Pleasured By You

by Steph Nuss

  Even though my bladder ached badly, part of me wanted to gather up all my belongings and bolt out of habit, but the minute I tried to leave his side, his arms wrapped around my body tighter and pulled me back into his warmth.

  Glancing over my shoulder, I watched him. His even breathing told me he was snoozing, but from the expression on his face, he looked frustrated. His brows were slightly furrowed and his lips were pursed together.

  I tried moving away from him again, eager to get to the bathroom, and this time he let me go with a defeated sigh. I hurried into the bathroom and did my business. Seconds later, I crawled back into bed next to an awakened Fletcher. “You thought I was leaving, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah.” He wrapped his arms around my waist again and hauled me back into his body.

  “You want morning sex that bad, huh?” I teased, grinding my ass into his groin.

  “Mhmm.” He laughed weakly, nuzzling and biting my neck, and then in a hoarse, sexy voice, he said, “The best part of waking up—”

  “Is with a good morning fuck,” I finished in a sing-songy voice, laughing into his pillow and allowing all of my worries to fade into the night.

  Chapter Nine

  A week later, I found Bayler at Maverick’s gym, Jones Jym, with Elly, Paige, and Tessa. They were standing by the water fountain checking out the bulletin board, and I had to mentally command myself to stop staring at her. She was in black workout gear that showed off her curvy assets, from the swells of her breasts to that tight ass of hers built to perfection thanks to all the squats she did. I almost fell off the treadmill watching her do her sets. The girl had muscles, and she knew how to make them look damn sexy as she toned up. The sweat glistening off of her skin reminded me of the way she looked after we were done fucking.

  After adjusting myself, I threw my towel around my neck and walked over to them. I smiled when I caught her eye, but she looked away carelessly and studied the flyer she held in her hands. If I didn’t know she was ignoring me on purpose, so that no one would find out about our no-strings-attached arrangement, her nonchalant behavior would piss me off. I didn’t like being ignored, especially by gorgeous women who knew they were hot, but I’d put up with it to continue being her dirty little secret. We’d been screwing for about a week now; I wasn’t about to jeopardize our sweet setup by not abiding by her conditions.

  “What are you ladies up to?” I asked, leaning against the wall.

  “We’re just talking about the roller derby league Maverick puts on every summer here at the gym,” Paige said, nodding to the paper in Bayler’s hand.

  “Oh yeah?” I asked, latching onto my towel. “Are you finally going to enter a team? You know you don’t stand a chance against my girls.”

  I put a team together every summer consisting of women who worked for me. The banked track was in the basement of the gym. Maverick had it put in a few years ago, thinking it’d be fun to host a roller derby league during the summers. There were bleachers set up so fans could cheer on their favorite girls, and Cash commentated the skate nights, announcing the teams and giving play-by-play details. It was actually really fun for us men, watching women dressed in skimpy outfits push and shove and fly across the track. Sometimes there was even blood involved.

  “You have a team?” Bayler asked, incredulously.

  “Yeah, he does,” Tessa said, answering for me. “They’re called the Lucky Lolitas.”

  “And they always win best uniforms because they dress like prepubescent sluts,” Elly added, rolling her eyes at me. The uniforms weren’t my decision. The girls came up with the team name and their uniforms. Although, I didn’t mind watching them skate around in their short skirts.

  “Pathetic,” Bayler muttered, glaring at me.

  “What? You don’t want to be on my team? It’s made up of women who work for me.”

  “No,” she snapped, in a disgusted voice. “I’ll form my own team, thank you very much.”

  “Really?” I laughed, sizing up the other girls. “Consisting of whom?”

  “Elly, Tessa, and Paige,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest, emphasizing her tits. “And Imani and some of the girls from the bakery because God knows they’re probably not on your team. Am I right?”

  She was right. None of the women who worked at the bakery were on my team, only because I didn’t really consider the bakery mine. So, the Lucky Lolitas consisted of girls who worked at my clubs, bartending and waitressing.

  “I’ve been wanting to put a team together for years now! We just never had the numbers,” Elly said, smiling brightly at Bayler. “I’m game.”

  “Me too,” Paige said.

  “Same here,” Tessa added, glaring at me.

  They’re fucking serious about this.

  “Looks like your Slutty Lolitas will have some competition this year, Fletch,” Bayler said, in an arrogant voice.

  “Lucky,” I said, correcting her. “They’re the Lucky Lolitas.”

  “Same thing,” she shrugged.

  “You girls haven’t even played before!”

  “So,” Elly said, “we know how a bout is played and all the rules. We’ve been attending skate night ever since Maverick started the league.”

  “And I’m from Texas. Roller derby is practically in my blood,” Bayler said.

  “Fine,” I said curtly, pulling the towel off of my neck. “Don’t come crying to me when my girls are wiping the track with you.”

  “We won’t,” Bayler scoffed, rolling her eyes.

  I swung the towel into a tight twist and then snapped her ass with it.

  “Hey!” she yelped, pointing her finger at me. “Watch it, Haney.”

  I walked away from them laughing. I couldn’t wait to see what they put together for a team name and uniforms. The fun part of the league was hearing all the team names and the players’ nicknames they came up with, and then seeing the women in their hot uniforms, throwing punches and hip-checking one another. The better skaters could do tricks and plays during the bouts, and if the competitive look in Bayler’s bright green eyes was any indication, my girls had themselves a rivalry.

  ***

  As Fletcher walked away, I couldn’t help but stare at his back. Sweaty from his workout, he looked so damn fuckable in his gym shorts and Nike tee that displayed his bulging muscles with each movement. His wet hair was slicked back. I was growing more and more fond of seeing him out of his business attire. I preferred him naked, but if he had to be wearing clothes, I favored his casual look. When he was all suit and tie, he looked more controlling, more handsome, more . . . everything.

  A little voice inside my head kept telling me to look away, to not think about the pleasurable pain his towel snap sent through my body just seconds ago. I couldn’t not think about it, but I had to for the sake of the people around me. I’d come to learn that he was flirty with all women, especially his closest female friends. He’d hit on Paige earlier and eyed Tessa a few times during our workout. They just shrugged him off, not paying him any attention. So, if I didn’t want them to know I was sleeping with him, I needed to do the same.

  Then stop eye-fucking him right now, I commanded myself.

  “So, what are we going to call ourselves?” Elly asked, knocking me out of my Fletcher-induced haze as we walked over to the mats. We sat down and started stretching, beginning the cool down portion of our workouts. Elly had a reddish tint to her skin from her honeymoon with Carter. The sun did nothing but burn her, but she still had a deliriously happy, newlywed glow to her.

  “I don’t know,” Tessa pondered, stretching her hamstring. “It has to be something cool. Something no one else will come up with.”

  “Yes,” Paige said, nodding. “And our uniforms have to look hot but go with our team name.”

  “Harper can make our uniforms,” I said, as I pondered a team name.

  “Carter can be our coach!” Elly said, laughing. “He’s going to love this.”

  “He’ll get really into it,
” I said, “Hell, he’ll probably draw up a playbook and everything.”

  “Probably,” Elly agreed.

  “Okay, let’s think girls,” Paige said, folding her legs into a butterfly stretch. “Team name.”

  I switched legs and twisted my body to the side to stretch out my back. Taking in my surroundings, I quickly started looking for inspiration, anything that could spark some creativity in me. Maverick had a variety of motivational posters hanging in his gym. I stretched both of my legs out in front of me and reached forward to touch my toes. When I glanced at the wall opposite me, the perfect name finally came to me.

  “Guys, I’ve got it!” I said, pointing to a poster. It had three women on the front with some inspirational quote that reminded me of a poster hanging inside the bakery. Batter Up’s walls were lined with vintage propaganda and antique baseball paraphernalia, and the women in the poster were flexing their arms just like Rosie the Riveter. “What about the Rosie Rollers? We could wear navy spandex shorts and button-up shirts that look like navy work shirts. We could tie them at the waist and roll up the sleeves. Harper could put “The Rosie Rollers” on the backs and then our nicknames on the fronts. We could wear red camis underneath the shirts and then red knee-high socks. We’d basically look like sexy, pin-up versions of Rosie the Riveter.”

  “I love it!” Elly exclaimed, flexing her arm just like the girls in the poster. “We can do it!”

  “Me too!” Tessa laughed.

  “Okay, it’s settled. We’re the Rosie Rollers!” Paige said, smiling. She turned to look at me and continued. “You’ll take care of the uniforms?”

  “Sure.”

  “Then I’ll get us registered as a team.”

  I nodded, and then we started brainstorming nicknames for each other. I’d been playing roller derby since I turned twenty-one, and my nickname had always been the same. I was All-The-Way Bay, and I was usually the jammer. I was fast and could breeze through the pack with ease. Though, I didn’t mind being a blocker either. Clearing the way for the jammer was just as fun as fighting my way through the pack.

  “My name has been and always will be All-The-Way Bay,” I said, smiling.

  “What should my name be?” Elly asked, stretching her arm behind her head. “I want it to be something cool like that.”

  “What about . . .” I said, thinking, “The Ellynator. Kind of like The Terminator.”

  “Ohmigawd, yes!” she cheered, laughing. “I love that!”

  “What about me?” Tessa asked, excitedly.

  “Tessa the Terrible,” Paige said.

  “Yay!” Tessa said, clapping. “Okay, Paige needs a name.”

  I studied Paige for a minute. She looked like she would be ruthless on the track. I could tell she worked out a lot, and I knew from being around her that she didn’t take anyone’s shit. “What about Paige A. Doctor?”

  Elly laughed so loud other gym members started staring at us. “Ah, that’s perfect!”

  “I like it!” Paige said.

  “I can’t wait to think of names for everyone else,” Tessa said, stretching her leg behind her.

  “I can’t wait to see our uniforms,” Paige said. “They have to be better than Fletcher’s team.”

  “They will be,” I promised. There was no way in hell I was letting his team beat us in a bout or a best uniform competition. I’d make damn sure of it. I wouldn’t hear the end of it if he won.

  “What about an entrance song?” Tessa asked. “You know, the song that plays when Cash announces the teams? What should our song be?”

  “‘Takin’ Care of Business’ by Bachman-Turner Overdrive!” Elly exclaimed. “It’s the perfect song!”

  The three of us looked at her like she was crazy. I couldn’t speak for Paige and Tessa, but I didn’t even know who the hell this Bachman-Turner group was.

  “Seriously?” she asked, shaking her head. She pulled out her phone and scrolled through her music. She tapped on the song and it started playing.

  It was a song I’d heard before, but I didn’t know who sang it. The song fit our Rosie the Riveter theme perfectly. “That would be really good.”

  “I didn’t know that’s who sang that song,” Tessa said, furrowing her brows. “What’d you say their name was again?”

  “Bachman-Turner Overdrive,” Elly said, rolling her eyes. “You guys exhaust me with your lack of love for the 70s and 80s.”

  “Hey, I’m a 90s bitch,” Tessa retorted. “Don’t expect me to know songs that were before my time.”

  “Did you know who they were?” I said, looking at Paige.

  “I should’ve,” she said, shaking her head. “I had to listen to that crap all the time when I lived with her, especially when she was in her I’m-so-in-love-with-Carter-Jennings mood.”

  “Speaking of Carter Jennings,” Elly said, standing up from the mats.

  Carter walked over to us and immediately picked Elly up off the floor and cradled her in his arms. “Hello, wife.”

  “Hello, husband,” she laughed, wrapping her hands around his neck and pressing a quick kiss to his lips. “Guess what?”

  “What?” he asked, playing along.

  “We’ve put together a roller derby team, and we want you to be our coach!”

  “Okay, not all of us want you to be our coach,” I deadpanned, raising my hand.

  Carter looked over at me smiling. “This is about Fletcher, isn’t it?”

  “What?” I asked, my voice shaking. My body went on high alert at the sound of my brother mentioning his name, but I attempted to act normal. What did he know? Did Fletcher say something to the guys? God, if he did, he wouldn’t have a pair of balls to scratch anymore.

  “Fletcher’s team,” Carter continued. “I heard they’ve won the last two years. You put together a team in hopes of beating him.”

  Thank God, I thought. He doesn’t know.

  “You know I don’t like losing,” I replied, smiling.

  “Yeah,” Carter laughed, setting Elly back down on the ground. “Neither does Fletcher.”

  Chapter Ten

  Once Harper had our uniforms done, which didn’t take as long as I thought it would thanks to her fashion designer status and ability to get whatever she wanted whenever she wanted it, we all went over to her place to try them on. Our first bout was coming up next Saturday against The Bitches of Brooklyn, and we’d been practicing our asses off. Carter had plays drawn up for us to learn, and we’d spent the last few weeks perfecting them. Elly had just as much speed as I did, if not more, so we could switch out our jammer and pivot positions. The rest of the girls mastered their plays as blockers. Our team had speed and muscle, and we were eager for the league to begin.

  Harper screen printed our team name on the back of our shirts so that it really stood out, and she embroidered our nicknames on the front left side in red. We chose red helmets and red skates as well as matching protective gear for our knees and elbows. We looked sexy but sporty—the exact look we were going for.

  “I love them!” Tessa cheered, flexing her arm in the mirror. We were inside Harper’s huge walk-in closet, modeling our uniforms.

  “We look hot!” Paige said, tying the end of her shirt into a knot at the waist.

  Harper sighed audibly, and I looked over at her pregnant self, sitting in the chair. “What?”

  “It’s not fair,” she said, smiling. “You know how much I love roller derby. I can’t believe you put together a team while I’m pregnant and unable to play.”

  “Hey,” I said, knotting my shirt. “Nobody told you to go get knocked up.”

  “It’s not like I planned it!” she laughed, running her hand over her belly. Everyone knew she was more than happy about becoming a mom, even if it meant having to miss out on roller derby. “I can’t wait to meet her.”

  “Me too,” Elly said, smiling.

  “So, Elly,” Paige started, grinning back at her. “Are you and Fletcher still skydiving tomorrow?”

  “What?” I
asked, surprised and excited all at once. “You guys are going skydiving!?”

  “Um, yeah, I think so,” she said, nodding. “It’s one of our bucket list things, and we have plans to go tomorrow.”

  “Do you mind if I come, too?” I asked, eagerly. “I love skydiving! The two times I’ve gone have been so exhilarating. I’m totally game to do it again!”

  She looked around at the other girls first and then shook her head at me. “Of course, you love skydiving. There’s something wrong with you,” she said, causing the others to laugh. “But you can come.”

  “Yes!” I said, raising my fist in the air. “Awesome uniforms. A chance to go skydiving. This weekend just keeps getting better and better.”

  ***

  “I can’t believe you’re actually doing this,” Cash laughed, standing next to me.

  I couldn’t believe it either. It was Saturday afternoon, and Elly and I were getting ready to go skydiving. I, the guy who couldn’t even stand flying, was going to jump out of a plane today. I was really beginning to regret putting skydiving down as my item for Elly back when she had her cancer scare and our group of friends made a bucket list of things to do. But, Elly’s biggest fear was cancer, and my biggest fear involved planes; it felt like the right thing to do at the time.

  “You know, Fletcher, we could always do something else,” Elly said, rubbing my arm. “We don’t have to go skydiving today.”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. I wasn’t the guy who backed down from things. If I said I was going to do something, I did it. I always kept my word, even if it meant having a panic attack or two or a hundred. “I put it down. We’re doing it.”

  “Fletch—”

  “Elly,” I gritted, shooting her a look, telling her to drop it.

  “Hey, guys!” A familiar voice shouted behind me.

  What the fuck is she doing here?

  “Hey!” Elly said, waving her over.

  I looked over my shoulder and saw Bayler wearing the same skydiving gear Elly and I were wearing. She was grinning, showing off that sexy smile of hers, her beautiful green eyes glinting with excitement. She was probably the only chick in the world who could make this skydiving suit look hot, the way she had it half-way zipped up the front, putting her girls on display.