Down the Line (Sports Romance)

by Cheryl Douglas

  “Oh God.” She moaned softly, biting her lip to keep her reaction in check.

  “Don’t do that,” he warned, hooking a finger inside her.

  That spot. Oh God, that was going to be the death of her. But what a way to go.

  “Don’t hold back. Not with me.” He trailed his tongue down her neck, sucking the delicate skin into his mouth. No doubt marking her. “You’ve been holding back with me too damn long.” His voice was gruff, his tone bordering on frustration. “I’m so tired of seeing you pretend that you don’t want this. That you don’t want me. We both know this is all you’ve ever wanted. So show me. Let me see how much you want me.”

  She was soaking her panties, but she didn’t care. He was saying and doing all the right things, and his words hinted at his mood. They wouldn’t be making love with sweet reverence. Not when they’d waited so long and denied themselves at every turn. It would be hard and fast. Furious. A lifetime of frustration to vent.

  She let her head fall back as he stroked her to completion. Her sigh was soft but her breathing was harsh when her eyes finally met his. Instead of righting her clothes, she climbed into his lap, straddling him as she pressed against his erection.

  “My turn,” she whispered, licking his ear.

  He chuckled before grabbing her arm when she got down on her knees. “Baby, we have all night. In the room. Why don’t we make our way up there so we can do this right?”

  He was being reasonable, but she didn’t want to be reasonable. She wanted to be daring. She wanted to take what was hers and make her sexy husband beg for it.

  “Oh, I promise to do it right,” she said, unbuckling his belt as she looked up at him.

  She inched his pants and boxer briefs down, licking her lips when he sprung free. Bracing her hands on his thighs, she went down on him and hummed when he rewarded her by fisting his hands in her hair with a guttural moan.

  “Gracie, baby…” He was panting, thrusting his hips, on the verge of losing control. “I want to be inside you. Give me that.”

  She thought back to their conversation in the restaurant. A baby. She wanted his baby. She had no idea if this was the right time to conceive, but they were in Vegas. What better time to play the odds? She climbed into his lap, and he tore her panties off before she impaled him.

  She rested there for a second, staring into his eyes as she adjusted to his size. “I want your baby.”

  He swelled inside her as he dug his fingers into her hips. “And you’re going to have it.” He ran his hands over her flat stomach. “I can’t wait to see you full and round with my baby.” He closed his eyes and tipped back his head. “You don’t know what that does to me. Just thinking about it…”

  She could tell what it did to him. It made him crazy. And that was just about the sexiest thing she’d ever witnessed, seeing the man she loved getting turned on by the thought of making a baby with her.

  Grace curled her hands around his neck and picked up the pace before he claimed her mouth in a kiss that made her forget where they were. She rode him hard and fast, thinking only about the end game.

  She closed her eyes, tipping her head back as she rode the wave of a powerful release while he did the same. Their eyes locked, and he smirked with satisfaction while he held her place, his strong hands on her hips sending the message that she wasn’t going anywhere.

  * * *

  Her wedding night was one Grace wouldn’t soon forget. After making love several times, they fell into an exhausted slumber near dawn, wrapped in each other’s arms. They woke up the same way, well after ten, to the sound of their phones buzzing on the nightstands.

  Ethan groaned and pulled her closer.

  She smiled, burrowing deeper into his arms. “We should probably see who it is.”

  “No.”

  She turned her head and was rewarded with a kiss on her neck, making her entire body go on high alert. Just when she thought she’d gotten her fill of this man, she realized that was an impossible feat. She’d want him every day for the rest of their lives.

  “Maybe word got out about our wedding,” Grace said.

  “I hope so. I can’t wait for the world to know you’re mine.”

  She bit her lip as his words sank in. She was his. His wife. It still seemed surreal, given all the hours she’d spent fantasizing about it. “We should talk about what we’re going to do.”

  His lips skimmed her shoulder as his erection prodded her. “I know what I want to do.”

  She laughed, slapping the arm he had wrapped around her. “I’m talking about our game plan. I’m going to have to talk to Ash when I get back, see what he’s thinking about the gym.”

  “I meant what I said about buying the building. If he wants to continue running it and you want to maintain your ownership stake, I’m fine with buying it and you guys can continue leasing it.”

  With so many changes on the horizon, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to give the gym the attention it deserved, especially from a long distance, but she owed it to Ash to discuss it with him before she made any decisions.

  “I’ll talk to Ash, see what he’s thinking. I’m sure he’s been weighing his options, since he knows there’s a chance the new owners won’t want to renew our lease.”

  “Have you thought about what you’ll want to do during the season? I know we talked about getting pregnant right away, and if that happens, I’m sure it’ll keep you busy. But—”

  “If it doesn’t happen for us right away…” She didn’t want to entertain the possibility they’d have trouble getting pregnant, but she had to prepare for all possible outcomes. “You think I should have a plan B, right?”

  “I think you should do whatever’s going to make you happy.”

  She had a business degree and experience running a business. The options seemed limitless now. Besides, as much as she loved the idea of staying home with their kids, she wouldn’t mind a sideline venture to occupy her.

  “I’ll have to explore my options,” she said, linking her hand through his.

  “Just know that whatever you decide, I’m behind you.”

  Grace turned into his arms, reinforcing what he already knew. “I love you so much.”

  His lips curved as he curled his hand around the back of her head, drawing her in for a kiss. “I love you too, babe. And I’m going to do whatever it takes to make you as happy as you’ve made me.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  From Vegas, they’d flown to Barbados for a week of fun in the sun, but now it was back to reality. Gracie was at the gym, talking to Ash about their future plans, and Ethan was at home fielding calls from his teammates, who’d called to congratulate him while he’d been away but hadn’t been able to reach him. Ethan and Gracie had made the joint decision to shut the rest of the world out while they made the most of their honeymoon.

  Ethan was sitting on the couch in the living room, talking to Chase on the phone while some sports commentator on Ethan’s TV weighed his team’s options of a repeat this season. A few weeks ago, that would have been the most important thing on Ethan’s mind, but now the possibility of another championship was only one of the many things he was looking forward to.

  Sharing a home, building a life, and starting a family with his gorgeous new wife topped the list now.

  “So what’s the game plan for you guys now?” Chase asked. “I mean, I know Grace will be coming to KC with you, but beyond that?”

  “We’re still working that out,” Ethan said, reaching for his bottled water. “In fact, she’s at the gym right now, talking to her partner about their plans for the business. I told her I’d buy the building if they want to maintain it, providing the landlord didn’t accept any other offer while we were away, but we’ll see what they decide.” Ethan respected the fact that it was their business, their decision.

  “I know that was a big deal for Jayda,” Chase said. “Figuring out what she’d do while we were in KC. It’s tough, ‘cause we’re not there all year, s
o it’s not like she could get a job or start a brick-and-mortar business, but I don’t want her to get bored either.”

  Since they were in the same boat and could relate, Ethan hoped Gracie and his best friend’s fiancée, Jayda, would become fast friends. “Who knows? Maybe they’ll figure it out together.”

  “Yeah, I can’t wait for them to meet. Maybe you guys should come out here for a few days before the season starts so we can all hang out?”

  Since Chase had a school-aged daughter, it made more sense for Ethan and Grace to travel to them. “Yeah, maybe we could do a long weekend soon. I’ll talk to Gracie about it tonight.”

  “Cool, I—”

  Ethan’s doorbell rang, and he sighed. “Man, sorry to cut you off. Someone’s at my door. I gotta go.”

  “No worries, man. Give your beautiful bride my best and I’ll talk to you later.”

  Ethan jumped up, tossing his cell phone on the couch as he jogged to the door. As soon as he saw who was standing on the other side, he immediately wished he hadn’t been in such a rush. “Issie, what the hell are you doing here? I thought I made it clear we—”

  “We have to talk.” She removed her oversized sunglasses, revealing red-rimmed eyes. “This is important.”

  He was so done with this woman, but he knew if he didn’t hear her out, she would harass him relentlessly until he did. “Fine, but make it quick. I have to meet Gracie at her place in an hour.”

  They’d agreed to start packing up her house, since she planned to sell it and move in with him. She claimed the money from the sale would provide her with seed money if she chose to start a new business, which Ethan thought was ridiculous since he had more than enough money to finance her goals, but he appreciated her desire to remain independent.

  “I heard about your wedding.” She cleared her throat.

  He didn’t want to hear her opinion on the subject. He just wanted her out of his house so he wouldn’t have to explain to his wife why his ex-fiancée had overstayed her welcome. “Yeah, well, that’s not up for discussion, so why don’t you just tell me what you’re doing here?”

  “I’m pregnant.”

  Ethan felt the blood rush from his face, making him light-headed. “What did you say?”

  “You heard me.”

  Her face was a neutral mask, and he couldn’t tell how she felt about the life-altering news she’d just imparted. But he knew how he felt about it—sick to his stomach. This could not be happening. Not now. Not when he was finally getting the chance to build a life with Gracie.

  “It’s not mine. It can’t be. We always used protection.”

  She’d been with the bartender, that he knew for sure. But there could have been countless others, numerous candidates for her baby-daddy.

  “We both know condoms aren’t foolproof,” she said, her eyes hardening. “Don’t pretend it’s impossible. We both know it’s not.”

  No, it was possible. And that scared the hell out of him. How would Gracie react when he told her he’d possibly fathered another woman’s child? It would devastate her. Especially since the timing had been right for them to conceive on their honeymoon. God, what a mess.

  He tried to catch his breath, but the tightness in his chest made it nearly impossible as he sorted through the facts. “Okay, how far along are you? Have you been to a doctor?”

  “Six weeks,” she said, smirking. “Which means it can’t be the bartender’s, if that’s what you were hoping.”

  “Doesn’t mean it’s mine.” He didn’t mean to be cruel, but if she thought she could railroad him into taking responsibility for a child that may not even be his, she was crazy. “I need a paternity test.” Like yesterday.

  “We’ll get one as soon as the baby’s born.” She rubbed her flat stomach. “But don’t be surprised when it tells you what I already know. This baby is yours.” She turned to leave, but he reached for her arm.

  “Do me a favor. Just keep this under wraps for now. I need to figure out how to tell—”

  “Your wife?” She sneered. “Silence doesn’t come cheap.”

  He should have known that, considering who he was dealing with. God, what had he ever seen in this woman? Had he really been that desperate? But she’d been a good actress, making him believe she wanted all the same things he did and that they could build an incredible life together. Yeah, right.

  Ethan crossed to a writing desk tucked away in the corner of his living room and pulled out a checkbook. He scribbled her name and his before deciding on an amount. Ten thousand dollars should buy him enough time to sort out this mess.

  He tore the check off and handed it to her. “I mean it. Not one word to anyone about this, Issie. Or there won’t be another dime where this came from.” If the child was his, of course he would take care of it, but that didn’t mean he had to take care of his or her mother.

  She smiled as she held the slip of paper. “Come on, Ethan, you can do better than this. Hell, you made three times this much for just sitting around on your ass yesterday.”

  “And you might have made that much in last three months if you’d been willing to get up off your lazy ass and get a job.” He wouldn’t let her push without pushing back. Women like her felt entitled because they could get anything they wanted by dropping a few threats.

  “How dare you talk to me like that!” She slipped the check in her purse. “I hope you realize this will be a drop in the bucket compared to the child support you’ll be forced to pay.”

  He wasn’t surprised she was willing to use her own child as a meal ticket, but it still disgusted him. “What makes you think you’ll be allowed to raise that baby?” He smiled with satisfaction when she paled. “Didn’t think about that, did you? Think about it. I can certainly provide for him or her better than you can. You don’t even have a job.” He winced. “And I’m willing to bet if we did a little digging, we’d find all kinds of skeletons buried in your closet.”

  “You’re on the road all the time,” she snapped. “Any judge would see you’re not fit to be a full-time parent.”

  “Maybe I’m gone a lot, I’ll give you that. But I am married now, which—”

  “You really think your little whore would want to raise my baby?”

  He stepped closer. “Don’t ever open your mouth about my wife again. I don’t even want to hear you so much as utter her name. Because believe me, this can get ugly. I’ll expose you for the gold digger you are and prove to a court this baby is just a means to an end for you.”

  Ethan was already protective of that baby. He told himself it was because he or she was helpless and innocent and needed protection, but he feared it may be more than that. A deeper connection told him this may in fact be his child.

  “Don’t waste too much time,” she said, reaching for the door. “The clock is ticking and every day will cost you more.”

  He slammed the door and sank against it. Son of a bitch. Now what?

  * * *

  Grace was holed up in the office with Ash while one of their part-timers manned the front desk.

  “So what do you want to do?” she asked, once they’d laid out all their options. “Ethan was serious about his offer to try to buy the building, so if you want to take that route…”

  He shook his head. “No, I was thinking about this a lot while you were away on your honeymoon. I don’t think I want to do this without you.”

  She reached for his hand. “But you love this business, and you’re great at what you do. You’ve helped so many of our clients change their lives. You really want to give that up?”

  “No,” he said, shaking his head. “Definitely not.”

  “Then I don’t understand. You want to work for someone else?”

  “No, I still want to work for myself.”

  “But not here?”

  “No, you’ve heard of mobile personal trainers, right? Where you go to the client’s home or workplace to do a session?”

  “Sure, but don’t you need equipment?”
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  He shrugged. “No, not really. You can usually create a good routine with bodyweight exercise and cardio.”

  “Huh.”

  “It would be kind of nice to be able to set my own hours and not have this huge overhead,” he admitted. “I mean, being in business with you was great, but—”

  “It was stressful some months, I get it.” In the early months, they hadn’t been sure if they’d be able to cover their expenses, much less take home a paycheck.

  “Yeah, it was.” He smiled. “Guess you won’t have any more worries in that regard, huh?”

  Grace cringed inwardly. It would take a long time for her to get used to the fact that she had a husband who probably made more in one week than she had in two years. “It’s going to be weird, trying to get used to Ethan’s way of life.”

  “I don’t know about that. He still seems pretty grounded.”

  He didn’t drive flashy cars or live in a mansion, but life for him was different than for most people. Money was simply something he spent without thinking about it. She’d realized that on their honeymoon when he’d called his travel agent and, within a few hours, they had access to a villa on a private island with a full-time chef and housekeeper to cater to all their needs. It was luxury beyond anything Grace had ever imagined, much less experienced.

  “He is, but his way of life is just so different from mine.”

  “And that worries you?”

  Ash had known her a long time. He could always tell when she was uneasy about something.

  Grace shrugged. “I know it seems silly. Most women wouldn’t have a problem with their husbands being too rich, but it’s more than the money. He’s a public figure. Especially during the baseball season and leading up to the post-season, all eyes are on him.”

  She hadn’t even lived in the same city as him during post-season fever, so it was tough to imagine what that must be like for Ethan and his teammates. She guessed they had a hard time stepping outside without getting mobbed by fans.