by Ava Walsh
“I figured it’s best to be here when they practice, just in case anything happens.” I took another sip of my coffee and watched as Coach picked up his worn metal thermos and took a sip. I knew just what was in it: strong black coffee. That’s all he ever drank. He told the guys to run some laps and watched closely as they moved in a group to a steady jog.
“How was Justin?” he asked as I blinked and forced myself to sound neutral.
“He has a pulled shoulder. I am going to treat it with hot and cold therapy and keep a close eye on things. He knows that I’ll be brutally honest with you, particularly with the old injury that he didn’t want to admit.” I smiled as I heard Coach groan beside me.
“Stubborn assholes,” was his comment and I shook my head.
“You’re just as bad as they are, just from a different point of view,” I teased him, grinning. I looked back at the guys and saw Justin looking over at me with a curious gaze as he ran past. He was dressed in workout shorts and a fitted tank designed for workouts, and he looked damn good in them. “I’ve known you a long time.”
“That you have.” I could feel Coach’s eyes on me for a second. “How’s your mother doing, Jen?”
He knew all about her leaving when I was four and how my dad had remarried when I was eight. That would have been easy enough to adjust to, but she’d found me on Facebook two years ago and wanted to see me again. I had met her for lunch a few times but moving here had ended that. I wasn’t always sure how I felt about her. “We chat on Messenger sometimes, and she claims she wants to visit me here, but I don’t know. She still has a drinking issue, and I can tell that even when she says she’s sober that she…isn’t.” I shrugged. I loved my stepmom Rosie a lot but she wasn’t my birth mom, and I’d always wondered why my mother had left me that way. We hadn’t gotten that far during our short and awkward lunches.
“That's a shame. I’d like to see her try to make up for what was lost.” We were silent for a moment until he told the guys to run the bleachers.
I watched as the men ran up and down the bleachers with loud claps of their shoes, up and down. As a group, they were a whole lot of muscle and I watched their strength as they kept going. I admired athletes for their dedication and of course, their bodies. Not enough that I’d ever mixed business with pleasure before and I didn’t plan on changing that anytime soon. I could just look from time to time.
Coach led them through some intense conditioning as I focused on Justin’s face to try and estimate his level of pain. He seemed okay but he met my gaze a few times and I’d swear that I saw something dark in his eyes. He was looking at me almost as much as I was looking at him and I felt a flutter in my stomach. This was bad, dangerous. I couldn’t think of him that way even if he flirted ruthlessly with me and had those amazing eyes.
I reminded myself that he was a player and was reminded of that later as I looked over his bare back in my room. Scratch marks, thick and red, were scattered over his skin. I frowned and asked him how his shoulder was doing. “Pretty good today.”
“I hope she was on top,” I muttered low under my breath as I shook my head. I felt the muscle and found it more swollen than the day before. He froze as I pressed in.
“What did you say?” Justin asked in a staggered voice as I kept feeling around his body.
“Nothing. Just reminding myself of something,” I replied as I grabbed my heat pack and rubbed it between my hands to activate it. I placed it on his skin as I eyed the marks again and asked myself why I even thought he was attractive at all. I wasn’t like those girls that threw themselves at athletes, and I’d been strictly professional before now. Sure, Justin was sex on a stick, but that made him worse even if he was gorgeous.
I had a job to focus on, and Coach would have my head if he could read my thoughts. For that matter, he’d consider cutting Justin’s dick off.
I left the heat on and felt his other shoulder as well just to keep my hands busy. He was in great shape with not an ounce of body fat on his body. Justin wasn’t small being six three, and he was proportioned well. For a moment, I wondered what he looked like naked.
Stop it.
“That feels good. I like you touching me,” he told me as I closed my eyes. His voice oozed an erotic promise that reached every nerve in my body, and I realized how long it had been since I had good wild sex.
We both heard voices, and I glanced up to see Coach walking in with another player, who was limping. “Hey, Jennifer. Chase twisted something on the last drill, and the doctor is out for the moment. Can you take a look?”
“Leave the heat on,” I told Justin absently as I asked Chase to sit down on another table so I could take a look. Chase had dark Italian features that I probably would’ve found appealing had I not felt Justin staring at me. His eyes were burning into me as I felt Chase’s ankle and found it to be quite swollen, though likely just twisted and not broken. I had him move back to rest his leg on the table and gently placed an ice pack on his injury. He asked me how I liked it here so far. His demeanor was sweet and polite. I found myself missing Justin’s innuendos and I instantly cursed myself.
“I like it so far. It’s a great city,” I replied with a smile as I met his big, dark eyes. Coach had left us alone, and I watched as his cheeks flushed pink as he looked into my face. He was young, likely a few years younger than Justin and he seemed like a rookie player.
“It has some really nice parts. Have you been out on the town yet?” Chase asked.
I felt the heat and glanced up to see Justin staring at me as his eyes darkened. What the hell? I wasn’t his property, and I cleared my throat as I glared at him. “No, not quite yet. I just moved here and have been settling into things here at the stadium. What’s good around here?” I sensed that he was hinting to show me, but I had rules to follow.
Chase went on to tell me about the bars that the guys liked best and some of the delicious restaurants. I made a mental note to wander and find them as I adjusted the ice and felt the ankle.
“She doesn’t date players, Chase. Might as well stop trying,” Justin said across the room, and we both looked at him.
He struck a nerve with me, and I smiled sweetly. “Judging from the marks on your back, you’re not hurting for company. Don't worry about me.”
Chapter Four
My cock hardened at her words as she mentioned the scratches that Heather left, sensing envy in her sarcastic tone. I longed to tell Jennifer that I was thinking of her the entire time, and it didn’t mean anything, but I just watched as she looked away and Chase glanced between us. Hell, I wanted her more than ever with that mouth, but I forced a laugh and shrugged. “What can I say? Women love me.”
They liked Chase as well, but he wasn’t about to admit that while he was trying to charm her into his bed. He was playing the innocent act with his soft voice and big eyes. It pissed me off, and I forced my eyes away from her as I rested my head on my hands and closed my eyes. Heather had left last night after I explained that I was tired and had an early morning. I saw the hurt on her face knowing that none of that had stopped me from inviting her to stay over before.
I’d locked the door behind her and cleaned up the kitchen, aware that I wasn’t satisfied with the sex that I’d had. I didn’t like that because normally, a fuck was a fuck. Girls were there for a while and then they were replaced. Shutting off the lights, I headed to my bed and TV in my room to try and fall asleep.
The morning came all too soon, and I showered and dragged myself to the stadium, happy to see Jennifer watching the practice as she laughed and chatted with Coach. I’d hoped for some time alone to wear her down, but that wasn’t going to happen with Chase in here.
She took the ice off his ankle after several moments and reminded him to ice it at home to keep the swelling down. Jennifer wandered over to me and pressed on the heat. She asked me how I was feeling. “Were you going to go out with him?” I asked her as I heard her sigh.
“I told you that I don’t date pl
ayers. You seemed to remember that just fine, from the way you told him,” she snapped at me.
“You seemed to notice the scratches pretty well. That wasn’t your first comment about them, was it?” I’d let her previous one go, but her words were clear. There was a long moment of silence, and I heard her clear her throat again.
“I was concerned about your shoulder,” she assured me, but I hoped that it was more.
“Uh huh. You’re jealous,” I teased as she pressed harder for a second. “Hey!”
“Stop being arrogant, Justin. It doesn’t suit you.” Her voice wasn’t convincing, and I felt myself rise to the challenge that she offered. Jennifer lightened her touch. She lifted the pack up and felt me softly. “Mind if I massage this a bit?”
“Yeah, I’d hate that.” I was pleased to hear her chuckle before she started pressing her fingers against me in a slow, sexy way. I told my cock to calm down. I’d already jerked myself off in the shower thinking about her this morning. How many women would it take to get her out of my head?
Jennifer seemed to massage me for longer than I’d hoped for and a silence settled between us, barely broken by the music that was playing from her desk. I sensed that something was bothering her, and I gave her a moment before asking if she was okay. “Yeah, fine. Just distracted. What was the name of that bar Chase mentioned?”
“Scoreboards,” I told her as I wondered if she was going. I could buy her some drinks and break her down even further, especially since they had great food and I’d have a reason to be there.
“Huh,” was all she said as she worked on my arm and rubbed me soft and hard. “Feel okay?”
“Excellent,” I replied as I closed my eyes and let her work.
She told me that she was finished a few minutes later, and I stood and looked her over. Jennifer looked frazzled, and I tilted my head as I slowly slid my shirt over my head. “Coach said that you guys have to go work out now. I think you’re good to go but pay attention to your body signals.”
“I’d like to pay attention to yours,” I said in a soft voice as she flushed a dark pink over her cheeks. “See you soon, Jennifer.” I turned to leave and felt her eyes on me as I left the room. I went to work out hard for a couple of hours. It felt good to work my muscles, and I enjoyed the pain as I lifted some weights. I paid particular attention to my legs and finished off with a long run on the treadmill.
I went home to shower, since it was close and finally checked my phone for the day. There was a pathetic text from Heather asking if I was busy tonight, which I promptly deleted. I was craving something new, and though I knew that it was Jennifer that I wanted, I wondered if I shouldn’t find a new fuck buddy for the night. I knew that I had a practice the following afternoon, but I didn’t need to drink a lot to have sex with a woman.
I dressed in some shorts and watched a couple of games on television before I sent a message out to see who of the guys was going out tonight. Some were going to catch a late game at Scoreboards, and it made me wonder if Jennifer might be there. I agreed to meet them and finished watching the game before I pulled on some worn jeans and a gray t-shirt to wear.
I walked to the bar since it was just a couple blocks away, running into Chase along the way. “I didn’t know you were coming,” I said lightly as he started to walk beside me.
“Is it a problem?” We’d never had an issue, and I liked him well enough until I watched him flirting with Jennifer.
“Course not,” I told him. We approached the plain building together. I walked in first and went over to the corner table that we usually sat at, happy to see some of my friends gathered around it with a couple of pitchers of beer. “Hey, losers,” I greeted them as Dan poured two beers and slid them towards us.
“Fuck off,” Dan replied as he glanced up at the television screen above us.
I laughed and sipped my beer. My stomach growled. I had only eaten a couple of eggs when I got home. “Anyone order food yet?”
The waitress came over and took our order for a few platters of appetizers and some burgers. She was a pretty redhead I knew well and I eyed her ass as she walked away. She was one to consider but I wanted a stranger tonight. I didn’t want a girl who might ask to spend the night with me and in fact, I’d be happy going to her place. I needed the feel of a new place that I’d never see again.
I took a seat and finally scanned the bar closely as I sipped my beer. I didn’t see a pretty head of light red hair anywhere and felt disappointed. There was a group of cute girls checking us out from a table a few feet away though, and I nudged Roger. He chuckled and brought Dan’s attention to them as his eyes lit up. We ended up inviting them to our table. They were bubbly and flirting heavily with us and I knew the blonde was going to be an easy target tonight.
We all ate as she scooted close to me and smiled at me with her soft topaz eyes. “What’s your name, darlin’?”
“Angela,” she replied with a soft giggle and I sensed how young she was. I tried to figure out how old Jennifer was, assuming twenty-four or so considering she’d just graduated from college. I was twenty-five so it was a perfect match. Angela touched my arm. “Can I have a French fry?” She was skinny so I assumed that she didn’t eat very often like most of the girls that I met.
“Help yourself,” I said absently as I pushed the plate a little closer to her.
I ended up having three beers, and Angela was happy to drink the cocktails that I kept ordering for her. Everyone started to pair off, and I smirked as Chase left with a brunette. Angela was a sure thing, and I slipped my arm around her shoulder after I paid the bill. I paused as the door opened and Jennifer walked in wearing a short black skirt and a sheer white tunic, with her hair down over her shoulders. She looked stunning, and I eyed her legs as Angela pulled me towards the closing door. Jennifer looked at me before her eyes flickered to Angela. She tossed her hair and she walked towards the bar. I was aware of the eyes on her. I let Angela pull me through the door and felt my desire for her deflate, what little I’d had to begin with.
We headed to her place across town in a cab. Angela led me to a small house and invited me inside. There was a girl with black hair on the couch and Angela giggled when she introduced me to her roommate, Ruby.
I found a seat in the chair across from the sofa and Angela brought me some water. The girls flirted with me and I felt amused by the way they seemed to be competing with one another. Angela was the lighter one and Ruby seemed to be a bit more intense. I looked at them, tossing an idea around in my head.
Angela made the first move when I went over to sit between them but Ruby was happy to grab my cock as I kissed her friend. I knew that one girl wouldn’t do it tonight. They both seemed to be down with the impromptu plans and dragged me to one of the bedrooms.
I closed my eyes more than once to picture Jennifer in my mind as they took turns servicing me with their mouths, all the while with the other making it too easy to please her. I licked and tasted as I imagined what Jennifer would taste like and shot hard into Ruby’s mouth at the imagery in my head. Angela finished as well and I drank her in as my body pulsed with the orgasm. I felt one of them straddle me and tease me with their hands as I stiffened again and I managed to tell them to get a condom on me. I didn’t fuck girls like this without one.
It felt automatic as I took them one by one, longing to feel more than I did. I didn’t even come again, though they both did.
I waited until they were asleep curled up next to me before I changed into my clothes and left. I made sure that the door was locked on the inside before I pulled it closed and ordered a car from Uber. A small Toyota pulled up and a woman checked if I was her customer, and I nodded and got into the back.
I didn’t even respond when she flirted with me and even offered to accompany me inside of my condo. I turned her down and walked up to the door. I felt like something was off in my head. I unlocked the door and took a shower before going to bed.
Chapter Five
I sto
mped right over to the bar after I saw Justin leave with the blonde. Of course, he was leaving with a woman, or a girl by the looks of her. Most of the team seemed to be leaving with women, and I sighed as I slid onto the barstool. This appeared to be a cute place with a variety of games on the various televisions and an excellent staff that asked me what I’d like right way. I stared at the bottles behind the bartender’s head and paused on one. “Bourbon on the rocks. The best you have, please.”
He raised an eyebrow and grabbed a bottle on an upper shelf before he reached for a thick glass. He would be cute if I weren't in a bad mood now. I took a long sip, and he asked me if I was alright. I told him to start a tab and keep them coming as I cursed my intense attraction to Justin. It had just been a few days, and he was inside of my head more than he should be, considering what a pig he was.
“Sure thing, sweetheart.” He winked at me with his bright blue eyes and kept the bottle directly behind him. I hadn’t drunk like this in a long time, since I had a habit of avoiding that. My mother had tarnished the fun of drinking. Dad never wanted me to feel like her leaving was my fault and was always open with me about her alcoholism. I wondered if a man had started her drinking and I laughed bitterly at the irony.
I talked myself off the ledge as I reminded myself that I had a great job. It wasn’t worth losing. Justin was just a guy, and I’d forget about him soon enough. I slid my glass forward and felt someone sit next to me. “What demons are you running from? That’s a good bourbon.”
I glanced at the man next to me as I reached for my fresh glass. “New in town and just relaxing a little bit.” He was kind of sexy with dark hair and deep green eyes, though they didn’t affect me nearly as much as Justin’s did.