“Hey!” a booming voice shouted, making Brad release me. To my shock, it was Stryder. He’d come after us. “Get your hands off her!”
“Back off, asshole,” Brad said. “She’s not yours. You never wanted her, anyway.”
“And is she yours?” Stryder retorted, storming forward. Brad went on a defensive position, ready to throw a punch if the other man came nearer. “Tasha is nobody’s property. So leave her alone.”
I faced Brad then. “Please leave, Brad. Let’s not blow this out of proportion. I don’t want any trouble.”
“There won’t be any if you go with me,” he said sharply through gritted teeth.
When he made a move to pull me by force, Stryder lunged at him, tackling him to the ground. I screamed as they both punched each other on the face, scrambling and rolling in front of me on the floor.
“Stop it!” I screamed. I was afraid to get in between them, though.
The other football players probably heard the commotion. Four came running to us. They immediately pulled the two men away from each other until both began to calm down.
Brad wiped off the little blood on his lip before turning around and walking away. I heaved a sigh of relief. At least it was over for now.
The football players dispersed and went back to the shoot. Lia and Bella who had also come running asked if I was okay.
“Yes, I’m good, thanks,” I assured them. “I think I better go now.”
We said our goodbyes, but Stryder hung back. When the others were gone, he walked with me outside in silence.
Eventually he spoke. “I’m sorry, Tasha,” he whispered.
I wasn’t sure how to answer because I didn’t know what he was saying sorry for. There were several things he needed to apologize for.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” he continued. “I know I shouldn’t have hit him. It wasn’t my business.”
“It’s okay,” I told him quickly. “I understand. You were looking out for me, just as you would for any of the other stuntwomen or cheerleaders.”
“Tasha,” he said, taking my hand in his and making me halt. His touch seemed to cause electric sparks to shoot across my limbs. He turned me around so we were facing each other. “You’re different, alright? You’re… You’re special to me…”
It was apparent how difficult it was for him to let that out, to be totally honest with his feelings.
“I was affected because I’ve always cared about you,” he said gently, taking both of my hands in his and squeezing them warmly. “I’m so sorry too about my dad. I wanted to stand up for you, but that would have made things worse. So I opted to just talk to him in private and not get you involved any further.”
“I see…” I said slowly, taking it all in. “And what did he say?”
“Well, it’s not easy to sway him, you know,” he explained. “He’s really stubborn and too focused on football. But he did seem to listen. For now, I’m just taking it one step at a time. Hopefully he’ll come to his senses sooner than later.”
“That’s good,” I said, nodding. “He’s your father, after all. You’ll just have to deal with him the best way you can.”
As I gazed back at him, I could feel myself falling under his spell again. Gently, I pulled my hands away. “You need to go back,” I told him. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”
“I really want to make it up to you, Tasha,” he said in a slightly pleading voice. “I know I’ve been a total jerk and you deserve so much better. But I’ve done a lot of thinking and I just… I need to talk to you…”
“Sounds serious,” I remarked jokingly.
“Yeah, very,” he said, smiling faintly.
I found myself smiling back. “I better go home and rest for now. You can drive by if you feel like it later after your shoot.”
“Yeah, I definitely will,” he said, his eyes lighting up with hope. “Thank you.”
Chapter Sixteen
Stryder
Closing the door of my car, I caught a glimpse of my reflection. Clad in a cardigan and a pair of dark jeans, I almost doubled up with laughter. I felt silly and stupid, making me chuckle on the way up the building.
I was outrageously whistling a happy tune all the way to Tasha’s unit. Even as I knocked, I couldn’t wipe away the grin on my face. Finally, I’d have the chance to be with her, to talk and hopefully salvage some of what we’d started.
It was actually quite relieving to simply embrace these crazy emotions that had been overwhelming me the past days. Now that I was coming to terms with the new experience, the unfamiliar turf didn’t seem so intimidating.
Ivan was right—this was probably how it felt to fall in love with a woman. The time has come for me, and I just couldn’t believe it. For the first time in my life, I wasn’t interested in seeing anyone else but Tasha.
When she answered the door, I was blown away by her natural beauty and charming smile. I could still sense her uneasiness and hesitation even as she joined me. That was all my fault, of course.
We made small talk in the car. At first it was awkward because there were so many things left unspoken between us, filling the air with strain. But after just a few minutes, we were already laughing and sharing stories just like we used to. It was strange and oddly comforting how we felt so connected to each other.
I drove to the official football stadium, my heart thumping in anticipation. The romantic evening had just begun.
“What are we doing here?” Tasha asked in surprise. She looked very beautiful in an off-shoulder floral dress.
“I set up something for you,” I told her. “Had to pay some of the guards, though.”
She laughed, a slight tone of edginess evident in her voice.
We sneaked in through the back door and I led her to the center of the field, where a romantic picnic setup for two awaited. The floodlights were off, so only the tea candles surrounding the blanket and bean bags illuminated the area, flickering happily in the soft wind. There were rose petals and white balloons all around, surrounding a basket of food and a bottle of wine in a bucket of ice.
“It’s beautiful!” Tasha gasped, clutching my arm. I smiled at her and led her to the blanket. We sat down together and enjoyed a delicious meal of pasta, baked breads, and a selection of different cheeses.
I poured the red wine on each of our wine glasses before handing one to her. “I’d like to propose a toast,” I said, looking into her eyes intently.
“Okay, sure,” she said, giggling. She still looked very much in awe.
I raised my glass, and she followed suit, waiting for me to speak. I took a deep breath and said, “Here’s to more romantic dates and fun times with this wonderful woman who’s with me today! I hope and pray she finds it in her heart to forgive all my stupidity.”
Tasha almost choked, laughing a bit. “Maybe after five more surprises like this,” she joked.
I laughed as we clinked our glasses together. “Let’s drink to that then,” I said. We smiled at each other and drank some of the wine.
“Now it’s your turn to do a toast,” I told her.
“Hhmmm…” she said thoughtfully, a smile playing on her lips. Then her eyes brightened and her smile widened. “I’ve got one!”
“Alright, let’s hear it,” I said enthusiastically.
“Cheers to you for nailing the football championships and to you showing your dad what else you’re capable of!”
“Alright!” I agreed.
“Wait, there’s more,” she said, interrupting me. Raising her glass again, she said, “Here’s to more adventures for us!”
“Cheers!” I said, laughing. “As long as they don’t kill me.”
“I promise to keep you safe,” she said reassuringly in a joking manner.
We both laughed and drank more wine before resuming the meal.
When we were done eating, I stood up and brought out my handkerchief to cover her eyes with.
“Another surprise, huh?” she said, grinning.
She laughed. “You’ve got a point.”
I led her to the covered dugout which she hadn’t noticed earlier. It was filled completely with different kinds of flowers, almost covering the seats inside. From the low ceiling hung printed photos of her that I had taken while we were in her hometown. Each one was clipped with a plain clothes pin, and they were all connected to one another through a yarn. The photos were illuminated by hanging white lights on a string that had been intertwined with the yarn.
Mushy and romantic weren’t my thing. I wasn’t the one who’d done all this, but it had been my idea. I had to admit, it all turned out pretty damn good.
I switched on the hanging lights, displaying the entire setup.
“Can I see it now, whatever it is?” Tasha asked impatiently.
I laughed and took off her blindfold gently. With wide eyes, she took in the whole scene carefully. Her mouth dropped open and she couldn’t say anything for what felt like minutes. I just stood there, smiling and waiting for her to say something.
“Oh, my gosh,” she finally whispered, awestruck like hell. Then she faced me excitedly, her eyes dancing with joy and affection. “Oh, my gosh, Stryder! You have outdone yourself!”
I grinned, relieved that she seemed to like it. Suddenly, she threw her arms around me and planted a big kiss on my lips. I immediately wrapped my arms around her waist and leaned forward for a more passionate, lingering kiss.
When we came up for air, she gave me a sweet hug. “Thank you, thank you…” she whispered. “This is the absolute sweetest.”
We both went into the dugout as she inspected the photos and admired the flowers. “I can’t believe you went to all this trouble.”
“It’s not even enough for the pain I’d caused you,” I told her honestly. “And someone like you deserves this and more.”
Her face broke into another huge smile before we found ourselves kissing once again. I stopped just long enough to turn off the lights so that we’d look like mere silhouettes from afar.
At that moment, I could feel the heat rising within me, my knees feeling like jelly all of a sudden. Every single contact of our skin made my blood go on a rampage. I pressed my lips on hers harder and more eagerly, our mounting desire for each other totally undeniable.
With our arms wrapped around each other, our kiss became even more passionate and intense. Our tongues twirled in fast motion, adding to the deep, stirring sensations of our raging hormones. I felt something rising within my gut, a huge swirling erotic ruckus, spreading across my body like wildfire.
Without any care in the world, we kissed and touched each other as pieces of our garments fell to the floor. Soon we were both naked, oblivious to the fact that anyone could walk in on us, that the dugout was completely exposed on one side.
She pushed me onto one of the seats and straddled me, her face filled with great longing. I caressed every part of her body I could get my hands on while I devoured her breasts in my mouth, my tongue flicking across each nipple in a sensual dance.
I could feel myself growing, getting harder, yearning to feel her wetness on my rigidness. She was on her knees, watching me lick and kiss her breasts, her fingers running through my hair.
I lifted my hands toward her shoulders and began pushing her downward. She relented willingly, pushing herself down onto my waiting shaft. I felt her sticky moisture soak my entire length part by part. We both moaned as I filled her fully, my thick hardness rubbing against her sensitive walls.
She began to grind on top of me, making me groan and moan with great pleasure. We moved in unison for a while before I finally pushed her gently to the side so that I could position myself on top of her this time. She lay on her back, spread out across the row of seats, unmindful of the discomfort at her back.
Meanwhile, I entered her with full force and thrusted deep inside her, making her scream. Our bodies seemed to sway in harmony, edging back and forth as the pleasure within us built up and developed into full blast.
I was lost in the moment, engulfed in pure bliss, thus unaware of the sudden strong burst of pleasure that overwhelmed both of us. I climbed off her, stumbling to the ground and flattening some of the flowers. I looked at her and she met my eyes. We both laughed.
“Sorry about the flowers,” I said, grinning. I was exhausted, but I still stood up to get dressed fast. She did the same.
In no time, we were up and about, scanning the dark grounds for signs of anyone else on the field.
“Do you think someone could have seen us?” she asked, looking a bit worried.
“I don’t think so,” I answered truthfully.
“Isn’t there a CCTV that could have captured us?” she inquired again, getting out of the dugout and looking around.
“The guard I paid off would have taken care of it,” I assured her. “Part of the deal was no CCTVs and no guards around.”
She giggled. “Wow, you must have paid them a great deal!”
“You could say that,” I said, chuckling.
I took out my cellphone and dialed the number of the guard I had coordinated with. I asked him to bring a cart over there so we could collect the flowers and photos, and other paraphernalia.
Once we were done, right before we got back into my car, Tasha looked up at the sky and smiled. “It’s a perfect evening,” she said, leaning closer to me for an embrace.
Hugging her, I nodded. “The perfect evening for a perfect beginning.”
Chapter Seventeen
Tasha
The 340-foot rollercoaster loomed before us, making my heart throb fast with anticipation. I was almost blinded by the sunlight when I looked up, if not for my sunglasses.
“No way,” Stryder said from beside me, shaking his head in disbelief. I could see his eyes following the loops, plunges, and sudden turns of the coaster’s tracks.
As if on cue, a train of cars on the tracks zoomed past, the screams of the passengers echoing across the open area, their voices making him shudder. I was absolutely thrilled.
“Coaster City rocks!” I said excitedly, dragging Stryder to the queue. “You’re not a coward, are you?”
He knew I was challenging him, but he still put out his chest and pretended to be all brave and manly. I laughed at the exaggerated poses. “You look silly!” I said.
“That’s the whole point,” he argued, laughing.
The line was moving quite fast. I was holding hands with him, so I sensed it when his hands suddenly turned cold and clammy. “Aren’t you the nervous one!” I teased.
“Shut up,” he said with a grin.
“You know, I really can’t understand how a big football star like you can be so afraid of rollercoasters!” I laughed. “Or of any extreme adventure, for that matter.”
“Well, not everyone was born a daredevil like you,” Stryder pointed out. “You’re insane!”
“And you—”I retorted, pointing at his nose, “—are insanely in love with me!”
“You got that right!” he agreed, laughing. “Just as you are with me!”
I wrinkled my nose, but laughed out loud. “Okay, fair enough,” I said.
Finally, it was our turn to ride the rollercoaster. We held hands as we climbed into one of the “cars.” We took off our sunglasses and placed them inside the zipped containers attached to the front wall of our “car.”
“Ready?” I whispered with a grin, my hair blowing in the wind as the train lurched forward and began to climb up slowly but steadily.
Stryder shook his head, his face turning a little bit white. “I’m not fuckin’ ready to die yet!” he said out loud, making me laugh.
“Hey, take it easy,” I told him as the train climbed higher and higher. I peeked down and saw the people on the ground who now looked like ants. I wasn’t the least bit worried, though. Roller coasters like this made my blood rush and my heart pump with pure excitement and thrill.
Qui
ckly, I gave Stryder a quick peck on the cheek, and then squeezed his hand. “Just remember, you’ve already gone skydiving at night and even jumped off a waterfall! This is just like riding the carousel for kids!”
He nodded, a funny expression on his face. “Yeah, you’re right,” he gulped, trying to grin. “It’s just like eating ice cream!”
I laughed as the train brought us to the first peak. We both held our breaths as something seemed to snap, releasing the train down the tall, steep opposite side. Our screams got carried away by the wind, mixing with the screams of the other passengers.
I felt Stryder’s knees shaking beside mine as he yelled his head off. I was laughing and hooting as the train plunged downward and then took a sharp turn left, climbed up again and then brought us to a series of loops. There was no time to even anticipate fear in the speedy roll of the ride.
When the train finally stopped, I could feel the hoarseness in my throat. Nevertheless, it was totally exhilarating.
We climbed down together, Stryder shaking his head in disbelief but looking satisfied and proud of himself. “Oh, the things you make me do!” he told me jokingly, placing an arm around my shoulders as we made our way out.
We spent the rest of the afternoon exploring Coaster City. With every daredevil ride we went on, Stryder showed greater confidence. In the end, he found himself doing it for fun already and not just because I was urging him to go with me.
Wild Play Page 10
