Caught (Men of the Show Book 3) (11 page)

His head came up and the sharp blue of his eyes had darkened with lust. The lines of his face were tight and strained as he continued to hold himself off, giving her whatever time she needed. The recessed lighting from the ceiling cast them in a spotlight and highlighted the thin film of sweat glistening on his chest and shoulders.

Matt broke into a tight smile. “You’re killing me, you know that, right?”

Shannon grinned in return, rocking her hips, and his smile dropped, replaced by a look of intense pleasure. “We wouldn’t want that to happen now, would we?”

She didn’t have time to react before Matt took over. With his fingers digging into her thighs, he plunged in and out of her without pause, the hard wall behind her colliding with her back. She was being thoroughly battered and it was wonderful.
 

His brows pinched and he held his bottom lip between his teeth as he concentrated on his task. Lifting his head, he trapped her in the power of his gaze, causing her to moan and push even closer to him. Releasing one hand from her hip, he pressed it against the wall as he widened his stance and leaned into her.

“You look so fucking hot,” he rasped next to her ear. “You have no idea how much you turn me on.”

His warm lips laid a soft kiss on her neck before gently nipping with his teeth. His hand slid down and found its way between them, his fingers teasing and stroking.

“Omigod, Matt. That feels so good,” she groaned which startled her. Had she spoken aloud?
 
She’d never been a talker and had no idea when she’d become one.

She must have because he rumbled deep in his chest as he picked up the pace. Shannon rolled her hips, meeting him thrust for thrust, and rocketed into the light rushing at her.

He responded with a low groan before stopping altogether and they both stilled, their chests heaving as they tried to catch their breaths and their racing hearts. Shannon dropped a leg from his hip and it hit the floor with a thud. She shoved her hair out of her face and turned toward him. Matt’s throat moved when he swallowed as his gaze passed over her. He shook his head and lowered his lips to hers, giving her a light kiss.

“That was amazing,” Matt said.

“I would agree,” she replied with a satisfied grin.

He glanced down toward his feet. “I don’t think I’ve ever had sex with my shoes on before.”

A gurgle of laughter bubbled out of Shannon at seeing they both still had on their footwear. “I guess it would have taken too much time to take them off.”

Matt kissed her again before he dropped her other leg to the floor and yanked up his pants. “Be right back.”

She ogled his incredibly toned and muscular back until he disappeared around the corner. Using the wall behind her for support, she tried to stand, and though she wobbled, she remained upright. She leaned down to grab her discarded clothes, adjusted her bra back in place, and staggered to the nearest chair.

Sitting, Shannon removed her heels before pulling up her panties and skirt. Matt returned as she started to button up her blouse. He’d removed his shoes, but had left his jeans on unfastened. They hung loose around his waist, and simply looking at him had her mouth watering.

“Uh, what are you doing?” he asked.

“Putting myself back together,” she answered.

“I see that, but why?”
 
Matt stopped her hands and started to unbutton her shirt again.

“Matt,” she protested weakly.

He leaned down to place light kisses along her jawline and down her neck. “Hmmm?”

“I need to go,” she insisted, but her words lacked fight.

“And why is that?
 
I’m not done with you yet,” he said as he stood upright and took her hand with his.

Shannon let him pull her into the moonlit bedroom. He stopped just inside the doorway and cradled her face. His mouth came down softly to hers as he led them into a slow, ravishing kiss, sending shivers of desire racing through her again. Her toes curled into the plush carpet and she was instantly lost.

“Don’t leave,” Matt whispered against her cheek.

Unable to resist, Shannon shook her head before his mouth reclaimed hers.
 

She gave a small yelp and threw her arms around his neck when he bent down to pick her up, walking them over to the side of the large bed. “Matt, put me down. I’m too heavy.”

He frowned at her. “Too heavy?
 
What are you talking about?
 
You don’t weigh anything.”

“If you hurt yourself so you can’t play baseball, it isn’t my fault,” she told him. “I warned you.”

Matt laughed. “I don’t think you need to worry about that. You honestly are not heavy.”

His muscles bulged as he walked them deeper into the room, but true to his word, he didn’t seem to be straining or ready to burst a vessel, so she relaxed a bit, loving the feeling of being smaller, for once, and cherished. She gave another small squeal when he dropped her, the duvet cushioning her fall. He stood next to the bed, quickly shedding his pants.

Matt sank down next to her, reaching to remove her skirt and underwear again before tossing them onto the floor. Her skin warmed and tingled everywhere he stroked and his gaze fell. She let out a blissful sigh and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her. His kisses started out soft and sweet, his movements slow and easy, but soon the flames between them burned high and hot.

Rising up on one elbow, Matt’s gaze sought out hers. If her expression matched his, then they were doomed. Completely overwhelmed with lust, need and craving, his eyes burned so hot that, somehow without asking, Shannon understood he’d never felt something as strong as this before. Just as she never had.
 

“Shannon,” was all he said as he twined his fingers on one hand with hers, resting them on the pillow above her head, and he didn’t have to say anything more. She knew and she agreed.

Chapter 10

No matter how much Shannon tried to focus on the work in front of her, she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering and replaying the night spent with Matt. To label it mind-blowing was the understatement of the century. Not taking into account her recent lack of exposure in such areas, she’d definitely never experienced anything on that level before and because of that, the one question that remained was how in the hell she was going to walk away.

When she’d left his hotel room that morning, they’d hadn’t said much, only kissed and parted ways, but it was no doubt on both of their minds, especially now with Thanksgiving being only a few days away. Matt most likely had plans to head home, even though he hadn’t mentioned anything, but it was fine. More than fine, actually. The separation was for the best, really. As much as she wanted to continue seeing him, any relationship with him was an impossibility. They lived in different states on pretty much opposite sides of the country and all of her time was dedicated to work. They’d spend more time apart than together. What relationship could survive that, especially one so new?

If he left soon to head back home to Arizona, that would be perfect. It would take the dirty work out of her hands. Matt would be home for the holidays and soon afterward, he’d head to Spring Training and back into baseball mode, which meant no extra time for him either. This was simply a fun, albeit short, fling, but it was time to move on and remember what their realities were before anyone got hurt.

Then why couldn’t she friggin’ concentrate on anything?
 
Shannon glanced at the clock on her desk phone and sighed. Perhaps because it was almost four in the afternoon and she’d been going straight since arriving early that morning.

She stood and stretched right as her assistant called her. “Hot and dreamy is here for you.”

Conflicting emotions surged through her. She wanted to smile and rush out to meet him as her skin flushed in memory of his touch, while at the same time annoyance and irritation nagged at how she’d given in, making everything a thousand times harder. It frustrated her that she had no willpower when it came to him. All he had to do was smile and she was through.

But she couldn’t be rude and ignore him, so she pressed the intercom button. “Send him in.”

A few seconds later, Matt walked in with a gym bag hanging over his shoulder.

 
“Hi.”
 
He leaned over her desk to give her a kiss. Shannon tried to resist, planned on only a chaste peck, but again failed and melted into him.

“Hi,” she replied when he broke off.

Matt glanced at the scattered papers and folders. “Still working?”

“Yeah, trying to finish up some things with this one case.”

“Are you close to being done for the day?”

“Um,” she said with a frown. “Why?”

Rather than reply, Matt hitched his head toward the door. “Let’s go.”

“Again, why and where?”

“It’s a surprise,” he said with a wide grin.

“Matt,” Shannon said in exasperation. “I can’t. I have way too much to do and I’m behind as it is. I appreciate it, really I do, but—”

“Not going to let you say no,” he interrupted, ignoring her irritation. “You need to get out of here for a bit. Work off some steam.”

“Matt…” she repeated, a bit more sternly.

“Do this and I promise I’ll let you work tonight afterward. Just take a break for a while…with me,” he added with his lopsided grin as he moved in closer to her.

Unable to stop herself, and with a smile tugging at her lips, she gave in. She didn’t know what this man had over her, making it so difficult to resist him. “Fine,” she said with a sigh. “Where are we going?” She walked over to her desk to turn off her computer and pack her work up to bring home with her.

He unzipped the bag he carried and pulled out a basketball. “You game?”

*
 
*
 
*

“I can’t believe you’re making me do this,” Shannon complained as they walked into the gym where Matt had reserved a court for them.

“I told you I wanted to see your game. Come on, it’ll be fun.”
 
Matt smacked her ass. “Go change and I’ll meet you on the court.”

Shannon rolled her eyes, but grinned at him and ducked into the women’s locker room. She quickly changed into her workout gear they’d picked up at her place on the way.

She found Matt in the gym, practicing his shot. He’d removed his nylon workout pants to uncover black basketball shorts topped with a tight black T-shirt, both snug in all the right places. She tried not to stare, admiring how the muscles in his arms and legs rippled as he moved, but it was hard. He was magnificent to watch, even more so than when he was in his baseball uniform. This was much better.

Shannon pulled her hair into a ponytail, then reached down to the floor to stretch, enjoying the view. He dribbled around some more before she finally stood and walked into his field of vision with her hands held up, asking for the ball.

Matt stopped and stared. After a prolonged pause, it made her uncomfortable. “What?” she asked.

He cleared his throat as his gaze lingered on her legs. “Those shorts look amazing on you. I’m not sure I’m going to be able to concentrate.”

She rolled her eyes despite being secretly pleased. “Just give me the ball.”

He passed it to her and raised one brow when she hit nothing but net from the free throw line. “Nice.”

Shannon shrugged as she attempted another, a jump shot this time. “A bit rusty,” she claimed, even though that shot went through as well.

“Rusty, my ass,” Matt laughed. “You haven’t missed yet.”

“Just luck,” she said with a quick smile in his direction as she ran over to the point, shooting again.

When the ball dropped through, he grabbed the rebound before she could. “I think practice is over.”

“Fine.”
 
She walked over to the top of the paint. “Check up.”

“Well, I guess it’s ladies first, huh?” he teased.

“Sounds good to me.”
 
She bounced the ball to him, which he returned. She hunched over as he did in defense, and planted her pivot foot. Her eyes stayed low as she tried to determine how she could drive toward the basket. His size was overwhelming, however, and once she committed in one direction or the other, he would be looming over her in an instant and she’d never get around him.

So, she did what she’d always done when faced with a bigger defender. Dribbling as she stepped back rather than forward, she went up and shot over his head. Despite being well behind the three-point line, the ball had the distance. Matt turned just as it swished through the net.

He dribbled the ball over to her with a big smile on his face. “That’s how you’re going to play it, huh?”

Shannon switched places with him. “I know my limitations, especially when the defender is twice my size.”

He laughed, but then he was on the move. He, however, had no qualms about driving for the basket and she attempted one swipe, her fingers flying through air as he blew past her. He jumped for a layup, gently placing the ball in the hoop.

“Where’s the defense?” he said with a playful smile.