"I know next to nothing about football, and even I can see Jack is talented." She frowned. "But his father seemed a little intense, didn't he?"
More like drunk off his ass, Ty thought.
Julie took a deep breath, seemed like she wanted to say something to him. He was learning her body signals. She was holding something back.
"Spit it out."
She laughed. "I never knew how transparent I was."
"Only to me," he said and their eyes locked for a long moment. "You sure I can't kiss you right now?"
Her mouth opened slightly and he almost did it anyway. Finally, she shook her head. "You can't."
He scowled. "Explain to me again why you're so intent on keeping our relationship a secret?"
"You can't seriously need me to explain the boundaries of a client relationship, can you?"
"Do you always treat your clients this well?"
Her hands balled at her sides and she lowered her voice. "Why are you acting like this?"
He realized he was being an ass because--God, it felt stupid to even think the words--his feelings were hurt. She didn't want anyone to know she was sleeping with a dumb jock. So what? She wasn't any good for his image, either. Sure, she was beautiful. But people expected him to date fun girls. Not women who owned their own businesses and knew which fork to use.
"It's been a long day out here with these kids," he lied. "Forgive me?"
She stared at him and he waited impatiently for her to make up her mind. He'd go nuts if she decided he'd pushed her too far.
Finally, she nodded. "You're forgiven," she said, "but I have to admit I have ulterior motives."
He raised an eyebrow, immediately hoping her motives involved being naked and sweaty.
"Which are?"
"My parents called. They're having a big dinner party tomorrow night." She paused, looked guilty. "You're the guest of honor."
"Sounds like more of a command than an invitation."
She bit her lip. "I'm so sorry. My mother made it perfectly clear that she'll never forgive me if you don't show up and they end up with egg on their face. I feel really horrible about this, Ty." Big blue eyes turned to him. "You don't have to go. It's not your job to make my parents happy. I'll find some way to deal with them."
He touched her face, lightly running the side of his palm down her smooth cheek. He knew more than his share about how hard it was to deal with parents and their expectations. The least he could do was make this easy on her. She'd been great all week. It was time to take one for the team.
"I'm happy to go, Julie."
She turned her face into his palm. "Thank you."
Her lips brushed against his hand and blood rushed to his head. To both of them.
Tony called out from the deck off the clubhouse, "BBQ's on at my house."
Ty reluctantly dropped his hand. There were about a hundred things he'd rather do right now than eat hot dogs at his old friend's house. He'd be able to hang out with his friends forever. But where Julie was concerned, the clock was rapidly ticking down.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Julie could hardly believe what a fantastic time she was having. Once, she would have automatically assumed that Ty's friends would be conceited jerks. They were all jocks or ex-jocks, after all. Instead she found them to be some of the nicest men she'd ever met. Warm, easygoing, confident.
But definitely not arrogant. There wasn't a chip in sight, even though they were very good at what they did and they'd earned a great deal of money.
She chatted with the football wives as the guys loudly cleaned up. It suddenly occurred to her that most of the guys she'd dated for the past decade--men in suits, entrepreneurs, fast-tracked vice presidents --were far more arrogant than any of these men who earned their living with their bodies.
After more football talk than she'd ever thought to hear in her life, she was just starting to grasp how much strategy and brainpower there was to the game.
Her parents had never encouraged her to play sports, and while she certainly put in her time on the elliptical trainer at the gym, working out was just a way to keep her figure intact.
Ty pushed his body with intense concentration and focus. Whether he was lifting weights, riding a stationary bike, or swimming laps, he didn't waste one second complaining or taking it easy. Being in peak physical condition was his job, and he took his responsibilities seriously.
Lucky her.
Tony's wife went to get her another nonalcoholic beer and Julie stared into the fire pit, amazed at how quickly her life had done a complete about-face. She was sitting outside by a fire wearing an oversized Outlaws sweatshirt to ward off the slight chill, getting hot and tingly thinking about a football star's big muscles.
"Let me guess what you're thinking about," Ty whispered into her ear and her nipples immediately went hard.
"You like kids, don't you?"
He sat down next to her and took a swig from his Coke. "Not exactly what I was hoping you'd say."
She grinned, lowered her voice. "Women think men who are great with kids are sexy."
He grinned back. "Now that's more like it."
Tony's grandkids were chasing each other around the lawn with water guns, screaming and laughing. "Ty, come save me," the littlest girl pleaded and he put down his soda and jogged over.
Even five-year-olds fell for Ty. He was utterly irresistible to every member of the female sex. And while he was all hers, she was going to enjoy every last bit of pleasure he offered.
"Want to see one of the most beautiful things in the world?" Ty asked as they left Tony's front porch. "I'd love to," she said.
Ty reached for her hand and led her down Tony's long, redwood-lined driveway. On the way to the barbecue, she realized that Tony had built his house on property adjoining the camp.
"Lucky bastard, getting to live down the road from a football field."
Julie pressed her lips together. She wasn't going to offer an unsolicited opinion. Everything was going so well between them, and it wasn't her place to tell him how to live his life. He had a fantastic mansion in one of San Francisco's most exclusive neighborhoods. He was already happy.
Without her.
Ty turned his head and looked at her, his features lit by the moonlight.
"You want to say something, you should say it."
"Your house is beautiful," she began and he held up a hand.
"Stop right there. You don't need to massage my ego. Hell, you're one of the few people who hasn't told me exactly what 1 want to hear in years. If you've got an opinion, I'd like to hear it."
Julie licked her lips, gripping his hand tighter. She took a deep breath. She never spoke out of turn, never said anything a client didn't want to hear, not unless she reworked it until it was totally palatable.
"Have you ever thought about moving? I mean, if you want to be somewhere more like this?"
He was quiet for a long moment, and her heart beat double-time. Less than a week ago she'd gone out of her way to publicly insult him. But now, she didn't want to hurt his feelings.
"When I was a kid, I used to dream about the house I was going to have. I'd ride over the Golden Gate Bridge and tool around Seacliff on my shitty bike, ranking the houses in order of which ones I'd buy."
She smiled. "I'm really impressed. You got what you wanted."
"The first year I lived there was all one big party. It's a great house."
"Amazing," she echoed.
"But I'm thinking it might be time for some changes."
She turned to look at him, surprised that he agreed with her. And what did he mean by changes with an s? Was she one of those changes?
They were standing on the edge of a football field she hadn't yet seen with stadium lights and bleachers. Ty walked over to a metal lockbox and flipped several switches. The grass turned bright green beneath the powerful lights.
Julie felt like they were standing in a private wonderland.
"See what I mean?" T
y said and she shot a glance at him.
He was facing the empty field with a look on his face that spoke volumes. Usually, he kept his true emotions well hidden behind teasing, and joking. Only during their lovemaking had she caught glimpses of another Ty. He always had such an easiness about him, but now in addition to his usual relaxed, confident stance, she saw joy too.
"I never thought I'd say this about a football field," she said, "but it is pretty amazing."
"Come out here," he said, pulling her forward.
"I've only seen one football game before in my whole life," she admitted. "On TV. This January. When you won the Super Bowl."
Surprise registered on his features, along with a healthy dose of delight. Julie was pleased that she could make him happy by divulging that she'd seen his amazing moves.
"Seriously? That's the only one?"
She laughed at his incredulous expression, "Believe it or not, some people just don't watch football."
He raised an eyebrow. "You never went in college with friends?"
She'd always made an excuse not to go, not wanting to be reminded of Ty in any way. "Not even the tailgates."
He shook his head. "I'm surprised you even know the word for pregame parties in parking lots."
Frustration welled up inside her. Didn't he know why she'd brought this whole subject up? Didn't he know how hard it was for her to risk thinking beyond the end of her assignment?
"What I'm trying to say is that I'd like to see a game," she spat out. "In a stadium. I'd like to see your talent in action."
"It's just what I do," he said, downplaying his natural ability yet again. He was given countless opportunities to toot his own horn as fans fawned all over him, yet he remained incredibly modest.
They moved down the field toward the stands and climbed halfway up before sitting down. Julie's skirt fluttered around her knees in the light evening breeze.
"Did you ever doubt yourself?" she asked, figuring they both knew she was talking about the final seconds of the Super Bowl.
His long, dark eyelashes rose and she lost her breath looking into his beautiful dark eyes.
"You want something bad enough, I figure you should go get it."
When he put it like that, everything sounded so simple. No doubts. No fears. Just pinpointing exactly what you wanted and going after it, knowing it could --and would--be yours.
All day, desire had been building within her, along with a longing to seize her remaining time with Ty, to make all of her fantasies come true before they said goodbye.
So far he'd been in the driver's seat, deciding when and where they'd had sex, instigating it each time. She hadn't let herself be in a position to be turned down, to be hurt by him.
"You want something bad enough, 1 figure you should go get it."
Ignoring how fast her heart was pounding, she said, "I had a really great time tonight. Only one thing could make it better."
Fire jumped in his eyes and she could have sworn he got an instant erection.
"What's that?" he asked, leaning back against the wood bleacher.
"I keep seeing this picture," she began slowly, "of you. Blindfolded." She stopped to let her words sink in.
"Go on."
"Naked."
He swallowed hard. Nodded. "Anything else?"
She shifted her hips on the hard bench, her skin already feeling tight and warm from the naughty little picture she was putting together.
"I believe you were tied up to something."
"We could have left right after dessert, you know."
His words were mild, but the desperation behind them belied his calm tone.
She licked her lips. "I'm not good at being rude."
"As long as you keep coming up with brilliant plans like this, you can be as polite as you want."
He pulled her into his arms and she felt so safe cushioned by his strength. He tipped her chin up so that she was looking at him.
"All day long, I want you," he said. "Every hour, I'm thinking about you. Touching you. Being with you."
"It's the same for me. Exactly the same." He kissed her, his mouth caressing, tasting, telling her how much he wanted her. She moved closer, pressing her breasts into the hard wall of his chest, threading her fingers into his soft hair. She slipped her tongue into his mouth just as his hands covered her breasts, cupping and squeezing them until she was crying out into his mouth.
She moved her hands down his neck, over his shoulders, down his rippling pecs and abs until she found the hem of his Outlaws T-shirt. She lightly ran her fingers beneath the soft cotton. His stomach tightened and his lips hardened against hers. She felt herself sliding into that out-of-control place he always took her, and tried desperately to remember her original plan.
She wanted to show him what it was like to be at her mercy, slave to her every whim. And at the same time, she wanted to give him great pleasure, to show him in the most intimate way how special he was.
Pulling her mouth away from his, she asked, "Are you ready to make my vision a reality?"
He answered by pulling his T-shirt over his head. "Here's your blindfold."
She laughed in spite of the voice in her head that said he was too good at this, had obviously played this game many times with other women.
"Maybe we should head back to my house," she said, fighting the voice inside her that wondered why she'd decided to tell Ty about her secret fantasy. Wasn't she just going to get burned even worse in the end?
She looked up and realized he was watching her closely.
"No one's going to disturb us," he said. "Especially not if the lights are out."
He walked down the bleachers, crossed the field, and flicked the lights off so that the field was bathed in the dim light of the moon.
Sex with Ty was risky and exciting, but it was more than just the crazy places they'd done it. No matter where they were, they shared an intense connection.
A connection she might never find with anyone else.
He gestured for her to join him at the base of the bleachers.
"There's one more way to make sure we don't give a free show to the neighbors."
Julie carefully negotiated the steep rows. With every step, she regained her sensual confidence. And when he pointed to the dark space beneath the stands, she could hardly wait to get down to the business of tying up her gorgeous temporary lover.
"Turn around," she said, in a sexy, take-no-prisoners voice, then tied his T-shirt around his eyes. While he had his back to her, she ran her hands over his incredible chest. His muscles tightened and flexed beneath her palms, and she pressed her breasts into his back, laying her cheek between his shoulder blades.
He smelled like freshly cut grass, and heat, and she let the memory imprint itself deep into her subconscious.
Slowly circling him, enjoying the view from every angle, she was pleased to see his erection straining hard against the zipper of his jeans. Giving thanks that her wraparound dress had a long belt, she quickly untied it and snapped it between her hands.
"Hands together above your head," she commanded, going all the way up on her toes to tie the silk sash around his wrists. When she was finished she took a step back, loving how good he looked stretched out before her, waiting for her to touch him.
She tapped her finger on her lips. "I would tell you what I'm going to do next," she said, "but that would negate the point of the blindfold, wouldn't it?"
"I'm game for anything," he said, and she smiled. So was she.
She undid the button of his jeans, letting her fingers slide over his cotton-covered cock as she pulled the zipper down.
Once she'd pushed his jeans down past his hips, she slipped her finger into the slit of his boxers and found his silky smooth skin. She moved her finger up, then down the long, hard length. He groaned and wet heat flooded her. He didn't even have to touch her and she was on the verge of coming.
Part of her wanted to toy with him, to make him beg, but more than tha
t, she wanted to take him in her mouth, feel him thrusting into her lips, her cheeks, her throat.
In a flash, she pulled down his boxers and was kneeling before him. His cock was beautiful and so perfect, standing proudly before her. She blew out a hot breath and a drop of pre-come emerged. She flicked out her tongue to taste him and he groaned again.
Grasping the base of his shaft with her hand, she licked her lips and moved his swollen head around the warm wetness of her mouth. She tasted his salty-sweet arousal and the next thing she knew she was sucking his thick member all the way into her mouth, down her throat, pulling at it with her cheeks while she pumped her hand on his shaft. Her other hand ran up his chest, and as he grew bigger and harder with every lash of her tongue, she groaned around his cock, urging him to let go.
He went completely still for a long moment before rocking feverishly against her lips. The next thing she knew, he'd worked loose from his silk binding and she was on her back on the soft dirt beneath the bleachers. He was lying above her, pushing her dress to the side, pulling her panties away from her wet pussy lips.
And then he was pushing into her and they were kissing and she felt so safe, so wonderfully safe with him that her climax came quickly and beautifully, the moon shining through the wooden stands, illuminating them both just enough that she could see him watch her as she came, with an expression that almost looked like love.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Ty's first thought when they arrived at Julie's parents' house the following evening was Mine is bigger. He almost laughed out loud at the ridiculous thought. Yet hadn't he spent years trying to outdo everyone around him? Everyone who had thought they were superior to the kid from the trailer park?
He'd done better than all of them combined. So much better, in fact, that it didn't seem to matter much anymore.
Julie climbed out of the backseat of the Rolls-Royce her parents had sent over, her movements uncharacteristically stiff. She looked like someone had shoved a poker all the way up her ass to her neck, and Ty couldn't help wondering if she was ashamed of being seen with him in front of her "people."
The previous night out on the football field, before she'd tied him up and had her way with him, had been the most they'd ever really talked. With any other woman, that would have been enough for Ty. Surprisingly, he'd started to hope for more.