presented the baby, held out at arm’s length.
“There,” I said. “Tackle her.”
Piper wasn’t amused. “You want me to tackle my toddler.”
“Aim your shoulder low, keep your head high, wrap her up, and drive it home.”
She laughed, but she pantomimed what I asked. Rose giggled as her momma leaned in and squeezed her tight. But my lesson fell apart as Piper lifted her baby’s shirt and blew a raspberry on her chubby little stomach. Apparently, Rose found this hilarious.
“Like that?” Piper asked, taking Rose back.
“I have a feeling blowing bubbles on Jack Carson’s tummy will draw more penalties than pile-driving him into the dirt.”
Piper giggled. “Might get more women to watch the games.”
“They say I’m a dirty player, but I’m not that dirty.”
Rose wiggled, and Piper let her scurry on the floor. “Are you a dirty player?”
“What do you think?”
She bit her lip. “I think you’re stronger than you realize.”
“I think I’m exactly as strong as I realize.”
“And that’s why you don’t trust yourself.”
We weren’t talking about football anymore. “Do I scare you, beautiful?”
“Should I be scared? Do I have anything to fear?”
I wished I had an answer for her. “Unless you strap on an Ashenville uniform this week, you should be fine.”
“And if I was an Ashenville player? And you wanted to hit me dirty? What kind of tackle is that?”
She bit her lip, and I stared, enraptured. Was it possible to be jealous of her own bite?
I edged close to her, sensing her heat and inhaling her scent. My cock hardened as her mouth parted, puffing a hesitant breath as she waited my answer.
“There’s a couple illegal maneuvers.” My voice lowered. “I’m not allowed to launch myself at someone, feet off the ground.”
“Like a pounce?”
“It happens so fast, it’s hard to control it. You see what you want and…grab it, anyway you can, before it gets away.”
Piper didn’t move in time. I trapped her in my embrace, tugging her close.
“That…must be dangerous,” she whispered.
“Extremely.”
I pressed against her, reveling in the subtle shudder that raced over her body. She tested to see if I’d let her go. I was a strong man, but even I didn’t have the power to release her now that her curves fit against my body.
Piper licked her bottom lip, but she didn’t fight. Her fingers brushed my arms.
“No wonder this is illegal.”
“There’s worse crimes than this. I’m not allowed to go after someone who is…defenseless.”
“What makes someone defenseless to you?”
“When they can’t fight back.” I tightened my grip on her, earning a soft murmur from her perfectly plump lips. “If they’re already on their back. Or if they’re already going down. I’m not supposed to hunt those who have surrendered.”
A surge of heat hardened by cock until it hurt. I ached, but I liked the pain, the teasing, the chase.
“The rule exists to protect the helpless from ruthless men like me.” I tucked her hair behind her ear, revealing the sweet hollow of her neck. “I’m the kind of man who might take advantage of someone so…vulnerable.”
Piper straightened. “And what if they aren’t so vulnerable? What if they can take it?”
“Not many can.” My voice dropped deep, rough and threatening, that same monstrous edge that drew women in only to scare them away. “They’d have to be…strong.”
“Some people are stronger than they appear.”
“But I’m bigger than I look.”
Piper licked her lips, soft and brown and begging for a bite. “I’ve seen enough.”
“You hardly saw anything. You spied on The Beast, invaded my house, trespassed on my privacy.”
“And I survived.”
“But now I have you as a guest in my home, all for my very own.”
“Doesn’t scare me.”
“Good. I haven’t tried to take you down yet.”
“Do you think you can?”
“Easily.”
Piper’s hands traced a little higher, drifting over my biceps, tracing my tattoo with a curious finger. “Would you take me down clean or dirty?”
“Very dirty.”
“How?”
“With the worst tackle of all.” I leaned down, my lips brushing her temple, her cheek. “A blow to the head.”
I grabbed her, hard, and lowered for a kiss.
It worked.
Piper gripped my chest, her legs weakening and body trembling for me.
I stole her kiss, her air, her very strength. Her skin tasted of citrus, and I and kissed the warmth of her throat. Her heart pounded fierce and hard, and I bit where it throbbed the hardest.
“I know you want to submit,” I whispered. “Surrender to me. Let me fuck you the way you were meant to be fucked.”
She panted against me. “How?”
“On your knees. Offering yourself to me. Mounted like an animal.