RISKY PLAY (RED CARD #1) BY RACHEL VAN DYKEN Page 0,11

licked his lips and relaxed as his hands moved between my thighs.

“Stop clenching,” he whispered against my mouth. “Had I known you were a virgin, I would have . . .”

“You wouldn’t have,” I said softly. “And it’s a long story.”

“A long story that makes absolutely”—he rubbed the cloth between my thighs and then lay down next to me, propping a pillow beneath his head—“no sense.”

I leaned on my elbow, wincing as my fingers caught in my hair, which was a tangled mess. I didn’t even want to know how horrible I looked, but the feeling in my soul? Hot. So hot. I was ready to jump all over his olive skin and kiss my way down his body. “How about I just had a very . . . careful . . . boyfriend?”

“Are you asking me?”

I laughed. “No, I’m telling. It’s not important, though.”

It was important, but something about sharing those intimate details felt far riskier than sex. Maybe I had it all backward, but I wasn’t ready to go there, not yet.

“Hmm.” He flicked my lips with his fingers and then pulled me against his chest until I was on top of him, skin against skin, straddling his legs. “I guess his loss is my gain.”

“Glass half full.” I winked.

He ran a calloused hand over my ass and squeezed. “Absolutely.”

Suddenly nervous, I cleared my throat and waited. I was in completely unfamiliar territory with this stranger. Six months ago I wouldn’t even go on a vacation by myself let alone jump into bed with a guy who could be a potential serial killer.

“What are you thinking about?” His grin was both gorgeous and teasing all at the same time. Where did they make guys like this? Clearly not in the US, but still. His beanie was off, allowing me access to his hair. I tugged a few pieces and then leaned down and brushed a kiss across his lips.

“You know.” I kissed him again. “You should model.”

His lips twitched. “Is that so?”

“Yeah.” I ran my fingers through his hair again and locked onto his golden eyes. “You’d make millions, though you’re clearly not struggling if you booked the penthouse, hmm.”

“Fishing for information?”

“Yeah, but in a passive-aggressive way that sounds more cute than stalker.”

“Or more stalker than cute?” he teased, nipping at my lower lip before bringing it into his mouth and sucking. “How about we kiss . . . we make love—”

He just said make love.

My heart thudded against my chest then started skipping.

“And then we’ll just do it over again . . .” he whispered in my ear. “That is, if you aren’t too sore and tired.”

“I’m ready.” I said it so fast I nearly crawled under the bed and disappeared.

His eyes almost closed completely as he slid a hand down my ass and then found my core. I jerked in surprise.

Hugo grinned. “Just making sure.”

“Oh yeah? And what’s your vote?”

He sucked on two of his fingers, the ones that had touched me, and whispered in a gravelly voice. “Ready.”

Chapter Eight

SLADE

For a virgin, she sure was insatiable.

She was lying naked next to me, all soft curves and long brown hair with strands of gold that looked like they’d been naturally highlighted by the sun. Just beautiful.

I was often surrounded by beauty.

And I appreciated it.

But it paled in comparison to her.

I got up and stretched. My phone said three a.m., and she’d just fallen asleep a half hour ago, but I’d lain awake worrying.

Worrying about my old reputation.

Worrying about my new one.

The team.

The relocation.

And what the media was saying about my leaving my old team. I’d left to get away, but they twisted things to sell stories. And according to everyone else in the world, my ego couldn’t take the obvious pay cut I was going to be getting after not winning the cup last year.

Like one man was responsible for that. Besides, my mind had been on other things, and soccer, it doesn’t allow you to be human and have emotions, not during a game. No. Winning is all that matters.

The more I thought about it, the more my chest tightened until I was trying to breathe deep just to get my anxiety under control.

I clutched my phone in my hand and walked out to the balcony as a warm breeze filled the air.

Maybe this woman would be the start of something different for me.

Maybe this would go beyond vacation.

I looked over my shoulder as she rolled to her side and made a mewling noise in her