by Mignon Mykel
I knew what helping with these necessities meant and how much of a relief it would be to ease this burden on their parents.
“Hey, everyone, how’s it going today?”
Their cheers ring out throughout the gym.
“Is that really all you got? I said … how’s it going today? Are you excited to be here or what?”
This time, their cheers grow deafening as they scream and stomp their little feet on the gym floor.
“Now that’s what I’m talkin’ about! That’s the energy and enthusiasm I like to see and hear. Thank you for coming out to Community Cares today with the Miami Blaze. I’m new to town, but you may know me from my time playing in Chicago. I’m Colson Rush. I play shooting guard for the Miami Blaze. I’m excited to be here with you all. I know we had a crazy start to the summer, but I’m glad we’re all together to talk about getting you back to school and play a little basketball today.
“Before we hit the hoops, I want to talk to you a little bit about myself and how I got involved in basketball. When I was your age, I didn’t always have it easy. My mom raised me and my brother, Caleb, on her own. We didn’t always know where our next meal was going to come from or if she’d have enough money to buy us new shoes for school.
“We didn’t grow up having nice things. My basketball shoes were often handed down to me from my brother. There were times when we didn’t get to celebrate holidays or birthdays with presents, but you know what it taught me? It taught me to be thankful for what I did have, and one of those things was basketball.
“I started playing when I was six years old. My mom enrolled me in a program down at our local Community Center, just like this one. I’m so glad she did because as I grew up, things changed for our family, and life got hard. Basketball was always my one true constant. Nothing mattered to me when I was out on the court with my ball and the hoop. It gave me a distraction, something to focus on when I needed it, and the passion I had for the sport fueled my drive to want to do well when I went on to high school and into college, bringing me to where I am now.
“I want each of you to walk out of here today and remember to find your own passion, what drives you to what you do, and be your very best, and then I want you to go after it. Chase your dreams and don’t let anything stop you.”
My eyes find Sydney’s toward the back of the gym, blinking through the emotion evident on her face. She blinks through the tears, smiling back at me as she begins clapping. The rest of the volunteers join in, and the kids follow suit.
“Thank you, thank you. I appreciate you all having me. What do you say? I think it’s time for us to play some basketball. We’re going to start by dividing each of you into groups of five. We’ll work on some ball-handling, practice shooting some hoops, then do some drills to get you moving.”
Sydney makes her way to me through the crowd as the kids begin shuffling into their groups. It is easy enough. Sydney had thought ahead to have their nametags grouped by color, making it straightforward to determine who was in which group.
“Your speech was excellent. It was perfect.” She smiles, holding her hand up to give me a high-five.
I chuckle, glancing around the gym to the kids nearby gauging if any are within earshot.
“I’m glad you were impressed.” I wink, keeping it PG, clapping her hand.
The rest of the afternoon is filled with ball-handling practice, working on their shooting form, and running different plays with each group.
Each of the kids takes the time to show me different skills they’ve been working on, and I’m impressed by how open they are to learn and genuinely encourage each other.
“Hey, Rush. Can I talk to you for a second?” Isaac, one of the boys, asks. I noticed him earlier on when we were running through the dribbling. If I had to guess, he is probably around eight or nine years old. Something about him reminds me a lot of myself when I was his age. He has that shy and quiet side of him, but you can tell he puts a lot of his energy and drive into playing ball.
“Yeah, buddy. What’s up?”
“You’re one of my favorite players,” he says shyly. His eyes look away, trying to muster up the courage to say what he wants to say. “I’ve been watching you since you started in Chicago. Do you remember the play you made against San Antonio when you tricked Balstead to the ground and made the three-pointer to win the game?”
I’m amazed he knows this much about me or even remembered the game at such a young age. That was my first season in Chicago three years ago, but still one of the highlights of my career. We were able to tie the game, putting us into overtime after being down seventeen points at the half. It was a huge game for me, especially since we were able to get the win.
“You bet I remember that play. That’s one of the biggest plays of my career.”
“You were so awesome,” he boasts, excitement evident in his voice. “You wouldn’t mind watching me run through the play, would you, and give me some pointers? I’ve watched it so many times, I think I can do it, but I want to see what you think.”
“Go for it.” Clapping my hands, I crouch down at his level, getting into a defensive position.
He dribbles the ball, letting out a deep breath as he flashes me a nervous smile.
“You got this. Give it to me.”
He nods, his face turning serious. He dribbles the ball a few times, crossing between his legs, then back again. He’s smooth in his transitions, never letting his eyes give away his next move.
He turns his shoulder to me as he keeps looking past me, surveying the court just as he fakes to the right. Seeing as he’s right-handed, I expect it as my body shifts to follow him.
He’s quick because as soon as he sees he’s got me, he rocks to the left, giving him time and space to dribble past me or, if he’s lucky, get the shot off at the last second.
“Dang, kid. You definitely got handles. I’ll be seeing you in the league in a few years.” I grin, holding up my hand for a high-five.
Seeing the look of pride beaming on his face is what makes doing these events all worth it.
7
Sydney
Once all the kids have been picked up, we take care of cleaning up and putting away the basketball equipment. We are lucky to have a few custodians offer to give us a hand, which makes short work of the task.
My eyes keep finding their way back to Colson, staring at the thick cords of his muscles every time his forearms flex. A few of my glances found him looking back at me. It’s hard not to reflect on how he was with the kids today. If I didn’t know him already and learned more about the career he’s made for himself in the league, I’d be confident in saying he missed his calling as a coach. The kids gravitated toward him, hanging on to his every word.
He’s going to make an amazing father one day. The thought alone has me shaking my head, trying to rid myself of those mental images. I’ve only known him personally for such a short time, just the other night I was trying to convince both of us why it would be a terrible idea for us to pursue anything further. Now, I’m picturing what he would be like with his own children.
You’re crazy, Syd. Seriously, just stop.
“What’d you just say?” Colson asks, palming the basketball in his hand.
I don’t even realize he’s talking to me until he calls me by my name as I turn to stare at him.
“Huh?”
“Are you talking to yourself?”
“What?” I pause, looking around the empty gym. We’re alone now, so I don’t have an easy out of this one.
“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking out loud.”
“Do you normally call yourself crazy?”
Busted.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Well, whatever you were thinking about must not be so bad. You had a big smile on your face.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did. You were doing that thing where you bite your lip to try and hide it, but I know you well en
ough to know it wasn’t because you’re crazy or you didn’t like whatever you were thinking about.”
“You know, I don’t know if I should be flattered or creeped out that you’re seemingly one of few men who seem to pay attention to things like this.”
“Men pay attention if it’s someone they’re interested in.”
Heat blazes over my cheeks, and I know without even looking in a mirror, my pale skin isn’t helping conceal how much I liked hearing those words.
“You’re cute when you’re nervous.”
“You’re doing it again.”
He laughs, dribbling the ball as he turns to add it to the rest lining the rack. Holding onto the handle, he steers the cart toward the edge of the gym, where we had found them when we arrived.
“I think we’re good to go.” I glance around the gym, doing a quick once-over to make sure we didn’t miss anything. Colson rubs his hands together before slipping them into the pockets of his shorts, waiting for me.
I try to avoid looking at him in the eye, so instead, I stare at his legs. The way his tan skin highlights the muscles flexing in his calves down to his white sneakers.
“Alright, I think that’s it. We’ll have to lock up, and I’ll drop the key off at the front desk on our way, then we can head out.”
Every step we take walking down the hallways of the clinic, then out to the car, and along the drive back to our apartment, my body is hyperaware of every move he makes. The sexual tension bouncing between us in the small confines of my car has me chancing glances out of the corner of my eye the entire time.
My mind replays how he was connecting with the kids and the way Isaac’s eyes watched his every move when he ran through the drills, working on their dribbling, and helping them perfect their form when shooting. I’ve never seen a more well-behaved group of kids, and it had everything to do with who Colson was and how important he made each of them feel.
Isaac hung on his every word. You could tell this meant more to him than many of the other kids. It was as if we gave him the happiest day of his life, and it filled my heart with so much warmth, understanding firsthand what it feels like.
When it was time for Isaac to leave, watching him give in and wrap his arms around Colson’s waist, thanking him, left me with tears in my eyes. I’ve been in Isaac’s shoes before; I understand how differently your perspective can be shaped by someone you look up to showing you the attention you crave.
I was a couple of years older than him when my parents took me into their home. The day I met them, within the first few minutes of even being around them, I knew how grateful I was for them fostering me. When they told me they were going to make it permanent, there was nothing that could have prepared me for the emotions I felt that day.
I don’t know if Colson understands the gravity of what he gave him or many of the other kids at the Girls and Boys Clinic today, but I’m so glad my father made the decision to have him join me. I got to see a new side of him I haven’t had the chance to see before.
Hitting the turn signal, I pull into the turning lane outside the parking garage under our apartment building.
“What’s on your mind?” Colson’s deep voice reverberates through me, the raspiness reminding me of the way he whispered low in my ear the first night we spent at his apartment together.
“Just thinking about how wonderful today was,” I admit, peering over at him before turning the wheel to pull my car under the awning down the parking ramp.
It’s early afternoon, so it’s mostly empty. Many of the other residents who use the garage are still at work or out for the day. I hadn’t planned on going back to the office after the event, although I do have some papers and a box of leftover t-shirts in my trunk to return tomorrow.
“You know, you were really great with the kids today.”
“They were a great group of kids. I like doing things like this. This platform, I was given it for a reason. I’m going to use it to give back to the people who deserve it most, ya know?”
I turn my head to glance out the window, blinking through the tears filling the brim of my eyes, hating how quickly the emotions are getting to me.
“Yeah, I know,” I force out, trying to hide how hard his words hit me.
Pulling into my empty spot near the corner of the garage, I come to a stop and put the car in park. The moment I do, his hand is on mine, urging me to turn to face him. Gripping the side of my face, he pulls me closer to him, pressing a soft kiss against my lips, stealing my breath.
Pulling back, he takes my hand and raises it to his mouth, trailing kisses along the inside of my forearm up to my wrist. My mouth parts, unable to move or breathe. Hell, unable to even think straight. All I can think about is how good it feels when he touches me and how I don’t want him to stop.
In my right mind, I could think of a list of reasons why this isn’t a good idea. It’s too soon. How would this look to management, the team, and my dad?
Except, I don’t care. Not right now. I push every fear and worry out of my mind, telling myself I’ll figure it out later.
All I care about right now is Colson and the way he makes me feel, and I never want this feeling to end.
“C’mere,” he careens, urging me closer to him.
I lean toward him, expecting him to want to kiss me, when he reaches for the lever next to his seat and adjusts it to the point he’s nearly lying down. Half of his body is practically in my back seat as he stretches his legs out in front of him.
“What are you doing?”
“Making room for you.” He winks while saying, “Stop thinking so much and get your ass over here.”
I scoff. What did he just say?
“You think too much. Now get your fine ass over here.” He pauses, repeating it again. He raises his brow, waiting for me to fight him on it. Leaning back, I narrow my eyes at him. I want to argue with him. Moving to pull my arm away from him, I’m ready to fire off what’s on my mind.
“Now,” he commands.
His tongue darts out of his mouth, gliding slowly across his lower lip as his eyes fall to my chest, where I’m struggling to gain control of my breathing. My lungs work overtime to keep up. My heavy pants cause the windows to fog as my eyes dart away from his, looking to see if anyone is around.
There’s no one. Just me and Colson. All alone. In my car.
When my eyes fall back on him, he moves his arm up to rest under his head. He looks calm and relaxed, not fazed in the least by what’s going on, and it only aggravates me more.
“Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be right here waiting.”
My eyes narrow again. He’s seriously going to sit there, looking all fucking sexy, and it ticks me off. I hate how he gets under my skin, yet he’s acting like Mr. Calm, Cool, and Collected.
Something spurs inside of me. Maybe it’s the adrenaline, or maybe it’s the fact I want to give him a taste of his own medicine. Find a way to rattle him, cracking his perfectly crafted exterior.
Unbuckling the seat belt, I reach for the handle of my seat and recline to match his. Kicking off my shoes, I climb over the center console separating us to straddle his lap. A grin stretches across his perfectly etched face. Adjusting his position to make room for me, his eyes light up while his hands find their way to my hips, guiding me above him until my chest is pressed against his with my legs on either side of him.
We might not have much space, but I can feel enough of him in all the right places. Our shorts are just enough to stop us from what we both want but still allowing enough friction to drive us both crazy.
Bracing my hands on the headrest behind him, I lean in close until my mouth is a hair’s breadth away from his.
“Is this what you wanted?”
“It’s more than I expected, but I’m not complaining whatsoever.” He grins, his eyes looking down at my breasts. With the way my shirt is now hanging open, he gets a perfect view of my cleavage before looking back up at me. “I’m not complaining one bit.”
His voice cracks at the end, reminding me he’s not as calm and collected as he’d like me to think, which spurs me to continue.
“Good,” I whisper, leaning closer. “Now, no more thinking.”
Grinding my hips down on top of him, he releases a low moan as desire flashes in his eyes. His grip on my hips tightens.
“No thinking. Just feeling.”
I rotate my hips, rocking back and forth over him, causing his nostrils to flare as he leans up and captures my mouth in a soul-searing kiss.
The moment our lips connect, a deep groan vibrates through them. He releases his hold on my hips, reaching his hands up to grip my face as he opens his mouth, brushing his tongue against mine
All I want is more, to feel his body against me, inside me, consuming me.
“I mean this in the most respectful way possible, but if you don’t take those fucking shorts off now, I’m going to rip them off you.”
Oh, God. Is there anything hotter than Colson Rush talking dirty to me?
“Sydney. Now.” His words are firm, spoken with authority.
Ducking my head, I lean back and slip my hands into the waistband of my shorts, thinking through how I’ll be able to manage to shimmy my way out of them with a limited amount of space.
His eyes burn into me, his teeth once again biting down on his lower lip. It’s exhilarating seeing how turned on he is, waiting for me to give him what he wants.
I love how he looks at me, how his eyes seemingly eat up every inch of my body like he’s not sure where he wants to focus his attention but doesn’t want to miss a second.
Two hard knocks hit against the window, causing my movements to freeze.
Oh, fuck! We’re busted. My eyes dart to Colson, as he bursts out laughing.
The car is still on with the music playing on low around us. Hitting the button to roll down the window, the humidity billows out. I know immediately who it is before the window is even down.