by L. P. Dover
“Oh, sitting here getting ready to eat a massive bowl of banana pudding. I wanted to see if you’d like to come over and have some.”
I shook my head. “Nice try, Hayden. Let me guess: Jaxon is going to conveniently show up once I get there.”
“Nope. He has strict orders to stay away. I know what happened and I wanted to talk to you. There’s so much you don’t know and if you aren’t going to listen to Jaxon, you need to listen to me. Now come on, this pudding isn’t going to eat itself.”
Making a U-turn, I headed away from Charlotte to Belmont. “You promise he’s not going to show up?” I asked.
She sighed. “I promise. Now get your butt over here.”
We hung up and I prayed she was telling me the truth. Hayden and I were so much alike that I instantly felt a connection to her the first night I met her. I didn’t have many friends in North Carolina and I’d hoped she was going to be one of them. But if things didn’t work out with Jaxon, I knew she was his friend before mine.
When I arrived, I was relieved to see the driveway empty except for Hayden’s car in the garage. She opened the door when I walked up and held out a completely filled bowl of pudding in my face. “Here you go!”
The bowl probably weighed two pounds. “How much did you think I was going to eat?” I laughed, following her inside to the living room. Her two dogs, Bear and Patch, jumped up on the couch with her, trying their best to get a lick of her treat. She pointed at the floor and they jumped down, both whining at her feet.
She took a bite of the pudding and moaned. “I figured if I’m eating this much then you could too. It’d make me not feel so bad.”
“You’re too much,” I said, swallowing down a spoonful. It was the most delicious banana pudding I’d ever tasted; it even had extra vanilla wafers. “This is amazing.”
She said, “It better be; I made it. It’s actually my mother-in-law’s recipe. Ever since I tasted hers I’ve been hooked.”
She ate the rest of her pudding and leaned back against the couch. “Now that I’m reenergized, let’s get to Jaxon. I heard about the pictures you saw. I wanted to see what you thought about it.”
I could still see the images in my head. “Angry, pissed, overcome with rage,” I blurted out. She waved her hand for me to continue, but the other emotions were harder to face.
“I know there’s more, Bristol. Let it out.”
My eyes burned, so I turned my attention to the fireplace, hoping that I could hold back the tears. The heat of the fire could be felt on my face, but my chest was still ice cold. “I feel sad,” I whispered. “And betrayed and heartbroken. How do I know those pictures weren’t taken while we’ve been together?”
“They weren’t,” she stated in all seriousness. “I know who that girl is, and I can promise you that Jaxon had no clue those pictures were even being taken.”
“Who is she?”
“Her name is Sadie. They were only together that one night, but afterward, she’s been following him around. Some would consider it stalking. She obviously doesn’t like the fact that you and Jaxon are together. He thinks she might be the one who broke into his house.”
A car door slammed outside and my heart lurched, but Hayden patted my hand. “It’s just Derek. He had to stop at Evan’s house after practice to help him repair a fence.”
Derek walked in and dropped his gym bag on the floor, his clothes and red hair damp with sweat. “What’s up, ladies?” He opened the refrigerator and grabbed a bottle of water before joining us in the living room.
“Nothing much. Just conversating about Jaxon. Have you talked to him tonight?” Hayden asked.
Sitting down in the chair across from us, he guzzled his water and shook his head. “No, why?”
“Apparently, Sadie is up to something again. She sent Bristol some naked photos of her and Jaxon, and also included a threatening letter.”
Derek choked on his water and it spewed across the floor. “You’ve got to be kidding me. I’m telling you, that girl has those crazy eyes. She’s fucked up in the head.”
“You’ve met her?” I asked him.
He nodded. “She showed up at one of our away games and went door to door to find him. He told her then to stay away from him, but she didn’t listen. The last time he saw her was at the coffee shop when she was waiting by his car. It’s crazy stuff.”
“Why would he even get involved with someone like that?”
He shrugged. “Nobody’s perfect, Bristol. Jaxon’s made some mistakes, but I know he’d rather cut off his leg than hurt you again. The boy’s in love with you.”
“And you don’t want this girl to succeed, right?” Hayden cut in. “Her goal is to break you two apart. If you turn away now, she wins.”
“What if she strikes back?” I asked. “What do I do then?”
Hayden smiled. “You fight. I know Jaxon would do anything for you, so it’s your turn to decide what you would do for him. Is your love worth fighting for?”
That was a good question…and one to which I knew the answer.
—
By the time I got back to my condo, it was late. I knew Jaxon was there because I saw his car in the parking garage. The lights were dim when I strolled inside, but Jaxon was still awake, sitting on the couch with his eyes on the drawing he’d painted for me.
“I was worried about you,” he murmured.
I set my purse and keys down on the counter and walked over to him, taking the seat at his side. “I’m here now.”
“If you want me to go, I will. I just had to make sure you got home safely.” He started to get up, but I grabbed his hand.
“Don’t.” He glanced down at me, those amber eyes of his full of sorrow and pain. I could feel his torment and if I’d just talked to him when I had the chance, I would have known the truth. “I don’t want you to go.”
He sat back down and I climbed up on his lap, straddling his waist to get closer to him. “What are you doing?” His chest rose and fell with his rapid breaths and I placed my hand over his heart; it thumped so hard it had to hurt.
I lifted his shirt over his head and tossed it onto the floor. “I’m going to make love to you.” Taking his face in my hands, I kissed him hard, opening his lips with my tongue. He groaned and dug his fingers into my hips, his arousal pressing into my center.
“Wait,” he commanded, pulling me back. “I know you talked to Hayden, but you have to hear it from me. I would never hurt you, Bristol. Whatever’s going on right now is something in Sadie’s twisted and fucked-up mind. The…”
Shaking my head, I placed a finger to his lips. “I’m not going to let her tear us apart. Hayden asked me tonight if I thought our love was worth fighting for. And when she asked it, I didn’t even have to think about the answer.”
His fingers caressed my cheeks. “What did you decide?”
Biting my lip, I took off my shirt. “That what we have is worth fighting for. I love you, Jaxon. And I don’t care what this girl does to try to break us apart—it’s not going to work. I’m not going anywhere.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. “In my mind, I saw this night going completely different. I thought for sure you were going to end it.”
“Not a chance,” I said, unbuttoning his jeans. “Now lie back. You always take control, but tonight it’s my turn.” Sliding off of him, I grabbed his pants and pulled them off his legs. His raw, untamed eyes were fixed on me as I positioned myself between his thighs.
He sucked in a breath when I wrapped a hand around his cock and massaged him. The tip glistened and I circled my tongue around it, drinking in the salty liquid. Jaxon’s body jerked and I smiled, knowing I was driving him insane. I took him deeper into my mouth, loving the way he thrust his fingers into my hair and the groans escaping his lips.
“I won’t last long if you keep doing that,” he moaned. Giggling, I licked him one last time and stood, making sure to take my time removing my clothes. My body ached for him, the inside of my thighs wet with need. I climb
ed back up onto his lap and lifted my hips, his cock just at my opening. My breasts were in perfect alignment with his mouth so he pulled me to him, his lips closing over a taut nipple. I cried out as the sensations overwhelmed me, and it only made me want more. “You’re killing me, love. It’s taking all my control not to slam you down on my cock right now.”
He bit and sucked my nipples so hard I was sure to have marks. The pleasure and pain of it was mind-blowing. Inch by inch, I lowered onto his cock, loving the way he stretched me. I slowly rode him, picking up my speed to match his thrusts. His hands were everywhere—on my hips, in my hair, and on my breasts. I was so close to the edge, but I held off for as long as I could. There was nothing like the torment of being close to orgasm and holding off to enjoy the anticipation of that one final moment.
Jaxon grew harder between my legs and I could tell he was close, his breaths growing more rapid by the moment. My insides clenched and I cried out, my eyes closing of their own accord.
“Jaxon,” I moaned, riding him harder.
His fingers dug into my hips and he bit my breast. “Fuck, baby, I’m gonna come.”
I finally let go and screamed out my release as his cock pulsated inside of me, filling me with his warmth. My body trembled as wave after wave of ecstasy rushed through me. I felt like liquid in his arms, breathless from making love to him. He lifted my face and stared into my eyes.
“I love you, Bristol. I’m going to do whatever it takes to keep us together.”
I leaned into his touch. “I know, and that’s one of the reasons why I love you.”
Chapter 25
Jaxon
“Are you sure you have to go in today?”
Bristol giggled when I tried to keep her in bed. She fought me off and hopped out of bed, her smooth, naked skin taunting me. “Yes, I have to go. It’s the last time I’m working on the weekend, so once today and tomorrow are done, I’ll be free to go with you to every game.”
Leaving the bathroom door open, she smiled as she got into the shower. I could see her body through the shower door glass and my cock ached. Two days ago, I thought I’d lost her, but our relationship had only grown stronger. I was about to join Bristol in the shower when my phone rang; it was Jason.
I answered it as fast as I could. “Avery, what’s up? Find anything?”
He snorted. “Yep, and you won’t believe it. Can you come out to my place?”
He gave me his address and I jumped out of bed. “I’ll be right there.”
I grabbed a pair of jeans and a T-shirt from my drawer and threw them on. Since Bristol and I spent more time at her place, I had my own drawer in her dresser. Her condo was more accessible to her work and to the training facility where I practiced. Staying there just made it easier for the both of us. Bristol stepped out of the shower, a concerned look on her face when she noticed me rushing around.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
I grabbed my wallet off her dresser and stuck it in my pocket. “Jason called. He said he found something on Sadie. I’m heading over to his house now.”
She groaned. “I wish I could go with you.”
“Me too, but I’ll tell you all about it tonight when you get back from work.” Wrapping my arms around her waist, I lifted her up and kissed her. “Love you.”
“Love you too.”
I set her down and hurried out the door.
By the time I got to Jason’s house, I was pumped. I was ready to end this shit with Sadie very fast. Jason lived in a brick, ranch-style house with several acres of land and a barn that housed horses, from the looks of it. It was the kind of place where Bristol wanted to live.
Jason stood by the door and opened it for me when I walked up the front porch steps. “Thanks for coming out here. I would’ve come to you, but I’m on a secure line here. It’s a lot safer, especially with all the shit I have to show you.”
“Are you serious? What all are you talking about exactly?”
He waved toward the back room and I followed him. “First things first,” he said, sitting down at his desk. “Is this the Sadie you’re talking about? From the pictures she sent Bristol, you can’t see her face, but I researched all Sadies in the area that might have a criminal record.” He turned his laptop toward me and Sadie’s face stared back at me.
I snarled in disgust. “That’s her.”
Releasing a heavy sigh, he leaned back in his chair. “I was afraid you’d say that. I was hoping it wasn’t her, but now that it is, you might have bigger problems.”
“Like what?”
He typed away on the computer, and his printer started spitting out page after page of information. “This girl has a history of going after guys like you.” He grabbed the papers and showed them to me. “Look at those names,” he said, pointing at the list. “Those are men who filed restraining orders on her. Do you recognize any of them?”
I read them off one by one and recognized them immediately. “They’re all sports players. Bobby McGruff is a baseball player for New York and Mark Wellington is a linebacker for Miami.” There were several others, but I got the picture.
“Exactly,” Jason said. “Sadie likes going after the rich men. The guys you see on this list didn’t fall into her trap. The others, however…”
“Others?”
He skipped through the pile to a few more pages; they were Sadie’s bank statements. “Do you see the deposits?” I nodded. There were several of them, all by wealthy sports players. “Is she blackmailing them?”
“Looks like it. Or maybe they’re paying her off to keep her mouth shut. Those guys are married. My guess is their infidelity is paying the price. All I know is she’s making a pretty decent income off of their money.”
“What about me, though? I’m not married, and she sent the pictures to Bristol, so she can’t blackmail me for money. The only thing she has is those pictures.”
Releasing a heavy sigh, he sat down. “And here is where things go a little deeper. Do you remember Nate Bryson? He was a baseball player for Atlanta.”
Aaron had mentioned him just a few weeks ago. “Yeah, he was murdered. One of the guys on my team talked about him.”
“Get this then. I called and talked to one of the witnesses who said he saw Nate with a woman other than his wife. It was thrown out in court, but my guess is that Bryson’s family didn’t want his name being dragged through the mud. Anyway, the description of his mistress fits Sadie spot-on. I think she’s the one who killed Nate and his wife.”
Out of all the things I expected to hear, that was the last. If that was the case, things were worse than I could ever imagine. “We need to find her,” I growled. “If she tries to hurt Bristol, I’ll kill her.”
Jason held up his hand. “I already have guys out looking for her. We’ll find her.”
“What should I tell Bristol? I don’t want to scare her, but I definitely don’t want to leave her unprotected.” Whether she liked it or not, I had no choice but to keep her safe, even if that meant hiring a bodyguard to be with her when I couldn’t.
He shrugged. “The truth is always the best. She might not like it, but you can’t keep her in the dark.” Our relationship had already been tested beyond the limits and now I was adding another obstacle.
“Got a list of good bodyguards on hand?”
—
Bristol still had three more hours left at work, so I went home and called the list of men Jason gave me. I felt like an overprotective ass for doing it behind Bristol’s back, but she needed someone to watch over her, even if it was to protect her from another girl. Although Sadie could easily have a partner in crime no one knew about. She did, after all, have a friend take pictures of us that night at the hotel in Seattle. After everything Jason had said, I was certain it was Sadie who broke into my house. I didn’t give a shit about the drawings she stole anymore. All I cared about was getting her ass in jail or in the fucking mental institution where she belonged.
My doorbell rang and when
I opened the door, Luke Collins stood there, dressed in his dirt-bike gear and covered in mud. “Hey Luke, what can I do for you?” I asked.
He huffed and nodded profusely. “You can design me a bike. This is the third time I’ve had to walk home after riding that piece of shit. I figured I’d make a detour and stop by here first.”
Stepping out of the way, I waved for him to come inside. “I would say you could sit down, but I don’t think Bristol would like you messing up the new furniture.”
“No worries. I’m too pissed to sit anyway.” I led him into the kitchen and grabbed two beers out of the refrigerator. He happily took his and guzzled it down.
“So what exactly are you looking for in a dirt bike? I had the perfect design in my portfolio, but whoever broke into my house has it.”
“Dude, I heard about that. Do you know who did it?” he asked.
I sat down at the bar and he joined me. “The police have their speculations, but it’s not certain. I just hope they figure it out soon.” I would have told him about Sadie, but I didn’t know him well enough.
“Me too,” Luke agreed.
I finished off my beer and tossed the bottle in the trash. “Okay, tell me what you want on your bike,” I said, grabbing a notepad and pen.
I knew everything that went into building bikes, so it was no shock when he went through his list; it was everything I would have asked for as well. As a kid, I rode dirt bikes all the time, but it wasn’t my passion. Football was the thing I devoted most of my time to.
After I wrote down all of his specifications, I knew I could design what he wanted. “Can you give me an hour? And then afterward, I can take you home so you don’t have to walk,” I suggested.
His eyes lit up. “Hell yeah, take all the time you need. Now I just pray my sponsors will like your design and roll with it.”
“There’s only one way to find out.”
—
I finished the sketch for Luke and took him home, and made it back to Bristol’s before her. Angela was supposed to come by and cook, but I decided it would be my night to show Bristol what I could do. The only thing I really knew how to cook was spaghetti, but it was the best damn spaghetti she’d ever have. My mother had taught me how to do it and ever since I’d been living on my own, I made it a point to cook it anytime I could.