All In: Playing to Win (Gambling With Love Book 5) (18 page)

He grabs me around my waist and sits me up on the edge of the mattress to remove my black boots, then my socks. His shirt comes off next and I think I may have drooled a little. My hand comes up to the side my mouth, and yep, I'm drooling.

The man is pure perfection. Muscle definition like I've never seen on another human being before stretches from his chest and shoulders all the way down to his freaking eight pack. I don't think I'll ever get used to seeing him this way. Next comes his jeans and boxers, and I begin to feel light headed. It's too much sexiness for one woman to withstand.

Even with my blatant ogling, Zack's face remains serious. No cocky grins or witty remarks. 

Standing naked between my legs he begins working on the button and zipper of my jeans. I lift my hips so he can pull them and my panties down and off.

His lips meet mine to gently coax me into the next part. Slowly, his hands push my shirt up my sides until I raise my arms for him to remove it. That leaves me in only my black padded bra, and I'm still reluctant to let it go. Seeming to understand, Zack shifts me higher up the bed and covers my body with his while our tongues meet and tangle.

Moving lower, he kisses my chest, and then my stomach before spreading my thighs wide. Moans flow from my mouth, one right after the other when his tongue starts teasing my sensitive flesh. My fingers comb through his thick blonde hair as he builds the pleasure within me. I cry out his name when I come, shattering into a million wonderful pieces.

Oh, he's good. Now my body is so relaxed and carefree I'll do anything he wants. And he just wants all of me.

Zack places a kiss on my hip and a few trailing up to my stomach. I close my eyes when his hands go underneath my back and release the clasp of my bra. Slowly he pulls the straps down, first one arm, and then the other, before removing it all together. I clench my eyes shut to hold off the tears threatening to fall when I feel his lips softly kiss one side of my chest and then the other.

His mouth finally returns to mine, and I begin to relax knowing it's done and over with. He's seen all of me, including my scars, and the world hasn't ended. Zack is still here, his body warm and comforting above mine. His erection brushes thick and hard against my entrance, assuring me that he still wants me despite my flaws.

"Thank you for trusting me," he says against my lips. "You're gorgeous, every single inch. And I'm grateful for your scars. They're a visible reminder of your strength, and the path you fought to stay on so that you could find your way back to me."

Tears overflow from my eyes as I wrap my arms around his back, holding him tightly. I’d put my faith and trust in Zack to not hurt me while I was so vulnerable, and he somehow managed to put me at ease and take away my insecurity with just a few words.

With a shift of his hips he enters me, nothing between us, but I trust him, even knowing his long history of lots of women. He wouldn't do anything to hurt me. I know he just wants to feel all of me, and that's exactly what I want, too.

"This okay, baby?" he asks softly against my ear.

"Yes."

After his lips cover mine again we kiss with a soul deep desperation. Soft and gently Zack takes his time making love to me. There's no other word for it, and it's like nothing I've ever felt before. It's right and perfect as our bodies move together as one. His warm skin presses against mine from my lips all the way down to my toes.

Even after we both come together we don't let each other go. Shifting us to our sides Zack holds me against his chest until we both fall asleep.

Zack

Making love. I'd always thought it was a ridiculous and unnecessary synonym for "fucking" that women prefer and men use just to appease them. Now I know how absolutely wrong I was about that.

Last night, Natalie and I made love.

No shit.

Fucking’s a physical act that’s only about finding a release. Making love almost felt…spiritual, and I'm anything but religious. It was like the joining of not just our bodies, but also our souls. A declaration of our emotions that there simply aren't words adequate enough to describe how we feel about each other.

It's apparently not something you can have with just anyone either. It has to be with someone you're completely head over heels in love with, otherwise it's just fucking. Plain, boring, same old shit, fucking.

Maybe I'm a pussy for getting all deep, but after living my entire life missing out on what I have with Natalie, I can't help but reevaluate my disgusting past.

I may be in heaven with her, but I'm still suffocating on my guilt. I shouldn't be allowed to make love to Natalie with the lies I'm keeping from her. It seems so wrong, tainting what should be, and could be perfect if not for the fact that I'm an asshole. But I'm too damn scared to tell her the truth. I just can't bear to lose her again.

The alarm clock on my phone goes off, causing Natalie to wiggle and stretch her arms over her head.

"Good morning, beautiful," I tell her with a kiss to her temple.

"Mm," she responds, still groggy.

I ease gently out from under her to go take a shower and get ready to start the day. After I'm dressed I grab the box from the closet and take it to wake Natalie up before I have to leave and she has to go to work.

"Wake up, sleepy head. It's seven-thirty," I tell her. Sitting down on the edge of the bed I ease my fingertips up and down her naked spine.

"Morning," she says when she finally turns her head and blinks her beautiful eyes open to look at me.

"I've got to head out but I wanted to give you this before I leave," I tell her, sitting the box down on the mattress.

"Holy shit!" she exclaims, rolling over to face me. "That's like...a really nice camera. And really expensive. I can't...that's too much," she says, pushing the box back toward me.

"This is non-negotiable, woman. I know photography is important to you, and I want you to have it and use it. I bet I can even get you down on the field if you want. Maybe take some pictures? Mostly of me, of course," I tease her.

"Really?" she asks with a smile.

"Yeah, if you want. But you have to keep the camera or no deal."

"Thank you."

Getting to her knees she wraps her arms around my neck. I hold her small body to mine, hugging her back and wishing I didn’t have to let go.

"You're not making it easy to leave," I tell her and she unfortunately pulls away to sit back down on the mattress. She’s of course still naked, my cock can’t help but notice.

"Now look what you did," I tell her, indicating the tenting of my black nylon pants.

"Sorry," she says, not looking the least bit remorseful, and thankfully still only a tiny bit self-conscious.

I lean down for a quick kiss then force myself to stand up and back away from the bed.

"Stay as long as you need this morning, and I'll see you tonight?" I ask.

"Sure."

"Meet me at seven-thirty."

"Where?" she asks with a tilt of her head, her blonde hair messy and sexy from last night.

"You better bring your camera because you're going to witness a historic, once in a lifetime event. We're going to the
Rinky Dink
."

Watching her fall back on the pillows with a giggling fit is well worth the embarrassment I’m certain this decision will cost me in a few hours.

...

Natalie

The morning of the photoshoot I arrive at my friend Janet's studio early to help get everything set up. I've always loved working with her, watching her capture moments and turn them into beautiful photos.

I smile, thinking about some of the moments I captured with my new camera last night. The hilarious ones of Zack wearing brown rental roller skates, and then a few more intimate moments later with him in his bed wearing nothing at all.

Zack's the first Wildcats player up for the calendar today, and with a quick kiss in greeting he pulls off his shirt and applies the pink ribbon temporary tattoo over his heart. Each player today will be asked to select where to put the ribbon on their amazing bodies. I understood and appreciated the sweet significance of Zack's placement. 

A few shots later of him holding a football while wearing nothing but his jeans with the top of his white boxers showing and he's done. I'm fanning myself from the way my body heats up at seeing him. How is it possible that I'm the one that gets to be intimate with this amazing man? Just this morning we'd gone a round, and we've been spending every night with each other, but I can't seem to get enough of him.

"You're setting the bar high," I tell him, and he smiles down at me before giving me a quick kiss.

"I'm not real happy about you seeing a bunch of my teammates half-naked. Don't let any of them talk you into going out with them."

"I'd be a fool," I tell him the same thing he recently told me, and then he kisses me goodbye when he has to leave to meet his trainer.

The photoshoot goes smoothly throughout the rest of the morning and into the afternoon. If it wasn't for all the bare chested men Janet and I would've turned the air conditioning on because it was getting so hot in here.

"How many more?" Janet asks, exasperatedly. Not that she was complaining, but the parade of sexy men didn't seem to have an end in sight.

I glance down to the list of names at my clipboard. "Two more and we're done."

"Awesome. Thanks again for the referral. This has been so fun, and the publicity will be great!"

"No, thank you for helping out. I can't wait to see the final product."

Although the men that came in after Zack were fine, they were nowhere near his ballpark of hotness. He will probably make the front cover, and he should since he's the one we have to thank for getting his team members involved in this project.

"Hi, ladies," a tall, dark and handsome man says when he swaggers through the front door. Jake Young, the Wildcats' best wide receiver. I remember all too well his flirting from the autograph signing, too.

"Hey, Mr. Young. Thanks for agreeing to help out," I tell him.

His dark eyes give me an appraising look, and after a few seconds it's even uncomfortable. "Damn. Zack's lucky to have you. I got stuck with a frigid snob."

That's not a very nice thing to say about someone, especially a significant other.

"Give me a few minutes to switch out the memory cards and we'll be ready," Janet tells us before she disappears into the supply room of her studio.

Jake takes a few more steps toward me, starting to invade my personal space. Then he reaches behind his head and pulls his shirt off. Alrighty then. He has a deep tan and is nicely cut but still not in the same league with Zack.

"So, how do you want me?" he asks, the statement loaded with innuendo. I can see why he and Zack are best friends.

My cheeks heat as I take a step back from him. "We'll start with a few standing shots as soon as Janet gets back," I tell him, gesturing to the lighted area we'd set up for the shoot.

He raises his chin in a sort of a nod. "It's Natalie, right?"

"Yep."

"I can't believe Zack's kept you all to himself for this long." He licks his bottom lip while his eyes rake over me from head to toe yet again. "I've been trying to convince him to share you." 

I'm sure my eyebrows touch the sky. "S-share me?"

"Yeah, you know, we get off on watching each other fuck the other's girl. But when it's a really fine piece of ass we hit it at the same time."

Wow. That was TMI and...shocking.

I have to clear my throat. "Really?" I ask, looking toward the back for Janet.

"Yeah." He lets out a deep chuckle, sticking his thumbs down the front of his low riding pants. The move hitches them down even lower until the treasure trail hits the whole forest. “But Zack probably told you all about that when you agreed to help him, since that's how we got into this whole mess in the first place."

I nod, having no idea what he's talking about.

"Zack doesn’t want to share but he sure as hell couldn't wait to fuck my fake girlfriend when he came over the other night. He had her on her back in less than five minutes. She's hot, but she's such a bitch," he says, shaking his head. "At least it'll be all over in a few weeks."

"Who's...who's your fake girlfriend?" I ask with a shaky voice. Zack slept with her? Recently? He told me I was the only woman he's been with.

"Addison James. Fucking Jerry and Satan. Satan's the nickname of our attorney that's watching us like a hawk. But hell, you do what you've got to do to keep your job," he says with a shrug. "I still can't believe how many times Zack's gotten you two in the press. I bet Jerry shit himself after all the good publicity from Sunday's halftime. Did Zack know about the whole breast cancer survivor thing before then? Is that why he asked you to do this for him?"

I just shake my head since I'm too sick to respond. He can't be implying what I think he is. But then I remember Zack telling me that on the day we met he and Jake had been in hot water with the team’s owner and almost lost their contracts. And then he’d asked me out a few hours later.

Oh God. I’m Zack’s
fake
girlfriend to make the paparazzi believe he’s settled down.  He hasn’t been seen going out with other women because he can’t!

"Well, I have to say, you two look genuine, and I don't think anyone has figured it out. How much did he pay you? Maybe I'm being too stingy with Addy. I thought a hundred grand for four or five weeks was generous, but the bitch still won't fuck me. Zack barely looked at her and she started sucking his cock."

"Let me go check with Janet and see if she's ready," I say, walking away before the tears fall down my cheeks.

…

Zack

I try calling Natalie again with no answer. I haven't talked to her since yesterday morning at the photoshoot. Before last night we'd spent the last four nights with each other. I missed waking up with her this morning. My pillow still smelled like cupcakes, which made me think of her all night long. Several times I started to get up and just go to her place, but I figured she'd be asleep. I thought she might be staying away from my place to finally get some rest since she hasn’t been getting much around me.

Now, twenty-four hours since I last saw her or heard from her I’m getting worried. I'm swinging by her place and checking on her since she didn’t show up to work today either. It's Friday, and her Carolina blue car is parked in the apartment lot, so I know she's home. Still doesn't explain why she wouldn't answer the phone or text me back. The girls in her office didn't know why she was out of work, either. They said she'd just sent them all an email saying she was taking the day off. They assumed she was spending the day with me.

Oh no, what if she's sick and didn't want us all to worry. The thought instantly makes me panic, thinking the worst.

I knock on her door, and stagger back a step when she opens it. Her eyes are red-rimmed and narrowed, her lips pursed into a tight line. I'm relieved that she doesn't look sick, but she is seriously pissed off and I have no idea why.

"What the fuck do you want?" she asks, and I blink at her use of the f-word. I've hardly ever heard it leave her lips.

"What's wrong? I've been calling you-"

"I don’t see any cameras," she interrupts and sticks her head out the door to glance around. "So why are you here?"

"What? Because I want to see you. I missed you last night. Why haven't you answered your phone?"

"I know, Zack, so you can stop pretending now."

"Pretending? Natalie, what's going on?"

It can't be about…

"You deserve an Oscar for your performance because even I fell for it. I really did," she says, wiping a tear from under her eye. I actually hear the crack of my heart when it breaks right down the center. "But I'm done being your
fake
girlfriend."

Oh no
. "Natalie, let me explain-"

"I've heard enough of your bullshit to last a lifetime."

"Please, Natalie. What we had was real.
Is
real. Yes, us being together helped me keep my contract, but I've wanted you since sophomore year! If I had to be with someone I wanted it to be you and only you!"

She slams the door in my face without another word and I hear the deadbolt turn.

I stand there staring at her wooden door trying to find the answer of how everything got so screwed up. How? How did she find out? She hasn't talked to my manager or agent. The two of them and my coach were the only ones that knew. Oh and Jake's people.