Play With Me (2 page)

But tonight –
 

Tonight, it was all about swirls and dips, about their bodies touching, and Silver intended to fully take advantage of it. As they danced next to each other, holding hands while facing the stage, Silver asked her about basketball, knowing it would help her relax and lower her guard.

“Yeah, I watched the last game, and it sucks that the Bulls lost.” She squared her shoulders. “But like I always say, the game’s not over until it’s over. They still have a chance to make it to the next round.”

The way she was always full of hope and optimism fascinated him. She was snarky most of the time, but when it came to basketball, she’d turn into a fount of positive quotes in a blink.
 

“It’s really too bad you never played when you were in college,” Lace was saying, and he had to smother a laugh when he caught her stealing a look at him and started muttering to herself about his height and his damn wingspan.
Wingspan.
Most women would have seized the chance to inject innuendo into the conversation, to talk about the length and girth of his cock. But his sweet snarky lamb?

“…bet your vertical jump would be off the scales.” A gleeful evil smile curved on her lips. “If I had you on my team, I’d be making the others piss in their pants because I’ve got another pretty boy with brains.”

Silver had to take a deep breath so he wouldn’t be tempted to haul her into his arms.

When the tempo of the music sped up, Silver almost hesitated. They were having such a good time that he was reluctant to ruin it

But then he saw one of the groomsmen staring at Lace, another wolf on the hunt.

Ah, fuck it.
 

Jealousy ignited, and Silver tightened his grip on her waist. It made Lace look up, and when she did, he smiled at her.
Fair warning,
his smile said.
 

Her eyes widened, and Silver knew that she had the tiniest inkling of what his smile was warning her about. She started to pull away from him, but by then it was too late.

In all honesty, it had been too late for her the first time they met.

He wanted her, and he would have her.

Silver pulled her close, using his strength without hurting her. Their bodies touched as he swirled them around. Just a few moments of their bodies coming into full contact. Her breasts pressing against his chest. Her belly against his cock. A few moments, too fast for the other couples to notice, but for them, it was an eternity.

Her eyes widened, her lips parting in shock, her body freezing.

She almost stumbled, but he didn’t let it stop them, managing to catch her although he wasn’t able to prevent her sharp stiletto from trying to crush his toe.
 

Capturing her gaze, he didn’t let her look away, didn’t allow her any chance to deny the truth. With every swirl and dip, he let her feel it. The way his cock hardened more and more with each brush. His deep, burning urge to possess her. And most of all, he wanted her to know that she wanted him, too.

She didn’t surrender right away, his beautiful girl. She tried pushing him away, tried to cripple him, but every time she did, he retaliated by pulling her closer, angling her body so his cock would throb right between her folds. It had Lace biting her lip very hard, which of course made him want to bite her beautiful lip, too. It was clear in her bright blue eyes she was confused by the way her body was betraying her.

Silver badly wanted to teach her what it all meant, then and there, but he knew it was still too early.

His rebellious lamb had to be wooed very gently and carefully. If he was too aggressive, he would risk having her run away, and he didn’t want that.

When the music ended, Lace was wide-eyed and trembling, but her chin was up and her stance defensive. Little rebellious lamb was not going down without a fight. And hell if that didn’t make her hotter in his eyes, didn’t make him imagine how wild she would be in bed when all her passion was focused on pleasing him.

“Thank you for a wonderful dance, Wyndham.” He had a hard time struggling to keep a straight face at the way his words threw her off. She had expected him to come on strong, but now, when he wasn’t saying or doing anything to confirm it, she was starting to doubt everything, wondering if she had imagined it all.

If she did end up thinking it had been all her imagination, Silver didn’t mind. What mattered was that she now knew what she felt about him.

She wanted him.

Now, it was only a matter of waiting for the right time and place for him to make his next move.

First Kiss

Lace arrived at exactly ten minutes before seven. Except for that first practice, she had been remarkably punctual, something he learned she actually felt strongly about. In her opinion, no coach worthy of self-respect could ever be late.
Ever.

Since he was observing from the balcony, she didn’t notice him at first. A good thing since it gave him the rare pleasure of savoring the sight of his rebellious little lamb. She looked like a goddess, blessed with the most divine curves. It was too bad she also happened to be cursed with two left feet. After their first dance rehearsal, he had stopped counting the number of times she had stepped on his feet.

A smile touched his lips at the way she marched even in her three-inch heels, but he also ended up cracking his knuckles when he saw the way the other men in the suite couldn’t take their eyes off her form.

Like the other bridesmaids, she was dressed in a strapless mauve gown, its low-cut neckline giving everyone a more than ample view of her cleavage. She was easily the sexiest girl in the room, but it was clear in the way she kept fidgeting and pulling her gown up that she hated the way the men were staring at her.

He smiled humorlessly. Well, at least she was not alone in hating it. He goddamn hated it, too.

God, if his siblings could see him now. They’d likely die laughing. If Silver didn’t feel so damn jealous, he’d probably find it funny as well. People had always said he was the most laidback guy they had ever met. Someone who could always be counted on to smile. To charm. To dazzle. It was, in fact, why Silver and his older brother worked well together. Steel fought ruthlessly and head on. Silver preferred to be in the shadows, a spy in the guise of an irreverent playboy.

Shallow
was often used to describe him, and he preferred it that way. But when he was around Lace—

His little lamb had found him, her eyes meeting his across the suite.

He was always in danger of losing his cool, his sophisticated mask always on the verge of cracking. He followed her every move, his gaze hooded, but his blood heated with a primitive urge to claim her as his.

She tried to ignore him. The way she kept her back to him, the way she kept herself surrounded by her male friends, the way she didn’t stop talking and laughing, like her life depended on it.

Silver was a very patient man. He was also a strategic man, and in his mind, he already had his plan mapped out. He always thought four moves ahead, had contingencies in place, and even so, he would always take the time to think things through before making a move.

But when he saw Lace inhale sharply—

He knew something was wrong, and he forgot all about the plan. He found himself striding out of the balcony purposefully, only taking the time to nod at the others and murmuring an excuse before he was taking her away.

She tried to get away from him, but he only had to tighten his grip on her hand and she didn’t do anything else. It almost made him smile again. It pleased his most primitive side, the way she became a docile little lamb only with him. He would never think of mentioning that, though. With Lace, it would just make her act contrary, probably even get her to kiss another man just to prove she didn’t feel anything for him.

When he had her alone in the corner, he gestured for the private attendant Liam had hired, taking a glass of champagne from the tray. Nodding his thanks, he presented it to Lace. “Drink. You seem to need it.”

That she didn’t even protest at his commanding tone made him even more certain something was wrong. When she had taken a sip, he said bluntly, “Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Nothing.” Her voice was flat.
 

He expected it. She was fiercely independent, his beautiful lamb. He tipped her chin up, and as expected, her blue eyes were stormy and vulnerable at the same time. It made him want to haul her into his arms and kiss her problems away.
 

Didn’t she know he was hers to command, dammit? She only had to say a word, and he would slay dragons for her.

Problem was, with Lace, she would rather die than have someone help her.

So instead he said quietly, “Whatever it is, you need to get it off your chest or you might mess up later on.” It was pure manipulation on his part, and she reacted like he knew she would, dismay spreading across her face as she realized there was truth in his words.

He knew her better than she knew herself, but Silver also knew it was best to leave her unaware of that.

She was looking at him like she was waiting for him to say something else. So he did, changing the subject, confusing her even more. “Ready for later?”

Lace blinked at him several times before finally saying, “Umm. I think.” She frowned. “I hope.”

He raised his fist. “For good luck?”

Her lips curved even as she obediently bumped fists with him. With Lace, the key to getting her to do what he wanted was to let her think she had
chosen
to do it. They talked about inconsequential things after that, and when it was time for them to dance, she didn’t say a word. They whirled about the dance floor in perfect synchrony, Lace allowing him to lead from start to finish. He was tempted to pull her indecently close to his body again, but Silver managed to stifle the urge. Tonight was different from all their rehearsals. This time, with hundreds of eyes trained on them, it was more than probable someone would notice if he did something more than what was permitted.

It was only over dinner, when desserts were being served as the final course, that Lace finally spoke. “I have a problem.”

He said simply, “Tell me.” Silver listened intently as she spoke, awkwardly and stiltedly.

“The team I’m managing…they hate me, and I’m not saying it lightly.” She looked down on her lap. “None of them listen to what I have to say, they all think I have no idea what I’m doing—”

“So quit.”

Her head jerked up, Lace gaping at him as she demanded, “Do you know how hard it was for me to nab a position as a team manager? I mean, there wasn’t even a position like it to begin with, and it was only because of my high school P.E. teacher that they made me team manager.”

“If they can create a position for you, I’m sure another school would be willing to do the same.”

She was already shaking her head before he had even finished speaking. “You don’t get it. My school has a
Division I
team.” Her eyes narrowed. “You do know what that means, right?”

He answered honestly, “No.”

She looked like she wanted to strangle him. “Why are we even talking when you don’t know anything about basketball?”

He leaned forward towards Lace at her question, taking her by surprise, making her lean back the closer he got. He saw her swallow when he raised his hand, and he almost smiled, knowing her imagination had just gone into overdrive.

“Wh—”

He pressed a finger on her lips.

She shut up, shock written all over her face. He was willing to bet no one had ever done such a thing to her before, and if someone else had, he was also willing to bet she wouldn’t stand for it.

But it wasn’t someone else.

He was Silver March, and it was his finger on her lips, and so she could only stare at him, her gaze mutinous and bemused at the same time.

“You’re right,” he said quietly. “I don’t know about anything about basketball. But what I know is more important.” He saw the question in her gaze, and he clarified succinctly, “I know
you.
The moment I met you, all you could talk about was basketball. I’ve seen the way your eyes brighten when you talk about it, the way your voice would perk up, the passion you have for it – I only have to listen to you to know how hard you must have worked to get where you are now.”

He removed his finger, and she immediately wetted her lips, as if his touch had left her breathless, her throat dry. The tiny dart of her pink tongue almost made him curse, his body instantly reacting, and he mentally cursed his tailor for giving him such tight-fitting pants.