Playing with the Prop: (Rugby erotic romance)(Strathstow Sharks) Read online

  Her body contorted, stretching out on the bed as she reached up for something to hold onto. Something to use to ground herself as her climax began to wane, the waves simmering to small aftershocks that rocked her body.

  He lifted his head, lips glistening with the evidence of her climax as he crawled over her. She lay, watching him, her body boneless and languorous. Every move he made screamed predator, and she knew she was the prey. Right now though, she couldn’t think of anything better.

  His gaze locked with hers. He reached over to the bedside table. She looked up at the rustle of foil to the sexiest sight she’d ever seen. Harry kneeling between her thighs, smoothing a condom over his thick cock. Her breathing caught again, a fresh flutter of arousal surging through her body, even though she’d only just come.

  He flicked a glance up, noticing her interest, and smiled a smile that could have belonged to the king of temptation—Lucifer, himself. Crawling back over her, he took his weight on his hands and parted her thighs again with a hair-roughened knee. He dipped his knees, and she sucked a hard breath in as he fitted the broad head of his cock against her. There were no words. None were needed.

  Holding her gaze, he pushed into her. Testing the tight entrance to her pussy. Her body resisted at first, but then the pressure became too great, and her flesh yielded to accept him. She bit her lip, her fingers biting into the solid muscles of his upper arms as the feeling of being stretched almost overwhelmed her.

  He pulled back a little, not all the way but enough for her to catch her breath, and readjusted himself with a small murmur of apology. The tiny movement, and accompanying whisper, wrapped themselves around her heart. When he pushed forward again, her body gave, accepting him with a slick, wet slide for a couple of inches. He swore, dropping his head for a second, his features tortured. Automatically, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, kissing the side of his neck.

  He moved again, pulling out to thrust back in, working himself deeper with each motion. His movements got deeper, his cock filling her in ways that made her eyes want to cross, and it was all she could do to hold on. Then he was there, fully in her, and her pussy throbbed around him.

  “Fuck, you’re tight.” His words were low, more animal than man, and for a moment she felt she could have been in one of her favorite paranormal shows. Yeah, he’d make a perfect werewolf, all alpha male dominance and muscle.

  The fantasy didn’t last long. The reality was so much better. Especially when her body, driven by the instinct to move, took over, and she rolled her hips. The slippery, wet, tight friction held them both in thrall, their moans combining as the shudder passed from her to him and back again.

  His eyes darkened, and he shifted position, sliding one arm under her neck to pillow her head as the other pulled her thigh high up on his hip. Drawing back, he slid all the way into her again. Then again and again. Faster and faster. He built the pace and the tempo with short, sharp movements. Stars flashed at the edges of her vision. The need in her body was a physical ache she knew only he could assuage. His name fell from her lips. She dug her nails in his upper arms and shoulders to try and anchor herself, but it wasn’t enough. Lust and need hit her hard. Stole her breath as he drove her to a second climax, faster than she’d ever thought possible.

  “That’s it, sweetheart,” he whispered, catching her earlobe in a soft nip. “Come for me, I want to feel you come all over my cock. All these months, I’ve dreamed of getting you like this. Dreamed of your sweet little body and what I’d do to it.”

  She gasped, the dirty words spurring her on, and, with a grunt, he pushed her over the edge. She cried out, her body stiffening as her cunt clenched hard around him, milking his cock with each wave of pleasure that hit her. He growled, swearing, but his words made no sense through her delirium.

  His pace increased, growing harder. Hips meeting hers with a force that only took her own pleasure higher. Within a few thrusts his rhythm broke down, and he gasped, slamming into her one last time to come hard, his cock jerking and pulsing deep within her.

  She smiled as he kissed her neck. “Fuck me, you’re good.”

  ***

  She was more than good, she was amazing. Breathing deeply to calm his racing heart, Harry gathered her to him. She was so delicate and slender. He'd been scared of hurting her, but…hell, sliding balls deep into her luscious body had been the closest thing to heaven he’d ever felt.

  “That was…” He smoothed her hair back from her face. Her eyes were soft and dark, the look of a well-satisfied woman on her face that fed his ego. He’d done that. He’d given her that look. “Amazing. Just amazing.”

  Her soft sigh was music to his ears, as was the way she curled into him. With regret, he pulled from her, lying on his back to deal with the condom and drop it in the waste bin by the bedside cabinet. He’d deal with that in the morning. Right now, he had better things to think about. Like holding his woman tight as he let her have a short nap.

  “Don’t get too comfortable,” he teased, kissing along her neck and up behind her ear, seeking the spot that made her wriggle and gasp. The sound was so sexy that he couldn’t resist doing it again. “I’m not done with you yet. Nowhere near done.”

  She mumbled something that ended in a soft giggle when he nibbled her ear. His chuckle joined hers as she tickled him, small fingers digging with surprising strength into his sides. Why that surprised him, he didn’t know. He’d wanted to feel her hands on him for months, not just on his legs or shoulders where he was prone to injury, but everywhere. Anywhere she wanted.

  Their tickle fight ended abruptly as he captured her hands, pinning them above her head. Holding them in one hand, he slid his other down her body, stopping for a second to slide his thumb over her nipple before continuing south. The hitch in her breathing, and the sparkle of interest in her eyes clued him in that she wasn’t as tired as he’d thought. When he reached her thighs, she parted them, allowing him access to her sweet pussy.

  “You’re wet, again.” Fuck, his voice was hoarse. Low and guttural with need. Just stroking his fingers through her wet heat was enough to have him rising to the occasion, even though he’d only just come.

  Her eyes widened. “You can, already? No way.”

  He grinned and leaned in, whispering a kiss over her lips as he slid two fingers deep into her pussy. “Absolutely way… And this time, I’m not stopping until you scream my name.”

  Then he set about making her do exactly that.

  Chapter Four

  She’d done it. She’d gone and slept with Harry James.

  Ashley hugged the knowledge to herself all Sunday, waiting like a cat on a hot tin roof for work on Monday morning. She’d had to leave before Harry woke, so had hesitated before dropping a kiss on his cheek and letting herself out. Like an idiot though, she’d forgotten to get his cell number, and she had no idea if he had hers. Obviously not, or else he hadn’t seen fit to call her all of Sunday.

  Probably just didn’t have her number, she reasoned as she pulled into the car park behind the training ground, avoiding the big pothole to the left of the entrance, and scanned the cars. Harry wasn’t here yet. She frowned. It wasn’t like him to be late for practice.

  Shrugging the thought off, she grabbed her bag from the back of the car and made her way inside. The clubhouse was just a couple of years old, but was already showing signs of hard use. The noise from the players’ changing room when she walked by told her that not all had made their way outside just yet. Smiling, she shook her head, and headed for the treatment rooms. Most needed a rocket up their backsides to get them moving the Monday after a big game, so their dawdling didn’t come as a surprise.

  She reached her room and opened the door. Her bag and coat went on the hook behind the door, and she snagged the clipboard with her treatment list from the couch in the middle of the room. Paper rustled as she flipped the sheets over. Legs. Calves. One player with torso issues and a shoulder. She scanned the names eagerly, but Harry wasn’
t on there. Damn. She was hoping to talk to him. See if he wanted to go for a drink after work.

  “He did it you know. Finally fucked her.”

  Her thoughts were interrupted by the clatter of studs and voices in the corridor outside. Without saying a word, she put the clipboard on the wiped-clean surface of the couch and glanced toward the slightly ajar door. Who were they talking about?

  She closed her eyes. Uneasiness crawled through her veins, cramping in her stomach. Please don’t let them be talking about me and Harry.

  “Who? Harry?”

  Her eyes snapped open to stare at the opposite wall. It held all her qualifications, hanging in neat rows, but she barely saw them, focusing instead on the voices outside. Please, don’t say Harry. Let it be one of the others.

  “Yeah… our boy finally got Miss Parks in the sack. She’s a right goer by all accounts. Said she was well up for it.”

  Her heart sank, nausea rising. So it had been just a thing for him. Why else would he tell the other players about their night? She pressed a hand to her mouth as tears prickled at the back of her eyes. She couldn’t do this, couldn’t stay and look each player in the eyes, knowing what they knew. Knowing that Harry had bragged about her in the locker room hit her like a punch in the stomach. She’d never known him do that before. Ever. He’d always been the sole of discretion. Except, it seemed, with her.

  Grabbing her clipboard, she started for the door, determined to find John, head of the medical team, and tell him she felt ill. The winter vomiting bug was going around, she could claim she felt sick—which she did, but not for that reason. He’d send her home quick-smart, rather than risk infecting half the squad.

  Her steps slowed, and then stopped as anger filtered through the sick feeling in her stomach. No. Fuck it. She’d done nothing wrong. She was an adult, so was Harry. It wasn’t her fault if he couldn’t behave like it. Slamming the clipboard on the counter at the side of the room, she set about making up the treatment couch with swift, angry movements. If he wanted to play it that way, then fine. As far as she was concerned, Harry James and his gossipy, tight, firm backside no longer existed. Lips compressed in a tight line, she grabbed her kit bag and left the room.

  The corridor was empty, thankfully. Head held high, she marched toward the pitch. Squinting as she emerged, her gaze went to the players running around for their warm up. Harry was easy to spot, his back to her as she took her place by the side of the pitch. The other physio’s nodded, but no one attempted conversation this early in a morning. Most needed their regular caffeine intake before they communicated in more than a grunt. She let out a small sigh of relief. Okay, maybe it wasn’t so bad after all.

  She’d spoken too soon. The first of the players rounded the corner of the pitch and spotted her. His grin was wide and far too knowing as he jogged by, but it was the wink that clinched it. She froze, a half-smile on her face as her stomach lurched. Even players in the main squad knew. Folding her arms, she watched the warm-up, concentrating on arms, legs…anything but faces as she waited for practice to be over so that she could escape.

  Escape, go home, and kick seven bells out of her lounge cushions. Then cry herself into oblivion before hitting the ice-cream.

  Who needed men anyway? Bastards, the lot of them.

  ***

  Something was wrong. Very wrong.

  As soon as Harry saw the set of Ashley’s shoulders, he knew something was up. The defensive curve was all wrong, as was the way she avoided eye contact with everyone. Including him. Throughout practice, he tried to get in her line of sight, but she turned away each time. Not enough for him to worry at first, but then he managed to get direct eye contact.

  She stared right through him.

  Fucking hell. Shock coursed through him, freezing him long enough for him to miss a pass, the ball hitting him mid-chest and falling to the ground.

  “Fucks sake, James… What’s up with you?” Tom growled as he stormed past. All Harry could do was shake his head and try and get back in the game. Practice crawled by, the longest he’d ever known it to feel. Every so often, he glanced Ashley’s way, but she ignored him.

  Every. Single. Time.

  What the hell was up with that? So she’d had her fun, and that was that? Women weren’t supposed to pull shit like that. Being a dickhead was supposed to be a solely male preserve. Anger and frustration simmered as he concentrated on practice, ignoring her in turn as the players filed off the pitch. He wasn’t scheduled in for work, so he had no reason to head to the treatment rooms, but he found his steps slowing as he reached them.

  The door to Ashley’s room was already closed. He clenched his fists, wanting to kick the thing open and drag out whichever guy she had her hands on. No one touched her but him.

  “What’s up, James?” Kevin, one of the other physio’s, grinned as he leaned one shoulder in his doorway. “Another cramp?”

  “Screw you!”

  How he managed a laugh to go with his one-fingered salute, Harry had no clue, but Kev wasn’t to blame for his mood. No, that honor belonged to the woman who’d had her fun with him, then decided he wasn’t worth even a fucking smile. He’d wondered why she hadn’t left her number. Now he had his answer.

  Studs clattering against the floor, he headed to the changing rooms. He’d almost reached them when the click of a loose stud pissed him off enough for him to stop and bend to remove it. The door swung ajar as he leaned against the wall, foot on his opposite thigh. The sound of voices burst loud into the silence of the corridor.

  “Yeah, he fucked her. That’s why they left the bar early the other night.”

  Harry rolled his eyes, recognizing the voice. Callum Wright, otherwise known as motor-mouth, was a notorious gossip. And if he didn’t know the facts, he made shit up. Harry worked at the stud, swearing under his breath as it refused to unscrew. It was loose and the click-click-click it made was enough to get on his already frayed nerves.

  “Yeah,” a new voice pitched in, that of Pete Hubbard, a kid just out of the academy who worshiped the ground Wright walked on. “Told Cal she was a right goer, didn’t he Cal?” His voice turned wistful. “Didn’t know Miss Parks was into players. I’d do her.”

  Harry’s hand froze mid-screw on the stud. What? Who told Callum what, exactly? And where?

  This time it was Tom Sexton, the team’s hooker, who spoke, his deep voice warning. “Unless you two had that from the horse’s mouth, I’d shut the fuck up. Gossip causes problems—”

  Harry shoved the door open so hard it slammed into the wall behind, and cracked plaster work. . Standing in the doorframe, he glared at Callum and Pete.

  “Who told you what?”

  The two younger men froze, their eyes wide. The older players behind them started to sidle away, clearing space. No one wanted a piece of Harry when he was annoyed. On or off the pitch.

  Pete darted a glance at Callum, his mouth working before he started talking.

  “Errr…you. Told Cal, didn’t you?” He looked from one to the other with such confusion, it would have been laughable if Harry wasn’t so pissed.

  Harry transferred his attention to Callum, who looked like he wanted to disappear up his own asshole. “Go on then, Callum. Why don’t you tell the lads exactly what we talked about?” he invited, his voice dangerous and low. In the corner of his eye, he noticed Tom and Will move into position either side of him. Ready to take him down if he went for Callum. He waved them off with a warning gesture. This wanker was all his. He’d take the rap from the coaches for fighting. Happily.

  Callum opened and closed his mouth, obviously struggling for something to say. Some excuse that would get him out of the grave he’d just dug.

  Harry advanced on him. “No, I thought not.” Callum was taller, but Harry was probably twice his weight, most of it muscle. He went toe to toe with the other man, eyeballing him. “Say anything about Ashley again, and I’ll rip your fucking head off and shove it up your arse. Are we clear?”

&nb
sp; The changing rooms were silent. So silent that the dry clack of Callum’s throat as he swallowed was clearly audible.

  “I’m sorry,” Harry frowned. “I didn’t quite hear that?”

  “Yes, clear.” Callum nodded, his voice little more than a croak. “Perfectly clear.”

  “Excellent. Glad we got that sorted. Wright, you’re showering at home today.” Tom’s hand landed on Callum’s shoulder, the hooker propelling him toward the door even as he threw instructions over his shoulder. “Will, grab his bag. The rest of you, show’s over. Get showered, now.”

  Harry closed his eyes, a sigh escaping him as the changing room cleared. He opened his eyes to find Tom watching him.

  “What?” he growled. “You want me to thank you for not letting me knock his fucking block off? Sorry mate, not gonna happen.”

  Tom started to pull the strapping off his wrists. “No, it’s not that. He’s a prick, but he’s had a thing for Ashley for years. Then you arrived, and it was all you, everyone knew that.”

  The hooker frowned in concern. “Given that and given the way gossip spreads around here? I think you’d better check your girl hasn’t heard something that’s gonna cause problems.”

  Harry closed his eyes and groaned as all the pieces fell into place. He’d lost her, through no fault of his own, before he could make sure he really had her. The realization hit him like a ton of bricks.

  He loved her. He loved Ashley.

  “Fucking hell!”

  ***

  Ashley’s first appointment was a lesson in patience. Thankfully, Rich Valentine, one of the older players on the team, wasn’t the sort to make comments. In fact, she’d only ever heard the guy talk in one-syllable sentences. Silence had reigned as she’d worked on his legs, a little concerned over the tightness there. On the whole though, his recovery from a bad leg injury last year was going well.