Dirty Play (The Ferrari Family Book 1)

by Hazel Parker

  It was possible for a guy to be both sweet and a little cocky at the same time.

  I looked over my shoulder when I got to my bedroom, making sure that Nick put them in the right spot. He got the right cabinet…and then the right shelf. He caught me in his peripheral vision and shooed me away.

  “Bath!” he said. “Before it overflows!”

  I smirked and headed for the bathtub. I dipped my toe into the water, and somehow, he had gotten it to be just the right temperature. Hotter than what most people would want, but not so hot as to be scalding and burn things. I took off my clothes, but just before I dipped in, I looked in the mirror.

  I was a little aghast at the extent of the bruises. I knew what parts hurt more than others, but this was the first time I was seeing myself naked with all the marks. I felt…

  Vulnerable.

  I’d never felt this way before physically, not to this extent. I had markings all over my face, but I also had purple spots all over my arms and ribcage. My left hip also had an ugly marking, likely where I had been kicked. And that didn’t even account for the blow to the back of the head that had initially all but knocked me out.

  And if he had struck me any harder or in any of the wrong spots, I might be dead. I…

  I turned away. I wasn’t ashamed per se, but I knew if I kept going down that dark path, I’d think about Ryan’s life without me. And even just acknowledging that thought was crippling enough. Some darkness did not need light shined upon it.

  I slipped into the water, occasionally fidgeting to avoid putting too much weight on one particular spot of my body. Once I was fully slid in, I let some bubbles run under the faucet, filling the capacity of the tub. The water had reached about halfway up my waist, and feeling it gently rise was the best sort of feeling I could have asked for. The only thing that would have made this moment a little bit better was some wine, but that would have just been the icing on top of the already-placed icing on the cake.

  I waited until I felt the water reach my breasts, at which point I leaned forward and turned it off. Then I leaned back, closed my eyes, and just tried not to think about anything. It was almost a form of meditation, though I had never actually tried to meditate before.

  But it was a bit of a struggle. I tried to be nice to myself, considering it had been all of three days ago that I had suffered a traumatizing attack, but I just couldn’t get settled, no matter what I did. It seemed like something was missing.

  Music.

  I leaned forward, but just as I did, I heard Nick entering the bedroom and soon the bathroom. I leaned back down, knowing that he’d probably give me grief about needing to relax at a time like this or something else silly.

  “Well,” he said when he entered and saw me naked.

  I turned my head, pretending to just now have noticed that he had entered, and smiled at the sight. He had in one hand a glass of red wine, and in the other, my phone.

  “Hello,” I said. “I see you’ve brought me gifts.”

  “Indeed. I couldn’t help but notice you had some Ferrari Wine in the fridge. Figured it was only appropriate that you should have some. And I thought you’d want your phone.”

  “Oh, well, thank you.”

  He put both of those down gently on the edge of the tub, and then turned to…leave?

  “Where do you think you’re going?” I said as I took the glass of wine and had my first sip.

  Nick halted in his tracks and turned. It was pretty easy to see that he was getting hard very fast.

  “Oh, I, uh, just have to finish cleaning your dishes—”

  “That can wait,” I said. “Why don’t you stick around and join me?”

  He chuckled nervously.

  “It’ll be hard for me to be in the tub and not touch you,” he said. “That’s getting into some—”

  “I’m well aware,” I said.

  I didn’t think we’d have sex in the tub. But there were a whole lot of things that we could do that would be rather enjoyable. Nick gulped, and I had to laugh.

  “You’ve already had sex with me, and now you’re nervous about getting in the tub with me?”

  “I just don’t want to hurt you—”

  “That’s not possible, Nick,” I said. “You’re too good to me.”

  Of course, he could wind up touching me in a way that might draw a gasp or a wince of pain. But that was very, very different from him hurting me. And I did not believe Nick would ever hurt me.

  But he was still hesitating.

  “Either you’re getting in this tub voluntarily, or I’m chasing you through this apartment naked.”

  Nick chortled.

  “As amusing as the sight would be of you doing that,” he said.

  He finished his words by removing his shirt and jeans in short order. Boy, he had a fucking great body—I know I’d already slept with him and felt the effect of that body, but seeing it from here just gave me even more of an appreciation for it. Fuck, it looked good.

  Then he took off his boxers, almost looking sheepish about how hard he was, and I couldn’t help but feel incredibly aroused myself. I scooted forward a bit so he could sit behind me, and I leaned back into him.

  “Now see, wasn’t that pretty good?” I said. “You were acting all scared.”

  “Still got dishes to wash,” he mumbled sarcastically. “But yeah, I think this is much better.”

  He started to rub his hands on my traps, normally a very tight muscle on my body, and one of the few spots that was not severely affected by what Malcolm had done. Yes, yes, this was much better than what had happened before.

  After he had done that, obviously holding back a little bit of his force, he started to glide his fingers over my body, just barely making contact, almost like a form of tickling. But I started to pick up something after he had done this for about five minutes; he wasn’t touching my sex. Maybe he worried my body couldn’t take it, or maybe he was just building up to it, but every time he came within a couple of inches of it, he stopped himself.

  “Nick,” I said flirtatiously. “Is there a reason your hand is coming up just a little short?”

  A few seconds of silence came.

  “I just didn’t want to hurt—”

  “Nick,” I said, grabbing his hand. “I’ll stop you if it hurts. But I want you to touch me.”

  He gave a sigh before his hands went up to my breasts and squeezed gently. He kissed my neck and made me gently squirm. Now this was more like it. This was something that I could let happen.

  He did this for a few seconds before he did as promised, letting his right hand go between my legs while his left remained on my breasts, fondling each one to varying degrees. I left out a gentle groan when his finger first ran over my clit.

  And then his fingers curled up into me, and I let out a gasp. Soon, Nick wasn’t being gentle anymore. Nick was clawing and pulsing and curling.

  And you know what? Not only did it not hurt, it felt amazing, like the pain from before made the pleasure just that much more distinct.

  “Oh, Nick,” I said, arching up. I tried to reach behind me so I could stroke his hard cock, but the tub wasn’t quite big enough to make that a reality. Not that it mattered—I still was able to give him some pleasure by rubbing my ass against him.

  The water sloshed around us, some of it falling out of the tub, as my shaking went from very gentle and tiny tremors to pulsing and quivering. I had never had great shower sex or tub sex before, but Nick was getting me there as if there were no obstacles in the way.

  “Oh, yes, yes, right there—”

  And then I let out a loud moan and clenched down hard, pressing against him as the orgasm coursed through my body. Nick’s free arm held him close against me as his fingers worked on my clit over and over until I had nothing left to give, only then finally releasing.

  “Oh, wow…” I said.

  I felt so relaxed I could have honestly fallen asleep. I felt so safe that I didn’t mind being naked and weak. I
felt so…certain.

  I turned and kissed him on the lips.

  “I don’t think I ever want this to end.”

  I closed my eyes and rested my head against his beating heart.

  “Me neither.”

  Chapter 21: Nick

  Ten Days Later

  The magic kept on coming for me, and for as much as I kept kicking myself for letting Izzy’s ex reach her, I had to say that everything since then had been only uphill, not only relative to that moment but to life in general.

  I stayed at Izzy’s house for the next four days, finally getting to meet her son, Ryan. I probably was expecting too much out of a three-year-old, because for the most part, he just smiled at me, unsure of what to say, before running back to his mother. Izzy was sweet enough to keep encouraging Ryan to come to me, but it didn’t quite materialize like magic. Fortunately, we had plenty of time.

  On the fifth day, I felt some trepidation about leaving her, but she wanted it more than I did. She even made a joke about how I would turn into a stalker if I stuck around too long, and though it was a bit morbid, I could admit that if she had her sense of humor back, that was as great a sign as anything.

  Plus, when I saw her again a couple of days later, most of her scarring and swelling had subsided. She still had some pretty strong sensitivity to her ribs, making sex a little bit tricky, but we were still able to have some fun together.

  All in all, though, things were going as well as I could ask.

  And now, ten days later, it felt like it was time to celebrate with a formal signing and then a celebration. I parked my car at the Giants’ offices, got out in some nice sunglasses and a button-down shirt, and headed straight upstairs to the conference room, where the Giants’ owner, GM, and manager, along with my agent Scott, awaited.

  “Let’s get this season started right by making you a Giant for life, shall we?” Scott said, looking ultimately relieved that I was actually signing the damn thing without any unexpected intrusions to the process.

  “I’ll say,” I said.

  “Hold up,” the owner said. “Let’s get a video of this. Maybe you can say a message as you sign.”

  “Of course.”

  The contract was laid out in front of me. I confirmed the numbers—ten years, three hundred million, which still didn’t seem real—and trusted that Scott and his team had verified all of the fine print. I looked up at the camera and waited for the go ahead. The team had made me do plenty of videos like this before, which was why they didn’t have a script for me.

  “When I put this pen to paper, I will officially be a San Francisco Giant for life,” I said. “I wouldn’t have gotten here without my family. Thank you to all the Ferraris who got me here. Without your hard work, this wouldn’t be possible.”

  For some reason, the thought of my family made me pause. I hadn’t heard a word since that first day back from the hospital about Uncle Nick’s “order.” Maybe I had just thought too much about it. Maybe some simple words and threats had been made to Malcolm, and that was enough.

  “Next…”

  I rambled for a few seconds about my teammates, coaches, and friends before I finally signed the document. It was kind of surreal to think that the only thing standing between my way and generational wealth was a mere signature, but there it was. I was all set.

  “Congratulations, Nick,” the owner said, shaking my hand. “You are a Giant for life, like so many other greats before us.”

  * * *

  I did a brief press conference right after with some reporters, something that I flashed a pretty smile for but was eager to get over with. I had family to get to, and more importantly, I had an idea for what I wanted tonight to look like—but I could only kickstart the process once I actually wrapped up the presser.

  The instant—and I mean the instant—it wrapped up, I was running out of the building, toward my car, and into traffic. I was eager to get the rest of the evening set up, and the last thing I needed was the paparazzi listening to my phone call. I dialed Izzy’s number, and she picked up on the second ring.

  “You sure look good on ESPN,” she said.

  “Better than TMZ,” I said with a chuckle. “So I got a question for you. What do you have going on tonight?”

  “Me? Probably just staying at home, taking care of Ryan, watching some news. Why? Do you have something in mind?”

  Oh, do I ever.

  “Well, as you well know, I just signed that contract that sets me up for life, and my family is throwing a massive celebration at the family estate tonight,” I said. “And I’d like for you to come.”

  The silence that followed lasted so long, I wondered for a second if Izzy’s line had gone dead. I could hear crackling like she was moving it against some wind.

  “Izzy?”

  “I…you’re sure?” she said.

  “Of course, I’m sure!” I said with a chuckle. “Why would I invite you if I wasn’t sure?”

  “Well, it’s just…”

  She sighed.

  “I’ve never actually been invited to a family dinner like this by a boyfriend before.”

  That just seemed so stunning a statement as to border on the absurd, but I was polite enough not to question Izzy’s veracity.

  “Malcolm claimed he never had a good relationship with his family, no surprise. And then the guys before that, we never got serious enough to get to that point. So…”

  “Definitely a first then, huh?” I said. “Well, just do it like this. I’ll give you the address. Think about it, and if you decide to come, just text me right before you leave so that I know you’re coming. And then I’ll meet you out front, and I promise to be a good host.”

  I knew that this wasn’t going to go as smoothly as I was describing it. Not so much because grandma and others would cast a judgmental eye upon her, but because they knew exactly how to inflict passive-aggressive judgment upon someone and make them feel like the outcast. That didn’t mean I expected a full assault—the fact that I was still talking about Izzy all this time later had gotten them to shut up a bit—but I knew they wouldn’t embrace her as I had.

  “If I can get Ryan a place to stay, I’ll come,” she said. “But I don’t want to make any promises.”

  “Good enough,” I said. “I’ll see you there.”

  She laughed. I hung up before she could tease me any further. What could I say? I was feeling a bit buoyed by the new contract. Of course I was going to be a little cocky.

  Especially with her. She’s all mine now. And there’s no one in the way anymore.

  * * *

  “There’s our all-star outfielder!”

  Layla spotted me first when I walked into the family estate. I blushed, feeling slightly ridiculous, but that only got worse as the rest of the family broke out in cheers. Neither of my uncles were there, but Grandma and Grandpa, my parents, and Brett and Layla were there.

  And then, to my shock, even Leo showed up. It was easy to spot him because of the leather jacket and don’t-give-a-fuck attitude.

  A line of sorts formed as hugs and kisses on the cheek were shared, starting with Layla and going down. Leo went last.

  “Hey buddy,” I said, hugging him.

  Such hugs with Leo were never quite so easy. He had a thing for not wanting to partake in “fake gestures” that he felt the family was so full of, but for this one, he was a little more open.

  “Guess the excitement’s real,” he said. “Well done, bro.”

  He and I exchanged a few more words before, much to his annoyance, Brett pulled me aside.

  “How’s the lady?”

  “She’s coming tonight.”

  “Oh, snap,” Brett said. “This should be good. We’ll get some baby drama in the house!”

  “Stop,” I scolded him. “I’m serious, Brett. You can make your jokes later, but while she’s here, we have to be polite. I really like this girl, and I don’t care what grandma or anyone else thinks. Understood?”

  �
�Man, you have got yourself so whipped—”

  “Brett.”

  My brother bit his lip and nodded. I pulled out my phone as I spoke.

  “So yes, she is coming in…”

  Five minutes?

  “Any second now, actually.”

  I brushed by Brett and headed for the front steps, feeling a little embarrassed that I had failed to notice her text earlier. Poor Izzy must have thought that I’d pulled a prank on her and was sending her to the home of some wealthy family as a surprise.

  I texted her back and said I’d be outside, and sure enough, minutes later, she showed up, parking right behind my Tesla.

  When she emerged from her car, there was a certain elegant grace that defined her movement and her dress. Gone were the bruises and the swelling, although if one knew where to look, faint outlines of a few things could be seen. In their place was smooth skin, a beautiful tanned complexion, and a personality that could be fierce one second and gently loyal the next.

  She had on a black dress that extended down from her shoulders to her knees, covering up most of her cleavage. She did well to make herself beautiful without looking seductive; it went without saying that I didn’t need Brett and Leo gawking at her breasts during dinner.

  “Hello,” I said. “Welcome to the Ferrari Estate.”

  “This place is…enormous,” she said.

  And you know what?

  I had never thought about it quite in such terms, but she was right. I thought I had a big place, but really, that was just in comparison to the rest of the Bay Area. This place…it was absolutely enormous.

  “Well, it’s the place you’re having dinner tonight,” I said, pausing briefly to kiss her. “You feeling all right?”

  “A little nervous, but nothing too crazy.”

  So she’s very nervous.

  “Well, I promise you in due time, you’ll feel right at ease. Plus, we have some of that Ferrari Wine that relaxed you so much ten days ago.”