger, then slipped a single finger inside, coaxing another cry from her. All of her muscles spasmed simultaneously. Paige could hardly breathe, her senses concentrated on that one spot.

  The tip of his tongue found her breasts, swirling around one nipple and then the other, sucking the distended tip into his mouth and tugging with just enough pressure to wrench another moan from her. His fingers continued to play between her legs, slipping in and out with increasing speed.

  Pleasure, exquisite and intense, began to build low in her belly. Every muscle in her body tensed as Torrian’s expert fingers worked their magic inside of her. Her body clenched and Paige exploded, sharp white streaks of light shooting behind her closed eyelids.

  She fell back onto the bed with a satisfied groan, her body like putty.

  “Oh, my God,” she breathed.

  Torrian lay beside her, strumming his fingers up her body to caress her breasts. “You do know that was only the beginning, right?” he whispered against her jaw.

  Another ripple of sensation flowed over her body at his softly spoken promise.

  He rolled off the bed and went for the pants he’d tossed on the floor, retrieving his wallet from the back pocket. He flipped it open and pulled out a condom. He shucked off his boxers and covered himself with the latex before he reached the bed.

  Paige welcomed him back with a deep, soul-melting kiss. The weight of his body pushing down on her felt amazing. Torrian wrapped his arms around her and rolled over, placing her on top. His erection nudged her open, and with one swift, elegant movement, he entered her body.

  Her back arched. Paige couldn’t contain the shriek of pleasure that escaped as Torrian captured her waist with his hands and guided her up and down the length of him. Her body blossomed, opening for him, sucking his powerful erection deeper and deeper inside.

  Twin shouts of unadulterated pleasure echoed around the room as they both yelled with satisfaction. Paige leaned forward, gripping the covers on either side of Torrian’s head in her fists. His head came up and he pulled her nipple between his lips as he continued to pump into her body.

  Paige pitched her head back, her neck muscles straining, the pleasure coursing through her almost too powerful to contemplate.

  Almost.

  With his hands on her hips, Torrian increased her pace, moving her up and down with swift, firm strokes that caused the tension pitted low in her belly to boil over and erupt in a shout of pure pleasure.

  Paige collapsed on top of him, satisfaction flowing over her in waves. Finally, she rolled off him and flopped to the side, not bothering to cover herself. A relaxing contentment pulsed through her bloodstream.

  A gurgle of laughter started deep in her throat. She tried to suppress it, but couldn’t help it. She was overcome by a fit of silly, contented giggles.

  “And you’re laughing why?” Torrian asked.

  “Because it’s been a long time since I’ve felt this good,” she managed to get out.

  He rolled over and braced himself on one arm, looking down at her. The wide grin on his face was an outward manifestation of what she was feeling inside.

  “I can live with that answer,” he said. He dipped his head and covered her mouth with his.

  Paige sighed into his kiss, opening her mouth and accepting his tongue. “Mmm…you do that well.”

  “You’re pretty good yourself, Ms. Turner.”

  “Did you know we were going to fall into bed as soon as we got here?” she asked.

  “No, I didn’t know for certain,” he said, nipping along her jaw. He hovered just above her, gazing into her eyes. “But it is evidence that God does indeed answer prayers, because I’ve been praying for this since the minute I asked you to come out here with me.”

  “Did I live up to your expectations?” Paige asked.

  “You’re so far beyond that I can’t even describe it.”

  Paige wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him on top of her.

  “Let’s see if I can help you find the words.”

  Paige tried to raise her eyelids, but they were not cooperating. She was completely spent, her body replete with pleasure. She heard the shower in the connected bathroom, thought about joining Torrian inside, then realized she couldn’t lift herself from the bed if she tried.

  She had no idea how many times they’d made love. It seemed as if they’d wasted away the entire afternoon in bed. Paige managed to open one eye and stared at the ceiling in awe. She’d just spent hours having sex with Torrian Smallwood. She tended to forget just who he was when they were together.
He made it easy to forget; he didn’t act like a superstar. He was just Torrian.

  She looked around the room and, for just a second, allowed herself to imagine what it would be like if things became more serious between them. They had yet to talk about where things would go once they were done with the cook-off. She was hesitant to bring up the subject; afraid it would force them to make a decision neither of them were ready to make just yet.

  For now, she was content to enjoy what they had found together: good conversation, great sex—okay, unbelievably amazing sex—and the ability to just have fun.

  But a part of her wanted more.

  Paige threw one arm over her eyes and groaned.

  Don’t go there, she pleaded with her brain. She would not set herself up for disappointment by expecting more than Torrian had agreed to give. She was too smart to fall into that way of thinking.

  The shower stopped, and moments later Torrian walked out of the bathroom, a plush towel wrapped low across his hips.

  “You’re awake,” he said, coming over to the bed and placing a kiss on her lips.

  “You sound surprised.”

  “And relieved.” He nodded. “For a minute there, I thought I’d killed you. You came and just passed out.”

  “Think about the headlines that story would have made.” Paige laughed.

  “I try to keep my private life out of the headlines,” he said, nuzzling her nose. “I was going to run to the grocery store. You need anything in particular?”

  “Other than another hour or so of sleep?”

  He chuckled, dropping the towel and pulling on a pair of running shorts and a T-shirt. The thought of him buying groceries commando put a smile on her face.

  He snatched his wallet from the dresser, came back to the bed and captured her lips in a swift but thorough kiss, whispered “goodbye,” and left.

  Paige waited until she heard the front door close before rolling over and burying her face in the pillow. How had she allowed herself to fall so hard so fast?