Personal Foul: A Sports Office Standalone Romance

by Brooke O'Brien

  “Always getting me in trouble,” he jokes.

  “Me? You can hardly blame this on me.”

  He chuckles. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. This time was all me. Don’t worry though. I’ll be looking to pick up where we left off real soon.”

  Chapter Nine

  Rush

  All night I tossed and turned, visions of Sydney keeping me up. I could still smell her on my skin. Every time I’d get an inhale of her scent, my mind would slip back to the look in her eyes when I traced my mouth over her soft wrist.

  She’s got me out of my damn mind wanting to be close to her, to touch her.

  I woke up early and made breakfast, caught up on the morning news, and even went for a walk; anything to distract me.

  It was after nine when I decided to stop by her place before I head to practice. I promised her I’d be wanting to pick up where we left off.

  I couldn’t wait any longer.

  I stand outside her door, knocking and waiting, hoping maybe she was just asleep. When she doesn’t answer or respond to my text, I gather my stuff and head to the gym early. I’ll swing by her office before practice today.

  Anything to help curb my thoughts because at this rate, I don’t think I’ll be able to focus until I see her again.

  I get my bag packed and make it to the practice facility in record time. I drop my stuff off in my locker before jogging over to where the head offices are located.

  “Hello, may I help you?” the receptionist asks. The wall behind her desk is covered with a black glass panel with the Miami Blaze logo in the center. The design around it made to look as if there are actual flames.

  “Hi, yes. Is Sydney Carr available? I need to speak with her about a couple of forms I need to fill out. I have some questions, and I’m hoping she can help,” I lie.

  “Let me check.” She smiles, her eyes do a quick once-over before picking up the phone to call Sydney.

  “Hey, Sydney,” she greets her. My heartbeat starts to pick up, knowing she’s here, on the other end of the line.

  “I have a player here who’s requesting to speak with you.”

  “Colson Rush,” I clarify, folding my arms as I lean over the desk.

  “He said his name is Colson Rush.”

  She nods her head, glancing up at me with her polite smile. Her cheeks turn rosy when she finds me staring intently, hoping Sydney will let me see her.

  “I’ll send him in,” she replies cheerfully, hanging up the phone.

  “You can head into her office. It’s around the corner, first door on the right.”

  I don’t bother paying attention to her directions, I already know which office is Sydney’s. As soon as I round the corner to her office, she’s out of her chair standing. She looks fucking stunning dressed in a sleek, black dress that cuts off above her knee. She’s wearing black heels, which nearly have my legs giving out at the sight of them.

  Her hair is curled, pulled over one shoulder, and her lips are covered with a shiny gloss, making them look juicy and wet.

  “Colson, is everything okay? She said you needed help filling out papers?”

  Her brows furrow in confusion, peering down to my empty hands, then back up to my face trying to piece together what I may need.

  “I lied.” I smile, shrugging. “I went by your place this morning, and you weren’t home. I wanted to see you.”

  Her eyes narrow, checking over my shoulder, then back to me.

  “Shut the door,” she states matter-of-factly.

  Turning to push the door closed, she takes a step toward me, closing the distance between us. A small window frames the side of the door. Moving us out of view, she pushes me against the wall, away from anyone who might walk by and see us.

  “Are you trying to keep me your dirty little secret?” I chuckle, raising my eyebrows.

  “Colson,” she whispers, but it comes out more like a moan. She reaches her hand up, pulling me down to kiss her. Ah, hell, I can’t even attempt to hold myself back, not that I had any intention of trying when I showed up here.

  Crouching down, I roughly run my fingers up the outside of her thighs, bringing the material of her dress with me until it’s gathered around her waist.

  Pulling my head back enough to see her, I make out the red panties she’s wearing as I let out a string of curse words under my breath.

  “My God, you’re gonna kill me.”

  She laughs, pushing playfully on my chest.

  I reach for her arm. “Hold your dress up for me,” I whisper. The humor falls from her face as she nods her head.

  “Good girl.”

  Her eyes flutter, adjusting her legs to give me room, knowing exactly what I want.

  My fingers trace along the edge of her panties, slipping a finger under the material, brushing over her tight bud.

  Her legs tremble, her eyes peering down to watch me touch her. She reaches out for me, holding onto my forearm, helping steady her.

  “You’re fuckin’ dripping,” I murmur.

  Her chest heaves, forcing in a heavy breath from my words. My finger circles her clit, just enough to give her what she craves, before sliding lower and dipping into her pussy.

  “Rush,” she pants. Something about hearing her call me by my last name turns me on more. Like she’s both urging me to hurry while referring to me by my nickname.

  Kneeling in front of her, I press a soft kiss against her trimmed mound and run my hand up her calf, skating along her inner thigh.

  Her fingers grip my hair, positioning me where she wants me right in front of her pussy. Tilting my head back, I glance at her and watch her tell me without words what she wants.

  She’s on the brink, and I’ve only barely touched her.

  “Please,” she begs.

  With a subtle nod, I pull her panties to the side and take one swipe of my tongue across her swollen bud.

  Fuck. She tastes so fucking good. The combination of the desire on her face, her pussy tightening around my finger, and the taste of her sweetness has me nearly coming in my pants.

  A phone rings, and for a second, I wonder if she’s even heard it, or if she’s choosing to ignore it. When the second ring filters through the room, she mumbles, “What is that?”

  “Oh my God, the phone.”

  She quickly shoves her dress down and races over to her desk, nearly tripping over her own feet, but she recovers quickly.

  “He-hello,” she exhales harshly, falling into her chair, she squeezes her eyes shut and presses her palm against her face.

  She sighs heavily and says, “Hi, Mom.” She’s clearly thankful the person on the other end of the phone is her mother.

  She finally opens her eyes, staring back at me. She holds a finger up to me, assuring me it’ll be quick, while her eyes leisurely roam over my body.

  I don’t take my eyes off her. Sydney wears her emotions clear as day on her face. It’s like opening a book, and I’m reading it word for word. Even when she tries to be closed off and hide how she’s feeling, I’m able to pull it out of her. I think this bothers her; she can’t close me out like she has everyone else.

  Despite telling herself and me it’s not a good idea for us to explore this between us, I know better than to think that’s what she truly wants.

  Her eyes stop where my cock is clearly straining against the front of my athletic shorts. They don’t exactly disguise my attraction to her or how badly I wish I was buried in her tight pussy.

  Running my hand over the front of my shorts causes her mouth to drop open when she watches me pump my dick through the thin material.

  Her jaw clenches, her eyes flashing back to mine, silently begging me not to do that right now. I wave my finger in the air, signaling for her to wrap up the call.

  I’m playing unfairly, and we both know it.

  Except this isn’t what I had in mind when I came here today. I want my head between her legs, driving her as crazy as she makes me feel.

  Crossing the dis
tance between us, I round the side of her desk and stand face-to-face with her. She leans back in her chair, phone still in her hand as she absentmindedly responds with “yeahs” and “uh-huhs.”

  Kneeling on the floor once again, I reach my hand under her thighs and pull her to the edge of the seat.

  She covers the mouthpiece on the phone and harshly whispers, “What are you doing?”

  “I’m busy. Get back to your phone call.”

  Her eyes narrow, moving her hand to say, “That sounds like a great idea.”

  I chuckle, turning my attention back to what I had set my sights on. This position gives me more space to move her legs. I push her thighs open and her skirt bunches further, enough for me to see her panties.

  “It’s a damn good idea,” I mouth. Holding her thighs open, I bend down to swipe my tongue over her pussy and the lace of her panties.

  She shimmies enough to allow me to move her panties to the side, which gives me better access to her pussy. My eyes stare over her mound, up to her bright green eyes.

  “Sounds good, Mom. I have a few things I need to get back to, but I’ll see you at dinner Saturday night.”

  My tongue traces over the lips of her pussy, barely brushing her clit. Despite her staying composed on the phone, I can tell by the way her chest heaves, it’s growing more and more difficult for her.

  “All right, bye,” she huffs, slamming the phone down.

  Her hand finds its way back to my head, holding me against her pussy.

  “I’m so close,” she whimpers, “please.”

  Pulling back, I swipe my finger over the same path I just traced. She opens her legs wider as I slip my finger inside, pumping into her once before adding a second.

  “Lick it again,” she pleads while I lazily run my tongue through her folds. She shudders every time I touch her clit, and each time I do, I pull back. Teasing her, knowing each subtle touch is helping the buildup of her release.

  I slow my fingers, curling them as I give in and suck on her clit, taking her by surprise.

  “Holy shit, Colson,” she groans. Her body shakes, her release raking through her as she screws her eyes shut tightly. My dick is damn near ready to rip through my fucking shorts. One touch and I’m going to end up coming.

  A few minutes pass and she finally comes down. Her eyes heavy with the aftershocks of her release as she rubs her thighs together.

  Giggling, she stands while saying, “I’m going to have to go to the bathroom to clean up.”

  “I’d give you a hand if I thought we wouldn’t raise suspicions.”

  “I’m sure people are already starting to wonder what we’re doing in here.”

  I push myself to stand as she adjusts her panties and skirt back into place. She frantically messes with her hair, attempting to put herself back to the perfectly polished woman she was when I walked in here.

  “You look beautiful. Knock it off.” She pauses from running her fingers through her hair, trying to figure out if I’m being serious or not.

  “Do you think I’d lie to you? I know you don’t want anyone to know about us.”

  “Does that bother you? You made a comment when you walked in here about me keeping you a secret. You can joke about it, but something tells me there’s some truth to it.”

  “I mean, of course, I don’t want us to have to walk on eggshells or hide that we’re seeing each other. It’s only a big deal if you make it a big deal.”

  “You just started with the team. I only started this job a couple of weeks ago. Don’t you understand how this could look so soon?”

  “I do, but I also know it’s no one's business but ours. We’re not doing anything wrong.”

  “Colson…”

  “Sydney…”

  Two knocks rasp on the door before it swings open and her father’s larger than life personality enters.

  “Syd. Colson? I didn’t expect to see you here. What’s going on?”

  I turn back to Sydney, raising my eyebrows at her to hint that now’s our chance. The panic in her eyes tells me now is not the time. I also feel like I metaphorically got caught with my hand in the cookie jar. I guess I shouldn’t break it to her father we’ve been seeing each other until she is ready, especially when I still have the taste of her pussy on my lips.

  Talk about an awkward situation.

  “Colson stopped in to ask me some questions about some of his tax paperwork. We were just finishing up. I was meaning to talk to you. Mom called about her birthday dinner on Saturday night.”

  “Yes, she’s so happy to have you home. She knows how much you love Rosalina’s and their pecan pie.”

  Coach turns his attention to me. “You should join us, son. After the whole purse-snatching thing in the news, we owe you dinner as a thank you for looking out for our daughter.”

  “Oh, gosh, that’s not necessary. Sydney has shared her thank you with me already. It’s more than enough.”

  My eyes flash over to Sydney, recalling the first night she came over to my place with dinner.

  “Nonsense. We insist, don’t we, Syd?”

  “Of course.” She grins. I expected her to side with me, telling him it’s not a good idea. Except she looks like she’s more than on board. “Everyone deserves some of Rosalina’s pecan pie.”

  Raising my eyebrow at her, I turn back to Coach and nod my head. “Well, I guess that’s decided. I’ll be there. We can ride together again, Sydney. You know, since we are both coming from the same place.”

  “Perfect.” He grins.

  “Well, practice is about to start, and I still need to get changed. Sydney, thank you for meeting with me. I’ll see you on the court, Coach.”

  I pat him on the back as I pass by him. As soon as I know he can’t see my face, I turn toward Sydney and flash her a quick wink. Blush reddens the apples of her cheeks as she tries to hide the grin fighting to break out across her face.

  Goddamn, even when she tries to fight it, I love all the ways her body reacts to me.

  Chapter Ten

  Rush

  I slip my sunglasses down the bridge of my nose, taking a second before my eyes adjust to the change in lighting.

  “May I help you?”

  “I’m hoping so. I have a meeting with Theresa at one o’clock. Could you point me to where I should go?”

  Her eyebrows narrow, a blank look crossing her face.

  “Oh, you mean Terri.” She laughs. “You had me confused for a second. She hates being called Theresa. You can call her Terri. Give me a second, let me grab her for you.”

  The older woman with strands of gray glittering her hair pushes her chair back from the desk. Her warm smile and rose-colored cheeks immediately give me a sense of comfort. She rounds the table, heading toward the offices lining the back of the room.

  Laughter echoes from down the hallway mixed with the sound of basketballs bouncing on the gym floor. After the Back to School Community Cares event, I got in touch with the activities coordinator at the Boys and Girls Clinic, wanting to stop by to visit with the kids again. I got the sense there was much more I could do here to help.

  My mind reflects on the last time we were here and how affected Sydney was by Isaac being left here to wait alone, and how his foster guardian had treated him.

  I admired how Sydney managed to pull herself together, putting what Isaac needed to the forefront. For those few minutes we sat with him, he was the same kid he had been that day in the gym shooting hoops.

  “Colson,” Terri greets me with a warm smile matching the receptionist’s a moment ago.

  She is a heavier woman, her hair pinned up away from her face and large, black-framed glasses sit on the tip of her nose connected to a chain around her neck.

  “Thank you so much for stopping by. I was hoping I’d see you soon.”

  A part of me wonders if she half expected me not to show at all. My heart sinks at the thought of this happening before and how often these kids have been let down.

  �
��Of course! I wouldn’t want to miss it.”

  Her eyes light up as she circles the large desk. She reaches for a white and blue lanyard from a hook next to the counter with a visitor’s badge hanging from it. She instructs me to sign in before she leads me down the hall toward the gym.

  Once we get closer, I recognize a small group of kids from the Community Cares event shooting hoops, my eyes cueing in on Isaac. One of the boys’ eyes darts over to me, growing nearly the size of saucers, letting the ball dribble to a stop on the ground next to him.

  “What’s up, guys?”

  I glance over at Terri and she gives me a nod. She reminds me to stop back up at the front desk when I am ready to sign out. I answer with a nod of my own, turning my attention back to the boys.

  “Colson!” one of the kids exclaims, running toward me. He looks like he could be a year or two younger than Isaac. If I had to guess, he is probably five or six.

  His small arms fly around my waist, hugging me.

  “James!” one of the boys I remember, his name Joshua coming to me, scolds him. His eyes dart over to mine in worry, trying to reach out for the boy’s shirt to pull him away from me. A look of embarrassment shrouds his face.

  “Hey, buddy.” I crouch down next to him, holding my fist up; he returns the gesture, pounding it.

  “Sorry,” Joshua mumbles. “He’s always in everyone’s business.”

  “It’s all good.” I smile down at James, turning to Isaac. He’s standing off to the side, the ball tucked under his arm with his foot bouncing on the floor. He appears nervous, evidently not sure what to make of my surprise arrival.

  “Did you guys have a good time at the Back to School event?”

  The question appears to pull Isaac from his thoughts, his eyes brightening at the mention of that day. All of them nod.

  “You weren’t even there,” Joshua mutters, knocking James on the back of his head.

  I chuckle at his response, James showing the same level of enthusiasm as the others despite not being there.