Player's Ultimatum Read online

  Still, she gave him the only answer she could give. “I-I can’t.”

  Paolo chuckled. “How did I know you’d say that? We have no history or past like you and Robbie.”

  Yvonne gasped as he eased off of her and onto his back. “Just means I have to try harder.”

  “Try harder to do what?” Yvonne asked as she rolled onto her side to face him.

  “Haven’t you been listening? I want you and I’m not going to rest until I have you.”

  *****

  Several hours later, Paolo picked up her dissertation and walked over to one of the club chairs by the bedroom window.

  “What are you doing?” Yvonne stopped brushing her hair. After breakfast, she’d jumped in the shower. They’d agreed to spend the day exploring Tampa’s Ybor City.

  They hadn’t spoken any more about his confession yesterday morning and she wanted to keep it that way. Despite her feelings, she had to—needed to remain loyal to Robbie.

  “I’m going to quiz you,” he said matter-of-fact. He’d sat down and plopped the folder containing her dissertation across his lap.

  He was freakin’ serious! “B-but you haven’t read it.”

  “I read through it while you were sleeping.”

  “And you were able to grasp what I’d written?”

  Paolo rolled his eyes. “I’m a soccer player not a model,” he said, flipping to page one. “Plus, I have a one hundred and forty-seven I.Q. and a photographic memory.” To prove his point, he closed the folder. “The New Face of Capitalism and How Post-Colonial Societies Will Influence Business Practices in the Future.”

  Yvonne sat down across from him. His serious expression was such a turn on she had to cross her legs to mitigate the heat flooding to her sex. Too bad her precautionary measures didn’t lessen her sudden appetite for his beautiful body. Yvonne reached up and pulled at the collar of her bath robe. Was it just her or was it getting toasty in here?

  “Miss Floyd,” he paused to clear his throat. “As a product of a post-colonial society, I’m curious as to your opinion of the current state of the economies of both India and Brazil and their relation to their former governing powers.”

  Of course she heard his question as clear as day, but somewhere along the line her mind flipped a switch and he’d lost her when he started to speak geek.

  Her pulse quickened and her fingers itched to trace every single hard angle of his bare shoulders. An intellectual response was the furthest thing from her mind. More like, “are there anymore strawberries left over from breakfast?”

  “Do you need me to repeat the question, Miss Floyd?”

  Unable to ignore her body’s response to his authoritative tone, she replied, “Please, because I swear you just asked me if I thought Brazilian men were superior in bed compared to American men.”

  Yvonne acted upon his momentary surprise. She stood up and walked over to him. As she held his gaze, she untied the robe then let it slip from her body. Empowered by his stricken expression, she gave him one of her most innocent smiles while palming her breast.

  “You’re not going to blame me later if you fail your review?” He asked.

  She shook her head. “I know my dissertation front and back, in and out.” Yvonne smiled as a shiver racked his broad shoulders.

  “Get in bed, Miss Floyd.”

  Yvonne sauntered over to the bed and climbed atop the rumpled sheets.

  “Lie on your stomach, but keep your legs pressed together.”

  Yvonne flipped over and rested her head on arms. As she crossed her legs at the ankles, Yvonne’s eyes widened in wonderment. He didn’t even have to touch her and her sex was already pulsating and becoming damp!

  The bed suddenly dipped. She braced herself. Thank goodness he didn’t make her wait! His body slid over hers enveloping her in his body heat, while kissing a trail of wet, hot kisses along her spine and across her shoulders.

  He straddled her legs with his, nudged his cock against her sex then pushed. Panting, Yvonne gripped the bed sheets and angled her hips up a bit, taking him in fully. Her efforts provoked a deep, guttural groan from Paolo who remained unmoving above her except for sliding his hands under her to cup her breast.

  “You are addictive,” he said barely above a whisper, his warm breath tickling her ear.

  He was one to talk! If he were synthetic, she’d recommend he apply to the FDA.

  He slowly eased back then pushed forward. Shuddering, Yvonne turned her head so that he could kiss her. His tongue marched past her lips, conquering her mouth with an all-consuming assault that made her pussy weep.

  He moved over her, deftly, heightening the experience. From his hands kneading her breast, his body pressing into hers, to his cock driving into her so deeply she almost begged him to stop. But she didn’t, she was much too close to losing it.

  Placing his hands on either side of her, he powered into her with deep, hard thrusts. He picked up his speed with a wild abandon that had Yvonne’s body shaking as an orgasm built and built with each push of his hips.

  “Which of us is better?”

  Yvonne choked on the answer. He’d taken such control of her body; she couldn’t think straight, least of all form a coherent sentence.

  “Say it,” he commanded, as he thrust harder and harder, practically moving her across the mattress. “Which…of us…is better?”

  Too weak at this point to play games, she bit out, “you.”

  “Yes, only me,” he said, still stroking into her and driving her toward another orgasm, “only me. Always me.”

  Yvonne groaned and arched her back as an orgasm tunneled its way up from the depths of her soul, ripping through her until she screamed her release and his name.

  “Does that answer your question?” Paulo chuckled wickedly as she writhed beneath him.

  Twofold, Yvonne mused as she uncrossed her eyes.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “Do we really have to go out tonight?” Yvonne rolled over onto her back and stretched. “Both of us have had a long day.”

  It wasn’t far from the truth. Robbie had had a four hour non-stop training session in preparation for Roma’s playoff match this morning.

  And despite suffering from jet lag caused by yesterday’s return flight, she’d suffered through a laborious five-course brunch this afternoon with the owners of a shoe manufacturer who wanted Robbie to endorse their football shoes. They seemed to believe if they filled her with enough pasta, he’d sign on the dotted line. After five hours of negotiations, they’d come to an impasse.

  Yvonne had such a headache, she even begged off from seeing Paulo earlier, which she regretted because she missed him terribly. A minute didn’t pass that she didn’t wonder what he was doing while she was gone.

  “No way no how, Miss MBA,” Robbie continued, intruding into her ‘I am so whipped’ pep talk. “Vincenze Maggione, the team’s owner, has personally requested I be there along with the team’s co-captains, Freddy and Paulo.”

  At the mention of Paolo’s name, Yvonne’s gut twisted as if filled with butterflies. Damn! She had it bad.

  Riddled with guilt, Yvonne fiddled with the gold ring Paulo had given her on their brief but mind-blowing beach vacation. At his request she wore it on her right ring finger.

  “And since you’re my fiancée you need to be there as well. In fact, Stefano told me Maggione said that he wanted to meet you.” Robbie sat down on the couch next to her. His handsome face beamed with delight. “I think he’s ready to make a decision on my contract. Just think we can end this boondoggle sooner than either of us expected.”

  Yvonne tried to smile in the face of Robbie’s happiness, but she felt nothing but fear. How could she pretend to be in love with another man, when the real man she loved was going to be sitting across from her the entire night?

  * * * * *

  Yvonne dragged her feet all afternoon, which resulted in their being late for dinner even by Robbie’s never-on-time-for-anything standards.


  As they walked through Capriello’s, several diners turned to look at them. Yvonne knew they drew most of the attention because of Robbie’s notoriety. Plus, he looked quite dashing in a navy pin-striped suit and a crisp white handkerchief in his breast pocket.

  She didn’t look too shabby either. Robbie had picked out a navy gabardine off-the-shoulder dress cut so low in the back, she was fearful that when she sat down someone would probably see the crack of her ass. She accented her attire with smooth ponytail, gold hoop earrings and only the golden ring Paolo had given her.

  “The golden couple has arrived!” Stefano Fabrini stood up from one of only four tables in the restaurant’s VIP room. Elegantly decorated with glass and bamboo, the private dining area had a private bar and a personal wait staff.

  Yvonne’s eyes immediately darted to the other dinner guests. As expected, Paolo was in attendance…as well as his date, a willowy pale blonde wrapped around him like a kudzu vine on a fence.

  Even though the woman was pretty, she didn’t hold a candle to her male escort. Paolo’s black tailored suit offset his golden skin and black hair to perfection. To say he was handsome didn’t do him any justice. Despite his unwelcome company, she yearned to go home with him, not Robbie.

  Yvonne hadn’t been prepared to see him with another woman. And he hadn’t mentioned he’d be escorting someone else when she’d spoken with him on the phone earlier that afternoon.

  To say it knocked her for a loop was an understatement. She felt disembodied and an odd ringing sounded in her ears. If it weren’t for Robbie’s guiding hand she would have remained frozen on the other side of the room.

  It’s none of your business, Yvonne silently chastised herself. She wasn’t anything to Paolo. The last two months and their time in Florida meant absolutely nothing to him. They had an arrangement and she was just one of many.

  Fighting to put things back in perspective, Yvonne raised her head and allowed Robbie to lead them to their table. As per Italian custom and due to the familiarity of the group, hugs and kisses on the cheek were exchanged. Of course, Yvonne took her time getting to Paolo by striking up a conversation with Keitha and cooing over the other woman’s jewelry.

  Unfortunately, Freddie, her husband pulled Keitha away to take their seats. Yvonne turned to claim hers, but she was brought up short by Paolo who’d come to stand behind her. There goes that out of body thing again, Yvonne mused when he pulled her into his arms.

  Instead of a safe familiar distance, he pressed his body against hers intimately. Damn! He smelled good like the men’s cologne section in a high-end boutique. Yvonne lingered in his arms.

  “As the team captain, I would be remiss in not greeting you properly,” he whispered before planting a kiss on her cheek, producing a full-body shiver that crashed over Yvonne like a tidal wave. “And as your lover…it would be downright rude.”

  Now why did he have to go there! Yvonne jerked away from him, but not before she noticed the single-minded intent in his dark eyes.

  What kind of game was he playing? She wondered as she took the last remaining seat—between him and Robbie.

  *****

  The moment she walked through the door, his eyes didn’t leave her once. Whether she was wrapped in his bed sheets or a two thousand dollar dress Yvonne was always stunning.

  Despite the malignant presence of her fiancé, Paolo couldn’t help not wanting her. It always amazed him whenever she was around he wanted to put her on her back. Although they had more sex in a week than most married people in a lifetime, he still couldn’t get enough of her. In fact, the minute she’d stepped into the room, his balls started to tighten.

  Paulo admitted his plan to expose her to her fiancé had back fired. Instead of using her then discarding her, he’d started to enjoy being around her. Even the trip to Florida had been a test. And he had failed. Instead of exorcising her, he ended up wanting her more. But she’d rebuffed him twice, in Florida and on her return.

  If he followed his instincts and betrayed her to Robbie, their arrangement would be over. And he wasn’t ready for their affair to end, if ever.

  Paulo couldn’t put a name to what he felt for Yvonne. But he knew it was all consuming or he would not have experienced this blinding, uncontrollable jealousy when she walked in on Robbie’s arm.

  And he’d been so angry and filled with gut-wrenching possessiveness after she couldn’t meet him earlier today he’d stooped so low as to ask Adrianne, a young Brazilian model he’d taken out a time or two, to tonight’s dinner as a way to hurt her.

  His ploy didn’t work. Yvonne didn’t blink twice when she saw them coupled up. Instead, she held onto Robbie’s hand and pressed her voluptuous curves against him as if she wanted to melt into him, reminding Paolo of all the times she done just that whenever he kissed her lips or sucked on her juicy nipples.

  Maddened, Paolo looked away before he threw her over his shoulder, took her back to his estate and fucked her until she couldn’t walk for a week. First, he needed to break the arm Gutierrez slung around the hips he considered very much his property.

  “Paolo, as the team’s captain what do you think of our chances during the playoffs?”

  Paulo dragged his gaze away from Robbie and smiled at the team’s owner. So intent on trying to figure out the woman sitting next to him, he’d only heard bits and pieces of Vincenze’s question, well actually only his name and something about the upcoming playoffs. He decided to wing it.

  “Our chances are great. The team is in top form, the best shape we’ve ever been since I joined the team four years ago,” Paulo replied, while straining to keep his eyes from drifting back to the couple, who seemed to be in their own private world.

  If Yvonne giggled or tugged on that clown’s tie one more time, Paolo was going to do the wait staff a favor and clear the table himself with Gutierrez’s body.

  Relieved he didn’t choke on the tide of anger clogging his throat, threatening his current supply of oxygen, Paolo yanked at his own tie in an effort to dispel his mounting discomfort.

  It didn’t help. Yvonne was still carrying on like a lovesick school girl. If she wasn’t playing with Gutierrez’s fingers, she was draping herself over him like a groupie. Didn’t she know they were in mixed company?

  Unable to help himself, Paolo slipped his hand under the white tablecloth to settle on her knee. He smiled at her knee jerk reaction when she sat up straighter almost knocking her water glass over.

  Going one step further, he leisurely stroked a path along her thigh, moving the thin silky material of her dress upward as he went. To the others around them, she appeared cool and confident. Paolo knew better her leg muscles trembled worse than a land-bound sailor. If he weren’t so aroused by the softness of her skin, he could almost feel sorry for her.

  “All the teams are in good shape,” Stefano laughed. “They are all young like us and in top form. Some are just more stupid than others.”

  Paolo allowed his hand to inch higher. Before he could reach Yvonne’s honey pot, she clamped her legs together. “Si, but we have a secret weapon the other teams don’t have.”

  “And what’s that Paulo?” Maggione asked, resting his elbows on the table.

  “You have us.” Paulo looked over to his teammates and smiled.

  Although a wave of guilt washed over him when Robbie returned his smile, Paolo didn’t remove his hand. Yvonne was just as much his as she was Gutierrez’s probably more so since she claimed to be only having sex with him.

  Or so she said.

  Considering their closeness and her silly carrying on, the pair looked more intimate than he and Adrienne. And he’d been intimate with her in the past.

  “That is what scares me,” Maggione scoffed. “You, Gutierrez and MacDonald are in the press more so for your personal lives than your action on the pitch. The team needs role models not playboys, philanders and perverts. What you do off the field can break team morale or cause a distraction. Instead of concentrating on the European
Cup, the rest of the team is reading the gossip rags.”

  Neither teammate had the balls to speak up. Unable to let Maggione’s comments slide, Paolo opened his mouth. Nothing came out. Instead, he watched Yvonne take Robbie’s hand in hers and squeeze as if comforting him. And just like that Paolo forgot what he was about to say.

  Paulo continued to study them, while everyone looked over their menus. The more he turned the relationship over in his head the more he convinced himself Yvonne was two timing the both of them. But, he couldn’t stay mad at her. He’d forced this arrangement on her to carry out an idiotic personal vendetta against Robbie and his selfish need to possess her.

  Everything had backfired. Instead of being nonplussed about sitting next to her, Paolo was itching to tell everyone she was his. And damn the consequences. She was his. So much so, he wanted to make their arrangement permanent.

  In all honesty, having Yvonne all to himself had become an all-consuming initiative ever since he’d left Florida. Only thing, he didn’t know how to go about it without Yvonne hating him in the end. Still, the thought of her waking up in his arms again excited him.

  Eager to stake his claim, Paolo slipped his fingers between her thighs. With a little prodding, she parted her legs. Paolo gnashed his teeth. She was so soft and warm, his cock jumped.

  Greedy for more, Paolo inched up the inside of her thigh to settle on the silky crotch of her panties. Paolo wanted to groan, she was already wet for him. Or was she? Pushing aside his doubts, he moved the thin material aside.

  He felt her stiffen under his hand as he brushed the tips of his seeking fingers against her clit. He tensed as well, half expecting her to block him or slap him for his audacity. He was practically fingering her in front of her fiancé!

  Of course, Paolo didn’t give a damn. He was too angry to care. All that mattered was showing her she belonged to him.

  Egged on by her acquiescence and the throbbing in his loins, he slipped his fingers inside her pussy. Paolo almost squeezed his eyes shut. Her cunt was so unbelievably warm and slick! Excited by the prospect of discovery, he proceeded to slide his finger in and out of Yvonne’s hot passage.