Jason (Ryan family Book 1)

by Ana Balen

  Apparently, we could do both.

  Seeing him almost fully dressed, I put my butt in gear and got ready, making sure I had the shot before we went out the door. It was only slightly weird going into the locker room full of males in various stages of undress, but Jason took care of that by covering my eyes and bellowing, “Hide your junk! My girl is in the room. Let us through.”

  He guided me to the smaller room that upon opening my eyes drool practically trickled down my chin, since it was every physical therapist’s dream. It had everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything. The room was huge and brightly lit. Upon looking up I could see why. Not only did it had row after row of lights, it also had huge windows on the ceiling. Looking back in front of me, I let my eyes roam the exquisite place.

  On my left were ellipticals, treadmills, and a corner with only rows of jumping cords and elastic bands. It was odd because football players didn’t need to do much of cardio. They needed their energy to be explosive and not to have too much stamina and lean bodies. Also, in front of every machine there was a TV mounted. I guess, the owners didn’t want their players to be too bored while running. On the right were every station and machine with weights in every size and weight that probably ever was invented. And down the length, in the middle of the room were five big, comfy tables with stations safely tucked under them containing bands, bandages and ointments. I felt saliva pouring in my mouth upon seeing the room. And my palms started itching, wanting to glide over every surface.

  Jason chuckled at seeing my dazed look, threw his bag into the corner, dropped his pants and shoes, and jumped on the table closest to us. “C'mon, baby, you have to get me ready for work. You can perv on the equipment later.”

  After the shot, a quick rub on the needle prick, and taping his joint up, he leaned down, gave me that dizzying kiss only he was capable of, and murmured, “Give it ten more minutes. The locker room will be empty by then and you'll be able to walk out unscarred by those monsters.”

  And then he was off.

  It was entertaining seeing him this excited, since I hadn't had a chance before, because from the moment I met him, he was in a bad mood or angry. Sure, there were times when he smiled and let his giddiness come out, and I did my best to make that more frequent, but there was always worry underlying it all. After waiting fifteen minutes, I was contemplating how to sneak onto the field to watch Jason practice and watch his muscles flex, when I remembered I had clearance. I got a pass to every corner of the stadium.

  So off I went.

  Standing by the sidelines and watching guys be… well, guys, one of them separated from the pack and came right up to me.

  “Hey, we haven't formally met,” he offered me his gloved hand, and I reached out and shook it. “I'm Logan. You're Rory, right?”

  I knew him, kind of. I'd seen him in passing while going to or leaving Jason's apartment. Once, he even barged in while I was in the middle of stretching Jason.

  “Yes, Rory,” I confirmed.

  “So, you're Harris' new girl.”

  “Umm...” I didn't know how to answer that, since I didn't know what I was to him. We still hadn't had a chance to talk it out.

  Suddenly, Logan turned to me and pushed his helmet so the face guard rested on his forehead. All the teasing that was in his tone was nowhere to be found. “Jason is a great guy. He really is,” he said, looking sideways like he was checking something.

  I looked that way too and saw Jason in deep conversation with the coach, his head bowed down, nodding in agreement, his hands on his waist while the guys were running around them. The next second, his head shot up. He looked right at me and smiled a smile that clearly stated he missed being there and was happy to be back.

  “But…and sorry to have to tell you this…just be careful with him, Rory.” The timbre of Logan's voice had me turning in his direction and losing sight of Jason. His eyes were watchful and full of regret. For some reason, he was warning me. About what, I wasn't sure. “I like you. I just don't want you to get hurt.” And with that, he gave me a fast grin, pulled his helmet down into place, and ran off.

  By the time Jason was done for the day, I was so turned on that the only thing I could think of was testing the durability of the table in the medical room and forgot to ask him why Logan would warn me off. Logan didn't once, in the times I saw him in passing, mention the stuff he said to me during that first practice or even try to warn me again that day. He was always happy, made everyone around him laugh, and was sometimes flirtatious. As with all the girls in his vicinity, the same with me. But every time I saw him, he would give me a small, sad smile. I didn't know what to think about it, so I just pushed it aside.

  The other weird thing that was happening, unfortunately every day, since that’s how often he was at Jason's place, was Curt giving me the side-eye and asking the same question over and over. “You're still here?”

  I didn't get why he would ask that, since he knew Jason's therapy wasn't over, except somehow, I knew he meant it in the context of my new role in Jason's life. I so badly wanted to tell him off, but the moment he stepped over the threshold, Jason would simply tell him, Not going to happen, not even looking at him. Sometimes, Curt would stay and do nothing except follow Jason with his eyes like a hunter would watch their prey. Other times, he would get red in the face, ask me that freaking question, then turn around and leave. I didn't know what all that was about, and I wasn't sure if it was my place to even ask, but it was clear something big was going on between the two. I just knew that after he left, it would take Jason at least an hour to lose the grim look and shake off the anger.

  Another thing that threatened to burst the bubble we were existing in was the fact that Niles went from cornering me in the clinic, to sending flowers with cards, in which he asked, like a true gentleman, when I'd finally give up the pretense and let him fuck me, to texting me at all hours of the day, and once actually showing up at my door. Unfortunately for him, Jason was at my place, and the moment he heard Niles asking to come in so we could finally get to business, his words, he came to stand behind me and threatened to beat the shit out of him if he didn't leave immediately. I'm not proud of the fact, but I would have let him. I wouldn't even call the cops. After Niles left, Jason made me tell him the whole story and demanded I report Niles at work, which I did. Even I couldn't bury my head in the sand any longer and convince myself I could handle him. Something needed to be done. When I refused to move into Jason's place, he then called Max and told them everything.

  Needless to say, if I wasn't with Jason, I was with one of my brothers or Mom.

  There was also the fact that women kept showing up at Jason's house in various stages of undress. One even stood at the door wearing nothing but panties and high heels. I kind of wanted to know how she got there undressed like that without ending up in a police station for the night, since I didn't see a purse or coat on the porch when I opened the door.

  One in particular was very persistent. She didn't even care who she'd find when Jason told her Logan wasn't there. All she cared about was getting her rocks off by a football player.

  Mindy.

  She was drop-dead gorgeous.

  Long, chocolate-brown hair, sultry brown eyes, full red lips, and a velvet voice. Not to mention she had a body of a model, one that gets paid a lot and women all over the world drown their sorrows in ice cream looking at her picture in a magazine, because they know they'll never look like her, have a body like hers, or dress like her. Their husbands probably imagined her while they were sneaking off to the bathroom for a jerk-off session. I opened the door one day, wearing nothing but the white towel wrapped around my body, and as she looked at me from the slits that were her eyes with a sneer pulling at her top lip, in a sweet voice I singsonged, Oh, sorry, you caught us in the shower. Logan's not here, and Jason is busy giving me the business, if you know what I mean. I said that last part leaning toward her with a wink and then closed the door in her stunned face. I may
have also been wearing a shit-eating grin through all that on my way back to Jason, but that wasn’t important.

  But there were also the times when I was sure Jason was a man who I could fall in love with. Actually, I was falling in love with him. And that scared the shit out of me. I realized that when I put my foot down and, two weeks ago, said, “Enough is enough! We need to go out, back into the world. This practice, sex, practice, sex routine is getting ridiculous. I love your body; I love watching it move, especially if it's moving while inside me. But I need to eat, and those gross things you swear are healthy and nutritious are not food. And I need to have dinner with my mother and meet her new man. And I just decided it's your cheat day. So put some clothes on, stop distracting me, and let’s get a move on.”

  Jason didn't put up one single protest to my demands.

  It probably had something to do with the fact that I let him eat me out on the kitchen island and fuck me while bending me over the table before we left. But we did go to meet my mom's new man. And Jason bought flowers for her. And coffee and cake for me.

  Also, he was giving it his all to hide the fact that he was Sebastian’s, mom's new boyfriend, number-one fan, since he was apparently some hot shot in the managing athlete’s business. Jason told me he couldn't even get a meeting with the man, let alone get him to represent him, before he settled with Curt.

  “I thought managers hunted players down, not the other way around,” I mused, getting lost in the way we were strolling in the evening, Jason holding my hand, with the streetlights shining on each side of us and the stars twinkling over our heads. Just like any normal couple.

  “Usually, but Sebastian is such a legend. He takes care of his clients, and I mean he takes care of them however they need, as long as they're not doing anything that could damage their career or something that's illegal. He has a waiting list,” he said, pulling me to him, wrapping his arm around my waist, and finally kissing my hair, not even missing a step.

  “Hmmm...” I hummed from the sheer beauty that was the moment. “I'm impressed you didn't try to get him to sign you.”

  “I would never do that to you. Tonight, wasn't about me. It was about meeting your mom and spending some time with your family,” he replied as if it was nothing, when in fact it meant everything. “Besides, I'm not even on his radar. And I don't want him to represent me, not now.”

  “Why?”

  “Because he's a part of your family now, and I don't want anyone to think I used the connection.”

  Yeah, he was shaping up to be perfect.

  Every morning, coffee would be waiting for me, the steaming cup sitting on the edge of the island, no matter whose place we were at, and a pastry treat. And even though Jason followed his diet like it was the sacred law or something, he never complained that I detested it, never demanded I just try to like the healthy food he ate or that I eat my junk food or whatever I was gorging myself on in another room. He even cooked it for me. He did try to sneak something healthy in, and I ate just a little so he wouldn't feel bad. He even got with the program for me and had a cheat meal here and there. Last night, Jason went out with my brothers, who were on cloud nine all day getting to hang out with other players and have some guy time. My mom kept me company, and Sebastian called frequently to check on us, even though it was unnecessary. I haven't seen or heard from Niles since I put in a complaint. He got fired, and after encouragement from almost everyone, I started the process of getting the restraining order. It was good to spend some time with my mom; she was finally smiling freely, and there were no shadows in her eyes. She was happy, and it was a sight to see.

  But I missed Jason.

  I wanted to be with him, lazing around on the couch and watching a movie or working out in my gym. I didn't care, as long as I was with him. I practically ran to the door when there was a knock, my mom's chuckle trailing me, only to open it and see Jason hanging by his arms on Max and Chace's shoulders.

  Max scowled at me and accused me, “Your man is a lightweight. He got three beers in him, and halfway through the fourth, he started falling down.”

  Like I was somehow guilty for it. They carried him into my room and placed him on the bed before they left. I was pulling Jason's shoes off to try to get him more comfortable, when he bent at the middle, sitting up, and caught my elbow, pulling me to him.

  “Rory, my sweet Rory,” he smiled drunkenly, astonishing clarity washing across his face, and he muttered, “I love you.”

  Then, he dropped down, passed out and left me completely stunned. So yeah, fuck yeah, he was shaping out to be the perfect guy, and all the evidence told me that the cocoon he wrapped us in was made of steel, and nothing could rupture it.

  Chapter Eight

  Rory

  “You still ignoring what happened last night?” Jason whispered in the skin of my neck. He wrapped his arms around me and did what I thought was impossible, pulled me even more into him. “Or this morning?”

  He was asking about the I love you that fell from his lips. I convinced myself that I misheard him last night, that he didn't say the words.

  While I was brushing my teeth, he changed the routine this morning, and instead of putting the coffee mug on the island, he carried it to my bathroom and put it next to the sink.

  “Hurry up, baby,” he said, looking at me in the mirror. “We need to get to my place so we can do the therapy and get me ready for tonight’s game.”

  I nodded, looking back at him. I was probably just as excited as he was for his first game after the injury.

  We had a meeting with his doctors, coach, and the owners of the team a few days ago, and all agreed that as long as Jason stayed in his place after he threw the pass and not go running around the field, tackling or pushing through the other players, he could play. He wasn't happy about that, since he was probably the only QB in the league who tried to play all the positions and didn't care he was only supposed to throw the damned ball, but he agreed. Until he was fully healed, to prevent a repeated injury, he'd play “like a granny,” as he called it.

  “Okay, hurry, I'm going to get dressed so we can go,” he leaned into me, kissed my hair, and whispered in my ear, “I love you.”

  He didn't give me a chance to tell him I loved him, too. He just left the bathroom, and by the time I managed to get myself into gear and ready, he was gone. I was too nervous to tell him I felt the same way.

  “Hmmm...” I hummed, turning my head toward him and pushing at his chin with my forehead so he had no other choice but to lift his head and look at me. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Oh, nothing important,” the small smile he had on his face was filled with nervousness. “Just the fact that I told you I love you. Twice.”

  Looking at him, I felt like something in me released. My heart was beating fast, but it was light. My hands that were behind his back, around his neck and head, started tingling now for a totally different reason. And my legs became like jelly.

  “I love you, too,” I whispered, looking deep in his eyes. As the words came out of my mouth, his eyes started to get darker until they almost looked black.

  “Fuck, we don't have time,” he growled, pushing the air from my lungs as he squeezed me, his eyes that were becoming even darker now trained on my mouth.

  “Time for what?” I whispered.

  “For me to fuck you again,” he leaned down and gave me a light kiss. “I love you, baby. Now, I have to let you go so you can go into the other room to get ready. If I don't, we won't come out for three more days.”

  He did warn me, but the swift way he did it had me reaching to the cold marble to prevent myself from falling down. Still, I didn't try to hide the huge grin I had on my face when he looked back over his shoulder seconds before he pulled the door closed.

  *~*~*

  “I doubt that you'll be here ever again, or that you'll even last until the next game the Thunders will play, but you need to learn the rules,” the nasty voice stopped me
as I was coming out of the family box at the stadium.

  It was after we finally made it out of the apartment, after we came to the stadium and I pushed the last cortisone shots into Jason's ankle, taped him up, and got here to watch the game. The game was over, and I was on my way to the players’ exit to wait for Jason. They won, and we had a lot to celebrate. I looked behind me to see four women standing in a straight line, their arms crossed over their chest, hips cocked out, and each wearing a matching sneer on their face. Behind them, Mindy was lurking, looking between them and me, and an ugly smile spread across her face.

  “I'm sorry?” I asked. What the hell?

  “You need to learn the rules,” the blonde one said.

  “Most importantly, you need to learn the hierarchy,” the one with jet-black hair finished.

  I looked them over. They were all kitted out like they were on their way out to a club, dressed to the nines, hair big, and makeup thick, prowl ready.

  “Oh” was all I could say.

  They ignored me the whole game, only occasionally throwing dirty looks my way. But when I chanced one more look Mindy's way and saw she settled in for the show, I knew this showdown was her doing. They were her friends, or they tolerated her enough to believe all the bullshit that came out of her mouth. The only problem was, I had no idea how it involved me.

  “Yes,” the redhead, I think her name was Autumn, continued, taking a step toward me. Clearly, she was the leader of this little pack.

  “The first row?” she asked, even though she was telling me, pointing at the row with her finger. “Is for the wives only, second for the fiancées, and third for the girlfriends,” she finished, focusing back on me. “The disposables like you have no place here, but when you manage to weasel your way in, you stand by the wall, only coming to the bar if you absolutely need it, and then back to the wall, and not sit in the first goddamned row. The few of us who are wives worked our asses off to get our men, took a lot of bullshit, and ate a lot of shit just so we could hold the position. So, it's rightfully ours. You do not come in here and disturb all that.”