GAME MISCONDUCT (The Dartmouth Cobras) Read online

  Perron lowered the jersey over her head, then pulled her hair free of the collar. “There you go. What does my lady require now?”

  At the emphasis on “lady,” Oriana’s lips parted. “Tim told you about that?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Perron gave her a mock bow. “Command me, Mistress. I am eager to serve.”

  Sloan groaned. “Tell me you’re not going to make us watch this.”

  “We’ve got some time to kill.” Perron shifted his gaze to Sloan in the barely perceptible way he did when he was about to make a blind pass. “If nothin’ else, watching me make an ass of myself ought to be entertaining.”

  “Not really,” Mason said under his breath.

  Shaking her head, Oriana put her hands on her hips. “Be serious, Max.”

  “Try it,” Perron said.

  Oriana smoothed her hands down her sides and bunched the bottom of the jersey in her hands, tugging as though she wanted to make it longer. She licked her bottom lip and pointed at the floor in front of her. “Come here. I liked the position you were in before. Get on your knees; I’m going to kiss you.”

  At Sloan’s side, Mason coughed back a laugh. Perron glanced over and winked. Then he got on his knees and waited.

  Cupping Perron’s face in her hands, Oriana leaned down and pressed a chaste kiss on his lips. When Perron made no effort to return the kiss, she let out a frustrated sound and raked her fingers into his hair. Sloan winced when she jammed her mouth over Perron’s and their teeth clinked.

  “Shoot.” She touched Perron’s bottom lip with her thumb. “I’m sorry—”

  “Don’t worry about it. You ‘bout done?” Perron rose at her nod. “I’ve a mind to ask you something.”

  “Okay.” Oriana clasped her hands in front of her and rocked on her bare feet. As the silence lengthened, she wrung her hands and glanced across the room. Perron cleared his throat and she jumped. “What?”

  “One step at a time, right?”

  “Right.” She gave the hem of the jersey a sharp tug.

  Perron gave her a level look. “Good. Go sit on the counter.”

  At the command in Perron’s tone, Sloan stood a little straighter and noticed Mason doing the same. T.J. stood near the door, arms crossed, brow furrowed. Vanek had gone almost as white as Oriana.

  Oriana approached the sink, stopped, and shook her head. “I’d rather not.”

  Perron closed the distance between them. “Why? Are you afraid of what might happen? I might could tell you to get on your knees instead, but that’d be going a bit too far.”

  “You’re missing the whole Lady in charge, Max.”

  My cue. Sloan sidestepped to the sink, then slid along the counter until he stood right behind Oriana. Her spine stiffened, but she kept her eyes on Perron.

  “You don’t really want to be in charge, Oriana.” Sloan let his breath out slowly so she’d feel the heat of it on the back of her neck. She shivered, and he grinned at Perron over her shoulder. The man had read her perfectly. “Think how it would feel to be at another’s mercy. To surrender.”

  “You’re making fun of me again.” She shifted, as though to get away from him.

  He put his hands on her hips and turned her to face the mirror. “When you look in the mirror, I don’t think you see what I see—what any of us sees.” He pressed a soft kiss on the sensitive hollow behind her ear and whispered. “I’m not making fun of you. But I need to know what you want.”

  Her hair brushed his lips as she turned her head to look at him. Eyes wide, lips parted, she looked ready to do anything he asked. To surrender to him.

  Chapter Four

  Kiss me. Lost in Callahan’s dark eyes, Oriana willed herself to say the words. Another second and she’d beg him to devour her as his hungry gaze promised he would.

  Max touched her cheek and whispered. “Is this what you want?”

  What I want is . . . She ground her teeth and fisted her hands at her sides. What I want is wrong. “Let’s get this over with. You want me to sit on the counter? Fine.”

  She spun away from Max and almost fell when she slammed into Callahan. He caught her arm.

  “Without the attitude, Oriana.” Callahan’s tone snapped like a whip.

  The bones in her legs liquefied. Only Callahan’s hand under her elbow kept her on her feet. The smooth material of her jersey skimmed her nipples, and the sensation was like a spark of static electricity. She bit back a moan and hissed through her teeth.

  Why did he affect her like this? He was a jerk. Mean and arrogant and . . .

  Damn fine. She could practically hear Silver going on and on about all the things she would do with Callahan once she got him alone. Sloan’s got a body you just want to run your tongue all over. I’ll tell you what he tastes like.

  Silver had basked in the players’ attention, flirting and using first names like they were all good friends. She’d been uncharacteristically grumpy after Sloan turned her down.

  Maybe I’ll be able to tell her what he tastes like. Oriana’s mouth watered at the thought. She pressed her thighs together as lower things throbbed and moistened.

  Only one other man ever made her feel this way. She glanced at Max, standing a foot away, watching her. If she went through with this, he’d be doing that a lot. In all honesty, she could deal with indulging his kink—once in a while. Having all the attention of two men on her at once would be nice. But here? Now?

  He’s not the only one watching.

  She shifted away from Sloan and hugged herself. “I’m not on your team, Captain.” She mumbled to the floor. “Max got on his knees for me. I’ll follow his orders. Not yours.”

  “We’ll see.” Sloan’s gruff tone told her he wasn’t happy, but he got out of her way.

  For some strange reason, she was disappointed.

  Max didn’t give her time to dwell. He hooked an arm around her waist, then tipped her chin up with a finger. “I’m still waitin’ for you to ‘follow my orders,’ sugar.”

  Uck, should have kept my mouth shut. “Sorry.” Licking her bottom lip, she glanced at the counter. “I’ll do it.”

  “One minute.” Max slid his hand to the nape of her neck and squeezed when she tried to slip away. “Dominik.”

  Leaning against the tiled wall beside the sink, looking rather bored, Dominik arched a brow. “Yes?”

  Max gestured to her. “Help her up.”

  The muscles in Dominik’s jaw tensed. “Getting a bit full of yourself? I don’t take orders.” His expression gentled when his eyes met hers. “You sure you want to do this?”

  Her insides went all gooey. She might have nodded, or just gawked at him like she’d gone brain-dead. Was he talking to her or Max? She couldn’t tell. Dominik’s hands circled her waist, and oxygen went elsewhere. Probably sucked up by all the insanely big men.

  The sharing, the . . . arrangement, went on between just Max and Sloan, didn’t it? Dominik’s involvement threw her completely off-balance. To be blunt, she could probably fuck Sloan once then tell him to get lost. He was too mean to get attached to. But Dominik—things could easily get complicated with him.

  Her gaze flicked from Dominik to Max, then past them to the three other men. T.J. looked pissed, Tyler eager, Sloan . . .

  Sloan’s lips moved, and she could almost feel them on her flesh again, soft despite how hard he always seemed.

  “Go for it,” he mouthed.

  “I’m sure,” Max said. He dropped his hand and backed up a bit. “You’re a master, Mason. I’ve seen what you can do without layin’ a hand on a sub.”

  A sub? Oh hell. She’d seen the term in her book. He didn’t mean . . . “Max—”

  “No, Oriana.” Dominik took one hand from her waist, then slid the very tips of his fingers along her jaw. “Look at me.”

  She couldn’t imagine looking anywhere else. The gold flecks in his dark brown eyes entranced her, reminded her of a gold mine she’d visited and the gold veins running through the rocks beyond signs th
at read “Danger.”

  Too appropriate. The man really should have “Caution” stamped on him somewhere. Maybe smack dab in the middle of his forehead where a girl couldn’t miss the warning.

  Dominik chuckled and picked her up by the hips to sit her on the edge of the sink. “So pensive. What’s on your mind?”

  With him standing close enough for her to bask in his body heat?

  She shifted back as far as she could without falling into the sink. “Caves. Your eyes . . .” Damn, damn, damn. “I mean—”

  “Caves?” He rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger and tilted his head to one side. “Now I’m curious. Why do my eyes make you think of caves?”

  She folded her hands on her lap and focused on keeping the edge of the jersey from slipping up any farther. Bad enough the undersides of her thighs were directly on the cold counter. A little more and the men would get another eyeful of her see-through panties. Were any of them looking? She snuck a glance at Max and Sloan. Both were studying her with disturbing intensity. What about T.J. and Tyler? She leaned over a little farther to see around the muscular black shoulders cutting her off from the rest of the room.

  “Oriana.” Dominik gently pried her hands apart and lowered them to her sides where he held them in a loose grip. “I asked you a question.”

  A question? She blinked at him, confused. Then she remembered. The caves. “I visited a gold mine in Timmins, Ontario. Your eyes made me think of it . . .” Lame much? She shrugged. “They’re pretty.”

  Someone snickered—probably Tyler. A yelp cut the snicker short.

  “I hadn’t taken you for a girl who’d explore the darkness.” The resonance of his tone echoed in her bones. Little tremors ran up her spine. He moved closer but still touched nothing but her hands. “I find tours rather tame, though. Would you consider something a little more . . . thrilling?”

  Yikes. She had a pretty good idea where he was going with this. She moved to slip off the counter. “Dominik—”

  “Do. Not. Move.”

  She froze.

  He smiled and stroked her inner wrists with his thumbs. “Now, as I was saying—maybe I could take you with me cave diving this summer. Nova Scotia has some beautiful underwater caves.” He pressed his hips between her knees and brushed the hair off her shoulder with his chin. “Some consider it dangerous, but I know what I’m doing. I could teach you.”

  “Umm . . .” She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. “I don’t know.”

  “You don’t have to decide right away. Just consider the adventure, the chance to try something new.” His breath teased the flesh over her quickening pulse. “Which is what you’re doing now. Right?”

  Before she considered the question, the answer came. “Yes.”

  “Good girl.” He backed away and straightened. “I want you to close your eyes.”

  Her eyes drifted shut.

  “Sloan was right. You don’t want to be in charge; you don’t want control. Imagine giving it up. Imagine me holding you right where you are.” She felt him shift and something grazed the jersey between her breasts. His heat swept through the fabric like a gentle caress. “And doing whatever I please.”

  Oh, yes. His words made her imagination run wild. Carnal images of things she’d never thought of trying flashed behind her closed lids like erotic stills. Everything inside her cried out for her to make the fantasy a reality. Pure hot lust spilled over, dampening the swatch of lace between her thighs. She hadn’t been this wet in, well, ever. This man’s voice alone made her feel like her pussy was being stroked and teased by a very skilled tongue. She imagined Max drinking her in with his eyes, enjoying the way she responded to the man he’d given her to, and her core throbbed. She gasped and let her thighs part. Dominik could do whatever he pleased. So long as he did something. She opened her eyes, ready to beg.

  Dominik was on his knees. “So you spilled that coffee after all.” He pressed a light kiss over the burnt flesh on her thigh. “I shouldn’t have left you.”

  And who said kisses didn’t make the pain go away? The scent of citrusy soap wafted up as her deep inhales made her feel a little dizzy. She put her hand on his shoulder to steady herself. “I was the one who left.”

  “Yes, well, you won’t be given that option again.”

  Good. Her toes curled as he pressed another kiss farther up her thigh. Mmm, very good.

  * * * *

  Sloan watched Dominik graze his lips up to the crease between Oriana’s thigh and hip and shook his head. Dominik was so damn good—hell, just watching turned him on. And he wasn’t a voyeur.

  “Thanks, Dominik. I’ll be takin’ it from here.” Perron took Dominik’s place in front of Oriana and eyed the red blotch on her thigh. “I think you’ll be okay. I’ve got some aloe to put on it back at my place.”

  “Your place?” Her swallow was audible. “But . . .”

  “You don’t want to go home?” Perron waited for her to shake her head, then rubbed her knees. “Then come with me.”

  The defiance in her eyes brought out the dominant in Sloan. He couldn’t just watch anymore. Perron was being too soft. Dominik had backed off. She needed more.

  He held out his hand. “Enough. Come here.”

  Before she had time to consider obeying, she’d hopped off the counter and put her hand in his.

  He curled his fingers into her palm and smiled. “Very nice.”

  A hesitant smile graced her lips, but then she glanced at Max through the corner of her eyes. Her lips parted, and her already flushed cheeks grew even redder. One look told Sloan all he needed to know. Max had his thumbs hooked into his belt and his fingers laced over his very erect cock.

  “There’s a lot you need to learn about your lover boy, sweetheart.” Sloan splayed his hand on the small of her back and pressed her butt against the counter. “But you already have an idea of what he needs, don’t you?”

  She swallowed, once, twice, then nodded.

  “I think he’s waited long enough.” With that final statement, he claimed her lips. His hips ground into hers as she curved into him. Blood pumped into his dick, and his balls throbbed. All he had to do was sit her on the counter and flip those see-through panties off her pussy, then stuff her full of his cock and make her scream . . .

  “Fuck. Callahan, stop.” Perron took a firm hold of Sloan’s shoulder. “This is why I asked Dominik. You always take things too far, too fast.”

  “She’s ready.” Sloan felt a growl rip out of his chest. “Tell me you don’t see it.”

  “Maybe, but she’ll regret doing this here, now.”

  “Fine, but later—”

  “Not if you don’t get a grip.” Perron glared at him and reached for Oriana. “Come on, love.”

  Confusion flickered through the glaze in her eyes. She snatched her hand from Sloan’s and reached for Perron. Then hugged herself and retreated a few steps.

  “Wonderful.” Perron muttered. “Let’s go.”

  Asshole. Sloan watched Oriana gather her things and follow Perron out, submission buried under uncertainty. Dominik watched her and Perron, displeasure darkening his already black features. But experience prevented him from contradicting the command she’d chosen to follow.

  They were taking Perron’s lead. So not good.

  Sloan headed for the door.

  T.J. blocked him. “She doesn’t seem the type to be into the kinky stuff.”

  Sloan took hold of the big man’s arm and pried his hand from the doorframe. “You don’t know her.”

  “Neither do you.”

  “I will.” Sloan barred his teeth and glared at Vanek when he moved to intercede. “Intimately.”

  Vanek moved to stand by T.J. “We’ll see about that.”

  “Coming, boys?” Dominik cracked his knuckles and gave them each a pointed look. “This isn’t going to be a problem, is it?”

  “Not at all.” Sloan skirted by Dominik and T.J. and made his way to the elevator. Perron and Oriana
were long gone. The three other men joined him before the elevator doors could close. Tension filled the small space like thick black smoke. Each man had his own idea about what Oriana needed. Not one was willing to discuss it.

  Damn, he hated competing with his boys for women. They always had plenty to choose from when they went out together. They couldn’t all share her—could they?

  Guess it’s up to Perron. Sloan grinned at the thought. This might work in his favor after all.

  Chapter Five

  The rolling thrum of drums and wailing guitars filled the car, followed by vocals with a growling undertone, loud enough to make the seats vibrate. Avenged Sevenfold. Max tapped his foot in time to the beat. The restless energy the music gave him was perfect just before games—but not so much for dates. Well, not for dates with most women anyway. He glanced over at Oriana, sitting stiffly at his side, gazing out the window. Her loose hair hid her face like a silky, bronze shield, but the white-knuckled grip on her purse told him all he needed to know.

  Mason’s gentle commands and careful seduction had gotten her guard down, but Max and Callahan had screwed that up by acting like a pair of toddlers fighting over a hockey stick they had to share. Me first! No me! Freakin’ pathetic.

  And his genius plan . . . he’d rushed her out of there so fast, that probably wouldn’t pan out, either. But everything in the locker room had gone beyond something staged for her father’s benefit. The possibilities almost overwhelmed him. He was willing to bet they’d overwhelmed her.

  Max rubbed his thumbs over the ridges of the steering wheel. How do I get her to relax now?

  The music should have helped. Back before she’d stopped talking to him, she’d gone through all the CDs he kept in the car and pulled out this one. Face all red, she’d confessed that she’d bought the album on her phone. When he’d told her that was cool, she’d seemed so relieved, as if she’d been afraid he’d think less of her for liking such hard-core music.