Saints and Sinners: The Complete Series Read online

  “Ryder,” she panted, pulling him close, fingers curled into the waist of his pants. There was a question in the sound of his name from her lips, one he answered with his lips over her skin, his tongue and teeth moving over the surface of her neck, and down to the hollow of her throat.

  “God, Reesie…I’ve missed this,” he said, tugging her tank lower, teasing the curve of her breast, his thumb across her nipple, glancing at her face when that small movement made her shake and writhe against him. “You like that?” Another swipe of his thumb and her moan deepened. A second swipe, this time with a pinch of his forefinger, and Reese curled her fingers into his hair, grip tight as she pushed him close to her breast.

  Ryder obeyed, coming to his knees, tugging the tank over her head, pushing down the sports bra she wore to get at both breasts, cupping them, nibbling the nipples, sucking both in his mouth as he held her close.

  “Harder,” she said, both hands now in his hair. “God, you make me want…ah…”

  “What do you want?” he asked her, attention still on her breast as he grabbed the drawstring cord in her sleep pants, tugging away the green knot that kept them over her hips.

  “Ah…I…” The noises she made were deep and desperate, and Ryder wanted to see how many she made, but he could tell by the flush of her skin and the way she squirmed against his touch that she needed more. So much more, and he wanted to give her more.

  “This?” he asked, lowering her pants, the wool fabric scratchy against his palm as he moved them down. Ryder kissed one hipbone, inhaling the smell of her skin, as he licked across her navel, to the mound of hair and silk that covered her pussy from him. “Or this?” Nose against the silk, Reese leaned back on one elbow, going easily as Ryder tugged down her thong.

  “I know,” he teased, moaning himself as he looked at all that perfect, pink skin, glistening and wet, pulsing and hot. He wanted to taste all of her. “This…” he finally said, licking twice against her lips, teasing her clit with the tip of his tongue, pushing her apart and opening her wide.

  “Oh, coño…yes!” Reese was sprawled before him, legs apart, skin on display as Ryder ate her, her wetness coating all over his mouth, and when he slipped two fingers inside her and she clamped around him, Ryder decided he could postpone foreplay just to see her screaming and panting his name as she climaxed.

  “I’m gonna make you come now,” he told her, determined to do the job right and get it done quickly. His body was lit with fire, his cock a raging, aching thing that needed Reese’s tight, hot pussy milking him.

  “Please,” she cried, sliding further up the island when Ryder lifted her legs, holding her further apart with one hand.

  He slipped three fingers inside her now, massaging her walls, hitting her G-spot over and over. She leaned back on her elbows, her body arched, her pussy greedy as he pounded his fingers inside her, touching deep and certain, loving the way her face looked, the expressions tortured and teased and wonderfully desperate for more of what he gave her.

  “Is this what you like, baby? Me touching you hard and deep?” When Reese nodded, but didn’t speak, Ryder bent forward, taking one nipple between his teeth. “Tell me,” he said, nibbling hard enough that Reese moaned loud.

  “Yes! Ay dios, yes,” she wailed, lifting herself to her palms as Ryder worked his fingers fast, fast enough that he felt her wall tighten the grip edging him further. “There…oh papi, yes!” Two last strokes and Reese came, body shaking, arms trembling as she rocked against his hand, as though she needed to ride the wave for as long as possible.

  He didn’t want it to end. Not like that. While she was coming down from her orgasm, Ryder pulled her free from his touch, hurrying to dig a condom from his wallet and ready himself, zipper down, cock in his hand, covered now as he stroked himself.

  Reese bit her lip, staring down at him stroking himself, like she was starving and only Ryder had what could fill her up. She looked away from his dick, her gaze snapping to his. “Now,” she said, pulling on his shoulder. “Right now.”

  Ryder pulled on her hips as she gripped his neck, and their bodies met, slid together in a quick, hot rush, and he groaned, feeling right and well and everything he thought he’d never be again just by being inside her again.

  “God…ah…God,” he said, kissing her hard, working inside like he needed each thrust, each jerk of his hips to touch and connect them. “You feel…Reesie…you feel so good.”

  “Baby,” she gasped, nails up his neck, then down onto his shoulders. “Do me harder, Ry, please. I want to feel you deep.”

  He obliged, picking up one leg to rest it over his shoulder. With his free hand he held her other leg against the counter, and each thrust he gave her, Reese met in perfect time. They were dancing now, moving together like they’d never stopped. Like there hadn’t been one day that separated them all this time.

  “I’m…going to come again,” she warned him, and Ryder moved quicker, hips bucking, mouth back to her breast, thumb on her clit. “Yes! Right…there!”

  He watched her fall apart, feeling overwhelmed. She was so beautiful, with the rawest emotions working over her angular face. Then Reese bit her lip, the orgasm crashing and cresting, showing itself in her features. That look alone had Ryder following. Her clamped walls became like a vise, milking, coaxing enough that Ryder could not stand the sight of her.

  He fell apart, mouth to hers, tongues brushing, hands firms and secure, holding him to her as he fell blissfully apart.

  “Ry?” she said, moments later, her body as sweetly sticky as his.

  “Hmm?” It was all the answer he could manage.

  “I love you.”

  He smiled then, feeling home and safe and braver than he’d ever been before. He sat up then, lips touching, kiss thorough and Ryder held her face.

  “Hell, Reesie, I love you, too. Always have. Always will.”

  EPILOGUE

  REESE

  APRIL 2018

  NFL DRAFT

  REESE HAD NEVER BEEN to Philly. In fact, the only thing she knew about the city was that it was where Will Smith had been “born and raised.” She smiled at the stupid internal joke and let Gia squeeze her hand when the announcement overhead called for her to make her way to the stage.

  It might have been unheard of for a current player to announce a new draft pick, but Reese herself was a little unheard of and this particular player would be, too.

  She nodded to the commissioner as he gestured toward the podium, blinking as the lights around her moved like they were signaling some manic SOS message with hundreds of flashing lights. Reese had grown accustomed to the attention she pulled from the media, especially since she and Ryder had officially come out as a couple a good two months after their loss to Minnesota in the division game.

  But being accustomed to something didn’t mean she had to like it.

  “Good afternoon,” she said, adjusting the mic in front of her. She found the camera, smiling at it and tried not to laugh out loud. Ryder had asked her a question, one she’d refused to answer. One he demanded she answer before she returned to their hotel room.

  “If it’s a yes, then wink into the camera. At least give me that,” he said, pouting when she dressed for the ceremony. She was set to announce a selection during the first round and Ryder hadn’t yet recovered from their return trip from Scotland to check out a distillery he was thinking of investing in.

  “I make zero promises,” she teased, kissing him soundly as she finished dressing and left the bathroom. When Ryder crashed onto the bed, Reese stood next to him, nudging the mattress with her knee. “Are you gonna watch? This is kind of a big deal, you know.”

  “So was my question…”

  He was probably asleep, likely still irritated at her non-answer, but she still looked right into the camera, smile twisting and a little flirty before she winked. If he didn’t get that, he didn’t deserve an answer at all.

  This was a moment Reese never got. It was the shift in attitude
Gia had ushered in for herself and every woman that followed after them. The tide turned with each contract Gia signed and every upright Reese shot ball after ball through.

  The crowd expected this. The media had discussed the prospect of this draft being different than any other ever held and it would be because this was the year the old boys’ club had its narrow doors blasted open.

  Reese leaned forward, holding the draft card in her hand, surrounded by a royal blue NFL Draft banner behind her. “With the eighteenth pick in the first round, the Denver Broncos select the placekicker from Duke University…Grace Reynolds!”

  There were loud, roaring noises, all hoots of joy, a spattering of low, booing cries from a few Broncos fans, but Reese did not pay attention to anything except the woman walking toward her. She was athletic and tall, taller than Reese by at least five inches, but her legs were not as defined, and her quads were not as thick. There were tears already brimming in her eyes and her dark skin was flushed bright pink around her cheeks. Just like Reese, Grace Reynolds had been trained by her father, Coach Noble at Duke. She had the goods and now the world would know about them.

  “Thank you!” Grace said, hurrying to Reese to wrap her arms around the woman’s neck. “Oh, God, thank you, Reese!”

  “I just announced it. You did all the hard work,” she told the girl, helping her hold up her Denver jersey as the commissioner stood on her other side and all three smiled for the cameras.

  There would be more tears for them all, especially for Grace when her cell rang, and she picked up the call, following Reese as she led them away from the stage and behind that thick curtain.

  “It’s your dad,” Grace whispered.

  “Tell him I said hi and I’ll see him next weekend,” Reese said, taking Grace’s hug before the woman went down the small steps and toward the waiting queue of reporters, their mics already out, waiting for her to speak with them.

  Reese glanced at her own phone, expecting at least a text from Ryder, but found only an email notifications. “Awesome,” she said, sighing then stopped next to a water fountain at her right as she spotted Gia, standing twenty feet in front of her, shaking, her head lowered.

  She seemed to be hiding from Pukui who spoke animatedly to a man with his back to Reese and it looked like neither man noticed Gia at all. They seemed focused on each other and not the leggy brunette at their side, staring up at the man Pukui spoke to with a horrified expression on her face.

  “Gia?” Reese called, her voice carrying over the noise of the cheering crowd. It was enough that Pukui and the man he spoke to looked up. Reese’s mouth dropped open when she spotted Kona Hale next to Pukui, his hands in his pockets.

  Kona looked at Reese, the right side of his mouth twitching as he seemed to recognize her, offering the kicker a low nod of approval before his gaze shifted and he turned completely to look at Gia.

  “Jilani?” Kona asked, earning a frown from Gia and an awed look of surprise from Pukui.

  “You know Gia?” Pukui asked Kona, both men turning. Pukui walked to her side, his face confused as he looked down at her. “Gia…you alright? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

  Kona’s smile lowered, and he looked solely at Gia now, head moving. “Well,” he said, expression a little sad. “I guess she has.” She looked ready to bolt. There was clearly something she tried to hold back when Kona reached down to hug her. Gia looked at the verge of tears as Kona straightened and let the big man squeeze her hand. There was a lot of memory held up in the looks they gave each other and a lot more regret, something that Pukui seemed to notice, too, as he watched Gia and Kona looking at each other, not speaking, not doing much more than letting what must have been dozens of memories move through their heads.

  “Gia Jilani,” Kona said, a little amused, a lot amazed. “Eighteen years is a long, long time.”

  She managed to compose herself, nodding at him before she returned his hand squeeze. “Congratulations, Kona. I’m so happy for all the good you’ve had lately. You deserve it.”

  He twisted his mouth as though he wanted to disagree just because he was humble but couldn’t find it in him to deny how happy he was. “I’m blessed. Very blessed, but then so are you.” His smile widened, and he slipped his attention from Gia, to Pukui, then at Reese as she approached. “It’s awesome what you’ve done and my cousin Puk here…”

  “Cousin?” Gia asked, looking a little horrified. Kai frowned at her reaction, but the manager amended, managing to keep her composure. “I…I had no idea.”

  “Not something I advertise,” Pukui explained, looking filled to the brim with questions as he watched Gia, his eyes squinting as he examined her face. “I get by on my own.”

  “You do,” Kona agreed, slapping his little cousin’s back. “Wouldn’t let me call in a single scout when he was in college or even make any introductions.”

  There was an awkwardness in that small group, brought on by Gia’s sudden nervousness and what looked to Reese like disappointment the longer she stood there talking to Kona. But the woman was a professional, even though Reese suspected seeing Kona brought back anything she may have buried deep about his twin Luka. It was clear they both saw something special, something sad in each other’s expressions, as though the memories of the man they both lost were sweet, but still too painful to face even after all these years.

  “Well, it…it seems talent runs in your family,” Gia said, pulling the composed, in control manager mask Reese had seen so often from her. Anytime someone pushed Gia a little too much, challenged her to open up at all, she’d don that mask to keep herself protected. Reese wasn’t sure the loss of your high school sweetheart required it, but it was there, hiding Gia from whatever it was had straightened her back and put that worried expression on Pukui’s face.

  She blinked, snapping her attention to Reese as though she only just remembered the woman stood next to her and she tugged on the kicker’s elbow, pulling her closer. “Kona, have you met Reese Noble?”

  “No, I haven’t,” he said, offering Reese a hand to shake. “You got quite a leg on you.”

  “Thanks. Got a second one to match. They come in twos, apparently.”

  Kona laughed, and Gia joined in the humor, something Reese was happy for considering how worried Pukui still looked. Some of that worry eased a bit as Kona smiled, looking pleased and proud and a lot of other things Reese couldn’t place.

  “Gia, let me take you two out, please.” He looked at Reese, moving his chin to her. “You, too, Noble. I’d love to find out how you’re liking my hometown, maybe see if you wouldn’t want to come by CPU and talk to our team. I’ve been trying to convince Brian to think about opening up the roster to women. Especially the next four years. I’m itching for a bowl championship.”

  “Because you coach there now?” Reese asked, liking how excited Kona looked, how enthused. She’d never been to CPU but loved hearing he at least was open to women on their team.

  “Nah,” he said, waving a hand. “My son Ransom is starting this fall. It’s total proud parent aspirations.” Smile widening, Kona winked at her, laughing at himself. “So?” he said, looking at the three of them. “Dinner?”

  “Sure, brah,” Pukui said, nudging Gia who agreed half-heartedly with a nod.

  “I’d love to, Kona, but I have plans tonight.” He caught her smile and his own lengthened. Most did anytime she mentioned plans that might even remotely include Ryder. It seemed the fans and media had become as interested in Ryder and Reese as they were when Kona had returned to New Orleans and hooked back up with his college sweetheart, Keira.

  “I gotcha,” he said, grin still wide. He offered Reese his hand again and she shook it, nodding to Gia.

  “Get in touch with me when you get back home. Gia has my number. I’d love to come in, talk with your team…and the coaching staff. I’m sure we can convince them the advantages of opening up his roster.”

  “Look forward to it,” Kona said, leading Puk and Gia toward the do
or. Reese caught her manager’s eye, shooting her a look that questioned if she was okay, but the woman waved her off, shrugging.

  “Breakfast,” she explained and then left the hallway with Kona gesturing ahead of him and Pukui at her back, still looking a little confused and a lot worried.

  “Well, shit,” Reese said, making a lot of stupid internal assumptions about what was going to happen to her team once Pukui heard the truth about Gia and Luka Hale.

  It was bad enough Cat had threatened to quit when Wilson decided he was in love with her and spent the better part of the past two months sending her flowers and plane tickets to exotic locations and generally making a nuisance of himself. Then there was Pérez deciding Pukui shouldn’t be the only one with a family and had set his sights on the Steamers’ new Physical Therapist who wasn’t remotely interested in him. All this drama in just two short months. Cat and Wilson, Pérez and whoever was next on his “must have” list and Gia and Pukui, and whatever was happening between them. That look Pukui had on his face as he and Gia left with Kona worried Reese. Mainly, she wondered why Gia’s reaction to seeing Kona would make any difference at all to Kai. But she had her theories.

  THE ROOM WAS DARK, but not quiet. Ryder, it turned out, hadn’t crashed and given up the fight against his jet lag. Reese entered the room, instantly spotting the empty but unmade bed and heard the low, seductive refrain of Frank Ocean in the background.

  “Ry?” she called, getting no response as she slipped out of her heels and started to take off her jewelry. The earrings and bracelet got discarded next to her bag on the entryway table and her skirt and jacket landed on the floor near the bed and bathroom doorway as she walked through the room.

  There was steam from the shower fogging the mirrors and heat pulsing like a heartbeat as she pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it on the counter top. Then, Reese froze when someone stood behind her. Someone tall and wide and very, very naked.