Sidelined: A Sports Romance (9 page)

I
held
her against my chest. I didn’t want to let her walk out of the door.

“I’ll call you when we get back to Austin.”

I kissed her lips, drinking in the sweetness I was now addicted to. “Good.”

“I have to go or Heather is going to get suspicious.” She tried to free herself, but I refused to let go. “She already knows about what happened between us last time.”

“Five more minutes,” I pleaded.

She laughed. “No, you had your five more minutes already.”

True. She had given me a fucking awesome blowjob. She said it was a parting gift.

“I like that kind of five minutes. I want another one.”

“Really, I have to get back to the room. I need a couple hours of sleep before the photo shoot too.”

I let my hands fall to my sides so she could walk out of my arms, but she stayed another second looking into my eyes.

“This is crazy,” she said.

I shrugged. “Crazy is what we did the last few hours. Wanting to keep doing it isn’t crazy at all.”

She shoved me.

I laughed. She was adventurous in bed and I fucking loved it. Talking about it, however, didn’t seem to be her strong suit.

“I’ll see you this week.”

She looked up. “I still think it’s going to be a bad idea to see each other.”

“It’s a ninety-minute drive. I will be there. We just have to figure out our schedules. We can do this, Natalia.”

“But the Warriors have a home game and then we travel the next week to the DC Sharks.

“Damn, I forgot they played the Sharks next week. I mean, you play the Sharks.”

It was going to take some getting used to that I was seeing a girl who worked for the Warriors. She wasn’t completely wrong about the implications it would have for us. My job wasn’t at stake, but I didn’t think it would go over well with the fans if they knew I was hooking up with a Goddess. I was trying to ignore all that noise and focus on her. On us. On what I needed to get through this season. She was what I needed.

“Yes, and we have another road game the next week. I’m basically gone half of October.”

I took her by the shoulders. “Don’t worry. I will see you this week.”

She chewed her lower lip. “I want that more than anything. I do.”

“Then don’t say anything else. I’ll make it happen. Now get back to your room, before the tattletale rats you out.”

She reached up on her toes to kiss me. “Bye.”

“Bye.”

I closed the door behind her and walked back to the bed. It was covered in whipped cream and smelled like us, but I fell on top of it and slept for hours.

* * *

T
hat same day
I checked out of the suite around noon. My phone had been blowing up. The team was pissed I missed the Dean. I was going to have to come up with some story that didn’t include Natalia.

No one would believe I’d turn down the kind of girls at that party for one of my own. It didn’t work like that. At the very least, I probably should have shown up for a few minutes. But after the game, instead of getting ready for the Dean, I tracked down the Goddesses’ hotel.

And when the elevator doors opened and I saw Natalia, there was no way I was headed to a different party. She was all the party I needed.

I pulled my hoodie over my head and found my car in the garage under the hotel. I had meant every word I said to her in the doorway. I was headed to Austin this week. I would see her and we would figure this out.

I had let her get away once before and I wasn’t going to let it happen again.

I
t must have been
the post-sex glow, but everyone kept asking me what new skin care products I used for the photo shoot.

I laughed them off. “I’ve been drinking a ton of water,” I explained.

Heather eyed me. She was next to me in the row. We were standing on a bridge over the river. “Really?”

“Really,” I responded.

“Nothing else?”

“Nope.” I smiled at the camera. God, I couldn’t remember being this happy. Every part of me felt light and airy. It was strange and unique. It reminded me of how I used to feel on stage. That feeling of euphoria as the prima ballerina.

The photographer asked us to pose for a few more shots and then he called it a wrap. I jogged down the stairs. Heather was on my heels.

“I didn’t hear you come in last night,” she snickered.

She was already at breakfast when I snuck into the room.

“I stayed out longer than I thought—you know, catching up.” I twisted the cap off a bottle of water. This would help with my water story.

“Catching up with your cousin?”

I nodded. “Yep, with my cousin.”

“Hope you had a good time.”

I grinned. “I did. It was amazing.”

There was no way anyone saw Sam and me together. I wasn’t worried there was evidence, but it didn’t mean Heather wasn’t suspicious. And she would keep poking and prodding until she was satisfied.

The same thing had happened at training camp with another one of the new girls. As the captain, Heather felt compelled to know where we were at all times. One girl was constantly late to practice and her excuses piled up. One morning she blamed a faulty hair dryer. Another day she said she lost her shoes. By the third morning, Heather started tailing her and found out she was sneaking her boyfriend into our squad rooms for the night and seeing him off again in the morning. That girl was released from the team and replaced with someone on the waiting list.

“Sorry I missed movie night with you. But my cousin popped in and it couldn’t be helped.”

“Of course not. We’ll do it another time.” She waved her hand in the air. “It’s fine.”

But there was something gnawing at me that said it wasn’t fine. I didn’t know whether she was upset I blew her off for my imaginary cousin, or if she had a theory my cousin was Sam.

* * *

I
turned
the lights on in my apartment and looked around. I had been gone a day, but it felt different. I felt different. I reached into my bag and pulled out my phone. Sam’s number was at the top. I hit send and waited for him to answer.

“Hey, gorgeous.”

I smiled and felt the giddiness of butterflies in my belly. I missed him already.

“I’m home.”

“That’s too bad. I wish you were still in San Antonio.”

“Me too,” I whispered. I sat on the couch.

“I was thinking I could drive up Friday after practice. We don’t practice on Saturdays and we have a home game Sunday. I can make it back to San Antonio with plenty of time.”

“That could work. But I do have practice Saturday morning.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll keep your bed warm for you until you get back.”

I felt the stirring sensation in my core. Holy hell. I hadn’t thought what it would be like to have Sam here in my apartment, or in my bed. Suddenly Friday seemed like an eternity.

“Promise?”

“I do.”

I smiled. I could get used to this. Sexy conversations on the phone. Torrid nights that no one knew about. There was a thrill to the secrecy that I was starting to like.

“What are you going to do for the rest of the night?” I asked. I didn’t know much about Sam’s life other than he played football.

“Probably watch footage for the Sunday game.”

“Oh.” Maybe there wasn’t more to him than football. I felt a slight sinking feeling.

“And probably make some dinner.”

“Do you cook?”

“Yes, I cook. Do you cook?”

“No. I’m the worst cook.” I ate cereal and salads. Anything with more directions and I would burn it.

“Then good thing you met me. I’m basically a chef. Should have gone to culinary school.”

“Why didn’t you?”

He chuckled. “There’s not as much money in whipping up a mean pasta as there is in catching a leather ball.”

“I keep forgetting.”

“I like that you forget. You don’t give a shit I play football, do you?”

I shook my head. “Not at all.”

“And you know I don’t care you’re on a dance team, right?”

“I do know that.”

“Good, because it doesn’t matter to me. But I was thinking about something today after you left.”

“What’s that?” I asked.

“I want to see you dance.”

“You’ve seen me.”

“No, not like that. The way you love dance. I want to see the ballerina Natalia.”

He took my breath away. I had old dance videos and piles of audition DVDs, but that wasn’t what he was talking about.

“You really want to see me dance?”

“Yeah, I bet you’re beautiful out there.”

And I knew he didn’t mean the same way as when I was a Goddess, shaking my ass for everyone to see.

“I’ll dance for you.”

I was already choreographing something in my head to show him.

“I have to go pick up the film for tonight. But I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“Okay.”

“Good night, Natalia.”

“Good night.”

I hung up and stared at the phone. I had no idea this was going to happen, but I felt as if we had officially waltzed right into a relationship.

T
he drive
to Austin wasn’t bad. It gave me ninety minutes to crank up the music and drive. Texas roads were wide and the speed limit let me go almost as fast as I wanted.

There were a lot of things to think about other than the lyrics blaring from my speakers. Two nights with this woman and I had decided to break my first rule of the season. But it seemed better this way. Since Sunday night, I’d had incredible practices all week. I hadn’t dropped a single ball or missed any tackles. Even Wes commented on my concentration.

With Natalia in my life, I wasn’t as distracted. I wasn’t thinking about where she could be, or what she was doing. All I had to do was pick up the damn phone and call her. It was as if being with her had calmed everything down again. She was some kind of drug for me. I got my focus back. I was the player I was before I met her. Only this time, I had her in my life.

Natalia had texted her address to me. She lived in an apartment not far from where we met over a month ago. I recognized the neighborhood when I pulled into her parking garage.

* * *

I
knocked
on the shabby door and waited for her to answer.

I held up a bouquet of flowers. “These are for you.”

She reached on her tiptoes to kiss me, but stopped and pulled me inside. She took the flowers from me. “Sorry, I don’t want anyone to see you.”

I didn’t care. I grabbed her by the waist and pulled her into my arms, crushing her with an earth-shattering kiss.

She trembled and I felt the satisfaction rumble through me. “I like your place.” I looked around. It had the definite markings of a girl. There were pastels and black and white photos of dancers on the wall.

“Thanks, I can give you the quick tour.” She smiled. “This, of course, is the kitchen where I spend almost no time. This is the living room where I spend a little time.” I followed her. “This is the bedroom where I sleep.” Everything was white and clean.

“And what’s this, the guestroom?” I pushed open the door beside her room and stared.

Natalia was behind me. “No, it’s my studio.” She adjusted the dimmer switch and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling illuminated the space.

There was an entire wall of mirrors and a barre that ran the length of one wall.

“It didn’t come like this, did it?”

She laughed. “No, of course not. I had permission to have the mirrors and the barre installed for my practice.”

Other than an old record player and a crate of records on the far side, the room was empty. The floors were smooth and soft.

“You dance in here?”

“I used to. I haven’t tried much since I was injured. But I do a lot of stretching, and it’s a great workout room.”

“What kind of music do you play on that thing?” I pointed to the turntable.

“Mostly classical.” She walked to the stack of albums in the crate and flipped through them and retrieved one from the center.

“Where did you get it?” I streamed all my music. I didn’t have a CD player.

“It was a gift from my ballet teacher when I left Paris.” She sounded sad. “She gave me all her records and the turntable.” She was smiling, but it was at a distant memory, not at me. “Sometimes I come in here and listen. I remember the dances.”

“Like what?” I asked. I had this need to connect with her. To bring her back to where we were. I wanted her to leave those Paris memories and remember I was standing in front of her.

“Stuff like this.” She placed the vinyl record on the player and moved the arm for the music to begin. I heard a violin and a piano, but all I saw was her. Her long, graceful legs. The beauty of her breasts. The fact that there were two of her in this room with those mirrors. My cock twitched.

I reached for the dimmer, lowering the lights on the shimmering chandelier.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“I want you to take your clothes off.” I was ready to strip her bare myself if she didn’t start shedding the tank top and shorts.

But she lifted her arms, pulling her shirt overhead, and with a quick snap, her bra skidded over her arms. Her fingers landed on her hips and she shrugged the shorts over her legs and stepped away from the small pile of clothes.

I reached for her, pulling her into my arms with a hungry kiss. She moaned as my tongue slipped in her mouth. I moved back, yanking my shirt off and kicking my pants out of the way.

We stood in front of each other naked. I led her to the barre and spun her to face our reflection. I kissed the side of her neck as my hands traveled over her breasts. I stopped to roll her nipple between my fingers as my other hand coasted over her stomach and plunged between her legs.

“Oh, God.” She leaned into my chest, jutting her hips forward so I could slide between her slit.

“Watch,” I told her. “Watch all of it. Watch when you come. Watch me fuck you right here.”

I felt the heat between her legs as my fingers massaged her clit. “Yes,” she breathed. Her legs buckled slightly as I spread her opening.

I’d never been so fucking turned on in my life. I nudged my cock against her ass. As she rocked into my fingers, she lifted on her toes, then lowered to her bare feet. I felt her sliding her clit against my fingertips as she moved up and down, then slowly, her hips eased backward with each rise and fall until her arms were stretched forward on the barre and her soaking wet entrance was mine to take.

I pushed my cock enough to stretch over her.

“Ohh,” she whimpered.

“Nice position,” I growled over her back, admiring her curves. She wiggled closer and I knew she wanted this as badly as I did.

I rubbed the head over her clit, coating her juices over me. She felt so warm I wanted to get lost inside her. I wanted to fill her. I wanted to fuck her for the rest of the night as if it was our first night together.

I looked at her in the mirror. Her tits dangled in front and I reached for them, plucking each one until she whimpered.

“Watch me fuck you, Natalia.”

Her head jerked up as I positioned myself and drove inside her with a shudder that ripped through my body.

We both groaned at the intensity of the angle. She held the barre while I pumped in and out of her from behind. Watching her eyes, her nipples, her slice of paradise, dripping wet from wanting me.

I looked down. My hands gripped her just above her round ass. I could see every time my shaft withdrew, then was lost inside her again. I fucking loved it. I could watch this all night.

Nothing had felt like this. Nothing was this fucking hot. Her hands slapped the mirror as I reared back and thrust with sudden force, pushing her forward.

“Sam, it’s so intense. I have to come. Please let me. Please.”

I wanted to give her everything she wanted. And if she wanted to come on my dick, she was going to come hard.

I reached in front of her and began to flick over her clit with my fingers, feeling her squeeze my cock with powerful strength.

“Oh yes,” she screamed. “Yes, like that.” Her hips moved wildly and I knew we had both lost control.

“You’re mine, Natalia. I’m not stopping. You’re mine.”

I was going to come inside her and I couldn’t stop it. There was no time to grab a condom or pull out. I wasn’t going to do that. I needed to fill her and make her mine. I buried myself with a final thrust as we came together, gasping for air, clinging for balance. I watched in the mirror as her eyes burned into mine.

I unleashed everything I had inside her, feeling my belly relax as the orgasm pumped through my limbs. I slid my dick from her and kissed her back, which was damp with sweat.

“You are so fucking amazing.” I twirled her into my arms, crushing her lips against mine.

“I’ve never done that,” she whispered. “But God I’ve wanted to.”

I laughed. “We can do that as many times as you want.”

Her palms locked around my neck. “Welcome back to Austin.” She reached up to kiss me and I took her lips.