Leap of Faith: A Sports Romance (Love of the Game Book 3)

by McClendon, Shayne

  She held the sticky sweetness in her mouth for a long time to let as much of the sugars enter her blood stream through the soft tissues of her gums as possible. When she swallowed, he stretched out beside her, and pulled the blankets over her body.

  “You’re too cold. I completely forgot you hadn’t eaten.”

  She shook her head carefully. “I know better. I just…I wanted you and I forgot about food. You’re much better looking in person, Tuck.”

  “So are you. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize you. You’re better known in the States.”

  “Not for anything good. My first two boyfriends were idiot clients of my father’s just like Peter. He was older and my dad pushed him at me hard but my mom never liked him. She said I’d regret it and I sure as hell do.”

  Tucker stroked her hair away from her face and kissed her forehead as room service arrived. Shrugging on a hotel robe and picking up his wallet, he guided the cart in and gave the man two hundreds on top of the total.

  He was obviously a fan. “The first hundred is for getting here so fast. The second is to forget I was here. Understood?” The man nodded slowly and Tuck asked if he wanted an autograph with a smile. He signed the back of his order pad. “Have a great night.”

  The moment the door closed, he poured Sasha a glass of orange juice and set it on the bedside table. Bending, he moved her higher on the bed and handed her the glass. She was shaking and he cupped his hands around hers so she could drink.

  He made her a plate of several different foods and sat while she ate. “You’ve got to be starving, Tuck. Tell me you ordered food for yourself?” He nodded with a smile. “I’ll be okay. I normally don’t have drops but traveling messes me up. I’m careful and usually have more snacks.”

  Tucker pulled the cart along the bed and sat on the edge as he cut into a thick steak. “Weak is the last word I’d use to describe you, Sasha.” He gave her a shrug. “You’re fucking awesome. I can’t believe Baxter let you get away.”

  “My dad loved him, I didn’t. We were only married a couple of years and most of that he was traveling. I didn’t intend to get pregnant. I kept having major sugar fluctuations from dealing with his bullshit and lost the baby. It bothered me more than I thought it would.”

  “I’m sorry. I can’t imagine.”

  She chewed carefully as she looked at a man expressing more understanding than most would have thought possible about a woman’s trauma following a miscarriage. “Thank you, Tucker.”

  “I’m glad we met. Glad you’re back in the States.”

  “I stayed in England because my dad wanted me there to represent the company. When I realized he wasn’t interested in me doing anything but getting back with Peter, I quit. He begged me to come back and said there were three people he was switching to me to handle. I don’t think this is what he had in mind, Tuck.”

  “Maybe not, but you still need to agree to see me again.” He didn’t push but nodded at her food. “You should eat more.” He finished his own food and put the dishes back on the rolling table.

  “I don’t eat much, just more often.” She added her own dishes and felt much better. Gritting her teeth, she checked her blood sugar. The readings weren’t great but they were better.

  She leaned back on the pillows and stared at the beautiful athlete, the man to whom half the women in the country probably had in mind as they masturbated. It was surreal to be here with him like this.

  “Thank you for everything tonight, Tuck. If you hadn’t come along when you did, I’d have gone into diabetic shock alone.”

  He kissed her forward before he pushed the cart into the hall. Shutting off the lamp, he climbed in bed beside her and tugged her to his chest.

  “Tuck…”

  “Hush, Sasha. Get some sleep.”

  Surprisingly, she did just that.

  * * *

  The next morning, Tuck woke her gently. The night before seemed like a dream until she rolled over and he found himself staring into her eyes.

  They drifted over his body, dressed in slacks and dress shirt, mostly unbuttoned. A small sigh slipped from between her lips.

  His grin made a little crinkle form between her eyes. “You said you have meetings starting at noon and we’ve got to get a regular meal in you before then. It’s nine now, and though I’m all for stripping down and getting back in that bed with you, I’m going to make it your call.”

  Kicking her foot in a mini tantrum, she rolled over and pushed back the covers. Getting gracefully to her feet, she stretched and padded sleepily to the bathroom. A few moments later, he heard the beep of her blood sugar monitor.

  Tuck wanted his dick somewhere in Sasha’s body but knew she had work to do; play would have to wait until later. Rubbing his hands down his face, he finished getting dressed and turned on the television.

  Flipping through the channels looking for ESPN, he thought he caught a quick flash of his own face and went back. There was a celebrity gossip show on and Sasha’s picture filled the screen. It was a photo from a few years ago. Her hair was shorter and she was sporting a fake smile.

  When a picture of Tuck in uniform appeared next to her, he turned up the volume, a sense of dread forming in his gut. The leading story was Tuck’s last game, last touchdown, and last grope of a previously unknown woman in the stands.

  The newscaster was excited to relate, “The woman has now been identified as Sasha Fowler-Baxter, ex-wife of international rugby star Peter Baxter.”

  A picture of Baxter appeared, Sasha’s photo positioned between the two athletes. The implication was obvious and total bullshit.

  “Details of the Fowler-Baxter divorce were kept from the public, though there were rumors of infidelity. Peter Baxter has repeatedly made it clear he wants his ex-wife back.”

  Running her hand through professionally straightened hair, the woman tried to assume a thoughtful expression. “One can only wonder how the four-time World Cup winner will react to reports from our sources that Sasha was brought to the hospital by Tucker Irvin after last night’s game. Once she was released, he took her to a local hotel.”

  A front view of the hotel they were standing in showed on the screen and Tuck gritted his teeth.

  A clip of the man who checked Sasha in the night before appeared. “She checked in late looking out of it and Irvin was carrying her bags. They went up together and he never came back down. So, you know.”

  Tuck leaned close to the television and growled. “You are fucking toast, little man.”

  “I take it our little rendezvous is blown?”

  Chapter Four

  Sasha stood behind him. She wore a towel while she dried her hair. Her phone vibrated on the bedside table and she approached it with a blank expression.

  Tucker watched her scroll through text messages. Her entire demeanor changed. She chose a contact and put the phone to her ear.

  “Who the hell do you think you are? None of your goddamn business, that’s who I’m fucking. We are no longer married, you hypocrite. I will fuck who I want, when I want, as many times as I want and there isn’t a goddamn thing you can do about it.”

  The man was screaming obscenities on the other end of the line and it made Tucker want to reach through the phone and choke the fucker out.

  “Fine…you want to know? He is a hundred times better than you. So many explosive orgasms I lost fucking count, you asshole.”

  She ended the call and stormed into the bathroom, slammed the door, then opened it one second later. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have…”

  Tucker cut off Sasha’s words with his mouth and carried her to the bed. Dropping to his knees, he ripped away the towel and buried his face between her legs.

  He held her still with one hand while the other unbuttoned his shirt and pants. By the time he had his cock sheathed in a condom, she was coming, one hand fisted hard in his hair, the other in the sheets.

  “Oh my god! Tucker…now.”

  He sucked her clit a final t
ime, causing a chill to chase its way up her body, then stood and drove to her womb. She shoved the clothes away with her hands and feet and when he was free of the restrictions, he shoved her further up the bed, taking her hard and fast.

  “I’ve wanted you since I opened my eyes. To bury myself in your beautiful pussy…to feel you come. I needed to taste you…to fuck you.”

  His strokes were fierce and she writhed, met his thrusts, her fingers digging into the muscles of his ass to pull him a little deeper, a little harder, inside her.

  “Please don’t stop. Don’t stop. I’m coming!” She screamed his name and he fucked her harder. The motion of Tucker’s hips was incredible and her torso met his with a sharp slap as the climax took over.

  Then Tuck was squeezing her breasts as he came high and hot with a shout that echoed through the room. “You make me come so goddamn hard, Sasha. My body doesn’t want to stop…it wants to keep going. Keep moving so I don’t go soft. Take me…take everything I can give you.”

  He pulled out and threw the condom on the floor as he found the last one. Rolling it on, he pressed back inside, desperate to keep from softening before he could have her again. Pumping his hips into the slick heat sent a shiver racing up his spine.

  “I want you on your knees, Sasha. Get on your fucking knees.”

  He withdrew and flipped her to her stomach, driving deep as he pulled her over his cock. Settling on his heels, he wrapped his arms around her and lifted her back to his chest. They were slippery with sweat and breathing hard.

  His voice was barely recognizable as he ground out, “Ride me, Sasha.”

  Sasha impaled herself on his shaft and he lost his breath for a moment. Tucker held her hips, pulled her down with each thrust to increase the force. He kissed and bit along her shoulder and neck as he thrust into her body from underneath.

  “It’s too good…too much.”

  He ignored her. His touch was everywhere and she whimpered softly. He took her hand and slid it down to her folds. He pressed gently against her fingers, circling them over her clit. Sasha’s head dropped back on his shoulder.

  “I could fuck you forever. You feel incredible, Sasha.” The tremors traveled from her body to his. “I love the way your pussy wraps so tight around my cock.”

  She turned her face and he kissed her. It changed everything. Her kiss tasted of warm, vibrant female with a hint of the toothpaste she’d used. Every inch of her smelled good and tasted better.

  Suddenly, the moment slowed down and Tucker took in the layers of sensation this woman caused. The fact that they’d been fucking for more than an hour registered in a hazy part of his brain that would realize later it was a personal record.

  The room smelled like sex, a blend of both of them that made him feel primal and powerful. He felt drops of sweat sliding down his back and legs. His hair was soaked with it. Their muscles vibrated from the physical exertion.

  Tucker broke the kiss and stared into the warmest eyes he’d ever seen. The expression in them was something he’d never seen…but he could stare into them for the rest of his life.

  “I know you need to come, Sasha. I can’t wait to feel it. Let go. It’s alright. Let go.”

  She lifted her hand and raked her fingers through his damp hair as her eyes drifted closed. His thrusts were deep and steady. Holding her across her body, he caressed her breast and lightly stroked her clit. With a sharp gasp, the walls of her pussy tightened around his cock like a fist.

  This time she sighed his name.

  Tuck kept moving until she went limp, and then let himself come. This time, he gave her everything he had, and he knew he’d need recovery time before he took her again.

  He cupped her chin and lifted her face to his, kissing her as their orgasms ran their course.

  “Thank you, Tucker.” Her damp hair stuck to both of them as he lowered them to their sides on the bed.

  He whispered, “No, Sasha…thank you.”

  For a long time, they stayed that way. His body cradling hers so their breathing could return to normal. They didn’t speak and that was good because he had no idea what would have come out of his mouth.

  Eventually, he knew he’d have to take care of the condom and pulled carefully from her snug warmth. Relieved that his legs agreed to support his weight, he led her to the bathroom tugged her into the shower.

  They washed one another, kissed often, and Tucker marveled at the extreme physical and emotional bond he’d formed with a woman he barely knew.

  Love had never been a big part of his life. He’d heard the words but never really believed them. For two decades, he’d focused on playing a game and having a good time. That part of his life was over now.

  Something told him the next stage was going to begin a bit differently than he imagined.

  * * *

  After their shower, Tuck dressed and sat to watch Sasha dry her hair. She tilted her head to look at him in confusion.

  “What are you doing?”

  “I’m waiting for you. We’re going out together. I’m not going first and looking like the conquering man-whore people are slapping on the back then leaving you to follow and deal with questions that imply you’re cheating on your ex-husband. We walk out together like adults. I’m proud of our time together, and I won’t let you be torn apart by the media because of it.”

  She stared at him and he realized it was probably the first time she hadn’t had to deal with fallout alone. No matter where things went with Sasha, Tucker wasn’t going to treat her the way the other assholes in her life had. She deserved better and she was damn well going to get it.

  “Okay. Give me ten minutes.” Her voice was cautious.

  He watched her move around. She slipped into a gorgeous bra and panty set in pale gray. Then she tested her blood sugar and jotted the number in a small book before putting everything away in the leather case.

  Sasha brushed out her hair, bent over to brush the underside, and flipped her head back. He went immediately hard as he watched it cascade down her back. She twisted it into a simple chignon at the base of her neck before stepping into a dark gray pantsuit.

  After she stepped into her heels, he expected her to apply makeup. She didn’t do more than apply moisturizer, lip balm, and follow that with a pale lipstick.

  The woman was done. He called downstairs to the valet and asked them to have his SUV waiting.

  She moved into the main space and started gathering her stuff. Dumping her Coach bag on the bed, she removed items she no longer needed. In a small pile, she put her essentials and added a bag that contained honey and another bottle of orange juice.

  Seeing a woman straighten up a hotel room was a first for Tucker. When she finished, she picked up her purse and winter wear, and waited for him to join her.

  “You look beautiful, Sasha.”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re riding with me. I assume you’re my noon meeting?” She nodded with a smile. “Excellent, we can make it a lunch meeting then figure out what else you have to do today.”

  He held the door open and she stepped into the hall. As they rode the elevator down to the lobby, she started to shake. This time, he knew it wasn’t her blood sugar dropping.

  Stepping closer, he said quietly, “Nonchalant. You don’t owe anyone a fucking explanation and we’re going to pretend we haven’t seen the story. Just smile, Sasha. Keep your hand on my arm like this. It’s all about body language.”

  Then he tilted her chin up and gave her a soft kiss as the doors opened.

  There were reporters near the front desk and he waved as he gently pulled Sasha with him through the lobby. Hotel guests took out camera phones. He thanked those fans who complimented his game or career but he didn’t slow down.

  If they hadn’t been wearing sunglasses, the camera flashes just outside the hotel might have disoriented them. He pretended not to hear the questions asked.

  His Hummer idled at the front of the curved drive and the valet staff en
sured no one could get close to it. Tuck handed the valet a huge tip and both men’s eyes went wide.

  “Parking fee and extra for clearing the way. I’ll be bringing her back later…remember me, alright?” They nodded with huge grins. “Have a good day.”

  He handed Sasha up into his vehicle and closed her door, smiling and waving to the reporters and fans as he jumped up in the driver’s seat.

  “See? Easy.” Her smile was brilliant. “I’m taking you for food because we’re not going to have a repeat of yesterday.” Her eyes widened and he chuckled as he put it in gear and got moving.

  Chapter Five

  They had lunch at one of his favorite steak places and he started the process of actually getting to know Sasha while she went over business. In her portfolio, she withdrew several proposals from charities and apparel lines.

  He didn’t care about any of it.

  “Pick what charities are important to you. I trust you. If you think the endorsement deals are something I should do, I’ll do them…tell me when and where. What’s your favorite color?”

  * * *

  Sasha hesitated, not understanding why he wanted to get to know her, why he seemed interested. It wasn’t typical behavior with women he was linked to sexually. Anyone with a television or access to a computer knew that about him.

  “Tuck, I live in California. You live here.” He just stared at her and she sighed. “Green. Green is my favorite color.”

  “Why do you work with your father when you hate it?” She glanced up at him. “What is it you really want to do, Sasha?”

  “How…?” Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she said, “I don’t hate what I do.”

  “You’re lying. You hate dealing with a bunch of spoiled, self-proclaimed demi-gods with egos and bank accounts to match. You find the whole process of spinning their publicity to be another way of over-indulging them. You do not enjoy the spotlight and go out of your way to avoid it.”

  “I don’t hate people with money. I’m one of them.”