Crashing the Net

by Jami Davenport

  Only he was struggling with doing just that.

  Riley hadn’t said one word to him since Thursday. And Izzy, how did he even handle Izzy? He’d assumed one great night of pool sex would lead to sex in every room of his house, in his car, pretty much in anything they pleased, as long as it ended with him inside her.

  Only Izzy wasn’t speaking to him either, or calling him, or texting him. Nothing.

  Izzy’s silence hurt him, but Riley’s cold shoulder hurt, too, and that surprised him. The kid didn’t like him anyway. So what if Riley ate his breakfast in silence and preferred Joker’s company to his uncle’s? So what if Cooper caught Riley making plans to hang with that arrogant asshole and crappy excuse for a quarterback?

  Yet, it irritated the hell out of Cooper when he overheard Riley on the phone with Tanner on more than one occasion joking and laughing and talking sports. He never talked with Cooper like that. Hearing the two of them made his stomach twist and his heart ache for something he couldn’t begin to explain or even want to explain. Riley was his road not taken, and regardless of what others might think, he couldn’t go down that road because Riley needed stuff Cooper couldn’t give him, like a home, like a stable family life, like love. Cooper couldn’t be that guy.

  Then there was Izzy. Sure, she was hot as hell and flipped his shit right back at him like no one else ever did. Yeah, so what? He attracted tons of beautiful women. Izzy was replaceable. But, fuck, it didn’t work for him that she’d completely forgotten about their night together like it never happened, while Coop lay awake each night and replayed every detail in his mind, and later in his dreams.

  He was fucked up. Bad. By both of them.

  The sooner he found Riley’s mother and banished Izzy from his mind, the better.

  An hour later, Cedric found him lying on his hotel bed, staring at the ceiling. His buddy shot him a curious glance as he headed for the bathroom, coming out minutes later in a pair of briefs. Cedric crawled into the other bed and shut off the light.

  Cooper faked sleep, but he didn’t fool Cedric. Ced knew him too well.

  “I hope I have the energy to play tomorrow night. Since you wouldn’t help me out, I had to satisfy all four of the ladies, and Cedric the Great never disappoints.”

  “Sorry. Not in the mood. Too many things on my mind.”

  “And one of those things happens to be Izzy.”

  No use denying the truth to Cedric so Cooper laced his hands behind his head and stared at that same ceiling he’d been studying all night, casually noticing how different it looked in the dark.

  “She’s the reason your boxers are in a twist.”

  “Yeah, she’s pissed at me.”

  “What did you do this time?”

  Cooper sighed. Not one for dumping his troubles on someone else, he gave Cedric the short version about how he missed the game.

  “Man, you really are a bigger douche than I ever imagined.” Cedric’s disapproving snort bounced off the walls of the hotel room.

  “I don’t understand what they’re both pissed about. After all, Tanner was there.” Cooper spat out the words with venom that surprised even him.

  “I detect a little jealousy, my friend. And not just of Izzy and Tanner but Riley and Tanner.”

  “Bullshit,” Cooper muttered. “Doesn’t matter to me if Riley worships the dumb shit like he’s the second coming, or Izzy treats him like a lifelong friend.”

  “You’re a lame ass liar.” Cedric roared with laughter.

  Cooper hated being laughed at, especially when there might be a good reason for it. He sputtered with unspoken words of denial that would only incriminate him more.

  Cedric, true to form, couldn’t let it go. “Hey, if wallowing in denial works for you, I don’t give a shit. Just don’t let it affect your game again.”

  “I won’t. Nothing comes between me and my game. You know that. We’ve been together since the minors.”

  “It did tonight,” Cedric drove him the dagger.

  “It’s preseason.”

  “You’ve never played any differently in preseason compared to regular season.”

  Cooper didn’t have a response for that. A few seconds later Cedric’s phone rang, and he answered it. After a short conversation, he hung up with a grin on his face.

  “Seems I left something at the ladies’ apartment. Don’t wait up for me.” Cedric threw on his clothes and slid out the door.

  Sometimes Cooper really hated that asshole. Nothing weighed heavily on the Swede, not guilt, or regret, or jealousy. He breezed through life completely unscathed by the crap everyone else dealt with on a daily basis.

  Cooper often wondered who would be the man or woman to finally bring his friend down.

  Just like a surly nephew and a beautiful party crasher might finally bring Cooper down.

  Chapter 10—Smarter Than That

  It wasn’t the biggest party the Party Crashers had been paid to crash, but it was one of the toughest. Izzy and her sisters worked overtime to beg, cajole, and seduce the guests into loosening up and having a bit of fun. Even the free-flowing alcohol wasn’t doing it.

  Izzy regretted agreeing to crash the wedding of two senior citizen transplants from London. The party was as stuffy as the British royal family. She didn’t get British humor, and they sure as hell didn’t get her and her sisters. Betheni alternated between British and Southern accents which left the guests frowning at her and whispering behind their white napkins. Emma stuffed her face and looked totally at a loss. Avery hadn’t shown and didn’t call. Her sister hadn’t spoken to her since their big fight. At the least, she should honor her commitments.

  Izzy couldn’t afford to refund their money, but she feared she might be forced to do just that. Izzy was at a loss on how to get this dullest of dull parties started.

  Finally it came to her. She motioned to her sisters to follow her into the hallway.

  “I think we’re going about this all wrong. This is a different crowd. They like the symphony, opera, and classical music. Let’s give them some classical entertainment.” She pointed at Emma. “You’re the best singer. I want you to go over to the piano player and start singing. Keep it to slow and classy. Betheni and I will work the crowd, try to get a few of the old men dancing.”

  The girls nodded and made for the grand piano in a corner of the oddly quiet room.

  A half hour later, the dance floor was filled with dancers and the conversation in the room rose to a polite din. All in all, while it’d been touch and go, they’d pulled off another successful party and their client discreetly passed Izzy a five-hundred-dollar bonus check.

  Izzy checked her messages for the first time that evening. Her cell phone had been blowing up while she’d been taking care of business. The flurry started with Aunt Barb.

  I’m leaving. You take care of this kid.

  Then several texts from Riley doing damage control.

  Barb left. She’s mad at me.

  Izzy, are you there? Barb’s gone, and Uncle Poop is on a road trip. He’s going to kill me.

  Izzy, I need you to call.

  Izzy, please, don’t tell Uncle Cooper. He’ll be really pissed.

  And so it went. Thank God this “wild” crowd had just about wrapped it up for the night at nine PM. Izzy grabbed her coat and turned to her sisters, filling them in on the disaster.

  “You’re going to babysit?” Betheni’s eyes grew big as she stared horrified at Izzy.

  “I have to until I can convince Barb to come back.”

  A short phone call to Barb on the way to Cooper’s didn’t do much for Izzy’s confidence. “Barb, please, at least stay until I can get someone else.”

  “Not a chance, Izzy. This was supposed to be a part-time job, not a seven-day-a-week job. I’m there every night because the almighty Mr. Black is in denial that his young nephew is living in his house. He ignores the kid in the worst of moments, and grunts at him in the best of moments. Then Riley takes out his anger and frustrat
ion on me. I’m done.” Barb hung up on her after a few more choice words about Riley and how there wasn’t enough money in the world to make her go back.

  When Izzy pulled Cooper’s Lexus into his driveway and opened the garage door, Riley came running out. His panicked expression reminded her that while for the most part he pretended to be grown up, he was still a kid.

  She stepped out of the car, and Riley skidded to a stop in front of her. Suddenly all the spunk drained from him and he stared at his feet, kicking the tires of the car.

  “Riley, what have you done?” Exasperation crept into Izzy’s voice. He’d screwed up bigtime and needed to know that his selfish actions affected a lot of people.

  “I don’t like her. I wanted her gone. I don’t need a babysitter. I’ve been taking care of myself for years.” He peeked up at her then looked away quickly.

  Izzy let out a long sigh as she pushed past Riley into the house. “Wait for me in the kitchen. I’ll be right back.”

  A few minutes later she returned in one of Cooper’s old T-shirts and a pair of his sweats to find Riley pacing the kitchen.

  Izzy plopped into a chair and rubbed her tired feet. She’d stood too long in those heels. “You are in deep shit, young man.”

  Riley had the decency to cringe. “I can’t lie and say I’m sorry.”

  “You’re not going to get your way either. I’ll find someone else, maybe a nice retired drill sergeant who won’t tolerate your crap.”

  “I don’t need anyone.” Riley’s mouth pulled into the stubborn line that reminded her way too much of Cooper.

  Crap, Cooper.

  What was she going to say to him? He’d be beyond pissed. He’d paid her handsomely to take care of his kid problem, and her aunt hadn’t lasted more than a few weeks.

  Izzy didn’t have any choice but to fill in until another solution came along. They had a few small parties to crash, but the sisters could handle them. Izzy needed to handle this teenage boy and stop from throttling him in the process.

  “Are you going to call Uncle Cooper and tell him?”

  “He’s going to find out soon enough. I’ll wait until he gets back from the road.”

  Riley breathed a sigh of relief and plopped into a big overstuffed leather chair. “Good. I’m fine by myself.”

  “Not so fast, buster. You’re in trouble and I’m not letting you—” She stared down at the phone vibrating in her hand. It was Cooper. She jabbed a finger in Riley’s face. “It’s past your bedtime. Get to bed.”

  Riley ran upstairs as if grateful to get away from her.

  “Hi,” she said, trying her damnedest not to sound breathless.

  “Hey, still mad at me?”

  “Yes, but I’ll get over it if you make it up to me. And Riley.” Though right now, Riley didn’t deserve anything from Cooper or her. “How was your game?”

  “Crappy.” He sounded tired and almost defeated. Now wasn’t the time to tell him about Riley.

  “I’m sorry. Where are you now?"

  “I’m lying in bed, thinking of you. Wishing you were here to cheer me up.” Cooper’s deep voice did all sorts of things to her, and she forgot about anything else but him.

  “What are you doing?” she whispered, as she went downstairs to Cooper’s room and shut the door. She plopped onto his big bed, not bothering to turn on any lights.

  “Rubbing my dick and wishing it were you, not me, doing the rubbing.” His deep, sexy voice wet her panties even from halfway across the country. “What are you doing? Or even better, what are you wearing?”

  “Nothing. Not a thing,” she lied knowing she’d get a rise out of him.

  He groaned a deep guttural sound from the back of his throat. “Tell me what you’d like to do to me right now.”

  Izzy hesitated. Did she dare? Was it wise?

  Oh, what the hell.

  “If I were there, I’d be running the tip of my finger up your impressive cock. On the trip back down, I’d draw slow circles around it, slide my hands down and around and cup your balls so very gently. I’d squeeze them, lift them, test their weight. I’d bend my head and lick the precum off the tip of that impressive dick, take you in my mouth, while holding the shaft. I’d work the head deeper, past my throat until I’d taken in all of you. Even single luscious inch.” Izzy grinned with satisfaction as his heavy breathing rasped in her ear. She relished the power she wielded over this big, strong man.

  His breathing came faster and more desperate. He wasn’t actually pleasuring himself, was he?

  Of course he was.

  He moaned and called out her name, going strangely quiet afterward.

  “Did you just jack off?” As if she didn’t want to join him and get her own satisfaction.

  “Damn right,” he panted, sounding every bit like a man on his death bed and happy to be there.

  “Is Cedric there?”

  “Seriously?” He snorted. “Nah, he’s not here.”

  Izzy didn’t comment.

  “Your turn, honey.”

  She could listen to his sexy, deep voice in her ear all night long, but she’d rather be in the same room with that voice, rather than merely the same continent. She grinned into the phone as she stretched out on the bed like a satisfied, or about to be satisfied, feline.

  “Are you really naked?” Cooper’s breathing sounded close to normal. She imagined him sprawled on his bed, his hand still toying with his spent cock, the other hand resting on his taut belly. That incredible chest of his would be rising and falling and his hair would be pushed off his forehead except for one unruly lock.

  “I’m in sweats.” She purred, lowering her voice so he’d have to strain to hear her or turn up the volume on his phone. Teasing Cooper might be the best fun she’d had in ages, excluding the swimming pool incident.

  “Fuck,” he whispered, and she had to smile. “Put your hand down those sweats between your legs and tell me how wet the sound of my voice makes you on a scale of one to ten, ten being the highest.”

  “Twenty,” she answered.

  “Good answer. Now slip a finger inside yourself, pretend it’s me pumping my finger in and out of you.” He paused. “Pull out and add another finger and fuck the hell out of yourself.”

  It didn’t take much. Not much at all. Good thing the master bedroom was separated from the upstairs bedrooms. Riley wouldn’t be able to hear a thing. Izzy could be noisy at times.

  She closed her eyes, braced her legs apart, and shoved three fingers deep into her sopping pussy. “Oh, God. Oh, God. Cooper.”

  “Yeah, that’s it. That’s my baby. Feel good?”

  “Yes,” she gasped. “Really good, but not as good as you’d feel sliding in and out of me. Pounding me into oblivion.”

  “Holy shit,” he muttered, and she imagined his fingers wrapped again around his once-more erect dick while he pleasured her with his voice and himself with his hand.

  “Are. You. Getting. Off. On. This?” Izzy arched into her hand and gripped the phone tighter as she listened for instruction.

  “Hell yeah. Now—harder. Harder. Faster. Rub your clit. Make yourself come.”

  He stopped talking and so did she. The phone fell from her hand as she concentrated on her task. Cooper’s own moans and shouts seeped into her lust-ridden brain, driving her crazier. She pumped harder, rubbing her clit, and feeling the first tremors rack her body, building up to a full-blown explosion.

  She heard his strangled shouts and knew he’d reached his climax a second time.

  Izzy lay still, limp, spent, and almost fully satisfied. The only thing better would’ve been Cooper’s buff body sliding over hers, riding her harder than an outlaw outrunning a sheriff’s posse.

  “Izzy?”

  She groped for the phone and held it to her ear. “Yeah?”

  “Do one more thing for me. Take a selfie on your phone.”

  “Of what?” She put him on speaker as she fumbled for the camera.

  “Is the camera ready?”
>
  “Yeah.”

  “Put your wet fingers in your mouth and suck off the juices. Now take a pic and send it to me.” She did as told, hardly able to contain herself as she texted the picture to him.

  He was silent, except for a few choice groans.

  “You like?”

  “I love it. Next time I want a video of you fucking yourself with your fingers.”

  “I can manage that, but can you?”

  “It might kill me, but I’m willing to make the sacrifice.” She could hear the smile in his voice and the anticipation.

  “I want something in return,” she teased with a naughty giggle. “I want a video of you jacking off as you listen to my voice.”

  “I promise. Next time.”

  “Next time, I’d rather have the real man in the flesh, every gorgeous inch of him.”

  “You won’t get any argument out of—”

  She heard muffled noises, cursing, and laughter followed by a bang.

  “Sorry,” he said sheepishly. “I dropped the phone.”

  “Cedric’s back,” she guessed.

  “Yeah, complete with the team idiots.” Cooper’s harsh breathing almost drowned out his lowered voice.

  “That would be Brick and Rush?”

  “You got it.” Cooper sighed, his breathing slowly returning to normal. “Any word from your aunt? Is my nephew behaving himself?”

  The one question she wasn’t prepared to answer. She hated lying to him. “Uh, yes, uh, everything is fine.”

  “Is there something you aren’t telling me?”

  “Only that one night with you wasn’t nearly enough, and I need more. Purely for research purposes, of course, just to see if the first time was an anomaly.” She sidestepped his question, patting herself on the back for her clever fakeout.

  He chuckled. “I can guarantee you that it wasn’t.”

  “When are you back?”