Chapter Fifty-Four

This time, Natalie had left her room pristine. She wasn’t going to risk throwing off her game by having Darcy walk into her usual mess. But in the end it didn’t matter because Darcy led them to her room.

When Darcy opened the door and flicked on the light, Natalie noticed her hands were shaking.

Darcy let the door close behind her and as the lock caught, Natalie took her hand. “Do I make you nervous?”

“Of course.”

Natalie ran her thumb across the back of Darcy’s hand before bringing Darcy’s hand to her lips. She placed a series of butterfly-light kisses across her knuckles, her eyes never leaving Darcy’s.

“How long did it take to lose the calluses?” Natalie asked, holding her hand open to show Darcy.

Darcy ran a finger down the length of Natalie’s fingers, tracing the rough spots caused by decades of playing. She displayed her own hands for Natalie to inspect, tingling when Natalie let her fingertip ghost over her skin. “I think I’ll have them forever.”

Natalie traced a scar on Darcy’s forearm, a jagged line across the back of her wrist. “What this one’s story?”

“Slash. One of your teammates, actually.”

Natalie winced as though she could feel the stick striking her own arm. “You broke your arm?”

Darcy shook her head. “Nope. Skin split open, though. The doctors had a hell of a time putting me back together.”

Natalie looked up at her. “Who did this to you? I’ll kill them.”

Darcy laughed and tugged Natalie toward the bed. “Okay, tough guy.” Darcy ran her hand up the back of Natalie’s neck before threading her fingers into her hair. As their kisses became more urgent, her fingers tightened and pulled Natalie’s hair. Not enough to hurt, but plenty hard enough to get Natalie’s attention.

“Fuck,” Natalie growled.

Darcy pulled her head back so she could see Natalie’s face. “Oh yeah?”

Natalie nodded, her tongue finding Darcy’s and her hips pressing forward when Darcy gave her hair another tug.

“Fuck, Darcy.” Natalie pressed forward, crashing them both onto the bed.

Darcy let out a surprised laugh until Natalie’s hands found her breasts. Natalie’s thumb circled Darcy’s nipple, first teasing and then increasing pressure until Darcy was arching off the bed.

“Nat.” She reached down and grabbed a fistful of Natalie’s hair. “Get me out of these clothes.”

Darcy reached for her zipper but Natalie stopped her. “Let me.” She looked up at Darcy. “Please.”

Darcy put her hands over her head in surrender while she watched Natalie take her time unbuttoning her pants and sliding them down over her hips. Darcy grew impatient but when she reached for the hem of her shirt, Natalie grabbed her hands and pulled them back over her head.

Natalie held her there, hovering over Darcy’s body. “Let me take your clothes off.” She dipped her head and captured Darcy’s lip between her teeth and gave it a gentle tug.

“Fucking hurry, then. Any slower and I’d think you were a goalie.”

Natalie laughed. “Fighting words, LaCroix.” She sat on Darcy’s thigh so she could use both hands to undo the buttons on Darcy’s shirt. She moved excruciatingly slowly, pausing to tease Darcy’s nipples through her bra before finally, finally removing the rest of her clothes.

Darcy huffed. “There are glaciers that move faster than you.”

“But they don’t make you come as hard,” Natalie said, wrapping her lips around Darcy’s nipple. For all her shit-talking and cocky banter, Natalie wanted to savor this. She wanted to explore every inch of Darcy’s body slowly, thoroughly, and until she was begging Natalie for release.

All her intentions went out the window when Darcy tugged on her hair again. She didn’t even know that was a thing she liked but holy fuck, it was making her lose her ability to take things slowly.

Darcy grabbed for her when Natalie had one nipple in her mouth and teased the other with the pads of her fingers. The feeling of Darcy tugging her hair—not rough, but possessive—made Natalie moan.

“If you do that, I’m not going to be able to concentrate on what I’m doing.”

Darcy’s nails dragged across Natalie’s scalp and her fingers tightened in her hair. “Is that so?”

Natalie, chin resting on Darcy’s chest, stared up at her. “You are a menace.”

“You have no idea,” Darcy said with a deep, throaty laugh. She lifted her head off the mattress to kiss Natalie, and sucked Natalie’s lower lip until Natalie’s hips pressed into hers.

She let her head fall against the pillow. “I want you inside me. Now.”

Natalie licked a line across Darcy’s collarbone while her hand found its way between them. “Are you sure?”

“Carpenter, if you don’t fuck me right now I’m going to do it myself.”

“Whatever you say, Cap.”

Darcy arched against Natalie’s fingers as they slid through her soaking pussy. Natalie moaned knowing she made Darcy want her that much. As her fingers circled Darcy’s clit and her breaths grew more desperate, Natalie lowered her mouth to Darcy’s chest and resumed sucking and licking until Darcy screamed her name.

Natalie hummed against the soft, sensitive skin of Darcy’s chest. She let her head rest against Darcy’s sternum so she could look up at her. “Good?”

Instead of responding, laughter bubbled in Darcy’s chest in waves. It was the best sound Natalie had ever heard. She’d heard Darcy laugh before, but this was different. It was soft, intimate. She was laughing again and again with the happiest sighs Natalie had ever heard.

She loved it. She never wanted to stop hearing it. Shit. She swallowed. She could not be falling for Darcy LaCroix. Not her laugh or her smile or the amazing way she felt when she moved against Natalie’s hands.

No. She couldn’t feel like this.

Shit. She already did.