Scoring the Quarterback

by SM Soto

  “Fuck, Natalia,” he breathes out right before he comes. He empties himself inside me, and I milk his cock until we’re both lying in a tired heap of sweaty limbs. If I wasn’t sure before, but there’s no doubt in my mind now that I am in love with Luke Caldwell.

  After we both manage to catch our breath, Luke goes to the kitchen to grab water, and I clean up in his bathroom, dressing in his shirt and my discarded underwear. Staring at myself in the mirror, I’m completely shocked at my appearance. My hair is a complete mess, it looks like a rat nest, and my lips are red and swollen from our kissing. A small contented smile tilts the corners of my lips.

  I just had sex with Luke Caldwell.

  I’m no longer a virgin. Holy crap.

  Luke knocks on the bathroom door, completely jolting me out of my thoughts. “You okay in there?”

  I open the door, giving him a reassuring smile, and sit next to him on the bed. Even though we’ve just had sex, and Luke has seen my naked body, I’m still thankful the shirt he gave me covers me up almost entirely.

  Setting the nearly empty water bottle down on his bedside table, I lie back, and watch as Luke does the same. We turn on our sides, facing each other. His hazel eyes rake across my face and search my eyes. I take the time to do the same. His lips are just as swollen and red as mine are, and his cheeks have a subtle pink tint to them. Reaching out, he softly runs his fingers down the plane of my face, then back up, running them through my hair.

  “God, you’re so beautiful, Natalia,” he says quietly, his eyes caressing every inch of my body. My skin heats, and I force myself not to look away in embarrassment.

  “So are you,” I whisper.

  His brows pinch together, almost as if he’s in pain. “I really didn’t want to like you. I tried so hard not to.” He grimaces down at me, freezing his fingers in my hair. I reach up, wrapping my hand around his and squeeze.

  “Since the first day I met you, I’ve been telling myself that I don’t like you, but even then, I think I already did,” I say, chuckling to myself.

  He smirks down at me. “It was my charm, wasn’t it? You just couldn’t resist me.”

  I nudge him in the shoulder and snort. “You wish, buddy.”

  Letting go of his hand in my hair, I softly feather my fingers across his face, just like he did me. “It wasn’t your charm, Luke. It was the man you showed me you really are, deep down, underneath the layers of popularity, football, and vulgarity. I saw the real you.”

  A brief look of fear contorts his face, but it quickly morphs into a look of awe. Grasping my face in his hands, he places firm lips over mine, and kisses me. It is a kiss that ruins all other kisses. A kiss that makes me momentarily forget what planet we are on. It is also a kiss that ruins me for any other man, ever.

  When his hands trail across my skin, leaving a searing path in their wake, my pussy clenches, and I am ready to go again, even if I am sore.

  “Are you sure?” he asks through clenched teeth as I stroke his hard cock.

  “Yes.”

  Ridding myself of my shirt and underwear, I climb on top of Luke. Within seconds he has a condom on and pulls my body forward. I gasp as his hard cock slips through my folds, straight to where I need him. Resting my hands on his pecs, I gyrate my hips, taking his length at the speed and depth that I need, reveling in the delicious ache. His hands massage my breasts, and pinch my nipples, prompting me toss my head back in pure ecstasy. The sounds of wet skin slapping, moans, and pants are all that can be heard throughout the quiet apartment.

  Sitting up, Luke sucks a nipple into his mouth, sending me hurtling over the edge into my orgasm. Soon after, he’s pounding his hips up, meeting me thrust for thrust, chasing his own release. Dropping onto the bed, Luke pants into my hair, and I rest on top of him, wishing we could stay like this forever. He’s changed me, and ruined me, all in the span of a few hours, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  We burrow under the sheets together, with Luke’s arms wrapped around me and my leg resting over his. I place my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, and I marvel at his warmth. He places soft kisses on the top of my head until I fall into a deep, contented sleep.

  When morning comes, his alarm goes off, streams of sunlight escape through his blinds into his bedroom, and we wake. He rolls on top of me and kisses me senseless, until I beg him to get off me.

  “I gotta go practice…did you want to stay here or?” he asks while throwing on one of his practice t-shirts. Following suit, I get out of the bed and make an excuse to leave.

  “No, no. It’s fine. I’m sure it’s safe to go home now. Plus, I have a lot of stuff to do before I go to work. I’ll talk to you after your practice?” I wring my hands nervously behind my back, not sure what the normal protocol for this is.

  “Yeah,” he smiles. “I’ll talk to you after practice.” Bending down, he places a chaste kiss on my lips before going into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

  Natalia

  After I get dressed in yesterday’s clothes, I say goodbye to Luke, and practically do the walk of shame back to my car. I mean, there isn’t necessarily anything shameful about what we did last night, but I still can’t believe that I, of all people, lost my virginity this way. Don’t get me wrong, I’m in love with Luke, but I’m not even sure if he loves me back.

  What if this was just sex to him?

  No, that can’t be true. We had sex in his bed. We cuddled all night…there’s no way. And the way he was looking at me, and talking to me, it has to mean something to him too, right? First thing I’ll do is have a discussion with Luke about what this means for us, then, we’ll go from there.

  When I get home, I’m surprised to see Sam isn’t home, but I’m grateful nonetheless. One look at me and Samantha will know what I’ve been up to. Today’s her day off, so no doubt, she’s probably out doing something that shouldn’t be done. That reminds me, I really need to talk to her about establishing some rules for her sex parties.

  I shower quickly, doing my best to ignore the pang of sadness I get from washing Luke’s smell away. After changing for work, I grab a banana and muffin, then head out the door. I’m only scheduled to work four hours today, so I’ll be done at six tonight. That gives me more than enough time to go home, get ready to see Luke, and talk to him about what happens from here. Just the thought of seeing him brings back memories of last night in vivid technicolor. I bite my bottom lip, hiding the smile that’s dying to spread across my face. My blood roars to life, and my belly flutters wildly in anticipation.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Luke

  “Bro!” Drew shouts from above me as he spots me. “You’ve been out of it all fucking morning man, what the fuck is going on?”

  What’s going on? Someone tell me what the fuck isn’t going on right now.

  I slept with Natalia last night. I cuddled with her in bed. I held her all night. And. I. Fucking. Liked. It.

  That’s my goddam problem.

  “Just got a lot on my mind man.” I lift the bar and continue benching until my arms can’t press anymore.

  “This wouldn’t have anything to do with your new BFF, would it?” Drew asks with an air of ridicule, and my hands curl into fists at my side.

  “Drop it,” I warn.

  “Fuuuuck me. It is!” He groans. “What the fuck are you thinking Luke? You can’t go there, man.”

  “Why the fuck not?” I ask, feeling my temper rise. His eyebrows shoot up and he walks around the bench-pressing equipment to face me.

  “This is fucking why, Luke. Look at you. We’re at practice talking about some fucking chick, man. Your head isn’t in the fucking game!” He slaps a hand to the side of his head for emphasis. “Not to fucking mention, she’s too good for you.”

  That immediately gets my back up. I scowl up at him from my perch on the bench.

  “Natalia is pure and sweet. Everything you’re not. She’s a solid fucking ten man. And
no, I’m not talking about skank ten, but an all-around ten. That’s why you want her,” he says pointing to me. I bite down on my tongue and clench my fists in anger because he’s wrong. It’s so much more than that.

  “Look man, you know for a fact you’re not cut out to be that guy. The one that dates the girl all throughout college and marries her with the happily ever after. That’s not you Luke.”

  “You don’t get it,” I grumble. He crosses his arms over his chest and glares at me.

  “Explain it then, motherfucker.”

  “She’s different man. When I’m with her…it’s like nothing else matters. And she sees me—the real me, Drew. Not that guy that fucks anything wearing a dress. She has such a good heart, and the way she views the people that wrong her—she’s just incredible. I don’t know man….” I rub a frustrated hand through my hair, not knowing what to do with all these feelings. God, I’m turning into a fucking chick.

  “I get it man, I do. But we both know she deserves better. What’s gonna happen if you date each other and you have to spend all that time apart? You think she’s gonna follow you wherever football takes you? The jealously will tear you two apart, and c’mon Luke, we both know you don’t know how to say no to pussy.”

  I scrub my hands over my face not knowing what to do. Fuck, fuck, fuck!

  “Besides the fucking obvious, what else is the problem?” Drew asks.

  “I don’t want to ruin her dreams just to make mine come true. She deserves everything man. She has aspirations for her career and leaving the fucked-up family she has. Who am I to take that shit away from her?” I ask, feeling my anger rise again at my stupidity.

  “Then don’t,” Drew says sternly. I rake a frustrated hand through my hair and tug.

  “And it’s always gonna be about football for me. I won’t stop until I make it, D. I’ve dreamed about this since I was kid, I can’t lose sight of this now. Not when I’m this close.”

  “Good. That sounds like the Luke I know. Just keep your head in the game, man. The devil’s in the details.”

  Easier said than done. I drop my head into my hands, and immediately images from last night flood my head. Fuuuck, I’m hard as a fucking rock just thinking about it. This is so bad.

  “I fucked up last night man.”

  I lift my head up, and Drew’s brows furrow. He stares at me, waiting for me to go on, expecting to hear more.

  “I slept with Natalia last night…and she spent the night.”

  Drew’s silence prompts me to look at him. He’s still just staring at me like he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop.

  “So, what’s the big deal?” he finally asks, and it’s then that I realize what a big fucking mistake I made last night. Even if it was one of the best nights of my life, I should’ve never let things go too far.

  “She was a virgin, Drew.”

  “Jesuuus, Luke!” Drew groans, spins, and tosses his hands up in frustration.

  “You realize what this means, right? You’re fucked either way now. You either have to stay with her or you have to dump her before she gets too clingy. Did you even use a condom? Or did you fucking forget to do that too?”

  I glare up at him, close to bashing my fist through my best friend’s face.

  “These distractions will get you dropped by a scout instantly, Luke. You and I both know it.” I look away from him, focusing on the other guys working out, unaware of what’s happening on this side of the gym. Drew blows out a deep breath, prompting me to look at him.

  “We only have one shot at this man. Are you willing to throw it all away for her?”

  With a pat on my back, he nods before heading toward the locker rooms to change for drills.

  After a long, drawn-out practice, I’m in the locker room with the guys, and Drew nudges me in my ribs. I scowl at him until I realize he’s pointing to the discussion Jared is having with a few of the other players.

  “Yeah man, she started to get too clingy, so I did the only thing I could. Fucked her cousin.” Jared cackles. “She was furious, but hey, she finally stopped calling. If you ever want to get rid of a girl, fuck her sister, her best friend, her cousin, whatever family you can, and she’ll hate you for life.”

  All the guys in locker room howl with laughter. Everyone except me. My gaze swings to Drew who’s giving me the look—like I know what needs to be done. Bile rises to my throat and I feel sick just thinking about doing that to Natalia.

  Fuck my life, this is going to hurt.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Natalia

  I haven’t heard back from Luke since I left his place this morning. All day, throughout my shift, I keep hoping I will get something. Anything. But nope. I try not to be such a girl and let my mind wander, but who am I kidding? My hopeful heart concocts all these scenarios, defending Luke and why he hasn’t contacted me, all the while my brain screams at me, telling me to run now, before it gets worse.

  Before Aliza goes home sick, she asks me to cover her remaining hours for her. With her sunken eyes and running nose, how the hell can I say no?

  When I finally do clock out, it’s 8:30 and I still have zero messages from Luke. I don’t want to let my emotions get the best of me, so I head to his place. I send a quick text, asking if I can swing by, and his immediate response makes me smile.

  Luke Caldwell: of course, beautiful.

  The uneasy feeling dwindles away at that message. See, everything is fine, I keep telling myself, even though I have this knot in my stomach.

  On the drive over to his place, I can’t help but frown. Why the hell didn’t he text me earlier? Is he waiting for me to text him first or something? God, men can be so dumb sometimes. I ignore the growing knot the closer I get to Luke’s place. I rap lightly on the door, and I’m surprised when Drew is the one to open it. Usually when Luke knows I’m on the way, he’s already waiting for me at the door. Drew’s eyes widen when he sees me and his face pales.

  What the hell?

  If I’m not mistaken, he looks shocked to see me, and it’s making me uneasy.

  “Hey Drew,” I say cautiously. “I’m here to see, Luke.”

  His grip on the door tightens, and his jaw clenches. He grumbles something like, “dumb mother fucker” under his breath, but I can’t be too sure.

  “Did he, ah, know you were coming?” Drew asks hesitantly. I frown.

  “Yeah? I texted him when I was on my way.”

  Drew’s upper lip curls into a snarl, and I creep away at the furious look.

  “What’s going on, Drew?” I question. He scrubs a rough hand down his face.

  “You should come back. Luke’s…not in a good place right now just—”

  The door is ripped out of his grasp and swung open. Imagine my surprise when I see Gina on the other end. She brushes past Drew and grins when she sees me.

  “Oh hey, sis. Didn’t know you’d be here. Oh well.” Smiling sweetly, she shrugs. I open my mouth to ask what she’s doing here, but she beats me to it.

  “See ya,” she chirps, brushing past me with a smile and a wink.

  What in the hell is going on? I feel like I’m in the twilight zone.

  At that moment, Luke decides to stumble out of his room, shirtless and fumbling with the zipper on his jeans, looking completely disheveled. My stomach drops.

  No way.

  I shake my head trying to make sense of what I’m seeing.

  NO!

  The floor beneath me shifts and all the air is extracted from my lungs. There’s this stabbing sensation in my heart that prompts tears to cloud my vision. I rapidly blink my eyes, trying to force back the tears. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Drew sigh and back out of the room.

  I walk farther into the apartment, and Luke’s gaze snaps to mine. Something flashes behind his eyes. Hurt…regret maybe? Whatever it is, he hides it quickly.

  “Luke.” My voice trembles. I stare into the hazel eyes that I’ve come to love and feel like I’m going to throw up. I can see
the guilt of what he did in his eyes. It’s clear as day.

  “I did what I had to do,” he says nonchalantly. I suck in gasp of air and cover my mouth with a trembling hand. It’s like someone is jamming an ice pick into my heart over and over, and I can’t do anything to stop it. I don’t even need to ask because I know the answer. He just gave it to me loud and clear.

  “After everything….” I trail off as my voice wobbles. “How could you do this to me?” I whisper. Luke shrugs and darts his eyes away. A stab of pain hits me in the pit of my chest. It dissolves into an icy chill that spreads throughout my body, leaving me numb.

  “This is me, Babygirl. I’m Luke Caldwell, and this is what I do.”

  I shake my head back and forth, feeling my temper rise. “You and I both know that’s bullshit. I’ve spent almost every day with you for the last few months Luke, and this,” I gesture to him, “isn’t you.”

  Luke scoffs. “You may think you know me, but you don’t. I got what I wanted, so now I’m ending this. I knew you’d be the clingy type, so I’m doing you a favor here.” My heart cracks open in my chest, making it impossible to breathe. “I’ve finally fucked you, so now we can end this fake ass friendship.”

  I feel like someone has stabbed me in the chest with a dagger and is dragging it through my internal organs. Everything hurts, and I can barely breathe.

  “But you said….” I trail off, remembering everything he said the night before. My face contorts in pain. “I trusted you,” I whisper.

  “I fucking lied, Natalia. I don’t care about you. I don’t even like you. You mean nothing—” Before I can stop myself, I stomp over to him and slap him across the face. He shuts up immediately and his nostrils flare, no doubt from the pain of the slap. My palm stings, and I shake it out.

  I get right up in his personal space and force him to look down at me. There’s pain in his eyes and I can’t tell if it’s from what he’s doing to me, or from the slap. Regardless, it makes my eyes sting, and I do my best to ignore it.