Playing for Keeps: Harford Scarlet Series Read online

  ‘The night?’ She gasped as realisation dawned: they’d both made sure it was safe to stop using condoms, and this would be the first night they didn’t have to be so careful. She could straddle him, ride him and stay for another go when he hardened again. Her eyes widened as her inner muscles fluttered once more. ‘I don’t know,’ she demurred, ‘I quite enjoyed the fun we had putting them on.’

  ‘So did I, but stop looking at me like that,’ he warned. ‘Any more and I won’t be responsible for my actions – I’ll be throwing you over my shoulder and carrying you out of here. Which won’t be easy with my cock as hard as it is now.’

  ‘OK,’ agreed Sarah dumbly. Her gaze dropped to the bulge in his jeans.

  ‘Sarah!’ he growled.

  ‘OK!’ She tore her eyes away and consciously tried to ignore her arousal, focusing on her neglected drink instead. A few seconds later, she heard him exhale heavily and they were both able to rejoin the conversation, finding their absence had not been noted. The pub was quieter and less rammed now, as many people had left for nightclubs or home. Sarah gradually moved away towards Clare and Danny who had separated from the rest of the group and were sitting at a table.

  Clare looked up and smiled as she came over. ‘Hiya, you wanting to make a move? I’ll just grab my jacket and we’ll be off. Thanks for the chat, Danny.’

  ‘Nice to talk to you. I’ll call if you fancy that drink.’ Danny looked disappointed to see Clare leaving.

  ‘If you like,’ replied Clare offhandedly. ‘Cheerio. Right, Sarah, let’s go.’

  They passed the Harford crowd who said their farewells, with Tom giving Sarah a particularly hot look, and escaped into the cold night air.

  ‘I don’t know about you but I’m off home; flirting and leaving them hanging is hard work.’ Clare said with a grin as they reached the end of the dim passageway. ‘Well, I do know about you – he’ll be chasing you up your road in a few minutes.’

  ‘I said for him to give me an hour.’

  ‘You’re deluded if you think he’s going to wait that long. Goodnight, and have a good one. Or several.’

  Clare chuckled as she walked off in the direction of the station. Sarah watched her go, then turned for home.

  A voice came out of the dark beside her. ‘Were you really going to make me wait an hour?’

  ‘Perhaps. Not carrying on with the boys, then?’

  He fell in to walking beside her. ‘I only have a couple of beers when I’m playing. The others are injured or not due to play next week so they’ll be out for a bit longer. Now, enough about them, it’s time to get back to yours.’

  ‘As you wish.’ Sarah increased her pace, forcing Tom to keep up. ‘Got anything special in mind?’

  ‘Making you pay further for winding me up and for flirting with other men?’

  ‘I like the sound of that. Lead on, Macduff.’

  Chapter Six

  The following Saturday, Harford Park’s game was away, up in the north of England. Earlier in the week, Sarah had spoken with Clare who was travelling up on the supporters’ coach and would be meeting up with some old friends for the game. She herself had decided not to go; she’d already covered lots of miles that week and couldn’t face another arduous journey, good company or not.

  She also hadn’t seen Tom since the previous week when, instead of staying for most of Sunday, he had left rather abruptly in the morning without even kissing her goodbye. She thought that this might be a sign that the burning attraction he’d felt for her was waning, that she’d pushed him too far. His thoughts had definitely been somewhere else that morning. He hadn’t been in contact for the whole week – not even a text or a late-night call. She reasoned that he wouldn’t miss her for the day; she hardly saw him at away games anyway.

  Sarah decided on an alternative plan: to go to watch another, lower-division local team that included two ex-Park players. There were some familiar faces in the crowd who welcomed her: other Park supporters who, like her, hadn’t been keen to make the long trip north. She met Nick and Sam in their club bar afterwards, receiving smacking kisses on the cheek. Both tremendous flirts, they were on great form.

  Nick slung his arm over her shoulder. ‘So, when are you going to allow me to take you to bed?’ he asked in a playful “whisper”, loud enough for all to hear.

  Sarah giggled. ‘When Ireland win their second Grand Slam of the century, I think I said.’ Ireland had recently won their first since the middle of the previous century, despite coming close several times.

  Nick groaned. ‘Are you sure one won’t do?’

  ‘Nope, it has to be two Grand Slams. To be sure, to be sure.’

  They all laughed, mostly at Sarah’s attempt to mimic Nick’s Irish accent.

  ‘Makes me wish I’d taken my rugby career seriously instead of going into the City,’ grumbled Nick. ‘I’m sure I could’ve got into any number of Irish sides if I’d been a professional.’

  ‘Nah, you’d have had to stay in Ireland and we wouldn’t have had the pleasure of your company for the last five years.’ Sam ruled it out. ‘Besides, green’s not your colour. And I know how much you like the English girls who, with a touch of the blarney, tumble into your bed.’

  Nick playfully punched Sarah on the shoulder. ‘Not this one here – she’s still blarney-resistant.’

  ‘She is also not English,’ grumbled Sarah.

  Sam turned to her. ‘So, you still free and single, though? You know how mean it is to get our hopes up just to be dashed when you go home alone again.’

  ‘I’m sure you boys will find two nice women soon enough.’ Sarah avoided directly answering his question.

  ‘Yes, to rub in our liniment. But they won’t be able to explain the offside rule or what’s legal in your common-or-garden ruck.’

  ‘Sounds like you need a combined referee-slash- girlfriend.’ Sarah lifted an eyebrow at Sam.

  ‘Well, at least she’d have experience of blowing something.’ They all laughed again.

  The evening continued with a fair degree of ribald humour. Sarah relaxed and had a great time, although she had to prevent her glass from being topped up several times as the beer flowed.

  It was getting late and the crowd had thinned out when they heard the main entrance door crash open. Everyone turned around in surprise at the unexpected commotion. An exceedingly furious-looking Tom stood in the doorway of the bar. His blazing gaze searched out Sarah and, on seeing Nick’s arm casually draped around her shoulders, he appeared to snarl. He stalked towards their small group.

  ‘You. You’ve been here all day? With him? How could you? And after last week?’ He pulled Sarah towards him and she squeaked in protest.

  ‘Tom –’

  Her voice was abruptly cut off as he slammed his mouth down on hers, his hand cradling her head. She fought for a moment, hands against his shoulders, body squirming, until she melted into him.

  He lifted his head. ‘You’re coming with me,’ he ordered.

  Sarah nodded mutely and looked around to apologise to Nick and Sam. They stood dumbstruck behind her, pints forgotten. ‘Sorry, boys, I need to go. I’ll introduce you to Tom another day when he’s feeling more sociable.’

  Nick found his voice. ‘So, I guess me taking you to bed is out of the question?’ He grinned nervously.

  Tom snarled beside her and swung into action, hoisting her over his shoulder in a fireman’s lift and carrying her outside. Nick and Sam followed them out, laughing openly at her predicament. They both waved cheerfully as he hustled her into a waiting taxi and gave the driver an address.

  Tom and Sarah sat in tense silence, his arm wrapped possessively around her, as the cab negotiated the streets. After half an hour, the vehicle pulled up at a modern, exclusive-looking development. Tom shoved some notes at the driver and shepherded her up a few steps. He unlocked a stout entrance door which led to a gilded foyer, and guided her inside a swish lift. Once the doors opened, he picked her up again and strode through a coupl
e of rooms to a dimly lit bedroom. He lowered her down onto her feet on a lushly carpeted floor.

  ‘Strip,’ he commanded her, and started hauling his clothes off.

  Sarah blindly followed his instructions, dispensing with her top and bra. She unbuttoned her jeans and sat down to pull them and her boots off. She looked up to see Tom staring at her breasts. He was totally naked and fully erect. He stroked himself with one hand. She caught his hot eyes and stood up, wriggling out of her panties.

  ‘Like what you see?’ she taunted.

  He growled and came at her, his arms lifting her up and into his body

  He pulled back the sheets on a king-size bed and dropped her in the middle, following her down. He kissed her hard and set about seducing her to a mindless bundle of scrambling nerves.

  He clasped her breasts, nibbling at the yielding undersides and the swollen nipples begging for attention, squeezing them firmly before teasing her with his tongue. Sarah’s hands fumbled on the sheets then held his head in place as he suckled her.

  ‘I know you like your breasts squeezed firmly –’ his breath gusting her damp nipples added to the action of his hands made her purr with pleasure ‘– I’ve seen you do it to yourself.’

  She whimpered and pleaded, lost in sensation. His hands moved down to tickle her thighs. As she wriggled beneath him, he pulled open her legs and pressed himself against her, then flipped her over onto her hands and knees. He tempted her from behind, one hand on her engorged breasts, alternating between pinching, scratching and pulling the nipples, the other moving between her legs. She shoved herself back at him, grabbing hold of him and forcing him inside her.

  He laughed throatily and pulled back out – out of her reach. ‘Not yet, darling.’

  He wrestled with her until he held both of her hands in place on the bed with one of his giant paws. Sarah screamed with frustration. She could feel him almost touching her, almost inside her but pulling slightly back with every urgent jerk of her hips. ‘You bastard! Stop teasing me.’

  ‘If you want me, you must ask really nicely.’ He dipped into her slightly and pulled back again.

  ‘Please, Tom … Tom, please. Get inside me – oof!’

  He slid slowly into her and Sarah went wild, trying to force him to go quicker. He resisted, moving slowly back and forth, back and forth. She sobbed. ‘Faster, Tom – Tom, please – please – faster. Ahhh!’

  ‘No, I’m in control and this is going to be slow.’ He nipped at her nape, exposed by her hanging hair. Licked her shoulder. ‘Tell me, who do you want? Who do you want inside you?’ he whispered huskily into her ear before he dragged himself out of her sheath again.

  ‘You, Tom. I want you inside me. I’m burning for you. I need you so much. I can’t resist you.’ Sarah’s brain was swimming in sensory delight.

  ‘Say that again – once more with feeling. How long have you wanted me for?’ He teased her, touching her lightly, letting his manhood graze her twitching core.

  ‘Tom, I beg you … please come inside me … please take me.’

  He was ruthless. ‘Answer the question: how long have you wanted me for?’ He pressed against her for a moment, causing her hips to buck back at his.

  Sarah started gabbling in desperation. ‘I’ve always wanted you, Tom: for ever and always. Always.’

  With a triumphant laugh, he finally pushed all the way in and Sarah clutched him and came fiercely, arching in ecstasy. He clamped his hands on her hips and built up a fast, frantic pace until he exploded in a violent rush while she continued climbing another peak of bliss, tightening around him. They subsided onto the bed, his arms holding her to him, so he stayed inside her rippling core, both moaning in pleasure.

  Tom murmured, ‘Any chance I have, I will be inside you. You know, I could’ve killed you when I found out you weren’t on the bus and had gone to another game. I came back at the first opportunity. Then I find you in a club surrounded by men.’ His voice hardened. ‘I don’t want you to go anywhere near that lot. You’re mine.’

  Sarah harrumphed. ‘Who made you my master? I’ll go wherever I want.’ She tried to pull away from him.

  ‘You’re not going anywhere unless I say.’ He set about seducing her again, his mouth travelling down her spine, nipping at her arse cheeks. He turned her onto her back and it made a similar journey down her belly and between her legs. He licked at her.

  Sarah yelped then clutched him to her. ‘You only had to say. You are now my master and I will obey you. Just keep doing that. Oh …’

  He attacked her with renewed vigour, extracting promises with alacrity.

  Afterwards, she drifted for a while, sprawled on the bed, until she felt Tom move and heard a tinkling noise. Dragging herself up, she saw him hobbling back into the room, ice bag strapped over his knee.

  ‘Tom, I completely forgot about your knee!’

  He shrugged and grinned ruefully. ‘So did I. I pulled it a bit in the game today, came off. That’s when I found out you weren’t there, not hiding from me. Instead, you were being entertained by another bunch of men.’ He climbed onto the bed to lie on his side beside her. ‘Please don’t do that to me again – I don’t think I could take it.’

  Sarah cupped his cheek in her hand. ‘But you were so masculine and alpha male, you made me melt.’ She pushed him onto his back and climbed across his hips. ‘Hmm, such a lovely sample. I wonder what I should taste first?’

  Tom’s chest rose as his excitement grew and she felt his renewed interest. ‘Ooh, someone’s getting impatient. I think he’ll have to wait for a bit, while I have a thorough exploration,’ she purred.

  She licked and nibbled her way down his body, turning the tables. She squeezed his pectorals, pulled and twisted his nipples when he moaned, admired the dark line of hair leading down to his groin, and licked the sensitive hip-indents on both sides of his straining manhood.

  To his consternation, Sarah bypassed his masculinity in favour of attending to his lightly haired, muscle-bound thighs. She massaged the knotted muscles, kissed the scar showing above the icepack better, and slowly made her way up his inner thighs.

  By the time she returned to his groin, his white-knuckled hands were grasping the sheets and his hips involuntarily jolted towards her in anticipation. His arms went to hold the iron-framed headboard, to brace himself.

  Sarah breathed lightly on his flexing erection. ‘Now, what do you say?’

  Tom just moaned. Delicately, she licked him, then pulled back. Still straddling him, she went to lap at his lips, taunting him so he lifted his head up, which allowed her to deftly slip a thick pillow under it.

  ‘Have you been a good boy? I don’t think you have. I think you have been a very, very naughty boy, teasing me so much.’ Tom groaned out his agreement, his eyes fluttering open. She slunk up the bed and whispered in his ear, ‘So you’d better watch.’

  He laughed hoarsely. ‘You think I can keep my hands off you long enough?’

  ‘Good point,’ she breathed. Then, seeing his braced hands, she added, ‘Now you’ve given me an idea.’

  Looking around, she spotted his club tie draped on the bedpost. She pulled it towards her and wound it around his wrists and part of the iron frame, securing his hands in place and tying it in a loose knot. She ran her own hands along his bound, bulging arms to his armpits, gently tugging the soft hair there.

  ‘Now, unless you want to tell the club how you wrecked your only tie, you’d better keep still for me.’ He moaned again, his befuddled gaze meeting hers.

  Slowly, she made her way back down his body, pausing again at his groin. She licked around his throbbing head, tasting the fluid slowly oozing out of him. She lifted her eyes to meet his clouded blue ones. ‘Mmm … you taste so good, I just want to swallow you up.’ He started struggling against the tie. ‘And if you don’t stop moving, I won’t.’

  Tom froze; the only parts moving were his chest, bellowing like a furnace, and his constantly twitching manhood. ‘That’s better,’ she
murmured. He groaned again. ‘Shh – or do you want to be gagged as well as tied?’

  He bit his lip and swallowed another groan, shaking his head at her, his eyes wild. ‘Good. Then I’ll begin.’

  Her tongue traced the bulging veins on his shaft and she licked at him again, the cherry-red, velvet-covered steel. She shifted over him, up and down him, sucking him lightly and pulling at the skin, humming with pleasure.

  She moved her other hand down between her legs to find herself soaking wet, and began caressing herself, making her way to her own peak.

  ‘Can you see where my other hand is?’ she murmured. His bewildered eyes left hers and darted around until they focused on her mound, on her moving fingers.

  With that, his muscled body jack-knifed, the tie snapping. He pulled her up, lifting her hips, and embedded himself into her soaking wetness. She screamed in pleasure, and thrust herself onto him with all her strength, his hips thundering into hers, hands like iron on her buttocks. They both cried out as they hit the heights at the same time, him gushing inside, her head rolling forwards before she collapsed on him.

  She lay on top of him, their skin slick with sweat. Still joined together, they both fell asleep.

  A hand stroking her spine woke her up. Light was streaming across the bed. She had shifted to one side as they slept but could feel him swelling under a thigh splayed across his body. Sleepily, she moved over him again and he found his way inside her. She tightened automatically around his increasing hardness and sighed happily into his neck.

  ‘Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.’ He squeezed her buttocks, tightening her around him and she rubbed her breasts against his broad, hair-dusted chest, loving the friction. He slid his one hand between their bodies to a breast and began tugging her nipple, then scratching it lightly with his nails. The other hand lightly teased and circled where they joined.

  Her stomach twitched with heat, her breasts demanded more contact: him partially filling her and his taunting hand weren’t enough. She sat upright, ramming him inside, and grabbed his hands, placing them tightly on her hungry breasts. The squeezing swelled the thick, molten wires running through her body, centred on where they were intimately connected, spearing up inside her. She rotated against him, the slowly tightening coil transporting them both to rapture.