Play Maker

by KB Winters

  I stroked my hand up the side of her face. “You don’t have to worry. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere, and no matter what happens next, I’ll still be here.”

  Her eyes fluttered closed as I leaned in to brush a soft kiss to the lips I’d been aching to feel for days. I pulled her hips and brought her in close, needing every inch of her against me, to assure me that she was really there and that the words we’d said were real too.

  She smiled when we pulled apart to catch our breath. She snaked a hand up between us and toyed with the hair that had fallen across my forehead. “I also kinda need you to do me a favor.”

  “Anything, but right now, we have something else we need to do.” Without warning, I scooped her up from the couch and tossed her over my shoulder, laughing at the girly squeal that escaped her as I carried her off to the bedroom.

  “Caveman!” she bellowed, playfully slapping at my ass.

  I patted her ass and tossed her onto the bed. My body lowered onto hers, and I kissed her fiercely, claiming her mouth the way that I had been wanting to all week, only pulling back when we were both breathless. “You like it.”

  She framed my face with her hands and gently pulled me back to hers. “I love it, because I love you.”

  “I love you too, Shelb.”

  The kiss that followed was hot enough to melt wallpaper off the walls. What had actually been days apart suddenly felt like years, and I was like a starving man who couldn’t get enough. I stripped her clothing off of her as fast as I could. Shelby’s own eagerness matched mine and within seconds, we were both naked and tangled together under the sheets.

  I was addicted to her. The way she moved, responding to my touch. Every graze of my fingertips made her shudder. Every kiss made her gasp. And when my fingers slipped deep inside of her, she let out a satisfied moan that echoed through my head long after it left her lips. Shelby was everything I hadn’t realized I was missing from my life, and I’d do whatever it took to keep her here.

  “What are you thinking about?” Shelby asked, caressing my chest.

  I nipped at her hand and she giggled. “I’m thinking about how damn beautiful you are.” I slid down her body and captured the inside of her thigh with my mouth, leaving a trail of kisses until she had her finger buried in my back and whimpered. She begged me to move my mouth over her pussy. The taste of her juices had me hard as a rock, but I steadied myself, determined to take my time. I’d missed her smell, her taste, and the sexy little noises she made when I sucked her clit and fucked her deep and hard with my fingers.

  I wanted all of her. I wanted to pleasure her until she forgot who she was and then do it all over again.

  I slid two fingers slid inside her, and she squealed. Her begging became more frantic as I blew a hot breath over her pussy lips. Her juices leaked out and I finally gave in and lapped them away, letting the taste of her melt on my tongue. With her nails dug into my shoulders, I went back for a second taste. “Damn, girl, you’re so sweet, just like sugar.”

  She arched up. Her walls clenched around my fingers, and I smiled, knowing just how close she was already. “Fuck. Right there, baby. Right. Fucking. There.”

  I stroked her g-spot and sucked her clit into my mouth, teasing it between my tongue and lips as Shelby crashed over the edge, her body convulsing, shuddering and squirting out a ton of juices. Fuck. I loved when she did that. I tried to pin her down, but she was like a madwoman. Possessed by love and sex and pleasure.

  Finally, after a few seconds of thrashing, she went still. The sound of her frantic breathing was the only noise in the room.

  Then, giggle burst from her lips, and I smiled up at her, taking a quick perusal of her full breasts and soft stomach on the way up to those lips that drove me crazy. “What?”

  She closed her eyes and shook her head. “I just… I’m boneless. I feel like jello.”

  “Good. Glad to be of service.” I smiled.

  “I missed you.”

  I chuckled and licked a nipple. “I missed you too and your sweet pussy.”

  “Mmm. I can tell,” she teased, rocking against my hard-on, moving her hips to slide against my cock. Which was hard as steel. And ready to explode.

  When I entered her, I nearly lost control. She was so tight and eager, claiming me and dragging me deeper. But I held on and steadily fucked her in a nice rhythm. I wanted to feel all of her. I leaned over to kiss her and realized how much I loved her. How much I needed her. I’d had my share of women but none of them got to me like Shelby. She was meant for me, and I was never going to let another man near her.

  She was mine.

  All mine.

  I thrust deep, moaning as I struggled to keep it together. Shelby’s eyes went big and round, looking deep into my eyes as she came again around me, and I couldn’t take it. My muscles tightened up and I let loose, coming together with her. Sounds that couldn’t be human were coming out of both of us and when we finished, I couldn’t help but laugh.

  We sounded like wild animals mating in the jungle. Or prairie. Or even in the hills. Just pure animalistic pleasure.

  Shelby laughed with me and let out a big snort.

  That was when I knew she was mine.

  23

  Shelby

  I was almost afraid to go to sleep for fear that my dreams could no longer match up to the beauty of my reality as I lay in Ross’s arms. I didn’t want to miss a single second with him.

  But eventually, the gentle rise and fall of his chest did me in, and I drifted off to sleep.

  We woke up the next morning tangled in the sheets and with each other. When my eyes fluttered open, Ross was watching me.

  “Morning,” I whispered.

  “Morning, beautiful girl.”

  I smiled, and he stole a quick kiss. “How long have you been watching me like that?”

  “Why? Is it creepy?”

  “Little bit,” I teased, laughing softly.

  “Too bad,” he said, flashing a broad smile. “So, last night you mentioned something about a favor. Any chance that was sexual?” Ross asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

  I laughed and shook my head. “No.”

  “Damn.” He chuckled and tugged me closer. “What is it, seriously?”

  “Do you have practice today?”

  “Nope. I’m supposed to be packing. We fly out Monday morning to LA. We have a week of press stuff and events all leading up to the big game.”

  “Sounds fun?”

  He chuckled. “Well, I was kind of hoping you could go with me and find out for yourself. I booked a flight a while back, but then everything kind of went to shit. But it’s still yours if you want it.”

  “Really?”

  “Mmhmm.”

  I propped myself up on my elbow. “I have court on Monday. It’s the hearing for Hudson to see about getting his case reopened. I can’t reschedule. But maybe I could come out mid week?”

  “Sure. What time is the hearing?”

  “Ten.”

  “All right. I’ll see if I can switch it to Wednesday.”

  “LA, huh? I’ve never been.”

  Ross grinned. “Well, pack a swimsuit and some over-sized shades, baby, you’re leaving the igloo life behind.”

  “Woohoo!”

  He laughed and kissed me again. “So, this favor?”

  “Right, right. I need you to come with me and sign some autographs.”

  “Autographs?”

  “Yeah.” I nodded. “You’ll see when we get there.”

  Ross continued to give me a skeptical eye but agreed, and after a little coaxing, I got him out of bed.

  About an hour later, we arrived at the DA’s office. After the failed meeting last week with Mr. O’Brian, my boss, Mr. Bennington, agreed to let me use our technicians if I needed any help getting video footage or tracking down phone records, bank statements, or other techy info. I filled Ross in on what I’d found on the video footage I’d gotten from Lacey as we drove over.

  “
So, you think he went back to get the backpack?”

  I nodded. “And if he did, and we can catch him on camera, it’ll prove he wasn’t there at the time of the attack. On top of that, when I went to re-visit the victim, I got him to agree to testify that he’s no longer sure that his original identification was correct.”

  “Wow! That’s pretty huge, isn’t it?”

  “I hope so. It was a few years ago, but when I talked to him to confirm the times and places, he kind of broke down. He’s felt guilty all these years, like a nagging feeling that maybe he’d made a mistake.”

  “Shit.”

  “Right?”

  We started down a long, beige hallway. “You really think this is going to work?” Ross asked out of the side of his mouth.

  “It better.”

  We were shown to a small room that held two cubicles that split off two separate workstations. The walls were plastered with Knight’s posters, and I smiled as I remembered the deal I’d struck with them the day before. The two techs were gathered at one of the computer monitors, but they both looked up when we entered the room. “Hello,” I started. “As promised, this is Ross Leverette. Ross, this is Jeremy Plant and Mike Daniels. They do the techy work here.”

  “Nice to meet you both,” Ross said, extending his hand to each of them in turn.

  Both men’s mouths dropped open and they looked star-struck. My hope started to rise again. “So, do we have a deal? I bring you Ross and you give me what I need ASAP. Right?”

  Mike nodded. “You got it!”

  Ross grinned down at me as the two men went to work. “So, you’re just using me for my name now, huh?”

  “Among other things,” I said, flashing him a sly wink.

  One of the men cleared his throat and spun a monitor around. “Think you’re gonna wanna see this,” he said. We leaned in and the footage moved forward. Five minutes before the assault took place, the footage from a security camera across the street showed Hudson going through the front doors of the center and then leaving ten minutes later, backpack slung over his shoulders.”

  I couldn’t speak for a long moment. It was right there, definitive proof that he’d had nothing to do with the attack happening blocks away. He’d been inside the center the entire time, retrieving the backpack he’d forgotten earlier.

  “Wow, guys,” I breathed out a long exhale. “This is it. I can’t believe that kid has been in prison this long. Fucking Public Defender is a piece of crap.”

  “Whoa, girl. You know that piece of crap still works here, right?” Mike said.

  “Not for long.” I said while Ross and I gathered up evidence to get Hudson out of jail. “Thanks for this.”

  “Where’s my autograph? It’ll be worth millions someday.” Jeremy pulled out a jersey and Ross signed it as promised.

  24

  Shelby

  The day I’d been dreaming of was finally in front of me. Rayna and I were standing outside the courtroom where we’d go as soon as the previous session was dismissed. I’d present the new evidence I’d found and hope it was enough to get the judge to reexamine Hudson’s case, which would allow him to have a fair shot at a retrial.

  “How are you feeling?” Rayna asked, squeezing my arm.

  I jolted at her touch and quickly apologized. “Sorry, I’m just” I studied the worry lines etched around Rayna’s eyes. We were the same age, but these last few years had taken a toll on her and added years to her pretty face. “I’m ready to get started. That’s all.”

  She gave a thin smile and nodded. “Me too,” she agreed, barely getting her voice above a whisper.

  The bailiff appeared in the doorway of the courtroom and signaled for me to get ready. I sucked in a quick breath, threw my shoulders back, and swept my briefcase from the bench outside the door. A few minutes later, I was at the front table, seated beside Hudson, papers in hand, ready to speak as soon as the judge was seated. The doors at the back of the room opened, and I craned around to see Rayna and Hudson’s parents entering. Time had aged them too. My eyes darted to Rayna and realized that she’d had no idea they’d be there. I stiffened, waiting for an outburst, but instead, Rayna melted like a woman who’d been holding it all together for way too long on her own. She collapsed into her dad’s arms, the three of them shedding quiet tears and whispered greetings.

  “Did you know about this?” I asked Hudson under my breath.

  He shook his head. “I didn’t even know about this hearing.”

  I pat his arm as tears glistened in his eyes while he watched the scene unfolding before him.

  His parents looked over at him and reached out to offer some comfort while we stood for the judge to enter and take the bench.

  “You may all be seated,” the bailiff said, and Rayna and her parents sat down so the court session could begin. “Ms. Markson, it is my understanding that you have new evidence in hopes of overturning Hudson Moore’s conviction?”

  I nodded. “Yes, Your Honor. I do.”

  Judge Harris waved her hand. “All right, you may begin.”

  “Thank you, Your Honor.” I drew in a quick breath and went to work, systematically laying out each piece of evidence in the case and showcasing the new evidence I’d dug up. Hudson had doubled back to Harvest House to retrieve his backpack, so he couldn’t have been where the assault took place within the time limit.

  A tense quiet fell over the courtroom as I concluded my presentation and went back to the table beside Hudson. “As you can see, Your Honor, the timeline that was originally put together by the prosecutor doesn’t work. Mr. Moore couldn’t have been there. I don’t think the defense attorney even gave him a shot at finding him innocent.”

  The judge gestured for me to sit down, and I took my seat, smoothing my skirt down as I sat. Hudson caught my eye and placed his hand on top of mine for a quick moment, just long enough to convey his thanks without drawing too much attention.

  “Ms. Markson,” the judge began, still considering the still photos in front of her. “Normally, these hearings are to determine whether an appeal trial is even necessary. However, in this case, given the new evidence presented and the statement from the victim that they are no longer sure that their original identification was correct, I am not going to grant an appeal, but rather, I am going to overturn the conviction and put this case back into law enforcement’s hands to find the man who is responsible for this crime.”

  My eyes went wide, and I scrambled to my feet. “Thank you. Thank you, Your Honor.”

  “Mr. Moore, you have the courts sincerest apologies. You are now released from custody.” She nodded and banged her gavel. The proclamation final.

  I could barely stay on my feet as my legs trembled. We’d done it! After all these years, all the digging and questioning, it had all paid off. Hudson would be free, and from the looks of it, restored to his family to mend the bonds that had been ripped apart over the entire ugly affair.

  Hudson wrapped me tightly in his arms, freely sobbing against my shoulder. “Thank you, Shelbs. Thank you for never giving up on me.”

  I couldn’t find any words, so I just nodded and clung tightly to him for as long as he would let me. Hudson wasn’t the hugging kind of guy, so when he wrapped his arms around me, I knew the action was coming from real emotion.

  Eventually, Rayna ripped me away from him and crushed me in her own bear hug. When she finally released me and clung to her brother, I moved over to shake hands with their parents. They thanked me and asked how they could repay me, and I told them to just be there for Rayna and Hudson, to which they tearfully agreed.

  Hudson was taken away to be released from custody, and Rayna walked out with her parents. As I watched them go, I shed a few of my own tears and breathed a deep sigh. It was finally over. Hudson would be home by the end of the day and would finally be free of the nightmare he’d endured. It was a struggle to keep my feet on the floor as I gathered my belongings.

  “Excuse me, Ms. Markson,” a honey-smooth
voice drawled.

  A laugh slipped from between my lips as I popped up from packing my briefcase and found Ross standing there, hands in the back pockets of his well-worn jeans. He gave me a lazy smile. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a plane right now?”

  “I’m playing hooky,” he replied, grinning at me. “I couldn’t get here to watch the whole thing, but I’ll cop to sneaking in on you. Looks like you did one hell of a job.”

  I nodded, still beaming at the thought of Hudson and Rayna reunited. “He’ll be home soon. They just have to do paperwork. Then, I’m filing for false imprisonment, so they can get back on their feet and help Rayna get herself out of debt so she can stop killing herself with her sixty-plus hour weeks.”

  Ross circled my waist with his hands. “You did it, Shelby. You made all of that possible.”

  “I had a little help from my super-hot boyfriend.”

  He laughed. “Oh, yeah?”

  I tossed my hand. “Yeah, he’s kinda famous. Pulled a few strings.”

  “Sounds like a good guy to keep around.”

  “I think so too.”

  “Good. ’Cause I’m not letting you go.” He pressed his lips to my ear. “Can I also just say how fucking sexy you looked working the judge up there?”

  I laughed and looked up into his cool grey eyes. “You got all night, handsome.”

  25

  Ross

  “So, what do you think of LA?” I asked Shelby as we lazily walked down the street, taking in the sights and lapping up some much-needed sunshine.

  “I think I’m finally starting to defrost,” she teased, holding her arms out for the sun.

  I scrubbed a hand along my jaw, battling with myself on whether or not to take the question one step further. We’d been in LA for four days, and while I spent most of the time at practice, we’d sneak off every chance we got to explore the city and spend time together.

  “What’s on your mind?” she asked, narrowing her eyes as she glanced up at me. “You have your thinking face on.”