Page 62 of Out of Bounds

“You…you put my nickname on it,” she choked out, still fighting back the tears.

“I did. I know you’re not crazy about nicknames, but I stand by what I said. A nickname means that you’re accepted—that you’re a part of the team.”

“It was how you told me you liked me.”

“We’re past like, Effie.” He placed another kiss on her neck, this time on the other side, evening out his attention. She let out a soft moan of appreciation, hoping that he would continue.

She ran her fingers along each letter printed on the back of the jersey, letting everything he said sink in. This gift might have been something he’d only thought about doing this afternoon, but it wasn't just any old idea. It was one that told her that she was valued and accepted by him, that she was part of this team. It was almost as if he was putting his own, personal branding on her, and letting the world know that she was his, all while still keeping it between them.

Spinning around in his arms, she threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder. He returned the gesture, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close, letting her just be there in his embrace. She felt so safe and secure like this, and she wished she knew how to thank him in a way that he would understand exactly how this made her feel.

“Thank you,” she said, her voice muffled by his muscular body.

“You’re welcome, Effie,” he replied, stroking her hair.

“This means more than I can tell you.” She pulled back from him, staring up at his warm brown eyes, letting herself get lost in them for a moment. There were so many things going through her head, and the contact of his body flush against hers was not helping anything. Part of her wanted to stay like this, wrapped up in his big strong arms, while another part of her wanted to show him just how thankful she was.

He slipped a finger underneath her chin and captured her mouth with his in another searing kiss. She swept her tongue along the inside of his bottom lip, still able to taste a hint of the margarita he’d had with dinner. The brief reminder of their meal and all they had shared with each other made Felicity deepen the kiss, wanting more and more of him. She’d loved hearing him tell her this meant something to him—that she meant something to him—and she’d meant everything she’d told him in return.

They continued to kiss, soft and slow, followed by hard and fast, then back to soft and slow again, for what seemed like forever. At one point he’d backed up against the bed, and they’d toppled onto it, never letting up from their efforts. His hands roamed all over her body, amping her up more and more with each caress. Felicity enjoyed every second of getting lost in him like this, and when his hand found her ass, slipping into the back pocket of her jeans and giving her a little squeeze, she let out a moan that even she didn’t recognize. She’d never met anyone who had the power to arouse her quite like Gunnar did. And based on the bulge she felt pressing against her, he was just as worked up as she was.

“I have an idea,” she whispered into their kiss. Wriggling out of his strong hold, she gave him a wink before leaping off the bed and picking up the jersey she hadn’t even realized she’d dropped while they were making out.

She slipped into the bathroom, not bothering to look back at Gunnar, who she was sure was probably still lying on the bed wondering what the hell just happened. Not wanting to waste any time, she quickly slipped out of her jeans and top, before pausing to consider whether or not to leave her undergarments on. Would it be sexier if he took off the jersey to find her naked? Or to draw out the moment?

Turning to the full-length mirror on the backside of the door, her eyes wandered up and down her body, examining the black satin lingerie set she was wearing. She loved this set—it had always made her feel sexy and special, although not near as sexy and special as Gunnar made her feel. And it wasn’t like this set was new or that she had bought it for him. In fact, she was pretty sure he’d already seen it. So there was really no reason to show it off again. Felicity nodded to herself in the mirror, unhooking her bra and slipping out of her panties before pulling the jersey over her head. The shirt was big on her, but not so big she was swimming in it. It just barely covered her ass, which made her second-guess the panties idea for a moment, before she ultimately decided to stick with her original choice.

Sauntering back out into the hotel room, she found Gunnar sitting on the bed, scrolling on his phone. She cleared her throat softly, trying to get his attention. He looked up from the phone, his eyes going wide as he drank her in, his phone hitting the floor with a thud.

“Holy fuck…”

* * *

“You like?” Felicity asked, batting her eyes coyly.

Gunnar felt all the blood in his body rush straight for his dick as he looked her up and down, her long, luscious legs on full display. While he loved the way she looked in those high heels she wore, there was something about Felicity barefoot, like she had been the first night at her condo, that did him in. The Atlanta Rising jersey clung to her breasts, showing off their curves perfectly, doing the same to her hips as well.

“You have no idea how much,” he muttered. He licked his lips, unable to take his eyes off of her and just how fucking sexy she looked in this moment.

“Good,” she replied, slowly walking closer to him, stopping just out of reach. “Take a good hard look, though, because more than anything, what I want is for you to watch me take it off.”

The growl that rumbled through his chest was unlike any noise he’d ever made. He was glad that was what she wanted, because fuck if he didn’t want that too. That shirt might look killer on her, but he knew what was waiting for him underneath, and that shirt was going to look even better coming off.

“But first, I think I need to properly thank you for the gift.”

She stepped in between his legs and started to slowly unbutton his shirt. His hand immediately went to her hips, grasping onto her like she might somehow slip away. She wiggled them back and forth under his grip, that sly smile still firmly in place. When she reached the last button, she moved her hands back up, slipping them inside the open shirt, up to his shoulders, and then down his arms, taking the button-down with her. He shimmied out of it, then quickly pulled his undershirt over his head. Felicity wasted no time in heading for his belt, unbuckling it and opening up his pants. She was a woman on a mission.

“Let me help you with that,” he said, standing and ridding himself of his pants, kicking them away. He felt his dick twitch inside his briefs as Felicity looked down at his erection. The smile on her face grew even bigger as she reached out and palmed him through the material. Fuck, her hands felt good. “Like what you found?”

“Mmmhmmm,” she murmured, lifting up on her toes to kiss him. It was slow and teasing at first, but the second his tongue found hers, she let out a whimper, leaning into him even more. His hands immediately flew to her ass, pulling her closer as he ran his hands over her cheeks. When he found the bare skin of her thighs, he started to move back up again, expecting his fingertips to graze the bottom of her panties. Not finding any, he dug his fingers into her flesh, excited by just the feel of her bare skin. Seeing her in just the jersey was one thing, but having confirmation she was fully naked underneath—fuck…he was done for.

Before he could do anything else, Felicity pulled back from the kiss and pushed him firmly down onto the bed. He reached for her, wanting her in his lap, but she stepped back, shaking her head no, a waggling finger accompanying it.

“Unh, unh…” she scolded him. Her eyes were playful, and there was a slight blush in her cheeks, all of which was calling to him. Lust rushed through him, and he had to stop himself from throwing her onto the bed and fucking her hard until she screamed his name. But she was obviously a woman with a purpose, and he wanted to know what it was she had up her sleeve.

Without another word, she stepped back in between his legs and sank to her knees. Reaching for his briefs, she played with the waistband for a moment, before tugging them down over his hips and legs and tossing them over to where he’d discarded his pants. His dick stood at attention, pulsing as it waited for her. She looked up at him, licking her lips and giving him a little wink. His cock twitched again, and he sucked in a breath. He wasn’t sure how much longer he was going to be able to take her teasing before he exploded.

Felicity maintained eye contact with him as she finally wrapped her fingers around the base of his cock, simultaneously sticking her tongue out and licking the head. Gunnar let out a groan at the touch of her skin against his, as well as her warm, wet tongue, driving him absolutely wild. She moved her hand up and down in long, slow strokes, continuing to lick his shaft like an ice cream cone. Everything about what she was doing felt so damn good, he didn’t even know where to start forming the words to tell her.