Ball Buster

by Kara Sheridan

  After soaking in the jetted tub for half an hour, Sadie dried off and slipped into her lingerie. She combed out her hair in front of the mirror, deciding to leave it down to dry naturally. Knowing Carson was just down the hallway made her feel strange inside. Had she reacted too harshly to everything? After all, who was she punishing? Carson or herself? He had an endless stream of women available, that much she knew. The zing of jealously surprised her. But what about her? She’d banished her last boyfriend, cutting him off without an explanation.

  Her bedroom was like a desert, barren—until now.

  Staring at her reflection in the mirror over the sink, she frowned before she squeezed a generous amount of toothpaste onto her electric toothbrush. “You’re an emotional coward.”

  After she finished brushing her teeth, she turned out the lights and reluctantly climbed into bed, tucking the covers under her chin. She felt like a little girl in the oversized bed. As a child, she’d always feared leaving any part of her body exposed—afraid the monsters would get her. Well, not much had changed, because everyone seemed like a predator at the moment, out to get her for something.

  Just as she relaxed her head on the pillows, her cell dinged.

  Mumbling, she crawled out from underneath the sheets and walked to the bathroom where she’d left her phone. Unlocking the screen, a simple message waited for her…

  You never should have come back.

  Chapter Eighteen

  The long, cold shower did nothing to alleviate Carson’s conflicted emotions. Standing on his bedroom balcony with a cold beer, he stared across the open expanse of his property. A full moon had risen, casting silvery light everywhere, reflecting beautifully off the fountain pool. Just when he thought he’d made progress with Sadie, winning her trust again—something gave her reason to retreat behind those defensive walls he’d tried to tear down.

  Goddamned past wouldn’t move out of the way to make room for a future they could easily share if she’d let them.

  Taking another swig of beer, he sighed when someone knocked on the door. Assuming it was Tamera, he set the bottle on the nearby table and hurried to his door.

  He opened slowly, but it wasn’t his housekeeper.

  Sadie held up her cell, fresh tears in her eyes.

  “What happened?” He rushed to her side, tugging her into his arms and taking the phone from her.

  “Read the text message,” she said.

  The words You never should have come back filled his line of vision, sparking a new fire inside him. The number was blocked, but Carson knew it was Jason trying to fuck with Sadie and him. He turned with Sadie in his arms and tossed the cell on the bed. Then, as gently as possible, set her away from him so he could cradle her face, forcing her to look up at him. “You’re safe with me, Sadie. That text is just immature bullshit. Jason couldn’t live with the fact that you wanted me and not him. If I ever see him again, I’ll make him regret it. Trust me.”

  “You’d punch him for me?” She sniffled but also giggled as she snuggled against his chest.

  “I’d break his neck.”

  “That’s a little extreme. But I like the idea of you protecting me.”

  “How did he get your number?”

  “That’s my work cell phone. Anyone can find me on social media.”

  He fisted his hands, feeling possessive and desperate to show her he cared. “I don’t like it.”

  “What do you want me to do? Tell my boss I can’t deal with my past and don’t want my contact information on a public profile?”

  He tipped her chin upward. “Being very public can be a bad thing.”

  “Not when your livelihood depends on public perceptions. An image expert who can’t handle a little cyberbullying doesn’t sound like the kind of professional I’d want to hire.”

  “You’re the victim.”

  “It would raise too many flags, Carson.”

  “I understand.” He guided her to the bed. That’s when he noticed what she was wearing—the sexiest fucking lingerie he’d ever seen. The lacy material stopped just below her navel, granting him a peek at the matching, see-through panties. A hint of red hair between her toned thighs gave him an instant erection.

  Though he preferred to take the lead, Carson wanted to empower her, to give her complete control. He positioned himself on the edge of the mattress and patted his leg. “Come here, beautiful.”

  Sadie didn’t hesitate, she came to him and straddled his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him into a demanding kiss. Her tongue teased his lips open, and he could taste fresh mint in her mouth. She’d always had that clean smell, like freshly washed clothes hung out in the sunshine to dry. Pure—something he had little of these days. It made him want her more, made him remember the younger Sadie he’d instantly fallen in love with the day he rescued her and that damn kitten from the tree.

  Enveloping her in his arms, he kissed her, their tongues tangling together, her tiny sighs as satisfying as the wet heat he could feel through her panties. Holding on to her still, he scooted to the top of the bed, undid the knot in his towel, and reclined against the mountain of pillows.

  She threw her head back, rotating her hips, her beautiful red hair damp from a shower. The top of her nightie left little to his imagination, revealing more than a hint of her full breasts. He reached, tracing the outline of her hard nipples through the thin material first, then gently pulled it down, revealing her soft, white flesh.

  Dipping low enough for him to capture one of her nipples in his mouth, he sucked it hard while he caressed her other breast. Carson growled, shoving her panties aside, filling her with three fingers.

  Sadie cried out his name, riding his hand. He closed his eyes, lost in everything about her.

  “Carson…”

  He didn’t need her to say anything, he could feel how wet she’d gotten as he pumped his fingers in and out of her. Once she came…

  As she started to pulse around his hand, he tangled his fingers in her hair, pulling her down for another ragged kiss that expressed everything he wished he could say to her. But how could he speak the words? I love you might scare her off. But he did. The realization hit him hard. She belonged there, with him, not in South Carolina, living a separate life. In fact, the root of all of her inhibitions probably came from denying herself the life she was probably meant to live. He wanted her to have her job, to have her dreams, but he wanted to help her achieve them. To build a life with her.

  She broke the long kiss, her hair draped all around his face. Their eyes locked and she smiled, caressing his cheek.

  “Do you feel good, sweetheart?”

  She nodded.

  “Ready for more?”

  Instead of speaking, she reached down, gripped his erection, and circled her thumb over the tip of his cock. The pressure made his balls tighten and ache for release. A look of satisfaction lightened her features as she let go of him and slowly maneuvered herself down his body. Straddling his lower legs, she licked his length at first, massaging his balls at the same time.

  “You’re so hard,” she said.

  “I’m something,” he whispered, fisting his hands in the comforter, waiting for the right moment to strike—to flip her over and fuck her from behind.

  He moaned as she wrapped her hot lips around his cock, her tongue flicking down his shaft. Her fingernails followed behind her tongue, tickling and teasing, bringing him closer to exploding inside her mouth. But that’s not what he craved tonight. Carson needed to possess her, to claim every perfect inch of that tiny body—to remind her what it felt like to be loved by him. Wanted. Needed. To know she was safe. Worshipped. And thoroughly fucked.

  “Sadie.” He lifted his head off the pillows, loving how she looked with his dick in her mouth.

  She stared up at him.

  “I don’t want to hold back, baby. Tell me it’s okay.” He’d never hurt her, but sometimes he needed it a certain way—hard and relentless.

  Her ton
gue stroked up and down his shaft a few more times before she released him. “Yes,” she whispered.

  Carson launched himself at her, capturing her mouth with his, tearing her panties off at the same time. “Fuck, Sadie.” He smoothed her hair away from her face, gazing deep into her eyes. “This is real, baby.”

  She nodded, eager for him to do what she knew was coming. He lifted her hair off her right shoulder, nibbling her soft skin, then bit down.

  She squeaked, but dug her fingernails into his shoulders, signaling she liked it. He did it again, sliding his hand down her back and then underneath, grabbing a handful of her tight ass. His ass.

  “Take me,” she whispered against his lips, dark need swirling in her eyes.

  Carson helped her get into position, nudging her legs farther apart, urging her to arch her back more. Nothing pleased him more than to see her on her hands and knees in front of him, waiting for him to pound inside of her. He trailed a finger down the crack of her ass, kneeling behind her.

  “I love you, Sadie.” The words escaped as he slid into her, wild with frustration and tired of holding everything in. His feelings were alive, as uncontainable as his talent on the field. Nothing could steal this moment or convince him to take back his confession.

  “Did you hear me?” he asked, hammering deeper.

  She turned her head, catching sight of him over her shoulder. “Yes,” she whimpered as he reached around her hip and caressed her clit.

  “Good, baby, that’s all I need to know.” And it was. He would never pressure her to say it back, but as he fingered her core, not missing one sigh or cry of his name, he realized it didn’t matter if she repeated his words. He could tell by the way she surrendered to him, let him do whatever he wanted to her body, that she had never stopped loving him. And in Carson’s mind, that was the sweetest victory he’d ever tasted.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Two days later, from the privacy of her hotel suite, Sadie held a video conference with Leonard. “Did you have a chance to review the notes from the questionnaires the players completed?” she asked.

  Leonard was at his desk in the office even though it was after hours for him, his tie loosened, his shirt unbuttoned, and a glass of red wine in his hand. “That’s it, Sadie? No hello, how are you? Just strictly business?”

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “It’s been a long week.”

  “How so?” He leaned back in his chair, studying her. “You look different, Sadie.”

  Was it that obvious? “What do you mean?”

  “I don’t know…More color in your cheeks. Did you gain some happy weight? Sleeping better?”

  All of the above. Happiness had a way of making someone feel and look better. There was no denying the joy she felt when she was alone with Carson, especially in bed. As for the slight weight gain, she needed the extra pounds. Life on the road usually meant skipping meals or not eating enough nutritious food. “You can determine all of that on video chat?”

  His smile widened and he laughed. “You’re wearing a Carson Savage jersey, Sadie.”

  “Oh no!” She looked down at her chest, having completely spaced out her attire. “Would you feel better if I slipped on a business jacket?”

  He shook his head. “Not at all, sweetie. I just assumed…”

  “What?”

  “Are you getting cozy with the quarterback?”

  Should she just get it over with and confess? Apparently, Lenny and her other office mates hadn’t checked Facebook lately. Though she’d taken every step available to protect her personal profile from the constant stream of comments coming in from the damned post Jason had made, there was still some residual activity. “We’re friends,” she offered.

  “Friends,” he repeated, not sounding very convinced.

  “Friendly?”

  “You’re talking nonsense. There’s no one here, Sadie, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

  Since leaving Barbi and Erika behind in Fairhope, Lenny had been the closest thing to a BFF she’d found. He never let her get away without hearing the sordid details about his weekend affairs—with men and women. He lived for it, rather enjoyed shocking her with naughty tidbits of his sexual exploits. Sadie, on the other hand, never had anything to share—until now. “God, Lenny.” She reached for her own glass of wine on the nearby table and took a long drink. “He’s so…he’s so irresistible.”

  “I knew it!” Lenny jumped up from his chair, gesturing like his favorite team just scored a touchdown, pumping his fist in the air. “Sadie Girl got laid.”

  She rolled her eyes, her face heating with embarrassment. “Are you done yet?”

  He gazed at her, finding his chair again. “Hell no. I’m just getting started, sweetheart. Ready to shout it from the rooftops if you’ll let me.”

  Swallowing another mouthful of wine, she waited for Leonard to settle down again. “Why would you want to tell anyone?”

  He leaned forward, his enormous head filling her screen. “Come here, Sadie.”

  She got closer to her laptop. “Yes?”

  “Whenever a beautiful woman rejoins the human race, it’s time to celebrate.”

  She waved him off, sighing as she scooted away from her computer. “I’m highly selective.”

  “No,” he countered. “You’re unattainable.”

  “I’m on the clock, Leonard.” Maybe they should focus on work-related items instead of personal issues.

  He shrugged. “So am I. What Charles Longley doesn’t know…”

  The mention of her boss made her stomach churn. “Somehow I think he wanted me to come here and get involved with Carson to benefit the company.”

  Lenny coughed. “Just figured that out?”

  “So, we’re no longer just a PR firm, we’re a matchmaking service, too?”

  “Why not?”

  “And what’s supposed to happen when I’m done here, Lenny? Did you ever think about that?” Lately, that’s all she could think about. Carson Savage was embedded in her brain.

  “I love you, Sadie Girl, but someone needed to clear the cobwebs from your hoo-hah.”

  She couldn’t swallow the laughter—his pet name for female genitalia was outdated and ridiculous. “I prefer cobwebs.”

  “You don’t do dead from the waist down very well.”

  Sadie cleared her throat. “Tomorrow I’m conducting a focus group at a neutral location. Thirty fans from the Mobile metroplex volunteered. Ten of the players will join me, observing from behind a two-way mirror.”

  “You’re so freakin’ creative,” he praised her. “What’s the catch?”

  “We’re going to play a little game.”

  “Such as?”

  “Name recognition. I name a professional football player, and the fans tell me the first word to come to mind.”

  “Try me,” he begs.

  “Tiger Woods.”

  “He’s not a football player!”

  “Nope,” she says. “But what name recognition.”

  “Affair.”

  “Tom Brady.”

  “Hah!”

  “I say Tom Brady and your first thought is hah?” she asked.

  “Deflate Gate.”

  “That’s two words.”

  He rolled his eyes.

  “Michael Vick.”

  “Next.”

  “Okay.” She drummed her fingers against her cheek, thinking of another high-profile athlete. “Michael Phelps.”

  “God.”

  “What?” she asked.

  “He’s a fucking demigod, I think.”

  “When I hear his name, I think fish,” she replied.

  “Fish? That’s almost insulting. What about penis—he definitely inspires mine.”

  “Gross.”

  “What’s gross about my penis?” Leonard looked devastated.

  “Nothing! I’ve never seen it, and I certainly don’t want to talk about it.” How had they gone from discussing the planned exercise for tomorrow to athle
tes who turned Lenny on?

  “Thanks a lot, Sadie.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that!” She laughed so hard she nearly choked on her own saliva. “Let’s stay focused. Serena Williams.”

  “Hot,” he replied.

  “You get the point of the exercise yet?”

  “Yeah—it’s great. But what about the players?”

  “I’m hoping the hard truth will make them more cooperative,” she said.

  “Are you having serious issues, then?”

  “Nothing I can’t handle.”

  “Egos get in the way, I’m sure.”

  “There’s some of that, mixed with the holier-than-thou routine. No one seems to understand the permanency of what they share on social media. It’s like walking into a classroom full of teenage boys. The testosterone levels are scary.”

  “I’ll be there at the end of the week. Lenny knows how to handle the big boys.”

  “Why are you talking about yourself in third person?”

  “Makes me sound more important.” He steepled his fingers under his chin. “I’m proud of you.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Sure. Can you manage the Carson thing?”

  “Which part?” she asked sarcastically.

  He raised a brow. “Is there an area of concern? Because if you need pointers in the bedroom…”

  “Not at all.”

  “Hugs and kisses, then. I’m headed to the club.”

  Chats with Lenny often took longer than necessary, but Sadie always felt better afterward. She closed her laptop and moved it to the desk. Thank God she didn’t have to see anyone tonight. Carson had a prescheduled event he couldn’t get out of, and what she needed more than anything was a full night’s sleep.

  The next morning, she arrived at the off-site facility where the volunteers for the focus group were set to show up at nine. An unmarked van carrying the players pulled into the nearly empty parking lot a half hour before the volunteers. Sadie checked the roster on her clipboard as the players disembarked, making sure everyone was there.

  “Mornin’, red,” Ty said as he stepped down. “Anything I can help with?”