by Alice Ward
Her arms opened. She took Rip close to her chest. He snuggled in as if she were familiar to him as well, almost as familiar as she had been to me. For a moment, I felt envious of the child so close to her warm breasts. What I wouldn’t give to take in the scent of her skin one last time.
My eyes locked with hers. Her lips parted like she was about to speak. Calvin gripped her elbow. “I’ll go up with you,” he insisted sternly.
“No. You stay here with your team,” she said, her eyes pulling away from mine and moving to her husband's. That’s right, Morris. She’s Mrs. Whitney Malone these days. She’s no longer Whitney Harris, the woman you used to fuck, used to… not love. But, I could’ve loved her. I knew that.
The look in Calvin’s eyes was intense, and his jaw tightened as he made sure I’d got a good look at his facial warning. “It was good seeing you, Holly,” I said politely. “Ace, catch you on the field tomorrow. Enjoy your family, man.” And with that, I walked away.
I couldn’t help but wonder what she was about to say, what she would’ve said if Calvin hadn’t interrupted. It didn’t matter. Mrs. Whitney Malone.
Whitney had taken the baby down the hall toward the elevators, so I found myself walking down an unfamiliar corridor just to get away from the crowd, from Calvin. I knew he’d be watching me, making sure I wasn’t trying to talk to his wife. I wasn’t that man. I didn’t give a fuck what Calvin Malone thought of me. I had more respect for myself than that. It didn’t matter if I respected him.
Where the fuck was I going?
A set of double glass doors met me at the end of the hallway. I leaned against the wall and stared out toward the ocean, feeling like I needed an adrenaline fix. I could walk out into the dark waves and take a dip in the shark-infested waters to cool down. I could walk back to the lobby and out the front doors to the Harley shop up the street. A hog between my legs, the rumble of the powerful engine, and the sweet, salty Daytona ocean air pushing through my hair. Yeah, that could help settle me down for the night.
I turned and headed back the way I'd come, noticing a set of elevators that I’d missed before. I stopped, stared at the shiny metallic doors and my reflection in them as I contemplated my fate for the night, possibly the rest of my life. You have too much to lose, Morris. Don’t be a fool.
My finger reached out, pushed the up button, and within seconds, I was inside the comfort of the closed elevator, riding upwards, to safety, to the only thing I needed.
Her door was closed. I stopped, staring at the number for a moment, realizing that it wasn’t fair to corner her like this. Walk away. I couldn’t. My legs were frozen in their spot. My heart was racing, my mind reeling with more than it could process.
Something dropped on the other side of the door. I heard movement and then the handle turned. I wanted to flee the scene like a teenager caught throwing eggs on Halloween, but there I stood. Frozen.
“Todd?” her voice asked with surprise. Her pupils widened, her lips parted, and it was obvious she wanted me here just as badly as I wanted to be here.
“I didn’t want to be alone,” I said quickly. It was the most vulnerable thing I’d ever said to a woman, to anyone.
She moved from the door, opening it wider for me to enter. Her scent lingered as I passed, grazing my arm against her silky skin.
“I’m sorry, Kat. I know I shouldn’t be here,” I said, turning to face her once the door closed.
She didn’t look like she was sorry. Her eyes filled with hunger, her body heaving with heavy breath and desire. “Are you okay?” she asked softly.
I moved toward her, not wanting to answer her question. I wasn’t okay. My hands gripped her hips, pulling her into my chest as my lips covered hers.
The feel of her tongue sliding against mine was more than enough to feed the hungry beast that had awoken inside of me. I didn’t need a motorcycle. I didn’t need to swim with the sharks. I needed her.
My hands roamed through her long locks, my hips grinding into hers. It was rough, passionate, raw, but it was exactly what I needed. Her leg lifted around me, my hand gripped it, feeling the sweet flesh she offered to me. Those fuckin’ cotton shorts were more than I could handle, and that tank top, no bra, this was the Kat I wanted.
Her chest pushed into me, my mouth lowered to suck in the cotton of her thin tank top with her breast underneath. Sweet moans, sighs, noises that made my dick dance in my pants escaped her lips. Fuck!
Slick juices glided between my fingers as I reached into her shorts. Her hips rocked toward me, begging for me to enter. Two fingers slid inside her warm pussy and began working back and forth like scissors as she squirmed.
My cock was already pulsating behind the denim it was smashed into when her tiny hand gripped the button of my jeans. Sweet relief fell over me once she unleashed my dick into her hand. Her strokes were soft, smooth, causing pre-cum to sneak out of the tip for her fingers to play in.
I pulled at her tank top until her breast popped out from the side. My mouth consumed the flesh, sucking hard on the erect nipple as she fondled my balls, squeezed my cock, and sucked on my neck. The teasing was more than I could handle. I needed her now. I reached into my back pocket, pulled out a condom and slipped it on. My hand pressed against her chest, pushing her gently down to the couch. I pinned her beneath my arms, letting my cock aim for the sweetness between her legs without my assistance. She pushed at her shorts until they were past her hips, where I quickly took over, pulling them to the floor.
My cock needed no guidance entering her. It was hungry for her and knew just where to go. Our eyes locked, and our breathing synced up as we both seemed to calm. I thrust into her slowly, slower than my usual pace. I wanted to feel everything. I wanted to embrace the moment, savor this feeling for as long as possible.
Her hands reached up, pressed against my face. I pushed into them, letting them cup me as my mouth gently bit onto her thumb. My cock throbbed hard inside of her. Her body shook with every pulse. Soon, her eyes narrowed, beginning to close, and her lips parted, but no sound escaped. Warm juices surrounded my erection like a warm blanket as groans filled the room. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her as I exploded into her body. Watching her orgasm brought a deeper sensation to my own.
Her body finally calmed. Her eyes opened and stared into mine with a strange mixture of satisfaction and confusion.
I wanted to stay. To never leave. But I didn’t want to ask. Her hands were wrapped around me tightly, pulling me toward her. I couldn’t resist, letting a portion of my weight drop to her. A sigh escaped her mouth with warm breath into my ear. It was the most beautiful sound I’d ever heard a woman make.
“Stay with me tonight,” she whispered.
The second most beautiful sound I’d ever heard a woman make.
“Yes.”
We laid like that for what felt like forever, in each other’s arms. I knew my weight was probably beginning to crush her, and it was becoming harder to hold away from her with the ache in my shoulder.
There wasn’t talk of secrets, of never doing this again, just a sweet smile, a warm kiss, and we both climbed into her big bed, her back to me, my arms around her, and the sweet comfort of knowing we both wanted to be right where we were in that moment.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Katrina
The warmth of Todd’s body pressed against mine made it tough to want to get out of bed. My eyes hadn’t opened yet, but I knew my alarm would be blasting soon. My body was on its own timer, not really in need of a wake-up call anymore. I pushed my ass into the heat of Todd’s crotch, noticing that his morning wood was already awake, even if he wasn’t. I suddenly wished we could both play hooky and hide here under my blankets all day.
Strong arms gripped me, pulling me in close. Todd’s lips pressed against my shoulder as he roused from sleep. “Good morning, beautiful,” he whispered.
Before I had a chance to react, my door was assaulted by someone’s fist. I jumped up, pulling from the embrace I welco
med just seconds ago. “Who the hell is here so early?” I asked, trying to hide the terrified panic in my eyes and in my tone.
Todd didn’t seem phased by the pounding that wouldn’t stop. He stretched his arms above his head, rolling over to expose a beautiful teepee in the white sheets. I tossed on my robe, ran from the bedroom, closing the door behind me, and rushed to the front door to find out who was so desperate to get inside.
“Lana?” I opened the door, surprised and a little scared. What the fuck did she want? Why was she here?
She pushed past me and into my room. “I’ve texted you all night,” she scolded. I didn’t have a chance to answer before she continued, “What have you been doing? Did you not get the Google alerts?”
I didn’t have an answer, at least not one I could give her. Sorry, boss, I didn’t look at my phone because I was busy fucking one of the players all night… yeah, that’d be great.
She shoved her iPad toward my nose. “What the fuck is this?”
I looked at the image of Calvin and Todd nose to nose on the mound. “That was nothing,” I insisted, trying to see what she was so mad about.
“Nothing?” She scowled. “Is this nothing?” She swiped furiously on her screen until a tabloid front page appeared. A picture of Calvin and Whitney on their wedding day with a picture of Whitney and Todd right next to it. The headline read: “Beauty and the Beasts.”
“This is all bullshit,” I said quickly.
“I don’t care if it's bullshit or not. It’s your job to fuckin’ know about it, to prevent it,” she snapped.
I read the story under the pictures. It was all about how Todd and Calvin were fighting over Whitney. Todd wasn’t over her, and Calvin caught them together, according to some “source.”
“We have to fix this,” Lana snarled. “You have to fix this.” She moved closer to my closed bedroom door. I watched her eyes move in the direction of where Todd laid naked in my bed. My palms began to sweat, my hands shake, and my already stressed demeanor grew wearier as she inched her way to the door.
“What were you doing all night that you couldn’t answer my texts?” she asked, an eyebrow raised.
“I-I fell asleep early,” I stuttered, then cleared my throat, speaking more clearly. “I’d been working on the interviews.”
“Interviews? What interviews?” she asked, her eyes squinting to mere slits.
“The interviews Rhett requested.”
Her eyes rolled, and it was obvious she hadn’t been clued into the request he’d sent me personally.
“Your first and only priority right now is making sure Calvin and Todd look like best fuckin’ friends. I don’t care what pet project Rhett has you on.” Her eyes were wild, her tone shaky, and it was apparent that her anger was getting the better of her.
She was always so professional, even when cold and bossy. It may have been strange, but it was the first time she actually appeared human to me.
“Calvin and Todd aren’t fighting over Whitney, I can assure you of that. It was simply an issue on the field. They’re still learning to work together,” I insisted.
“Well, it seems pretty fuckin’ ironic that the day Whitney lands in Daytona, those two, who’ve been okay on the field all this time, decide to go at it,” she hissed.
My heart sank deep into my chest. Whitney was here? I didn’t know she’d arrived. I'd heard Calvin and the guys talking about Whitney, Holly, and Newman’s baby possibly showing up, but she was here? Was that why Todd was so upset last night and needed someone to hold him? I’m such a fool.
“You’re right. I’ll get to the bottom of this,” I promised.
“I don’t need you to be Nancy fuckin’ Drew, Katrina. I need you to be my media manager and manage the fucking media. That means picking up your phone when I call, watching your Google alerts, even in your asleep. You need to prevent this shit from happening. The fans don’t need to be nervous thinking Rhett made a mistake bringing on Morris.”
“He didn’t make a mistake. It was a smart move. I’ll fix it.”
“So, what are you going to do to fix this?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.
“I’ll talk to the guys. Make sure they keep their personal shit off the field and out of the media.”
She tapped a long nail on her arm. “Yeah, and you need to create some event, pulling the two together. A charity event maybe, something that shows they can work together.”
“I don’t know why you’re here, to be honest. You don’t have the experience to handle this job. Was this a favor Rhett owed your dad? Or are you doing some favors for Rhett?” Her words sent chills down my spine. The hatred in her eyes was growing as she looked over my shoulder and toward my closed bedroom door.
“Why’s that door shut?” she asked.
“It’s my bedroom,” I replied, worried by her question.
“Yeah. But I just woke you up.” Her eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared as her face became a mask of fury. “Is Rhett here? Are you fucking him?”
Was she serious right now?
“No, and I don’t appreciate what you're insinuating,” I snapped, my own voice growing angry.
“Well, you were certainly doing something or someone last night. I can’t imagine what else would blind you to the drama unfolding at your feet.”
She pushed past me toward my bedroom door, moving too quickly for me to stop her. My heart raced as her perfectly manicured hand turned the knob and opened the door, knowing what she’d find on the other side.
I rushed into the room behind Lana. My bed was a mess, blankets tossed halfway onto the floor, but it was empty. Even Todd’s clothes that had been placed on the back of the chair were gone.
“See, there’s no one here,” I said quickly, ushering her back into the living room. “There’s no reason for you to barge into my personal life.”
She laughed. “Oh, sweetie. The day you signed on, you gave up your right to privacy. You’re in the limelight now, like it or not. So you better keep your nose clean. You can’t have secrets.”
Secrets. Todd and I had a secret, a big one. Was she right?
“If I have to come back here, Kat, just know it will be the end of your career with the Beasts,” Lana warned.
I couldn’t stand her calling me Kat. Hearing the pet name my father gave me, the one Todd used to seduce me come from her lips drenched me in anger.
“I told you I’d handle it,” I snapped, ushering her to the front door.
I was furious. My body was shaking as she finally left me to deal with Todd. I walked into my room, looked around to try and see where he’d hid. He was good. I didn’t see any trace of him anywhere.
“She’s gone,” I said calmly and sat on the edge of my bed.
Todd emerged from the closet, fully dressed, and sat down beside me. He wrapped his arm around me, pulled me close, and assured me it would all be okay. “I’m sorry if I distracted you from work,” he said.
He had distracted me, but it wasn’t his fault. I wanted it. I needed it. But I still felt like a fool.
“Did you know Whitney was here?” I asked, trying to make my voice strong with no accusation.
He nodded.
“Is that why you were so upset and didn’t want to be alone?”
He blew out a long breath. “It may have shaken me up for a moment. But no… that’s not why I came here.”
I wasn’t sure I believed him. I wanted to.
“The fight between you and Calvin, did that have anything to do with Whitney?” I asked.
“Not on my end. Maybe that’s why he was on edge so badly though. He knew she was coming. I didn’t.”
“Ugh, Lana makes me crazy!” My fist slammed down onto the mattress.
“Don’t let her get to you,” he consoled me, threading his fingers through mine.
“She actually insinuated that I don’t belong here. That I only got this job because of my dad, or that I was screwing Rhett? Who does she think she is?”
&
nbsp; Todd laughed, squeezed me gently, then kissed me on the cheek. “She’s your boss.”
“Rhett’s my boss,” I snapped, feeling petulant.
“Well, maybe you just answered your own question.”
What did he mean by that?
“Just prove to her you that belong here,” he said.
“How?”
“Well, start with doing what she asked and doing it well. You got my word that I’ll be on my best behavior around Calvin. The problem we have is him with me, not me with him. Anything you decide, charity event, or whatever, I’m there. All smiles for the cameras,” he promised.
“Thank you.” I leaned my head on his strong shoulder, finally feeling a little calmer after my abrasive morning meeting with my boss. He even waited for as long as he could before leaving my room, just in case Lana was peering around some corner.
As my cab stopped at a red light, a yellow bus pulled up beside us. The side read M.R.D.D. Daytona Beach School for Children. Kids inside the bus had beach balls they were passing back and forth, large umbrellas stacked against the windows, and some wore thick white stripes of sunblock on their noses. I smiled at one boy who waved at me through the window. That’s it!
I knew what I would do for the charity event, not just for Calvin and Todd, but for the entire team.
The guys were already practicing out on the field when I arrived at the stadium. Two women stood at the fence behind home plate, one carrying a baby on her hip. When they turned around as I squeezed in behind them to get to my seat, I recognized them as Holly and Whitney. The baby was smiling, reaching for me as I passed. He was cute, and his flirty behavior certainly reflected what I knew about his daddy.
“You must be Holly.” I extended my hand and introduced myself. “And you must be Whitney.” I extended my hand to her in the same fashion.
I couldn’t help but feel a little envious of how beautiful Whitney looked. Her long hair, her bright eyes, and a smile women would kill for and men would die for. The thought of her with Todd made my stomach churn, but her warmth quickly made that fade.
I liked them, both of them. I hated they’d been pulled into the media because of their men. But as Lana said, there is no privacy once you sign on, and they’d both signed on for the long haul.
