“No, just don’t stop doing that.”
“Don’t stop doing… Oh.” She continued running her fingers over his scalp, scratching lightly. He made a sound that was eerily similar to the sound he made in bed when they joined together. “So this was your plan all along, huh?”
“Yeah, risking broken cheekbones just for some snuggles. Sounds legit.”
“God, I didn’t really break… You’re kidding about that, right?”
He opened the left eye, then cautiously, the right, and pulled his hand away from that cheek.
She hissed in a breath. The skin was already bruising at the apple of his cheek, streaking toward his eye. While his eye was red, it didn’t look swollen. “Missed your eye socket, I think.”
“You did, though it’s gonna blacken anyway. Trust me, I’ve had my fair share of knocks to the face. I know how the discoloration works.”
That made her laugh, just a little, before cutting off a sob. “I’m so sorry. I really wasn’t aiming at your head.”
“I know.”
She kissed him gently, first on the lips, then the bridge of his nose, before moving to leave a butterfly-light smooch on the injured area. He didn’t pull back in pain or wince, so she assumed that was okay.
“Your balls, however…”
“Yeah, I noticed a few aiming straight for the family jewels. You’re lucky I was quick with the racket, or I’d be moaning a hell of a lot more than over a black eye.”
She snorted.
“I’ve never hit someone in the face. It happens, that you notch someone during drills, and usually it’s unintentional. But I’ve never nailed a person above the shoulders before.”
“Coulda fooled me. You’ve got a killer volley there, Kelly.”
She realized they’d been left alone for a lot longer than it took to get ice. “I think they forgot about us. Let’s go get some ice from the kitchen.”
She led him behind the tarps and through the lobby, which was suspiciously empty, into the employee kitchen. The door swung closed behind him, and she started digging through the cabinets for a baggie to put the ice in. “You don’t have practice, do you?”
“I do. But it’s mostly a walk-through. We leave tomorrow for Cali.”
“Oh, man.” She hissed as she thought about him going to practice looking like that. “Your coaches are going to kill me.”
“No, they won’t. If I couldn’t play, that would be different. I’ll play.” He took the bag of ice and put it over his cheek. Kat had a moment of relief he wasn’t the kind of athlete to play down an injury and ignore medical common sense in order to play the tough guy. “It’ll be sore, but it’s not exactly a career ender.”
She started to sit up on the counter by the sink—the only space to sit in the tiny kitchen—then thought better of it. She wanted privacy. “Come this way.”
They walked back out into the lobby. Still no sign of Thomas or Gary, though Gary’s office door was closed. She led him down the short hallway that housed all the trainers’ offices. Thomas’s door was wide open, but the light was off and nobody was there. She came to the last door, the office of the coach who had left before she’d arrived in Santa Fe. The office was empty, and Gary had given her a key to keep some of her things in there for the time being. Wasted space otherwise, he’d suggested. So, it was now hers.
She unlocked the door and waited for Michael to walk by her before pushing it closed. She went to the desk and propped her butt on the edge of it.
“I still feel bad.”
“How bad?” he asked, walking toward her, still holding the ice bag to his face.
“Less bad now than a second ago. Don’t milk it.”
“Bad enough to kiss it and make it feel better?”
This playful Michael… She loved it. Loved him when he was being fun and carefree and not playing the manny card. Loved when they were equals, on the same level because of desire and need and not one in control of the other. She needed the equality.
“Maybe.” She smiled and widened her knees, giving him room to step between them. With a gentle grip, she held his head and guided him down until she could press a featherlight kiss to the cold skin of his cheek. “There.”
“More.” He kissed her then, letting the ice bag drop from his hands into the trash can beside the desk. She heard the wet thud and rattle as it landed in the plastic-lined basket. And then she shut it all out as he gave her his mouth, his tongue, enjoying the feel of his body pressed up against hers. His erection thick and insistent against her core, feeling the heat of it even through both their shorts.
His lips cruised down her neck, and she arched it to give him more room. Her eyes closed, and she simply lost herself in the feel of his hands, his lips on her body. Lost herself in the moment of knowing this man who was so amazing and wonderful wanted her like this.