Slam Dunk: Black & White Collection by Mari Carr Read Free Book Online

request. “Sure. What’s the plan?”
    She gave him a sultry grin. “It’s a surprise. I’ll follow you there in my car.”
    He agreed, breaking every speed limit on his way through town. His cock was rock hard and his mind was wallowing in the gutter. She hadn’t given any indication that her plans involved sex, but that didn’t stop him from hoping.
    He’d abided by her damn rule, remaining firmly ensconced in friendship hell, but he wasn’t going to pretend it wasn’t getting harder by the day. He’d deleted his damn booty call list earlier in the week, knowing he’d never call another woman for hook-up as long as Ellie was around. The only woman he wanted in his bed was the one currently pulling into his driveway behind him.
    As they walked into the house, Ellie pulled off her coat and hung it on the hook by the door. She’d been to his house several times since the night of the break-in—to watch football on Sundays with the gang or to meet for a quick dinner before a late practice. He liked having her in his home. She fit here.
    “Do you have any playing cards?”
    He looked at her and wondered for a moment if he’d heard her correctly. “Cards?”
    She nodded. “Yeah. You know, ace, king, queen. Cards.”
    “Very funny, smartass,” he teased. Trey walked behind the bar in the corner of the room and pulled out a new pack. “I want to celebrate and you want to play rummy.”
    She laughed. “Not rummy. Blackjack.”
    Trey opened the cards and led her into the living room. “How about strip poker?” He’d expected her to laugh at his joke, so her response caught him by surprise.
    “Hmmm. I think you’ll find my idea runs along those lines.”
    He gestured for her to take the couch, while he pulled a chair opposite her, putting the coffee table between them. “So maybe you should lay out the game plan.”
    She smiled, reaching for the cards and shuffling them like a Vegas dealer. “I like the sound of that.”
    “Of what?”
    “Me—laying out the game plan. You realize I’ve offered quite a few suggestions to you about things the girls should be doing on the court.”
    Trey released a deep breath. He’d been expecting this. Ellie was used to being top dog and deciding exactly what happened with her team at Harper’s Ridge. No doubt it was difficult for her to take direction from him. It had been his main concern about her taking the assistant coaching job. So far, he’d thought things were working out fairly well. She’d made a couple of proposals of different ways to handle things and he’d listened.
    Tonight she’d advised they should move from zone to man-to-man defense. He’d made the switch and the tide had turned in the game. He wasn’t arrogant enough to think he always knew the right way. However, she needed to understand that as far as decisions about the team went, the buck stopped with him. “Ellie,” he started.
    She raised her hand to halt his words. “You’re the head coach, Trey. I knew that going in and I’ve worked hard not to step on your toes. Not to usurp your authority.”
    He nodded. She’d been absolutely professional. Always deferring to him whenever they had a disagreement. “I know that. And I know it’s not easy for you, but—”
    “Let me finish. You said you wanted to celebrate and I know exactly how I want to do that. For tonight, I want a chance to be equals. To get my way. No questions asked.”
    He swallowed heavily. What the hell was she suggesting? “Um, okay.”
    She laughed. “Don’t look so grim. I’m not going to put you before the firing squad. Just a simple game of Blackjack.”
    “What’s the wager?”
    “Winner gets to do whatever they want to the other person, but the loser can't join in. When I win, you have to sit there and take whatever it is I do to you.”
    He frowned. “What exactly are we talking about here? Give me an example of something you might do.”
    She rose and Trey’s mouth went dry as she walked around