The Quarterback Sneak (6 page)

He ran his hands down her curves. Reaching
her ass, he pulled her closer, hoping the softness of her belly
would relieve the ache in his cock. Instead, he hardened to the
point of frustration.

God bless the press. They were the only
reason he wouldn’t toss Hayden into the backseat and have his
wicked way with her.

He wished he wasn’t giving the photographers
such a nice shot. He could already see tomorrow’s front page.
The Cougars’ star quarterback cradling something besides a
football in his hands—Hayden Middleton’s booty.

That didn’t stop him from deepening the kiss
as the flashes went off.

O
h. Dear. God. Liam knew
how to kiss.

Kiss? What an inadequate word to describe
the tender assault.

Every nerve ending of Hayden’s skin pricked
alive, every fragment of her being hummed with awakening. All.
From. A. Kiss.

She felt his hard-on press against her
belly. The size promised fulfillment in every way. So did his
tongue. Liam kissed her like he owned her. Controlled her. Mastered
her. With her mind numb, her body rendered weak, a heavy weight of
desire pressed down on her chest. She thought her heart had ceased
to beat. She slid a hand up to thread through his reddish-brown
waves. Melting into him, she sighed the last bit of air from her
lungs. For a moment she depended on him to keep her upright and for
the very air she breathed.

Then he broke away. She gasped, her lifeline
ripped from her.

Opening the passenger door, he said, “Get
in.”

Startled, she breathed on her own again, but
remained unable to move. He tapped her ass, nodded to the Hummer,
and then hoisted her inside. More flashes from the cameras caught
the action frame by frame. For once she didn’t care about
publicity. She didn’t dare look into the lens—afraid what the
photos might reveal. A blush? Dreamy eyes?

She looked anxiously to the driver’s seat,
waiting for Liam to slide in. Then what? She’d been on the
receiving end of sloppy smooches, halfhearted pecks, and rushed
kisses that only meant to lead to the main event. But Liam’s? She
could live off his kisses. Or die from them. If one kiss from him
could create this much havoc in her, then what would more do?

She’d warned her father she’d be a bad
influence on his star player. The PDA was so out of character for
Liam’s revamped Christian image. Apparently, her making out with a
spoonful of cheesecake had pushed the choirboy over the edge.

But instead of reveling in her success, a
twinge of unease fought with her normal devil-may-care attitude.
Liam started the car. “I think they bought it.”

What?
Had he only kissed her
senseless to prove to the paparazzi that the engagement was real?
Anger rose in her blood, but in truth she was more hurt than
mad.

He looked to her, seemingly unconcerned
about the paparazzi mobbing the vehicle. “I hope that wasn’t too
much of a chore for you?”

How clever of him to throw her earlier dig
back at her. But that’s not what annoyed her. That he didn’t appear
the least bit affected by the kiss did. “So what if you’re a great
kisser. It means nothing.” Damn, she meant to say
good
, not
great
.

“It means everything, Hayden.” His gaze
dropped to her lap. “Everything.”

Dear God, she was ready to drop her panties.
Well, if she were wearing any, that is.

“Speechless?” Liam laughed. “Score one for
me.”

It wasn’t fair. Not only was her plan to
drive him away not working, but Liam gave back as good as he got.
And he seemed to be enjoying that way more than he did kissing
her.

She fumed as he inched the tank like vehicle
through the horde of frenzied paparazzi.

“And Hayden. Don’t ever pull a stunt like
that again.”

“What stunt?” It was too dark to waste an
innocent flash of her baby blues. She’d play that trick later when
it counted for something bigger.

He threw her a sideways glance.
“Really?”

She thought about denying that she had
alerted her media contacts, but why lie about it? If he realized
his life would be a media circus, then maybe he would break the
engagement before something more vulnerable was broken—like her
heart. She could see herself easily falling in love with him. But
she wasn’t about to change who she was for him or any man. “I’ll do
whatever I want with the press. Get used to it.”

He pulled away from the crowd and sped down
the street away from the pursuit of several cars. “I was talking
about dessert. Don’t tease me like that again.”

Oh.
An awkward silence enveloped
them. Awkward for Hayden, anyway. She loved to be the center of
attention, the total opposite of Liam. How would they ever make
anyone believe he liked her, much less that he wanted to marry her?
That’s the whole point of this outing, isn’t it?
To prove
to Liam that a fake engagement won’t work?

When he pulled up to the curb in front of
her building, she tugged on the sleeve of his suit jacket. “You
don’t have to walk me up.”

“Yes, I do.” Liam nodded toward the two
photographers unsuccessfully hiding behind the large planters by
the entrance. While the doorman struggled to hold them back, he
slipped his hands around her waist and lifted her out of the large
vehicle.

Their gazes met. His eyes heated into molten
pools of amber. All the noise of the city faded away. She smiled,
realizing he wasn’t as unaffected as he pretended. He slid her body
against his as he slowly put her down. Would he kiss her again?

A photographer lunged, jostling the car
door, ruining the moment. Liam pushed the offender to the ground
and rushed her inside the building. The silence continued in the
elevator. Was he mad at her?

“Coming in?” She opened the door to her
apartment. If he was going to be mad, she might as well make it
count.

“No.”

“We’re engaged.” Her fingers danced up his
chest. “No reason why we can’t have a little fun.”

“Fake engaged. I made a vow.”

“Don’t tell me you’re one of those
born-again virgins?”

“A virgin?” Liam laughed. “Don’t worry,
Hayden. When it comes to a wedding night, my future wife will be
getting all the benefits of all my past experience.” He pressed her
hand flat against his heart. “Too bad you aren’t her.”

She slid her hand up to tighten his tie
until she nearly strangled him. “Fine. I’ll just use my
vibrator.”

With a smile, he loosened the knot, exposing
the muscular cords of his neck. “But you’ll be thinking of me.”

Damn.
She would be thinking of him.
She’d relive that epic kiss and fantasize about the rest. The way
he’d leisurely lick her body, his tongue playing with her tingling
clit, the feel of his cock pushing inside her. Caught up in the
vision, she didn’t notice his retreating back.

“Liam! Not even a kiss goodnight?” she
pouted.

He turned, his arms open and palms up. “Why
bother? There are no cameras around for you to play up to.”

“Hey, you’re the one who kissed me,” she
shouted down the hall. She winced, hoping none of the neighbors
were disturbed by the commotion. Hayden was on probation for that
too. One more incident and the co-op board would live up to its
threat to force the sale of her penthouse.

Liam poked his head out the elevator doors.
“Hey Hayden.” He blew her kiss. “Catch.”

She fisted her hands and stomped her foot.
How dare he remind her of his non-proposal! She slammed the door.
To hell with her neighbors. And to hell with Liam McQueen.

A
s the team owner’s
daughter, the first game of the season was always a little
nerve-wracking for Hayden. But as the quarterback’s fiancée, the
stakes were even higher. At least it got her back into the father’s
good graces. After her last arrest, he had banned her from the
stadium.

Hannah Hahn and Angel Burner lounged in the
owner’s box as usual, while the other wives and girlfriends sat in
a reserved area outside. Preferential treatment was given to the
supermodel and her friend, neither of whom liked Hayden.

Technically she was one of them now. Hayden,
however, had never been very nice to the wives or girlfriends of
the players.

But she needed to make nice now.

Last year, Samantha Jameson would’ve made
the twosome a trio. Her husband, Ryan Terell, had retired at the
end of last season. Hayden knew what the public didn’t. Headaches
had sidelined the tight end, not his aging knees. The doctors
warned the veteran player that another hit to the head could
possibly end more than his career. Hayden wondered how he was
handling retirement.

Perhaps this was a way to break the ice with
the two wives.

Hayden stalled for a moment but knew that
she needed to make the effort. She stepped down and took a seat
across the aisle. After saying hello and receiving no response, she
asked, “How are Samantha and Ryan?”

Hannah didn’t look over. “They’re fine.”

Not promising. It felt like the temperature
in the room dropped fifty degrees, as though they were sitting
outside in the middle of winter instead of watching from a
climate-controlled room in the beginning of September.

“And how’s Gabby, Angel?” Hayden bit her
lip, not sure how her query about Angel’s young daughter would be
received. Out of all of the wives, she’d given Billy’s wife the
hardest time. But who wouldn’t be dubious of a woman who out of the
blue slapped a paternity suit on a professional football
player?

“She’s fine.”

Apparently Angel was taking Hannah’s lead.
“Look, I’m sorry I was such a bitch to you last season.”

Angel looked to Hannah who shrugged.

“I’m sorry I ran out of your wedding. Liam
was being such a jerk.” Hayden had represented the Middleton family
at Billy and Angel’s wedding. “Did you know he smacked my ass, damn
hard, then pushed me out onto the dance floor?”

“Just in time for my bouquet to hit you
square in the head.” Angel giggled.

Hannah joined in. “I must’ve viewed that
clip on YouTube a hundred times.”

“The whole world did.” For the first time
since the incident, Hayden laughed about it.

“Is that when your secret love affair
started?” asked Angel.

Secret love affair?
Before the night
at Marini Madness, she’d run into Liam since the wedding, but he’d
always been the same disapproving pain in the ass he’d always been.
Hmmm.
Kind of like the adult version of a little boy pulling
a little girl’s ponytail on the playground. Did Liam like her? She
laughed, shaking her head with the realization. “Yeah, I guess it
did.”

Not wanting to dwell on the crazy idea that
Liam had feelings for her, she plucked two small paper bags from
the counter. She was eager to change the subject. “Have you tried
the Cougar Jax yet? It’s a new recipe that I’m thinking of adding
to the candied nuts division.”

“I can’t. Carbs.” Hannah held up her hands
as if the mere sight would add a pound or two to her svelte
frame.

Angel grabbed a bag. “Yeah, but I can.”

“Who’s the bitch now?” joked Hannah.

The three women laughed like they were old
friends.

“Now let’s see that ring,” Hannah said.

The request was music to a girl’s ear.
Hayden stuck out her hand and they ooo-ed and ah-ed over the size,
color, and art-deco setting. She almost felt like one of them, but
she really wasn’t, was she? Their husbands loved them. Married them
because of that love. Hayden’s engagement wasn’t real. She doubted
she’d ever be married like them. Or loved.

Perhaps if she were more like them, Liam
might fall for her too. Maybe if she lost twenty pounds? Maybe if
she kept her opinions to herself? Maybe if she developed an ounce
of maternal instinct? Maybe if she read the Bible?