Read Online Mistletoe Match-Up (Romancing Wisconsin #3) by Stacey Joy Netzel - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Stacey Joy Netzel
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Lisa passed it back.
“I’m feeling charitable —you go first.” She faced him and assumed a defensive stance.
Derek chuckled and began to dribble. She didn’t even give him five seconds before she lunged forward, stole the ball, spun, and shot.
Swish .
Damn. He forgot how flippin’ fast she was. She jogged over for the ball and passed it back to him before resuming defense. He dribbled again, but now he was ready for her and faked left. She met him on his spin back to the right and the ball was hers. Shoot. Score.
This time when he got the ball, he simply drove straight in for a lay-up. She stayed with him the whole way and reached high to block. The ball hit the rim and bounced out. Lisa snagged the rebound, shot while airborne…nothing but net.
And she was up by three in about a minute.
Derek faced her yet again. No smile graced her lips, no triumph gleamed in her laser gaze. That came after the buzzer, or in this case, after she scored basket number twenty-one. Right now, she was an athlete one hundred percent committed to the end result—and even more impressive now than she’d been in high school.
He had to think about his strategy. He was good, but she was better. If only he could come up with a way to throw her off her game.
“Quit stalling,” she ordered. “I want more candy.”
“Don’t get greedy.”
Her trash talk motivated him to score a quick two points to keep him in the running. Lisa rebounded with four in a row. As he fought for his next point, she played heavy physical defense to keep him away from the basket. From one instant to the next, he went from concentrating on the game to being aware of the soft steel of her toned body battling to keep him out of scoring position.
A blast of sexual awareness slammed his senses along with her warm, sweet scent. He was lucky to make the shot and had to take a couple deep focusing breaths when they faced off, Derek on defense this time. She started forward, and he doubled his efforts to keep her from increasing her lead. Arms spread wide, hips balanced above his bent knees, he shadowed her moves.
Never in his life had he thought of basketball as an erotic sport—especially since he usually played with guys. And the couple times he’d been trounced by Lisa in high school he’d concentrated on his defense instead of her assets. But now, every brush and bump between them heightened his awareness.
Their tennis shoes emitted ear-piercing squeaks on the gym floor, in sharp contrast to their labored breathing as the game heated up. He caught up at sixteen, then she went up by two.
Three.
Four.
One more and he was toast. After he made up a point and she had the ball again, Derek vowed to do whatever necessary to keep her from the win. He crowded closer in his defense. Breathed down her neck. Using chest and hips, he checked her at every turn, not above letting his palm slide across her tight rear when he reached around to strip the ball from her hands.
She fumbled, and he snagged the ball. He bent low in the dribble, taking a moment to catch his breath. It was gratifying to see her equally winded. Hands braced on her knees, she eyed him with suspicion. Probably wondering if the graze of his hand had been deliberate or just part of the game.
It was both, starting now. When it came to the new tires and her safety, he wasn’t above playing dirty.
“I’m impressed,” she huffed between breaths. “Considering Santa beat you earlier.”
Derek concentrated on his dribble, yet held her gaze. “I was distracted.”
“By what?”
“You.”
She scoffed. “You didn’t even know I was here.”
“I know.”
Her gaze flitted to the side. He seized the opportunity to drive past for a successful lay-up. Catching the ball on the bounce, he passed it to her and faced her on defense. Determination sharpened her features and tightened her jaw. But he knew he could not allow her to score the winning point.
Play commenced fast, furious and
“I’m feeling charitable —you go first.” She faced him and assumed a defensive stance.
Derek chuckled and began to dribble. She didn’t even give him five seconds before she lunged forward, stole the ball, spun, and shot.
Swish .
Damn. He forgot how flippin’ fast she was. She jogged over for the ball and passed it back to him before resuming defense. He dribbled again, but now he was ready for her and faked left. She met him on his spin back to the right and the ball was hers. Shoot. Score.
This time when he got the ball, he simply drove straight in for a lay-up. She stayed with him the whole way and reached high to block. The ball hit the rim and bounced out. Lisa snagged the rebound, shot while airborne…nothing but net.
And she was up by three in about a minute.
Derek faced her yet again. No smile graced her lips, no triumph gleamed in her laser gaze. That came after the buzzer, or in this case, after she scored basket number twenty-one. Right now, she was an athlete one hundred percent committed to the end result—and even more impressive now than she’d been in high school.
He had to think about his strategy. He was good, but she was better. If only he could come up with a way to throw her off her game.
“Quit stalling,” she ordered. “I want more candy.”
“Don’t get greedy.”
Her trash talk motivated him to score a quick two points to keep him in the running. Lisa rebounded with four in a row. As he fought for his next point, she played heavy physical defense to keep him away from the basket. From one instant to the next, he went from concentrating on the game to being aware of the soft steel of her toned body battling to keep him out of scoring position.
A blast of sexual awareness slammed his senses along with her warm, sweet scent. He was lucky to make the shot and had to take a couple deep focusing breaths when they faced off, Derek on defense this time. She started forward, and he doubled his efforts to keep her from increasing her lead. Arms spread wide, hips balanced above his bent knees, he shadowed her moves.
Never in his life had he thought of basketball as an erotic sport—especially since he usually played with guys. And the couple times he’d been trounced by Lisa in high school he’d concentrated on his defense instead of her assets. But now, every brush and bump between them heightened his awareness.
Their tennis shoes emitted ear-piercing squeaks on the gym floor, in sharp contrast to their labored breathing as the game heated up. He caught up at sixteen, then she went up by two.
Three.
Four.
One more and he was toast. After he made up a point and she had the ball again, Derek vowed to do whatever necessary to keep her from the win. He crowded closer in his defense. Breathed down her neck. Using chest and hips, he checked her at every turn, not above letting his palm slide across her tight rear when he reached around to strip the ball from her hands.
She fumbled, and he snagged the ball. He bent low in the dribble, taking a moment to catch his breath. It was gratifying to see her equally winded. Hands braced on her knees, she eyed him with suspicion. Probably wondering if the graze of his hand had been deliberate or just part of the game.
It was both, starting now. When it came to the new tires and her safety, he wasn’t above playing dirty.
“I’m impressed,” she huffed between breaths. “Considering Santa beat you earlier.”
Derek concentrated on his dribble, yet held her gaze. “I was distracted.”
“By what?”
“You.”
She scoffed. “You didn’t even know I was here.”
“I know.”
Her gaze flitted to the side. He seized the opportunity to drive past for a successful lay-up. Catching the ball on the bounce, he passed it to her and faced her on defense. Determination sharpened her features and tightened her jaw. But he knew he could not allow her to score the winning point.
Play commenced fast, furious and
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