Playbook (The Holland Brothers 2)

“You rented the limo?” London asks as we file into the bar.

Shit. I did not mean to let that slip. I don’t want her to think I’m flashing around my money.

“It’s no big deal.” When Ben suggested we get a couple Ubers for the night, I knew I needed to intervene. I’ve only been to a few bachelor parties, but I know that it’s all about extravagance and fun. Two things I do very well.

“Thank you.” She looks up at me with those stunning green eyes all soft. Her bottom lip has an indent from where her teeth were biting into it earlier as I fingered her in the limo. “I should have thought of that.”

“You’ve done a great job.” I scan the group. “Everyone is having a blast.”

London beams with pride. “That’s because you’re such a good party planner.”

“I am, aren’t I?” I wink at her. “And I think it’s time for you and me to dance.”

“Dance?” She laughs and looks around. It’s a small bar, crowded with twenty-somethings. The only way we’re getting a drink is to push and shove our way with everyone else and I’m much more interested in her.

“One dance. I love this song,” I say, leading her through the middle of the bar to one side where a guy with a guitar is crooning into the microphone. It’s a cover of a popular 90s rock song, slowed down but still with a nice beat.

I wrap one arm around her waist and with my free hand, lace our fingers together. We hold our joined hands up at chest level and she drapes her right hand on my bicep.

Her cheeks are flushed from the alcohol or maybe the orgasm, but I think some of her tipsiness has worn off. She’s been chugging water more than booze. Probably a smart choice honestly, but I’d take care of her either way.

It turns out I don’t mind not being the center of the party as long as I can be the center of her attention.

She looks up at me, features soft and dreamy like she’s happy. Me too.

“Hey, I have a question,” she says.

“Yes, I definitely plan to fuck you in that limo later.”

“Not that.” She laughs. “But good to know.”

I wait for her to continue. It takes her a beat, so I know whatever it is she wants to ask is more serious than fucking.

“When you said you never really had a dad and that Archer’s mom was more of one than your own, what did you mean? Where were your parents?”

I still for a second. A small part of me wants to open myself up and show her all of it. The good. The bad. The really ugly.

“You don’t want to hear my sad story tonight.”

She keeps staring at me, like maybe she does.

“I think if we’re going to try to get into Gaga, we should go sooner rather than later. Your sister’s friends look like they’re a couple drinks shy of crying in the bathroom.”

It takes her a moment, but she lets me off the hook, glances over at the group and nods. “It’s okay. Gaga was a long shot anyway.”

“I can get us in.”

One of her dark brows lifts. “Oh, you can, can you?”

“I know a guy.” I shrug. I don’t like to use my name or the team for myself, but I have no problem doing it to make sure London has the night she hoped for.

“Are you sure? If it’s weird, we can just hit up a Jack in the Box drive-thru on the way home and I’m sure everyone will be just as happy.”

I bark out a laugh. “Consider that added to the schedule afterward.”

Her smile widens, and fuck does it hit me right in the chest. “Okay. If you’re sure it’s not too much. I know Sierra would love it.”

“Let’s do it then.”

It’s embarrassingly easy to get us in at Gaga. The bouncer recognizes me, and I thank him as he holds the rope open for all of us, no questions asked.

I didn’t think or I would have called ahead to see about VIP, but as it is the group rushes toward the dance floor. London and I head to the bar where I order a round for when they’re ready to take a break.

“What do you want, sweetheart?” I ask London while we have the bartender’s attention.

“Umm…” She thinks, leaning over the bar. While she gives him her drink order, two women approach me on the other side.

One has long, almost white, blonde hair and the other is a brunette with a headband that pulls her hair back in a way that accentuates her sharp features and heavy makeup. She’s pretty. They both are. A month ago I might have even tried to take one or both of them home. Fuck, maybe I did. I squint. No. Maybe. Nah.

“You’re Brogan Six, aren’t you?” the blonde asks.

“Yeah,” I say relieved that I didn’t sleep with her and forgot, but suddenly nervous and not sure why.

“I knew it!” The other girl steps closer and places a hand on my arm. “You are the hottest professional athlete in the state of Arizona. I’ve been saying it for months. Haven’t I been saying it for months?” She looks back at her friend.

“She has. We’ve been coming here every Saturday since we heard it’s your favorite spot in town.”

The girl laughs. “We’ve been trying to run into you for months.”

They introduce themselves but their names go in one ear and out the other.

My gaze slides over to London. She’s oblivious to the wide help me eyes I’m giving her, and instead her stare is locked on the hand draped over my forearm. I try to sort of wiggle out of the woman’s hold, but there’s nowhere to go and she’s latched on tight. I don’t want to be a jerk, but I’d like her to stop touching me. The last thing I want is for London to get the wrong idea or feel uncomfortable. I just want to hang with her and pretend we’re the only two people in this club.

“Hi.” London steps forward, voice sugary sweet. Alarm bells go off in my head. My girl is friendly and kind, sweet even, but this is something else, and I’m suddenly nervous she’s about to tell me to have fun and leave me with my new stalker friends.

“Hello,” the girls say back in unison, then dismiss her by turning their gazes back to me. Except she sidesteps, blocking me. Well, sort of. I’m still almost a foot taller than her, even in her sexy heels, so I can see the confused reactions of the women in front of her.

“Ummm…” The blonde turns to the brunette and they exchange a look before their stares return to London. “Excuse us. We were talking to him.”

“I know, and now you’re not.”

They scoff and then share a laugh. I’m still not sure what’s happening, but London crosses her arms and straightens, giving her maybe another half inch in height.

“Who are you?” one asks.

“His girlfriend. And I’d appreciate it if you kept your hands off him.”

“Girlfriend?” Their stares lift to mine. I don’t mean to grin, but it’s hard not to right now.

“Yes,” London chirps back. And if I didn’t know better, I’d say she sounds a little smug.

“Sorry, we didn’t know,” the blonde says.

“Well, now you do.”

They hesitate, give me one last longing look like I might stop them from going, then start to walk off.

“Oh, and by the way…” London’s words trail off until the women pause and give her their attention. “He’s not just the hottest professional athlete in Arizona. He’s a good guy who cares about his friends and being a decent human.”

“Ummm…okay.”

“And he’s the hottest professional athlete anywhere, not just in Arizona.”

The girls finally shuffle away awkwardly and London swivels around to face me. Her expression is timid like she’s scared of my reaction. “What was that?” I ask, laughing. My chest is light and a giddy feeling spreads through me.

“I’m sorry. I probably shouldn’t have done that.” Her face scrunches up. “She was touching you and I just lost it.”

“Oh my god, I think I’m in love with you.”

“What?” Her pupils blow up and she recoils like she’s in shock.

“You looked like you were seconds away from clawing her eyes out or throwing a punch. Do you even know how to throw a punch?” I’m real interested in knowing the answer to that and maybe seeing it in action.

“She put her hands on my man. I mean, at least as far as everyone else knows you’re my man. You were right, we should take a photo and post it on your social media.”

I get my phone out immediately and snap one of us, then post it without bothering with a caption.

“Just like that? I didn’t even get to check it to make sure I look okay.”

“You look beautiful. Trust me.” I pocket my phone. “So, not the kind of girlfriend who lets other women hit on your man, huh? I like it.”

She rolls her eyes at me, but I am serious. I want that look of fiery possession on her face and aimed at me always.

“Is there a whole list of women you’ve scared off from hitting on ex-boyfriends? Maybe a support group you could offer them, because frankly they look like they might need a safe place to express their feelings.”

“No.” She laughs and crosses her arms over her chest. “I’m not the jealous type.”

“No?” She’s kidding, right? If that wasn’t jealousy, I don’t know what it was.

“Random strangers shouldn’t just walk up to you and put their hands on you. Guy or girl. It’s rude.”

It is, but I guess I never minded much before. Now I just want London’s hands on me, and I think she feels the same.

“So, if it wasn’t a stranger, say it was someone I knew, then it’d be okay?” I step closer until our chests brush. She has to tilt her head back to look up at me, and I bring a hand up to the back of her neck.

“Theoretically.”

“I’d like to test that theory, but I’m too turned on and I need to be inside you.” I take her hand and lead us back through the club to the exit.

“Where are we going?” she asks, voice strained with laughter as she takes little quick steps to keep up with me. I slow down so she doesn’t have to hurry, but everything in me wants to rush.

Outside, the limo driver is standing at the front of the vehicle smoking a cigarette.

“Hey, man,” I say when he spots us and pushes off like he’s preparing to get back in to drive us. “I need to talk to my girl. Mind if we sit in the car for a few minutes?”

He hesitates. He knows exactly what I want to do in his back seat, and it isn’t talk.

“I’ll pay you double for tonight.”

A smile slowly curves his lips. “It’s all yours.”

I open the back door and help London in before following and shutting us in. It’s dark with only a little of the light from outside getting in through the tinted windows.

“You’re incredible. You know that?” I frame her face with both hands and kiss her with an urgency that steals my breath.

“You’re pretty incredible yourself.” She kisses me back with a desperation that I feel to my core. Maybe we’re not the same in a lot of ways but right now we want each other with the same voracity. “Every woman in this city thinks so.”

I’ve got her in my lap, sitting on my dick as I slide my hands up the hem of her dress. Her skin is like velvet and she shudders as the tips of my fingers reach the apex of her thighs.

“Wait. There’s something I’ve always wanted to do in a limo.”

Before I can question her, she slides off my lap to the seat next to me.

There’s a spark in her eyes as she goes for the button on my pants.

“I think I like where this is going,” I say, voice rough with need for her.

God, the way she smiles at me while getting my pants undone and pulling my dick out is like she’s unwrapping a present.

“I think you lied about the sock.”

“The what?” My mind can’t make sense of much right now, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t follow that sentence even if she wasn’t wrapping her fingers around the base of my cock.

“You told me in one of your letters that you had a sock in your underwear for the model campaign.” She wraps her lips around the head and takes me into her mouth.

My head falls back against the headrest as she glides so slowly down until I’m hitting the back of her throat. She moves off just as slowly, releasing me with a pop.

There’s a satisfied smirk on her face when she looks up at me. “You don’t need any help in that department.”

“Better look a little closer just to be sure.” I guide her head back down over me while she giggles, teeth lightly scraping me. I’m so turned on. So close. So totally and completely gone. Everything she does is sexy as fuck.

“Damn, London. That’s so good. I don’t want you to stop.”

“I wasn’t planning on it,” she says, around my mouthful.

With a tortured groan, I pull her back onto my lap. “I made you a promise, and I’m dangerously close to not being able to fulfill it.”

Kissing her, I pull her hair to one side so I can trail my lips down over the slender column of her neck.

“So sexy,” I whisper, nipping at the skin. “So beautiful.”

She grinds over me, making my dick twitch.

“Slide those panties off, sweetheart.”

While she does, I grab a condom from my wallet and cover myself. I take the balled-up panties in her hand and shove them in my pocket, then guide her back down on my lap. The head of my cock slides against her sensitive skin and she lets out a little moan, head dropping to my shoulder.

I take her chin with my thumb and pointer finger, bringing her mouth to mine and kissing her hard and deep. The same way I plan to fuck her.

When I can’t wait any longer, I gently lift her, guiding her back down on me slowly. With my hands on either side of her waist, I move her up and down.

“I love it when you do that,” she says. Her hands press against the window behind me while I drive into her.

“Oh god.” She slaps the window, and I increase the pace.

“Brogan.” The way she says my name, frantic and loud like she doesn’t give a shit who hears her, makes a heady possessiveness take hold of me. Mine. It’s all I can think. This girl is mine and I want everyone to know it.

She comes still screaming my name and banging the window. She finally pushes against me, bouncing in my lap like she can’t help herself. I grab her by the sash and bring her mouth to mine as my orgasm splinters through me.

Mine. “Fucking mine.”

We come down from the high of our post-orgasm bliss slowly. I run my hand down the back of her head, keeping her against my chest where I can feel her heart beating.

I glance back at the window behind me and chuckle. Her handprints are all over it.

She glances up to see why I’m laughing and gives me a rueful smile. “Now everyone knows you’re a taken man.”

“I don’t care who else knows as long as you do.” My heart does a funny leap thing in my chest. “I’m yours, sweetheart. In case that wasn’t obvious, I’m telling you outright. I don’t want anyone else but you.”

“Good. Because I was so jealous at the thought of you hooking up with those women inside that I think my blood pressure is still too high.”

I already knew it, but hearing her confirm it sends another rush of pleasure through me.

“Let’s do this for real. Me and you.”

She studies me, lips parting, and chest rising and falling as she catches her breath. I’m not sure if she understands the full weight of my words. I’m not sure I do. I just know I need her like I’ve never needed anyone.

“If we’re half as good together as we are when we’re faking it, then we’ll be the happiest couple I know,” I say in case she still needs convincing.

“I thought,” she starts and then stops herself. “What about everything you said about not wanting anything serious during your rookie year, enjoying being single, and all that?”

Maybe Archer was right. I can be in this with her for real. The thought scares and excites me in equal measure. “Things change.”

She says nothing, just smiles and lets her teeth graze over her bottom lip. Then ever so slightly, she nods.

“Yeah? We’re doing this for real?” I ask, maybe just a tad too eagerly. I want to fist-pump or scream. Fuck it. I tip my head back to the ceiling of the limo. “Fuck yeah.”