The Baller's Baby (5 page)

“I'm alright,” Stacey replied softly. Truthfully she didn't know how to feel. Every woman knew that a woman's first sexual experience was usually less than exemplary. Stacey didn't feel like that at all. “I enjoyed it Cole, if you're worried.”

“No it's...” he sighed, resting his brow against hers. “I was worried I'd be terrible. I've never been with a woman who's inexperienced.”

“I'm not sorry I was before,” Stacey admitted, “And I'm not sorry I'm not now.”

“I'm honored, Stacey,” Cole told her with sincerity, his blue eyes shining, “Before we do or say anything else, I want you to know that any man would be honored to be your first and I certainly am.”

“You're welcome. And for the record, you're not nearly as egotistical as I thought.” Stacey laughed. “Granted, you're still well up there, but not nearly as bad as I'd envisioned in the beginning.”

“Oh well thank you for that gleaming compliment.” He flashed his pearly whites at her.

“Hey!” Stacey yelped, slapping playfully at Cole's hand. “Hands off the merchandise, buddy.”

“Come here.” He laughed, pulling Stacey closer to him. The kiss he'd meant to be playful quickly turned the heat up and set flame to the barely stoked embers of their passion. The two lovers spent the night enjoying all the carnality they could literally get their hands on.

The next few weeks passed much the same; Cole and Stacey spent almost all of their time together, both professional and personal. And each night always ended the same; with a passion like nothing either one of them had experienced before. But they both new it was time to take the next step in whatever this was, or end it now.

One particular morning dawned bright, beautiful and chilly as Stacey made her way downstairs. She smiled as the smell of coffee floated to her. “Morning,” Cole greeted, handing her a huge steaming mug. Stacey gratefully took her first sip and closed her eyes, thanking her lucky stars that Cole liked coffee as much as she did.

“I honestly don't know how anyone lives without coffee, seriously,” Stacey replied resting her head affectionately against Cole's arm as he cracked eggs into a bowl. “Thank you, and good morning.”

Cole, feeling affectionate himself, leaned down and kissed her brow. “You look amazing for this early in the morning. Do you want scrambled eggs? If not, I can do an omelet with vegetables.”

“Oh god, I love a man who cooks. Are you sure we didn't die and land in Heaven?” she teased. “I would absolutely love an omelet.”

“Anything you don't want in it?”

“I'm good with whatever you make, I eat just about anything. Anchovies though, I don't do fish heads,” Stacey said, scrunching her face up in a way that made Cole laugh.

***

“Do you run?” Cole asked, taking another sip of coffee. He honestly couldn't remember the last time he'd been this comfortable with someone, especially in their house. Someone he was interested in, someone of the opposite sex, someone he'd slept with. He also never woke up with that person. Never shared conversation and coffee or made breakfast. That, in and of itself, was worry enough. The fact that he was enjoying himself only added weight to his fears.

“I do, although it's normally on a treadmill.” Stacey nodded toward the exercise equipment near her fireplace. “You up for some exercise, big guy?”

“I am. Although I doubt we're street legal in the clothes we have on.”

“Right,” Stacey replied and smiled. Did she have any idea what that smile did to her face? Cole wondered, watching her. That gorgeous glowing face simply lit up when that smile graced her face. Then there were those eyes; like molten chocolate, and they stripped away all of Cole's defenses, putting him on the offensive. He'd never been great at offense. Stacey cocked an eyebrow. “What?”

“Nothing, just...” Cole smirked. Leaning over, he took her mouth in one hot, piercing kiss. When her hand came up to his cheek, Cole pulled back, his own blue eyes nearly on fire. “We could skip the run and burn calories in a much more aerobic, and enjoyable, form.”

“Nice try, boy scout,” Stacey told him and laughed, feeling the almost magnetic pull of sexual need. How had she lived this long without it? “We'll find you a baggy jersey and some sweats to wear. I'm gonna show you up today, bro.”

“You're on, Patterson,” Cole teased, giving her a light shove away from the stairs. He laughed when she gave chase. Taking the stairs two at a time, Cole reached the landing just as Stacey's hand snaked out to grab his sweats. He felt the tug even as his sweats fell around his ankles stopping his momentum in its tracks. He fell against the stairs with an oomph, Stacey's laughter ringing in his ears.

“Points for me, Winslow. You're off your game today, buddy. Or maybe it's just that you need to play against a woman to really know what you're made of.”

“I'll show you what I'm made of, woman, come here.”

Stacey laughed, as Cole's long arm came around her waist. She tried valiantly to crawl from his iron grasp, her shorts sliding down slender, well-toned thighs. Easily pinned, Stacey stared up into the laughing eyes of her incredibly handsome lover. Who'd have thought it'd take a man like Cole Winslow to undo two and a half decades of virginity?

“You're so beautiful,” Cole whispered, his breath warm against the tender flesh of her neck. “Let me have you.” Already swamped with need, Stacey bucked curvy hips against him, feeling the response of his erection.

Scooping her up, he carried Stacey to her room, laying her gently on the bed. They spent the morning doing sexual aerobics after all, and when Stacey finally stepped into the shower, she had half an hour to berate herself for the incredibly stupid and amazingly wonderful move she'd pulled. No, she certainly couldn't say that sleeping with a client was a smart move, but her body was weak with gratification. She was no longer a virgin and the man she'd given herself to wasn't just a good lover, he was kind and considerate and knew exactly what he was doing with the equipment God gave him.

“Holy shit,” Stacey squealed, covering her smiling face with her hands. She spent another twenty minutes styling her crazy hair and putting a light face on, if only to cover up the deep bruising around her eyes and nose. Despite the broken nose and black eyes, Stacey felt pretty in a completely new way today. Whether her brain was so fogged by sex that she felt different, or there was an actual physical change in her appearance, Stacey couldn't quite pinpoint. All she knew was that she was spending the day with her client. A client she wanted to succeed, not because she'd reap a financial benefit from it, but because she truly believed he had what it took and he deserved it.

“Cole?” Stacey called, stepping from the bathroom.

“Downstairs.”

“Hey, I thought maybe I'd lost you.”

“Never,” Cole smiled, kissing her soundly. “You put lipstick on.”

“Of course.”

“You don't need it,” Cole told her, his blue eyes serious. “I'm not saying you can't wear it, it just tastes horrible and, truthfully, you look beautiful without all that on.” Waving his hand to encompass her face, Cole turned toward the morning paper he'd been reading.

“I appreciate the chivalry,” Stacey replied a little coolly. “But, when I go out in public, especially in a professional sense, I need something to embolden me. I don't exactly feel comfortable in my own skin sometimes. Not to mention the bruising around my eyes and nose leave something to be desired in the appearance category.”

“How's all that doing by the way? You feel okay?”

“Of course,” Stacey nodded and he sighed. “Oh, don't give me the puppy dog face. Shit happens and I'm certainly not blaming you. You didn't mean to hit me any more than the idiot on the phone meant for me to be distracted.”

“Okay, well now that we've gotten all that out of the way, how about we finally blow this Popsicle stand. I thought maybe we could go to the park, after we swing by to get my car and drive it home?”

“Sure. Although, on Saturday's I spend a little time with my grandma and grandpa.” 

“Alright,” Cole nodded. “We can drive separately and meet at the park, or you could follow me to my house and I'll bring you back when we're done.”

“You're welcome to come with me,” Stacey offered, immediately feeling like an idiot. Just what they both needed, for one of them to feel as if the other was chasing them like a love sick puppy. “I mean, it's okay if you don't want to. Either way, I understand.”

Cole was grinning from ear to ear. “I'd love to meet your grandparents.”

“Really?” Stacey asked, astonished. “Sorry, it's just...I've never had anyone seem so excited about meeting my family is all. Usually I get the brush off.”

“Oh, you mean the
I'd love to but I'm really busy that weekend
, or the ever popular
I'm just not feeling really well
, yeah those are always nice.”

“Exactly,” Stacey agreed. She dropped Cole at his car and waited for him to lead the way to his house. She'd expected it to be polished, like a new car when they pulled into the driveway. What she saw instead was a slice of the American dream. It was modest, probably three or four bedrooms, well maintained, but not ornately so. He didn't have four or five cars in the driveway like the MTV show
Cribs
. Putting her car in park, Stacey stepped out with a smile on her face. “It's beautiful Cole, not what I expected, but beautiful nonetheless.”

“Thanks,” Cole replied. “I did most of the exterior myself, but I hired my sister to help me with the inside. She stays over to house sit when I'm out of town.”

“You're close, your sister and you?”

“Yeah, I guess. We didn't have an easy upbringing, so circumstances made it where we had to rely on each other,” Cole vaguely explained.

“I'm sorry,” Stacey started. “I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable.”

“My family makes me uncomfortable,” Cole corrected her, running a hand through his shaggy brown hair. Stacey liked that he could do that and still look handsome. She'd have to spend half an hour in the bathroom fixing the mess she made if she tried that maneuver. “Not so much my actual family, just more like talking about them.” Stacey stood next to Cole while he unlocked his house. Following him into the foyer, Stacey could instantly tell why he liked the home. It had that
homey
feeling that came with being comfortable in a place. She knew from experience that not every home held that same welcome.

“Your house is beautiful, Cole,” she gushed, fighting the urge to kiss his hard wood floors. It was an upgrade she hadn't gotten around to quite yet. Looking at his walls, with their warm, inviting colors and elegant but manly decorations, Stacey asked, “So your sister did all this? Is she for hire?”

“She doesn't do it professionally, but I'm sure she'd love to come over and lend a hand.”

“Great.” Stacey smiled, wrapping her arms around his waist and pulling him into a hug. She rested her head against his chest, breathing him in. “You can give me her number before your practice tonight.”

“Don't remind me,” Cole groaned. “The last time I practiced I broke your nose.”

“That was as much my fault as it was yours,” Stacey chided. “Quit beating yourself up about it. Plus, I rather liked where that took us.”

“You did, huh?” Cole teased, smiling.

“Mm, hmm.”

“Good,” he replied, his blue eyes meeting the hunger in her brown irises just before he took her inviting mouth. Cole drew her up tight, pulling her off her feet. Sliding large hands under her thighs, Cole hitched Stacey's body up until she was closer to him, her breasts pressed firmly against his chest. “God, I can't get enough of you.”

“I know,” Stacey breathed, desperate for room to think.”

“There isn't enough time,” Cole sighed, looking past her into the kitchen. The clock blared huge numbers that read 1:30. “When do you visit your grandparents?”

“I'm usually there by two-thirty at the latest,” Stacey told him, her breathing already fast and uneven with need. “It takes nearly forty-five minutes to drive there.”

“Damn.” Cole pressed his face into her neck, taking deep breaths of her uniquely female scent. “I suppose we could always try for some time after we get back.”

“Maybe,” Stacey agreed, thinking again. “But we'll still need to eat dinner and make sure you get to practice on time. All you need now is to show up late and they'll bench you tomorrow night for sure.”

“It wouldn't be the first time.”

“Yeah well, when you're under contract with me you'll be the best damn player they've ever seen, or I'll burn your contract Tuesday.” Stacey said, her bright eyes brooked no argument.

“Yes, ma'am.”

“Bet your sweet ass,” Stacey said laughing. Feeling playful, she gave Cole's bottom a resounding smack when he headed for the stairs.

“You can make yourself comfortable until I come down,” Cole started. “Under the circumstances, I think it's better if you and I don't get remotely close to a bed at the moment.”

“Smart man, I like that.”

“Good,” Cole smiled, giving Stacey a wink.

                                                                      ***

Stacey watched him turn and take the stairs up to the second floor three at a time. She still couldn't believe she was sleeping with him, but the greedy hunger that made her body tremble was all the proof she needed; to know her life had literally been turned on its head. While she waited, Stacey checked the messages on her phone, noticing for the first time that her mother had called.