All In: Playing to Win (Gambling With Love Book 5) (9 page)

I glance over at Zack who has been quiet. He has a perplexed look on his face like he's confused. It's a stark contrast to his ever present cockiness, and pretty damn adorable.

"Yeah, I know," Zack finally says quickly before asking Marcus a question about a play from practice. I zone out as the two men start talking about some plays that need work, and how to try and make them better. I'm a huge football fan, but I don't understand any of their strangely coded, top secret plays they are going on and on about. They even go as far as demonstrate to the other with actual movements. I know better than to ask since they can't risk anyone finding out their strategy.       

"Where the hell have you been?" a man's silky smooth voice asks from behind me. I wouldn't have even known he was talking to me if I hadn't felt his warm breath on my neck and caught the scent of what smelled like a sour apple Jolly Rancher.

"Excuse me?" I ask in confusion and annoyance at the stranger's tone.

Turning around I come within inches of a half-naked Cain Blevins. I'm sure my mouth is flapping like a fish out of water. The lead singer is still only wearing pants with a huge studded silver belt and black boots. I guess since his arms are covered in amazing artwork, maybe he doesn't feel as naked as he looks.

Up close, the man whose voice melts women like butter is tall but sleek with a flat stomach. There's an obvious, and very tempting dark treasure trail heading below the waistline of his painted on black leather pants.

I have to blink a few more times to make sure my eyes aren't playing some crazy trick on me. It is sort of dark in the club, and the strobe lights make everything look strange and hazy.

"Well?" he asks with a smirk, his hands on both of his slim hips. His eyes, deep blue puddles of just...wow, stare back at me, waiting. His dark eyelashes and black eyeliner, yes, eyeliner, make the blue orbs even more beautiful.

"Ah, what?" I ask.

"Where have you been all my life?" he asks, his face breaking into a wicked smile.

After a second I realize it's a pickup line. Cain Blevins just used a corny pickup line on me! Holy shit.

That was it, I lost the last grip of my composure. I start giggling and then can't stop. I even have to grab onto one of his brightly tattooed biceps to steady myself when I almost fall over. His skin is perfectly smooth and cool to the touch, and I can't help but follow along the contours of the black and red dragon's tail with my fingertips.

"Pretty," I say, and sweet baby Jesus, now I'm actually
touching
Cain Blevins!

"And you are fucking adorable, sweetheart. Does your daddy know you're out past your bedtime?" he asks all seductive like as he takes a step closer, closing the space between us.

"It is past our bedtime," Zack says from beside me, slipping his arm around my waist and squeezing my hip. I drop my hand from the singer's arm, unprepared for Zack's show of possessiveness.

"Zack Bradford," the singer says, glancing up at the giant quarterback.

How the hell did I get here of all the places in the world, between these two larger than life men?

"Aren't you a little young to be her daddy?" Cain asks with a crooked smile.                         

"She can call me anything she wants," Zack responds coolly. His clenched jaw ticks, indicating he’s not amused with Cain's teasing comment. Zack, of course, is implying it's a name I call him between the sheets. Maybe he and I both need a reminder that isn't going to ever happen.

"Daddy just doesn't have the same ring to it as arrogant asshole." I cringe as soon as the words leave my lips and Cain barks out a laugh. I want to take the words back, especially knowing Zack paid so much to bring me along to this event. But then suddenly a terrible thought slams into my alcohol hazed mind.

Mother. Fucker
.

Was Zack doing this, spending all this money to try to get me to sleep with him? Did he think that in exchange for handing over two hundred thousand dollars to a charity that I'd feel
obligated
to fuck him tonight? I'm not a whore, even if the money goes to a children's hospital instead of in my pocket. How dare him try and buy me off!

Okay, so now I'm back to meaning my words more than ever before.

The fury in Zack's narrowed brown eyes on mine and the tightness of his clenched jaw are almost lethal as his hand on me falls away.

"What a momentous occasion! Hearing a woman call Zack Bradford an asshole to his face. The fun-size lady has done the unthinkable!" Cain says while he holds his bare stomach and continues to laugh. "I think I'm in love with your girl, Zack. I'm so glad you made such a generous donation and selected her from your long list of conquests to bring with you tonight."

"So tell us, Cain, just how much money did
Tri-Polar
make from performing at this intimate affair for charity?" Zack asks.

Holy shit, he is such a jerk.

The singer's face goes from amused to pissed off in the blink of an eye. "Nothing," Cain practically snarls at Zack, crossing his pretty arms over his chest. "And not that it's any of your fucking business, but our band donated a million to the hospital."

"Wow, thanks, Cain," Marcus Jones says coming up from the other side of Zack. I'm instantly grateful to him for intervening in what was turning into a pissing contest. "That's incredibly generous of you to help our community out in such a huge way. And I bet you didn't know that Tinker Bell here works for the local breast cancer foundation. Natalie's too shy to bring it up, but she's the one organizing the online auction for the signed Wildcats’ merchandise this year."

"Is that right?" Cain asks, his tight expression easing up slightly. 

"Um, yes," I say, sounding unsure because of the bizarre situation.

"That's another great cause," he replies. "If you want, I'm sure I can get you some signed
Tri-Polar
merchandise for your auction, too."

"Really?" I ask in astonishment. "That would be awesome!"

"Sure," he chuckles, pulling out his cell phone. "Let me get your number, so we can coordinate getting you some signed shirts and whatever else we have with us before we fly out tomorrow."

"Of course," I say quickly, rattling off my phone number.

"It's Natalie, right?" Cain asks, glancing up from his typing with a grin.

"Uh-huh, Natalie Adair." I’m shocked that he remembered my name after hearing Marcus say it once.

"You guys were great, but I better head home," Marcus says. "See you tomorrow, Bradford. Nice seeing you again, Tinker Bell."            

"You ready?" Zack asks between clenched teeth after his friend walks away. It's the first words he's uttered in a while, which reminds me of his likely ulterior motive.             

"Don't worry about me. I'm just going to get a cab and head home," I respond. I'm not sure I trust myself to let Zack take me home and not give in to his charm. Even if he is angry and I'm right on the verge of the emotion, too.

"No, don't leave yet, sweetheart. You should come party with us for a little while," the rocker says.

"That's not going to fucking happen," Zack answers for me.

"Oh, this should be fun," Cain says with a smirk, anticipating my wrath.

"You know what, I'm not that tired after all. I think I'll stay, but you can go on without me, Zack."

"Natalie...I don't think that's a good idea. Let me just take you home."

"No," I say quickly, grinding my teeth together in aggravation. "There's that word again, twice in one week. Maybe you'll finally figure out what it means."

"You..." Zack starts, then turns away from me, running his fingers through his hair, tugging on a blonde chunk of it. "You are the most...stubborn woman I've ever met!"

"Why, because I'm the first woman that refuses to sleep with you? I warned you that I wouldn't. Did you think I was just playing hard to get? Did you think that if you spent a fortune on a date that I'd change my mind? Because I can tell you right now, I'm not!"

"So you won't fuck me, but you'll fuck him, is that it?" he asks, pointing to the singer who is still snickering while watching our argument.

"
I’m not going to fuck anyone
!" I yell at him. "There, do you feel better? Is your ego appeased now? Have I finally convinced you to stop pursuing me?"

"We had a deal," he mutters through his clenched teeth and my jaw drops.

"And you're going to hold me to it for the calendar, aren't you? Why, Zack? It can't be because you remember me from college and want a second chance. You didn't even realize who I was until a few hours ago! I'm just a random girl, no different from the however many others that came before me and all the ones that will come after me," I say, shaking my head and blinking back tears. Tears of frustration that I'm nothing more to him than another piece of ass. "So, unless you can give me one
honest
reason why you're doing all this," I gesture with my hands to the club. "I just want you to leave me alone."

Rage fills Zack's dark eyes, and for a second I'm almost scared that he's going to hurt me, either with words or his tightly clenched fists. Then the angry but still gorgeous giant does the last thing I'm expecting. He picks me up and kisses me.

I gasp and push my palms against his chest, fighting to escape his strong arms when my feet leave the floor. Oh, but he doesn't fight fair. Once I feel the slide of his tongue against mine I'm a goner. I moan and my entire body goes limp in surrender. The next thing I know he's sitting down and I'm clinging to his neck right before my bottom lands across his lap like he's a naughty Santa Claus.

Zack's arms stay wrapped tightly around me, with one large palm cradling the back of my neck to force me to keep my mouth on his. He controls the kiss, forcing his tongue into my mouth, while I try to reciprocate as best I can. I savor the familiar sweet taste of him with each of his deep thrusts, wanting more.

My fingers comb gently through the back of his thick hair until I give the strands a tug. When he retreats in response I take advantage, pressing my body against his chest and exploring his mouth more thoroughly, feeling the contrast of his bristly chin stubble rubbing against the smoothness of mine.

I gasp when I feel his hard bulge growing underneath my bottom but the sound of my surprise, along with his own groan, is drowned by the kiss. Now I know why my mom always told me not to sit on boys' laps when I was a teenager.

Zack is very obviously a big man
all over. 
Despite my denials, as soon as I feel his thick arousal my lower belly tightens with longing. For the first time I can actually feel how much he truly wants me. I never said I didn't want him. I just told him I wasn't going to sleep with him. And I'm not.

I'm not
?

No, I'm definitely not.

Our incredible kiss seems to go on forever, the rest of the world forgotten. I can't remember where we are or what I'd been yelling at him about.

When my lungs feel like they might explode from oxygen deprivation I reluctantly pull away, resting my forehead in the crook of Zack's neck, unable to meet his eyes just yet. My body shivers from the intensity of how damn good that marathon kiss was, even better than all the ones before it.

"Cold?" Zack asks rubbing a warm palm up and down my arm. I shake my head since it's not the temperature wreaking havoc on my body.

"Natalie, when I kiss you...I've never felt anything like this before. I want more. I'll do anything for more. Is that a good enough reason?"

Feeling the same way, I nod since I don't have any other response to his sweet words. Even now I'm fighting the urge to run my tongue along the side of his neck and kiss down his scruffy golden jaw to feel the prickly texture. 

"Are you ready for me to take you home? And no, I'm not going to try and get you to invite me up tonight," he says, resting his chin against the top of my head. "But eventually you will. It's just a matter of time and you know it. You wouldn't fight me so hard unless you want me as much as I want you. Not because you're like every other woman, but because you're
nothing
like them."

I know I'm no different from all the others, but he's probably right about me sleeping with him and that scares the shit out of me.

...

The next day at work I'm dragging from exhaustion. Zack dropped me off at my apartment and I went inside alone as he promised around one a.m. Apparently, our kiss at the club had gone on for a
really
long time, and was noticed by those around us.

"Look at you, all cuddled up in the lap of a sexy quarterback!" Rachel exclaims when she strolls into my office holding up a printed photo from one of the celebrity gossip websites. "I'm so flippin' jealous! Now I want to hear everything about the entire date."

After she takes a seat I happily go through the night in extraordinary detail for her, even the argument before the kiss.

"Wow. You not only met Cain Blevins, but you actually got to
touch him
? You could've partied with
Tri-Polar
?"