Ballers with Benefits (Double Play Series Book 3)

by Nicole Rodrigues

  “Fuccccckkkkk” I groan out as I feel strings of my release emptying into the condom.

  I thrust and thrust, feeling my body purge all my frustrations, all the shit from earlier in the day. I feel lighter, as I release her hips and she tightens around me again, crying out before collapsing down onto the bed, laughing.

  “What the hell is so funny?” I ask laying down next to her in bed.

  “I am gonna to be so sore tomorrow,” she whines rolling over to face me.

  I lean up on my elbow looking down at her beautiful face. Her glasses are on the bed next to her and I reach over and put them back on her face, kissing her lips softly.

  I run a finger down her stomach and rub her clit softly and she closes her eyes.

  “Mmm.”

  “I promised I'd eat you until you passed out. I never break a promise angel,” I say moving my head down, kissing a trail across her stomach.

  “If you do I swear I won't be able to move tomorrow,” she says pulling on my hair to stop me.

  I look up at her resting my chin on her stomach and she leans up on her elbows looking down at me

  “I...I know this was just a one time thing but stay with me tonight?” she asks softly.

  The weight I thought lifted the moment I was inside her quickly comes back and drops right to my stomach.

  “I...I will for a little bit. I have an early meeting tomorrow.”

  I can see something flash in her eyes, but it’s gone quickly as she lays back down and turns her back towards me, cuddling up with her pillow. I roll over, taking off the condom, tying it off and dropping it to the floor.

  I turn back around and wrap an arm over her waist. She doesn’t move and I hear quiet sounds, like snoring and I smile.

  “Sweet dreams angel.”

  I awake with a stir, a noise breaking me out of my deep sleep. I look around the room, briefly getting my bearings. Bella. I look down on the floor and find my jeans, reaching over to fish my phone out of my pocket.

  7:30. Shit.

  I reach for my shirt and boxers, getting dressed quickly and toss the condom in the trash in the corner, glancing one more time over at the sleeping goddess that I succumbed to last night.

  As many shots of tequila that I had, I remember every single second with her, I hope she does too. I know we agreed this was a one time thing but it is going to be hard as hell getting this woman out of my damn head.

  I walk towards her bedroom door, opening it and shutting it quietly. I walk down the hall and stop in my tracks at the petite little blonde standing in the kitchen with her arms folded, effectively blocking my escape.

  “Damon fuckin’ Johnson. God dammit Bella,” she mumbles.

  “Hi,” I say smiling. “Well I guess you already know me, and you are…”

  “Lacey Turner.”

  “Ah right. Well good morning. I gotta get going.”

  I try and step around her, but she moves in my path.

  “Listen, Bella deserves a good guy after the shit she had to put up with the last four years. If that ain’t you then take your sweet ass out of here and don’t come back. Got it?”

  “Thanks for the heads up Turner.”

  “It’s Lacey,” she quips.

  “Right, Lacey. Have a good day.”

  She finally lets me pass her and I walk out of the door closing it behind me. Lacey’s words are twirling around in my head and I try and forget them. Bella and I both knew what that was. Two people, alone in a bar, drowning their sorrows in alcohol before trading tequila for sex instead, nothing more. Right?

  Chapter 3

  Bella

  I open my eyes slowly, smelling coffee and I groan. This is why I don’t drink. I pull the sheet higher on my body and realize I’m naked.

  Damon.

  Oh my God, it wasn’t a dream. I roll over slowly and feel the bed.

  Cold.

  I get up with a pounding head, pulling the sheet up over my breasts and look around the room. Was it a dream?

  My bedroom door flies open and I shriek.

  “Lacey! Don’t you knock!” I pull the sheet higher over my naked body and she ignores me, walking closer to the bed putting coffee on my nightstand.

  “When have I ever knocked? Figured you’d want this,” she says motioning for the coffee.

  She sits on the foot of the bed eyeing me and I see the question in her eyes.

  “What?” I ask, taking the coffee off the nightstand trying to keep the sheet from giving her a show.

  “Since when do you sleep naked?” She asks smiling.

  “Since...Louisiana summers are hot as hell.”

  “It’s February,” she says crossing her arms over her chest.

  “What are you, the clothes police? If I wanna sleep naked I can, it’s my room.”

  I take a sip of coffee, breaking my gaze from her. I’m a shit liar and she knows it.

  “Didn’t have anything to do with Damon Johnson doin’ the walk of shame an hour ago, does it?”

  “He only left an hour ago? I didn’t think he would stay the night,” I whisper to myself, but of course Lacey hears.

  “Oh my God Bella! You and Connor just broke up! I thought I was dreamin’ when I heard you stumblin’ around last night.”

  “You’re one to talk you hoochie! How many naked mornin’s have you had, huh? Four? Five?”

  “We ain't talkin’ about me, we’re talkin’ about you. I can’t believe ya slept with Damon Johnson!”

  “It just happened!”

  “Oh please! Your vagina just happened to fall on top of his huge dick?”

  “How do you know he...never mind. Ya know what I mean! We were both in the bar and one thing led to the next and...whatever! I enjoyed it thank you very much! I’m happy I did it so shut up! Stop judgin’ me!”

  “I ain't judgin’ you but I wanna know where my cousin Bella Gavinwood went and who is this vixen in front of me?” she smirks.

  “It felt good, okay?”

  “Mmmm hmmmm. I bet it did.”

  “Oh my God, I’m not havin’ this conversation with you.”

  “Isn’t he with Brynn Roberts? You’re a vixen and a homewrecker now?”

  “That’s why he was there last night. Apparently they broke up. He was nursin’ his ego with some tequila and I guess...me.”

  “Well, be careful Bells, I know you. You don’t do this sex without feelin’s thing. If you think you can handle it, then go for it. I just don’t wanna see you hurt again. Connor and his shit was enough.”

  “I know Lace, thanks for lookin’ out for me, but I’m fine. It was...God it was so good. I really needed that wake up call. There are so many other things out there I've been missin’ out on just stayin’ in the same spot with Connor all these years. Whatever this thing with Damon was, woke me the hell up. I'm fine...really I am.”

  “Well speakin’ of Connor,” she says tossing my phone to the bed. “He’s pretty pissed.”

  “Why would he be…” I glance down at my phone and see the picture of Damon and I kissing last night at the bar in a text to Connor.

  Underneath the picture, Damon’s text makes me grip my phone a little tighter.

  Your loss is my gain. I don’t plan on making the same mistake you did.

  Connor: Get your fucking hands off her. She may be warming your bed tonight, but she’ll come crawling back to mine, dick.

  I scoff at Connor’s arrogance.

  Asshole.

  I glance back down and look at Damon’s text again. Yep, he really wrote that. I try to muster up the strength to push down the feelings that those words stir inside me but the truth is, it’s so hard. It’s hard for me to separate being intimate with someone and my feelings for them. I have never had a meaningless fuck and although that’s what last night was, I still felt a connection to Damon that I haven't felt with anyone else before.

  We laughed, we had so much fun and he made me feel alive, free. I liked how I felt when I was with him and maybe I sh
ould blame it on the tequila, but it was addicting. I want it again, even though I know it’s bad for me. It feels so damn good and I can’t deny that I want him again, even if he burns me. I never liked playing with fire, but maybe I should start.

  Chapter 4

  Damon

  I walk the couple blocks back towards the bar and my car, hoping it’s still there and without a ticket. When I get closer, I let out a breath seeing I’m in the clear. I hop up in my truck plugging my phone in the charger as I start the car.

  I glance down and dial up my younger brother Nicholas, or Nico which is what he likes to go by, knowing full well I’m late for our breakfast meetup.

  “Where the hell are you, asshole?” Nico says through the speakerphone.

  “On my way, long story.”

  “It better start and end with you getting laid or you’re not forgiven.”

  He clicks off the phone and I shake my head laughing. Out of the three of us, Nico takes the crazy cake. I’ve had my fair share of scandals and woman throughout the years, but he puts me to shame. He always gets into trouble but somehow finds his way out of it. He’s a really likeable guy and so loyal, it’s hard to hate him.

  I drive the couple of minutes to the diner outside town and recognize his flashy red Nissan GTR.

  Nico plays for the Miami Stingrays, only a couple hours away from my team, the Tampa Bay Sharks. He is the third baseman and finally has led the league in homeruns after being second for so many years behind Jackson Turner.

  Turner.

  Why does that...Lacey Turner. Ah shit. Nico is going to get a kick of out this.

  I get out of my truck and walk towards the diner and see him in the booth, his back to me. I slap him hard and he jumps, punching me in my stomach.

  “You shit! I thought I was gonna have to throw down. What the hell is wrong with you?”

  I laugh as I slide into the booth across from him. Nico and I always pick this diner for breakfast when we’re in town visiting my oldest brother, Maxwell. I would love to play for the Louisiana Cajuns to be closer to him and move my parents here as well. Maxwell is getting married soon and I know they plan on starting a family right away. It would be nice to be close to some nieces and nephews, but we don’t always get what we want. Speaking of which…

  “Brynn and I broke up,” I say reaching for the water on the table.

  I chug the whole glass feeling my hangover now starting to emerge.

  “Could have told ya that was gonna happen uh...the day you started dating her. She was such a bitch, how did you deal with her for a whole fuckin’ year?” Nico asks, taking a sip from his water.

  “I met Jackson Turner’s daughter,” I say effectively changing the subject now that I told him the news.

  “Don’t even tell me you fucked her. I’ll kill you,” he growls.

  “I didn’t, but her cousin...” I smirk.

  “You didn’t,” he laughs. “I can’t even believe you, Bella Gavinwood? You’ve been pining over her since you bought that fucking calendar.”

  “Shut up, you make me sound like a stalker. We just so happen to be in the same bar. Her asshole boyfriend cheated on her and one thing led to the next…”

  “Well good for you man, you needed to dump that stuck up bitch and get yourself a real woman. I approve.”

  “I’m not dating her Nico. We just hooked up last night and that’s that.”

  The waitress interrupts my brothers rant and we order our breakfast and coffee before she scurries away.

  “So, you’re telling me, you banged your wet dream and you’re done? That’s it? Not gonna try and do it again? Come on man, that’s bullshit,” he scoffs.

  “Isn't she everyone's wet dream? Besides, I don’t need a girlfriend, look how that turned out.”

  “I'm not saying a girlfriend, no one needs one of those, nothin’ but trouble. But everyone needs to get laid, right?’

  “I start PT in a couple days, across the hall from Double Play,” I say changing the subject again.

  “You better not hit on my girl now that you're single,” he says pointing a finger at me.

  I laugh and roll my eyes.

  “She works across the hall, not at the therapy part. Plus, how is she your girl? You’ve never even met her.”

  “I will eventually,” he says shrugging.

  “Why are you so hooked on her? I don’t get the obsession.”

  “I'm not obsessed with her. It’s like this,” he says leaning forward in the booth. “Her dad took that home run crown from me my first three years as a rookie. You know what that would have looked like? Being a rookie and leading the league in home runs for three straight years!” he yells.

  “Shut up man, the whole world can hear you.”

  “Sorry, I just get so pissed,” he says shaking his head. “Anyway, I want his daughter. That's my consolation prize, you took my homerun title, I take your daughter. Fair trade if you ask me,” he says shrugging his shoulders.

  “That’s fucked up man, she’s a woman, not a trophy. Besides isn't she like a teenager? She looks young.”

  “Oh, believe me I know she's a woman, and no she is not, she's only two years younger than me. I'm not going to kidnap her and keep her in my dungeon, I actually think she's really hot and we'll probably hit it off. I heard she's got a wild side, we’re a match made in heaven.”

  “You're telling me not to date, but you sound like you're trying to.”

  “Girlfriends, I don't do the girlfriend thing. Dating is different. Anyway so PT...you think you're gonna have to get the surgery or is the PT gonna be enough?”

  “I'm hoping the PT is gonna be enough. Savannah said the woman that runs their PT office is legit. Jameson or something. All big name athletes go there. If not, I can go across the hall and see if your girl can work some magic,” I smirk.

  He growls and the waitress comes back with our omelets and the conversation is over. We eat in silence and I replay last night over in my head.

  Shit, it was hot. I've always had a thing for Bella since I bought that calendar, but the real thing was unforgettable. It's gonna take a lot of bat bunnies to try and get her out of my head, but then that stupid voice in my brain asks me why I even want to.

  My brother is right though, no one has time for a girlfriend and that's exactly what she is, girlfriend material. As much as it kills me to say, I can't go down that road with her because I’ll never be able to leave it. Just one night and I’m already following Eve to the forbidden fruit.

  Chapter 5

  Bella

  Lacey and I walk into the pub a couple of days later and I see my brother already sitting in a booth with Avery. He glances up from the coloring book they are coloring in and smiles, standing as we approach the booth.

  Always the gentleman.

  “Lunch with all my girls,” he says smiling.

  I lean in for a hug with my brother then reach over, grabbing my little sister.

  “Hey there, little mama, I missed you,” I say kissing her head then scooting into the booth across from her and Devin.

  “Hi sissy, missed you too,” she says in her cute little voice.

  My mother, Charlotte Daniels...well now Gavinwood, got pregnant with Devin and I in high school. My father, Gabriel Gavinwood was a big time baseball player, getting drafted to the big leagues. He thought “taking care of it” was the best solution for their unplanned surprise, but my mother didn’t. She told him she had an abortion and he left for the majors. Not a word was spoken between the two for eighteen years until my brother, Devin, got drafted to the Houston Lonestars.

  Fate has a way of giving us the kick in the ass we need and Gabriel ended up being his coach. Mama and him ran into each other at family day, the spark very much igniting again and the rest is history. Sitting across from me is the proof that their love is still stronger than ever, my five year old sister, Avery.

  “You sure it was the best idea to bring the little bogger? She ain’t gonna be able to kee
p a secret,” Lacey says sitting in the booth next to me.

  Devin slides in next to Avery again and motions to the waitress that we’re ready to order.

  “She can’t spell yet, plus she’s busy makin’ a masterpiece, right boo boo?” Devin says smiling at her.