Free Agent-ARE-mobi Read online

  He shook his head. “Hell no. I’m not going anywhere near there. I just…I can’t…fuck, Lela. I can’t do this anymore.”

  “Do what?”

  He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Any of it. I’m fucking it all up. Every goddamn thing I touch lately explodes in my hand.”

  Lela recalled Tucker’s face the morning she found him after his mother’s death. That same lost expression and utter desperation resided in his eyes. “Don’t go.”

  He frowned, his voice growing louder as his anxiety increased. “Don’t you see? I’m only going to hurt you again.”

  She lifted one shoulder. “Then that’ll be on me. My fault. I don’t want you to leave. Not like this.”

  “I’m numb, Lela. So damn numb.”

  She stepped closer, lifting her hand to his chest. She ran her fingers along his pecs, then up to his face. “Can you feel this?”

  He released a long sigh, his eyes drifting shut. Tucker nodded slowly, tilted his face to keep her hand on his cheek. “Yeah.”

  “Let’s disappear for a little while.”

  His eyes opened, his gaze finding hers. “I can’t keep using you like this.”

  Tucker’s comment sparked a realization. “Is that what the other night was?”

  He didn’t bother to lie or shield her from the truth. “I ran into my dad at Pitchers. We got into an argument.”

  “And then you came here?”

  He nodded.

  “Why?”

  “Being with you is the only thing in my life that’s not hard. I don’t know how to explain it. We haven’t spoken in twelve years, but when I’m with you, it feels like I never left.”

  She grinned. “You think this isn’t hard?”

  He frowned. “I think it’s complicated and unsettled and we’re moving way too fast. Hell, we’re practically strangers now. But all that goes away when I’m with you. When you touch me.”

  All the anger and misery Lela had experienced since waking up alone evaporated instantly. Tucker had perfectly summed up exactly what she was feeling.

  She stepped closer, raising her arms and placing them around his neck. Tucker didn’t reciprocate. Lela reached for the phone he still held, taking it from him. She turned it off completely, then slid it into his back pocket.

  Tucker stood motionless, even as she went up on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his jaw. He was fighting a battle with himself. He’d try to save her from herself if she let him.

  She didn’t intend to give him that chance.

  Tucker took a deep breath, searching for the strength to walk away from her. His head was yelling at him, telling him he was too fucked-up to be good for anyone right now. Lela didn’t deserve to be used like this.

  Trouble was, he needed her. He’d been alone since leaving Quinn all those years ago. He may have spent his days—and more than a few nights—surrounded by others, be it teammates, friends or lovers. But that didn’t change the fact he’d still been utterly and completely alone.

  That loneliness vanished in Lela’s presence. It had disappeared back when he was a scared, angry teenage boy fighting to escape an abusive father. And it had gone away the night before last when he’d walked into her bedroom, losing himself inside her body.

  She kissed his jaw once more and he wondered if she could feel the tension there as he clenched it. He was stretched taut, a man on the edge. He’d tried to explain that, tried to warn her.

  As always, Lela looked beyond the pain, dug through all the layers of shit that had him tied in knots and found the man he wanted to be. She saw something in him that he’d never seen in himself. Not once.

  He reached for her hands, tugging them behind her back. Gripping them together with one hand, he tightened his hold.

  Her face flushed, but she didn’t try to escape. Glancing over her shoulder, he saw that the kids who had been swimming a few houses away had gone inside. They were alone. Lifting his free hand, he tugged the beach towel she’d wrapped around herself, dragging it away.

  She wore the sexiest one-piece bathing suit he’d ever seen. If asked, he would have sworn bikinis were the hottest swimming attire on the market. Lela had blown that idea out of the water…literally.

  He reached up to cup one of her breasts through the damp material, squeezing the handful of flesh roughly. Part of him hoped she’d be too frightened of exactly what he wanted from her, while the other part prayed she’d respond to it.

  He slipped a strap off her shoulder, baring one of her breasts. Lela started to look around, clearly concerned about who could see them.

  “Look at me,” he commanded. “Just me.”

  She licked her lips, the blush on her cheeks growing rosier. Her face revealed the most adorable mixture of embarrassment and arousal.

  He grasped her bare breast, then pinched the turgid nipple.

  Lela gasped.

  Tucker continued to play with the sensitive nub, using the grip he had on her hands behind her back to pull her closer. Her skin was cool, still slightly wet. It was a nice contrast to the heat his body was generating. Texas summers were brutal.

  Her breasts brushed against his chest. There was something else he wanted her to feel. Pressing his hips forward, he made sure she felt the full length of his hard cock.

  “Be very sure this is what you want, Lela, because once we start, it’s going to get serious.”

  “I don’t want you to stop.” Her gaze found his and her voice was strong, sure. God, where had this powerhouse of a woman come from?

  “Football,” he murmured.

  “What?”

  “If things get too intense for you, I want you to say ‘football’. That will be my cue to slow down or stop completely if that’s what you want.”

  Her brow crinkled as she considered his comments. Lela had no experience with BDSM. She’d admitted it to him. And God knew they’d never done anything much more scandalous than going down on each other back in school.

  His tastes had evolved over the years. “And to be perfectly clear this time, I like to be in control.”

  She snickered. “Really? I had no idea.”

  He didn’t laugh at her sarcasm, though he wanted to. Instead, he schooled his features, letting her see exactly how serious he was.

  Her smile faded a bit. “Are you going to explain? Give me a hint about what’s coming?”

  Tucker shook his head. “No. I’m going to show you.” He released her bare breast, but kept her wrists confined. Using his free hand, he tangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her face to his.

  They’d always enjoyed kissing. That clearly hadn’t changed with the passage of time. However, he wasn’t giving her the same sweet explorations they’d always engaged in. This time, he wanted more from her. With firm lips, he forced hers apart, his tongue diving in. He tasted the slight tang of coffee and something sweet. Lela’s tongue brushed his as she pressed closer. She wasn’t shying away, wasn’t intimidated by his hungry lips.

  His teeth entered the game, nipping her lower lip, and she tried to jerk back. He held firm, keeping her still as he licked the sting away.

  He tightened his fingers in her hair, recalling the way she’d pulled his hair at Coach’s ranch, the prickle in his scalp. It was clear she was feeling the same now and it was turning her on.

  “Get back in the water.”

  She frowned, confused when he released her in an instant. He let her hands drop and his fingers left her hair. “What?”

  “Water. Now.”

  She ran her tongue over her lower lip. At first he thought she was nervous, but her gaze didn’t betray a single trace of fear. Instead, it was as if she was evaluating the damage his kisses had wrought.

  Her lips were slightly swollen from his rough kiss. If he had his way, he’d keep them puffy all day and into the night.

  When she still didn’t move, he narrowed his eyes impatiently.

  She tilted her head and gave him a saucy wink. “Are you coming with me?”


  She may enjoy a strong hand, but Lela would never be a true submissive. She was too independent, too determined to make a few demands of her own.

  “What do you think?”

  She grinned at his reply, then walked back to the ladder, slipping down into the water. Her shudder as her stomach cleared the surface warned him of the cool temperature.

  As Lela moved lower on the ladder, Tucker reached for the hem of his t-shirt, pulling it over his head before toeing off his sandals. Then he stripped off his shorts until he stood in front of her in just his boxers. He wasn’t going to remove those until he was in the water, on the off chance the kids came back out.

  Lela kicked away from the ladder as he began his descent. Once he was in the water, he turned, surprised to see she’d paddled several feet away.

  “Come here,” he demanded.

  She laughed, then splashed him. Shaking her head, she taunted him. “Catch me.”

  Tucker sprang into action without a word, catching her off-guard. Lela squealed as she turned, trying to swim away from him. He caught one of her ankles after less than ten strokes, using his grip to pull her back.

  She tried to kick off his hold, the fight turning him on. Reaching out, he managed to get his hands around her waist. Careful to dodge her kicking legs, he dragged her closer until their bodies were connected, his chest against her back.

  Wrapping his arms around her, he roughly palmed both of her breasts. Somewhere along the line, she’d slipped her bathing suit back up. That action annoyed him. He didn’t want her covered, didn’t want her body hidden from him.

  Slipping both straps off her shoulders, Tucker worked the wet material of her suit downward until she was naked in the water.

  “Tucker.”

  “Hush.” He lobbed the suit back toward the pier, the dripping material landing with a loud slap against the wood.

  Lela twisted in his arms, her hands finding the elastic of his boxers. Together, they stripped him out of the cotton. However, when Lela tried to toss them to the pier, her throw fell a couple of feet short.

  “Oops,” she said with a giggle as they watched his boxers sink.

  He wiped away her grin with another rough kiss, his hands sliding along every slick, gorgeous inch of her he could reach. Lela took her own journey, stroking his chest and then reaching around to grip his ass.

  His cock brushed her stomach as their feet bounced along the bottom. They’d remained in the shallow part, close to the bank. Brushy shrubs hid them from the view of Lela’s neighbors and the opposite side of the lake was all woods. The water came just above Lela’s breast, but with his height, it was only mid-chest level. They were well hidden, secluded, alone.

  Tucker couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt so secure about his privacy. On the road with the team, there was a continual battalion of tabloid and newspaper photographers flashing cameras in his face. Even while he’d been on his own at the beach bungalow, there had been more than a few tourists who’d tried to sneak pictures when they thought he wasn’t looking. Right now, it felt as if he and Lela were the last two people on the planet.

  Bending his head, he licked the water that ran along Lela’s neck. She shivered and he recalled how much she liked having her neck kissed. Closing his lips on a small section, he sucked.

  She tried to squirm away when it was clear his actions would leave a mark, but he held her tighter. Finally she stopped trying to fight, her arms wrapping around his shoulders as she let her head drift farther back. “I’m too old for a hickey.”

  He smiled even as he continued to suck and nibble. Then he pushed away. “I want to see my mark on you. Here…” He lightly brushed the red circle on her neck with his fingertips. “And here,” he added as he reached lower, both palms cupping her ass.

  “I have no problem with you kissing my ass,” she teased.

  Tucker flashed a dangerous smile. “It’s not my lips that will be leaving their mark.” As he spoke, he lightly tapped her ass, making sure she understood his meaning. Lela’s slight intake of breath told him she knew exactly what was coming. He’d merely introduced her to the concept of spanking the other night.

  Today, he’d make sure she got the full effect.

  “Lay on your back, Lela. Like you were before. And open your legs.”

  She responded without question or hesitation. He watched her fill her lungs with air, then slowly she began to drift. Her legs were only a few inches apart.

  Tucker gripped her ankles. Her concentration broke and she started to sink slightly before she remembered to hold her breath. He dragged her legs apart, then stepped to her side to place his hands under her back when she struggled to remain afloat.

  “Stay up, L.B.”

  “I’m trying,” she muttered before sucking in another deep breath.

  He ran his hand along her thigh, then stroked the light smattering of wet hair at the vee of her legs. Lela sighed and started to sink.

  He used one arm beneath her back to support her. Her gaze, though squinted against the sunshine, remained focused on his face.

  “Close your eyes.”

  She followed his command and her body began to relax. That bonelessness turned back to steel when his hand left her thigh and touched her pussy. He chuckled at her sudden tension.

  “Don’t trust me?”

  She peered at him through one cracked eyelid. “I think you’re mistaking my response. It’s not a lack of trust. It’s nervous anticipation and fear of the unknown.”

  “Fair enough. And just so you know, you’ve earned yourself a punishment when I get you back to your bedroom.”

  She scowled. “For what?”

  He loved that she didn’t question the fact he was going to punish her. So far she was taking his commands and dominance in stride. He wondered how far he could push her before she’d balk…or push back. “For opening your eyes.”

  She rolled said eyes at him before closing them once more. Her body had gone limp as they talked, so he put her back on her guard by pressing one finger inside her pussy. His sudden action—sans warning—had her body sinking rapidly. He lifted her once more until she could control the air in her lungs again.

  “Easy, L.B. Relax.” He enjoyed the way his soothing words were playing in direct contrast to his actions, keeping her guessing about what he would do next. He added another finger to the first, then a third. The water made it easy for him to slide the digits in and out.

  Lela’s ability to remain afloat had deserted her as her breathing became more labored. He used one hand to hold her up as he fucked her with the other. He increased his speed, his strength, loving the way she writhed, the water splashing.

  When he pressed his thumb against her clit, Lela was a goner. She jerked, and then cried out, her body curling into a ball. She pressed her face against his chest as he held her steady, careful to keep her above the water.

  As Lela came back to her senses, she stood, smiling at him. “I can’t believe I let you do that to me out here in broad daylight.”

  “I intend to do a lot more to you before the day’s over.”

  She reached beneath the surface, her hand stroking his cock with a firm grip that sent stars flashing behind his eyes. It was difficult to control himself with her. He was used to having a lot more stamina, but with Lela, it simply felt too good, too right, and he wound up coming like an inexperienced schoolboy, exploding far sooner than he wanted to.

  He gripped her wrist. “We need to move this show inside.”

  She frowned. “Why?”

  He gestured back to his shorts on the pier. “Because the condoms are there and we’re here.”

  Tucker reached for her hand, intending to help her back to the ladder. He was surprised when she dug her feet in.

  “I’m on the Pill.”

  He swallowed heavily. “Lela.” He understood what she was offering and he wanted it more than he wanted his next breath. Even so…

  When he didn’t respond, she tilt
ed her head, studying his face. “You would tell me if there was a reason why we should use one, right?”

  He nodded.

  “Is there a reason?”

  Tucker shook his head. “I’ve never had sex without a condom. Ever.” Not even with her. They may have been young the first time they were together, but they weren’t stupid. They’d never failed to use protection. Since then, Tucker had indulged in more than a few casual affairs, but he’d never had a serious girlfriend. He’d never thought it was fair to start dating someone, knowing he’d be on the road and away from them nearly thirty weeks out of the year. Besides, he’d never met a woman he’d wanted to have a long-term relationship with.

  Lela had always been the yardstick and so far, no one had measured up. Reconnecting with her now, even after all these years, had just solidified that belief. After this interlude, he wondered if he’d ever find a woman he wanted more.

  And her offer of going without the condom…well…Jesus…

  “Come here,” she said, shaking off his grip on her wrist. She tugged him toward her until they stood chest to chest.

  When she wrapped her arms around his neck and lifted her legs about his waist, the pure heat radiating from her pussy amazed Tucker. He gripped her ass, and then used one hand to guide himself home.

  Home.

  The word pounded in his brain. For the first time since he’d returned to Quinn, he felt as if he’d truly come home.

  Chapter Seven

  Lela took her time sliding down on Tucker’s cock. He was definitely larger than her previous lovers and while she knew skill was as important as girth, she was damn grateful this man had both.

  Then another thought drifted through her mind. Tucker has never taken a woman without a condom?

  He’d been her first in so many things. It felt wonderful to be his first in this. His hands tightened around her waist. He released a guttural moan that told her this felt as good to him as it did her.

  “Fuck me, L.B.,” he muttered. She couldn’t decide if that was a command or an exclamation. Maybe a bit of both.

  She reversed direction, moving away until the head of his cock almost slipped free. He didn’t give her time to make the return trip on her own. Instead he took control, dragging her hips back roughly.