by April Fire
“There’s only one bar we drink at,” the guy I’d noticed on the ice was speaking now, reaching up to take his helmet off. I swear to God, it happened in slow motion- he shook his hair loose, and it fell in thick dark waves to his chin. He flashed me a smile, and I found myself blushing-blushing! Like some kind of giggling schoolgirl!
“And what one might that be?” I knew I was playing a game, knew I just had to get them on my side, but I wasn’t sure how.
“Where are you staying?” He asked.
“Pollok Street,” I replied.
“I’ll pick you up at seven,” he suggested, cocking his head and raising his eyebrows at me. He was challenging me, daring me to say yes. Well, I could god-damn use a drink. I scanned the faces of the other guys, seeing if there was something I was missing- but they seemed to be regarding me with the same challenging expression that he was. Well, if it was a challenge they wanted, it was a challenge they’d get.
“Sounds great,” I smiled in return, and made my way down past the team. I nodded my thanks at Johnson for his help.
“I’ll see you this evening,” I promised, and made my way out to my car, trying to keep the smile off my face. The air was cold outside, and I rubbed my hands together- after everything that had brought me here, I finally had something to look forward to. And that felt pretty damn good.
Chapter Four
I needed this night out.
I always did- I wasn’t good at sitting at home doing nothing, as last night had reminded me. I’d visited my parent’s house after I got the news, trying to find something that made me feel at home and normal and not as though I might be about to change everything in my life forever. But all it had done was remind me why I might want to leave in the first place.
I pushed those thoughts from my head, and slipped into a shower- ah, the water pressure was good for once. I had lived in this place since I left home, even though I could probably afford somewhere nicer by now. I was a creature of habit at my very heart, and besides, moving somewhere new would be a hassle.
Just like moving to Philadelphia would be. I had tried to keep the decision out of my brain since the night before, determined to keep focused on training and everything else until I felt like I knew for certain one way or the other- but it was hard. I’d slept badly last night, tossing and turning as I went over the implications to each decision in my head. I was bad at this. Which was why I planned to go out and get utterly wasted tonight.
I climbed out of the shower, got dressed, and threw on a pair of jeans and a shirt. And I would get to see that cute journalist again. I was surprised when she agreed to come out with us, doubly so when she raised her eyebrows and shrugged and said that I could take her there. I’d noticed her watching me in training- and hell, I was watching her straight back. I knew practically everyone in this town, and having some fresh blood was…exciting. She was exactly my type, too- short, dark hair, blue eyes. Some of my teammates always teased me, because they thought that I tended to go for women who looked just like me- well, call me a narcissist, because I was seriously into this Emily woman.
I stepped outside and rubbed my hands together-it was freezing out, and it was only just past the last month of summer. Where had all that hot, hazy heat gone to? I climbed into my car and turned the heating up as high as it would go, and then realized that I had no idea what apartment she would be staying in. I guess I would just have to go up and down the street a few times and hope for the best- that was, if she hadn’t chickened out by now, of course.
To my surprise, I found her standing on the street, wrapped in an enormous grey jacket, by the time I came around. I leaned over to the window, winding it down and gesturing to her.
“Hey, Emily!”
She jumped a little, and turned towards the sound of my voice- she flashed me a grin as she slipped into the front seat next to me. The rest of the street was dead, which was a relief- I knew if anyone caught be picking up this new chick, it would be the talk of the town.
“Thanks for giving me a lift,” she placed her hands over the heaters to warm herself up. “Where are we going?”
“You’ll see,” I responded, and she rolled her eyes.
“Oh, come on, quit with the mysterious crap,” she ordered, her voice playful but firm. “Or I might just jump out right here.”
“Alright, alright,” I sighed. “We’re going to Dino’s.”
“And what’s so special about Dino’s?” She looked out the window, taking in the streets we were passing through. I wondered how long she’d been here- and how long she’d be staying.
“It’s just been our bar for a long time,” I explained. “They let us drink for free there after matches and it can get…pretty wild.”
“Oh yeah?” She leaned towards me, interested, and I noticed that she was wearing a skirt- it eased up over her legs to expose he knee, and I wondered how she would react if I reached out and put my hand on her bare flesh. I shook the thought from my head and turned my eyes back to the road.
“Yeah,” I shrugged. “Fights, hook-ups, that kind of thing.”
“What- all taking place at this bar?”
“Yeah,” I flashed her a smile. “Sometimes, uh, on the bar.”
“You serious?” Her eyes widened in surprise.
“Well, after everyone else has gone,” I replied. “It’s just…you’re going to be in for a wild night, I promise you that.”
“I come from the city, I’m sure I’ll be alright,” she dismissed me playfully. Our eyes met in the mirror, and I raised my eyebrows.
“That sounds like a challenge,” I remarked.
“Maybe it is,” she shot back.
“What kind of shit did you get up to in the city, then?” I wondered aloud. Apart from when we travelled for matches, I hadn’t spent a full night anywhere but here. That said, I’d heard some pretty incredible stuff about the urban nightlife around these parts- maybe she could give me the inside scoop.
“Oh, everything,” she shrugged. “Anything you could imagine, really. And then some.”
“You’re not giving me any details,” I pointed out.
“I’m trying to keep some kind of professional demeanour,” she protested.
“Might as well give that up now.”
Suddenly, we were outside Dino’s- I pulled us up to a halt in the parking lot, and could already see that the guys had got the party started inside. Emily cocked an eyebrow as we got out of the car, taking in the mish-mash of voices and music and the clink of glasses.
“You ready?” I dared her, and she lifted her chin and met my gaze.
“For anything.”
Chapter Five
When was the last time I’d had this much to drink? I could tell you one thing for sure- long enough that I had forgotten how much damn fun it was!
When Sam had been giving me that big talk in the car about what a crazy night it was going to be and how my city ass wasn’t prepared for it one little bit, I was so ready to dismiss him as talking the talk in front of the new girl so she would think he was a big man. But no- it really was as intense as all that.
I grabbed another shot from the bar- purchased for me by one of the regulars, I was told- and tossed it back in one. I screwed up my face at the sourness, shook my head, and held my hands up. The team- crowded around a small table at the other end of the room-cheered loudly for me.
I sashayed my way back over to them, and leaned up against Sam’s chair- he looked up at me with this stupid-cute crooked grin on his face, and cocked his head at me.
“You doing good?”
“Great!” I exclaimed. “Anyone want to come dance with me?”
“We don’t really dance here,” Nathan, the goalkeeper, remarked, exchanging a look with the rest of the guys around the table.
“Then why is there music?” I countered. He opened his mouth, but before he could protest any further, I grabbed Sam’s hand and pulled him to his feet.
“Come on. Dance with me.” I ord
ered, and he held his other hand up and led me towards a spot in the bar with a little more space. I could feel the eyes of the rest of the team on me, but I ignored them as a song came on that I adored and I wrapped my arms around Sam’s neck.
“Having a good time?” He murmured, just loud enough that I could hear it. I nodded.
“Amazing,” I replied, looking up at him and swaying back and forth. I wasn’t that drunk, but I was letting off a hell of a lot of steam- maybe this wasn’t the best way to get my story, but you had to live among your charges to really understand them, right? Besides, this particular bit didn’t have to go in the article. I slid my hips closer to Sam, and his hands drifted further down my back, and I knew with an absolute certainty where this night was going.
I was most surprised by the reaction the team got when they walked in- everyone seemed to know who they were, everyone pleased to see them and keen to buy them a drink. Sam told me it hadn’t always been like that- that the smiles and the pats on the back and the offers for a free beer or seven hadn’t come in until they’d started their winning streak not too long ago. I could tell they were wary of it- they enjoyed the attention, but they knew that it could all drop away if they didn’t keep up their end of the bargain.
I could tell there were eyes on us, but I didn’t give a damn. After getting dumped and struggling to right myself after moving across the country for this stupid story, I deserved to have a little fun. I felt Sam’s lips brush against my hair, and wondered how many girls in this town he’d hooked up with. Was he stud in high school, or had that only arrived with his success? I had noticed a fair few girls eyeing him when he went up to buy drinks or talk to me, and I wasn’t sure whether they were jealous of me or pitying. Either way, I didn’t care- there was enough booze in my system to make me think this was a good idea, to push from my mind the reminder that I would have to work with this guy and his teammates for the next few months. So what if things got awkward? I was a big girl, I could take it. I was here for the story, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t use my access to a team of gorgeous young men to help me get over the worst break-up I’d ever had.
Before I knew it, the song had ended, and a few people had started to trail from the bar. Sam turned back to his teammates, a couple of whom were reaching for their wallets and sidling up to the bar to settle the tab.
“You guys heading?”
“Yeah,” one of them- I forgot his name- shrugged. “See you tomorrow, though?”
“Sure thing,” he replied, and a couple of them flashed him those smiles- you know the ones, the “you’re gonna get laid tonight” smiles. It was as if I wasn’t standing there, wasn’t capable of guessing what they were hinting towards. In all honesty, though? I was too horny to think about much beyond getting Sam back to my apartment and out of his clothes. He ran a hand down my back, as if he knew what I was thinking and was reminding me that hey, babe, don’t worry, I got you.
I settled up my tab- Sam didn’t offer to pay, which was a relief, because I didn’t want to be one of those chicks who simpers and swoons while a guy covers her booze for her. We made our way outside, his arm tucked tight around my waist- he was lightly stroking me with his thumb, and even the slight movement was sending electric shocks across my body.
“You want me to take you home?” He asked, and smiled and shook his head at his phrasing. “Sorry, I mean, you want me to give you a lift back to your place?”
“Sure,” I nodded, feeling a little wobbly on my feet- and it had more to do with his presence that the booze. How was I supposed to take it from here? It had been so long since I had slept with someone new that I felt like all my mechanisms were rusty, that I’d need re-doing. We slipped into the car, and same reached for his keys- and in that split second, I just went for it.
I leaned towards him, caught his face between my hands, and pressed my lips against his. His mouth was cold but soft, and I barely had time to register how it felt before he had slipped his hands beneath my ass and hauled me on to his lap. I parted my legs to straddle him, and his tongue slid into my mouth, and in that second I couldn’t have given a damn how long it had been since I had last fooled around with someone new because all of this felt so natural and right.
“I’ve wanted you since the moment I saw you,” Sam murmured in my ear as he kissed down my neck and towards my breasts. I let out a small moan, unable to articulate that I had felt the exact same way.
He slipped his hands up my shirt and found my breasts- the touch of his cold fingers was enough to bring my nipples to full attention at once, and I closed my eyes as his talented hands went to work. I was already aching for him, aching for more, and I knew I would be able to hold back much longer.
“have you got a condom?” I mumbled urgently, and he looked up at me and nodded.
“I need you to fuck me, right now,” I leaned down to kiss him again, harder this time. I had never wanted someone the way I wanted him at that second. It wasn’t that I’d never been turned-on before, or wanted to fuck before- but it had never been so desperate and needy and important. I swivelled my hips a couple of times against his lap, feeling his erection growing quickly beneath me, and watched as he registered what I’d just said. Putting a hand on my hip to steady me, he leaned forward and rustled about in his glove compartment for a few seconds before pulling out a condom.
I lifted myself off his lap the best I could, awkwardly trying to give him the space he needed to sheath himself- there wasn’t a lot of room in the car, and my head was already pressed against the ceiling. But all thought of how difficult or weird or maybe not a good idea this was got lost in the sound of our heavy breathing and the way our steamy breath mixed between us. He shuffled down his pants and rolled on the condom, and then he reached over to flip up my skirt- before he penetrated me, he leaned forward and planted a kiss on my pussy, his warm breath (even through my panties) sending a shiver down my spine. And then, he pulled the fabric aside, gripped my hips, and slowly lowered me down on to his cock.
We both let out a long, satisfied sigh as he entered me- his cock was thick and stout, spreading me as I enveloped every inch of him in my pussy. I let my head fall back, and clunked it on the top of the car as I did so- we both laughed, and then, finally, I began to move. I took my time at first, pressing my hands against his chest and using them as leverage as I moved up and down. And, soon enough, he began to meet my movement, thrusting up inside me as I came down. We soon built up a pace, and, without thinking, I slipped my hand between my legs and began to play with my clit.
“Fuck, that’s hot,” Sam growled, his fingers sinking in to my hips as he watched my fingers get busy between my legs. I watched as the expression on his face twisted into something darker, more desirous than before- and, when he looked up and made eye contact with me, it happened.
I shuddered with pleasure, my hands curling into fists by my sides as I came- it usually took a lot of foreplay to get me anywhere close, but the situation was just right then and there and I was able to get out of my head and just let it happen. I let out a loud moan, my pussy clenching around Sam’s cock- and a few seconds later, I felt him reach his own release inside of me. He leaned up to kiss me as he came, pulling my head down so he could push his tongue into my mouth once more. I held him inside me for a few more moments after we were both finished, savouring the feeling of him within me. Then, I climbed off and slipped back into my seat, shooting him a satisfied look.
“Well, that was…” he began, but trailed off as he disposed of the condom and zipped up his pants.
“Yeah,” I agreed. “It really was.”
We sat in silence for a few moments, and I wondered what happened now.
“Is that…lift still going?” I wondered aloud, and he nodded.
“Yeah, yeah, sure,” he replied. He’d only had a couple of drinks over the course of the night, so I wasn’t worried about him driving me. As my own booze-buzz began to wear off, I watched as he started up the car, and tried to figure ou
t whether or not I had just made a huge mistake.
Chapter Six
When I woke up the next morning, my head was pounding- but not because I’d been hitting it too hard the night before. No, far from it- I’d taken it easy. But I had hooked up with Emily, and I wasn’t sure if I’d made the right decision.
I mean, yeah, she was incredible- the image of her, riding me hard, her head tipped slightly back and her mouth hanging open a little, played on my brain and made me smile to myself involuntarily. As soon as I’d picked her up, I’d known what was going to happen. We were flirting as soon as she slipped into my car, and I wasn’t going to argue with her when she clambered on top of me in there at the end of the night. I just couldn’t shake the feeling that I’d done something….dangerous by fucking her.
I mean, every other woman I’d hooked up with since I left high school, it was clear it was a one-night thing. They knew, I knew, even if I had to lay it out for a few of them a little more firmly than I might have liked- it was clear. They knew who I was. I had a reputation in this town for a reason- one I was a little proud of, I had to admit. And playing for the team meant that I was never likely to be around any of my hook-ups again. I might spot them in the crowd of a game and see them give me that secret little smile, but I had never had them around for such a length of time after we were finished with each other.
I drove to training, and wondered why I had done it. Apart from the obvious- that she was smoking hot and sexy and forward and all kinds of good in bed. Or in-car, as the case may be. I had known all of this before we fucked, known that she wouldn’t be leaving soon, known that I would have to see her and be around her and deal with her for a long time yet- and still I did it. I couldn’t blame it on the alcohol as I hadn’t even been drinking that much. The only explanation was that I was trying to get my mind off…it. The thing. The big one. The question that I still hadn’t come up with an answer to.
