“Take me, Travis.”
He shifted his hips, his superior body control bringing his cock to my entrance with no need to use his hands. We stared into each other’s eyes as he pushed inside, his manhood filling my pussy an inch at a time in one slow, smooth slide.
He bit his tongue as he bottomed out inside me, the base of his shaft pulling at my clit and making my eyes roll back for a few seconds at the overwhelming sensations.
Our bodies worked together to find a natural rhythm that suited us both, each of us moving our hips in slow movements, much slower than our usual pace. Despite the lack of speed, it felt even more intense than usual, and I could feel the small spasms begin in my thighs that presaged my climax. It built for long minutes, a slow fire that grew to consume me.
“I’m right there, Travis,” I breathed.
He kissed my neck, maintaining the same pace as he thrust deeply inside me.
“Me too, Sexy.”
I clutched him tighter as the orgasm threatened to overwhelm me, legs shaking as I fought to ride out the explosions rocking my body. As I neared my peak, his own contractions within me stretched me ever wider, giving me another burst of pleasure that lent strength to my cry of passion.
“Yes!”
Travis relaxed on top of me, the muscles that had been taut and tense during his climax softening. I traced my finger on his back in little circles, savoring the bliss that filled me from making up.
Only a couple more weeks until we can truly be together.
Such a short period of time. We made it.
Chapter 20
~Travis~
PAST
The girl in my lap settled into the kiss more fully, getting into it and holding onto my shoulders as we made out.
Even in the thrall of a drunken make-out session, all I could picture in my mind wasn’t getting this girl back to my room, but the way Sexy had let that guy touch her.
I popped an eye open to look across the bar, but she wasn’t there any longer.
If she’s left with that guy, I swear to hell, he’ll pay.
Then I saw her. Only ten feet away. Running for the door with tears on her face.
She must have seen me.
Disgust washed over me at my behavior. Acting like a tool, as if I had something to prove. Like I was no better than Ricky.
I lost all taste for the woman in my arms, pulling back.
“Wow,” she said with a cutesy affectation. “You’re a good kisser. And you’re so big and tall.”
Her voice annoyed me. From the tone, I could tell she was as vacuous and superficial as she was plastic and pretty.
“Yeah… I have to go.”
I stood up and set her down, leaving without a further word.
Where is she?
Sexy had left the bar only moments before I had, so she couldn’t be far. That didn’t make it easy to find her. The streets were too crowded to pick out a single person too easily.
There!
She was turning down a path to the beach. Her long hair disappeared around the corner a split second after I spotted her. I had almost been too late.
I shook off the effects of the tequila as I loped after her, dodging around revelers and eating up ground with long strides.
The path looked deserted at first glance, but I heard the tail end of a bit-off sob.
“Sexy? I know you’re here.”
A sniffle answered me.
“Where are you? Talk to me.”
“Go away.”
“I won’t do that.”
“Leave me alone. You have no problems finding someone to help you enjoy your week.”
She spoke for long enough that I could follow her voice to a small bench set in the darkness. Her thighs were drawn up to her chest, with her arms wrapped around her legs and face buried in her knees.
“I haven’t enjoyed a single second of my life since the moment you walked out my door. I can’t even tell you how terrible it was to see you flirting with someone else at the bar.”
She sniffled and looked up at me. “You saw that?”
I nodded. “That’s what made me take five shots and grab the nearest girl to get you out of my head. But I’ll never be able to get you out of there, Sexy. You’ve cast a spell on me that I can’t shake.”
The look she gave me was heavy and poignant.
“We shouldn’t do this.”
“Even if it all goes down in flames, even if all we have is another few days, shouldn’t we take the time we have available to us while we still have the chance? It’ll be painful when we go, but we may as well be happy for as long as we can. We’d be stupid to let this slip through our fingers.”
Sexy unfolded her legs and crossed the distance from the bench to the path. Her arms slipped around my waist.
“I should push you away, but I can’t. Not yet.”
PRESENT
The film room was dark except for the blue glow given off by the screens that lit the players’ faces.
I’d taken the lead on this session. I knew our opponent in the championship game more intimately than anyone else in the organization. I’d run their offense for two years.
“Portland will emphasize their running game—it’s now their number one weapon. Damon led the league in rushing yards this season for a reason. We’ll have our hands full trying to contain him, and that’s our number one concern. However, no team gets to the championship as a one-trick pony, and we still have to beware of their receivers. All it takes is one slip, and they could send a man downfield for a touchdown.”
We’d been in the room for a few hours, and we were only halfway through Portland’s game tape for the season. I paused the screen and rewound it, using a laser pointer to highlight the move I wanted them to look at.
“You can see Damon here. This should look familiar to you. It’s the move I’ve seen him pull the most throughout the years. That little half-step to the left and then spin to the right to dodge an incoming tackle has left a lot of defenders lying on the ground looking like rookies. Don’t look like a rookie.”
I opened my mouth to point out another quirk of Damon’s, but a searing pain behind my left eyebrow took me by surprise. My vision turned red, and I fought to keep my feet as I wavered at the front of the room.
The sudden onslaught disappeared as quickly as it arrived, and I looked around the room to see if anyone had noticed. The players’ faces were all on the screen, but Tony looked right at me.
Fuck. Maybe he didn’t see it.
“The important thing to remember, men, is that we’ve beaten these guys. They put up another impressive season with only that one loss, and I know the papers and that organization say they were just unprepared in the first game of the season, but we know the truth. We can beat them again. They’re all that stands between us and a championship. Think about that. Did you think you’d have this opportunity after last year’s season?”
“Hell no,” Leroy said. “We fucking stank last year.”
I nodded. “That’s right. But you’re different this year. You’ve found better versions of yourselves, and we only have one game left to go to complete one of the greatest and most unlikely seasons of all time. I won’t lie and say it will be easy—this game will be a scrappy, hard-fought game. Portland will not roll over and let us have this one. But they don’t have to, because we’ll go out there, and we’ll take it from them with every ounce of strength in our bodies. Are you with me?”
The men cheered. The sound sent a blistering pain through my temples, striking the smile and enthusiasm from my own face for a moment before I recovered enough to cheer with the men.
The session over, the players and coaches filed out of the room. I pulled out my phone and pretended to look at it as I fought through the crushing headache that struck so quickly.
“Are you okay, King?” Tony joined me, his voice low. “You looked a little pained during your presentation.”
The coach was going out of his way to mak
e sure no one else was alerted to any potential problem with their quarterback.
“I’m fine, coach. It’s just a stress headache. It’ll go away in a few minutes.”
He put a hand on my shoulder. “Take care of it. I want you on the field this weekend, leading this team to victory. Do you understand me?”
We met eyes. I was familiar with the passion and intensity I saw there. I’d seen it in the mirror often enough. Tony would risk anything to win the championship.
“It’s all good. Nothing’s keeping me from that field.”
“Good. See that it doesn’t.”
The coach left the room, leaving me alone in the near darkness. The quiet prevented any of the shooting pains, but the pressure inside my head continued to build.
I need something for this.
I couldn’t go to the doctors—they would order more tests that might take me out of the game.
With a tap on the door, I walked into the lab. Juliette was alone, working at her computer in the corner.
“Travis! We have to be careful. You shouldn’t be here. We’re only a week away from the end of the contract.” Juliette’s words slowed as she glimpsed my face and the grimace I couldn’t keep off. “Are you okay? What happened?”
I crossed the lab to her side. “Do you have any headache medication?”
Worry turned to panic on her face. “You need to see the doctor, Travis. If you’re having headaches, that’s a sign you haven’t fully recovered. You need to make sure everything’s all right.”
I shook my head. “I can’t do that. If I go to the doctor, they might pull me from the game. I won’t jeopardize that.”
Juliette’s reaction was as predictable as I expected.
“Your health is more important than a stupid championship. What good will a trophy do you if you take another big hit and can never play again?”
I stared at her. “A championship ring is the pinnacle of achievement. It’s what I’ve chased my whole life. If I don’t seize this chance now, who knows if I’ll get another shot? For all I know, I’ll get hit by a car next year, and then what sort of legacy will I leave behind?”
She crossed her arms. “You’re making a mistake to not at least get it checked out. Maybe it’s nothing, and they’ll let you play anyway.”
“I can’t take that risk. This is just a headache. People get them all the time.”
“Most people didn’t just have a massive concussion a month before.”
I shut her up the best way I knew how. Pulling her close, I kissed Juliette deeply. She softened in my grip and let her arms uncross and come around me.
I brought us out gently, then gave her another quick peck on the lips.
“I’ll be fine. It’s one game. And I’ll do everything I can to avoid being hit. I trusted you by coming here. Please don’t betray that trust.”
She twisted her shirt in one hand. “Damnit, Travis. Fine. I won’t say anything. For now. But you have to take care of yourself.”
I pecked her again, but it turned into a deep kiss, the fiery passion between us unsatisfied with less.
“I will. I’ll see you in Vegas for the game.”
I left the lab, my mind half on the game ahead and half on the woman behind. It was so occupied that I barely noticed Tony lingering in the hallway, giving him an automatic nod with no further thought.
Chapter 21
~Juliette~
PAST
Cocky and I walked along the beach, forging our way with dim light from town and our memories. I couldn’t see his face, but his presence was like a sun by my side, keeping me warm and promising safety.
I’ll cherish this for what it is. A few more days of bliss, and then I’ll never see him again.
It gave me the resolve to make the most of it in every way I could.
The days passed in a timeless haze—seemingly never-ending and yet evaporating far too quickly at the same time. Hours passed in a blur of talking and sex and companionship, with beach and sun and drinks and food thrown in for good measure. It was like a relationship boot camp—two dozen dates squeezed into one week, and living together to boot.
Waking up on the final full day was bittersweet. One more full day to enjoy Cocky’s company and consummate lovemaking skill, and then time to fly home. I rested my head on his chest and listened to his heart beat as I traced out circles and figure-eights on his chest.
Thump. Thump.
“Morning,” he rumbled, his voice that sexy low and raspy way it got when he hadn’t had a chance to clear his throat and have a drink.
“Morning.”
We lay together, unwilling to rise out of bed, letting the sun pour through the window and brighten the small room.
“Last day,” he said.
Both of our flights left early in the morning. This was it.
“I wish that wasn’t the case.”
He stroked my hair with one hand while his other rested on my hip.
“What’s your name, Sexy?”
I stiffened and pulled away to look him in the eye.
“You know I won’t tell you. We’ll both regret it if we take that extra step. You know we will.”
He shook his head. “Come on, Sexy. That’s bullshit. I need to know. I promise I won’t look you up or try to find you. I just want to know your name.”
“No way. That won’t happen, Cocky. I won't cave on this one.”
“I could just ask Heather, you know. Or I can just tell you mine. It’s—”
I slapped a hand on his mouth. Hard.
“Don’t you dare fucking say your name. If you can’t respect my wishes on this, then I’m out that door again, and for good this time. You won’t see me again.”
The threat rang hollow when we might never see each other after tomorrow anyway, but he nodded and his eyes persuaded me to give him a chance to speak.
“I’m sorry, Sexy. It’s just driving me crazy. I don’t want you to go. Of course I don’t want you to go. If one more day with you is my only option, that’s what I’ll take.”
I softened, unable to stay angry in the face of his devotion. It would have been too much, too soon if I didn’t feel the same way about him.
With a sigh, I settled my head back on his chest.
Thump. Thump.
“I just want one more perfect day with you so that I can take it with me for the rest of my life.”
PRESENT
There was a lot of equipment to pack for the championship game. Unlike the playoff games to this point, the championship game was played in a city that had been chosen years ago, so home field advantage wasn’t a factor. Since it was in Las Vegas, a short flight away, the team had decided to stay in Los Angeles until the last possible moment, flying into town a mere twenty-four hours before the game started.
The problem with packing alone was that my thoughts were free to roam, and I couldn’t prevent them from stressing over Travis’s injury.
He’ll get himself hurt. He’ll give himself permanent brain damage and become someone else.
Would I still love him if he experienced the worse side effects of severe concussions? Would he even be the same person?
It’ll be fine. He’s played through two playoff games with no problems. There’s just one more game. That’s all. He can make it. I’m overreacting.
“How is the packing going?” Dr. Kent walked through the lab doors. “Have you remembered the wireless bridge?”
“Professor! It’s going well. We’ve played nine road games this year. I’ve got it down to a science. I have a checklist with everything on it. We’ll be fine. Everything’s ready for the flight in the morning.”
I’d forgotten the wireless bridge for the first road game of the season, and the professor had asked me about it before every other game since. And every game, I told him the same thing.
“Yes, of course. This is the big game, Juliette. I never expected that this study would give us the chance to watch the championship from the sidelines.
It’s a dream come true.” Dr. Kent’s eyes sparkled, but they didn’t see anything in the room. His love of football had become clear over the course of the study—it wasn’t a purely academic interest that brought him here.
I thought back to everything that had happened over the course of the season. If it weren’t for the study, I’d never have met Travis again. “It’s been a phenomenal opportunity, sir. Thank you again for selecting me to work with you on it. It means the world.”
“There’s a lot more work to be done yet, Juliette. Once this season is over, we have months ahead of us of dissecting the data and trends. The long-term observation of player health will continue for the next twenty-five years to draw correlations from this data to future health outcomes. We’re just getting started.”
The data collection phase was the only thing I cared about. Once it was over, Travis and I could finally be together for real.
The lab door swung open again. A flash of annoyance at being interrupted by training staff changed to apprehension when Tony entered instead. Behind him, a man in a suit—the lawyer, Mr. Reynolds.
I hadn’t seen him since the first day with the team. The sight of him filled me with foreboding.
Dr. Kent was equally uncomfortable. He crossed his arms, an automatic defensive reaction at the sight of the lawyer. “What’s going on?”
Mr. Reynolds smiled. “No pleasantries? It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other.”
Neither of us said anything.
“Very well. I’m here because Coach Perkins saw Juliette and Travis King being far too familiar with each other in violation of the league’s contract. You know what the consequences of that are.”
My worst fears are coming true.
We’d been careful. But not careful enough.
“I have to talk with players to conduct the study properly,” I said. “Whatever Tony saw, I’m sure it was legitimate. He’s just making a big deal out of it because he’s upset that our sensors discovered Travis’s concussion and forced him to miss the end of the regular season.”
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