Game Winning Catch: (Secret Baby Sports Romance (Pass To Win #5)

by Roxy Sinclaire

  Chris grabbed my ass, scooting me closer to his hips. I wrapped one leg around his strong back.

  I felt the sensation again as he thrusted into me faster and faster. This time, I moaned louder, higher pitched than last time. I came even harder this time, digging my short fingernails into Chris’s back. I even heard a short grunt from him before he rolled off of me, satisfied.

  “So,” he said, as his breathing returned to normal. “Was your first time good?”

  I could hardly move. It was better than I’d imagined it being. Whenever I heard stories about my friends’ first times, they were always uncomfortable, awkward affairs. This was incredible.

  “How have I not been doing this for years?” I wondered out loud.

  “Good?” he grinned.

  “Amazing,” I breathed. “Was I—was I any good?”

  “You were great,” he said, running a hand through my hair.

  I laid still for a moment, letting the post-sex buzz wash over my body. There was something special about Chris. The way our bodies moved in sync must have meant something, like we were made for each other.

  “I’m going to miss you while you’re away,” I said, feeling like if there was a time to express my true feelings, it should be now.

  I looked at him for a response, but he was already asleep. I put my underwear back on and grabbed a t-shirt from the top of his bag, sniffing it first to make sure it was clean. When it passed the test, I slid it on, overcome with his scent.

  I slept deeply that night; the combination of the time, alcohol, and good sex knocking me out in minutes. In the morning, we would have more time together, before returning to the real world.

  9

  Chris

  I woke up way before my alarm, my phone buzzing beside my face. I cracked one eye open to read the blindingly bright screen.

  Chris Taylor, the email read. Due to unforeseen circumstances, we have had to change your signing time to 8:00 AM. The team’s departure will follow.

  “Shit!” I cursed under my breath. I checked the time; I had less than an hour to pack, get ready, and leave. Groggy from getting just a few hours of sleep, I slipped out of bed, careful not to disturb Natalie. There would be no chance of breakfast in bed, or morning sex, for that matter.

  I pondered my choices for a moment. I could wake Natalie before I left, but what good would that do her? We couldn’t actually hang out, and she’d be short on sleep too. I wasn’t about to kick her out of my bed, though it wasn’t anything that I hadn’t done before. I decided that the kindest option was to let her sleep and leave her a note, saying that I’d see her later.

  I gathered my things and crept out of the room. I hated that my departure had to be this way. She didn’t deserve to be walked out on.

  On my pillow, I left a note explaining everything, and told her how great last night was. I hoped it would suffice.

  I calculated how many hours she would likely sleep, and made arrangements for breakfast to be sent to the room at nine. I didn’t know what she would want, so I ordered a wide array of things and put it on my credit card. I hoped she was hungry.

  Mostly, I didn’t want my premature departure to taint her experience with me. Last night went better than I could have even expected. The sex wasn’t crazy, but for once, I’d felt like I was connected to a real person, and not just a sex object.

  I showed up to the meeting right on time, looking presentable enough. I hadn’t had time to shower after the club and I was a little self-conscious about how I smelled. I was dealing with football guys, though, so my appearance wasn’t their biggest concern.

  We briefly discussed my salary before I relented and agreed to whatever number they presented me with. Being rich was great, but I think they could tell that I just wanted to have a better work environment than the one I came from. I still had more money than I needed so I was mostly just eager to be contracted to work.

  “I don’t want to get ahead of myself,” Coach said, “but if we like what we see during spring training, you could earn yourself the starting position.”

  “That’s what I’m aiming for,” I replied.

  “I’m glad you’ll be here for the retreat,” he continued. “It will be good for you to forge a strong bond with your teammates. You’re a rookie, but you’ll still be considered as a leader for this team.”

  “I won’t let you down,” I said confidently.

  “That’s what we like to hear. We considered adding a clause in your contract that would allow us to release you if you did something that would, um, embarrass the team. We trust that you can find a balance between football and everything that comes with it.”

  I thought about Natalie, and all the time I would hopefully be spending with her. There wouldn’t be many opportunities to get into a lot of trouble with her.

  “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about it,” I said.

  “Great,” Coach said, standing up to shake my hand once my signature was on all of the documents. “Do you have your things with you? Most of the guys will be taking the bus up to the retreat.”

  “Do I have an hour or so before we leave?” I asked. “There’s just one small thing I have to do before we go.”

  “Yeah, you have a little bit of time.”

  “Great. It should only take an hour.”

  I jumped in my car and headed toward Natalie’s house. By now, she should have had plenty of time to have had breakfast, and knowing her, she’d go right home to pretend like she had been in the whole time. I called her to make sure she was at the house, but she didn’t answer.

  The day that I left Los Angeles the first time around, I made a trip to the department store to pick out a gift for her. I wanted her to have something to remind her of me while I was gone.

  I hadn’t had time to hand deliver it to her, so it stayed in my bag. I thought about mailing it to her, but I chickened out. I didn’t want her to think that I was buying her expensive gifts so she owed me something.

  But after last night, I felt like the timing was a little better. I wanted her to know that I liked her, and I wanted to get to know her better.

  I had browsed the department store for a while, trying to find the right gift. In my experience, girls liked it when guys bought them jewelry, but that seemed a little much for a girl I wasn’t really dating. I thought about getting her a nice dress to wear out with me, but I was bad with women’s clothing, and I couldn’t even begin to guess her size.

  Finally, I settled on a watch. It had a rose gold face and leather band, simple, but still classy. I thought it would look great with her olive complexion. It was fairly expensive, but she was worth it.

  Inside the box, I wrote a short note:

  I’ll always make time for you.

  I admit that it was kind of cheesy, but it was sincere. I hoped she could understand that.

  I called her again as I pulled up to the house. I didn’t want to just knock on the door, in case her dad answered. I didn’t want to explain why I was giving a gift to his daughter. I knew he didn’t like me, and it wouldn’t help my case if he knew that I was still very interested in his daughter. It would take time, but I truly believed that once he got to know me, he would be a little more approving of his daughter’s choice of mate.

  Again, the call went to voicemail. I called the hotel to ask if the girl in Room 305 turned in the key. They said that she left about an hour ago. She should be home. Maybe she was just away from the phone.

  If I knocked on the door, there was a fifty-fifty chance that Natalie would answer, I’d give her the gift and say a quick goodbye, and I could make it back to the office on time.

  I took a deep breath, got out of my car, and walked to the front door. I had just raised my closed fist to knock when the door swung open.

  Standing in front of me was my childhood hero, scowling at the sight of me. I’d taken a chance by coming straight to the door, and lost.

  I tried to smile, but honestly, I was pretty scared. “Is
Natalie home?” I asked.

  “Cut the shit,” Russell said, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “She’s in the shower. She came home not too long ago, dressed in what I assume she snuck out of the house in last night. Do you want to tell me why that is?”

  I didn’t. How was I going to explain to this man that his daughter was in my hotel room, having amazing sex with me? He would murder me right there on the front step.

  “I know I don’t have the best reputation, but I really like Natalie. I just signed a contract to play here, and I want to clear things up between us. I only have the best intentions toward your daughter. I don’t want to hurt her.”

  His face turned red. “You aren’t going to have any intentions toward my daughter at all. I have waited years for a nice guy to treat her the way she deserves to be treated. I will not have some alcoholic, sex-crazed party animal stomp in here and destroy everything she’s worked for. I forbid you to see my daughter.”

  “She’s a grown woman,” I retorted. “How are you going to stop her?”

  “I’m not going to stop her. I’m going to stop you.”

  “Yeah? And how do you plan on doing that?”

  “I think you’ve forgotten what kind of pull I have in this league. I don’t want it to come to this, but I could make your career disappear in an instant if I wanted to.”

  “Seriously?” I asked. “You would end my career, just because I like to hang out with your daughter?”

  He sighed. “She’s my youngest child. We’ve gone through some really tough times together, and I need to protect her. Maybe one day, you’ll understand.”

  “So if you catch us together, it’s all over for me?”

  “Any contact at all, and I’ll have no choice but to make some calls. I hate doing this, but it’s my only choice. Make things easier for yourself, and just forget all about her.”

  I nodded. It would be easier said than done.

  “You’re a very talented athlete, Chris. I wish you the best in your football career, but you and I both know very well what the lifestyle is like. I can’t subject my daughter to that.”

  Maybe he was right, after all. I wasn’t exactly the type of guy to bring home to meet the family. I had always been the one-night stand kind of guy. I was foolish to think that I could change.

  I reached into my pocket, pulling out the gift I bought for Natalie.

  “Can I at least leave this for her? I bought it for her a few weeks ago.”

  “No.”

  “What am I going to do with it then?”

  “I don’t care. Return it. Give it to some other girl. Whatever was going on between you and Natalie is over.”

  I stuffed the box back into my pocket, turned around, and walked back to my car. Just like that, all of the daydreams I had about my future with Natalie were over.

  Halfway back to the office, Natalie called me. My first reaction was to pick up and explain everything. I wanted her to know that I didn’t want to hurt her, but I had no choice if I wanted to play professional football ever again.

  But then, I thought about what Russell had told me. Answering her call would be in violation of our agreement, and I didn’t want to throw everything I had worked for away. I ignored the call.

  She called again, and again. With each call, my chest got tighter and tighter. It hurt to see her name on my screen and not be able to answer it, to assure her that I cared about her and that it hurt me to end it this way.

  When I pulled into the parking lot, I made the decision to block her number. I hoped that Russell was right. I hoped that moving on with my life would be as easy as he said it would be.

  I got on to the bus, leaving my old life behind, in exchange for a new one, full of career dreams, but without Natalie Boyd.

  10

  Natalie

  When I got home from my night out with Chris, I was halfway up the stairs before my dad saw me in my clubbing clothes. I was so stupid for thinking that I could come and go, completely unnoticed.

  “Where have you been?” he asked.

  “I went out with some friends. It was late, so I just stayed at a friend’s house. It’s fine.”

  “Why do I get the feeling that you’re lying to me?” he asked.

  “I don’t know,” I swallowed hard. “I guess that’s on you.”

  “Do you think it has anything to do with the fact that I saw a picture on the Internet of Chris Taylor walking into a nightclub with a girl who was wearing the same outfit you have on now?”

  “What?” I gasped. I didn’t realize that our picture had been taken.

  “The lying and sneaking around has got to stop, Natalie. I have told you time and time again, that he is not good for you. What do I have to do to make you listen to me?”

  “He’s really not that bad,” I said. I had evidence, but I didn’t want to explain to my dad, of all people, how Chris had invited me out, treated me well, was gentle in bed, and purchased an expensive breakfast spread for me, when he could have just fucked me and ditched me.

  “I’m going to take a shower,” I said. “When I get out, we can talk about this more. One day, you’ll let me grow up and make my own decisions.”

  I slammed the bathroom door behind me. It was childish, but I wanted to let him know that I was not taking this lightly. As far as I was concerned, Chris and I would be together, regardless of what my dad thought. If it took Chris coming over and them really taking the time to get to know each other, then I would do it.

  Last night had been absolutely perfect. If Chris wanted me to, I could totally see myself playing the role of the quarterback’s girlfriend. I could look good on his arm at events, and snuggle in bed with him when it was all over. I had my doubts, but he showed me that he wasn’t just concerned about getting drunk and getting off with a girl.

  When I finished my long, hot shower and had managed to get every last trace of eye makeup off of me, I saw that I had two missed calls from Chris.

  I immediately called him back, wanting to thank him for the fantastic night and the breakfast that we unfortunately couldn’t share.

  I was surprised when he didn’t pick up. I checked the time; I thought he’d be out of his meeting by now. I called again, thinking that maybe he just didn’t hear my call the first time. Again, no answer.

  Not wanting to appear like a lunatic, I waited a good fifteen, twenty minutes before trying him again. I really thought that he’d at least text me. We were supposed to meet up before he left for his team retreat, and it wasn’t like him to not reply to my calls or texts.

  I was starting to get a bit concerned about Chris, since he wasn’t picking up his phone, and I thought he’d have contacted me by now. I called one last time, just to make sure everything was okay.

  This time, the phone rang once and then an automated voice said that the number had been disconnected. I thought I had dialed the wrong number, so I tried again. Same voice.

  A terrible thought popped into my head—had Chris suddenly realized that he wasn’t interested in me and blocked my number? I don’t know how I could have misread the situation for that to happen, though.

  I also hadn’t casually dated a guy like this before. Maybe it was normal for him to treat a girl really well before getting what he really wanted from her. Maybe I was stupid for mistaking everything he did as symbols of kindness.

  I walked down to the kitchen in a bit of a daze. I couldn’t make heads or tails of the situation. I wanted to call Chris and clear things up, but of course, I couldn’t get a hold of him.

  “Do you still want to talk?” my dad asked, looking up from his newspaper. I had already forgotten what I wanted to discuss with him.

  “What? Oh, I don’t know,” I said absentmindedly, pouring myself a glass of water.

  “I just want you to know that when I tell you things, it’s coming from a place of love,” he said. “I have a lot more experience in these things.”

  I turned toward him. “Did anyone stop by while I wa
s in the shower?” I asked, hoping that my suspicion wasn’t true. If my dad got to Chris before I did, that would be a disaster.

  “No,” he said, looking back at his paper. “Why? Were you expecting someone?”

  “I don’t know.”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  “Okay, fine!” I sputtered. “I went out with Chris last night. He said that he’d get in contact with me before he left for his retreat, but his phone is disconnected or something, and he hasn’t shown up here.”

  “Oh, honey,” my dad said gently. “This is exactly what I didn’t want to happen. I suppose some lessons can only be learned the hard way.”

  “You think he’s purposefully avoiding me?”

  He shrugged. “If what I’ve heard about him is true, I wouldn’t be surprised at all. He’s a young kid, just starting out in his career. Do you think he wants a girlfriend right now?”

  I thought about it for a second. “Probably not.”

  “You have such a bright future ahead of you, Natalie. Don’t let some jerk get you down. The sooner you move on from him, the better.”

  I nodded solemnly and went back up to my room. I called him one last time, promising myself that if he didn’t answer, this would be the end.

  The automated voice on the other end made my decision for me.

  I buried my face in my pillow and sobbed. I had gone against all common sense to follow my instinct about Chris, and it left me with nothing but heartbreak.

  In the months that passed since I’d last seen Chris Taylor, a lot had changed. I did my best to keep busy by applying for as many jobs as possible, to keep my mind off of him. I started looking at jobs on the complete opposite side of the country, just in case the city of Los Angeles turned out to be too small for the both of us.

  But, since I was offered a job in Los Angeles first, I decided to take it. It was a job in the front office of a minor league baseball team. Not very glamorous, but it paid well. With the money from my first few paychecks, I rented a duplex in the suburbs, away from all of the flashy nightclubs and expensive restaurants. My days of daydreaming about being a quarterback’s girlfriend were long over.