One Perfect Night: A Sports Romance (3 page)

When they broke apart, she was panting, her lips shiny and glossy, her eyes dreamy. Logan stroked his thumb down her cheekbone, admiring her smooth skin. “Come home with me,” he whispered.

“I…I don’t know.”

“I don’t usually do this either,” he told her. Not anymore, he added silently. “We don’t even…have to.” Logan might have wanted it, but he wouldn’t push Julie. If this was just him holding her all night and nursing his own arousal, he could do that. There was something about this woman that was unlike anyone he’d ever known, and he wanted more of it.

The elevator doors opened and Logan followed Julie to a small sitting area in the lobby. He sat beside her and hunched down a little, hoping to hide his erection and not garner any attention from passers-by.

“What are you looking for?” she asked him, “With me, I mean.” The direct question surprising him a bit. It was usually him asking that question.

“I don’t know,” he admitted. He had to be honest here or risk driving her away. Logan didn’t know how he knew that, but he did, as surely as he knew his heart was getting involved. “More time with you.”

“We can do that in daylight,” she replied. He believed her, but there was such a wistful smile on her face.

“Or we could do that now.” It was a chance he was taking, and he knew it. Julie wasn’t the type for one night stands with celebrities. He knew that from talking to her; and moreover a gut feeling that she was different from the other women. She hadn’t asked much about his game or his career and had seemed completely unfazed and uninterested by the excesses at the party. After a while, a guy got to understand what a gold digger looked like, and the sports groupies always made themselves known well before the sexual discussion got started.

“Logan…” She closed her eyes, and he watched her swallow hard. “Okay. Yes, okay.”

“You’re sure?” he asked quietly, heart pounding.

“Yes. Very.”

***

Julie was quiet as Logan drove to his house in Beverly Hills, the silence in the car relaxing. Logan turned on some music and watched as she hummed. She seemed a little carried away by everything, so Logan was more than ready to let her ride things out and work out whatever she needed to do.

This was pretty foreign to them both; he hadn’t been a player in so long. He hadn't been romantically involved with a woman since college. In fact, the last woman who had entered his house was his maid, and before that, his mother. Yeah, exciting life he led, wasn’t it?

When Logan thumbed the code that would open his gate, and he pulled up to his home, he wondered what Julie would think of his place. It was large enough for his needs, and it was also his and there was no way he would let it go. He might move to Des Moines, but his home would stay his. It would be an off-season sanctuary.

“Nice,” Julie whispered, stepping out of the car and looking up at his house. It wasn’t huge by LA standards, but it was perfect. Probably a bit too big for one guy, but someday maybe he’d raise a family in it. He could imagine the pitter patter of little feet, the sounds of children laughing.

The ache to be a family man took him by surprise sometimes.

“You’re beautiful,” he told her, taking her hand. “It aches how beautiful you are.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. The moonlight gave her an ethereal look, making her seem almost dreamlike. If he was a casting director, he would have filmed her just like this, her chin tipped up, an expectant look on her face.

Logan leaned in, cupping her cheeks and kissing her again. This kiss started out sweet and gentle, and when her mouth opened to his, he tangled his tongue with hers in rising passion. Logan reached into the golden mass of Julie’s hair and pulled the combs out, allowing it to flow down. Julie scrabbled at his jacket, seeming to want him to yank it off. Not yet.

“Inside, I take it?” he asked, quirking an eyebrow. She nodded, and Logan extended a hand, feeling a little exhilarated. He closed the gate and activated his perimeter alarm system before escorting her inside.

Julie stopped in the foyer, where the staircase curled up, a custom-made print on the wall. She walked over to the grand piano, not that he played any more, but he loved to tinker, and stared down at Fishyface.

“Is this your pet?”

“Myra saved up her allowance to get Fishyface for me. She’s a great kid.”

“Sounds it.” Julie wrapped her arms around her torso, and seemed a little nervous.

“Wine?” Logan asked, realizing he probably sounded more like Adam than himself.
 

“Now that sounds like a good idea,” she replied, a little smile on her face. Sometimes she seemed uncertain, but then her confidence bled through, and her body language opened up. She was an interesting puzzle.

Logan motioned Julie toward his kitchen and laughed when she gasped. Everyone—even his mother, who had a gourmet kitchen of her own—loved the warm atmosphere of the kitchen/sunroom. He watched Julie walk slowly around the room, taking in the floor to ceiling windows, the nook that he often used to rewatch plays, the shiny appliances that blended well with the cabinets and floors.

“This is amazing,” Julie said, drifting toward the wine fridge he’d had installed just before move in. Logan kept some of his better wines in the wine cellar, but anything he thought could be used quickly sat in the wine fridge.

“May I?” she asked, and when he nodded, she opened it up, selecting a fantastic Napa red from the fridge. He uncorked it, let it breathe, and turned on some music.

“This is my favorite area of the house,” he told her. “My sister and I grew up doing homework at the kitchen table, and I tried to bring a little of that atmosphere here. He poured their wine and they clinked glasses, sipping slowly, the silence comfortable.

An upbeat song faded into a slow romantic one, and Logan put his glass on the counter, reaching for her hand. “Dance with me.”

***

He had to be the most perfect man ever, Julie thought. Logan pulled her into his arms—his strong, capable arms, and she melted against him, the solid strength of his hand in hers grounding her. Though only her body, her heart was somewhere past cloud nine.

Julie allowed her head to drift onto Logan’s chest and she listened to his heartbeat, mingling with the strains of the song. Logan was humming it under his breath.

He smelled so good, spicy, and woodsy, not pretentious at all like some of the colognes made men seem. He was approachable and amazing and she couldn’t believe she’d found him at a stupid party she’d gone to with a man crazy friend.

Julie knew how this night would end—or at least she hoped she did. He was so perfectly amazing; he seemed interested in her, not her larger than average breasts, not the fact that she was pretty—why not own that instead of demurring that she wasn’t—not what she did, but as he’d said, who she was.

No guy in the history of time had ever started a conversation like that, did they?

And being near, feeling his gentle strength as she swayed in his arms was divine, making her body come alive after so long.

“Let me take you upstairs,” he whispered, his breath ruffling strands of her hair that were lying on her neck. That caress of air made her tremble. She was a ball of sexual need and if he did just the smallest thing, she might implode. Explode. Something-plode.

Julie pulled back from him, studying his face. “Please,” she whispered, tightening her grip on his hand. She wanted this, as crazy as it was, as uncharacteristic as it was.

She needed Logan.

He nodded, and she followed him up the staircase, leaving the wine behind. Someone would have to clean that up later, Julie thought, watching his perfect hard butt as he climbed the stairs. She was sure his bedroom would be just as magnificent as the rest of his home, a mix of traditional and modern, masculine warmth in every room.

She didn’t much care for the décor right now, not when she had this great, big, powerful man ready to take her to places she hadn’t even known she’d wanted to go earlier today. She’d fully expected that she’d be the one driving Belle’s car home and then picking her up the next day. But not…this.

Chapter 4

Julie was in a daze, as Logan stripped off his sport coat as soon as they got into the room. He flipped on the light and as her eyes adjusted to the room, he crossed it, pulling her into his arms. He was so massive, so huge, that she felt tiny and delicate in his arms. She pressed closer, feeling how aroused he was, and
 
acknowledging to herself how aroused she was in response. Her own panties were wet with need. She shivered and closed her eyes.

His mouth crashed down on hers, passion unleashed as he made love to her with his mouth. His hands caressed her shoulders, ran down her sides and squeezed her ass. Julie gasped, the coil of need between her thighs tightening. He didn’t touch her breasts, which was unexpected, but nice. She was sure he would explore those in detail soon.

But not now. Not when she was soaking him in, her body readying for what she desperately needed.

“Please, Logan,” she whispered, pulling back to stare into his eyes, grazing her nails over the shirt against his sculpted chest. His gaze was hazy, his lips a little swollen. “Please…”

Logan nodded, trembling hands yanking his tie off. He was shaking so badly that undoing the buttons on his shirt was a struggle, so Julie helped, their fingers fumbling together as inch by inch of his glorious chest were exposed. Tantalizingly slowly.

As soon as the shirt was parted, Julie slid her hands down Logan’s muscled biceps, taking his shirt along with them.
 

“Cuffs, sweetheart.”

Duh! Julie had somehow forgotten that in the haze of staring at that oh-so-gorgeous muscular torso. Unlike most men, Julie knew this muscle had been built up through a combination of work and gym effort.

A tiny bit of golden brown hair dusted his pecs, the finest line traveling over his abs, breaking over his outie belly button, and them merging again to form a fine line to where his arousal was tenting out his dress pants.

“They call this a treasure trail,” she whispered, fingers stroking over his skin. “And I think I know why.”

“You do?”

She looked up at him and nodded, torn between trying to be the seductress he probably expected, and her normal sexually-limited self. Logan undid his cuffs and let the shirt drop to the ground. “Why do they call it a treasure trail, Julie?”

“Because of what they find at the end. Kind of like a pot of gold at the rainbow, but this gift keeps giving and giving.”

He threw his head back and laughed, and Julie giggled right along. She bit her lip, wondering where this was going next. Her former sexual experiences had usually been with the guy stripping her clothes off quickly. Logan seemed to be savoring this, and Julie was a little unsure.

“May I?” he asked, motioning to her dress. Oh good, that was perfect. Julie turned, lifting her hair out of the way, and Logan’s fingers, then his mouth, traced over her nape.

Julie whimpered, shifting from foot to foot, her need and desire growing. Logan opened her dress slowly, kissing his way down her back until the dress was fully undone, and her panties were exposed. Which ones had she worn, Julie wondered, racking her arousal-addled brain.

Please not the torn ones, please not the…

“Beautiful,” he whispered, his fingers skimming over her backside. And she remembered. The cobalt blue bikinis, made of a silky cotton blend and purchased as a whim. When she’d slid them on today, she could never have imagined…

Logan kissed her gently at the base of her spine and her legs trembled. Her dress was held loosely on her, by the arms and the fabric against her hips. He kissed her spine again and she closed her eyes, awash in a sea of something she couldn’t identify and didn’t understand.

How was it that she was so attracted to this man, after so little time in his presence? She wasn’t the sort of girl to just sleep with a man like this. But Logan wasn’t just any man. In the past several hours, she’d gotten to know him, and she liked what she saw, what she felt him emanating. It wasn’t just charisma—other guys had that—there was something that spoke to her on a deeper level, one that showed how he connected with her in a way no man ever had before. It didn't seem to matter that they'd only met a few hours ago.

“Please make love to me,” she whispered. Julie felt silly saying it, but realized she meant the words. She had no interest in being a casual one night stand, but would take it, if that's all they had.

She wanted the sex to mean something to them both. She wasn’t a virgin, and she knew there was no way Logan was, but that didn’t mean that the first time with another person wasn’t special. Even though her physical virginity was not at issue, her emotional heart was, and that meant something. It would always mean something.

“I will,” Logan whispered. “I want to make this night unforgettable.”

She felt him standing up to press another kiss at the back of her neck. He wrapped his arms around her from behind, squeezing her tight, then he released her and pulled her dress down her arms.

Once it was free, it slithered down her body to pool at her feet. Julie stepped out of it, and turned to look at Logan and that torso she had admired gleamed in the light of the room; he dominated the space, calling her attention to him.

Julie moved in close, trying for more confidence than she actually had, and undid his belt slowly, pulling the tail through the buckle. He was straining his pants and was so obviously aroused that she swallowed hard, the truth coming home. She was going to have sex with a virtual stranger and she wanted it.
 

She really wanted it.

“Everything okay?” Logan asked softly, brushing her hair back.

“Oh yeah,” she replied, reaching up to give him a gentle kiss. She pulled his head down to hers and opened her mouth, allowing him entry. He probed his way inside her mouth, kissing her tenderly, a promise of passion and tenderness all wrapped up together.

When they broke apart, she swayed, looking up at him. His belt was partially undone and his hard cock had been pressing against her and it had been wonderful, just this side of heaven.