Keeper (Alpha Athletes #2) (4 page)

T
he elevator carried
us to the twelfth floor. With each ding of the levels, my stomach did another flip. What in the hell was I doing? I was getting ready to spend my first night in Rio in the Olympic village. With Lachlan Kenzie.

I should be tucked into a nice, plush hotel bed with down pillows and crisp white sheets.

“What is your roommate going to say?” I asked nervously.

My belly twisted in knots. I felt as if I was sneaking into an all-boys dorm. I wasn’t eighteen anymore, but the feeling was the same. I was breaking rules. Crossing boundaries. Abandoning all my common sense.

“I don’t have one.”

I followed him down the hall.

“Why not?” I remembered reading something about how the athletes were paired together based on sports.

“The wanker didn’t want to room with me.”

I started to worry that the problems with Lachlan were greater and deeper than today’s headlines. Then I felt the panic of being utterly alone with the British playboy. Yes, a roommate would have been awkward, but at least I wouldn’t have been on my own.

He pushed the door open. I stared at the minimal amount of furniture. There were two twin beds covered in gaudy comforters decorated with whimsical sports logos, two night stands, and two plywood wardrobes. It wasn’t much to house the world’s best athletes. I immediately regretted not rescheduling this meeting for tomorrow. I wanted a hot shower and privacy. I wanted my hotel room and room service. I was starving and exhausted.

And I realized the way Lachlan’s dark eyes followed my every move had started to do something to me. I chewed my bottom lip nervously.

I walked toward the small, boxy window. The pools below were now illuminated. I could see the Olympic rings glowing on the bottom of each pool.

I turned around when I heard Lachlan’s gruff voice.

“Like the view?”

I swallowed hard, trying not to focus on the fact that I was in a small room with the notorious athlete. Alone. I could almost feel the heat radiating off his skin. There was no room to breathe in here.

I moved from the window and rummaged through my bag, looking for my notes on the Kenzie game, which was on the top page. “It’s fine. Not as nice as my hotel, but we have business to discuss.”

I sat on the edge of one of the twin beds. I noticed the sheets were still folded. Lachlan hadn’t made his bed. It looked as if his bag was untouched.

“Have you been here today?”

“No. First time in the room, actually. We moved in today. The team though it would show unity. I didn’t have much say.”

That explained why he went on a documented drinking and whoring spree through Rio last night. He knew it would be harder to party inside the fence.

“What do you think about the village so far?” I asked.

He walked toward me, towering over the bed. His body was lean and athletic. He may not have been disciplined in his personal life, but I doubted he ever skipped workouts. His arms bulged against the thin fabric on his short sleeves. I wanted to look away, but my eyes were glued to his toned limbs.

“I’m not much of a team player, Ms. Pitch. I don’t feel the need to be in the village. It’s a little rustic for my taste.”

“Are you saying you don’t care about being here for the Olympics?”

I was trying to figure him out. Focusing on his motives was better than getting sucked in by his rugged jawline and penetrating eyes.

“I’m only here because people like you want me here.”

I felt the jab at the reason for tracking him down. He had an open disdain for my position.

“People like me?”

“Yes.” His eyes glowered. “If I’m not at the games, it somehow costs you money. That’s all you care about. That’s why you’re here. Your puppet didn’t perform today so you flew down to pull his strings a little tighter. Polish him for the next performance.”

“That’s insulting.” I threw the open folder on the bed.

“But true.” He stared at me and I felt my pulse beat faster. “I don’t like being your puppet.”

“Puppet? I’m here to save the Kenzie game. Your game. You should be grateful someone is in your corner.”

“Grateful?” he scoffed.

I jumped off the bed. “Do you have any idea what kind of PR nightmare is in front of you? I read the latest on you while I was in the lobby. It’s gotten worse since I landed in Rio. You lost three sponsorships today. Three. And your agent. You might get sued by a sleazy photographer because you knocked him to the ground in front of a crowd of people. Your team apparently hates you and there’s talk you’re not even going to play after that stunt you pulled at the stadium today.” I pressed my hands on my hips. “You left your team before an Olympic practice. Who does that?”

“So, yes. Grateful. You should be grateful you have someone left who hasn’t dropped you like the toxic train wreck you are.” My hands flew to my mouth. I was worked up. It was a long anxious day of waiting and traveling. I said more than I should have. I instantly regretted it.

“Oh, God. I’m sorry.”

Once I started I couldn’t stop. Everything came tumbling out.

“Anything else?” he asked.

I shook my head. I had lost all professionalism. All composure. I couldn’t meet his eyes.

“If you’re done, I was thinking about taking a shower.” He tugged on the hem of his T-shirt and peeled it over his chest.

My mouth hung open.

He wanted me to see his perfect body. How it was crafted into sharp angles and ridges that met more planes of firm muscles.

He strolled across the room and turned on the light in the bathroom. The glow of lights behind him contrasted with his tanned skin and hair. His broad shoulders filled the doorway.

“But the game,” I protested. I knew I owed him a better apology—I had speared him.

“I’ll be out in a few, love.”

He closed the door and I stared in disbelief.

I heard the shower sputter to life on the other side of the door. I was out of my element. I was in over my head. Lachlan Kenzie was in control, and suddenly I felt as if I were back on that airplane getting ready to take off.

I
had
to stand under a cold shower. Her scent filled my room. I needed to wash the heat off my skin. I needed the cold water to calm my cock. I’d never been so turned on by a tongue lashing in my life. Her eyes sparkled and her pouty lips puckered and danced when she spoke. We didn’t even know each other, but it was clear I had gotten under her skin. And as hard as my dick was, she had gotten under mine.

Part of what she said was true. She might be my last chance. Rick was gone. The team hated me. All I had was this pretty girl from America, ready to throw everything in to save me.

She was the only one who rushed to Rio. The other companies had dropped me without a phone call. I didn’t want to know what that was going to cost me. No one else was here, but this fucking sex temptress who held the key to my fortune’s future.

I ran my fingers through my hair, soaping the strands with shampoo. The problem was I couldn’t think about my career. I couldn’t think about football. All I could think about was what I wanted to do with Aspen in my room. I’d never wanted a woman like this.

I leaned my forehead against the cool tiles. My dick was as hard as a rock. Fuck.

I turned off the water and reached for my towel.

Once I opened that door, she was going to lay into me about cleaning up my image. I’d heard it before. I knew the words before she said them. She probably had a five-point plan ready to go. But how could I concentrate on anything other than her sweet lips?

I wrapped the towel around my waist, not bothering to dry off. I opened the door, letting a wave of steam hit the bedroom before walking out.

“Oh my God. You have to put on some clothes.” Aspen shielded her eyes with her hands.

I chuckled. “It’s nothing you haven’t seen on any of the ads I’m in,” I taunted, standing in front of her. I knew she had been watching me like I had been watching her.

She had taken off her stuffy jacket. She slowly let her hands fall to her lap. “That’s not the same thing. This is real.”

I was ready to make it extremely real.

I crossed one wet arm over her and then the other. She wiggled backward on the bed so that I leaned forward.

“What are you doing?” Her eyes were wide, but I saw the lust in them.

I brushed my lips over hers.

“Tasting you,” I growled.

Her lips were soft and warm. I lingered for a second, inhaling her, breathing the same air before I slipped my tongue in her mouth, reveling in the way our rhythm quickly matched each other. I didn’t know a woman’s tongue could glide and twist like Aspen’s. It made me wonder what else she could do with it. She moaned as I pressed my body against hers, soaking the front of her silk shirt with shower water. She tasted like cinnamon laced with fire and heat.

“Fuck,” I growled, nipping at her bottom lip.

Her head leaned back and I made a trail along her throat, biting and sucking her tender skin. She made sexy purring sounds as my hands traveled over the curves of her hips.

“No, no, no.” She shook her head. Her voice grew louder.

I looked into her eyes.

“What’s wrong, love?” My hand squeezed the top of her thigh, working her skirt up.

“I’m here to get you out of the headlines.” She breathed heavily. “Not to become the next one.” She nimbly ducked under my arm and stood next to the bed faster than I expected. Her chest rose and fell rapidly. “I shouldn’t have… we can’t… I should go.”

I rolled on my back, trying to take a gulp of air. I was turned on by everything about this woman.

Her hand landed on the suitcase.

I jumped off the bed. “You can’t go out there. We’ll both have to answer for breaking curfew.” I grabbed the bag from her and returned it to the floor. “You don’t want that for either of us.”

Her shirt stuck to her skin. I could see the lace on her bra. My chest rumbled for her.

“I can’t stay here.” She shook her head. “This was a terrible idea.”

“Come on, love. No reason for you to leave.”

“I didn’t think this through. I should have waited for tomorrow. I was too rash in trying to fix the problem.”

“I like having a roommate like you,” I joked.

“I represent Revolution. You are one of our ambassadors. You can’t kiss me. You can’t seduce me. Is that clear?”

I felt the challenge root under my skin. Did she know who she was talking to? Did she know what her fiery speech had done to me? I was rash and impulsive. I took what I wanted and after one taste of her there was no doubt I wanted her.

I nodded. “I hear you.”

“We have to have a working relationship. Strictly professional. And because of that, I should apologize for what I said earlier about your character. I said more than I should have. It was out of line.”

She stepped away from the door.

“No apology necessary. I had a little time to think in the shower.” My eyes locked on hers. “I don’t see why it can’t be both professional and personal,” I explained.

She glared at me. “You don’t?”

“You want me to stay in line? That’s why you’re here, right? Revolution has invested a lot in me.”

“It’s one of the reasons. I have to protect this account. I have to protect the company’s assets. You’re one of those assets for the moment.”

I shrugged. “I would think if you want the asset to stay in line, you should give him a reason to stay in for the night.”

“Please don’t tell me you’re saying what I think you’re saying.”

My eyes narrowed. “We have common ground. That’s all.”

She gasped. “Are you serious? I’m not the company whore. I’m not here to entertain your needs.”

I laughed. “I don’t think you’re a whore, Aspen. I’m only giving you options. I’d never think that.” I stepped closer and heard her breath hitch. I ran my finger over her shoulder, slipping under the strap. “Just something to think about.”

“You are a complete asshole. Worse than an asshole. You’re a sexist, chauvinistic pig.”

But she didn’t move. Her feet remained planted while my finger moved over her collarbone to her throat.

“Is that right?”

She nodded. “It is. And I can think of more words to describe you.”

“I don’t think that’s necessary.” I wrapped an arm around her waist and locked it against her lower back.

“How about presumptive prick?” she suggested. “Or arrogant womanizer?”

I leaned to kiss the curve from her neck to her shoulder. She let out a long sigh.

“Keep going,” I urged.

My free hand unhooked the clasp on her bra and pushed it off her shoulders under her camisole. Her nipples rubbed the silk fabric. She had incredible tits.

“Bad boy… cocky…” she whispered.

I shoved the lace over her nipples. They hardened under my stare.

“Surely you have more,” I taunted her as my mouth latched onto her right breast and sucked it deep in my mouth.

Her knees buckled, but I held her steady with one arm while I bit and flicked my tongue over her hard peak.

“Oh, God.” Her hands fisted through my hair, pressing me closer to her chest. “Playboy,” she groaned. “Flirt…”

I was done with the games and the taunts. I scooped her in my arms. I hit the switch against the wall, throwing us into total darkness.

“Now, it’s my turn to do the talking.”

T
he room was dark
, other than the lights from the pool below. Lachlan lowered me to the bed in one steady motion, but my head was spinning.

I didn’t know what was happening. I was on my way out of the room—out of this building—out of the village—when he touched me. His hands were like dangerous weapons, cutting off my rational thought and bringing my body to life.

I lifted my hips as he tugged the skirt over my thighs and tossed it to the floor. He peeled my camisole over my arms. His towel was off and there was nothing between us but my pair of panties.

My eyes adjusted to the darkness and I could make out the beautiful contours of muscles on his body. My fingers traced over the ridges, sliding lower until I felt the hardness of his shaft on the tips of my fingers.

I inhaled sharply. It was massive and strong. I wrapped my hand around it as he groaned.

“Like that,” he coaxed me while I pumped over him with a gentle grip.

My thumb ran over the drop of dew on the head of his cock and rubbed it over the rest of his throbbing shaft. There was something else I wanted. I slid further down the bed until his rod of steel rested on my lips.

“Fuck,” he groaned with pleasure.

I smiled as I pressed the silky skin to my tongue, tasting the salty sweetness in my mouth. His chest rumbled before I opened my lips wider to allow him to push inside. I angled my throat, sucking him in deep. Lachlan thrust forward and I took him deeper than I had any man. I felt like a goddess—like a champion sucking and twirling my tongue while his hips rocked over me.

My body reacted like it never had before. I was turned on by how hard he was. He was so thick and solid. Strong and powerful.

He growled lowly and I knew my entire body was awakened with desire.

“This is fucking hot, love, but I want to finish off another way.”

I whimpered when he pulled out of my mouth. I loved sucking him. He leaned forward to kiss me. His teeth nipped gently and tenderly.

And then I realized what I was doing—what I had done. I just gave Lachlan Kenzie a blow job in the Olympic village.
Holy shit.
I had played right into his hands.

I sat up, bringing the sports comforter with me.

“What is it?” he asked, his voice gravelly and sexy as hell.

“We can’t. I can’t.” Every part of my body wanted him. But this wasn’t going to happen.

I ran into the bathroom and locked the door behind me. I slid to the floor, realizing it was wet with Lachlan’s foot prints.

I don’t know how long I stayed in that tiny bathroom, only by the time I opened the door, I could hear long breaths coming from Lachlan’s bed. I tiptoed to the empty bed that was supposed to belong to his roommate and pulled the covers up to my chin. It smelled like cheap polyester.

I couldn’t leave. I couldn’t run out of the village. I had to wait until the gates opened again and then I’d check into my hotel. I would have to work hard to reestablish my professional relationship with Lachlan.

Somehow I had fallen victim to his sexy bedroom eyes and his chiseled arms and chest. For a second, I had let myself pretend I was on vacation and had met my Rio fling. That second almost cost me everything. I was here to save my career, and maybe his in the process. I couldn’t be one of his conquests in the headlines.

* * *

T
he morning sun
blazed through the windows. I grimaced when I realized where I was. What I had done.

I looked next to me where Lachlan was still asleep. I carefully placed my feet on the floor and padded to the bathroom. I quickly brushed my teeth and washed my face.

The goalie was sitting upright when I emerged.

His hair was disheveled and it looked as if he hadn’t shaved in days. Damn it, he was almost completely irresistible. Almost. Who looked that sexy in the morning?

“What time is practice today?” I asked. I thought it was best to pretend like last night never happened.

“Ten,” he replied.

“Let’s discuss how things are going to go over breakfast. We can meet at the restaurant in my hotel. I’ll go so you can dress.”

He threw the covers back and I saw his naked body bound from the bed. I wasn’t supposed to stare, but I couldn’t help it. Last night in the dark it felt huge, but seeing it in the light of day was a different story. Lachlan was built like a god.

He stretched his hands over his head.

I bit my bottom lip to keep myself from reaching out and touching his warm skin. I had shut that down. I had to remember that.

“I made you an offer last night.” He walked past me.

My cheeks reddened. He wasn’t going to let me forget it. It had gone way too far.

“Last night was a mistake.” I shuffled through my suitcase, looking for something to wear. Something incredibly smart and sophisticated. Something that would speak volumes about the boundaries between us. “We need to focus on what’s important here—your reputation.”

“And what better way to repair my reputation than to have one woman to keep me focused?”

“I’m not a call girl, Lachlan. I’m the senior account executive for Revolution.”

He chuckled and I felt the need to smack his beautiful face. I didn’t have anything to back me up after I had gotten naked with him last night.

He hesitated in the doorway of the bathroom. “You’re missing out, love.”

I pulled a cream-colored dress from my bag and tried to shake the wrinkles from the fabric.

“Why, because I don’t want to be your whore for the next three weeks? What was I thinking?” I rolled my eyes.

“I’ve never asked a woman to spend that much time with me.”

I realized his tone wasn’t flirty anymore. He was serious. I looked up from my pile of clothes.

“What? Surely you’ve had a girlfriend.”

He shook his head. “Never. Not my style.”

“Really, you’ve never dated the same woman for a month? A few weeks, at least? High school? College?” This didn’t seem possible.

He leaned into the frame. “No.”

My heart leapt more than it should have. I felt a rush of excitement. How was that true? Almost every woman who crossed paths with him wanted to sleep with him. He had more sexual magnetism than a team of male strippers in Vegas.

“Why do you think that is?” I sat on the corner of the bed.

He shrugged. I wished he would put on some clothes, but he seemed content showing off his rock-hard body.

“Maybe I haven’t met the right girl.”

“Maybe it’s because you’re a player and no one girl is good enough for you.”

“Maybe that was true before now.”

Did I hear him correctly? “You’re feeding me lines. More of your asshole antics. Seriously, you’ve got to make some changes—” I started to lecture him when he crossed the room and pressed me back on the bed, shutting me up with a kiss.

My head spun and my knees shook. His tongue slipped between my lips and twisted along mine. He gripped my shoulders with strong, powerful hands.

“Love, you need to do this for me.”

I looked into his eyes, dark as coal. His entire body was pressed against me. His naked body, hot and firm. I sank into the bed.

“I don’t have to do anything for you, Lachlan. You got yourself into this mess.”

But my breathing was rapid and my core was quickly tightening. I could feel his erection pressed against my thigh. My body was unraveling faster than I could convince myself everything about his offer was unethical and wrong. Another part of me would even label it as dirty and cheap.

He wanted an Olympic mistress to keep him on track. Why couldn’t he stop boozing and keep his cock in his pants on his own? It seemed simple enough to me. He was here to represent his country and play soccer. Not get drunk and get laid every night.

“It seems like you might be the only person who cares if I get out of it.” His eyes lit with a new kind of fire.

He was crazy if he thought I was actually going to consider this ridiculous proposal.

“You should care. It’s your career too. You’ll lose your last endorsement. You could end up without a team. Without a dime.”

His hand was on the band of my pajama pants.

“Not if you help me,” he growled, lowering his head to my shoulder.

Shit. His tongue was like a flame licking my skin. I closed my eyes.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about. You’ve never had a girlfriend. It’s not a game to me. This is my future. I’ve worked hard to be where I am. Why would I risk that to get tangled up with you?”

The words came out of my mouth, but I didn’t know how. His fingers had pushed my elastic band out of the way. His fingers curled around the curves of my bottom, squeezing me closer to him.

I gasped at the contact. “Oh, God,” I whispered.

“I own you in here,” he growled. My eyes opened as he continued. “And you own me outside that door.”

Was he actually negotiating while he was getting me naked? The pants slid off my ankles. I guessed so.

“This is crazy.” I hadn’t agreed to do it, but I could feel which way my body wanted to go.

His hands made it hard to think. His tongue made it impossible.

“Three weeks. You’re mine for the next three weeks, and I’ll be your perfect football puppet. Strings and all.”

His fingers slipped between my legs and I groaned when he pried my slick folds apart, already wet from wanting him.

I nodded, although I wasn’t sure if I was agreeing to his arrangement or to the fact that I wanted him to make me come. The pressure was beautifully intense as he caressed my body.

“There’s no way it’ll work.” I didn’t think two people who liked to be in control so much could relinquish so much to a practical stranger. Was he going to hand me his career? Was I going to drop my suit and crawl in his bed every time he demanded it?

“You can pull my strings in front of the cameras. But in bed, I make all the rules.”

My body was consumed by an instant firestorm of want. “Okay. I’m yours in here.”

And just like that, I made the craziest decision of my life.