On the Rebound

by Anna Albo

  “I figured the only way you’d talk to me is if I trapped you.”

  She bit the inside of her lip and grasped tightly onto the edge of the desk. “Why do we need to talk?”

  “Because I was a jerk.”

  “If you’ve come to reiterate your position, to absolve yourself or whatever the hell you think you need absolution from, please don’t waste my time or yours. I get it. You can’t get involved with me or screw around with me, whatever it was that you wanted to do with me. If you want forgiveness, I will. Will Cavallo, I forgive you for being a jerk. Are we done now?” She couldn’t hold back her annoyance and she didn’t try. She’d wasted enough time thinking about him, wondering where it all went wrong and she didn’t want to hear a long list of why they couldn’t even try to make it work.

  “I don’t know. Are you done? Because you seem to be the only one who gets to talk,” he said, exasperated.

  Her hazel eyes opened wide. He had her full attention. “I’m sorry. Please, talk. I can’t wait to hear what you have to say,” she said sarcastically. “Is it going to go something like this: Allie, you’re a nice person and what I did was because I’d had too much wine? Or how about this: Allie, you’re sweet and I’m a scumbag. We’d never work out. Here is my personal favorite: Allie, you’re a nice girl, and one day you will find the perfect guy for you, but it’s not me because I’m a piece of shit.”

  He shook his head and sighed. “You have quite the imagination. No, I wasn’t going to say anything like that. It’s funny, I thought you weren’t the spoiled-rich-kid type. I can see my first impression was wrong.”

  She clenched her fists, trying to keep her anger in check. She wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d rattled her. “Let me get this straight. You kissed me, immediately regretted it, avoided me at every opportunity, and now you want to talk, clear the air, but you thought you’d insult me first? How do you want me to behave? Not only do I feel a bit humiliated and a tad on the defensive, but I’m hurt too. So sorry if the so-called rich spoiled brat is coming through.”

  He threw his arms up in the air. “When I came here, this is not how I envisioned this going. Not by a long shot.”

  “I’m not sure why you’re even here.”

  He was about to speak but caught himself mid-breath. Allie waited, but he just stared, a hard stare that made her wither. He exhaled deeply. “We’d get in trouble.”

  Those few words made Allie gasp. Did he have anything else to say? His stare was so intense Allie thought she might self-combust.

  “Who would know?” she finally said.

  “That’s just it. I’ve had weeks to think about this. Not many people know you around here. If we were careful, who would find out? But then what if your uncle found out? He’d ship me out of town the first chance he’d get.”

  “He wouldn’t do that,” Allie said above a whisper. “He wouldn’t like it, but he’d also want me to be happy. You also happen to be one of the few players he likes.”

  “And the guys. Do you know what would happen if they found out? I’d be a pariah. None of them would trust me again. No team would want me. I’d be finished.”

  “No one would find out.”

  “The risk is huge.”

  “Am I worth the risk?”

  His eyes met hers again. “Totally.”

  She wanted to jump into his arms but anyone passing by could see them. Instead she remained planted where she was. “Now what?”

  “I’m going to get up and leave, but I want to see you later. I hope to see you later. Come by my place? Say seven? I’ll make dinner and we can talk further.”

  “I like that idea.”

  He stood, nodded and left. Allie wanted to scream at the top of her lungs and dance around her eight-by-eight office, but she remained calm. She got out her phone and called Cate. Damn voicemail. She left a message and collapsed onto her chair.

  “Something happen to you?” Kyle asked when he returned twenty minutes later. “Your face is all red and blotchy. You have a reaction to something?”

  Allie smiled as a lightbulb went off. “Yes, must have been that granola bar. I’m going to take the afternoon off if that’s okay. Maybe have this looked at. Do you mind?”

  “Nah, I won’t tell if you don’t.”

  She grabbed her coat and purse. She had an evening to prep for.

  CHAPTER 18

  Every part of her had been tweezed, primped and exfoliated. Allie fussed with her hair until ultimately throwing it up into a messy bun. She hoped it oozed some sex appeal. She took one last look at herself in the mirror. Her makeup was subdued but sufficient, and her clothes were fitted but not too racy. She even fished out her push-up bra from the back of her lingerie drawer. She didn’t have any expectations. Maybe they’d talk, hash things out, and see if it was worth pursuing. Every one of Will’s points had been valid. They were both taking a risk, albeit hers much smaller than his.

  She drove to his place and parked in one of the visitor stalls. A dull dread swam around in her stomach. This was her last chance to make it work with him. What if it went south? She took a few seconds to compose herself before exiting her car and reaching the front entrance. She rang his loft and the door buzzed to let her in. She took a few more deep breaths as she entered the elevator destined for the top floor.

  Did she have too much perfume on? Had she forgotten deodorant? What if he rebuffed her again? All these thoughts filed through her head and when she reached his door, he was waiting for her. He clasped her hand into his and the second she was inside, and the door was closed, his lips were on hers. Any tension in her body floated away as he pulled her close. He smelled intoxicating, a mixture of aftershave and cologne.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked, breaking the kiss, his lips only inches from hers.

  “Not really.”

  “Good.” He effortlessly swept her up into his arms and carried her to the bedroom. She felt like a fairytale princess as he eased her down onto his massive bed. “Am I being presumptuous?” he asked, a mischievous smile on his face.

  “Hell, no.”

  Every part of his body was rock hard, from his biceps to each defined muscle in his chest. She felt every inch of him through his clothes. She wanted him undressed, to see him in the flesh, and he complied, a wide smile on his face. She let her fingers trace every indentation. His body was perfection, like a statue of Achilles. He’d met every single one of her expectations.

  He kissed her again, his lips so soft on hers, as his hand crept up beneath her sweater. She sat up and he pulled it off, then her jeans, leaving her in her matching pink bra and panties. It was the only matching set she still owned, but that would change soon. Will reached behind her and unhooked her bra, setting her aching breasts free. The skin on his hands was rough, weathered from the game he loved, but his touch was tender as he massaged one nipple between his fingers before turning his attention to the other. Then the warmth of his mouth, gently sucking and tugging. Allie felt the heat in her body rise. She’d never wanted a man like she’d wanted Will.

  She pulled at the buckle on his belt and unlatched it. She undid the zipper and grasped onto him. She wanted to feel him, know that he wanted her as much as she wanted him, and he didn’t disappoint. He groaned as she massaged him, but the confines of his jeans were problematic. In one swift motion he pulled them off leaving himself fully exposed. His body . . . he was an Adonis.

  Her hand found him again. She found a rhythm, but he grasped onto her hand. “Stop, or I’ll come,” he said.

  “That’s okay.” She liked the idea of having that control, but he was having none of it. He had her on her back and was kissing her again, holding her arm above her head so she couldn’t use it. The other was wrapped around him, caressing his back. She closed her eyes, wanting to remember every moment of this. What if it only happened once? What if he regretted it? What if she wasn’t what he wanted?

  “Open your eyes,” he said. “I want to see th
ose beautiful eyes.”

  She obliged and he kissed her, harder this time while one hand slipped beneath her underwear, touching her, his fingers working their magic. She was pinned, unable to move and enduring the excruciating torture of her building orgasm. It was too soon, she needed more time, but he wouldn’t stop despite her pleas. He slipped two fingers inside her and she bucked against him, letting out a scream as the orgasm consumed her.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said, his voice deep and intoxicating. “I think I’m going to make you come again.”

  “I want you inside of me,” she said, desperation in her voice. She wanted that connection, to feel that close to him.

  He rolled onto his side and pulled a condom from his nightstand. She watched him put it on, anticipating what was to come next. He was larger than Blake, and definitely larger than the only other guy she’d had sex with. She bit down on her lower lip, awaiting the blissful invasion as he moved between her legs. She felt him at her entrance, gently, deliberately pushing himself inside her. She felt herself opening, accommodating him.

  “You’re so tight,” he said. He let out a moan as he inched in deeper. He didn’t rush as much as he probably wanted to. He had to know he was larger than the average guy.

  And then he started to move. Slowly at first, and once again Allie could feel her orgasm rising. Two in one go? She could hardly believe it. When he touched her breasts, it was like she bloomed fully and he took his opportunity to pick up his pace, his own orgasm building. He was fully inside her, thrusting into her with a force she was sure she couldn’t handle, but her body was more than willing and wanting more. She cried out as she succumbed to her second orgasm. Will was close behind, pumping into her one last time. They stayed that way, him kissing her on the forehead, a tender moment she didn’t want to end.

  “I’m going to go clean myself up. Are you hungry?”

  Food was the furthest thing from her thoughts. Her mind was drifting all over the place. “I think so. Maybe? I should probably eat something to keep my strength up.”

  “I like how you think.”

  She took a few minutes, lying in his bed, never wanting to leave. He returned from the bathroom and kissed her on the lips.

  “It’s time to eat,” he said.

  They dressed and she sat on one of his bistro chairs, watching him fuss with a thrown together dinner. They ate, drank and ended up back in bed. Life couldn’t have been any better.

  She didn’t intend to stay the night. Sometime between three and four in the morning she texted Kyle to tell him her allergies were still acting up and that she’d be late. Will didn’t have practice the next day. There seemed to be no rush.

  They ate breakfast then Allie dragged herself home to shower and change with the promise to see him again that evening. By the time she got to work, she couldn’t wipe the smile from her face. The boxes that Henry had left for her were still begging for her attention, but she didn’t care. She tackled the first one when Kyle returned from lunch.

  “Hey, Allie.”

  “Hi,” she said, waving over her shoulder.

  “Feeling better?”

  “Much.”

  “Good.”

  He sat down to work on his schedule. Within minutes, he’d pushed it all away and joined Allie and her boxes.

  “Anything I can help with?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. I’m trying to organize it.”

  “You got a really awesome promotion. Tyler must like you a lot.”

  “Really?”

  “Totally. Tyler doesn’t like a lot of people around here. I think it’s because he thinks most of them are lazy bums.”

  Allie put a box to one side. “I’m trying to get a read on him. He seems like a good guy.”

  “Without Tyler, this team would have fallen apart a long time ago. He’s had to deal with a lot of crap over the years and he always handles it with class.”

  “Like what?”

  “Where do I begin? A while back, some of the players decided they didn’t want to play for the coach anymore. The GM at the time was really weak and couldn’t handle it. I remember I was working security down on the ice back then. Tyler came down, tailored suit and all, and sat the players down. He gave a pretty awesome speech, one I wasn’t supposed to hear, but I had my ear to the locker room door. I wanted to hear it all. He was nothing but professional, but he gave those guys a lecture on respect. I’ve respected him ever since.”

  “Did the players smarten up after that?”

  “For a few months. When the crap started up again, he told the GM to deal the troublemakers. The problem was solved.”

  Allie smiled. “Good for him. That was the right thing to do.”

  She finished her sorting then left for the day. She went home and grabbed an overnight bag just in case. The drive to Will’s seemed to take forever, and she was sure she’d caught every red light. When she got to his place, he was waiting with dinner. This time they made it through their meal before heading to the bedroom.

  She stayed the night and the next morning when her eyes fluttered open, she heard voices. His brother? She got dressed and found Will in the living room with a blonde. The conversation looked heated. A prickly expression marred his handsome face. The blonde looked at Allie and smiled.

  “Oh, you must be the girl Will is fucking. Nice to meet you.”

  Allie looked at Will who wouldn’t look back at her then returned her attention to the blonde. “And who are you?” Allie made no attempt to disguise the irritation in her voice.

  “I’m Jen, his girlfriend. Looks like he forgot to mention me.”

  CHAPTER 19

  “Oh no, you are not doing this,” Will said.

  “We’ve been together for three years and this is how he treats me,” Jen said to Allie. “Can you believe it?”

  Rage was building inside him, but he knew he had to keep his cool in front of Allie. How dare Jen show up? And the smile on her face was infuriating. “No, we have not been together for three years.”

  Jen ignored every word he said and focused back on Allie. “You see, he’ll fuck you for a while, but he always comes back to me.”

  He was panicking. Every word out of Jen’s mouth was doing irreparable damage. Will turned to Allie, a look of desperation in his eyes. “Allie, I hate to do this, but I have to deal with this. We can talk later and I’ll explain everything. It’s not what you’re thinking. Don’t believe anything she says.”

  “He’s going to fuck me after you leave,” Jen said, a cold smile spreading across her lips.

  Will bristled and took hold of Allie’s hand. “Don’t listen to her. Trust me, okay?”

  He could see the horror on her face, and he wished he could do something to reassure her. It was killing him to see the mistrust in her eyes.

  She looked at Jen, then back to Will. “Fine,” she said, her voice dropping off to a whisper.

  She grabbed her coat and purse. He wanted to reach out and hold her, tell her it was all a horrible misunderstanding, but he froze instead and did nothing. Without a word she left, and it tugged at his heart. He waited until Allie was safely gone before turning his anger on Jen.

  “What was that? What are you doing here? We had a deal. I gave you money and you were going to leave forever.”

  “Are you mad that I ruined your little tryst?”

  She was so smug and he hated her for it. He hated the day he ever asked her out. He hated himself every time he took her back. “What do you want?”

  “I came to see you. I can see why you’re not happy to see me.”

  He knew then why she put on the act. She was hurt. He moved on just like he told her he would. Did she think he was bluffing? “You’re right about that. I’m not happy to see you.”

  “She can’t compete with me,” Jen said, rolling her eyes. “Honestly, have you dropped your standards?”

  “Quite the opposite.”

  His statement stung. He could see through her ti
ght-lipped smile. “I know I made some mistakes, but that doesn’t mean we can’t work things out.”

  Will shook his head in disbelief. “I haven’t seen or heard from you in months. What makes you think I want to see you now? Jen, it’s over. I met someone.”

  “I know you still love me.”

  Her desperation saddened him. At one time she would have sucked him in. “Jen, you wasted your time coming out here if you think I’m going to give you more money. I’m done funding your lifestyle.”

  She moved closer to him, reaching out and grasping his hands. “I can see you miss me.”

  “No, I don’t. Are you listening to me?”

  “I still love you.” She inched closer until their bodies were only inches apart. “I know you still want me. You can have me right now.”

  He closed his eyes and tried to remember the woman he once knew. She was long gone and he couldn’t feel sorry for this new Jen any more. “How much is it going to take to get you out of my life permanently?”

  She touched his lips with the tips of her fingers. “How much are you offering?”

  He pushed her away and went for his checkbook. He scribbled some numbers and handed her the check. She looked at it and smiled devilishly. At that moment he hated her.

  “That’s very generous of you.”

  “This is it, Jen. You can’t come back for more. And if you show up in town, I’ll make sure you never have access to me again. You have to realize I’m done with you.”

  “She’s really that special?”

  “She’s none of your business.”

  “Too bad you didn’t worship me like you worship her. We might still be together.”

  He wanted to argue with her but thought better of it. He needed her gone and he had to go to Allie. “You’ve got to go.”

  “Yeah, you better chase after her,” she said and cackled. “That’s if she’s going to take you back. Right now, she’s thinking the worst of you. You’ll have a lot of making up to do.”