Hard Ball

by Heather Stone

  “I actually have to get going. I’ve got some stuff to do before work. I'll speak to you later, okay?"

  I gnaw at my upper lip as I gauge his behavior. I hope he’s not mad at me. I can’t stand the idea of losing my only friend. “You’re sure we're okay?”

  “Yeah, totally. Love ya, beautiful,” he says as he leans in and presses a kiss to my forehead. “See you tonight."

  The breath I’ve been holding through this whole exchange is expelled. I know that one day he will need me, and I will be there for him. Today’s just not that day.

  By the time I finally leave Damon, I’m one of the last to arrive to the meeting. All the seats are taken except for two chairs directly in front of the coffee pot. The idea of coffee sounds appealing until I notice the black sludge inside it. The red plastic chair squeaks as the metal hits the cement floor of the basement. I quietly sit down and try my best not to disturb anyone or call anymore unwelcome attention to myself.

  The group leader is speaking. His words sound like a faint hum as I turn my head away from him and concentrate on the people surrounding me. Their bleak moods reflect how I feel sitting here. Completely dejected that I lack the strength to stand on my own two feet. The fact that I need a room full of strangers to keep me from using is sobering. I wish I didn’t have to be here, but the urge has become stronger since starting at the club.

  My fingers nervously tap on the plastic of my seat as I hear my name called. Guess I caught his attention after all.

  “Bailey, would you like to share anything?”

  I stand up and throw my focus on the piece of lint by my feet, kicking it around as I find the courage to speak. “Hi, most of you know me, but for anyone who doesn’t, my name is Bailey and I’m an addict.”

  “Hi, Bailey,” echoes through the room.

  “I’ve been sober for two years. It feels really good to be clean, but some days are harder than the others. Some days I don’t crave that high at all, and other days, it feels like the disease is everywhere. I just started a new job and it comes with a lot of temptation. I remind myself every day how far I have come and how much I have to lose. I can’t go back to the person I was before. I did a lot of bad things to get high. I hurt a lot of people, and thinking about those people helps me get through the day, but I’m afraid one of these days it won’t be enough.”

  I sit down, my shoulders falling forward with the weight of my confession. Reflecting on my past helps me remember why I so badly need to be here. The reminder of the things I did when I was using will haunt me forever. The meaningless sex, the unending debt, the loss of friends…

  I can’t go back there. I won’t.

  “Thank you for sharing, Bailey. How about you, Max? Feel like talking today?”

  Max is the newest to the group. I watch his eyes twitch and the way his body trembles, and I know how bad he’s itching to use. I feel for him. The memory of those first months of sobriety will always be burned into my mind. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

  I arrive at work a little after three. Throwing my bag under the bar, I go in search of Reed, but when I turn the corner, he’s there. And staring right through me. It’s unnerving. He’s leaning against the banister above me, his hand slowly running over the railing. His gaze penetrates me. It lights me on fire.

  Hot lust radiates off of me. He looks primal and I burn for him. I turn away to hide my feelings. He doesn’t need to know how badly I want him. I’m mortified at the thought of him knowing. But as much as I try, I can’t stop the assault of sexual thoughts. I imagine what his hands would feel like running up my body, how they would feel pushing me forward and teasing my skin. My body is aching to be touched. I need to calm down and get myself in check. Working with him here in this empty bar will be torturous or dangerous depending on my actions.

  I feel a presence behind me and my breath catches in my chest. I attempt to mask my want. Turning around, I find Reed standing behind me. He steps forward, caging me in. I’m in so much trouble. I’m nearly panting with need, and he can see it. It’s all over my face.

  He’s so close I can feel his breathe. I don’t know what to say, so I go with the one thing that I think might stop this madness. “My sister warned me about you.”

  He doesn’t flinch. “Your sister’s a bitch,” he says in a low husky voice.

  “She’s not,” I mutter.

  He leans down and nips my earlobe.

  That’s my undoing.

  Without thought, I grab him, slamming my body into his, all thoughts about stopping this gone.

  Reed

  God, this woman…

  She’s maddening. She literally attacked me. She puts off the hot and cold vibe more than Katy Perry’s muse. Her sudden urgency only serves to make me painstakingly hard and ready to fuck her right here in the middle of L.E.X.

  And I will fuck her today. There is no doubt about that.

  I push her back into the bar, effectively pinning her. She’s not getting away. She’s like a cornered cat—I don’t know if she’ll succumb to the pleasure of being stroked, or claw my eyes out to escape. She can do her worst. I like it rough.

  I lift her by her hips and place her onto the bar. Her skirt rides up, giving me an up close and personal view of her black thong. She’s so aroused, I can smell it, and her desire only serves to fuel mine.

  With one quick tug, I tear her underwear. One more yank and they are off. Without fanfare, I dip my head to run my nose up her folds. She lets out a whimper as I begin to lap at her pussy with my tongue. Wrapping her legs around my head, I’m pressed harder against her. I’m ravenous for her.

  Inserting one finger and then another, I pump in and out. Bailey pants and mewls, begging for more. I oblige, continuing to fuck her with my tongue. Her back arches off of the bar and I feel her pussy quiver, signaling that her orgasm is near. I want to get her there. I need to.

  I nip and suck at a punishing pace. My tongue has never had a workout like this. I’ve never been inclined to take my time with foreplay. It’s always just been a means to an end. A quick prelude to my ultimate pleasure.

  But Bailey is a different story.

  I want to please this damaged girl lying spread open to me on my bar. She isn’t a woman who has grown up wanting for nothing. She’s a survivor. A pleaser. But I want to give her something.

  A few more strokes of my tongue and I feel her seize up. I taste the warm nectar bathing my tongue as I lap out the rest of her orgasm. She goes limp on the bar and I know my work is done, but hers is just beginning.

  I reach to pull her down when I hear the front door slam open. I look up in time to see Bailey’s eyes go wide. She scrambles off the bar backwards, fixing her clothes as she goes. She disappears from sight just as Damon comes sauntering around the corner. I lazily wipe the remnants of Bailey from my mouth, scowling in his direction.

  “What the fuck are you doing here this early? It’s a quarter to four.”

  I can’t help the venom spewing from my lips. I was so close to having her. I wanted my cock buried so deep in her pussy that anytime she walked tonight, she’d still feel me there. I wanted her raw and aching.

  “Dude, I have to get the bar stocked. We ran out of everything last night. If I don’t start now, I’ll never be ready for opening.” He doesn’t seem phased by my mood, which is a good thing. I have to get him out of here or he’s going to find Bailey hiding behind the bar, naked from the waist down.

  “Can you come to my office quickly? I want to go over a couple of the parties we have in the VIP rooms tonight.”

  He looks at me skeptically. “Um, sure, I guess my shit can wait. Let me throw my bag behind the bar. See, isn’t it good I came early?” He winks at me before bending his knees to lean down. I go to stop him when up pops Bailey.

  “Uh, hey Bae…What the heck are you doing down there?” Damon looks a little smug, and I have the sudden urge to punch him.

  “Oh, hey Damon. I was just clearing out the empty liquor bottles
from under here. I was going to take them down to the art center. I figured we could donate them. I hear there’s a local artist who makes really cool lamps out of them.” She doesn’t miss a beat and I’m impressed.

  She looks up at me and I see her cheeks turn a shade of pink. I can’t imagine Damon missed it, but he doesn’t say anything.

  “Good work today, Bailey. We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow. Same time. Oh and Damon, forget meeting now…something else just came up.” I don’t wait for either of them to respond. Turning on my heels, I haul ass to my office. There is one hour before our staff meeting and if I don’t lighten my load, I’ll be miserable all night.

  I slam my door shut and lock it. Throwing myself into my chair, I unzip my black pants and pull out my dick. I recall the image of Bailey’s wet pussy and begin to stroke myself. I palm my balls, I go to work pumping my length. The sound of her whimpers and moans filters through my memory and I jerk myself faster, without mercy. One more pull and I’m coming hard into my hands.

  I give myself a minute to come down from the high of that orgasm, my chest heaving like I just ran a fucking mile. I go to clean up and realize I’ve made a mess. Fuck. It’s a good thing I always have a second pair of pants at the club. It’s a bar, so you never know what you’ll have spilled on you at any given point.

  I head to the closet and pull open the door only to find it empty. Shit! I forgot to have Damon pick up my dry cleaning. I call down to the bar.

  Damon answers. “Yeah, boss man?”

  “Can you get Bailey on the phone please?”

  “Sure, hold.”

  There’s silence on the other line for about two minutes when I hear her voice. “Hello?”

  “Bailey, can you please head up to the office? I need your help with an urgent matter.”

  “Okay, I’ll be right there.”

  Hearing her voice has my dick lengthening again. The things this girl does to me. I might just have to take advantage of the alone time with her.

  Round two is about to happen right on this desk.

  Bailey

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

  What the hell did I just do and how the hell am I going to face him after he just had his face buried in my—

  Fuck.

  If I didn’t need the money so bad, I would quit immediately. I would walk right out those doors and save myself the impending humiliation. Is it possible to die from mortification? Where the hell are my morals? Who lets a guy they barely know eat them out on top of a bar and even worse, their boss. God, I’m not even high. At least if I was fucked up, I could justify my complete lack of self-control. Maybe I should take Damon up on his offer and take a bump. It would certainly take the edge off.

  This whole situation has me transporting back to another time. One where drugs and sex went hand in hand. Those days, I would wake up often humiliated from what a night of blow had led to. But I can’t justify this away with drugs. This was done all on my own without the aid of narcotics. I’m such a slut. The truth of those words sends an achingly empty feeling to the pit of my stomach.

  I start walking toward the stairs and realize I have no panties on. Oh God, I groan to myself. Shit. This is bad. My day keeps getting worse and worse. What the hell is wrong with me? One minute alone with Reed Lawson and I was sprawled naked on the bar. What the hell am I going to do alone in his office?

  I’m so fucked.

  With my luck, within five minutes this man will have me crawling on all fours. Heat pools in my belly at the thought, and my hands cover my face as I reach the banister. Shaking my head, I try to right myself. I’m acting like a bitch in heat. No more. I need to go in there, see what he wants, and then get the hell out.

  No distractions.

  As soon as I walk into his office, I’m frozen in place. My eyes bulge as my breath catches.

  Standing in front of his desk is Reed in nothing but black boxer briefs. If I thought he was attractive before, it had nothing on how hot he looks in his briefs. This man is drop dead gorgeous. His broad shoulders and lean chest give way to a washboard stomach complete with a dramatic V. He’s tight and toned and utterly delicious. He’s my every fantasy come to life.

  “You, um, you wanted me?” I stutter.

  He looks up at me, his eyes perusing my body. Slowly.

  “I need you to get me pants.” His words come out in a bored tone as if it’s normal for him to be standing practically naked in his office at four in the afternoon.

  My eyes dart to the pair on his desk as he picks them up in his hand. “What’s wrong with yours?” I ask.

  “I spilled something on them.” He shrugs.

  He’s being a little evasive so I press the issue. “Oh, what did you get on them? Here, let me see. I’m great at getting stains out.” I reach for the pants and raise them to my eyes.

  “It’s fine, don’t bother. I just need you to run to the cleaners down the block. I have a pair that I have been meaning to pick up.”

  “That’s silly, maybe I can fix it. What did you spill? I—”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he says, cutting me off as I bring them closer to my line of vision. When I finally see them up close, my mouth falls open. “Um...” I drop the pants on the floor.

  Rendered speechless, I’m frozen in place.

  “Um, is this…” My cheeks heat and I imagine they have turned bright red.

  His eyes lock with mine, his lips curving upward into a wicked smirk. “What can I say? You make me insatiable.” He circles around me and I turn to meet him. His eyes are dark. Dangerous.

  “Turn around, Bailey,” he orders, and I have no choice but to comply.

  I turn slowly and I can feel his presence behind me as his hands find my hips, lightly stroking me. I take a step closer to the desk, trying to get some distance. After one step, my front is flush with the cool metal and I have nowhere else to escape to. My hand skims over the surface nervously as he closes in on me. Reed pushes my back forward and I place my palms flat against the desk to steady myself, biting my lip in anticipation. He slides his hand up my thigh, his warm fingers hiking my skirt up, exposing me. Cold air hits me and my body shivers. My legs are pushed apart and my mouth falls open to release a soft moan. Wrapping his hands in my hair, he pulls my head back, his mouth slamming onto mine. Ours tongues move in perfect sync until I feel the sharp bite of his teeth against my lower lip as he pulls away. He breathes a ragged breath as his hand moves between my thighs. His finger dips inside me, teasing me. I spread my legs further apart, shamelessly panting.

  He moves away and I miss his presence immediately, my body pulsating with need. I push my hips into his, rolling them against his body and feeling his hard cock against my ass. I’m burning up and I need him to alleviate the pain.

  “Do you want me to fuck you, Bailey?” His voice is low as he presses harder against me.

  “Yes,” I cry out.

  He pulls back and this time I hear the sound of a condom tearing. “Fuck,” he growls as I feel him nudge at my entrance.

  I’m dizzy with want and I might die if he doesn’t take me now. Just when I think I might pass out, he thrusts deep inside me, and I bite back my scream as he fills me completely.

  I could die happy right here, right now.

  Reed

  God, she feels even better than I imagined. Her chest is flat on the desk so she’s bent at a perfect ninety degrees as I pump her from behind. I tilt her up just enough so I can grab her palm-sized tits and squeeze. There’s nothing romantic about this. It’s filthy, raw and utterly fucking fantastic.

  She is fantastic.

  Bailey arches into my hands and throws her head back in pure pleasure. She’s so incredibly hot from her gorgeous face to her warm pussy. This girl has everything I want. I give a smack to her ass and elicit a soft mewling. I rub out the burn I’ve caused and smack her again. Her moans ring out. She likes it.

  Good girl.

  I don’t want to pull out but I need to switch pos
itions. I want to feel every part of her. I direct her behind my desk. “I want you to ride my cock, Bailey.” She groans at my dirty words. My little Bailey likes it filthy.

  Bailey turns to face me. I’m able to draw a nipple into my mouth, biting the tip just enough to stroke some pleasurable pain. A moans escapes her lips, telling me she likes it. I continue on to the other breast while she expertly fucks my cock. I grab her hips and help to impale her harder onto my length. Bailey is pulsing all around me, making my dick increasingly wet.

  The sounds coming from her mouth have me rock hard. Despite my best efforts, I won’t last long at this rate. I feel my orgasm start to collect in my balls. I let her quivering pussy milk it out of me. One pump, two pumps…

  I don’t make it to the third.

  She goes slack against me, panting through the shocks still wracking through her body. Her skin is damp, and the smell of sex permeates the room. If anyone walked in right now, they’d get an eye full. Not that it matters since there is no doubt that Bailey’s moans did not go unheard. Damon more than likely had a free soundtrack complete with erotic blasphemy and I could care the fuck less. I chuckle at the thought.

  Bailey tenses, and just like before, springs to her feet and starts collecting herself. She’s ten shades of red and I find it hysterical, if not a bit insulting.

  “No, ‘Thank you, Reed? That was amazing, Reed? You fucked me good, Reed.’ I get nothing?” I tilt my head to the side, waiting for her reply.

  It never comes.

  “You can’t be serious. I just fucked you in my office and you’re going all bashful on me?” I can’t help but laugh at her obvious embarrassment.

  “I…um, this shouldn’t have happened. I—we… We can’t do this again.” She hangs her head low and I can tell she’s having some inner battle.

  It’s bullshit.

  “Fuck it. Go. I’m not begging you for anything, Bailey.”

  At this she looks like she could cry. Christ. What’s with fucking women crying all the damn time? Jumping up from my chair, I tuck my cock back into my briefs. I put my fingers under her chin, lifting her eyes to mine.