Getting Rough

by C. L. Parker

  Casey shrugged, swallowing down a mouthful of food before answering. “It’s getting there. Shaw and I are going to ride out to my boat tomorrow morning to take a look at her. She’s still there, so I’m guessing if there’s any damage, it’s minimal.”

  Cassidy turned toward me with a tilt to her head. You’d think I’d grown two. “Look at you being a grown-up,” she said as she rubbed my thigh.

  Of course I had to roll my eyes at that. “Don’t make a big deal out of it, Whalen. I am capable of letting bygones be bygones.”

  “Shaw?” I looked up when I heard Abby call my name. She was peeking through the doorway to the kitchen with a puzzled expression. “A young man by the name of Ben is on the phone for you.”

  I hadn’t been expecting that, but of course I should’ve been. There was something about being in Stonington that made you forget the outside world existed. I was a superstar sports agent – correction: partner of Striker Sports Entertainment – and I’d been away from the office for quite some time. Away and smack dab in the heart of a major hurricane’s ground zero. And I hadn’t thought to contact my assistant to let him know I was okay? I was definitely off my game.

  Wiping my mouth with my napkin, I scooted my chair back and excused myself from the dinner table with an apology for the interruption. Before I left, I was sure to plant a chaste kiss on Cassidy’s cheek. “I’ll let them know you’re okay, too,” I told her, earning an appreciative smile.

  In the foyer, I took a seat behind the desk and picked up the receiver from where it lay. “Ben?”

  “Oh, you remember my name?” was his smart comeback.

  “Yes, but I could forget to sign your time sheets, if you want,” I countered. “What’s up?”

  “Dude, you gotta get back here.”

  If I hadn’t been partly responsible for his casual approach with me, I’d rip him a new one. “Ben, I’m your boss and a newly appointed partner at the agency for which you work. Don’t call me ‘dude.’ What’s going on?”

  “Wade’s trippin’… sir,” he tacked on the formal title. It was at least a little better, but not by much.

  “And what’s he trippin’ about?”

  “Colorado’s been blowing up his phone because Denver still hasn’t reported for training camp.”

  My blood pressure shot through the roof. “What?! Why not?”

  “I wish I could tell you. He’s not answering any of my calls.”

  “Well then why didn’t you call me?” That seemed like the sensible thing to do.

  “I tried to. Hello? No cell service, remember? Sent you a couple of emails, too, but I’m guessing you haven’t checked them.”

  Damn, he had me there. I’d really dropped the ball on this one.

  “I’ve been trying this landline for the last couple of days, but I’m guessing the phones have been out due to the hurricane, huh? That’s the excuse I gave Mr. Price, anyway. Don’t know how much longer I can hold him off with that one, though.”

  I could just picture Wade pacing back and forth in his office, loosening his tie as he did his best to make excuses not only for Denver but for me as well. I was sure there was probably also a whole lot of him yelling orders over the speakerphone and slamming files down on his desk. All of which were probably scaring the shit out of the entire staff.

  “Where is Denver?” I asked, exasperated and starting to freak out a little bit myself.

  “No clue. I even drove to his house and knocked on the door. No one answered.”

  Shit. If Denver wasn’t already dead, I was going to kill him. He was probably holed up in another Vegas penthouse suite, hiding from the world. Though I’d thought he’d come to terms with the fact that he was gay and was prepared to face coming out to the world about it, a thing like that could be terrifying. I hoped he hadn’t decided to make a run for the hills instead.

  “All right, look. I’ll try to get ahold of him and see what his deal is. In the meantime, I need you to start booking me a flight back home,” I told him, hoping like hell that I could even make it off the island and to the airport. The roads were bad enough as it was, add downed trees and power lines to that mix, and they might be completely impassable. Amazingly, the tin can of a car I’d rented had survived the hurricane with minor scratches and dents, but it was in no way the sort of vehicle one took four wheeling.

  “I’m on it,” he said. “Just don’t get too preoccupied to check your email because that’s where I’ll send your flight details and confirmation.”

  Ben was pushing it, but I’d let him get away with that one because I’d earned it. I was in crisis mode now, though.

  “Assure Wade I’m all over this and will come to see him as soon as I land. You got it?”

  “Yep! And hey, boss?”

  “Yeah?” I braced for even more bad news, not sure I could take much more.

  “I’m really glad you’re okay,” he said, his voice sincere. I could never stay mad at the guy. “How about Cassidy?”

  “Everyone here is fine, Ben. Thanks for asking,” I answered, just as sincere. “Now, hop to it. I need to get busy tracking down our diva of a quarterback.”

  With that, I ended the call. And then put my head in my hands. I had one hell of a headache coming on. Stonington had made me soft.

  “Is everything okay?” I heard Cassidy’s voice.

  I popped my head up to see her, and was really glad she was there because I had no clue what I was going to do about this mess. “No, not really. Denver’s gone MIA.”

  “Oh, crap!” she said, genuinely concerned. “Want me to call his mother?”

  Despite my panic mode, I smiled so wide it hurt my cheeks. The woman never ceased to amaze me.

  With a sigh of relief, I melted back into the chair. “Will you? It would really help if you can just find out where he is. I’ll handle the rest from there.”

  “Sure, no problem. Let me go grab my cell. I have Delilah’s phone number saved in it.”

  She started to go, but I grabbed her hand and yanked her back to me, planting a kiss on those delicious lips. “Thank you.”

  Cassidy smiled down at me, that one small act making me feel tons better. “We’re on the same team, Shaw,” she said with a wink, and then she was on her way.

  Damn right we were.

  Within moments, Cassidy had gotten Delilah Rockford’s phone number and had given her a call. Delilah was all too happy to get in touch with Denver and get on his ass, telling him to expect my call, which he’d better answer. And as luck would have it, the town’s Wi-Fi was back up – though sketchy, at best – so I could reach out to Denver by FaceTime. I loved technology. Even a small town like Stonington relied on it in some way, shape, or form to get on with business as usual.

  Back in my room, I pulled up the app on my phone and hit Denver’s contact information. It rang twice before he answered, but answer he did. I guessed even big, beefy superstar athletes still feared the wrath of their mothers.

  “Hey, man! How’s it hanging?” he asked with a cheesy smile. He was propped up against some pillows, shirtless, and obviously in bed. I checked the clock and did the calculation on the time difference between the East and West Coasts. It was only two o’clock in the afternoon.

  “Denver, what the hell, man? You’re supposed to be in Colorado at training camp,” I said, knowing the buddy approach would work best with him.

  “Yeah, I know. I’ve been tending to some important personal business.” He waggled his brows and nodded toward a lump in the shape of a body under the sheets next to him.

  “Great. So you’re putting your career on the line for a piece of ass?”

  “Not just any piece of ass,” a familiar voice came from next to him. The lump started to move and then an arm appeared to push back the covers.

  “Quinn?” I asked, shocked by what I was seeing.

  “Hey, Shaw,” he said with a mischievous grin and a finger wave as Denver wrapped his arm around his shoulders.

  My eye
brows reached for my hairline. “Holy shit! How long has this been going on?”

  Quinn laid his head on Denver’s chest and looked up at him. “How long would you say it’s been, honey?”

  Denver rubbed his arm, lovingly. “I don’t know. What day is it?”

  “Oh, it doesn’t matter,” Quinn said, snuggling in closer. “What does matter is that we’ve been inseparable and having the time of our lives since you two have been gone. Don’t shit all over our happiness, Shaw.”

  “Shit all over your happiness?” I asked, flabbergasted. “The only person shitting on anything here is Denver on the contract of a lifetime that Cassidy and I worked really hard to get for him. I’m glad you two are happy, but, Denver, you can’t put your entire career at risk like this.”

  “Dude, I’m Denver ‘Rocket Man’ Rockford,” he said like that was all that mattered. “The most sought-after quarterback. Remember? Missing a couple of days of training camp isn’t going to make me any less fabulous, and Colorado is still going to be kissing my ass.”

  I ran my fingers through my hair and over my face. “You’ll be fined,” I told him.

  He gave me a cocky grin. “So? I’ve got plenty of money.”

  I decided to go after the thing that mattered most to him: his appearance. “You’ll look bad. Really bad. And not only will you look bad, but I will look bad. So will Striker Sports Entertainment… the agency where I just made partner because I signed you. Or did you forget about that? Come on, man. Do me a favor here. I’m going to get my ass chewed as it is. If you don’t get to training camp, I’m probably going to lose my job.”

  “Honey, you can’t let him get fired. He’s not just your agent, he’s our friend. Plus, he’s my roommate’s boy toy. She’ll kill me. Do it for me? Please?” Quinn stuck out his bottom lip in a pout.

  “But I want to be with you,” Denver told him. I had nothing against his sexual preference. Quinn could’ve been a chick and I’d still think Denver’s whining was a comical thing to see from a man with his reputation in the world of football.

  “How about if I go to Colorado with you?” Quinn offered, and then added – quite suggestively, “I’ll sit in the stands and watch you get all sweaty.”

  “Okay, fine,” Denver conceded. “I want to introduce you to my parents, anyway.”

  Quinn’s face lit up. “Really?”

  “Of course, babe.” Denver hugged Quinn to him.

  This was probably a conversation I didn’t need to be a part of, but I was glad to see them both so happy. Especially knowing how much it had hurt Quinn that his previous lover, Daddy, had kept him hidden for so long. He finally had someone who was proud to claim him.

  “Wonderful!” I said, relieved I could report to Wade that the fire had been put out. “You’ll hop a flight tomorrow?”

  “You know how I feel about flying, man.” Denver’s fear of flying meant he had to pretty much be sedated in order to do so.

  “Aw, don’t worry, sweetie,” Quinn told him. “I’ll be there to distract you.”

  “Perfect. So… tomorrow?” I wasn’t going to give up until he agreed.

  “Yeah, we can do that,” Denver said. “Sorry if I got you into trouble, man.”

  “No worries, Rocket. I’m used to putting out fires,” I assured him. “I’ll call Colorado and let them know you’re on your way.”

  “And tell Cass her ass is grass for not checking in with me,” Quinn said and then giggled. “That rhymed. I’m so clever.”

  “Will do. You two have fun, but make sure you get on that plane,” I stressed. With that, I ended the call.

  While I had a decent Wi-Fi signal, I checked my email to see if Ben had sent details for my own flight. He had. In two short days. He’d added a note that the airport had shut down operation until then to allow for the storm cleanup. Doable, but then I started to feel a little chick-ish myself. I’d be leaving Cassidy. Not only Cassidy, but also Abby and the whole town of Stonington. It sort of felt like I was abandoning them.

  There was no way to avoid it. I had to get back to assume my place as partner with Striker Sports Entertainment, something I’d worked really damn hard for and wasn’t willing to give up. For anyone other than Cassidy Whalen. Who, ironically, was the one person who’d wanted to keep me from it in the first place. I shook my head at myself. Fate was a real kick in the pants sometimes.

  But I wasn’t going to cross that line until I knew how she felt about me. Because if she was just going to laugh in my face about how serious I was about her, no way was I giving up my dream. So it seemed like it was the fourth quarter with seconds remaining on the clock and one play left to be made. Everything was on the line. If Cassidy was my wide receiver, I was her quarterback, and there was nothing left to do but send the damn ball down the field and hope she’d catch it and run it in for the game-winning touchdown.

  And it was exactly that thought that led me down the hallway of the second floor until I found myself standing right outside her door.

  CHAPTER 20

  Cassidy

  The knock at my door was expected. Or at the very least, I’d been hoping it would come. Shaw had said he didn’t want to be alone anymore, and I was really glad it didn’t turn out that all of that talk was about the storm and the trauma of drowning, making it a one-night-only thing or a fleeting moment of desperation.

  Showered and smelling less like a tomboy, with legs as smooth as a woman’s should be, I checked myself in the mirror one last time – rolling my eyes at how chick-ish I was being – and went to let him in.

  When I opened the door, he was standing there, fresh as a daisy as well, dressed in a simple gray T-shirt that hugged his neck in a sexy sort of way and a pair of jeans that did the same thing to his hips. Jesus, he was gorgeous. And quiet.

  “Hey,” I greeted him with a warm smile in place.

  Why did he look so nervous?

  “Hey,” he echoed, his eyes making a sweep over my body so intimately that I could feel my skin warm as if they’d been his hands. And he still wasn’t moving or saying anything. He was beginning to make me nervous, even more so than I already was.

  “Is something wrong, Shaw?”

  Finally meeting my gaze, he smiled. “No. I was just wondering… So, um… did you want to be alone tonight?”

  Oh, thank God, I thought, relief washing over me.

  I laughed and shook my head. “Not in the least. In fact, come here. I want to show you something.” Taking his hand, I practically yanked him inside and then dragged him across my room to the open window. Stooping, I stepped through and onto the roof, making sure to check my footing. “Careful,” I warned Shaw before releasing his hand so he’d have them both free to follow safely without a slip.

  Traversing the eave, I made my way toward the pitch, leaning forward to distribute my weight evenly. That was hard enough on its own, but there were also some shingles missing, courtesy of Ayla, that made the foot placement tricky. I’d have to be sure to tell Da about those.

  When I looked back over my shoulder, I noticed Shaw was just standing in place. “What are you doing?” I asked.

  Good Lord, but that sexy little smirk of his had come out to play. “Admiring the view.”

  “Well, it’s better up here, if you’ll stop dillydallying,” I said, laughing.

  He cocked his head to the side and licked his lips as his attention went straight to my backside. “We’re going to have to agree to disagree on that one, Miss Whalen.”

  “Shaw!” I said, quickly straightening as if that would hide my ass. But the sudden movement succeeded only in making me lose my balance. I caught myself, though, just in time to also catch the fear on Shaw’s face when he’d realized the accident that had almost occurred.

  “That’s it. We’re getting down,” he said, his tone all business as if he was the boss of me. Again, technically, he was. But in San Diego, not Stonington.

  “If you’re scared, say you’re scared,” I taunted with a smirk of my own.


  Shaw made that growly sort of sound I’d heard too many times while pleasuring him and it went straight to my girly bits. So much so that I’d started to calculate whether or not we could fuck on the roof of my parents’ home and livelihood before deciding that the shingles might not feel very pleasant on a bare rump.

  Reaching the roof of the center dormer, my bedroom window, I finally took a seat, letting my legs fall to either side of the ninety-degree pitch, and then I waited for Shaw to join me. I might have delighted in ogling the way the tendons in his forearms flexed with his climb and the way he had to bend over just a bit to equal out his balance, allowing me a breathtaking view of an ass I’d become obsessed with.