Hearts in Overtime: A Bad Boy Sports Romance (18 page)

Steven, it seemed, was just as frantic to get me undressed. He fumbled with my zipper, but once he got that down, he lifted my dress right off my head and tossed it on the floor. Which, I imagined, was sort of like getting a cold bucket of water thrown on me.

I forgot all about ravishing Steven’s chest and instead I scrambled to cover myself. Thank goodness I still had my bra on, but even so, I didn’t have nearly as many arms as I needed. One hand instinctively shot down to cover my pussy, but that meant I only had one arm left to disguise all of my rumps and bumps, and obviously, that wasn’t possible.

“Nicole,” Steven said with a sigh. “How could you not know how beautiful you are?”

Gently, he took both of my hands and pulled them away from my body. I gasped, but I didn’t struggle. My heart pounded as he gazed tenderly at my body, taking in all my fleshy bits. Slowly, he released my hands and reached for my love handles, his fingers massaging the excess flesh there. With one hand, he tenderly caressed my belly, and with the other he reached back behind me to stroke my ass.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered.

Honest to god, I almost burst into tears; I was so emotional. But I managed to keep it together, and under the care of his strong hands, I started to feel more comfortable with the fact that I was standing there in his hotel suite nearly naked with the lights on. Not that I was ready to strut my stuff or anything, but I wasn’t feeling mortified and ashamed. Not anymore.

With my bearings straight, I got back to the business at hand. So to speak. I needed to get my hands and my lips on Steven’s body.

Discarding his shirt just as unceremoniously as he had done my dress, I stopped only to kiss his chest a few times before I got to work on his pants. His cock strained against the fabric and, my fingers couldn’t move fast enough. Finally, when I had his button undone and his fly unzipped, I reached in to wrap my fingers around his cock, breathing an enormous sigh of relief. 

It was beautiful. Long, thick and hard as marble, it throbbed between my fingers. I reached down to my pussy, scooped up some of the juices dripping out, and then I used them to glaze Steven’s cock. He leaned back against the wall with a lustful groan as I started stroking the shaft. With my other hand, I reached down to fondle his balls.

Steven reached for my tits, but I still had my bra on, so after only a moment or two, he unsnapped my bra.

“Oh, sweet Jesus,” he said when my tits spilled out.

I grinned. The DDD tits were a nice trade-off for the giant ass. I quickly shimmied out of it and tossed it on the floor.

Steven dove for a nipple, devouring it while I reclaimed his cock and got back to teasing the head with my fingers. His tongue circled my nipple—so warm and so wet. I arched back in ecstasy. He gasped and sunk his fingers into my soft, fleshy tits.

“Nicole,” he said in a low, breathy voice.

“Yes.”

He didn’t even have to say it. I let go of his cock and took his hand instead. He led me to the bed, and he tore the blankets and sheets away before grabbing my waist and sending us both tumbling down onto the mattress.

We giggled like teenagers, teasing and tickling and lightly slapping each other before Steven suddenly got very serious. Gazing at me with those hypnotic blue eyes, he ran his fingers gently across my cheek. I stared back at his gorgeous face, feeling overcome with emotion.

His fingers trailed down my neck to my tits, and he massaged them then with both hands, paying special attention to my nipples. Slowly, he bent down to kiss first one nipple and then the other. And then he looked up at me and smiled. He crawled forward and gave me the sweetest, most tender kiss I’d ever known.

And then he entered me. He was so thick, it took me a moment to get used to it, but when I did…oh! He glided in and out of me smooth as silk. I ran my hands all up and down his beautiful body—his hips, his ass, his lower back. And then I reached up to touch his face. As I stroked his sculpted jaw line, his gaze didn’t stray from mine. The eye contact was an aphrodisiac; I was astonished by how connected I felt to him at that moment. Maybe it had something to do with the lights being on. I didn’t know. I hadn’t had sex with the lights on in years.

I craned my neck up, and he kissed me. When our lips touched, I began to feel the frenzy nearing its peak. My body was primed for one hell of an explosion. Steven felt it too, I thought, because he started pumping faster and faster and then all of a sudden…fireworks!

Crying out, I quivered all over as my orgasm shot through my entire body from the top of my head to the tips of my toes. Steven moaned and shuddered. I felt a cloud of heat blasting straight through me as he came inside me. I felt so full—fuller than I’d ever felt in my life.

* * * *

I have to say cold salmon isn’t half bad, particularly when you’re in a post-orgasmic state. Steven and I ate dinner in bed, feeding each other and laughing a lot. After we finished, we had sex again, and it was no less wonderful. The man really knew what he was doing. Either that or we had amazing chemistry together. Maybe both.

But by the end of our second round, I saw it was after 11:00 and I told him I had to be heading home.

“Don’t go,” he said, nuzzling my tits. “Stay.”

“I can’t.” I sighed. “I’ve got work tomorrow, and I need a change of clothes.”

“Oh, that’s no problem. I’ll buy you something new. Anything you want.” He smiled.

“That’s very sweet, but I really need to go home tonight.”

“You sure?” He tilted his head and gave me that same perplexed look I got when we were at dinner.

“I’m sure. But I’ll see you tomorrow morning, okay?”

He smiled. “Yes, you will.”

I hurried to get dressed, and then came back over to the bed to kiss him goodbye, but he insisted on walking me to the door.

“Shame you can’t stay,” he said with his arms wrapped around my waist. Again, it hit me how absolutely surreal it was that this guy could make me feel dainty. Me.

“I know. I wish I could, but I really do have to go.” I bit my lip and looked at the door, eager to get out of there before he started asking questions.

“All right, I guess. I’ll see you tomorrow, Nicole.”

“See you tomorrow, Steven. Sleep well.”

After one last luxurious kiss, I spun around and headed for the elevator, a sad, deflated feeling in my heart.

* * * *

“Good morning,” said Candace as she sailed into the office.

“Good morning. You look beautiful,” I dutifully told her. And she really did. The early morning facial made her skin look dewy, and she had on an elegant, form fitting dress that showed off her slim figure.

“Well, aren’t you sweet, Nicole.” She smiled, and then looked questioningly down at the box on my desk. “What’s all that?”

“All sorts of random stuff—clippings from magazines, brochures from auctions, various photos, sketches, paint chips, fabric swatches. I thought I’d take this box into the file room and try to sort it all out.”

“Great idea,” she said, practically shoving me out of the room.

Steven was due to arrive any minute and no doubt she wanted to be alone with him. Which was fine with me. It’s not that I was trying to avoid him or anything. I just didn’t want to have to face him with Candace looking over my shoulder.

I got to work on the box, and just a couple of minutes later, I heard Steven’s voice in the main part of the office. My heart started beating faster as I strained to hear what they were saying. After introducing themselves and exchanging a few words, I heard Steven say, “Is Nicole in yet?”

“Um… Yes, she’s in. She’s just in the back doing some filing. Now, Mr. Franklin, tell me. Do you have any themes in mind in terms of décor?”

Their conversation stayed on the professional track for the most part, although every once in a while, Candace would interject a bit of flattery or something. Like when she said, “Ooh, a home gym is an excellent idea. I’m sure it takes a great deal of hard work for you to maintain that wonderful physique of yours, doesn’t it?”

I shook my head and tried to concentrate on sorting through the box. I wasn’t trying to avoid Steven. I really wasn’t. It’s just that I was a little nervous about seeing him again. In just the few short hours we spent together, I’d grown alarmingly attached to him. That was why I skipped out on him and didn’t spend the night.

In any case, I needed to take a step back and appreciate that our magical night together was just a one-time thing. Once I got that through my thick skull, I’d be able to keep my cool when I saw him again.

They continued to talk about design schemes, and I continued to not get much sorting done. I found myself wondering… What if it wasn’t just a one-time thing? It’s not unheard of for relationships to grow out of casual hook-ups. But then I would chastise myself for being so fanciful. Steven Franklin and me? That wasn’t going to happen. Sure, he liked curvy girls, but he literally had millions of them to choose from, so why on earth would he choose me?

I perked up when I heard my name again.

“Is Nicole going to be back there all morning?” Steven laughed.

“I don’t know. Why does it matter?”

“I just thought she was very nice, and I’d like to see her again.”

Oh, how my heart glowed! I wanted so badly to wrap my arms around him right then.

“Oh my god,” Candace said. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Steven didn’t say anything—or nothing I could hear anyway—and a moment later, Candace went on to say, “You and Nicole. I can’t believe it. That’s so funny!”

I felt my face burn as embarrassment rushed all the blood to the surface of my skin.

“Why is that funny?”

“You know!” She said, and after a moment, she added, “It’s ridiculous. You’re…well, I mean, come on. You’re
you
, and Nicole’s a cow.”

“What?!” Steven thundered. “Nicole is sweet and kind-hearted and beautiful. The only cow here is you, Ms. Olsen.”

“What?!” Candace echoed him. “You’ve got to be kidding me. Is this some kind of joke?”

Her words trailed off as the sound of approaching footsteps overpowered them. Suddenly, Steven was at the door of the file room, and at the very sight of him, all those feelings of attachment I’d been trying to tamp down on? They all popped back up stronger than ever.

“Steven,” I whispered.

“Come with me, Nicole,” he said, offering me a hand. “You shouldn’t be working for such a nasty piece of work. You’ll find something else.”

I took his hand and allowed him to pull me to my feet, but I didn’t budge from the file room. Not yet, anyway.

“Steven, I can’t just up and quit. I’ve been working here for years. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.”

“Oh this is rich,” Candace said, shaking her head as she walked up to the file room and saw the two of us holding hands. “I can’t believe you, Nicole. How many other clients have you come onto with while I was away from the office? I won’t stand for that sort of unprofessionalism.”

“I can’t believe my ears,” I said, staring at her agape. “I’m not the one who had a facial at seven this morning to try to impress Steven.”

She stared right back at me without blinking. “Oh, you are
so
fired.”

“No, I’m not because I quit,” I said, and damn! Did that ever feel good!

Feeling buzzed—or maybe high on life—I flitted around the office, grabbing all of my personal effects while Steven looked on with a big smile on his face. After I got all of my stuff, I said toodle-oo to Candace, grabbed Steven’s hand and led him out of the office. That’s when it hit me what I’d just done.

“Uh oh,” I said to Steven. “I’m unemployed now.”

“Do you have any idea what you might want to do next?” he asked. “Any hopes and drams that need fulfilling?”

“Well, maybe, but I wouldn’t know where to begin. I did not think this through.” I laughed nervously.

“Did you work with Candace Olsen on the creative side at all?” he asked.

“Sure, all the time.”

“Well, then I might be able to help. At least for the time being.”

“Really?”

He nodded. “Obviously I’m not going to hire that shrew, but I still need somebody to decorate my condo. Are you up for it?”

“Sure!” I laughed.

“Excellent. I will, of course, pay you what her fee was going to be.”

“Oh, no, Steven. I couldn’t take your money.”

He just rolled his eyes. “I need an interior designer. You need a job. You’ve got the experience. It just makes good sense.”

He did have a point…

“And while you’re working on the condo, you can figure out what your next move is. Who knows? Maybe in a few months, you’ll be Candace Olsen’s biggest competitor. And a few months after that, you’ll have left her in the dust.”

“Ooh, I do like the sound of that.” I laughed. “All right, Steven. You’ve got yourself a deal. I would love to decorate your condo.”

“Nice doing business with you, miss,” he said, shaking my hand.