Blindsided Read online

  All kinds of wicked scenarios designed to piss off his brother played through his mind. He couldn’t imagine why Avery would be here dressed like that without his overbearing ass of a brother stuck to her side. They must have had a fight. Maybe they broke up, making her ripe for rebound sex. Or maybe—

  Tanner frowned. Something wasn’t quite right.

  “Shit,” he swore under his breath. Tanner noticed details, a talent which had made him an elite college quarterback able to read defenses with a glance. Sadly, that particular talent hadn’t helped him in the pros—yet.

  No, that delectable vixen on stage wasn’t Avery, but Emma, the sweet twin sister. Tanner leaned forward and licked his lips. Emma? Dressed like that?

  Damn, she was the hottest woman in here.

  He shook his head, pretty sure the world might be coming to an end any minute. Considering Izzy was one of his closest friends, he knew the sisters pretty well and Bella really well; actually maybe too well because his brief involvement with Bella had created tension between Izzy and him. He hated that.

  Tanner watched mesmerized as usually quiet, buttoned-up Emma morphed into a hot, sultry siren. She sang and danced on stage like a pro, reminding him she’d been raised with music in her life because of her parents’ status as two-hit wonders. Emma’s party-crashing side job most likely contributed to her stage presence. In their teens, the sisters had literally sung for their supper by crashing parties in order to get their next meal. They were so good at taking a dud party and turning it into a success, they started a party crashing business, which he understood was becoming quite lucrative.

  Hell, he’d even paid them to crash one of his parties—yet he’d never noticed Emma in stage mode before, maybe because he’d been too busy screwing Bella in a closet.

  He ran his hand through his hair and groaned. He noticed her now, and he was torn between covering her up with his jacket and taking off the clothes she had on.

  Tanner ran his hands over his face and blew out a ragged breath, while Emma crooned some sexy love song. Damn, but the woman could sing, and the seductive way she moved her body to the music had every horny jerk in the bar salivating including him and—he glanced at his buddies. Glassy-eyed with tongues hanging out, they watched her every move. Tanner suppressed an urge to beat the crap out of all three of them, shocked he even gave a shit.

  Then again, he should. She was Izzy’s sister, and so it made sense he’d be concerned for her welfare and somewhat protective of her. Izzy was the closest thing to a sister he had left. At the errant reminder of what he’d lost, Tanner swallowed hard. He buried the pain by refocusing on Emma.

  No way did sweet Emma truly understand what her outfit did to every man in the room or what they were imagining doing to her as the night wore on. Bella must have dressed her tonight. He glanced around, but Bella wasn’t anywhere to be found, nor were any of her sisters.

  His gaze swung back to the angel who’d been dressed by the devil. Emma’s bright red lips moved as she sang the words to the song, and all Tanner could picture in his gutter-filled mind were those very lips sucking his dick and taking him deep. Really, really deep. Over and over until—

  Oh, hell. He let out a tortured groan and glanced guiltily at his buddies. They didn’t even notice, which pissed him off all the more, but not nearly as much as the strangers ogling her with undisguised lust in their gazes.

  He was pretty certain Emma hadn’t a clue what she did to men and how dangerous her appearance could be to someone as naïve as her.

  He hoped she was with friends who’d take care of her and wasn’t here alone.

  She finished her song to wild applause and stumbled off the stage, alerting Tanner that she might be a little tipsy. She swayed past a table occupied by a middle-aged businessman and tossed the man a slightly unfocused, come-hither look. The guy took the bait and reached out, but she sidestepped past him and lurched forward toward a scruffy biker dude. Already off-balance on crazy high heels, she fell onto his lap with more than a little help from him. Instead of extricating herself from his grasp, Emma turned into him.

  Tanner saw red, and leapt to his feet, but Hunter grabbed his arm.

  “What are you doing?”

  “She’s drunk. She doesn’t know what that guy has in mind.” He attempted to shake off Hunter’s iron grip, but Cam grabbed his other arm, and Grady sat poised to help out. The two men shoved him back into his chair.

  “She looks like she knows exactly what she’s doing. She’s a big girl. Back off. What she does is none of your business unless she’s in danger. From what I can tell, she’s more than a willing participant.”

  Tanner growled and crossed his arms over his chest. “If he tries to leave with her—”

  Cam snorted. “You’ll what? Beat the crap out of him? What’s wrong with you?”

  Tanner wasn’t sure. He only knew that no fucking way in hell would Emma leave with that guy.

  * * * *

  Emma was on a mission, and she was too drunk to see the flaws in her plan.

  Usually she came to karaoke with a few girlfriends. Tonight they’d cancelled on her. Instead of staying home, Emma threw caution to the wind and went by herself. She fortified her courage—or lack of—with a couple glasses of wine. After all, she knew most of the regulars and the DJ. She’d be safe here.

  The wine encouraged her to do something completely un-Emma-like. Just one night she wanted to be bold and uninhibited like Bella. Almost every friend of hers had boasted, laughed, or cringed over a one-night stand. Emma didn’t have a one-night stand story. In her drunken state, she wanted one with a stranger who didn’t mean anything to her, one who’d screw her brains out and walk away without a glance back.

  In a much more sober state, she’d never consider such a crazy idea, only she wasn’t sober, and she wasn’t a virgin either, so she sure as hell didn’t have that to lose. She’d lost that as a junior in high school to a sweet-talking guy in her church youth group who’d convinced her he loved her then dumped her after he’d gotten what he wanted. She’d cried for months. Her romantic heart had been shattered, and her faith in her ability to read men was completely destroyed. She’d vowed never again would she give her heart and her body to a man without a wedding ring attached.

  Yet despite her promise to herself, her conscience, usually as loud as a rabid fan during a Sockeyes playoff game, barely uttered a word, and the alcohol fueled her desire to be like her friends and sisters, rather than a prude of the first degree. Everyone else did it. Why shouldn’t she in the name of fun?

  As Emma left the stage, she swayed past the middle-aged businessman who’d been one of many eyeing her all night. He’d sent a drink to her table and winked at her. She’d winked back. He was a handsome man, probably fifteen years older than her, which meant he’d be experienced. She needed experienced, considering her limited experience. He also seemed a safe choice, nothing like the big guy with tats, a few days’ worth of stubble, and too-long hair who’d also bought her a drink and propositioned her earlier that evening to which she’d giggled in reply and run for the bathroom, but that’d been two or three drinks ago.

  She wasn’t going to run this time, and she would not do safe. She avoided the businessman and sashayed toward the biker, stumbled on her too-high heels and fell toward him. He snagged her around the waist and pulled her onto his lap.

  Instead of struggling out of his grasp, she turned into him and put her hands on his stubbled cheeks. He didn’t need any more of an invitation and tightened his grip. His sexy mouth came down hard on hers with a roughness that both excited and frightened. She opened her mouth and attempted to imitate what he was doing to her with his tongue and did a poor job of it, but he didn’t seem to notice. He curled one hand around her butt and another between her thighs. The longer they kissed, the higher his hand crept until it grazed her crotch. He rubbed wet panties with his thumb.

  Emma groaned, wanting more, turned on by the very naughty things he was doing
to her and obviously wanted to do to her.

  “I have a room here,” he growled against her lips. Before she could answer, he launched a new assault on her mouth. “You need to be fucked.”

  “I do.” She croaked hoarsely, grateful for the liquid courage she’d consumed. Part of her wanted to run, but the other part recalled the teasing she’d endured all these years for being little Miss Perfect. She hated being perfect.

  She could feel his erection as he rubbed that sweet spot between her legs. She heard a throaty moan and realized it came from her. Sliding her off his lap, he stood and grabbed her hand, holding it tightly as if he feared she might bolt any second. He didn’t know how close to the truth that actually was.

  “Let’s go,” he said gruffly with urgency in his voice.

  “Let her go now,” interrupted an angry voice from behind them.

  The biker spun around, still holding her hand. Emma blinked several times, certain the wine was messing with her mind.

  “Tanner?” she uttered, feeling as if this entire scene couldn’t be happening to her.

  He shot her a quick glance and grabbed her arm, yanking her none too gently away from the stunned stranger. Tanner glowered with recrimination, reminding her way too much of Izzy’s stern expression when Bella screwed up.

  “Who the fuck are you?” the biker stood up straighter, his hands in fists.

  “I’m a friend of the family,” Tanner countered, one hand holding Emma’s, legs spread apart, as he looked the man up and down. A slow smirk crossed Tanner’s face.

  “Well, get lost.” The biker shot back with false bravado, frowning as he noticed Tanner’s buddies flanking him.

  The man glanced from Emma to the large, imposing group and back again. “Stupid bitch,” he growled, turned on his heel, and left.

  “Why did you do that?” Emma turned on Tanner, vibrating with fury and indignation. She yanked her hand out of his grasp. He’d treated her like a child who needed rescuing, and she hated that.

  “Because you’re drunk. You don’t know what you’re doing,” Tanner countered smugly, arms crossed over his broad chest.

  “Says who?” Emma was so sick of people always telling her what to do. She didn’t need a protector or meddler. Nor did she need a spy who’d tell Izzy everything.

  “I do. I’m taking you home.”

  Tanner shot a look at his cohorts. Turning back to her, he put an arm around her waist and led her from the bar. Emma leaned into him, suddenly feeling the effects of the alcohol she’d drank.

  He lifted Emma into his truck, and she giggled at his hands on her ass. She’d dreamed of this moment for a long time. Sitting her firmly in the passenger seat, he leaned over to fasten her seatbelt. Emboldened by the alcohol and the man, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his.

  His big body went absolutely still. If she’d been sober, she’d have been appalled at his reaction, but she wasn’t sober, and she wasn’t going to be boring, predictable Emma. Not tonight.

  “Emma,” he said as he drew back, his voice harsh. “Stop it.”

  “Why? You aren’t afraid of Izzy or Cooper or Isaac, are you?” Her challenge hit the bull’s-eye. She could tell by his darkening gaze, and the rigid set of his jaw.

  “No,” he ground out through gritted teeth. “I am not.”

  “You don’t want me?” she pouted, and rubbed her breasts against his muscular arm.

  He made a choking sound. She took that as a good sign.

  “Emma.” He sounded almost pleading, his voice strained and his green eyes smoldering with what even with her limited experience she knew to be lust.

  Yeah, he wanted her, as much as she wanted him. Emma tugged down her tight shirt, revealing the sexy pink bra she’d bought just yesterday. His eyes immediately went to her breasts, and he licked his lips.

  “Emma,” he groaned.

  “Yes?” she smiled, pleased with herself.

  “You don’t know what you’re doing.”

  “I know exactly what I’m doing. I’m seducing you.” She reached out a hand and cupped him between the legs, marveling at her own boldness. Maybe she should take up drinking.

  “Oh, fuck.” His eyes rolled back in his head. “You’re playing with fire.”

  “No, I’m playing with you, but I’m sure you are fire.” She was wearing him down. She’d dreamed of this moment from the first time she’d seen him playing football at the U-Dub. She’d never come this close, and darn it, she wouldn’t blow this opportunity. She couldn’t have picked a better man for a one-night stand.

  “Izzy would kill me.”

  “Izzy doesn’t need to know. No one does, but you and me.” She slid her hand along the bulge in his jeans. Bella hadn’t been kidding. The man was huge, nothing compared to the fumbling choirboy from her teenage years.

  “This isn’t a good idea,” he muttered, even as he planted little kisses along her neck and slid his hands up her skirt to cup her butt. He kneaded her butt with his long fingers, and she sighed with absolute pleasure.

  “We can’t go to my place. Someone might see us,” Emma said, referring to the small barn apartment she had in exchange for feeding horses five days a week, which happened to be a pasture-away from Avery and Isaac’s home.

  “We can’t go to mine either. It’s too far, and I can’t wait that long.”

  Emma’s confidence surged at his words. He did want her.

  He pulled her in for a deep, sensual kiss. His talented mouth and tongue found all the right places. Dear heavens above, the man could kiss. She didn’t even worry about whether or not she was doing it right, she just kissed him back, lost in the smell and the feel of him. Judging by how tightly he held onto her and how he ground his crotch against her hip, she did good.

  Finally he pulled back. “We can’t do it here. I’m on probation with the team. One screw-up, and I’m gone.”

  She nodded, wishing they could because she didn’t want to wait. Emma decided not to remind him that screwing around with her might be a big screw-up as far as her family was concerned.

  Scrubbing his face with his hands, he let out a long sigh, unbuckled her seat belt, and lifted her with incredible ease from his truck.

  “What are you doing?” she asked as he gently placed her on her feet.

  “I know a place back in the woods.” He pulled her along, using his cell phone as a flashlight. He led her past the rows of cars in the parking lot into the wooded greenbelt surrounding the casino and down a narrow trail that ran along a ravine and a gurgling stream. The area opened up into a small clearing complete with a plastic picnic table. At least she wouldn’t be getting slivers in her butt because what she had in mind would definitely cause slivers.

  Emma giggled and hoped she didn’t sober up in time to realize the real ramifications of what she was about to do because she really wanted to feel this man inside her.

  The two of them together was meant to be.

  * * * *

  In his right mind, Tanner never would’ve taken Emma up on her offer. Only he’d been celibate for a little too long, and his over-sexed libido overrode his brain. His dick ruled the night, and his dick wanted Emma with the same level of wanting as he felt toward winning a championship, and that was a damn lot of wanting.

  He pulled her along, holding her up so she didn’t break her ankle on those ridiculously high heels, which he’d insisted she leave on until after he rode her into a state of mutual satisfaction.

  This was all wrong. He’d piss off Cooper and Isaac—that part he liked—but he’d also beyond piss off Izzy, maybe to the point he’d lose her friendship over this. Not to mention the Maxwells’ close connection to the Reynolds family could be a death sentence for his career if this little liaison got back to any of them. Except Tanner wasn’t thinking beyond the next several minutes and didn’t give a shit about the ramifications at this particular moment in time. All he could think about was how damn good Emma would feel, consequences be damne
d.

  He halted his frantic pace in a small clearing which had once been part of a campground. The tribe who owned the casino had purchased the property but had yet to develop this particular section.

  Over the past few years, he’d taken a woman or two—maybe a dozen—back here for a quick one between hands of poker or blackjack. While he didn’t like the idea of fucking Emma in such a place, he’d do it anyway because finding another spot wasn’t an option right now. He needed to sink himself into this warm, wet woman and feel her tight pussy clench around him as he pumped in and out of her. He’d bet his college championship ring that Emma would have a pussy tighter than any he’d ever had.

  “Are you sure you’re okay with this because I want to fuck you in the worst possible way.” Tanner didn’t wait for her answer. Pulling his T-shirt over his head, he spread it on the picnic table and lifted her onto it. He stepped between her legs, his mouth coming down hard on hers as sanity slipped through his fingers. He buried those same fingers in her thick silky mane. She kissed him back, like a woman starved for the very thing he was about to give her.

  Starved was good, really damn good.

  Tanner pushed her straps off her shoulders, and eased her top down, desperate to see her breasts. He wasn’t disappointed. Moonlight washed across them, and they were as perfect as he’d always imagined.

  He froze.

  What the fuck?

  He’d imagined Emma naked? How could that be? When?

  The realization hit him hard. His recurring dreams of a woman he couldn’t quite see, yet he knew her, and all the things he’d done to her in those dreams. She’d been Emma all along.

  “Is everything okay?” she gazed up at him, blinking those luminous blue eyes of hers, her full mouth swollen from his rough kisses, her cheeks red from his stubble. She was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen in his life, and he’d seen a lot.

  “Everything’s fine. You’re—just so beautiful. So incredibly perfect.” His gaze locked on her nipples, pink and distended, begging for his mouth. She clutched the back of his head and wrapped her legs around his waist, digging those deadly heels into his ass. The sweet pain spurred him into action. He lowered his mouth and tasted. She tasted like a woman should taste, sweet and spicy, like cinnamon and nutmeg.