by L. P. Dover
My dick felt like it was going to explode, so I hopped in the shower and stroked it hard, envisioning Bristol’s body as I sucked her nipples and pounded into her. I wanted her so fucking bad. Once my release came, it only helped relieve a minor portion of my tension. All I needed was to have her beneath me to get my thirst quenched. However, I knew one time wasn’t going to be enough.
I got out of the shower and my phone beeped. I immediately recognized the alert and groaned. I had my phone set up to send me alerts every time a new story or headline was published with my name. I dreaded reading the shit people said about me, even if it was true. My indiscretions were common in the papers, but I hadn’t done anything recently that would warrant a new article. Or had I?
After quickly dressing, I grabbed my phone and clicked on the link. Once it loaded, all I could see was red when I got a glimpse of the headline: Reed’s Secret Love Affair.
The picture splayed out across the entire page was of my back, standing at Sadie’s hotel room door with her dressed in that see-through lingerie. “Motherfucker,” I growled. What made it even worse was reading the trash below the headline.
Jaxon Reed is known for his playing time on and off the field. Being one of the best kickers in the NFL, it’s no secret he has women falling at his feet. However, it looks like this sexy, young bachelor is off the market now. Sources say the young lady in the picture is his new love interest and it’s going to stick. We all know Reed is famous for having a different woman every week, but this special girl has been seen with him on numerous occasions. Could this be the one for him? Will Reed finally settle down and crush the dreams of every woman out there? Find out more next month.
Anger boiled in my veins and I had no doubt Sadie was the one who staged that whole thing. I barely knew her, but when I left her that night, it was sure to have pissed her off. What better way to get me back than to fuck with me. Grabbing my bag, I hurried out to my car so I could stop at the Caramel Café before practice. When I got there, I ordered my usual, a coffee with hazelnut creamer. It was what my mother always drank and it stuck with me over the years.
I rushed out to my car, but stopped short when I caught a glimpse of someone standing beside it. It wasn’t just anyone…it was Sadie, dressed in a pair of tight jeans and a tank top. “Hey, lover,” she called out.
I marched up to her, my whole body tense. “I’m not your goddamn lover, Sadie. Did you think pitching that ridiculous-ass story would change that?” She smirked, and it confirmed what I already knew. It was her who set it up. “Get the fuck out of my way.”
When she didn’t move, I was half tempted to push her out of the way, but I couldn’t do that. I was brought up never to hit a woman, but so help me God, Sadie was pushing my buttons. If she were a man, I would have already beat the shit out of her.
“What do you want?” I growled.
She pressed her body against mine and it only fueled my anger more. “I want you, Jax. One way or another, you will be mine. I don’t care what I have to do.”
I stepped back, disgust written all over my face. “Fuck, what the hell is wrong with you? Can’t you get it through your head I don’t want anything to do with you? I don’t want to see you or talk to you, much less fuck you again, crazy stalker bitch.”
Gaze narrowed, she moved out of my way. “You’ll change your mind—I’ll make sure of that.”
I got in my car, tires squealing as I charged out of the parking lot. What the fuck was going on? I’d never had a problem with a girl like that before. I was starting to think a restraining order would look good right about now. However, my main concern wasn’t dealing with Sadie; it was what was going to happen if Bristol ever found out what was going on. It would ruin any chances I ever had with her.
—
“Dude, what the fuck’s wrong with you?” Derek asked, slapping me on the shoulder. I was almost late to practice, thanks to Crazy Eyes Sadie.
Huffing, I tied up my shoes and grabbed my phone. “Did you happen to see the latest tabloid floating around the Internet?”
“No, what happened?”
I clicked on the link and passed him my phone. “The stupid bitch is trying to fuck with me.”
Derek’s eyes went wide, and so did Aaron’s when he peeked over his shoulder. “Damn, dude, what’s going on? Was that in Seattle?” Aaron asked.
Derek handed me my phone back. “Yep, some girl he fucked the other weekend followed him there.”
“And that’s not the only place she followed me to,” I told them. “She was standing by my car at the café this morning. I’m telling you, this girl is messed up in the fucking head.”
Some might find the situation funny, but this girl could seriously fuck with my career if she was psycho enough. “What did she say?” Derek asked.
I shrugged. “That one way or another I was going to be with her. I swear, this girl needs help. She’s literally insane.”
Aaron bit his lip, concern etched across his face. “Dude, this sounds serious. If she keeps following you around, you might have to get a restraining order. Did you ever hear about Nate Bryson and his wife? He was a baseball player for Atlanta.”
“I think so,” I said, trying to register the name. I never kept up much with baseball. “Wasn’t he killed in an accident?”
Aaron shook his head. “Murdered is more like it. His wife was killed too, both shot in the head. I’m from Atlanta, so I followed the story. Anyway, Nate’s family had mentioned to the press about a stalker who wouldn’t leave him and his wife alone. No charges were ever filed, so no one ever knew who the person was.”
I snorted. “Well, Sadie might be psycho, but if she tried to kill me, I’d take her down.”
Aaron rolled his eyes. “Not if she has a gun. I’m not saying she’s a killer, but to be on the safe side, you might have to take precautions. You need to stay as far away from her as possible. She could yell ‘rape’ and your career would be over in a heartbeat.”
The thought made me sick. Derek clapped a hand over my shoulder. “He’s right, man. I’ve never had a girl go crazy on me like this, but you might want to bring it up with Avery. He’ll document everything and if anything were to arise, you’d have the legal backing.”
Jason Avery was an undercover cop and one of the best around. He was also one of Evan’s good friends, so I had no clue if he’d help me or not. But it was worth a shot.
“All right,” I agreed. “I’ll talk to him soon.” We started toward the door. “In other news, I have a date tonight.”
Both of them paused and stared at me like I’d lost my mind. “A date?” Derek asked. “You can’t be serious. I didn’t think you did dates.”
“Yeah, seriously,” Aaron said with a laugh. “Isn’t your motto ‘pump and dump’?”
“More like ‘pounce and bounce,’ ” I corrected. “But this girl’s different. She’s not like the others. I don’t want to just fuck her and leave.”
Derek nudged me in the side. “Oh yeah? Who is she? It’s about time you got your head out of your ass. You’ll have to let Hayden and me meet her.” I was about to tell him who when I met Ryan’s angry glare from across the room. All this time I was worried about Sadie being the problem with Bristol and me, but I was staring at a much bigger one. Whatever happened, I had to make sure Bristol was completely mine before she found out who I was. That way I’d have a better chance at keeping her. It was wrong to keep her in the dark, but I had no choice. She was the only woman to look at me like I wasn’t just a famous football player, that there was actually more to me than that. I liked it.
“Dude, who is she?” Derek repeated.
I tore my focus away from Ryan and faced him. “I can’t tell you just yet, but you’ll meet her soon.”
He studied me for a second and then glanced over at Ryan. “No fucking way. Please tell me it’s not who I think it is.”
“Who?” Aaron asked.
When I didn’t answer, Derek huffed and closed his eyes. �
�Someone Reed shouldn’t be messing with. If a certain person finds out, it’ll be war. You know that, right?” he said, glaring at me.
“I know, but it’s not like that. You have to trust me.”
He snorted and shook his head. “I’m staying out of this one, Jax. Whatever you’re doing, be smart about it.”
Ryan marched past us, bumping my shoulder in the process. I’d have liked nothing more than to see him get his ass kicked, but I wasn’t going to bring Bristol into that fight. “I am, D. I know what I’m doing.” Did I know what I was doing? Fuck, no. But I sure as hell was going to figure it out.
Chapter 10
Bristol
My last appointment ran late, which left only twenty minutes to make it to Jack’s house on time. I quickly straightened my desk and rushed out of my office past Mrs. Blanton.
“Where are you running off to so fast?” she called out with a laugh.
Bouncing on my heels, I pressed the elevator button. “I have a date—wait, no, an appointment?” She looked at me like I’d lost my mind. I shook my head and chuckled. I wanted it to be a date, but I didn’t want to get ahead of myself. “Honestly, I don’t really know what it is. I’m eating dinner with Mr. Reed and then we’re going to the Garibaldi Gallery to find some pieces for his home.”
Her smile brightened. “He’s a handsome man, young lady. I’d say you got yourself a good one.”
The elevator opened and I rushed inside. “I don’t have him yet,” I said.
Hopefully, one day I would. Jack was a mysterious man; it seemed like there was something he was afraid for me to know. We all had secrets and we all had a past. There were a ton of things I didn’t exactly want him knowing about me, such as how in high school, I started dating a senior who was one of the most popular guys in the school. I was stupid and lost my virginity to him the night before he left for boot camp. He said he would call and never did. My heart was broken because he took a piece of me that I could never get back. I never spoke about that night except to my grandmother. It took a while to get over it. Jack was different, though; I could see it in his eyes. Most people believed the eyes were the gateway to the soul, including me. Jack might be keeping things from me, but I could see through those amber eyes of his to the man beneath the surface. I’d never been able to do that with anyone.
Before the doors closed, I waved at Mrs. Blanton and smiled. Now that it was late October, it was getting dark earlier. I hated walking in parking garages at night, even if they were lit up. Every time I watched a movie where someone walked in them, something bad happened. Maybe that was the country girl in me being afraid of the big, bad city.
I didn’t have time to go home and change, so I drove straight to Jack’s house. I got there in record time, with one minute to spare. Jack’s immaculate house was illuminated by lights all around the front, showcasing the expensive brick exterior. I’d often wondered why a single person would want such a big house. My first thought about Jack’s house was that maybe it filled a void in his life. But then, I couldn’t see where Jack would have that. Granted, I did want a lot of land and some horses, but that was what I enjoyed. Give me a small house on that large bit of earth and I’d be happy. Riding gave me an escape that I couldn’t find anywhere else. Maybe it was I who needed to fill a void; I was lonely living in a big city all by myself without my land and horses. It was easier to cast stones at people than see the problem about yourself. I wasn’t perfect, but I liked to pretend I was.
Taking a deep breath, I got out of the car and strolled to the front door. The closer I got, the heavier the scent of food that wafted to my nose; it smelled heavenly. I was about to ring the doorbell when the door opened. Jack stood there with his dark hair perfectly coiffed, dressed in a light blue polo shirt and khaki pants. My gaze instantly found his and I could feel my knees tremble. I loved how he looked at me with respect, but there was also a heat behind those amber eyes of his that he tried to contain. It made me respect him in return. It was hard to find a man who could look straight into your eyes and hold your gaze while you talked to him.
“Just on time,” he said. He reached for my hand and pulled me inside. There was no mistaking the scent of rosemary and garlic, along with potatoes and chicken. “Do you want a glass of wine?”
“Sure. What do you have?” I asked.
He chuckled and still kept hold of my hand as he led me into the kitchen. His skin was warm and I didn’t want him to let me go. “Pretty much anything you can imagine. I had Angela pick up a few bottles today.”
When I walked in, Angela looked up from the dinner plates and smiled. Her eyes twinkled and I could instantly tell she was a genuine woman; I couldn’t help but smile back. She was exactly as Jack had described her: in her sixties, with short, white hair, and a small, plump body. “Good evening, Bristol. I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Angela Parks.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Angela.”
“Likewise, my dear.” She finished putting the food on the plates and set them on the table. There were candles in the center, the crystal glasses sparkling against the light. It was romantic, something no guy had ever done for me.
Angela glanced around the room, clearly happy with the outcome. She walked up to Jack and patted his arm. “Everything is good to go. You have extra food in the fridge for the rest of the week.” A mischievous smile spread across her lips. “However, if you need me to come in and cook more I’d be happy to.”
She winked at him and he laughed. “I’m sure you would.”
“Have a good night, you two,” she said, grinning at us both.
Once she left, Jack pointed at the bottles of wine sitting on the counter. “Take your pick.” I let his hand go and walked over, fetching the Riesling, my favorite. He opened it and poured me a glass. “Thank you for coming to dinner. I hope you don’t do this with any of your other male clients.”
Shrugging, I took a sip of my wine and tried to hold back my smile. “What if I did?” I asked. I didn’t, but I was curious to hear his response.
He moved closer, his gaze lowering to my lips before meeting my eyes. “I’d have to say I’d be jealous. The thought of you being around other men drives me insane.”
I bit my lip, knowing exactly how he felt. I didn’t want to imagine him with other women, looking at him the way he looked at me. “What are you saying?”
Sighing, he rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m saying that after tonight I want to see you again…and not as your client.”
My heart stopped and I sucked in a breath. I hadn’t been exclusive with anyone in so long that I almost forgot what it was like. I didn’t know what to say, but my stomach growled in response. Jack chuckled and I joined in.
“Sounds like you’re ready to eat,” he said with a smile.
“Past ready.” I sighed.
“Let’s eat, then. We can talk about everything later. I didn’t mean to come on so strong.”
I waved him off. “You didn’t. You just caught me off guard.” My stomach growled again and I scrambled for something else to say. “My boss is out of town with his wife, so I’m taking on some of her clients while they’re gone. I haven’t had much time to eat lunch this week.”
We walked over to the table and he pulled out my chair. “That’s not good. Do I need to bring you lunch every day?”
I laughed. “Of course not,” I said, thinking he was teasing. But then he sat down with a serious expression on his face. “Seriously?” I asked.
“If you needed me to, I would.” At a loss for words, I just stared at him. A part of me wanted to say yes, but I couldn’t do that. Hearing him say that made my stomach flutter. I hadn’t dated anyone in a while, but I knew none of the men I’d gone out with would have ever offered that. It just added to all the many things I wanted to know about him.
“I’ll be fine. Working all these crazy hours is just temporary.” Lifting my glass, I took a sip of the wine and sighed. The food smelled amazing and looked so elegantly placed
on the plate I was afraid to touch it. I was half tempted to take a picture and plaster it all over social media as food porn.
“Does the food look okay?” he asked.
I ate a bite of the chicken and closed my eyes. “Not only does it look good, but it tastes like heaven. When you see Angela again, please tell her she’s amazing.”
He burst out laughing. “She’ll be happy to hear it. I went through five different chefs before I found her.”
“That many? Do you not know how to cook?” I asked curiously.
He shrugged. “I do, but I don’t always have the time. That’s why she just comes a couple days a week and cooks extra so I’ll have leftovers. I also go to the tavern a lot.”
So many people at work liked to hang out at the tavern as well. I’d been there only a couple of times. “That place was great. I’ve been dying to go back. Everyone at the office talks about it all the time.”
“I’ll have to take you there someday,” he offered.
I tried to hide my smile but couldn’t. “As in another date?”
He winked. “Maybe. That’s if you still want to see me after tonight.”
“I don’t know; we’ll see.” We finished eating and I helped him clean the dishes. Angela had done all the pots and pans, so all we had to do were our plates. He didn’t seem to be bothered about cleaning, which I found admirable. At first, I thought Jack would be spoiled, but he’d surprised me. He wasn’t like that at all. I wasn’t brought up with a lot of money, so I was used to the house cleaning. However, with the amount of hours I worked, I might have to consider hiring a maid. It was nice to know I could afford one if I wanted one.
“I might have to see about getting Angela to cook at my place,” I confessed. “Since it’s just me, I don’t ever take the time to cook a nice meal for myself. If I had her come in on the days she’s not with you, she could cook extras and I’d have something for when I got home at night. How much does she charge?”