She grinned and slid her arms around his neck. "Does that mean you missed me?"

"Always," he said, his voice a low rumble as he pulled her roughly against him. Her entire body vibrated with need.

"How long do we have to stay?" she asked, because it was his cousin's club, and she didn't want to be rude by suggesting they leave now. But she couldn't wait to be alone with him.

"We don't. Gabe's lending us his driver. We can get out of here any time."

"Now sounds good to me." She paused for them to say good-bye to Olivia and Dylan before Alex led her out the door.

A private limo and driver waited for them in front of Elite. And once inside the back of the limo, the privacy part.i.tion was raised. Alex leaned back in the seat, his arm stretched behind her. "I told him to drive around. I said I'd tell him when to head to the hotel," he said, his gaze leveled on hers.

"So we're free to do whatever we want back here?"

He nodded, his finger tracing the line of her dress down her cleavage and back up again on the other side. Her b.r.e.a.s.t.s grew heavy, nipples tightening, panties damp. Light music piped in around them, a beautiful melody she didn't recognize, but it added to the s.e.xy atmosphere.

She knew what she wanted to do. Something she never initiated with any man because it indicated an intimacy she'd never felt before with anyone but Alex. And she felt it again now. More so than when they'd been together before even.

"I want my mouth on you," she murmured. Turning toward him, she reached for the b.u.t.ton on his dark pants. He drew a sharp breath, eyes glittering with heat.

"You sure, Angel?" Alex asked, unable to tear his gaze from hers. The thought of her sucking him in her warm, wet mouth had his c.o.c.k swelling and his body shaking with need.

"Completely." She slid off the seat and sank to her knees, then unzipped his pants.

He lifted his hips, and she hooked her fingers into his briefs and worked at his pants, until they fell to the floor around his feet. She maneuvered herself between his legs before capturing his hard c.o.c.k in her hand.

He looked heavenward, praying for the strength not to come from her hot touch alone.

Eyes wide and focused, she slid her hand up and down his thick length, pausing to swipe a finger over the leaking pre-c.u.m at the head. He let out a strangled groan. If she was going to experiment now, he would be in big trouble.

She bit down on her lower lip, studying him from various angles.

He wanted to bite that lip himself, then devour her mouth and thrust into her body-her mouth or her p.u.s.s.y, he didn't much care which, he thought, his hips arching up into her tight grasp.

"Not gonna pressure you, sweetheart but you have to do something, or this'll be over before you begin."

She leaned down and licked him experimentally. Heat shot through his groin, and he clenched his hands into tight fists. Anything to prevent himself from grabbing her by the hair and pumping into her mouth himself. She wanted to be in control, and he wanted to give her that.

Finally she parted her lips and took him in, enclosing him in moist heat. Fire licked at him from every angle as she ran her tongue up and down his shaft, lingering beneath the sensitive head before bringing him into her mouth so deep he hit the back of her throat.

She slid him out and in, her lips gliding then sucking him deep. With one hand gripping him and pumping up and down, she sucked him like a lollipop, cupping his b.a.l.l.s in her free hand. He lost track of her moves and became a complete slave to sensation. His blood boiled in his veins, f.u.c.king stars flashed in front of his eyes, and he came so hard he lost track of everything but the unreal o.r.g.a.s.m and the woman giving him such intense, all-consuming pleasure.

Madison woke early the next morning, her entire body aching in the best possible way from last night's activities. She stretched in delight. Looking over, she didn't see Alex. Instead, she saw a note on the pillow beside her.

She picked it up and read out loud. "Hey, beautiful. Went back to my room to shower. If I stayed, I'd have woken you up with my hands on your-" She blushed at the following words, fully aware he was right. If he'd joined her in the shower, they'd never get to breakfast and then their meeting on time. She'd definitely enjoy her morning more though.

She had to admit going with the flow was working for her. By spending time with Alex and not allowing herself to think about the future, she'd fallen into a routine she enjoyed. Much like last time except things were different now. He was different. He was attentive and focused on her. No distraction of media or attention to inflate his ego and pull him away from what was important and meaningful in his life.

She pulled out her phone and texted him, letting him know that she was ready for breakfast. A few minutes later, she met up with him outside the elevator banks in the lobby.

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her like they'd been apart for days instead of a little over an hour. "Mmm. I could get used to this," she murmured against his mouth.

He stepped back and grinned. "You'd better because I don't plan on stopping anytime soon."

She linked her hand in his. "I need coffee desperately."

"And I need you." His looked into her eyes, gaze hot and heavy-lidded.

She swayed toward him, hoping he'd kiss her one more time.

"Excuse me. Alex?" A female voice interrupted them.

Madison turned to see a stunning brunette wearing a wine-colored skirt and matching jacket, waiting for him.

Alex stiffened. "What the h.e.l.l? Are you following me?"

Madison narrowed her gaze, unsure who the woman was.

"I hate to interrupt-" the woman said.

"Then don't." Alex bit out his words in an ice-cold tone Madison had only heard once before, and everything inside her froze at the memory of him breaking up with her in his hospital room.

"Alex, please," the unknown female said.

"Go away."

The only woman Madison could imagine him speaking to that way now would be- "Rachel, I believe me not returning your calls speaks for itself."

Madison closed her eyes, needing a minute to pull herself together to deal with this situation. She was facing the other woman who had meant something to him once. One he was still angry with and bitter over. Did that translate to him still having feelings for her? Nausea kicked in hard. She rubbed her hands against her own skirt, hoping she didn't look as nervous as she suddenly felt.

"I just need a few minutes of your time," Rachel said.

"I'm busy." He immediately pulled Madison closer to him. Today, his gesture of possession didn't feel as warm or intimate as it had last night. It felt necessary, like he needed to prove to this woman that he had moved on.

But had he? That was the question, and Madison suddenly felt chilled despite his body heat close beside her.

Madison swallowed hard. "Alex, go ahead. See what she wants."

"Anything you have to say, you can say to us both. This is Madison-"

"Evans. I admire the work you're both doing with the Thunder."

Madison narrowed her gaze. How did Rachel know about her?

"How do you know what we're doing?" Alex asked before Madison had the chance.

"I have a proposal for you, and before I put it together, I had to know what I was up against." It was hard to know if she meant in business or his personal life, since she looked Madison over before settling her stare on Alex once more.

"How did you know where we were?" he asked.

"You weren't answering your cell-"

"A number you shouldn't have had either."

"I have sources. Anyway, I called the Thunder front office and asked how to get in touch with you. I'm based in New York. I have been since graduation. When they said you were here in the city, I managed to get the hotel name and decided I'd come to see you in person. I was on my way up to your room."

Neither of them asked how she'd gotten her hands on that. She'd already said she had sources.

"You can talk in front of Madison," Alex said. His frown didn't ease, and his entire body was stiff beside hers.

Madison shook her head. "No. You go hear what Rachel has to say. I'll meet you at our meeting." She stepped out of his embrace and away from his touch.

"Madison," he said on a low, unhappy growl.

She moved, putting a hand on his shoulder and whispering so only he could hear. "It's called closure, and something tells me you need it. Go hear her out."

Alex grumbled, arguing until he realized she wouldn't give in. "Fine," he muttered.

Madison walked away, her stomach in knots, her heart thudding painfully against her chest. But she had no doubt she'd done the right thing. Rachel's actions had defined Alex's entire adult life. He needed to come to terms with her rejection. Not to mention, he needed to hear her proposal now and process it alone, without Madison there to cloud his judgment or, heaven forbid, provide him with guilt should he still respond to the attractive woman from his past.

If Madison wanted a future with Alex, and G.o.d help her she did, she needed him free and clear of his past and his demons. And free of whatever grip Rachel still held after all these years.

Alex sat down in the hotel restaurant across from Rachel. He didn't want to be here. He had no desire to sit across from the woman who'd broken his heart and talk about anything. And if he had to be here, he preferred Madison be by his side. He didn't like the look on her face when she'd told him to go with Rachel.

He ordered coffee and an omelet and waited for her to do the talking. For his part, he had nothing to say. In the ensuing silence, he studied her, noting she'd aged well. Her brown hair was shorter but suited her features. But looking at her now, nothing stirred inside him. Not desire, l.u.s.t, or even mild wanting. To his amazement, he didn't even feel regret for what might have been.

So why the h.e.l.l are you so angry? a voice that sounded too much like Madison asked.

Pride, his own internal voice answered. Rachel had hurt his pride by breaking up with him because the life he'd offered wasn't good enough for her. He hadn't been good enough for her. Now? He didn't give a s.h.i.t.

"Okay, let's hear it," he said, giving in and breaking the silence. "What's so important that you had to track me down here?"

"How have you been?" she asked.

Great. She wanted to make small talk. "I've been wonderful. Drafted, MVP, fantastic career until I got knocked in the head a few too many times. But I've got a new career path, and all's well." He folded his arms across his chest.

She pinned him with her knowing stare, still silent.

He bit the inside of his cheek. "How have you been?" he asked in return.

She smiled. "Fine, thanks. I moved to New York after we graduated. I got a job with an entertainment firm and worked my way up the ladder. I married a Wall Street guy. It was good until it wasn't. We were divorced last year. I made partner at my firm ... and here I am." She spread her hands out in front of her.

Wall Street. "Well, you got the guy who wore a suit and tie and went into work every day in the same place, same state. Sorry it didn't work out," he said, surprised he meant it.

"It happens." She shrugged. "You know, Alex, I've always had one regret."

He found it difficult to swallow. "Yeah? What's that?"

"The way we ended. I wish I'd had the courage to tell you all along I didn't have it in me to be the wife of a ball player. But we got serious so quickly, and because your family lived in Florida, I met them, spent time with them. That put a more intense spin on things. And I didn't know how to get out of it by then."

She twisted the napkin between her hands, not meeting his gaze. "Honestly, while we were in school, I didn't want out of it. But suddenly there was graduation, pro offers, and the draft, and you were proposing. I wasn't ready for it."

"It's not like you didn't know I was thinking about it," he said, reminding her he hadn't exactly kept his feelings to himself. And she hadn't argued with his ideas about how they could stay together.

But she hadn't offered any of her own either, he realized, looking back.

"No. You were always up front. It was me. And I'm sorry." She forced her eyes up to meet his. "I always regretted not being honest with you, with myself. I've carried that burden for years."

Despite the anger he'd harbored, he felt himself softening toward her. After all this time, did it really matter? They'd each gone their own way, lived their own life. She obviously wanted some sort of forgiveness.

And Madison wanted him to have closure. He had to admit his chest felt lighter, having heard Rachel's honest words. "It's in the past," he heard himself saying. "We should both let it go."

He'd always believed she wasn't a bad person. That anger was about his bruised ego more than anything else, and he'd only let it fester and grow over time, infecting how he'd treated women and his ideas about relationships.

"I needed to hear that," she said. "And I actually think you mean it."

"I never say things I don't mean." That much hadn't changed.

"Okay then. If we're back on friendly ground-"

"I didn't say we were friends."

She smiled anyway. "We're not adversaries then. That should make my proposal easier for you to hear. Without that anger between us."

He ran a hand over his face. "Let's hear it. I have a meeting in twenty minutes."

She smiled. "Like I said, I'm a partner at an entertainment company." She handed him her card. "And we're working with S&E Network. Sports and Entertainment Network," she elaborated. "They want to hire you for a sports show with Allison Edwards, the sports commentator. They'd like you to come in and test with her, but from the way they're talking, if you want the job, it's yours."

He blinked. A job offer was the last thing he'd expected from Rachel. Then again, he'd had no idea what she'd wanted.

"It's a great opportunity," she said. "For one thing, it's national. You'd be back in the spotlight, and we both know how much you liked to feed on that adrenaline and energy."

Even back in college, he'd enjoyed the attention and social perks that came with being a star athlete. He couldn't accept anything from sponsors back then, but as his professional career had grown, he couldn't deny he'd lived large and loved every minute.

It helped keep the loneliness away and didn't give him time to think about the things in life he'd decided he would never have, like a serious woman and a family of his own. He'd been so angry at Rachel he'd turned his back on so much, he realized. Things he now wanted and not with the woman sitting here.

He shook his head, bringing himself back to the present. "Did you run this by my agent?" he asked.

She shook her head and grinned. "He said you were being an a.s.s and I should try to get through to you."

"He did not." Although knowing Kevin Falcon and how p.i.s.sed he was, maybe he had.

"Actually, he said he'd like to mention it to you but not to get my hopes up because you weren't entertaining offers these days-or returning his calls. After I said you and I went way back and maybe I could pitch it to you myself, then yeah. He did say exactly that."

Alex shook his head and laughed. "That b.a.s.t.a.r.d."