Homewrecker (Into the Flames #1) (10 page)

He thrusts into me one final time before stilling. I feel him swell and throb inside me as he comes. That's when I realize just how screwed I am, because if anything, this time was even better than the last, and this solved nothing. All it did was cement the need to have him inside me again.

"Shit," he mutters as we try to catch our breath.

The crowd above us starts to scream again, letting us know the teams are back on the field. Pulling out of me, Dixon leaves me feeling empty and confused as we situate our clothes. He kisses me roughly before shuffling me off to the restrooms to get cleaned up so we can get back to our seats before anyone notices we're missing.

By the time the game is over I am hoarse from screaming, Gunnar is soaked from the cooler being dumped over his head, and we are one winning game into the season. Thoughts of what Dixon and I did beneath the bleachers run through my mind on replay. I attempt to push them from my mind, wanting to just sort through them another day, but they don’t completely fade. Especially not with Dixon watching me and the look in his eyes says he isn’t forgetting about it anytime soon either. It’s only made things more confusing for me and he doesn’t look much better.

The minute we spot Gunnar coming out of the locker room, he smiles and holds out his arms for me. Forcing a smile, I remind myself why I’m here. Gunnar, this is Gunnar’s night. I won’t ruin it by letting him think there is anything going on. I don’t want him to notice that my mind is racing with a million different thoughts that would all hurt him if he could read it.

Pulling my hand free from Dixon’s, I run and wrap myself around him. “Great game, Coach.”

Dropping his bag to his feet, Gunnar wraps his arms around me. “Thanks, it was a helluva third quarter. Had me sweatin’ bullets until I put Chapman in the game.”

Dixon throws up a hand and waves before disappearing into the crowd headed for the exit. “Where’s he runnin’ off to?” Gunnar asks, wrapping an arm around me.

I shrug. “Who the hell knows? It’s Friday night, he’s probably got something lined up.”

“Or someone.” Gunnar chuckles, leading me down the field toward the lot beside the field house where he parks his truck. “I wouldn’t trade places with him for anything,” Gunnar says kissing my cheek. “I’ve got all I could ever want right here.”

“Take me home, Coach. It’s time to celebrate your big win.” Flinging open the driver side door of Gunnar’s truck, I hop in and scoot over to make room for him.

The entire drive home, Gunnar drums his thumbs on the steering wheel, the adrenaline from the game still pumping through his veins. It is a drug to him, always has been. The thrill of chasing the win. He knows what each player is capable of and pushes them beyond it, making them better. Making them winners all while he stands on the side lines proud as hell of every kid who suits up.

Stopping through a drive-thru, we grab bacon cheeseburgers, fries, and vanilla milkshakes before heading home. The minute we walk through the door, the phone is ringing off the hook. “You might as well grab that, Coach. It’s for you anyway.”

“Yeah, then we can find a movie. I want to spend the night enjoyin’ my wife,” he says with a wink. Shit! I can still feel and smell Dixon on me. Gunnar tosses the bags to the counter before grabbing the cordless phone from the base. “Hello?” he asks, as I round the counter. “Oh hey, Dad! Yeah, it was a great game.”

I mouth to Gunnar that I’m going to head in and shower before I eat and he waves me off with a nod. Heading up the hall and into the bathroom, I make quick work of stripping off my clothes and climbing into the steaming hot water as fast as I can. Gunnar could easily talk to his dad all night, but I’m not taking any chances on him slipping in behind me before I feel clean again.

Yeah, like that will ever happen. The moment Dixon put his hands on you, he left his mark, an invisible scorch that you can’t wash away no matter how hard you try. You won’t be able to run from this, Kennedy, not now.

Pressing my forehead against the cool tiles, I let the hot water run over me, washing away tonight’s betrayal. The only problem is, nothing can clear away the visons burned into my brain. Images that as much as I know I should want to forget, I can’t. I felt like a different person. I
was
a different person, and with all the thoughts waging war inside my head right now, I’m afraid that I’ll never be the same again.

Just as I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around me, Gunnar opens the door and yanks his shirt over his head. “Hey, I was hopin’ you were still in there,” he says, waggling his brows. Wrapping his arms around me, he kisses the tip of my nose. “I’ll be five minutes. Meet you on the sofa.”

The rest of the night is spent curled up under a blanket watching Adam Sandler movies while we eat our late dinner and toast Gunnar’s first official win as coach with milkshakes. Forcing myself to relax and enjoy a rare date night with my husband during football season, I lie back between Gunnar’s legs and push Dixon from my mind, falling asleep as his fingers run through my hair.

Yanking open the blinds, I let the sun into our dark bedroom. Gunnar groans, pulling the covers over his head, and rolls onto my side of the bed. “Kennedy, come on, babe, it’s Saturday.”

Jumping onto the bed, I bounce across the mattress. “It’s Saturday! Get up, sleepy ass, we’re going to have some fun.”

“Lyin’ in bed with take out and a Netflix movie marathon sounds like a great way to have fun,” he mumbles into the pillow. Reaching an arm out from under the covers, he grabs my waist and yanks me beneath him. “Especially if we’re naked.”

When I woke up this morning, all I could think about was getting out and having fun with Gunnar today. Away from the house, out of town, and just have us time. No, phones, no work, nothing that will get in the way. I want to prove to myself that all we need is us. I know that if I try hard enough I can find a way to be happy with this and that I don’t need anything Dixon can give me. I need to clear my head and there is only one way to do that.

“I need water, Gunnar.” Running my fingers along his bare arms, I stare up into his eyes, silently begging him for this. “Fresh air, the cool water, and the sun. Let’s go to the lake.”

“The lake, huh?” he asks, arching a brow.

Smiling up at him, I nod. “Come on, you know you want to go just as much as I do. It’s perfect out and we won’t have many more of these weekends since it’s getting cooler. Just us and no phones.”

Leaning down, he presses his lips to mine as he settles between my thighs. “How in the hell can I say no to that?”

I get lost in his kiss. Cupping his face in my hands, I pull him to me to deepen the kiss. Gunnar parts his lips, brushing his tongue along mine as he slides his hand down urging my thigh around his hip as he rolls his pelvis.

His lips leave mine, trailing along my jaw towards my ear. My eyes flutter closed at the soft feel of his mouth and fingers, but I wait for that burst of passion to erupt through him. Don’t get me wrong, I love how he worships me, but at times, I know it’s not all he wants. He holds back. Part of me wonders if it’s something wrong with me, but I dismiss most of those thoughts quickly. Surely, if that were the reason, he would tell me.

Right?

“Ugh,” he groans, burying his face in my neck. “We’ll never get through the weekend lake traffic if we don’t get on the road.” Pressing a kiss just behind my ear, he rolls off me and climbs out of bed. “My girl wants to go to the lake, who am I to argue with that? A wet wife, beer in my hand… Yeah, sounds like a great way to spend the day.” Heading into the closet, he tells me to pack a lunch for us and to be ready to leave in twenty minutes.

Since I already have my suit on under my pink tank and jean shorts, I slip on my flip flops and head into the kitchen to pack up. Stocking the cooler with sandwiches, water, and beer, I pull the heavy thing to the door for Gunnar then set about grabbing a blanket, towels, and sunscreen.

By the time I’m done stacking everything by the back door, Gunnar walks out in his trunks and an Indians Football t-shirt. “Ready, babe?” he asks, grabbing a small bottle of apple juice from the fridge and a granola bar from the cabinet.

“Yeah,” I reply, grabbing the bag from the counter. “Let’s get out of here.”

Once the truck is loaded, we gas up, and head out of town. Windows down and radio blaring, we burn up the highway until the office buildings and big brick houses turn into log cabins and barns on rolling hills. Out here, the paved interstates and hustle and bustle of the always buzzing tri-city area is a distant memory. Two lane roads turn into dirt, but I love it. It’s quiet and there’s nothing but us, the road, and Luke Bryan rocking through the speakers until we pull up at the shore of Cherokee Lake.

People fly by on jet skis and boats, but Gunnar passes them, along with the guys fishing on the banks. Following the old dirt road, he turns off onto a trail and parks beneath a tree so that the back end of the truck faces the water. “This good?” he asks, turning to look at me.

“Yes, perfect.” I nod, and fling open my door.

Shutting off the engine, he climbs out, lowering the tailgate as he rips his shirt over his head and tosses it into the bed of the truck. Hitching my leg up, I start to climb up into the bed but Gunnar’s arm wraps around my middle. Whipping me around, he hoists me over his shoulder, clamping his other securely over my ass. Then we’re moving. Fast.

“Gunnar!” I scream, my body bouncing against his as he charges away from the truck and toward the water.

Leaping from the bank, he laughs as the water splashes us. Swatting me playfully on the ass, he dumps me off into the water. Standing to my feet, I gasp and sputter, wiping my wet hair from my face to glare at him. “I can’t believe you just did that,” I say, even though I should expect it by now.

A huge, playful smile spreads across his face, his dimples on full display. “You said you needed water, baby. I’m just gettin’ you wet.”

Pulling my wet tank over my head, I toss it onto the bank of the lake and take a step toward Gunnar. “Is that so?” I purr, reaching out to run my hands up his bare chest. Looking up into his eyes, I tug at my bottom lip with my teeth. “Wanna know what’s better than gettin’ me wet, baby?” I ask, feeling his heart beat rapidly beneath my palm.

Leaning down, he parts his lips, his tongue running along his bottom lip. “What’s that?” His eyes darken and he studies me, just waiting for me to kiss him.

Leaning up on my toes, I brush my lips over his, slowly. “This.” With both hands, I shove his chest as hard as I can as I wrap my leg around the back of his knees causing them to give. Gunnar’s eyes widen as tumbles backward, but not before grabbing me and dragging me with him.

I scream in surprise as he pulls me under with him again. “I think you’re askin’ for it, Kennedy,” he says, standing to his feet. Pulling me flush to his chest, Gunnar smiles. He’s so carefree and playful today. All the stress from the team and life in general is gone. We’re just us and that’s what I wanted today.

“I love you, Gunnar.”

Urging my legs around his waist, Gunnar presses his lips to mine. His mouth opens, playfully kissing me. He only gives me so much before pulling back. Then he cups my face with one hand to deepen it again, while the other remains on my soaked denim-clad ass. He repeats the process, teasing me with slow licks and swipes of his tongue. My hands go into his hair, tugging the overgrown strands that are now beginning to curl over the polo shirts he wears when he’s teaching.

“I love you too,” he mumbles into my mouth before he falls backwards, taking us both under again. This time, I don’t scream. I get lost in my silly husband and enjoy my water.

Later, my head is resting on Gunnar’s lap as we relax on the blanket in the bed of the truck. While he eats the last of his sandwich and drinks a beer, I stare out at the water and I tell him all about my week at the store with Lynsey and Mark. There is never a dull moment there, so I have plenty to tell, which has him laughing and shaking his head a lot.

“I can’t believe some of the questions people ask when they come in.” I giggle, feeling my face flame. “I was nowhere near prepared to explain which position would be best for an XXL anal torpedo. Not like that thing has been in my ass.” Looking up at him, I gesture with my hands just how big that big fucker is.

Gunnar’s eyes widen, a blush spreading across his cheeks. His fingers run along my hair, brushing it away from my face and neck. “I’m surprised Lyn didn’t video tape that.”

“I’m sure she did.” Gunnar’s phone goes off behind him, making me scowl at him. “I thought we said no phones.”

He shrugs, pressing the button. “Hey, man. What’s up?” Gunnar listens for a minute, his hand still running through my hair. “Yeah, man. Kennedy and I drove up to the lake. Just hangin’ out for the day and shit. Nothin’ major.”

Lying there, I enjoy of the feeling of his hands on me while trying to ignore that Gunnar is taking a call from a buddy on our alone day. That is, until Gunnar’s entire body freezes. “Who was doin’ what beneath the bleachers?”