by J. C. Grant
We watched each other, him looking for acceptance, me trying to understand.
“I make you like this, don’t I?” I asked quietly, already knowing the answer. “It said this is a first, like this aggression is unusual for you.”
His eyes slid away and he sighed. Not annoyed, more like he was trying to find a way to soften the blow. When his eyes met mine again, I knew he’d chosen not too.
“Yes, you make me like this. Because your mine, and I’m not sharing. Both of those guys were trying to look at nude pics of you on my phone. Noah did. They won’t be doing it again.”
Reaching for his hand on the island, holding it between mine, I explained, “I am yours, but I don’t want you getting in trouble because of me.”
“Let me worry about it.” He leaned in, pressing a firm kiss to my forehead.
I stilled. Something about the way he said it...
Pulling back from him, my eyes narrowed as I studied him. “You’re trying to get fired,” I accused softly, stunned by the realization.
His jaw clenched once as his eyebrows pulled together, but he said nothing.
David had restraint—more than I did. The fact that he hadn’t beat the shit out of Ryan when he had the chance was proof of that.
Finally he murmured, “I wanna be with you, and you want the money...”
Oh. My. God.
What had I done.
My grip on his hand loosened, but his tightened.
“We need the money,” he corrected, taking in my horrified expression.
Maybe we did need the money, a safety net, but I couldn’t let him get fired. Or worse banned from the league all together. And I was fairly certain that’s what would eventually happen if he kept assaulting his teammates. He was going to ruin his carefully cultivated image and damage his brand.
“Hey,” he interrupted my planning. His voice hesitant. “Eat. I scheduled us a couples massage before I head to practice.”
Giving him a small smile, I nodded.
I wouldn’t let him destroy his career.
David had always been there for me, watching out for me, taking care of me, it was my turn to return the favor.
****
It was fucking heaven. Lounging in a cabana at a rooftop pool in New York City in June. I was wearing a white bikini I’d found at a store in the lobby, a triangle cut-out top and tanga bottom. And sipping on my second iced green tea latte. Daniel was on the lounge next to me, wearing fitted black trunks.
When David left for practice, he’d insisted Daniel stay with me, though I could tell he wasn’t thrilled about it.
“Hey, I’m going to jump in for a minute.” Daniel sounded like he was asking for permission.
Looking over at him, I tipped my oversized sunglasses down. “’Kay. I’ll be here, I need to respond to some texts and emails.” I held up my phone.
I wasted no time texting Elaine, giving her a heads up about the letter and what David was doing. Then I texted Alec. I had decided to try to get the filming schedule changed, so I could be with David during his season. I hadn’t truly believed our time apart was affecting him as much as it was me.
I was done pretending to be strong, pretending not to need him. Being apart was killing us, opening old wounds and creating new ones. Both of us were covered in scars, emotional and physical, we didn’t have room for anymore.
Austin: How did you get them to change the
schedule for you?
11:24 AM
Alec: I told them it was for you. This is your show,
you wrote it, you created it, they do what you say.
You do realize you’re my boss, right?
11:26 AM
Actually, I hadn’t thought about it that way. I’d been too busy being both grateful and terrified of having the show to really let that tidbit settle in. And technically, the men with money were in charge.
Austin: I think I’m more like a co-captain.
11:28 AM
Alec: Girl, check your email. I just got an
offer for 7 more seasons.
11:29 AM
My heart raced in my chest as I pulled up my email, finding one from Jeff.
It was exactly what Alec said it was. Seven more seasons, with me writing six and directing six, leaving six episodes for other directors and writers. And Elaine was right, the offer was almost double the first season.
Clearing my throat, I took a deep resetting breath before hitting reply.
Jeff,
The only problem I have with the offer is the filming schedule.
Austin
Riddled with anxiety, I stared at my screen waiting for his response.
I didn’t have to wait long.
Seconds later, Jeff responded.
Whatever you want, as long as we’re wrapped before July.
All the tension in my body drained away.
It was so easy. Why hadn’t I asked before? My pride? Fear of looking weak? Fear of failure? Maybe I’d just been taking care of myself for too long. But I wasn’t alone anymore, and it was time I stared acting like it.
I needed the strength and security David’s mere presence gave me to get through another season, much less seven. And he needed me for... I didn't know what he needed me for, but he needed me and that was enough.
****
“And that’s checkmate,” Daniel explained.
Once I finished working out the shoot schedule with Jeff, Daniel decided to teach me how to play chess.
We were stretched out on our sides with the board between us.
“Is David good at this?” I wanted to surprise David—by beating him at chess. Before Daniel could respond I heard,
“You're still here?” A snide remark, thinly veiled as a question.
Looking up, I saw Sarah standing at the end of the cabana. She was wearing a classic red triangle bikini. She had definitely maintained her physic since retiring from fitness modeling, whenever that was.
I said nothing, knowing it was some kind of game I wasn’t willing to play.
I watched as her demeanor shifted to false contrition. “Sorry, I’m just surprised he took so much time with fans this morning, with having you here waiting on him.”
Sarah thought that was an insult. But knowing David felt good enough to interact with fans, happy enough to know he wouldn’t snap at anyone... I couldn’t stop the smile that spread across my face.
“Austin, are you okay?” Daniel asked quietly.
I nodded as Sarah, turned, looking Daniel over.
Clearly bothered by not getting the reaction she was looking for, Sarah turned back to me, adding, “Woman to woman, you should know a girl left David’s room a couple weeks ago wearing nothing but a towel.”
I wouldn’t lie, the fact that she knew about that before I did bothered me. But what bothered me more was she seemed to only be traveling to the games to stalk David.
“His groupies sit outside his door, waiting for him. Taking turns with him, probably.”
I couldn’t stop the images of him doing just that from creeping into my mind, awakening my insecurities.
Stop it.
But the reality was, Sarah and his groupies spent more time around David than I did.
Not anymore.
Looking back up at Sarah, I goaded, “But you can’t say for sure, huh? I watched your husband fuck a cute little bubble butted girl during training camp—it was pretty hot—but I’ve never felt compelled to rub it in your face.”
Her lips pursed, as if she was going to say something else, but then she turned, abruptly, walking away.
“He doesn’t let them in the room.” Daniel’s voice pulled my attention from her retreating form. “Security checks the hall every few hours, but...” he trailed off.
From his apologetic tone, I knew everything she’d said was true. Everything except the most important part, David taking turns with groupies.
I hated not knowing this part of his life. I was jealous of it. That was going to be another benef
it of traveling with David, putting bitches like Sarah in their place. I was going to know every little nuance of his life. No secrets. No separation.
My phone chimed, alerting me to a text.
David: Where are you?
4:08 PM
I grinned at that. Our little phone tracker didn’t really help when you were in the same building.
Austin: Rooftop pool.
4:09 PM
A couple minutes later, when I still hadn’t received a response, I said, “Let’s play for real this time.”
As Daniel reset the board, I felt that electric-like hum in my body moments before David appeared at the foot of our cabana.
“What the fuck’s goin’ on?” David’s voice was low and dangerous, like a viper about to strike.
“What are you—”
“Daniel,” David cut me off. “Give us a minute.”
As soon as Daniel stepped out, David pulled the curtain closed behind him.
“What the fuck are you wearin’? I can see your nipples.” His voice was harsh but quiet as he sat down next to me, facing me, pinning me in the corner. “What’re doin’ up here with him?”
Unable to resist, I teased, “I was hoping I could convince Daniel to have a threesome with us. If not, I was gonna try for the cabana boy.”
“Not funny.” His eyes were hard, and full of accusation.
“Come on, can’t I at least fantasize about it? I mean you have naked girls hiding under the bed. Can’t I enjoy the view Daniel offers?” I pushed.
He blew out a rough breath and leaned over me, gathering both my wrists in one big fist, pinning them above my head. “You’re comin’ to the game, I want you in plain view.”
There was a sadness in his aggression, and I worried maybe I’d pushed too far.
“’Kay.” I paused. “Will you fuck me first?”
I watched as a sad smirk formed on his face.
“You want me to fuck you?” he asked, his voice so soft and sincere it made something in my chest squeeze.
Biting my lip, I nodded.
“You want my cock?” he rumbled thickly.
I swallowed, barely managing to nod again as my breathing turned shallow and heat bloomed in my belly, spreading through me.
His other hand moved between my legs, fingers playing over my cloth covered sex.
“Tell me something.” He paused. “Did you say that shit to fuck me up?”
“Yeah, I wanted this.” I shifted my arms, indicating his restricting hand.
He nodded, looking solemn. “I control your body... but you control me completely.”
His expression was open, vulnerable, and the sincerity in his voice was heartbreaking.
It was seriously fucking hot.
“You have more influence over me than you think,” I admitted quietly, holding his gaze.
His eyebrow lifted, in that signature way of his. Intrigued.
“I reworked our shoot scheduled for next season... We'll start in October, and hopefully be done by the time training starts. Worst case scenario, I have to film the first couple of weeks while your at camp.”
His face lit up with hope and awe. “Seriously?”
I nodded, my smile matching his.
He did have absolute control over me, and I'd all but just told him.
“You want me to fuck you?” he asked quietly. “Gotta be fast, I gotta get back for the game, Harold can only cover for me for so long.”
My thighs clenched and eyes widened as I bit my lip, nodding, excited to get our conversation back on track.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
Monday morning, when I returned to work, everything was different. Everything about me anyway, if all the comments were to be believed.
Whether it was because I finally understood and embraced the control I had over the show or the peace David and I had reached, knowing we wouldn’t be separated much longer, I couldn’t say. Both gave me more confidence and a calmness I had been missing with David’s absence.
I wasted no time rearranging the filming schedule for the last three episodes, making it more time efficient.
Then, I spent the next two and a half weeks, working my ass off. I’d managed to keep up our forty-eight-hour rule.
And I was fucking exhausted.
Leaning against the closet island, I debated on clothing choices to fill the limited space remaining in my bags. Then I switched back to my original debate, telling David we’d finished the filming—three days earlier than expected—or show up and surprise him?
David had left the morning before, so I was scheduled to fly out to him—per our forty-eight-hour rule—regardless of my schedule.
Just as I settled on final wardrobe options, I picked up my phone.
“Hi, angel,” I greeted.
“Tell me your sweet ass is on the plane.” His voice was low and rough and... tired.
“I'm packing,” I answered in a singsong voice as I put my last few items in the overnight bag.
“I'm not tryin’ to be an asshole, but just put on some fuckin’ clothes and get your ass on the plane. You're gonna right back on it in the morning.”
“Actually, I'm not,” I hedged.
“What do you mean?”
“If it's okay with you, I'm going to stay with you for the next four days.”
“Oh, fuck yes... You're done?” He sounded both relieved and grateful.
“Yep, all done for season one.”
“Thank fuck,” he muttered under his breath. “So, you're with me for the rest of my season?”
“As much as you want.”
“You know I want every day, all day, all night, and everything in between.”
I laughed. Then thoughtfully, I announced, “I think I'm done.”
“With?” he asked cautiously.
“The shows doing really well, and I've currently achieved more fame than I'm comfortable with, and...” I hesitated, we’d been so excited about not being separated for next season, I’d never told him about the offer and he’d never asked. “We got picked up for seven more seasons.”
“Fuck.” He quickly tried to recover. “I mean, that's good for you, right? It's successful.”
“It's okay. I know you wanted it to fail.”
“It’s not that. I just want you to myself.”
“Well, that's kind of my point. I got what I wanted, and it's great, and I feel satisfied, like I don't feel that drive anymore to keep pursuing acting.” I didn’t know where the words were coming from, but as they slipped over my lips, I realized they were true. “So... I'm thinking... you finish out two more years of baseball, I finish out seven more seasons of the show, and then we get to be us.”
“I'll go to work with you every day,” he added seamlessly. “Take care of you, get your coffee, breakfast, lunch, and you'll have access to my cock all day for stress relief, anytime you need it.”
“Mmm... That actually sounds perfect. And I was thinking... Once you're done with baseball, we could stop using birth control.”
“Yeah? Just let nature take its course after that?”
“Yep.”
“Sounds perfect. Now get your ass on a plane because I need you here yesterday.”
“I'm getting in the car now. Me and Chance will see you soon.”
****
I woke up alone and naked.
We had arrived home the night before, but I’d slept through it. I didn’t remember landing, getting home or in bed, and definitely not undressing.
Hope he had fun.
Last thing I remembered was lying down on David’s bare chest as I recovered from a mind-blowing orgasm, planning on getting a few more. As far as I knew, that hadn’t happened.
Having that smaller bed on the plane turned out to be very helpful. With the constant contact, we couldn’t help but fuck, our bodies demanded it, no matter how tired we were.
Traveling with him for the four days had been exhausting. I understood why he’d just wanted to hold me that firs
t night. Traveling the way they did was disorienting. With the exhaustion, it was an unsettling combination. It made you want comfort. We did a lot of cuddling. Despite how exhausted we both were, we were happy being together. I thought Chance was too.
And Sarah had pretty much disappeared after she knew we were traveling together. Funny thing was, I didn’t blame her for trying to get David back, not that I would ever try to get a man that was married or didn’t seem to want me.
Hell, I would never try to get a man period.
But thinking she had David, just to be ignored by him? Despite David considering her a girlfriend, he had treated her like a casual fuck buddy. Worse, he hadn't been all that interested in having sex with her. I couldn’t imagine how bad that must’ve felt.
Getting out of bed, I headed to the bathroom before dressing in a tee and sweat shorts, then making my way into the kitchen.
David was standing at the stove, his broad back was on display, the hard planes of muscle shifting under flawless golden skin, tapering down to his narrow hips. I could even see the indents above his sculpted ass.
Fucking perfect.
Sometimes it was still hard to believe he was mine.
“Good morning.” He drew the words out in his sexy sleep-rough voice.
“Hey.” I sat at the kitchen island just as he turned, placing my coffee in front of me. My eyes caught on the python-like muscles in his arms, flexing as he braced against the counter.
Fuck me, this is all it takes to get me hot?
“Have fun with my unconscious body last night?” I teased. I didn’t know if I was trying to hint at my sudden arousal or play it off.
His eyebrows lifted in amusement, and he purred, “What if I did?”
“As long as you made me come, I don’t care,” I answered honestly. “I can go back to bed, pretend to be asleep if you want to violate me now.”
He huffed a quiet laugh and turned back to the stove. “My dirty girl,” he muttered. His voice was a mixture of pleased, amused, and awe.
