End Zone: Texas Titans 2 (9 page)

Peeling the rest of her clothes off, he
chastised himself for putting himself out there. She may see him as an insecure
guy who needed constant reassurance because he still didn’t feel he was good
enough for the prom queen, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. He knew
he deserved her. He could make her happy, but she had to let him.

When their remaining clothes were lying in
a heap on the floor, Kristen tugged his hands, pulling him closer to the edge
of the bed. Their mouths skimmed each other’s flesh as they exchanged words
that fell through the cracks of Matt’s consciousness. He was beyond thought; he
could only feel. It seemed her hands were everywhere, stroking him, gliding
over his chest, shoulders, and arms as she opened her mouth to his. He knew
even if she spent a lifetime exploring his body, it would never be enough.

“I’ve wanted you for so long,” he
whispered, coming down on top of her. “It almost seems surreal.”

Her self-satisfied smile made her eyes glow
with mischief in the dim light. “This is as real as it gets. I trust you’re
about to prove it to me.”

Taking that as a challenge, he got lost in
proving that he was the real deal, a man committed to her pleasure. Stroking
her and watching his fingers glide over her slick flesh as she moaned his name
drove every other sexual experience out of his mind. He felt as if he’d just
been practicing for the main event that would define his future.

Her slight gasps could barely be heard over
the drumming of his heart, but Matt felt every hitch in her breathing through
every nerve ending in his body. “You’re so incredible,” he said. Even more
incredible was the way she made him feel, as though he’d been reborn. Having
her in his life erased the past few years from his memory as though they’d
never happened.

“So are you.”

He lowered his head, teasing her with his
mouth before closing his lips over the taut peak. He realized how sensitive her
breasts were when just a few brushes of his tongue had her crying out his name
and arching into his hand. He wanted to never forget the sound of his name on
her lips when she came for him the first time. The first of what he hoped would
be many…

“Matt,” she whispered, grasping his
shoulder. “I…”

He knew she was too sensitive to continue
enduring his decadent torture, but he couldn’t get enough. Experiencing her
release only made him want to do it all over again. “What’s wrong, baby?” he
asked, smiling as he continued to worship the most beautiful breasts he had
ever laid eyes on. “Calling a time-out so soon in the game?”

He realized his mistake as soon as her eyes
darkened. She rolled over, pulling the sheet up to cover her chest.

He kissed her shoulder. “Hey, poor choice
of words. You know this isn’t a game.”

She looked at him over her shoulder. “Are
you sure about that?”

“As sure as I’ve ever been about anything.”
Life had no guarantees, but he couldn’t imagine a time when he wouldn’t be
attracted to her.

Kristen rolled onto her back with the sheet
still separating them. “Being with you feels so right. And that scares me,
maybe more than it should.”

“Love is scary.” His body moved to
partially cover hers. “There’s no way to avoid the fear. The only thing you can
do is to move through it. Running from it isn’t an option unless you want to
spend the rest of your life miserable and alone.”

“I don’t want that,” she said, her eyes
reflecting her sincerity.

“Neither do I.” He smiled, trying to put
her at ease. “So I guess there’s only one thing for us to do.”

“What’s that?”

“Trust each other.”

“Trust each other.” She repeated the words
as though she needed to try them on for size. After a period long enough to
make Matt fear his heart had stopped beating, Kristen said, “I think I can do
that.”

“Good.” He would always be there to break
her fall, and in time, she would believe that.

She kissed him, mirroring the passion he
felt. “There are condoms in the drawer.”

Condoms.
Matt
cursed himself for not thinking about protection. He was diligent about safe
sex, and the fact that he hadn’t been the one to suggest it proved she was the
only thing on his mind. Reaching into her nightstand, his jaw tightened when he
saw a photo of her wrapped in Robert’s arms. She was wearing his ring, planning
a future with him.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, sitting up
and kissing his shoulder. Her eyes drifted to the picture. “Sorry, I guess I
forgot that was in there.”

Matt knew it was ridiculous to feel jealous
of a man who was no longer in her life. She had a right to a past. He couldn’t
help but wonder if they would have been each other’s only lovers if she’d
fallen in love with him in high school. Forcing himself to focus on the
present, he wasted no time taking care of the business at hand before rolling
onto his back and reaching for her.

She covered his body with hers, smiling at
him as her long, silky blond hair created a curtain on either side of them.
“Does this mean I have to do all the work?”

He laughed, taken aback by her sarcasm when
he thought she would have been apprehensive. “Definitely not. I just wanted to
watch you.” He brushed her hair away from her face so he could look into her
eyes. “You’re still the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”

She glanced down at his Robin tattoo. “Are
you sure about that?”

“I’m talking about beauty that comes from
the inside, not surface beauty.” A frown drew creases between her arched brows,
and he grinned. “Don’t worry, you have both. In spades.”

“Nice save, Hudson,” she muttered. She
linked her hands with his as she explored his chest with her mouth. “Hmmm,
tastes even better than it looks.”

“Keep that up,” he said, when she moved
dangerously lower, “and we’re never going to get to the main event.” He
blanketed his body with hers, nudging her legs apart with his knee.

She took the hint, impaling herself on him
slowly and carefully. Her eyes studied him with curious intensity. In seconds,
their bodies found a staggering rhythm that confirmed Matt’s instincts were
right. Years ago, his heart led him to her. Years later, his body and mind were
leading him back. He gripped her hips, trying to slow a pace that threatened to
do him in. He cast an approving glance over her smooth, tanned skin as her breasts
bobbed with the gentle rhythm of their bodies. Her head was thrown back, her
hands planted firmly on his chest, as her breasts surged at the intimacy of his
touch.

He reached for her and took his time to
kiss her thoroughly. “I’m in love with you. You know that, don’t you?”

She tensed, as he suspected she might. But
he didn’t care. He hadn’t lived on the safe side of the street for years, and
he didn’t intend to move back.

“I…”

“It’s okay,” he said, tightening his arms
around her. “You don’t have to say anything.” He focused all of his attention
on her body as a ploy to protect his fragile heart. If he stopped her from
saying something he didn’t want to hear, he could enjoy the bliss for a few
more minutes.

“I’m falling in love with you too, Matt.”

Like fireworks on the fourth of July, her
whispered admission set Matt off. Thankfully, she was right there with him.

Matt should have looked utterly
ridiculous in her tiny bedroom, amidst the pale pink pillows and soft white
bear her brother had given her for her birthday the year he died, but he
didn’t. He looked as though he belonged there. In her bed. In her arms. In her
life.

Opening one eye, he grinned at her. “You’ve
been staring at me for a while. Any particular reason?”

It was too early to wake up, especially
when she could lounge in bed with a gorgeous man. So instead of throwing off
the covers and telling him about her early meeting, Kristen snuggled deeper
into his arms with a contented sigh.

He chuckled as his strong arms closed around
her. “My sentiments exactly.”

“Hmmm…” She kissed his chest. “I could get
used to this.”

“You’re not the only one,” he said, kissing
her forehead.

She loved that for the first time, she felt
as if she was not only on the same page as the man in her life, but the same
paragraph. Their feelings were evolving at the same time.

“What’re you thinking about?”

Dare she tell him?
Why not?
Sometime
between the first and third time they made love, she’d vowed she would always
be honest with Matt, even when it meant being vulnerable. “I’m just glad we’re
both…” It felt a little strange to admit she was in love with him. Those
feelings took months to emerge. Of course, nothing about Matt fit the mold.

“What?”

“Feeling the same way about each other.”
Kristen held her breath, fearing he may tell her he’d said those things in the
heat of the moment.

But instead of disappointing her, he said,
“Yeah, it does make life a hell of a lot less complicated.” He kissed the back
of her hand. “So can you be my date to the anniversary party or will you have
to work it?”

She tipped her head back to look at him.
“If I tell you I can’t go with you, will you ask someone else?”

Matt smacked her bottom soundly. “Tell me
that was a joke.”

Feeling properly chastised, she couldn’t
hide her smile. He’d put her mind at ease about them being exclusive without
her having to ask. “I think I may be able to squeeze in a few minutes alone
with you, especially if your mother is as good an assistant as you think she
will be.” She had no doubt Nancy would be a pleasure to work with.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I gave her your
number at the office. I guess I should’ve mentioned that earlier.”

“No need, she called me yesterday. As a
matter of fact, she’s stopping by my office today so we can discuss the party.”

Matt groaned, covering his face with one
hand. “I probably should have mentioned she can get a little intense. She was
the President of the PTA for years, and I still turn the other way when I see
the parents who were on her committees.”

Kristen laughed. She could tell Nancy loved
her son and wanted the party to be a success because it was so important to
Matt and his friends, but she wasn’t worried about his mother trying to
railroad her. “I think I can handle it.”

“I sure hope so.” He glanced at the clock.
“I guess I should hit the shower. We’ve got a board meeting this morning, and I
still have to go home and change.”

“Do you need a ride? Hey, did you remember
to text Lawrence last night?” She would hate to think that that nice man had
wasted countless hours waiting outside of her building.

“Yeah, I texted him just as you were
drifting off the first time. I told him he could head home but asked him to
pass by your place around eight to pick me up.”

“So he knows we spent the night together.”

“Is that a problem?” When she responded by
burrowing closer, he asked, “Are you saying you’re not ready to go public with
our relationship?”

“No, I’m not saying that at all.” If she
wasn’t ready, she wouldn’t have invited him to spend the night.

“Good, ‘cause personally, I was thinking
about hiring a skywriter.”

Kristen loved that even though he was one
of the city’s most eligible bachelors, he had no qualms about letting people
know he was seeing someone. “Not a bad idea.”

There would be plenty of photographers
capturing their anniversary party. It was part of her job to ensure that. Her
friends in the press would let the world know she and Matt were a couple.
Especially Robert, who refused to accept that she wouldn’t consider taking him
back. Even after seeing her with Matt at the reunion, he had stopped by her
office and asked if she would go to lunch or dinner with him.

“Why so quiet?” he asked, running his
fingertips up and down her spine.

“I was thinking about Robert.” She wanted
to build their relationship on a foundation of honesty and trust, and that
seemed like the best time to start.

“Excuse me?” His hand stilled. “You wanna
tell me why the hell you were thinking about him?”

“It’s not what you’re thinking. It’s just,
if he finds out we’re a couple, he might back off.”

“He’s been harassing you?” Matt brushed her
hair back so he could see her face.

“Not exactly. He’s just been persistent. He
wants me to give him, us, another chance.”

“Are you tempted?”

He was trying to sound nonchalant, but she
practically felt the tension seeping from his pores. “No, never.”

“Good.” He tightened his arms around her.
“If you want me to tell him to back off, I’d be happy to.”

She couldn’t deny his offer was appealing,
but since she and Robert still occupied offices across from each other, they
had to be civil to each other. “I can handle him.”

“Just say the word, and I’ll handle him for
you.”

Kristen loved that Matt was so protective.
He would be an excellent husband and father someday, if their relationship ever
progressed to that stage. Patting his chest, she said, “About that shower…”

“Care to share?”

“I’d love to.” In fact, she wouldn’t have
it any other way.

***

Matt tried to focus on the business at
hand, but it wasn’t easy when his thoughts kept drifting back to Kristen and
the incredible night they’d shared. He hoped they would be able to recreate it
that night… if she was free. The board members had dispersed before Matt
noticed only their operations director, his good friend Grayson Barrett,
remained.

“You wanna grab lunch downstairs?” Matt
asked, sliding his tablet back into its protective leather sleeve. He was
supposed to take notes during the meeting, but he’d barely remembered to turn
the thing on.

“Can’t. I’ve got another meeting across
town in an hour.”

“Okay.” Matt stood to go downstairs and
grab a sandwich from the deli. “I’ll catch up with ya later.”

“Actually, do you have a minute? There’s
something I’d like to ask you.”

“Sure,” Matt said, reclaiming the seat
across from his friend. “What’s up?”

“It’s about that hot little blonde I saw
you with last night. She got a boyfriend, or what?”

Matt and Kristen had crossed paths with
Grayson as they were leaving High Rollers. Matt had introduced her as the event
planner for their anniversary party. Evidently his friend hadn’t been
perceptive enough to realize she was more than that to Matt. “Yeah, she does.
Me.”

“Damn.” Grayson grinned and rapped his
knuckles against the walnut table. “I should’ve known you’d beat me to it. When
did you guys start seeing each other? Last I heard, you were dating that chick
who left town ‘cause she got the bit part on that show… What the hell was it
called?”

“That’s ancient history.” Matt was a little
embarrassed that not only could he not remember the name of the show, he could
barely remember the name of the girl. “Kristen and I knew each other back in
high school. I looked her up when I saw a magazine article about her business.
I thought she might be the right person to plan our party. Turns out she was.”

“Well, she’s hotter than hell, that’s for
sure. Still, I thought you weren’t looking for anything serious. After the
number Robin did on you…”

Grayson knew how much marriage meant to
Matt, and he’d been one of the first people to rally around him when Matt holed
up in his house, trying to come to terms with the fact his marriage was over.
“Kris is nothing like Robin. Trust me on that,” Matt said.

Matt was ashamed to admit his ex-wife was
all flash and no substance. Kristen’s beauty came from within. She had classic,
girl-next-door good looks, but she didn’t spend hours primping the way Robin
did. She didn’t have to. Kristen realized that what was on the inside was more
important than trying to impress people with pretty packaging.

“I should hope not.” Grayson scowled. “After
what that bitch did to you, I trust you’d have the good sense to steer clear of
opportunists like her.”

“You can count on it.”

“Good, now that we’ve got that settled, can
you give me Kristen’s number?” Grayson crossed his arms and reclined his
leather swivel chair.

“Why?” Matt couldn’t tell if his friend was
just messing with him, but if that was his plan, he wasn’t amused. “What do you
want with Kristen?”

“Look at you,” Grayson said, chuckling.
“Getting all jealous. You afraid I’m gonna make a play for your woman, Hudson?”

Matt couldn’t deny the thought had crossed
his mind. Even though Grayson was one of his best friends and had never crossed
the line before, he loved women. A woman like Kristen would tempt a monk. “Just
tell me what you want with her.”

“I want to talk to her about the party.
What else?” He smirked, letting Matt know he could think of plenty of things
he’d like to discuss with Kristen.

“Email me your ideas about the party.” Matt
got to his feet. “I’ll forward it to Kris.”

“Awww, you’re no fun,” Grayson said,
laughing.

“You’re not gonna be havin’ any fun either,
Barrett. At least not with my woman.”

***

Kristen couldn’t remember the last time
she’d laughed as hard as when she listened to Nancy’s stories about the PTA
parents who made her crazy.

“So as you can see,” Nancy said, her eyes
glittering with amusement, “I’ve learned the fine art of diplomacy the hard
way.” She lifted one shoulder. “Their hearts were always in the right place.
They loved their kids. They wanted what was best for them.” She looked Kristen
squarely in the eye. “No matter how old our children get, we never stop wanting
to protect them. You’ll understand when and if you have a child of your own.”

Kristen saw a different side of Nancy, the
protective mother who intended to set some ground rules about her son’s heart.
“I’m sure I will.” She looked at her notes, hoping they could get back to
planning the party. She wasn’t ready to discuss her relationship with anyone,
least of all his mother. She and Matt were in a good place, and she didn’t want
to jinx it by talking about the future.

Nancy covered Kristen’s hand with her own.
Her eyes softened when Kristen met her gaze. “My son has a good heart. He
hasn’t always made the best decisions when it comes to women, but I have a
feeling you could change that.”

The last thing Kristen needed was to feel
the pressure of Matt’s hopes for the future weighing her down. “Matt and I
enjoy spending time together, but it’s too soon to talk about things getting
serious.” She felt guilty when she saw the look of disappointment on Nancy’s
face. “Maybe someday.”

Nancy squeezed her hand. “You’ve been hurt
by someone you trusted. You’re on guard.”

It wasn’t a question, which meant Kristen
didn’t have to respond. There was no way to get that runaway train back on
course, so she waited for Nancy to continue until she would willingly let the
subject rest.

“So is Matt.” Sitting back in her chair,
she examined Kristen. “He started choosing the wrong kind of women merely to
prove that they would give him the time of day. They were all beauty and no
substance.”

Kristen thought of Matt’s tattoo, an
indelible reminder of the woman he’d once promised to love forever. He hadn’t
told Kristen what specifically had ended his marriage, and she’d been afraid to
ask in case she and Robin shared the fatal flaw Matt couldn’t live with.

Nancy continued, “But you’re not like that,
I can tell. You’re obviously beautiful, but there’s so much more to you than
that. I hope my son can see that.”

“That’s sweet of you to say. Matt is an
incredible man, but of course I don’t have to tell you that.” Kristen hoped
that statement would be enough to shift the conversation in another direction.

“He is, but like the rest of us, he bears
wounds from his past. Relationships that scarred him, women who took advantage
of his generosity, friends who were only interested in him for what he could do
for them. I’m ashamed to admit even my own family had an agenda with Matt.”