Team Player 2: A Sports Anthology

by Paige, Rochelle

  She tsks. “Your father and I, your grandparents, Sadie and Derek—”

  “Are you serious right now?” I cut her off. My ex-boyfriend, who cheated on me with my sister, is now invited along for family vacations?

  “Halston, don’t make this harder than it needs to be. They’re together now. I can’t exactly forbid her from bringing her boyfriend.”

  “And risk upsetting your precious Sadie? Never.”

  She exhales loudly, dramatic as always. And if I know my mother, I know some sort of guilt trip is coming in three, two, one…

  “This could very well be your grandfather’s last trip. He isn’t getting any younger, you know. A lot of time and money has been put into this. The least you could do is show up.”

  I groan and squeeze my eyes shut, knowing I can’t say no to that. She pulled out the big guns, using my grandparents against me. My whole life, they’ve been the only ones who get me. Accept me. Who make me feel like I’m perfect the way I am.

  “Fine.”

  “Thank you for being an adult,” she says, and I hear the unspoken half of her sentence. Thank you for being an adult, when more often than not, you’re a petulant, stubborn, boorish child. My mother has the uncanny ability to make even compliments sound like criticism.

  Before I can respond, there’s a knock at my door. Thankful for the interruption, I pick up my phone and head for the door. When I open it, I’m shocked to see Sully on the other side. He raises his brows, taking in my soft pink tank top with baby written across the chest and white sleep shorts. My hair is up in a messy ball on top of my head and I don’t have a stitch of makeup on.

  I slam the door in his face.

  “Halston?” My mother’s irritated voice floats from the speaker.

  “Call you back later.” I hang up on her without waiting for a response, then open the door again, this time only a crack. “What are you doing here?”

  “Hello to you, too, princess.” His eyes drift down. “Or should I say baby?” He pushes the door open, brushing past me.

  “And again I ask, what are you doing here?” I turn to face him, hands on my hips.

  “I’ve come to collect.”

  “Collect?” I frown, confused.

  “Yeah. You lost our bet. You owe me a date.”

  “First of all, the word date was never mentioned. You said hang out. Second, I’ve already fulfilled my duty.”

  “No, actually, you didn’t.”

  “Then what do you call the other night?”

  “I call that the best night of my life.” He smirks, and heat rushes through me, thoughts of Sadie and Derek all but forgotten. “But it doesn’t count. You chose to stay of your own free will.”

  I roll my eyes.

  “Fine. Text me the time and place,” I say, agreeing quickly to get him out of here, painfully aware of my less than put-together appearance.

  “Now’s good.” He shrugs.

  I cross my arms over my chest, unamused, but Sully advances on me, reaching over my shoulder to push the door closed.

  “Is it cold in here, or are you just happy to see me?” Eyes locked onto my chest, he reaches his hand out to capture my breast, swiping his thumb across the hardened peak that’s visible through my thin tank top. My hands fall to my side, the familiar warmth spreading through my body like wildfire. My pulse quickens, and the throbbing between my legs intensifies with each pass of his thumbs.

  “Yes,” I breathe. My eyes are closed, and I’m practically panting when he captures my mouth with his. He kisses me hard, backing me up against the door as he pushes my shirt up over my tits. I roll my hips into him, seeking friction, and he pulls away abruptly before dropping to his knees. He tugs on my shorts, letting them fall down to my ankles, along with my underwear.

  “Spread your legs for me, Halston. Let me see that pretty pussy.” I know I shouldn’t keep doing this. I’m playing with fire, practically begging to get hurt, but God, how can I say no when he’s like this?

  I part my legs slightly, and then his hungry mouth is on me.

  “Oh my God, yes.” My eyes roll back, shoulders hitting the door behind me. He angles his head to get deeper, parting my lips with his tongue. I buck against his mouth, and then he’s hitching a thigh over his shoulder. He sucks at my clit, tugging on it with his teeth, and that’s all it takes for me to explode.

  “I’m coming!” I cry out, my legs struggling to keep me upright. Sully grips under my knees, pushing both of them up until I’m spread open obscenely, pinned against the door. His mouth attacks me with vigor, and my hands fly to his hair, holding his face to me as my orgasm tears through me.

  Sullivan licks me soft and slow with the flat of his tongue, carefully lowering my legs as I float back down to earth. He stands, looming over my spent body, swiping his arm across his glistening mouth. I can see the outline of his dick in his gray sweats, thick and hard as hell. Rising onto my knees, I curl my fingers into the waistband of his pants.

  “My turn.”

  “I really didn’t come over for this,” Sully says, fingers tracing a pattern on my thigh that’s hitched over his stomach. After I went down on him, he bent me over the couch and slid inside me. Then we moved to missionary on the floor, and we haven’t bothered to get up since. This is the first time we’ve cuddled, and being in his arms like this, with his scent all around me, feels better than I’m willing to admit.

  “I’m so sure,” I say, sarcasm dripping from every word.

  “No bullshit. I was going to take you out and then fuck you senseless. Like a fucking gentleman.”

  I snort out a laugh.

  “But then when you opened the door, looking like that—”

  “The homeless look turns you on, does it?” I joke.

  “With your nipples showing through your shirt,” he continues, as if I hadn’t spoken, sucking air in between his teeth. “It just happened.”

  “It seems to just happen a lot with us,” I muse.

  “So why are you so hell-bent against it?”

  I lift a shoulder. “I’m not against this. I’m against labels.”

  “We’re having fun. We’re just two people who enjoy each other’s company and make each other come a lot. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

  “Agreed.”

  “And I plan to make you come a lot over Spring Break. No classes. All my roommates are going out of town.”

  “Can’t.” I sigh, rolling onto my back. Sully moves over me, flicking his tongue against my nipple. I moan, my hand finding the back of his neck.

  “Why not?”

  “I have to go to Napa with my ex-boyfriend.”

  Sullivan releases my nipple with a pop, his head snapping up, waiting for an explanation. I roll my eyes.

  “He’s with my sister now. Apparently, he’s part of the family.”

  “That’s fucked up.”

  I snort. “Fucked up was when I walked in on him screwing my sister on prom night. On my prom night.”

  “How hot is your sister?”

  I smack his head, and he laughs. “I’m just fucking with you. But she can’t be hotter than you. Or cooler.” He positions himself between my thighs. “And I bet she doesn’t make the little noises you make when I do this,” he grunts, sliding into me, causing the aforementioned sounds to slip free from the back of my throat.

  “You like that?”

  “You’re so full of yourself.”

  “Now you’re full of me, too,” he says, pushing deep. “And I bet she’s nowhere near as tight.”

  “Sully?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Shut up and fuck me.”

  And that’s pretty much how the next week goes. If my life were a rom-com movie, this would be the part where the sex montage takes place. Sully’s house is forever full of people, and since he can’t be in the dorms at night without sneaking in, we’ve found creative places to hang out. In the library. Empty classrooms. Bathrooms. In his truck between classes.

 
We made a list of rules, most of which we’ve already broken. No hooking up more than twice per week? Broke it. No cuddling? Broke that one, too. The only one we’ve managed to follow is no sleeping over.

  But I should’ve known it was too good to be true. Because the night before I leave, our little arrangement comes to a screeching halt.

  Chapter Four

  Halston

  I sit on the edge of my bed, staring at my phone, hovering over Sullivan’s contact information—or Zachary Binx, as he’s now listed in my phone. My packed suitcase sits on the bed behind me, and for some reason, the idea of leaving for an entire week has me on edge. And it’s not just the fact that I’ll have to spend time in the same vicinity as Derek and Sadie, or the fact that I saw a picture of them boarding the airplane—because of course they’re taking a flight instead of driving for a whole three hours—with the caption “You had me at merlot. Wine Country bound with bae!” Complete with airplane and wineglass emojis.

  I told Sully I wouldn’t be able to see him today, but right now I can’t seem to think of a reason to stay away.

  How about the fact that you’re getting too attached? Seems like a prime reason to stay far, far away.

  Before I can talk myself out of it, I throw on a tiny white summer dress with red flowers. It’s tight and fitted, but the skirt is flirty. The perfect mixture of sweet and sexy. I tie the bow that accentuates my cleavage, slip on some simple white, leather tennis shoes, toss my keys and phone into my bag, then I’m out the door. Not wanting to waste time walking the short distance, I decide to put my sweet sixteen present to good use, which happens to be a white Mercedes SUV that I rarely drive.

  I run across the creepy, dark parking lot, not wanting to be out here alone at night. Springtime in River’s Edge is still what most people in warmer climates consider winter, and I’m kicking myself for not having the foresight to bring a jacket. I hit the unlock button once I’m within range, then hop inside, the leather seats cold against my exposed thighs.

  I shiver, starting the ignition, then throw my car into drive. It doesn’t take more than two minutes before I’m pulling onto Sully’s street. Cars line both sides of the road, but I get lucky, stealing a prime parking spot right in front just as someone drives away.

  I jump down and close my door, smoothing out my dress before I make my way up the paved walkway. The closer I get, the more nervous I feel. I’ve never come here on my own. I feel like I’m breaking some unspoken rule by being here uninvited, but I shove that shit down and take the brick steps that lead to the porch, side-stepping a guy who seems to have passed out, back against the capped wall. I raise my fist and knock on the door. Judging by how loud the music is, even out here, I’m guessing my knocking goes unheard.

  I reach into my purse, searching for my phone, when the door flies open, and two girls stumble onto the porch before barging past me to light their cigarettes. I look back inside, surprised to find that it’s not a kickback like I thought it might be. It’s a full-on party.

  Sully’s having a party. And he didn’t even tell me? I know we’re not together, but at the very least, we’re friends. And there’s only one reason you don’t tell the chick you’re screwing that you’re having a party.

  You want to screw someone else.

  My stomach rolls at the thought, my throat getting tight. And the worst part is, I can’t even be mad about it. Because this is what I wanted. No strings. No exclusivity. No feelings. I should turn around and leave. Nothing about walking through this door feels like a good idea, yet here I am, doing just that.

  “Panini” blares from the speakers as I walk past a couple making out on the loveseat, oblivious to the world around them, and a mob of people crowding the makeshift beer pong table. My shoes stick to the floor that’s covered in black footprints and wet with beer. I don’t immediately see Sully anywhere, and I’m about to turn around and leave when a guy approaches me, holding out a beer in offering.

  “I’m good,” I shout over the music.

  “What?” he asks, leaning in closer to hear me better.

  “I said no thank you,” I yell, closer to his ear this time. He pulls back, nodding his head. His hand curves around my waist, but I pull away.

  “You got a boyfriend?” The song ends right when he yells out his question, and everyone’s heads whip around before the room erupts in laughter.

  I cover my mouth, trying to smother my laugh.

  Out of fucking nowhere, Sully appears in front of us, murder written all over his face.

  “Sully? What’s wro—” I don’t get to finish my sentence before he sends a fist right into the dude’s jaw, his head snapping to the side with the force of the hit. “What the hell!”

  The guy—whose name I don’t even know—lunges for him, but Jesse jumps in between them, holding the guy back by his shoulders. Another one of their friends holds Sully back, but I know if he tried, he could easily break free.

  “Walk the fuck away. You’re about thirty seconds from getting throttled from an entire lacrosse team,” Jesse warns.

  Sully gives him a cocky smirk, daring him to come back for more as a bunch of guys move in behind him, ready to jump in if needed.

  He wisely reconsiders, jerking out of Jesse’s hold. But then he spits, the blood-tinged saliva landing on the floor in front of Sully. Jesse shoves him, and the dude flies back before landing on his ass.

  “Don’t fucking push it!”

  He pulls himself to his feet, muttering a muffled, “fuck you guys,” before he finally leaves.

  “What the fuck was that?” I demand.

  “You tell me,” he says, his voice flat.

  “Are you serious? You’re going to fly off the handle because a guy offered me a drink?”

  “You looked pretty fucking cozy to me.”

  “I’m not yours!” I shout, louder than I mean to.

  “Right,” he says, bobbing his head, hands stuffed in the front pocket of his jeans. “What could have possibly given me that impression? It couldn’t be the fact that I haven’t so much as touched another girl since you came along, or that I spend every fucking free second of my time with you.”

  I’m shocked into silence, distantly aware that we’re arguing in a house full of people, but I’m too stunned to be embarrassed.

  “It’s definitely not the fact that I know your pussy better than you do. Or that my sheets permanently smell like that fucking raspberry shampoo you use.”

  “Sully—”

  He gives a bitter laugh.

  “What do you want from me? Do you want to be one of those couples who share a Facebook page or…wear matching outfits?” I huff out a humorless laugh.

  “I want you to call me by my name, for one. You’re not my frat bro, Halston.”

  “Then what am I?”

  “You’re my fucking girlfriend.” He moves toward me, his hands cupping my face. “You just haven’t realized it yet.”

  I’m instantly shaking my head in denial, my heart thundering in my chest. “No. This is exactly what I was trying to avoid. I didn’t want this.”

  “Well, too fucking bad, because it happened, Halston. Whether we like it or not.”

  I make the mistake of looking up, seeing everyone’s eyes on us. “I have to go,” I say dumbly. I spin around, fishing my keys from my purse as I make a beeline for the front door. I don’t even make it to the street before Sully’s grabbing my hand, spinning me back around to face him. His blue eyes bore into mine.

  I don’t know what to say, so I say the one thing that’s playing through my mind on a loop. “It was supposed to be fun.”

  “Yeah, well, it’s not fun anymore.”

  I swallow hard, gently pulling my hand away. “Then maybe…maybe we should end it.”

  “Maybe you’re right.”

  Chapter Five

  Sully

  “She’s fucking with my head, man,” I tell Shep. “And my cock.” After Halston walked out, I took a shot or five of whiske
y. Somehow, we ended up at Shep’s house with Sierra and her two friends, hanging out in the hot tub. And by hanging out, I mean drinking while Sierra climbed on top of me, trying to get a reaction out of my cock. Whiskey dick is probably to blame for ten percent of my problems, but Halston is responsible for the other ninety.

  “I know the feeling,” he mutters, blowing out a cloud of smoke. Even though we’ve bailed on the hot tub action, the girls put on a show for our benefit. We both watch as Sierra and the brunette chick make out, sliding their wet bodies against each other as their tongues tangle together. I will my dick to wake up. Twitch. Something.

  “All right,” Shep says. “Time to get the fuck out.”

  “What the fuck, Shep? You choose now?”

  “Stop trying to prove a point and go home, man.”

  “I’m drunk as fuck,” I say, ignoring the first half of that statement. There’s no use denying it. “I can’t take them home.”

  Shep pulls his phone out of his pocket, tapping at the screen. “There. Ordered an Uber. You can crash on the couch, but I want them gone.”

  “You heard the man.” I clap my hands. “Your ride will be here in—” I look over to Shep for an answer and he checks his phone before holding up five fingers. “Five minutes.”

  A devious look flashes across Sierra’s face as she exits the hot tub, dripping wet as she struts toward me. Once she’s within arm’s reach, she stands on her tiptoes and grips my dick while she shoves her tongue down my throat.

  I let it happen for a second, waiting for my cock to stir. Still nothing.

  When she finally pulls back, she smiles, mistaking my silence for awe. “Call me,” she says before turning around to gather her clothes and purse, her friends following suit.

  “Remind me again why they have to leave,” I say, still keeping up with the charade even though I’m not fooling him.

  “Because you’ll regret it tomorrow.” He claps my shoulder as we walk back into the house. As soon as the girls are gone, he doesn’t waste any time heading for the stairs.