Tackling Her Heart

by Alexandra O'Hurley

  Max stepped closer, trying to quiet Marc down. “I told you last night he wanted to make an example of you. They can’t have teammates taking one another out over personal drama.”

  “But six games? Not counting pre-season? I can’t play again for nine weeks, Max.” Marc was in no mood to be his normal calm, cool, and collected. He wanted to put a fist through the wall over this bullshit. Brian Brooks had had it coming. “It’s too harsh!”

  Max brushed a hand over his balding head and adjusted his glasses. He lowered his voice another octave and lifted a warning eyebrow to Marc. “I think a six-game penalty is better than being cut for an entire season, which had been bandied around, just so you know.”

  “You’re going to fight this, Max. I’m not taking a nine-week break at the beginning of the season. I’ll pay a bigger fine, or I’ll agree to go to more community events, whatever they want.”

  “A bigger fine? Two hundred fifty thousand is already a big enough fine. I fought tooth and nail not to get you benched for the whole season. They’re not going to listen to me for a while.”

  Marc started storming toward the elevator, punching the button with ferocious anger. “Do you realize that Brian only got a fifty K fine for driving under the influence with a barely legal girl sucking his cock in the front seat and letting the world catch him cheating on my sister in the process? Yet I’m getting five times that and benched for nine weeks? This is ridiculous.”

  “What he did wasn’t on the field, Marc. You had weeks of summer camp and reconditioning to enact your vengeance on that man, but you waited until the first game of the pre-season to show your hand. That shows premeditation.”

  “It wasn’t premeditated. Brian was being a dick and taking Jennings down hard just because he’s with my sister now. Jennings couldn’t retaliate because he was in an offensive position and he would’ve gotten flagged. Brian needed to learn a lesson. I decided to teach him. You don’t mess with me and mine.”

  “So it was better for you to incur the flag and get your ass in a vise?” Max entered the newly opened elevator car and turned to face Marc. “I’ll fight it, but for now, you’re benched. I suggest you getting out of Dodge, and away from the press, away from the hoopla, and let it all blow over a little.”

  Marc walked into the elevator. “Run away?”

  “No. Just go relax on a beach somewhere and let me work this after heads have cooled a little. You’re a star player on the team, and the fans will be outraged over the length of your punishment. Once they start freaking out online, then we can use that to our advantage. I’ll see if I can get the length reduced, but I can’t promise anything, Marc.”

  “A beach? Like I can relax right now.”

  “It’ll be harder to relax with the media breathing down your neck. Let me get a private plane set up to take you somewhere, anywhere. As long as it’s off U.S. soil and away from the circus this is going to become.”

  “Fine,” Marc spat. His mind immediately went to Sofia and how this was going to throw a big wrench in his plans. What the hell was he going to do now?

  * * * *

  Sofia sat at her desk, staring at her computer screen. She was on deadline for this story and other than everything the whole world already knew, she didn’t have a lot to add other than speculation and her gut instinct. If only she’d stayed last night, she’d have had one helluva tale to tell.

  One she’d never be able to print.

  Her body still thrummed as she thought of his hands on her body. Marc had brought her to orgasm in mere minutes, just using his fingers. What would he do if they were both naked, in a bed, and free to explore every inch of flesh? Visions came to her head of him thrusting between her legs, and she felt her panties dampen.

  Ay dios mio! What that man did to her.

  Sofia’s cell began to buzz in the midst of the scattered papers covering her messy desk. After lifting a few sheets, she found it and clicked the Accept button. “Hey, Rand, what’s up?”

  Rand worked in the NFL offices in New York and often handed her some choice gossip because he quote thought she had a banging body unquote. Under normal circumstances, she’d be angry, but since he gave her a leg up in breaking stories, then so be it.

  “Hey, sexy lady. Thought you might like to know Marc Anders got called before the commissioner this morning,” Rand said quietly. “He was handed a two hundred fifty thousand dollar fine and a six-game suspension, after pre-season starts.”

  Sofia hissed. That was painful news. “That’s awfully harsh.”

  “The commissioner isn’t playing around. He said he needed to make an example of Anders.”

  An example? Even for an example that was extreme. Poor Marc. Considering the probable reasons behind why he did it, she felt bad for the guy. It was wrong, sure, but Sofia could see the reasoning behind what he’d done.

  “I also overheard Marc with his agent. His agent suggested Marc get out of town, a beach somewhere, until all this blows over. So Marc might be getting out of town, and fast.”

  Sofia didn’t like that news, not one bit. “Did he say where this beach might be?”

  “Nope, but Killian works out of Marc’s agent’s office now.”

  “Killian Parker?” Killian had worked the NFL offices alongside Rand. “I didn’t know he’d left.”

  “He’s been gone two weeks. I don’t know if he’s been in his new position long enough to know details like where Marc would go, but it’s worth a shot.”

  “Rand, you’re the best. I owe you big time.”

  “So, ah, I was wondering. Maybe we could go get that drink sometime?”

  Sofia smiled. “You got it, buddy. The next time I’m in NYC, I’ll give you a call. You’ve been a great friend. I owe you a round or two at least.” She’d already made it abundantly clear she wouldn’t be sleeping with Rand and that he was only a friend.

  “Sounds good, Sofia.” The disappointment in the guy’s voice made her feel bad.

  As soon as she ended the call, she dialed up Killian’s cell. Killian picked up on the second ring. “H-hello?”

  “Hey, Killian! This is Sofia Figueroa. I hear you’re working for Marc Anders’ agent now.”

  Sofia could almost hear the guy swallow on the other end of the line. “Hi, Sofia. Yeah. I just started here not long ago.”

  “I need to know where Marc Anders is going to spend his down time. Think you could help a girl out?”

  Sofia was fairly positive she could hear Killian growing a bright shade of red. “Ah, sure. I can find that out for you.”

  She felt bad flirting to get the things she needed for her job. Sofia closed her eyes and thought for the thousandth time what she wouldn’t do to find what she wanted to do with her life.

  “I’ll sneak around and call you back a little later?”

  “Thanks, Killian. That sounds great.”

  Sofia hung up the phone, a case of anxiety settling in. If she found out where he was going, then what in the hell was she going to do?

  Chase him down.

  Her gut knew what she wanted to do, but her head warred with her. For her own sanity, she should just report the news and leave it at that—but then another reporter would follow the lead she gave away and scoop her? Not hardly.

  Marc was hers.

  Sofia froze as the thought hit her. No, no, Marc was her story.

  Chapter Seven

  Marc followed the bellhop down the smooth walkway cut through the pristine Tahitian white sand beach. He’d rented a private villa right on the water, as far away from people as possible. Supposedly this cove had its own private beach and one single villa for those who needed extra privacy. This VIP villa had its own gym built in, so when he wasn’t running on the beach or swimming, he could continue to condition his body to be ready to head back to the field at a minute’s notice.

  Max had better do his magic and ensure he’d be back sooner versus latter.

  The bellhop entered the large space and began opening all the
folding glass walls. The villa was set up to be completely open to the views outside, so it almost appeared to not have walls at all. A breeze wafted through and blew over Marc’s body. If he had to be benched, at least he’d be benched in paradise. The view was stunning, all white sands and blue waters. A swim was just what he needed.

  The bellhop finished with the walls and headed back to Marc. “I can give you a small tour of the amenities if you’d like?”

  Marc looked over the place. It seemed like one large room with a gourmet kitchen, a bar, dining table and living area, which opened to the outside. There were three other doors on the back wall. “Just show me the gym.”

  The bellhop moved to the farthest left door. “The door on your right is your bedroom, which has its own ensuite. The middle door is a small powder room if you have a guest over. And here,” he said as he opened the last door, “is your gym area.”

  Marc walked in and saw an elliptical and a treadmill, with a Bowflex training system in another corner. “Where are the free weights?”

  “We don’t offer those in our villas, but I can talk to the concierge and see what we can do for you, sir.”

  Marc pulled out his wallet and slapped a hundred in the guy’s hand. “See that you do. I need to get in some training while I’m here.”

  The bellhop smiled widely and nodded, backing away toward the door. “Yes, sir, I’m sure we can find something to help.”

  As soon as he was alone, Marc went into his bedroom— which had another picturesque view of the water and beach, with more folding glass walls. He couldn’t wait to go to sleep, listening to the water lapping the shore. But he intended to wear himself out before he went to bed. Marc removed every stitch of clothing before digging into his luggage to find his swim trunks. Within a few minutes, he jumped from the wraparound deck surrounding the villa right into the bluest water he’d ever seen.

  The sun warmed him as he started his first lap. He had picked a rock formation on the other side of the cove as his go to point. A few times back and forth between and he’d have a great workout. He pushed his body to move quickly through the waves, needing physical exhaustion to numb him. Marc quickly made it to the other side of the cove and his stone outcropping, but it had taken more of a toll on his body than he’d expected. Swimming wasn’t in his normal training regimen, but maybe it needed to be. All his muscles were singing.

  He took a moment’s break once at the outcrop and looked around the cove. It was so peaceful. The tranquility was nice. Max had been right, for once.

  But even through the tranquility, his mind kept going back to Sofia each time his brain was allowed to wander. He could see her long, dark locks cascading down her bared tan shoulders. Her long, graceful legs wrapped about his thighs as he pressed a finger through her damp folds was a sight he’d never forget.

  Marc turned to take another lap, needing to push himself to forget the woman who was half the world away from him at that moment. He needed to focus and stay in peak physical shape, not daydream about having Sofia in his bed.

  Had he forgotten what she’d done to Maddox? No, he hadn’t. She could be dangerous with the words she typed, and he couldn’t forget that. The plan had been to woo her into bed, and then use their tryst as leverage to keep her quiet. It had sounded good when he’d dreamed it up, but now it sounded like a dick move. Maybe it had been for the best that they’d been interrupted, especially since he was as far as possible from every sports reporter he knew.

  A movement near the water caught his attention. Someone had made their way into his private cove and now stood on the deck to his villa. Best to nip that one in the bud, since he didn’t need unwanted guests during his lengthy stay. He swam toward the person and once he was within a few feet, he stopped.

  Surprise rippled through him as he glanced at who stood before him in a tiny white bikini.

  “What are you doing here, Sofia?”

  Chapter Eight

  Sofia could barely answer, what with all that muscular chest for her to feast her eyes on. Water beaded on his tanned skin, and she watched some of it trail over his muscles, the sunlight shining over him. Marc Anders was the sexiest man she’d ever witnessed.

  “Sofia?”

  Oh crap. He’s talking again and assuming I’m going to have half enough brain left to answer. “I heard … through the grapevine … that you were getting out of town. People want to know your side of the story,” she said, trying not to gawk at him.

  “Haven’t we tried this before?” he asked. “You were a little skittish about paying my price.”

  This time it would be a little different. She couldn’t come back without a story. She’d already hinted to her editor that she was in the midst of a big interview with Marc Anders, the notorious mediaphobe, and it was the only reason she’d had a trip to Tahiti approved. If she showed up back home without it, she’d lose her job, for sure.

  And there was a tiny niggle telling her she was prostituting herself for a story. Yet at the same time she used her feminine wiles to get gossip and intel, so what was the difference? She wanted Marc, had for a long time. This way, she got him into bed and got the story.

  “I’ll pay your price,” she said, a shiver racing up her spine.

  Marc’s face was emotionless as he observed her. After a moment, a slow, wicked smile turned up the corners of his mouth. “Prove it. Come here and kiss me.”

  Sofia screwed up her courage, pausing a moment to find her inner wanton. She walked to the edge and sat, slipping into the warm Tahitian waters. The water was so blue, so clear. A sigh escaped her lips as the balminess enveloped her.

  Marc had backed up into deeper water as she’d slipped in, she was sure just to make it harder on her. He now stood stock still, and she knew he wouldn’t move a muscle and force her to do all the work. Fine, he wanted proof. He’d get his damned proof.

  She swam a little closer. The water was deep enough she couldn’t touch bottom where he was, and she felt like she was flogging around in front of him. That wasn’t sexy. So she grabbed his shoulders and used him to buoy herself in the warm, clear water. Sofia realized he was standing, his massive height allowing him the luxury of sand under his feet. The water came just under his neck, showing off that gorgeous face of his.

  And those kissable lips.

  Thoughts of what he’d done to her the last time he’d had his mouth on her came back and made her body react. Her nipples tightened against the form fitting spandex of her suit, the flesh beading tightly to the point of pain. Marc made her ache like she’d never ached before.

  Her pussy clenched, juices weeping from her folds, and all she’d done was grasp his shoulders while having wayward thoughts. He’d destroy her if they ever made it into bed.

  “So? Where’s my kiss?”

  Marc gazed at her across the sparkling water, the heat of his body ten times hotter than the Tahitian sun bearing down on them from a cloudless sky. Without overanalyzing another second, she kissed him. Sofia drew closer, wrapping her arms around his neck to keep herself afloat. Deepening the kiss, she let her tongue slip between his lips when he yielded to her, just as he’d done to her.

  Marc tasted of coffee and cinnamon, rich and warm. He stood still, not holding her, his fists on his hips as he let her have her way with him. She took advantage of what he was giving her, a chance to explore him without the crushing weight of his control.

  It didn’t last long enough. His hands found their way to her hips. He slid his palms to cup her ass and lifted her slightly. On instinct, she wrapped her legs about his waist, bringing her pussy in line with his hard cock. Even through both their suits, she could feel his shaft pulsing against her. She yearned for his touch, the gentle friction of his cock not enough.

  Marc kneaded her ass cheeks, pulling her closer and making the torment worse. Sofia let out a strangled moan against his lips, and his mouth began to move over hers, kissing her back. Marc’s tongue danced with hers. He fed from her lips, drinking her in.
>
  Her hips moved of their own accord, rubbing her pussy against him. Already she felt the stirrings of an orgasm and he’d barely touched her. She’d never reacted so easily with a man, and it stunned her to be so weak in his arms.

  Marc moved one of his hands between them, a finger sliding along the edge of her suit and sweeping inside along her pussy. She groaned and arched her back, lavishing in his strokes. The hunger within her grew with each swipe of that finger, and all she wanted was for him to press inside her heat.

  “Touch me,” she whimpered.

  “I am,” he answered. “Or do you need … more?”

  “Yes … more …”

  Marc pressed the suit to the side and ran that thick finger along her slit. “Here? Is this where you need?”

  She nodded her head, kissing him instead of answering.

  He drew his head back. “Is this where you need me to touch you?”

  “Yes,” she spat, angry he’d forced her to voice her needs. Wasn’t it apparent what she needed? The last time, he’d mastered her body, so he knew what he was doing. There was no point in dragging it out of her, unless he was purposely irritating her.

  Marc smiled again, drawing away from her hungry mouth. He caught her gaze and held it. “Look at me.”

  Sofia sucked in a breath, her stare tangled with his, as he slowly sank his finger inside her pussy. Her eyes closed when he was all the way inside her, her head falling back. It had been too long since she’d had a lover, and the experience of having him inside felt too good. Her hips moved of their own accord, rolling on and off that finger to get the friction she needed.

  Marc slid the finger out before she’d gotten to enjoy all she wanted. She mewed in discontent, and he smiled at her.

  “Last time I gave you pleasure and got nothing but a case of blue balls when you left. I think it’s time you got a little taste of that,” he said before spinning them around.

  Sofia looked up and saw they were beside the deck of his villa. She hadn’t even felt him moving while in the throes of madness. He pulled her legs from around his waist and easily lifted himself onto the deck, then offered her a hand up.