Hard Man: A Secret Baby Sports Romance (Bad Ballers Book 1)

by S. J. Bishop

  As soon as it was out of my mouth, I knew it had been the right thing to say. Treena's face registered surprise which quickly turned into a slow, wide grin. Her cheeks colored slightly.

  "Last time we played, I beat the hell out of you and made you dance with me." I let go of her hand, and she didn't fly for the exit.

  "Last time we played, I let you win so I could dance with you at prom without looking like a fool in front of my friends."

  "That's what you claim," she said, the smile finally lighting in her eyes. "Bet I can whoop you again."

  "What are the terms?" I asked, falling into a familiar and oddly comfortable repartee with her.

  She screwed up her face, thinking. "If I win—when I win—I want you to get up on one of these tables and tell everyone here that you're a giant buffoon and don't deserve my forgiveness."

  "You don't have to win for me to do that," I said, making a quick decision. I turned and jumped onto the table we'd been sitting at a moment before. Treena's eyes widened to saucers.

  "What are you doing?" she asked.

  "Attention please, can I have everyone's attention?" At least fifty sets of eyes all turned toward me. "I am a buffoon. I don't deserve Treena Walker's forgiveness." Treena smacked my leg with the palm of her hand, her face red, but she was laughing hysterically.

  "Get down!" she cried through her giggles.

  "Treena Walker," I continued. The group of people who were watching us started to giggle now, too. I saw some of them with their phones out and knew this would be all over YouTube later. My face was too damned recognizable, especially since I was still wearing the jersey I'd left practice in. I wished now that I'd taken the time to change out of it, but I'd been frantic to get to Penny's. After Penny's, I'd been frantic to get to a meeting. I'd come straight to Jon and Buddy’s afterward to meet Caden.

  "Treena Walker," I said again, "can you find it in your heart to forgive me for acting like a complete jackass?"

  "Yes!" she cried. "Yes! You're forgiven! Now get down before we get thrown out!" She was trying hard to sound serious but failing miserably at it. Her laughter didn't falter for a second. I took her hand and stepped off the table to a cheering crowd.

  "I can't believe you did that," she said.

  "I still haven't told you what I want if I win our game."

  "What do you want?" she asked carefully, arching a perfectly plucked eyebrow.

  "You'll just have to wait to find out," I said winking and pulled her toward the skee-ball games.

  8

  Treena

  Jax's lips were like fire as they pressed against my mouth. His hands felt their way under my shirt, and I was glad I'd worn the black lace push-up from Victoria's Secret instead of the cheap Walmart bra I'd been prone to lately.

  It was a good thing my key finally slipped into the lock because I was ready to tell Jax to break my door down if we weren't inside my apartment in the next five seconds. As soon as my door shut, our clothes were flying through the air. We were all hands and skin and hot breath panting against each other as Jax carried me to the bedroom.

  I half-jumped, half-crawled out of his arms as I wiggled my way onto the mattress, squirming under him as his bare skin pressed against my body. I couldn't remember the last time I'd felt this strong of an urge to have a man inside me. His breath smelled like tropical fruit punch, and I had to bite my tongue to stop from laughing as I thought of the twenty virgin cocktails we'd shared until I'd finally conceded that he was a better skee-ball player.

  I still didn't know who’d kissed who first, but the second it had happened, I'd known I was a goner. There was no way I could tear myself away from Jax now that he was back in my life. I nipped at his ear as he pressed his core to me. His golden skin was salty-sweet as I moved my mouth to his chest, kissing every inch of his tight muscles. The hard V of his abs was like a fucking wall that I wanted to knock down with my tongue.

  His cock pushed between my legs, and I felt myself swell with excitement. My labia pulsed with each fast beat of my heart as Jax tapped the tip of his cock against my opening. I spread myself wide for him, and when he finally sank into me, I wrapped my legs around his muscular back and squeezed as tightly as I could, locking us together.

  His cock filled me from side to side as he pulsed his hips against mine. I rose to meet every thrust, feeling my throat run dry and my fever grow out of control as he sank into me again and again. I opened my eyes, and the world was nothing but a blur rolling by me at racecar speed. My heart felt like it might explode at any second. I gulped for breath, tasting our sweat on my tongue as Jax pounded into me.

  "Oh, God," I groaned as my thighs clenched. Beads of sweat ran between my legs, sizzling on my skin.

  I ran my hands up and down Jax's chest as he hovered inches over me. His skin was hot to the touch and smooth except for the soft patch of hair spread across six inches of his width. I ran my fingers through the velvety, dark curls and felt Jax's erection grow inside me. He bent his elbows, bringing his mouth close to my chest. His tongue flicked in and out, lapping at my hard, round nipples. He never broke his rhythm.

  "I've thought about this for so long," he said, moving his mouth from my breasts to my ear. He kissed my earlobe, tickling it, before shifting to my mouth. Our tongues twirled together in a rollercoaster of excitement.

  "I still can't believe this isn't a dream," I whispered back to him when I had a chance to breathe. I hoped that didn't sound too clichéd. Jax's blue eyes fixed on mine, burning me with the intensity of his stare.

  "I know what you mean," he said, then rolled his hips forward once again. Our hips slapped together loud enough to wake the neighbors, and I moaned loudly, not caring who heard us.

  "I'm gonna cum!" I shouted. My words instilled a fresh fervor in Jax. His cock moved deeper into me. I unlocked my legs from behind his back and opened myself as wide as I could for him. I felt every inch of him inside me, sailing deep into my pussy as my body suddenly exploded.

  Tremors ripped through me from head to toe as my orgasm took hold, possessing me. My legs quaked and my back arched. A wave of pleasure rippled through my core like a tsunami. I opened my eyes just in time to see Jax's baby blues rolling back. His body stiffened, and I watched his own orgasm grip him. Finally, he collapsed next to me. We lay together, panting like we'd just run a marathon, before Jax rolled over and threw one arm over me. I started laughing.

  "What's so funny?" he asked.

  "This time," I said, a teasing glimmer in my eye, "I let you win."

  His eyes widened. "No way. I'm reigning skee-ball champion."

  "Whatever you need to tell yourself."

  Jax grinned at me. "Rematch tomorrow night?" he asked. "No holds barred. Winner takes all."

  "You're on."

  9

  Jax

  My phone rang, making me jump. I slipped quickly out of bed before it could ring again and wake Treena too. It was still in my pants pocket out in the hallway. I couldn't believe how fast we'd ripped each other's clothes off. This night had been wild and unexpected... in all the right ways.

  It started to go off again, and I grabbed hold of it just in time, turning and looking back at Treena through the open bedroom door. She was still asleep.

  "Hello?" I whispered. I hadn't even bothered to look at the caller ID.

  "Jax?"

  "Penny?" I glanced at a clock. It was after three. "Do you know what time it is?"

  "I just wanted to say goodbye," she said. Her voice was throaty, and it sounded like she'd been crying. Penny usually cried when she was drunk, though, so it wasn't exactly a surprise.

  "Listen—"

  "I should never have left. You're the only decent guy out there. I know that now." She let out a long sob, and I moved farther down the hall, away from Treena's bedroom. "The last guy I was with... oh, Jax... I made a huge mistake."

  "Penny, I don't want to hear about 'the last guy,' alright? If you need help, real help, then I'm there for you, okay? I'
ve told you that. I'll drive you to rehab, I'll help you find meetings, but these late-night drunk calls have to stop. I'm not gonna take them anymore."

  "They'll stop. It's all gonna stop. That's what I wanted to tell you."

  Something suddenly clicked in my head. "What did you mean before when you said, 'goodbye’?”

  "I'm done with this life, Jax." Her words slurred together, but her meaning was clear.

  "Penny, don't do anything stupid. Don't do something you can't take back."

  "It's too late," she said.

  My heart fluttered. For all of the shit Penny had put me through, she wasn't a bad person. When I'd first met her, she'd been fun, a ball of laughs. It was only as she'd sunk—as we'd sunk—down into the depths of addiction that she'd changed. I'd never heard this level of desperation in her voice before.

  "I'm coming over," I told her suddenly.

  "Bye, Jax," she mumbled, hanging up.

  Shit.

  I pulled my pants and jersey on as fast as I could. I hoped Treena would understand when I explained this to her in the morning. For now, I might as well let her sleep. This was my problem, not hers. I wasn't about to rock the delicate balance of our newly established relationship by telling her that I had to run to my ex-wife's house in the middle of the night.

  I scratched out a quick note for her:

  Sorry, had to run. I have an early day. I'll call you later. Don't forget, you owe me a rematch.

  -Jax

  I left the note on her nightstand and kissed her cheek before rushing to my car.

  10

  Treena

  My phone was ringing. I opened my eyes and blinked. The stream of light that burst from my LED screen was surprisingly bright, considering how small my phone was.

  I looked at the caller ID. Keith Anderson. Great. For a second I panicked, thinking I was late for work. But it was only five. I still had two hours. I pushed answer and looked to my left, not wanting to wake Jax. He wasn't in bed.

  "Hello," I said, turning on my bedside lamp. I saw my birth control sitting there and realized I'd almost forgotten to take it. I swallowed it back with a swig from my water bottle.

  "Walker," he grunted. "It's Anderson."

  "Yeah, what's up?" What's up? What is this, high school? Come on, wake up. "I mean... what do you need?"

  "What I need," he said, his voice sounded taxed and I wondered how long he'd been awake himself, "... is for you to get down here. You were so anxious to get out in the field yesterday; well, now's your chance."

  I jumped out of bed, suddenly awake. "There's been a homicide?" I asked. I started pulling clothes out of my closet and getting dressed while Anderson continued to talk.

  "That's right. Some quarterback shot his ex-wife. This is the chance you wanted to prove to me that the detective's exam you took wasn't all bullshit."

  Excitement coursed through me. "Give me the address where you want me to meet you." I went to my nightstand and picked up the pad and pen I kept there. That's when I saw Jax's note. My brow furrowed for a second, and I lost my concentration on what Anderson was saying.

  He had an early morning?

  Shit. I hoped that was true. I hoped it wasn't just some bullshit excuse he was using to sneak out of here because he'd had second thoughts. Why hadn't he woken me up before he left? This sure seemed like he was trying to slink out of here without having to explain himself. My heart hammered in my chest. Had I just made a huge mistake? Had Clarissa's warning about being careful around Jax been right, after all? It occurred to me that I'd never even texted her after getting home last night. She was gonna lay into me for that when I talked to her later. Anderson was still talking, and I realized that I'd completely missed the address he'd given me.

  "I'm sorry," I told him, feeling my cheeks color. I had to focus if I was gonna show Anderson and the rest of the department I deserved to be a detective. If I wanted to prove myself, I couldn't just be as good as them, I had to be better than them. "Could you repeat that address one more time?"

  He sighed but gave it to me again. I wrote it down and stuck it in my wallet so I wouldn't lose it.

  "We're arresting Jax Ryder right now. I'll expect you here in twenty minutes to help us search the premises."

  My heart stopped. I shook my head, trying to clear it. I must still be half-asleep. Come on. Wake up and pull yourself together.

  "I'm sorry, whom did you say you're arresting?"

  "Jax Ryder. Some hotshot quarterback for the Jets. A real scumbag, too. Shot his ex, right in the back." My stomach folded over on itself, and I bent over at the waist, inhaling deeply. I felt like I was gonna throw up.

  "I'll see you in twenty," Anderson said and hung up. I dropped my phone to the ground and closed my eyes. This couldn't be true. I had to still be dreaming. I had to be. There was no way Jax could've killed his ex-wife. No way. I glanced at the note he'd left for me: I have an early day.

  When had he left my apartment? I took another deep breath and held it. I forced myself to straighten up. When I realized I wasn't gonna puke, I grabbed my keys and headed for my car. I wouldn't know more until I got down to the crime scene. This had to be a mistake, and the faster I got there, the faster I could prove it.

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  Copyright © 2016 S.J. Bishop, All rights reserved.