Free Shooting for the Stars by Sarina Bowen Page A

he’d see. Don’t rush , he warned himself. There might not ever be another moment as perfect as this.
    “What are you waiting for?” Stella asked. “A signal from the judges?” She moved her body a crucial inch, and Bear had to close his eyes to hold on to his control. He made her wait a few more seconds. Because if he set aside their power struggle, it would change things between them too much. He needed that distracting layer of competition to keep her at an arm’s length from his heart.
    She clamped a hand around the back of his neck and hauled him down for the hottest, most crazy-making kiss of his life. Stella absolutely invaded his mouth, and he let her. She wrapped first one leg and then the other around him, letting out a huff of frustration at the delay.
    That’s when he made his move, pumping his hips, pushing home in one smooth go.
    “ Yes !” she cried out, throwing her head back.
    He’d succeeded in catching her off guard, keeping one last ounce of control over the situation. The trouble was he caught himself off guard, too. She was tight and hot and so wonderful that he needed a moment to collect himself. So he bent down to kiss her again, but that only made it worse. The slide of her tongue against his own was so hot that he had to move his hips. Stella’s smooth legs gripped his ass. She was under him and around him in every possible way.
    At that moment, there was nothing else in the world he needed. No sponsorship mattered. No tour mattered. There was only Stella. She held him so tightly it was possible to forget every other thing in the world.

Seven

    A LL THE U NO CARDS and the backgammon set had officially been thrown off the bed.  
    For years she had been fantasizing about this, and the reality was almost more than Stella could take. She didn’t want to rush, but she was incapable of slowing down. Every kiss, every flex of Bear’s hips brought her closer to the brink.  
    The intensity of Bear’s silver gaze stole her breath. Hovering over her, the man of her dreams looked into her eyes. And then he smiled . That smile had always made her stupid, even on the best of days. Right now it was devastating. Bear lowered his beautiful mouth onto hers, and Stella was forced to drop every pretense of attitude. This was too good. It was almost too much. All she could do was put her arms around as much of Bear as she could and hold on tight.
    Meanwhile, Bear picked up the pace, growling into her mouth. She’d always wondered what it would be like with him, and reality did not disappoint. She was approaching sensory overload — the scruff of his beard, the bulk of his muscle under her hands… She wished she could slow down time and memorize everything. It was all so very very good.
    This was what it felt like to get exactly what you wanted. Like bathing in sunshine and sweet friction.
    Bear dropped his head to take her breast into his mouth again. And that’s what ruined her. When he lapped at her nipple, she couldn’t hold back anymore. Vaguely aware that she was making a lot of unintelligible sounds, she tensed every naked muscle, as if she could stretch out the moment by sheer force of will. Then sensation clobbered her, knocking her back against the sheets. Through the haze of her orgasm, she saw Bear squeeze his eyes shut. “Yeah, buddy. Fuck, that’s hot. Aw, yeah,” he panted. Then he gave one more masculine growl and planted himself to the hilt with a shudder.
    For several long moments, nobody moved. Stella could only lie there breathing, processing the ripple effects of intense stimulation. Her skin felt flushed, and her pulse raced. With his face dropped into the curve of her neck, Bear gave a long groan of satisfaction.
    Then, he rolled off of her.
    A few seconds were all it took for Stella to feel a twinge of… she didn’t know what. Panic was too strong a word. But her defenses notched up to high alert, guarding her heart against whatever happened next. Even though plenty of