Playing To Win: An Elite Athlete Sport Romance Anthology

by Mignon Mykel

  The four of us shared beers and stories, while the sun set further in the sky, and the stars began to decorate the dark vastness above. Nearly every story was random and had nothing to do with anything, other than the current story somehow connected to the previous story.

  Which was how the conversation turned back to Samantha and her career.

  “When are you going to come here and coach for the high school?” Nikki asked, to which Samantha laughed

  “Are you planning the next phase of my life, Nik?”

  Nikki shrugged. “Maybe a little bit. I want you here, and you know you love it here. Besides, you have to be around for when—ouch!” She glared at Cody.

  “Too soon, Nik,” Cody mumbled.

  “She’s my best friend!”

  “What’s going on?” Samantha asked.

  Cody and Nikki continued their argument though, and even I found myself intrigued.

  “Something could happen,” Cody told Nikki, who shook her head.

  “Then I’d want my best friend by my side.”

  “Not your husband?”

  “Well, you too, dumby. But sometimes a girl needs her best friend.”

  Cody shook his head and sighed, picking up his beer, saying, “All right,” before tipping his head to take a drink.

  It was at that moment I realized that while everyone else had cans of beer, Nikki’s can was wrapped tightly in a Koozie.

  Hiding what she was drinking.

  Hiding that—

  “We’re having a baby, and I want you here. I want you to be Auntie Sam, and I don’t want you to be a thousand miles away.”

  Yep. The Brayshaws were expecting.

  “Holy shit,” I said, grinning, at the same time Samantha screeched in excitement. Soon after that, Samantha and Nikki were hugging and rocking back and forth, and I was shaking Cody’s hand.

  “Congratulations,” I told my friend.

  “Thanks. She’s early. Only six weeks. So maybe don’t tell people.”

  “I have no one to tell. Your secret is safe with me.”

  “And shoot, it’s not like I have anyone to tell either,” Samantha said, wiping her eyes. Was she crying? “I’m so excited for you! You’re going to be an excellent mama.”

  “I need you here, Sam,” Nikki said gently, holding Samantha’s hands. “We’ve done everything together. I allowed you to be potentially absent from my wedding. I won’t allow you to be absent from this baby.”

  Samantha chuckled and the sound was wet. Yep, she was crying.

  “I’m not going to commit to anything,” she told Nikki, before adding, “But I really want to be here when your baby is born.”

  Nikki jumped in place, and started to say quickly, “Well, I’m due at the end of January, so you shouldn’t be doing too much practice anyway. And then the Games will be in July, and school doesn’t start until late August or early September, so you should probably start talking to the schools maybe spring semester? And I can help you find a place. Apartment or house? There are some nicer rentals out in Fairview, the new subdivision. They’re not great lots, but the houses around here that go for rent are way too pricey. Oh my gosh, I’m so excited!”

  “One day at a time, Nicole,” Samantha laughed.

  “Ugh, I’m so excited!” Nikki repeated. “My best friend is coming home for good.”

  I found myself watching Samantha now. She never actually said yes, for sure, she was coming back. I didn’t know much about professional volleyball, but I was pretty sure she could play for a few more years.

  Was being home with her best friend worth ending her career over?

  Selfishly, thinking back to my earlier thoughts, part of me wanted her here.

  But resentment was a bitch, and could turn a person’s character. Would ending her career be something she regretted?

  These were thoughts that stayed with me well through the night, and were fresh on my mind the moment I woke the next morning.

  They stayed with me through my cases at the pediatric hospital, and through my clinic hours.

  At the end of the day, while I may have been exhausted, I realized that it was the first time in years that a single person occupied my thoughts as much as Samantha did, and regardless of my apprehensions, that was something to really think about.

  The next weekend couldn’t have come fast enough, I thought, as I got out of my truck at the beach volleyball courts.

  I was excited to see Samantha again.

  She never did leave my thoughts, and as the week went on, I found myself looking forward to Saturday more and more. On more than one occasion over the week, I may have Googled her name, too, just to see pictures of her.

  Obviously, I knew she was good at her sport, but looking through images that dated as far back as a major high school match—where a young Nikki Brayshaw was hugging her—and stumbling across YouTube uploads of some of her top matches and most disappointing matched, only made me want Saturday to come sooner.

  Right after I pulled my bag from the passenger seat, a dark green SUV parked in the spot next to me. The window rolled down and there she was, the woman on my mind.

  “Hey, you. How was your week?” She turned her head to grab what I assumed were her things.

  “It was good. Stressful at times. Glad it’s the weekend.” I shouldered my bag and waited for her.

  “Good! I’m glad. One second.” She held up a finger as her other hand moved to click the automatic windows. Once they were up, Samantha unfolded her body from the vehicle. “You ready? I’ve been itching to get back on the court.”

  We walked beside one another to the check-in table and found our court number. We would be playing on the court beside Nikki and Cody tonight, who were playing our opponents from last week.

  “So. I was thinking,” Samantha said as she put her bag down on the table. “We kind of set the tone last week, with a prize, so to speak, if we won. And because I’m competitive as all get out, I thought it’d be fun if we did that every week. I know I mentioned spontaneity and whatever, but I’m serious. We should do something every week that we win.”

  I didn’t see the problem with that. “Yeah. We can do that. What kind of prizes are you thinking?”

  “Well, I have been craving a peanut butter banana split from Candy Town. Nikki and I attempted to make them at home the other night and they just weren’t the same. So, how do you feel about ice cream?”

  She sounded so hopeful, that I couldn’t tell her that I could take it or leave it.

  “Sure,” I said instead. “We can do that. A celebratory sundae. Is that going to be an every win kind of thing? Just so I can work it into my diet,” I teased with a wink.

  Samantha laughed and shrugged. “I mean, I wouldn’t be opposed to it, but we can change it up, week to week. Whatever we’re feeling.”

  “You’ve got a deal.”

  And with how excited she was at the prospect I wasn’t at all surprised when we won that night.

  “Do you guys want to come with?” Samantha asked Nikki as we all packed up our things.

  “Sh—” Cody started, but was quickly interrupted by Nikki. “No. I’m exhausted. You two go. Have fun!”

  “Do you want me to bring you one back? I can,” Samantha offered, and while Nikki had that look of longing in her eyes, she shook her head. “No, no, it’s fine. You go and enjoy yourself. Don’t think about needing to get home before a sundae melts.”

  But as we all walked away—the Brayshaws in one direction and Samantha and me in a different one—I couldn’t help but overhear Cody complain that he’d wanted ice cream, to which Nikki tried to whisper, “No! Let them be together. Let them, you know, have time together.”

  And if the blush on Samantha’s face was any indication, she heard her friend’s not-so-quiet whisper too.

  When we reached our vehicles, she turned toward me. “I swear, that’s not what this is. I just thought, I don’t know, it would be fun. Honestly, you don’t have to go with me. I m
ean, we have two separate vehicles anyway. I can drive to Billings by myself.”

  Shaking my head, I reached for her bag. “No. I want to go.” It wasn’t a lie. I had looked forward to tonight all week, and I wasn’t ready to let it end yet. “Hop in. I can drop you off here after, and I’ll follow you to their house.”

  “Well, that’s really not necessary.” The tone of her voice was more nervous, tinged with anticipation, rather than scornful.

  “It will probably by nine, nine-thirty by the time we make it back this way. Let me make sure you get home okay.”

  Samantha stood there a moment, her golden eyes taking mine in, before she nodded.

  “Okay.”

  We sat at a bench in a nearby park while Samantha devoured her sundae.

  And I do mean devoured.

  I couldn’t help but chuckle as she scraped the bottom of the plastic boat, trying to get every last morsel.

  When she grinned at me, she didn’t look a single bit annoyed or embarrassed. “What? It’s been a long time since I’ve had one!”

  My chuckle grew into a laugh. “No, it’s fine. I like it. I like when a woman enjoys herself.”

  If she read into that, I wouldn’t be mad.

  From the week-long think-fest about her, through the conversations we’d had from the moment we got to volleyball to somewhere about halfway through her sundae when she just couldn’t focus on both the conversation and the sweet delicacy in front of her, I was opening up to the idea of spending more time with her.

  Romantically, if she’d have me.

  It wasn’t like I had too much time, thanks to a demanding career, but I liked Samantha and I liked the time I’d spent with her.

  I wanted more. As much as she’d give me.

  “You done with that? Or are you going to lick it too?” I teased, reaching a hand toward her.

  “I’m not a Neanderthal,” Samantha scoffed, handing me the empty bowl and spoon. “But if you weren’t here, I might have been tempted.”

  I kept hold of the bowl between us, grinning. “I won’t judge.”

  “Ugh, no,” she sighed. “It was really good though.”

  Grinning, I took her bowl and my long-forgotten napkin—I just had a plain vanilla double scoop in a waffle cone, much to Samantha’s dismay—to the nearby garbage. As I returned to the bench Samantha stayed on, she stood and smiled.

  “This was fun. Thank you for paying. You didn’t have to. Next time is on me.”

  “It wasn’t a big deal.” I wanted to add that next time was going to still be on me, but I was going to let that one sit for a bit.

  “Were you ready to leave?” I said instead. “Or...”

  “You know, I think I’d like to take a walk around the path. Maybe just one time around? Work off the sundae?” She added the last with a hand to her stomach, but everything about how she said it—her tone, the sparkle in her eye that was illuminated by a nearby lamp post—told me she was joking. About the working off the sundae part.

  They also told me she wasn’t ready for the night to end, and the moment we got back in my truck to make the twenty-five minute ride back to her car, was one step closer to the night being over.

  “I wouldn’t exactly say you needed to work off the sundae. Besides, we did just play fifty minutes of volleyball. But yeah. Let’s walk.”

  As we walked side-by-side, we talked about my first year as a pediatrician, and she surprised me by saying her sister was a pediatric doctor as well. She, too, worked in Billings, but we’d never crossed paths.

  When I asked about her training schedule, Samantha opened up about her typical year, and how when she wasn’t training, she coached a youth club league in California.

  “Do you like coaching?” I asked, thinking back to Nikki’s comment the other night.

  “Honestly, I do. I love helping star players find their absolute potential, but I think I love molding the other kids to be stars more. Everyone has potential, if they try. There are tears, of course. I do work with girls, after all. But it’s just been really fun.”

  “So...” I drew out the word, not really sure if I should ask the question. But...

  Fuck it.

  “Do you see yourself moving back to Forever?” I looked over at her as we walked. “Maybe coaching at the high school, like Nikki suggested?”

  Samantha stopped, which had me stopping, then turned toward me. Her face was thoughtful as she tipped her head to the side.

  Unlike Jacquie, Samantha didn’t seem to care what she looked like. I didn’t mean that negatively in any way, just that she’d put her hair up in a messy bun before we started playing, and never touched it since.

  The bun was loose, and tendrils of light blonde hair blew gently with the breeze at her temples and neck.

  Even in the darkening sky, her freckles were on display and her eyes almost glowed.

  “Actually... Yes. I do.”

  I itched to reach out and brush her hair from her face, but smiled instead, keeping my hands to myself. “Good.”

  “It wouldn’t be in the next year though,” she added, her face going serious. “I’m committed to next summer, and I’ll fight like hell to keep my spot on the roster. But after. I think... Yeah, I think I’ll be ready to retire from the sport.”

  We stood there for a moment longer, before turning back and finishing our walk in a comfortable silence. Back at the truck, once again I helped her in and this time, rather than talking on the way home, we listened to the radio.

  Every time I glanced Samantha’s way, she was singing to whatever country star was playing, dancing in her seat with her hand out the window, playing in the wind.

  Back at the volleyball courts, I parked in the same spot I’d been in before, and told Samantha to stay put. She lifted her brows, but said nothing, allowing me to get out and help her from the truck.

  I liked having her hand in mine.

  More, I knew I was going to like having her body pulled close to mine.

  Again, fuck it, came to mind, and I pulled her gently.

  She didn’t fight the pull.

  She stepped into me willingly, putting both hands on my chest.

  “Sam...” My name was whispered from her lips.

  “The sundae was your prize. This is mine,” I murmured, and lowered my mouth to hers.

  5

  Samantha

  Of all avenues for tonight to take, kissing Sam Mayson was not even one of the possibilities.

  But, oh my.

  I liked the feel of his lips pressed against mine.

  Apparently, he did too, because soon the kiss went from a gentle meeting of lips, to my arms around his neck, keeping him close, while he held me closer to him, and our mouths opened, tongues brushing against one another.

  Not frantic but...

  Needy.

  I had a sudden need for this man.

  And if the feel of his erection pressed into my lower stomach was to be trusted, he had a need for me too.

  Before I could explore this new feeling any further, Sam slowed the kiss down, ending it with a slower kiss, then another soft, innocent press.

  “That was...” He shook his head. “More than I thought it would be.”

  “You thought about kissing me?” I whispered, my arms loosening from his neck but not letting go.

  “Yeah. I did.” His hands drew up and down my back slowly. It was a lovely feeling.

  “So, like... I mean... What’s next?” God, that sounded stupid. I closed my eyes and took a breath, before trying again. “I mean, what are you looking for? We’ve established that I’m only here for the summer, or however long it is until I can start practicing back in Anaheim. But you have to know... I’m not built for casual hook-ups.”

  “I know,” he answered softly. “I knew it the moment I met you.”

  “So what are we doing?”

  “I’d like to continue getting to know you. Spend more time with you. I don’t have a lot of time outside of the weekends, and
I’m on call every third one, but what time I do have, I’d like to spend it with you.”

  I liked the idea of it, but knew I’d grow feelings for this man, and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or not.

  “The next game we win, I take you on a date. That’s the incentive for winning,” he said as he moved his hands to grip my hips.

  “Oh yeah?” I grinned at the idea. “And what’s in it for me?”

  “More of those kisses you so clearly enjoyed.”

  Laughing, I unhooked a hand from his neck so I could boldly cup his still large erection through trunks that did nothing to hide it. “I think you’re the one who enjoyed them.”

  He didn’t groan.

  Didn’t moan.

  But his eyes did go hooded and his hips did push harder into my hand.

  “Are you denying you enjoyed yourself?” he asked.

  “No.” I squeezed gently before bringing both hands back to my own person. “I very much enjoyed myself. More than I have in a very long time.”

  “Good. Let’s do it again.”

  Smiling, I nodded. “Okay. Yeah. I’m game.”

  When Sam took his hands from my hips, I felt the loss and I wondered if he’d felt the same when I took my hands away from him.

  This feeling that washed through me was heady. I knew I shouldn’t, but I wanted to explore it.

  Every time I was with Sam, the excitement just grew and grew.

  But could it be just the newness?

  New guy, new attention?

  Sam turned to his truck to retrieve my bag, and helped me into my SUV. With my hands on the wheel, and Sam standing in the door, I worked up the nerve to ask him, “Do you think, I mean, I know you’re busy during the week but, do you want my number?”

  “Absolutely.”

  He went back to his truck to retrieve his cell, and at his go ahead, I gave him the ten digits. Immediately after, my phone pinged beside me.

  He’d texted me right away.

  I don’t know why, but that made me smile. “Thank you,” I told him, laughing and holding my screen up toward him.