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  “Oh, damn, I spaced it,” Derek lied. He hated wearing a tux and hated those things even more.

  “You gotta get your butt down here,” Tyler yelled to be heard over the din.

  “I’m tired.”

  “You won’t be when I tell you this.”

  “What?”

  “Rachel’s here.”

  “Yeah, so?” Derek feigned indifference he didn’t feel. He went cold inside.

  “No, I mean, Rachel is here, and you should see her. Holy shit! If Cass wasn’t here, I’d be all over her myself.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “I mean, she’s really rocking this business suit. Every guy here is having wet daydreams over her, and there’s several baseball players making their moves.”

  “Rachel?” Derek sat up straight in bed and swung his feet to the floor.

  “Yeah. She’s wearing this business suit but it is hot, and let me tell you, buddy, she’s got one fine ass and great tits. I never noticed it before. But then you’ve seen her naked, and I haven’t. Shit, I’m imagining it now, just like every other guy in this place. The guys are all over her like flies on shit.”

  “I’m on my way.” Derek threw on his tux. He pocketed his cell, grabbed his keys, and ran out the door, not taking the time to think about what he was doing and why.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Derek stood in the doorway and let his eyes adjust to the dim light. He heard Tyler before he saw him. The guy’s infectious laughter and loud voice vibrated off the walls of the bar. Leaving the doorway, he headed for the boisterous group sitting at a banquet table in the far corner. Tyler held court and recounted the stories of last week’s plays, good and bad, giving his own comical assessment of everyone’s performance to the hoots and cheers of his rapt audience.

  Derek started to pull out an empty chair when his eyes zeroed in on Rachel, sitting toward the end of the table next to a group of baseball players. She looked damn hot as she fended off the advances of a rookie pitcher he recognized as Frank Halston, whose uniform number outranked his IQ.

  Derek’s blood boiled, and he clenched his hands into fists as his stomach tied in knots. Seeing Rachel dressed in that sexy business suit turned him on. He didn’t stop to analyze why, nor did he give a shit. It just did.

  He stalked toward her, grabbed a chair from the table behind hers, and jammed it between her and the jerk. “Take your fucking mitts off her.”

  Rachel’s head snapped around, her expression startled, relieved, and angry all at once. Halston opened his mouth to say something, then shut it at the murderous look on Derek’s face. The rookie snatched his hand away.

  “She’s a coach, you idiot.” Derek dared him to dispute the fact.

  “Okay, man, fine. I don’t want any problems. Sorry.” Halston held up his hands in surrender.

  Rachel shot him an annoyed glance. “I told you that I’m a coach.”

  Derek plopped his ass in the chair and cast another threatening glare at the rookie. Halston scooted away and turned his back on them to concentrate on safer prey—the brunette across the table.

  “I don’t need you protecting me any more than I do my brothers.” Rachel crossed her legs, and his mouth dried up. He’d never known a business suit could be so sexy. She was hotter in that thing than most women were in lingerie.

  Holy shit.

  Helping himself to an empty glass, Derek poured from one of the pitchers of beer littering the table. “You’re drunk.”

  “I am not.” She sloshed wine around in the glass and spilled some on his bare arm. He raised one eyebrow.

  “I do that sober.”

  He couldn’t argue that point. “You’re still drunk.”

  “Maybe a little tipsy. I had two glasses of wine on an empty stomach. Who wants to dance?” She looked around the table. Not willing to cross Derek with that homicidal expression on his face, every man averted his gaze.

  Undeterred, Rachel grabbed Derek’s arm and leaned into him. “Fine then. You staked a claim, so let’s dance.”

  He started to argue. He hadn’t staked a claim. He’d merely done it to protect her. Derek searched her eyes. This wasn’t like her. “What are you doing here?”

  “I’m networking.”

  “Networking? With these guys?”

  “Do you want to dance or not?” She rose to her feet, wobbling on her stiletto heels. He didn’t know if it was alcohol or her innate clumsiness making her so unsteady. Probably both. She tugged on her skirt and pulled it down, still modest Rachel no matter how she dressed.

  Derek stared at the suit. The tantalizing bits of skin it did reveal left a lot to his imagination, somehow making it even sexier. The skirt hit her above her knees, revealing enough of her long, long legs to torture him with countless visions of those legs wrapped around his body.

  He considered throwing a blanket around her and escorting her away from the eyes that were undressing her. He’d never been one to share, even visually. He shot one more threatening look around the table, causing the guys to look away. The only man she really had to fear was him.

  He wasn’t a saint. He was just a man, and a flawed one at that. His mind slipped down into the gutter with his body. Temptation lapped at his soul. His attempt to do the right thing warred with his male inclination to take whatever might be offered. She appeared to be offering a lot.

  The little vixen broke free and danced away from him. He hurried after her, casting a quick glance over his shoulder at Tyler, who was throwing back whiskey shots.

  Damn.

  He caught up with her on the dance floor.

  Oh, crap. A slow dance. Derek gathered her in his arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned into him, allowing him to hold her up as they shuffled around the crowded dance floor. His cock grew harder. To make matters worse, Rachel knew it. She rubbed against him and pressed her crotch into his. Their bodies fused together. She looked up at him, and he stared down at her. Their gazes locked. Derek’s heart rolled over and lay at her feet.

  In that exact moment, everything changed. Life took a side road he’d never planned to travel again. Once he’d made the decision, he wasn’t going back.

  He knew where this was going, if not tonight, then soon. They’d been heading there from the moment she’d stumbled back into his life.

  And he thought she might not be inclined to stop him.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Rachel might be a little buzzed, but she knew exactly what she was doing. Sorta. The two glasses of wine provided a little liquid courage and silenced all the reasons this wasn’t a good idea.

  No one needed to know her repressed naughty girl whispered in her ear, It’s not like you haven’t done it with him before.

  She hadn’t come out tonight with the intention of snagging a guy to share her bed, though it might have been in the back of her mind. She’d been disappointed to find Derek wasn’t among the guests sitting at Tyler’s table that evening. Now, here he was. Her rescuer.

  Derek held her up as she stumbled, catching a heel on nothing. He gripped her waist, and she swayed back and forth. This wouldn’t be difficult. After all, she’d slept with this man before. They’d shared long, slow, wet kisses; they’d shared their bodies. She’d felt him move inside her, gentle and easy, fast and desperate. She needed the feeling again, if just for a little while.

  Rachel snuggled in his arms and nibbled on his neck. Derek groaned. She smiled at his reaction. Rubbing her hips against his, she pressed against the evidence of his arousal.

  Catching her off guard, someone yanked her out of Derek’s arms. Ready to pounce, Rachel spun around and came face-to-face with Mitch.

  “Mitch, what are you doing here?”

  “I’d like to ask you the same thing. Especially with him.” He pointed a finger toward Derek’s face. Derek didn’t flinch. Mitch turned back to her. His jaw hardened, and his eyes turned to ice.

  “I’m taking you home. You’re drunk.” He grabbed her arm.

/>   “I’m not going.” Rachel attempted to jerk away, but Mitch held fast.

  “She’s an adult. Why don’t you butt out of her business?” Derek grabbed her other arm.

  “She is my business when it comes to you.” Her brother pulled back. Rachel held her ground. “That bastard only wants one thing.”

  “Maybe that’s all I want.” She jerked out of Mitch’s grasp. Wrapping her hand around Derek’s arm, she tugged on it, literally dragging him back to their seats. Her brother stalked behind and made a move to sit between them.

  “Butt out.” Derek glared over the top of her head.

  “Go to hell,” Mitch snarled as the two men squared off.

  “I’d be glad to take you with me.” Derek got in his face, but Mitch didn’t back down. The entire table had gone quiet as they watched the action. Tyler snickered but didn’t say anything.

  Rachel tugged on Derek’s arm and shook her head, worried he might actually take a swing at her foolish brother. Donning her virtual business suit, she channeled her in-charge alter ego.

  “You don’t scare me.” Mitch balled his fists.

  “Look, you two…” She pulled out a chair for her brother, keeping herself in between the two men having their testosterone moment. “Have a seat. You’re making a scene.”

  Hesitating, Mitch sank into the chair like a surly child and snarled at Derek. Derek glared back. Her brother might be a big guy and in pretty good shape, but he was no match for an even bigger pro athlete in prime physical condition.

  Rachel touched Derek’s arm. “Please.”

  “Don’t worry,” he growled, “I won’t fight with him, even if he pushes it. I have a game tomorrow, and I need to get Ty out of here.”

  “At the rate he’s downing whiskey, you’d better hurry.”

  Derek leaned across Cass. “Ty, man, it’s time to go.”

  “What are you, my mother?”

  Cass nodded. “Ty, Dare is right. We need to leave.”

  “Oh, hell, Dare is always right. I’m sick of that shit. When you’re the worst team in professional football, you have to be good at something. I’m good at partying.”

  Derek frowned. “Cass—”

  “I’ll take care of him.” Cass moved closer to Tyler. She trailed little kisses up his neck and stuck her tongue in his ear. Reaching her hand under the table, she milked his cock. Derek looked away, but Rachel watched the show, shocked yet mesmerized. Mitch slumped in his chair and glowered at his beer.

  Tyler staggered to his feet. “Well, it’s been great guys, but gotta go.” Cass winked at Derek as Tyler grabbed her hand and weaved toward the door.

  “I hope she’s driving?”

  “She is.” Derek glanced at Rachel and nodded. He leaned his head close to hers and lowered his voice. “Your brother needs to get off our case. I bet Cass could set him up.”

  “I’m sure she could.” Mitch wasn’t the only person needing to get laid. If the way Derek kept looking at her was any indicator, she’d be taking care of that tonight.

  “I need to go home.” Derek stood and met Rachel’s gaze.

  “Do you need a ride?” Rachel stood quickly.

  “Yes.”

  “I’ll take you home.” Her brother stood too.

  “Forget it, Mitch; it’s out of your way. I’m going with him. Good night.”

  Her brother followed them out the door. “Like hell you are.”

  “So what if I am?”

  “I don’t want him laying a hand on you.” People stopped to stare as they argued near the front doors of the bar.

  “Maybe I do. Maybe I want to have wild, hot sex with him in every position possible.”

  “I’ll kill him first.”

  “No. You won’t.”

  “He’ll hurt you again, Rae.”

  “My life is not a democracy, and you don’t get a vote.” The arrogance of her brother, she thought as she followed Derek out of the bar. The two men fought over her like she was a favorite bone instead of a living, breathing person.

  She’d never been the rebellious type. She’d been the good girl who always did the right thing, followed the rules, and never caused her parents any grief. Well, she was sick of it. If she wanted to have a wild affair with an inappropriate man, she’d damn well screw his brains out.

  Rachel sat in the passenger seat of Derek’s pickup, fuming and plotting revenge all the way home—on everyone in her controlled and manipulated life. She’d had it. She’d show them. She’d do exactly as she pleased…and tonight, she pleased to have hot, uninhibited sex with no morning-after regrets.

  Derek pulled into the driveway and stopped in front of her house.

  She ran a finger over his strong jaw. He swallowed and shifted his position.

  Blowing out a breath, he took her hand and removed it from his face. “Rae, this isn’t a good idea.”

  “I know it isn’t. I could lose my job. You could get traded. But no one needs to know.”

  “No, they don’t. I’m just not sure—”

  She stared pointedly at his crotch. “You look sure to me. Come inside?”

  What was she doing? Exactly what she wanted to do, she guessed, and she didn’t have enough willpower to stop herself.

  Inside, Derek busied himself making a drink while Rachel thumbed through some DVDs sitting on the coffee table. She held one up. “This is from the last game. Do you mind if I watch it?”

  Derek shrugged. “Fine with me. We haven’t watched it together yet.” Relief flooded his face as if he’d found an out.

  An odd seduction strategy, but it’d work. She knew Derek. If she merely stripped off her clothes and his, he’d resist based on basic decency. She’d wear down his defenses with football strategizing. He’d be eating out of her hand before he knew what hit him.

  She hoped to hell she knew what’d hit her.

  Chapter 11—Inside the Red Zone

  The sexiest thing in the world was a woman who knew football. This woman knew her football. As they watched the game film together, she pointed out things no one else had noticed, like how on a run play he hadn’t sold his route; instead, he went right into blocking for the runner. Derek shook his head in amazement.

  “I’m a damn good coach. If I was a guy, life would be so much easier.” She sighed heavily.

  His heart pounded in his chest, and his pulse quickened. He became every one of those sappy love songs he liked to sing at karaoke. She looked way too together, too perfect. He wanted to mess her up a little. This was so wrong, and she’d lose her job if anyone ever found out.

  “I’m glad you’re not. A guy, that is.” His cock was really glad she wasn’t a guy. In fact, it would be a hell of a lot happier if they dispensed with the rest of the foreplay and went straight to good old-fashioned fucking. His mind resisted on a basic crudeness level; the rest of him had no such scruples. Man, oh man, this really wasn’t a good idea, but he’d gone way beyond rational thinking now.

  “Derek, we have to clear things up before this goes any further.” Her eyes, greener than those grasshoppers she liked to drink, shone with sexual intensity—so intense, in fact, he swore his clothes were about to disintegrate from his body.

  He raised one eyebrow and cocked his head. “We’re going further?”

  “I don’t know. I only know that this wanting you is making me crazy, and probably you too.”

  “Yeah, but I can’t be the reason you lose your job.”

  “I’m an adult. I can make this decision, so stow away your guilt. Did you ever think sex might loosen you up?”

  “It’s occurred to me, and Tyler tells me that’s my problem all the time.”

  “Maybe Ty’s right for once.”

  “What are you getting at?”

  “I’m not the Rachel you grew up with. I can handle a sexual relationship with an adult male and avoid all that messy emotional stuff.”

  He wasn’t sure he could. “Okay.”

  “I’ve grown up a lot over the past fi
ve years. I’m uninhibited, adventurous, and sexually open to new experiences. Sex as recreation is fine with me.”

  He hadn’t expected this and wasn’t sure he bought it. She was the type of girl you made a commitment to, not one you hooked up with for sex before moving on.

  “Rae, I’ve missed you. I don’t want to screw it up again with sex. I did that once.” He couldn’t believe he was arguing with her about this. He’d lose his membership in the macho jocks club if his reluctance ever became public knowledge.

  “Why can’t we be friends and lovers? Upfront. No strings. In a few months, I go my way, you go yours, and no one gets hurt. And we stay friends. If it helps your game, all the better, but no one, not even Tyler and Cass, can know.” She ran a fingernail down his arm, across the corded muscles.

  Derek stared at her finger, mesmerized. Shaking his head, he met her gaze. “The old friends with benefits?”

  “And what benefits!” She laughed, a sexy, throaty sound.

  “You’ve had too much to drink. You’re not thinking straight.”

  “The only thing the alcohol has done is given me the courage to be honest and say what I’ve been dying to say but didn’t have the nerve.”

  “I don’t get it.” Still, he resisted for some stupid-assed reason.

  “You’re making a big deal out of nothing. It’s just sex.”

  Nothing? Who was she kidding? Sex with her was hardly nothing.

  “Just sex?” His throat was dry, his voice raspy. She crossed those long legs of hers and just about undid him. His cock strained against his jeans like it had a mind of its own. Maybe it did, being it was the little head. Yeah, yeah, bad joke.

  “Yes, just sex.”

  “Conservative sex or adventurous sex?” Conservative sex with her had been hotter than the adventurous sex he’d had with others.

  “Any way you want it, big guy. Let’s see if we can relax that tight body of yours and get you in the game tomorrow.”

  He was in the game, all right, just not the one played on a football field. Derek wiped the sweat from his brow and clung to the last of his sanity. “I’m speechless.”