Hard Game (Wild Boys Sports Romance Book 1)

by Harper Lauren

  I couldn’t believe it had only been a little more than a week since I got here. So much seemed to have happened already. And as I continued working, my mind kept flashing to images of my previous night’s intimate moments with Ivan. It wasn’t just distracting, but the fact that he had not shown up today was triggering an alarm in my head.

  Maybe I’m just overreacting, I thought. I shouldn’t jump to conclusions. Perhaps he’s just resting because of his knee.

  A picture of him on top of me came to mind abruptly. I hoped it hadn’t put a lot of strain on his injury.

  The day dragged on. I kept turning around whenever I heard someone coming. One time it was just Aunt Ellen. Several times it was just a car passing by.

  Sighing, I resigned myself to more work. The busier I was, the less I would think of him. Or so I thought.

  It was actually weird how affected I was. I didn’t want to admit it, but I was really getting bothered by his absence and by not knowing what was going on in his head. And here I thought we were beginning to build a real friendship.

  “Cassy, are you feeling fine?” Aunt Ellen asked with concern while I was making sandwiches in the kitchen later that afternoon. She even touched my forehead. “You’re not warm, though. But you look a bit pale.”

  “I’m fine,” I answered quietly. I yearned to ask her about Ivan, but I didn’t dare do it. I didn’t even attempt to send him a text message.

  “Perhaps you’ve been working too hard under the sun,” Aunt Ellen said. “Let me finish that.”

  “No, it’s okay,” I said with a weak smile. “I want to do this for those guys who’ve been very nice and helpful to me.”

  Aunt Ellen looked surprised, but then she smiled brightly. “Oh, that’s so sweet of you, Cassy. I’m sure they’ll appreciate it. It’s a shame Ivan’s not here today.”

  My heart skipped a beat at the mention of his name. What the hell was happening to me? And since she’d already mentioned him, I couldn’t resist the question. “Oh, yeah, where is he?” I asked nonchalantly.

  “He’s supposed to be coming in for half-day work only so he can rest his knee more. But he called me earlier to say he can’t make it today. He didn’t sound sick, but he said he had to attend to some important matters.”

  “Oh,” was all I could say, wondering if he was just making an excuse.

  Carrying a tray of sandwiches and cookies, I headed to the barn where all the present farmhands were packing away the tools and resting.

  “Treats for you hardworking men!” I called out cheerfully.

  “Wow, thanks, Cassy,” Kevin said shyly. He’d always been quite withdrawn. The other guys beat him to the sandwiches and began munching happily in between their chatter. I joined them for a while, happy about my good deed.

  As I leaned on the wall and ate my cookie, I couldn’t help glancing at one particular haystack near the equipment cabinet. I literally had to shake my head to remove the images of the previous night.

  Later on after dinner, I sat in front of the old sewing machine in my room, sliding my fingers across every curve and side of it. Glancing at a couple of folded fabrics piled on the floor, the ones that I had bought at The Craft Lady, I pictured a design in my head. It was similar to my Armani dress that the girls had admired.

  As the vision took shape, I grabbed my sketch pad and pencils and began drawing. Luckily the lights were bright enough for me to work. I went on to draw and cut out a pattern, not even bothering to look at the time.

  Suddenly, I felt like I had been transported back to my condo unit in the city where I’d stashed all of my equipment for fashion design. I had been secretly working on a summer collection of swimsuits and sundresses every time I had the chance--- in other words, when I wasn’t out partying, shopping, or getting drunk.

  My passion for fashion had always been my go-to stress therapy. And it had never failed me all these years. It was a shame I had to leave behind my stuff because my dad wouldn’t even let me stop by the condo to grab other things I wanted to bring along. He was probably afraid I had some liquor hidden there.

  As I began to cut and sew pieces of the dress, all my worries slipped away. Even thoughts of Ivan faded into oblivion. I was in the zone for hours, not realizing that it was already past midnight when I finished.

  My eyes and hands were tired from the day’s tedious work and from tonight’s project, but my spirit was still very much awake. And when I had the finished product in my hands, I held it up to my body and looked at my reflection in the full-length mirror. A smile spread across my lips as I saw my very first masterpiece completed in the town of Burchnell.

  “I must buy a mannequin stand,” I murmured thoughtfully. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any more money left until the end of the week.

  Frowning, I looked at the dress and thought of selling it in the local shops or on the internet. But then I didn’t even have a good camera with me or a net connection. And from what I’d seen of downtown, there was no Internet shop anywhere.

  I would have to ask someone to help me out, which wasn’t an option I was cheerful about. It would be slightly humiliating to borrow a laptop or ask to use someone else’s internet. It would be even worse to have to borrow money. I’ve never done any of these things in my life before. Everything (and more) had always been provided for.

  It was certainly discouraging. I slumped to the floor, the finished dress crumpled in my hands. I felt so defeated I wanted to just sleep and forget all about it.

  Chapter 10

  Ivan

  My brother Owen had come home yesterday. I had forgotten all about it, so Mom and I got busy preparing a special lunch because this was our first time to be all together after a long time. Actually, it was our first family reunion since Dad’s funeral.

  That unfortunate incident in our lives had left Owen upset and he had been having trouble coping in college, always falling behind in his courses and needing to repeat some of them. It was a miracle he hasn’t been kicked out yet.

  He had always been closer to Dad, while I had been a pet of Mom’s. I guess it was harder for him when Dad passed away.

  His arrival had also been the perfect excuse for me not to see Cassy the whole day yesterday. I just didn’t know what to expect. It’s strange how a single night together was bothering me so much. I’ve had my fair share of one night stands in the past, but I was sure that the situation now was entirely different. Cassy was different.

  “Are you going to Ellen’s today?” Mom asked during breakfast.

  “Uh, yeah,” I said. I had made a promise to help out the elderly woman, plus I really could use the extra money too.

  I thought of Cassy’s dad then and my deal with him. That was another reason I couldn’t quit my job at that farm.

  I wonder how he’d react if he knew what had happened. He’d probably have me killed. Instead of shaping up his daughter, I might just be another bad influence in her life after all.

  The thought had kept returning to me for the past 24 hours, pushing me to call off the deal. But seeing my mom and my brother together stopped me from calling Mr. Young. I needed the money. I would just have to step back a bit and draw a line when it came to my relationship with Cassy.

  “Hey, Ivan,” Mom called as I got into my car. “Invite Ellen and her niece over for dinner tomorrow night.”

  I wanted to say no, but she looked so eager. I simply nodded and drove off.

  When I got to Ellen Young’s farm, I was both disappointed and relieved to discover that Cassy wasn’t around.

  “I told her to take the day off because she worked so hard yesterday and woke up looking like a zombie this morning,” Miss Young said, shaking her head, but looking proud. “I must say she has really changed a lot in such a short time.”

  “That’s good,” I agreed, a part of me feeling proud too of what Cassy had achieved. “So what’s going to happen after this sentence is over?”

  “Sentence?” the elderly woman repeated with a look of su
rprise. Then she chuckled and patted me on the shoulder. “Don’t be ridiculous, young man. It’s not a sentence at all. Let’s just say it’s her father’s way of disciplining her.”

  “Right,” I said, not wanting to argue anymore. It still sounded like a sentence to me.

  “Well, if she keeps this up and doesn’t get into any trouble for the next few months, I think she’ll find herself flying back to Windfield earlier than expected.”

  I smiled. “She would love that,” I said, though I felt my heart growing heavy.

  That morning, I did only light work around the farm. My heart wasn’t in it as I kept missing the insulting, annoying banter I usually had with Cassy.

  Before I was scheduled to leave, Miss Young approached me. “Oh, Ivan,” she said. “Could you possibly be so kind as to pick up Cassy at The Creamery? Jenny said she has an appointment after lunch so Cassy was planning to just walk home.”

  I felt something stir within me. The thought of seeing Cassy seemed to make me both excited and nervous. It was strange and at the same time hilarious.

  “Sure thing, Miss Y,” I said, striding over to my car.

  “Thank you!” the old lady said with a grateful smile.

  “Don’t mention it,” I called with a wave, eager to see the beautiful woman who had me all twisted up.

  The Creamery was surprisingly packed with teenagers. Perhaps school had ended early today due to some special activity or faculty meeting.

  When I entered through the door, I tried to look over a bunch of guys, scanning the area for a sign of Cassy. No such luck.

  “Hey, it’s you!” one of the guys suddenly exclaimed upon turning around in front of me. I gave him a quizzical look.

  “It’s really you,” he said with an excited expression on his face. “The famous left tackle of the Windfield Warriors!”

  His friends turned to me to and they began throwing questions and talking enthusiastically about the moves I made in the past that helped with our team’s victories. Some of them took selfies with me, which I was happy to submit to. I was back in the glory with raving fans swarming me. I had really missed this kind of treatment.

  When the teenage boys finally moved away, several high school girls came up to me, flirting and taking photos too. Celebrity status certainly suited me as I basked in the attention and drank in the thrilled prattle and harmless advances from the pretty girls. One of them even had the gall to kiss me on the cheek and run a hand across my chest.

  It was actually at that moment when I glanced to the left and caught sight of a familiar blond looking at me with a mixture of disgust and anger. In an instant, nothing mattered anymore except getting to her.

  I excused myself from the girls and headed toward Cassy, who was fuming while holding a mannequin stand that was as tall as her.

  “Hey, Cassy,” I greeted with a casual grin, trying to sound as normal as possible. “You seem to have made a new friend.” I gestured to the mannequin in an attempt to joke around.

  “What are you doing here?” she demanded, her blue-green eyes flashing with fury. I was suddenly reminded of how they’d lustfully gazed into mine that night at the barn.

  “It’s a free country, isn’t it?” I said just to annoy her further. “What does it look like? I’m just having some fun.”

  “Seems like something you’re good at,” she said sarcastically, looking like she was trying to keep calm. She gave the teenage girls a killer glance then.

  “Jealous?” I teased before I could stop myself. “Told you I’m a big star in the city. Apparently here too.”

  “Jealous?” Cassy scoffed. “You wish.” She began to drag the mannequin outside. “Anyway, I really have to get home now. I’ve got a lot to work on.”

  “Where’s Jenny?” I wondered, following her outside. “And how did you buy that mannequin? It must be pricey.”

  “None of your---“ she began to say.

  “None of my business,” I cut her off. “As you always say.”

  She glared at me then. “Just leave me alone.”

  “You’re really going to walk home with that?” I asked incredulously with a chuckle. It seemed to infuriate her more.

  “Just go back to your groupies,” Cassy told me. “I’m fine.”

  “Yeah, well, they’re better company than you are,” I said without thinking. The retort came out of my mouth naturally, as I had gotten used to bantering with her this way.

  I’m not sure if that was hurt that flashed in her eyes or not, but she quickly turned around and began walking away, struggling to carry the mannequin stand and an expensive-looking bag on her other arm.

  I watched her walk away in half-fascination and half-irritation. The gentle, subtle sway of her hips seemed to seduce me, harking back the memory of her naked body grinding against mine. Her long blond hair rocked from left to right and back, which made me recall how the wisps and curls had tickled my skin as we passionately kissed.

  She was moving away fast, considering the fact that she was wearing platform shoes that made her legs appear longer and sexier. Clad in a pair of cutoff shorts, I remembered how those legs had straddled me and how the smooth, supple skin had felt under my touch.

  It was only pride that was keeping my feet planted on the ground when in fact, I wanted to run after her. I found myself at a loss because this was all new to me. No other woman had disturbed me like this ever.

  She never looked back once. I guess that was something we had in common--- pride. And so when she was just a tiny dot on the side of the road, I hopped onto my car and drove toward her.

  As I neared her, I saw that she was already moving very slow and seemed to be sweating profusely too. It was one of those hot afternoons, unfortunately. She actually paused for a while to stretch her arms and legs.

  I slowed down and pulled over to the side. Opening the window of the passenger’s side, I called out, “Still got the energy?”

  She stopped moving and glared at me. “Go home and stare at your reflection or something,” she snapped. “I have better things to do than waste time conversing with a jerk like you.”

  Ouch, that was harsh.

  Chuckling, I continued to drive at a slow pace to follow her as she walked again. “Go away, Ivan,” she said without looking at me. This time, her voice sounded calmer and more even.

  I ignored her of course and just kept on driving. “You know, this is also a waste of my time, Cassy. You think I enjoy putting up with a spoiled little brat who was sentenced to this town? I promised your aunt I’d get you home safe and sound.”

  She actually stopped walking to face me with hands on her hips. The hurt look in her eyes triggered something within me. In a quiet, serious voice, she said, “Just tell my aunt I kicked your ass.”

  I almost laughed at her stubbornness and fiery demeanor, if not for the wounded expression on her face. I had hit her where it hurt the most. At that moment, I just wanted to embrace and comfort her. In one hasty movement, I parked the car and got out to follow her.

  I grabbed her hand and turned her around, the unexpected movement catching us both in surprise and causing her to lose her balance while the mannequin began to fall. My reflexes kicked in, one hand catching the stand while the other enfolding her waist to steady her.

  We stood face to face in very close proximity. My breathing came in hard and quick. I was so attracted to this woman that I wanted to take her right there on the hood of my car. I had it really bad.

  Out of the blue, I felt raindrops falling from the sky, coming down fast. We both looked up. The sky was dark with gray clouds gathering quickly, getting ready to shower us with more rain.

  A clap of thunder made us both jump. “Come on,” I said, ushering her to the car and stuffing the mannequin at the backseat. I climbed into the driver’s seat and turned on the ignition while the sky raged on.

  We were both quiet on the way, perhaps deep in thought or unsure of what to say. I could feel the friction in the air, heavily intersp
ersed with unsaid words and shrouded emotions.

  The silence was deafening. Neither one of us made an attempt to break it, not until we got to the farm. I parked in the front yard but sat there quietly, thinking of my next move. Only the loud spatter of rain around us could be heard.

  Cassy looked outside. It was still raining very hard. She turned to me and finally spoke. “Do you have an umbrella? I’m fine, but I don’t want my mannequin stand to get ruined.”

  “Let’s wait until the rain subsides a bit,” I answered.

  She leaned back on the seat, crossed her arms over her chest, and sighed. “Fine.”

  It was my chance to make conversation. Perhaps a serious one, this time, without arrogant remarks or nasty quips.

  “About the other night…” I began.

  “That’s nothing,” she immediately dismissed. “We both had a little too much to drink, that’s all. It doesn’t have to change things. I’m sure you do it all the time, anyway.”

  I didn’t try to correct that. I should have told her this was different, but I didn’t. She was different than the others.

  But since she was shelving the issue, I didn’t want to push it. Besides, it probably didn’t mean anything. She had a point. We just got carried away, fired up by the effect of alcohol.

  “So Miss Young thinks you’re making a lot of progress on the farm,” I said, changing the topic and initiating another conversation.