Leap of Faith: A Sports Romance (Love of the Game Book 3)

by McClendon, Shayne

  He didn’t hesitate to press his body into hers and she gasped softly at the intimate contact. That fast, she was ready for him.

  I will take every second with him and chastise myself for it later.

  Tuck’s kiss was gentler this time. He made love to her mouth until she started moving against him. Sliding his hands under her ass, he lifted her easily.

  “Which way?”

  She motioned toward her bedroom and used the time to touch him. She didn’t think she’d ever tire of touching him.

  In her bedroom, he set her on her feet beside the bed. Stripping his t-shirt over his head, she stared in newfound amazement at the sculpted expanse of his chest and shoulders.

  Large hands, always so steady on the football field, shook slightly as he reached for the buckle of his belt. Sasha put her hands over his and moved them away, taking their place. He took condoms from his wallet and dropped them on her bedside table.

  He toed off his shoes and she flowed gracefully to one knee to remove his socks and pull the rest of his clothes away. Running her palms up the backs of his legs, he locked them but not before she felt the vibration of the thick muscle.

  Leaning forward, she kissed his thigh and he groaned, his hands fisting in her hair.

  “I can’t bear it, Sasha…I cannot bear it. I need you too fucking much.”

  She nodded and stood so Tuck could untie her robe and push it away.

  “More beautiful than my brain allowed me to remember…” He sat on the edge of her bed, gathered her between his knees, and rested his head on her sternum. Their skin was warm where they touched. “You haven’t said a single word. Are you okay?”

  “I can’t believe you’re here, Tuck. I’m glad you came.” She cupped his face, raised it, and kissed him, doing her best to hide the intensity of her emotions.

  He licked against her lips and tongue with his own. When he couldn’t wait anymore, he wrapped his arms around her and flipped her around to land on the bed. Warm palms stroked down her body, plumped her breasts, thumbs flicking over the puckered nipples. When he moved as if to lower his shoulders between her legs, she grabbed his biceps.

  “I can’t bear it, Tuck…please. Now.”

  Staring at her for a long moment, he nodded and reached for a condom. He moved over her, settled into the cradle of her body, and notched the head of his cock at the entrance of her pussy.

  “I missed you, Sasha…” Tucker surged forward and she arched into him with a long moan. His forehead on her shoulder, he whispered, “Fuck…I need a minute.”

  Sasha lifted his face and saw the tension that furrowed his brow. His green eyes were dark with passion. “Fuck me, Tucker…we’ll go slower next time.”

  Without looking away, he settled more firmly over her body, his weight on his elbows. When he pulled back, she tugged her lower lip between her teeth. The return stroke made her body respond as if they’d been lovers for years.

  Her eyes drifted closed and she pulled him to her for a kiss. “Drop lower, Tuck.”

  “I’m too heavy...”

  “I need you closer.”

  He moved his hands over her head, into her hair, and put his face against her neck. Tucker pulled back, using shorter and harder thrusts. Tremors started in her torso and spread out over her arms and legs. Small kisses planted from her shoulder to her ear made her arch for more like a cat.

  She wrapped around him completely. “You feel amazing.”

  Without any warning, she came after a few minutes, the vibration of her body harder as she tightened on the length of his dick. Lifting his face, he stared into her eyes as he moved only his hips and watched her come.

  The climax happened in slow motion and she didn’t believe she’d ever felt a moment so fully. “Come with me, Tuck…”

  He didn’t look away. Several harder thrusts that felt almost too good and he released the insane tension she’d sensed. It went on for a long time and when he pumped the last of his come into the condom, they went still.

  “I feel so much better.” Adjusting their position, he sank to the core of her and she sighed. “I want to crawl in your body with you…this is as close as I can get to that. Does that sound insane?” She shook her head.

  “I’m sorry I left without saying goodbye, Tucker.”

  “I missed the way you smell. The way you taste…how it feels to have you wrapped around my cock. What you look like when you’re about to come. How smug I feel when you do because I have to focus every moment with you. No half-assed measures, no bullshit.”

  Strong fingers stroked her hair back from her face. “I know you’re mature and too good for a man like me, Sasha…but I want you any-fucking-way. I have a golf tournament in two days in Phoenix. I can’t get out of it but after that, I’m coming back. We’re going to work out our hang-ups and shit until we come up with a workable plan.”

  Sasha couldn’t think with him so deep inside her. Every thought fled as she stared into his eyes. Eyes that looked at her differently than any other man had. Anything she said would give her away; He’d know how vulnerable she was in regards to him.

  She was afraid, but she’d be damned if she let him see it. She nodded and he smiled.

  Reaching for another condom, he pulled from her body long enough to re-sheath his cock. Then he was moving slow and deep as his hands roamed her skin.

  “I’m going to take you again and then we’ll shower.” Her response was a deep kiss and it struck her that she’d never kissed a man so often during sex. Lifting his head, he stroked his fingers along the side of her face. “You have the most gorgeous eyes. They’re lighter now…like honey.”

  Just like that, Sasha accepted the fact that she was in love with a man she’d known for three days.

  You are such an idiot.

  Then she was lost in the sensation of his touch, his attention, and there was no more thinking.

  Chapter Eight

  For two days, they walked on the beach, ate meals naked, and made love constantly. Tucker admitted his lack of experience in conversation with a woman but Sasha didn’t judge him.

  He eventually took her in almost every room of her house.

  On the morning he had to leave for the golf tournament, he found her studio. Coming in from the living room to grab his forgotten watch, he turned the knob, and had it open before he realized what room he was entering.

  Sasha mumbled behind him, “Fuck.”

  His eyes found her sketch of him on the easel near the bank of windows. Walking slowly across the room, he approached the canvas with his mind buzzing. The detail was incredible. He wasn’t educated about art but even he knew she was talented. Several paintings decorated the rooms in her house and when pressed she shyly admitted to being the artist.

  The fact that he immediately recognized the moment was not lost on him. No one had ever drawn him before, and that Sasha had done so from memory spoke of an emotional element she’d been hiding.

  She rushed to play it off and downgrade the significance. “As an artist, I have to sketch or paint what comes to…”

  Tuck turned and took her in his arms.

  “Hush.” He kissed her. He wanted her to feel the turbulence inside him. Only when she was moaning did he lift his mouth from hers. “You’ve avoided talking about what’s happening between us. You’re more affected by all of this than you’re admitting to either of us.”

  She opened her mouth to deny it and he kissed her again.

  “Be prepared when I get back. We need to talk. You’re not avoiding me anymore.”

  “Tucker…”

  “Sasha. Stop it. Do you think you’re alone in how you feel?” A small frown appeared between her eyes. “This is new for me, too.”

  “You aren’t good for me.”

  His arms tightened around her. “Don’t judge me based on the assholes in your past and I won’t judge you by the casual relationships in mine. This is different and you know it.”

  Their kiss went on for a long time.
At her ear, he whispered, “I won’t lie to you and I won’t hurt you. Give me a chance to prove that. Say you will.” She nodded and even though he could feel her hesitation, he counted it as a win.

  She walked him to the front door. A car was waiting to take him to LAX. As he picked up his bag and slipped sunglasses over his eyes, he took in her body language. Dressed in a tank top and shorts, her arms were crossed tightly over her chest her tension obvious. Sasha tugged her plump lower lip between her teeth.

  “Come here.” She stepped into his arms. “You know I’m coming back, right?” He felt her small nod against his chest and chuckled. “Rest up, honey. You’re going to need it.”

  After one more scorching kiss, he walked outside and got in the car. He rolled down the window and watched as a slight breeze in the open door swirled her hair around her torso.

  “I’ll see you in a couple of days, Sasha.”

  “Okay. Travel safe.”

  “I’ll call you when I land.” She nodded and he sat back as the car pulled away. That woman was about to have her entire world shaken up and Tucker couldn’t wait to get started.

  * * *

  Sasha watched until the car disappeared at the top of the drive then closed the door. Walking through the house to her studio, she stood in front of her sketch.

  There was no doubt that it was good. It was also filled with her emotional attachment to Tucker Irvin. She sighed heavily and thought about their last conversation.

  “I want to believe you, Tucker.”

  Every cell in her body wanted him…craved him. The thoughts and feelings bombarding her peace of mind were unfamiliar and confusing. He’d been gone for less than ten minutes and she missed him already.

  When her phone rang, she took it from her pocket, and grimaced when she realized it was her father. After a small pause, she answered.

  “Dad, I told you I needed time off. What’s so urgent?”

  She listened as he launched into an overly loud speech about his retirement and how much had to be done before he felt comfortable leaving his children in charge.

  Pressing her fingers to her temple, she interrupted. “Oh my god, stop. I’ll come in this afternoon.”

  “Why can’t you come in now?”

  Her father’s resemblance to a spoiled child struck her again. He wanted everything his way and tended to throw tantrums when he didn’t get it. Too many years spent around over-indulged athletes had taken its toll. How her mother tolerated him was a mystery to her children.

  “I’m at the beach house, not the condo. I said I’d be there, Dad.” Without another word, she hung up and ignored it when he called her back.

  For a couple of hours, Sasha straightened her house and made a grocery list after eating a diabetic-friendly breakfast. Her blood sugar was off and she took an insulin pill. If she couldn’t get it regulated, she’d have to return to shots.

  Every time she saw a text from Tucker come through on her phone, she replied without questioning the way they were acting like teenagers in their first relationship.

  It was hard to remember the last time she’d smiled so much.

  She showered and dressed, anxious to get the office visit of great urgency over with so she could get back to painting. Deciding on a black skirt suit with a silk top that mirrored her eye color, she stepped into matching high heels.

  Slinging her bag over her shoulder, she walked down the short flight of stairs to her garage. The sight of her 1967 Karmann Ghia convertible filled her with anticipation and she settled happily behind the wheel.

  It had only been driven a few times in the years she’d been in England, mostly when she came here on vacation without Peter to get some distance from his stupidity. In the years they were together, Peter never knew the location of her beach house. He hadn’t been allowed to invade her sanctuary.

  Her personal interactions with professional athletes were turbulent and short-lived. The media coverage lasted much longer than the relationships.

  The first was a soccer player who had a complete meltdown during the World Cup. That night, Benson smacked her around and she’d had no choice but to kick his ass. Since the entire incident took place in the hallway of the hotel, it was captured on someone’s cell phone.

  After losing the playoffs, her hockey player second boyfriend actually told the press that he blamed Sasha’s presence at the games for their losses. The fact that he’d developed a reputation for choking long before they started dating hadn’t crossed Jakofski’s mind.

  Peter had been a mistake from the very beginning but her father continually put them together until she caved under the dual pressure.

  She hadn’t asked for a dime from any of her relationships but attorneys for Benson and Jakofski had worried about her giving interviews to the press. She signed non-disclosure agreements and received checks for a couple of million after their breakups.

  With Peter, she took their townhouse in London. For keeping her silence about the miscarriage and his incessant philandering, his lawyer took her NDA and made sure Sasha received three million for pain and suffering.

  She had money from her parents but it was her relationship money that had purchased her house and restored her car to factory spec. Wise investments in small business instead of property and the stock market meant she still had a healthy financial portfolio.

  Raising the garage door, she put her hair in a bun and slipped on her shades. Heading in the direction of the city, the top was down and the sun was shining. A few miles from the office, she stopped at her favorite French bakery and loaded up on pastries for the staff.

  Less than two hours after leaving her house on the beach, Sasha pulled into the parking garage. Stepping from the elevator, staff greeted her with smiles and hugs. When she handed them the three huge boxes of baked goods, they complained about their waistlines with happy sighs.

  More than her tendency to spoil the employees of their agency, she knew they missed the calming effect she had on her father and brothers. She was the youngest, and being the only girl caused the Fowler men to tone it down. Sasha had been a surprise child for her parents; her youngest brother was already ten when she was born.

  Her corner office was cheerful and bright when she opened the blinds and plugged in her laptop. Her assistant entered a moment later with mail and urgent messages. Kelly caught her up on the office drama and told her Collie wanted to see her when he got back to the office.

  Collie Fowler was a man’s man. Big, loud, and always the life of the party, he’d been a sports agent before anyone even knew what that meant.

  His work in the seventies and eighties changed the way athletes were compensated for putting their bodies on the line game after game. Most of his clients were football and basketball players, but his reputation brought him business from all over the world.

  Collie Junior – they called him CJ - was like their dad in many ways. He was brash and balls to the wall in regards to the company. Where it really counted, the two men couldn’t be more different. Seventeen years older than Sasha, he’d been more of a dad than her actual father, who had been off traveling more than he was home.

  CJ had been married to the same woman for almost thirty years. They had three kids whom Sasha loved hanging out with because they were only a few years younger than she was. As her oldest brother, was extremely protective, and had gone toe to toe with their father over the men Collie thought were right for her.

  Nathan, her middle brother, was thirteen years older. He was a sweet and gentle human being. Very young female clients typically ended up in his charge because he put them at ease without making them feel intimidated like Collie or CJ often unknowingly did. She adored him but wondered when he’d get over his divorce. His son was spoiled rotten to compensate for Nate’s perpetual sadness over what he’d lost.

  Aaron was the youngest. Sasha loved him, but couldn’t quite forgive the fact that he still hung out with her ex-husband. It infuriated her mother and oldest brothers as well
.

  With three failed marriages behind him, he showed no sign of growing up in the near future. They butted heads constantly – usually over Peter. Aaron liked to tell her she was overly emotional, and she liked to remind him that he wouldn’t recognize an emotion if it bit him on the ass.

  Just as she answered the last of her emails, CJ poked his head around her door.

  “Sassy girl! Don’t you look pretty as a damn picture?” Sasha stood and ran around her desk. He caught her up and swung her around. “You’ve lost weight. How you feeling? Mom said you had an attack…ended up in a hospital in Green Bay.”

  She searched his face and he smiled.

  “Honey, you are a grown-ass woman. If you want to hole up in a hotel with Tuck Irvin, I think you’re smart enough to figure it all out. I’m serious though…how are you feeling?”

  “CJ, I’ve missed you. Do you have a few minutes to talk?”

  He closed the door behind him and led her to the small seating area in her office. They sat side by side, angled toward one another with him holding her hand.

  Taking a deep breath, she met his eyes. “Peter is calling, emailing, and texting constantly. I don’t want to work here anymore.” Saying nothing because he had always been able to read her, CJ knew there was more. “I think I’m truly in love with a man for the first time in my life…and I’ve only known him a few days.” She swallowed hard. “I look like a tramp in the media. ”

  Her brother’s brows shot up. “Good lord, those are some heavy damn subjects. Let me break them down one at a time. First, I’ll have a conversation with Aaron and Dad. I know they aren’t leaving you alone about your ex and you’re too sweet to tattle. Then I’m going to have a discussion with Peter. That shit is going to stop.”

  CJ patted the top of her hand. “I also know you hate it here and I don’t know why the fuck you stick around.” It was Sasha’s turn to weather the shock of his words and he grinned. “I wish you’d focus on your painting. Dad’s been pimping you out to hot single athletes for years and that isn’t what you need in your life.”