Amy and I made eye contact. She nodded.
“Green PR was once solid, but lately Steve has been lagging behind,” I explained. “He’s not catching up to the rest of the digital world in the way he does things. And he’s quite abrasive when it comes to working with him. He doesn’t take criticism or outside ideas well.”
“Plus, Steve kept using Andrea’s ideas, then taking credit for them,” Amy added. “We’re going out on our own, starting our own business.”
Mr. Yerac nodded. “Well, after the miracle you’ve pulled off with Napleton, I’d be silly not to at least take a look at a proposal from you two. I’m not making any hard promises, though. But in any case, I can definitely put you in touch with some clients who need branding help.”
“That would be incredible,” I chimed in.
Mr. Yerac shook his head as the umpire sent another batter to the dugout, compliments of a strikeout by The Big Unit. “I still don’t understand how you did it, Andrea. It was like overnight. Yawper retracted their story, issued an apology, and then that video in the hair salon went viral. Though I’m not too sure about your…involvement with Jake, but love does come in many different packages. And your orchestration of that whole thing was incredible.”
“Thanks.” I nodded. Amy rolled her eyes a little, since she had been listening to people compliment me on the whole thing for weeks. I had been lucky, sure, but I also wasn’t afraid to get mixed up with Grant, which was what ultimately won out. The lucky part was that one of the women who was getting her hair cut had recorded the whole interaction between my mother and me and had recently posted it. She’d even caught Jake’s entrance on video and posted it on YouTube with the title, “There’s more to the story.”
Soon, a variation of the hashtag we’d used weeks earlier appeared again. #Moretothestory was still the most popular hashtag on all social media platforms, and, ironically, the people of Twitter demanded a more in-depth exploration of the Jake Napleton Saga. As for Grant, he’d finally gotten his just desserts. Last I’d heard, the Bulldogs were planning to release him. Good riddance.
Jake had been interviewed by every major TV news show, and people were finally getting to see the real Jake. And he wasn’t fighting it. Oh, he still wanted to keep a few things to himself and cracked jokes, but he was talking about his past in ways that he hoped resonated with others.
But Tate’s interview was the clincher. When the cute little blond kid got in front of the camera and started talking about how hard life was in that part of Chicago, and that Jake coaching Little League gave the boys that played there hope and something to do, the nature of the debate shifted greatly. Instead of talking about some sensationalist, gossipy story, the debate turned to the lack of resources allocated to poor and disadvantaged neighborhoods.
Ironically, Jake went from “child kidnapper” to an icon for social change almost instantly. The best part, though, was that when Jake got his contract reinstated by Mr. Yerac, he told me I could pick the name of the charity that we’d be starting to help kids on the South Side: The Big Unit for Change.
I sat back in my seat, took a deep breath, and watched as Jake struck out the last batter of the inning with a fastball.
“Holy shit!” some guy from behind me yelled to his friend. “The Big Unit’s on fire tonight. He’s throwing like a hundred miles per hour every pitch!”
Jake started his slow, cocky walk back to the dugout. He looked at me, winked, and blew me a little kiss. I blew him one right back.
“Awww, aren’t you two so cute,” Amy said.
I rolled my eyes. “I think we’ve been through enough to deserve a little kiss-blowing while he’s on the mound.”
Tate poked me, a quizzical look on his face. “Miss Andrea, why do they call Coach The Big Unit?”
Amy stifled a laugh. Even Mr. Yerac arched an eyebrow, probably curious how a PR expert would handle this situation.
“Well Tate, that’s a good question. It’s a nickname because he’s a big guy and he brings the heat.”
“Yeah, he does throw pretty fast,” Tate said.
We all breathed a collective sigh of relief.
My mind drifted off to what me and The Big Unit would be doing later, after we put Tate to bed.
The game ended in a 7-2 Jaguars victory. I left Tate with Amy, as we had planned, and headed down to the locker room. The security guard, Scotty, smiled when he saw me.
“Hey, Andrea.”
I was a little surprised he knew my name. “Thanks for everything you did with Jake. We all knew he was a good guy at heart, even if he can be a little much to deal with sometimes. We couldn’t have won the World Series without him. So thanks.”
“Wow, Scotty. That means a lot to me, but Jake’s the one who deserves the credit.”
“Well, maybe, but you’re the mastermind behind it, and whatever you did…it worked. Now get in there and have some fun. You want a poncho?”
I ruffled my brow. “Why would I need a poncho?”
“Some of the reporters have been using them. You know what, you look like you’re ready for some fun. Just head in.”
When he opened the door, I heard the roar coming from inside the locker room. “We Are the Champions” blasted over the speakers, and all of the players were hooting.
As soon as I was inside, I realized why he had asked if I needed a poncho. So many players had opened up bottles of champagne and were spraying them all over the locker room, it was basically a champagne rainstorm. I had worn jeans, Jake’s jersey, and a baseball cap to the game, and my shirt was rapidly becoming drenched.
Without warning, I felt a body press up behind me. As soon as I felt the long arms wrap around my torso, I knew who it was.
“Hello,” Jake said, kissing me on the cheek. “Nice jersey.”
“Thanks.” I spun around and wrapped my arms around Jake’s neck.
His face was an ear-to-ear cocky smirk. “I thought you had a pretty strict policy against dating players though. Weird. Must be a pretty great guy.”
The corners of my lips tugged up, and my smile matched his. “At first I thought he was a pretty big asshole—to be honest—but after I got to know him, it turned out he had some redeeming qualities.”
“Maybe he just needed a special lady who was worth changing for. And you were that girl.”
“You think so?”
“I know so.” He pulled my body into his. I could see the flame of desire in his eyes.
Since I’d come in, many of the players and the staff had begun to file out of the locker room. They had abandoned their champagne bottles and seemed to all be leaving with a purpose. Soon, it was just a few stragglers, everyone taking the party outside and all over Chicago, probably all night long.
“Hey Napleton,” Dwayne yelled, the last player to leave. He was already halfway out the door. “You comin’? We’re going to Mars Club. Gonna be a crazy night.” He arched an eyebrow at Jake.
“Go with your friends,” I whispered. Jake looked at me, then back at Dwayne.
“I’ll catch up with you all soon, Dwayne.”
Dwayne nodded and left. A couple of other odd people filed out, and we were left in a suddenly empty locker room.
“You should go hang out with your friends and do the afterparty,” I urged.
Jake kissed me. “You’re my friend. How about we have our own after-party?”
“Jake Napleton, king of the rowdy afterparty, wants to stay in. I feel honored. What do you want to do?”
He looked at me and smirked, his eyes traveling from my legs upward and finally landing on my face. “You mean besides undress you with my eyes?”
“Funny. That’s exactly what I was doing.”
His hand in mine, he glanced toward the shower. “I was thinking you seem a little dirty. And I think we could both use a good rinse.”
I grinned, and he took my hand, leading us toward the locker room showers. My heart beat furiously.
“You don’t think anyone will
see us, do you?”
“Nah. But if they do, fuck ‘em. If I can’t have a little fun with my future wife, who can I have fun with?”
I froze. “Did you just say future wife?”
Jake stopped short. “Shit. Shit. That slipped out… Freudian slip? I mean, it’s only been a couple months but…when you know, you know, I suppose. Damn, I probably freaked you out.”
Tears formed in my eyes and started to stream down my cheeks. I gripped his forearm and bicep with my hands and got on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear.
“It’s okay. When you know, you know.”
I nibbled on his ear, and his grin returned. He led the way into the shower so we could have our own celebration, just the two of us.
THE END
Bonus Novella coming up next! And don’t forget to check out the deleted scene before you go!
Extended Epilogue
Andrea
“Mr. Yerac is running a little late,” the secretary said in a businesslike tone as she led us to Harry Yerac’s office. “I will leave you two in here to wait for him.”
Jake grunted a bit as he sauntered inside, clearly a tad frustrated. The bad boy of baseball had come a long way in the past few weeks, but he still hated waiting for people. Even if it was the owner of the best team in the major leagues.
“Do you two need anything? Water? Coffee?” she gestured toward the couch. Jake stared at it, then back at her, but didn’t sit.
“Honestly, if there’s anything I need right now it’s a quick nap,” Jake grumbled. “How long do you think Mr. Yerac will be?”
I furrowed my brow. Jake was not a napper. Nor would his six foot six inch frame even remotely fit on the couch. I didn’t get why he was being goofy and asking about naps.
“He didn’t say exactly. As soon as he finishes up the conference call with Boston he’ll be in.” She shrugged. “Could be one minute, or it could be twenty. He’s a busy man, so I never know. It’s hard to tell.”
“Thanks, Marsha,” Jake said with a twinkle in his eye, charming the secretary like it was his job. “Just ring us when he’s about to come in, will you? I want to make sure I’m up from my cat nap. It’s part of my game day routine,” he winked.
“Uh, yeah, I guess,” she replied, looking confused as she shut the door and left us alone in Mr. Yerac’s office.
“Jake, why do you insist on messing with the secretaries? Just lying about naps for no reason?” I shook my head. “It’s a little mean spirited.”
Jake didn’t answer my question immediately, just stared at me silently with a cocky smile. He took a couple of big steps toward me, closing the space between us. “Andrea, baby, you’re calling me mean?” He made a big, exaggerated frowning face. “That makes me a little sad.”
He placed his hand on my hip and pulled my body against him. I gasped a little, not expecting his touch in the office. “Jake,” I swallowed. “What are you doing? We can’t, not here. They don’t even know we’re together yet. And even if we are together and management is okay with it, I’m pretty sure hooking up in the goddamn owner’s office is slightly frowned upon, to say the least.”
Jake ran his hand along my jawline and cocked his head down to look at me. “But Marsha’s going to buzz us when he’s coming in.” he smirked. “Thanks to my genius bullshit about my nap on game day routine.”
My heart began thumping quickly. I felt his rippling chest and abs pressed against me through his t-shirt, and I realized that I was gripping his forearm tightly.
“I just...I don’t know. We’re trying to convince Mr. Yerac you’ve changed your image. And you have! In spite of all the bullshit people talk about you, you’re so damn different. Tate knows how to read now for goodness sake! Why can’t, we just have to wait until we get...oh, God…”
My protests were futile as Jake reached below the hem of my wrap dress and worked his hand up the flesh of my thigh, until his fingers were inches from my opening. His jaw dropped when he realized what I didn’t have on underneath.
“Andrea, where are your panties?” he growled.
“Didn’t have any today,” I murmured. “I crashed at your place and didn’t bring any extras.”
“Fuck, Andrea,” he grunted as he grazed his fingers over my clit. I couldn’t help arching my hips into him. This was very bad. He brought his hand up toward his face and stared at his fingers in disbelief. “You’re already soaking wet.”
“Yes,” I whispered while I reached up to my tippy toes to nibble on his ear.
“I thought you said this was a bad idea,” he whispered back. In a gesture that only Jake could do to me without being creepy, he pressed his two fingers that had just been between my legs to his tongue.
I whimpered, nuzzling my head under his chin and kissing his neck. I looked up at him with desire in my eyes, and I hate how easily he could push me to this point. I was a good girl. Office hookups that put my career in jeopardy weren’t something I did. But I needed him. “God dammit Jake, why do you have to be so fucking sexy? You know I can’t say no to you.” I hesitated, looking down and away before I brought my eyes back to him. “We have to make it quick, before Mr. Yerac comes in.”
Jake grunted at my acceptance, and pressed his lips against mine. Both of his hands dropped to my ass as he walked me backwards until I hit the cold glass of Mr. Yerac’s gigantic office window that overlooked Jaguar field. I pressed a palm into the window for balance as I felt all of his weight on me. Under my dress, he grabbed my full cheek with his giant hand and squeezed as he sucked on my neck.
“I love your softball player ass, Andrea. Have I told you that?”
I giggled. “Yes, only every day for the past week.”
“Good,” he said, taking his hands off my cheeks, and sliding them up my body. “But I’ll make sure to spread the love to other places, too.”
“It’s okay, honey. I’ve been pretty fascinated by one particular part of you lately, anyway.” I slid my hand down his rock hard abs and into his jeans. I gripped the base of his cock and stroked it, feeling it harden in my hand. With nowhere to go, his hardness pressed up against the crotch of his jeans. “No underwear either? I guess you really are as bad as they say you are.”
He laughed. “Sweetheart, I think you know me well enough to realize that wearing no underwear isn’t the worst thing I’ve done.”
“Oh yeah?” I egged him on as I stroked him with one hand and undid his belt with the other. I unbuttoned and unzipped his jeans, peeled them down, then brought his cock out, being careful not to let it get caught on the metal of the zipper. “What is the worst thing you’ve done?”
He groaned and stroked my inner thigh. He was inches from my clit, teasing me with the closeness of his dexterous finger. I wanted him to touch me so badly. “I don’t know off the top of my head, but fucking in Harry Yerac’s office is about to be damn near the top of my list.”
He took my hand and led me to Mr. Yerac’s desk. In one swift move he maneuvered Mr. Yerac’s nameplate, keyboard, and his Chicago Jaguars coffee mug out of the way from the center of his desk. He palmed the back of my head, kissed the hell out of me, then turned me around and hiked up my dress. The fancy black thing bunched up around my waist, looking more like a funny accessory than the dress it was supposed to be.
He pushed me forward, causing me to palm the desk. “Fuck Jake, I need you to fuck me.”
I braced myself a little for him, but Jake had other plans.
“Not yet,” he growled.
When I felt Jake’s finger curl into my pussy, followed by his mouth on my clit, I moaned and felt my palms sweating on Mr. Yerac’s desk. Shit. I was definitely going to leave sweat marks. I slipped my elbows down onto the hard wood as I felt Jake’s tongue twist against my clit. My words as we started this hookup felt like a faint and distant plea as he methodically curled two fingers inside me, finding the spot he’d grown too adept at hitting.
Just make it quick, before he comes in.
Now, I was bein
g bent over one of the richest billionaires in Chicago’s desk. And Jake didn’t show any sign of hurrying. He’d never been a fan of quickies, anyhow.
He spread my legs out to the sides so he could dive in more easily between my folds, I supposed. Waves of pleasure came over me and my arms trembled as I tried to stay steady on the desk. Another twist of Jake’s long tongue on my swollen clit, and my whole upper body collapsed.
“Jake, please,” I protested faintly, my vision hazy. “Fuck me before he comes.”
I felt the absence of Jake’s tongue, and then his fingers slid out of me. He tugged at my hips, I stood up, and he walked me to the glass window that looked over Jaguars field. There was hardly anyone out there, aside from a lone groundskeeper mowing the lawn.
“Put your hands against the glass,” he ordered, and I did, teetering in my four inch pumps. I glanced behind me and saw Jake’s full throbbing cock out, completely hard. His shirt was off and I could see his arms, abs and chest. His pants had fallen down around his ankles. The morning light streamed in and brightened every inch of his muscular body, aside from his face which was in the shadows.
He positioned my ass in front of him just the way he wanted me, and I turned my gaze back to the field as he eased himself inside me.
I whimpered and quivered a little, bracing against the window to keep my balance as he pushed all the way inside me. He thrust in and pulled out a few times with ease as I got used to him. I was as wet as I’d ever been with him, and within a minute he was bucking into me with his full length.
I tried my best to hold back my moans as Jake fucked me harder with every stroke, his hips knocking against my ass. He fisted the dress which was still bunched around my waist, and used the cloth for extra leverage as he hit a spot deep inside me.
“I’m coming,” I moaned, the orgasm overtaking me. I shook as I came, and I heard Jake’s grizzled grunts as I clenched my pussy around him. I lost my balance against the glass, but he must have noticed, and took care to hold onto my upper half, his hands groping at my tits as I lost contact with the glass. He pulled the top of my dress down, and my my tits burst out, pressing into the glass for a moment. I leaned into him, arching my back against his chest. “I’m coming. I’m coming so hard, baby,” I whimpered to him softly.
Ten Night Stand Page 47