I look at Grace and notice her beautiful freckles. She turns away from my stare and looks out the window. I reach for her hands and rub them in mine.
“Grace, this is going to hurt both of us.”
She doesn’t turn to look at me, but nods her head to let me know she’s listening. I take a deep breath.
“As much as I love you and want to share my world with you, I can’t. Hell, we can’t. You have a son and you’re married. Tony loves you and can probably give you more than I can. And I just can’t take away Scottie’s sense of safety and security by splitting up his family. I can’t be the reason another kid faces a messed up childhood like we had to.”
I have her full attention; she looks at me and turns away before I continue.
“You know it’s true, Grace. I love you and would give you the sun and the moon if I could, but I can’t. I don’t want to cause any more heartache. That’s why I’m sitting down with you and having this last conversation before you go back to your life in the States.”
“But why can’t you give me the sun and the moon? Why can’t I just give up my whole life to be with you? Don’t you want to know what I want before you go speaking for the both of us?”
She looks at our hands still joined together. She tries to pull away, but I pull them back.
“Listen, you know I grew up without my father. He chose to stay with his family instead of being with my mother even though he loved her. I don’t want you to leave Scottie or take Scottie away from his father because you love me, and I’m the one you want to be with. I’m the risk, and you don’t take chances with the risk.” I can feel the pain in my heart just for me saying this out loud.
I can see Grace crying because she knows I’m speaking the truth.
“Damn it, Scott! Why did I have to find you? What are you going to do?”
“I’m going to work on developing a relationship with Maxine…”
Grace slaps me the minute I say Maxine’s name and runs out of the room. I run behind her until we reach my bedroom. I pick her up and pin her to the bed before I start kissing her.
“I love you, Grace! Only you! You’ll always be number one! But, we have to stop this heartache between us. We have to stop hurting the people who care about us. They are the innocent victims in our messed up love affair.”
The tears are pouring down her face, and I kiss each tear drop and express how much I love her with my body. I can feel the energy from her body also. She understands what I’m saying is true, but we need to be together one last time. This is the only way we can say goodbye.
I wake up with our bodies still connected, and I run my fingers down the length of her body. Ugh, I’m going to miss her in so many ways, but I must be strong for her. I ease out of the bed and walk into my study. I send a text to Tony letting him know that Grace is heading home, and to make sure he treats her like the queen we both know she is.
I hear the shower running, but I don’t join Grace. I go into the other bathroom to take a shower. Keeping our distance will help and make it easier. I call my driver to come and pick Grace up.
I go in the kitchen with my robe on. I scramble a few eggs and make some toast so Grace can put something in her stomach before she leaves. I watch her take a seat and give me a smile.
“So, I guess this is it then?” I try to ignore the sadness in her eyes. I place a plate in front of her and sit across from her.
“I guess so. I called my driver to come pick you up and take you to the airport.”
I watch her eat her eggs until there’s a knock on the door.
“Well, I guess this is it then. Thank you, Scott, for being my first love and heartbreak.” I don’t reach out to give her a hug, and she doesn’t make a move toward me. Instead, she grabs her things and leaves out the door. We don’t even say goodbye.
What did I just do?
I haven’t talked to Grace since she left my house three months ago. I try not to think about her, but I can’t seem to get her off my mind for any length of time. Life has continued on while my hearts refuses to heal. I haven’t been back to the house since Grace was there. I’ve been staying at my flat in the city and spending more time with Maxine.
I’ve gotten to know her better in the past few months. There really is more to her than just being daddy’s tattletale. At my suggestion, she has stopped getting Botox injections. Thank God for that because she’s way too young for that shit. Now I can see and appreciate the beauty of her natural face. She also stopped modeling because she was only doing it to please her father. I convinced her to stop doing what her father wanted and focus on herself. She’s been doing really well and seems to actually be happy and secure in herself.
I pull up to the practice field and see Mr. Rivers leaning on his car, obviously waiting for me. Great, what does he want to say this time? He didn’t like the idea that I told Maxine she needed to stop getting Botox and doing things just to please him. I pull up next to him, grab my bag, and get out the truck.
“Hello, Mr. Rivers. To what do I owe the privilege of you coming down here?”
He smiles his smug smile that I’d love to slap off his face. “Well, you are dating my daughter and you’re still a client, so I have several reasons for wanting to see you. How have things been going for you?”
If I was still younger, I’d think he’s genuinely interested in me. But now I know it’s all smoke and mirrors with him.
“Things are going great. I’ve been in the gym and I’m ready to get on the field,” I inform him with fake enthusiasm.
I turn and start to walk toward the building with Mr. Rivers following behind me.
“I hope you had fun in the States because if you take another trip out of the country again without prior permission, you will be cut from the team.”
I stop in my tracks to turn around and look at him. He has that salt pepper hair going for him and a grim look. He’s plotting something, and I’m not going to fall for his trap.
“I’d usually have something to say to you, but I’m just going to keep my mouth shut. Just know you’re not the only person who wants me as a client.” I turn around and continue my walk.
“It’s okay, Scott. Grace wouldn’t want to be with an asshole like yourself.”
I don’t know what happened, but I flip the fuck out and charge Mr. Rivers. I choke him and remind him to never mention Grace’s name again. I get control of myself and let him go. I watch him cough on the ground. I pick up my bag and get ready to take my frustration out on the field.
All I hear is Mr. Rivers laughing in the background. I guess I made a deal with the devil. I’m going to get out of his contract one way or the other.
I work my ass out on the field and my coach is impressed. He thinks it’s because I’m officially dating Maxine, but that’s definitely not the case. I hit the showers in the locker room and check my phone again, hoping there would be finally be a text or call from Grace. There’s nothing from her. Fuck. I punch the locker.
As soon as I walk into my flat, I smell garlic in the air. I drop my bag on the floor and walk down the hallway to the kitchen. I turn the corner and I see Maxine in my shirt pulling garlic bread out of the oven. I smile. I’m impressed that she can cook.
“Hi, Maxine. Isn’t this pleasant?” She jumps at the sound of my voice, and I start to laugh at her startlement.
“Oh my God, Scott. Don’t scare me like that! Have a seat. Dinner is just about ready.”
I walk to the dining room and pour myself some whiskey before I sit down. Maxine really did a great job in setting up the dining room for us. I don’t ever eat in here, but I might have to start now. I watch her come in with food that smells absolutely delicious. My stomach rumbles in appreciation.
She fills up my plate, then hers, and takes a seat. I look at the food, curious if I should even eat it.
“Should I eat this? I never saw you cook a meal before,” I tease her.
She puts her
fork down and rolls her eyes at me.
“Please. I can cook. Eat your food and tell me about your day.”
I pick at the food before I decide to eat. Hell, what’s the worst that can happen? I’m pleased that her meal tastes as delicious as it smells. I tell her about my day and what I did to her father. She isn’t upset and claims she understand why I did it. We finish our food, and I offer to wash the dishes since she cooked. She sits quietly and watches me clean up our mess. What is she up to?
“Turn around, Scott. Look what I did today.”
I turn around and Maxine is naked. My cock twitches in anticipation of dessert, but then I notice what she wants to show me. Fuck – I must have drank too much at dinner because I can’t really be seeing what I think I’m seeing. I shake my head and look again. Sure enough, she has a tattoo of my name with a lock and key on the left side of her chest. What the hell?
“Maxine, why did you do that?”
She looks bewildered and pulls my shirt back on.
“I thought you would like it. I did this for you.”
“For me? I didn’t ask you to do something like that. A tattoo is permanent. I can’t believe you did that.” I reach in my liquor cabinet and pour myself a glass of whiskey.
Why would she do something so permanent? I never said we were going to be together forever. Shit. You did this, Scott. You should’ve kept it what it was. My mind’s spinning with too many thoughts.
I pour myself another glass of whiskey.
“You know what, Scott? You can be an ass sometimes, but I love it. I’m going in the bedroom.”
She gets up and I watch her head toward my room. My phone chimes to alert me I have a text message, but I ignore it because I don’t want to be bothered while I drink my whiskey.
I walk to my office, sit down, and turn the TV on. I need to clear my head and escape the reality of what Maxine just showed me. She says it’s for me, but she’s doing it for herself to prove something. My phone chimes. Can’t I just be left alone? I reach in my pocket to grab my phone to turn it off, but I stop when I see Grace’s name on my screen. I’m so excited that she’s finally reaching out to me again! I eagerly open her message only to receive the biggest shock of my life. No! This must be sick joke! I stare in disbelief at Grace’s picture of a pregnancy test showing a positive sign indicating that she’s pregnant.
I throw my glass of whiskey at the TV and watch the glass shatter along with the TV. Fuck! This can’t be happening to me!
Maxine walks in and looks at the TV and then at me. I can’t deal with her right now.
“Maxine, please just go home. You can’t be here now. Just call me before you decide to come back over, please.”
“Are you seriously fucking mad over me getting you tattooed on me? Grow the fuck up, Scott, and realize I fucking love you and I’m not ashamed.”
“Grace, just fucking leave!”
Maxine pales as she realizes what I just said.
“I meant Maxine. I’m sorry. Please, Max, please just leave me alone.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Maybe I should go, Scott. Don’t binge drink again because I won’t be here to help you. I won’t be back until you apologize for calling me that name.”
Maxine slams the door behind her, and I don’t even bother to get up and chase her. This new information Grace sent me is way more important than anything. I could possibly be a father and Grace is still married to Tony. What the fuck did I do to us?
I try calling Grace several times, but she won’t answer me. Great - she sends me a picture of a positive pregnancy test, and now I’m going to go crazy. Not wanting to be alone, I call my friend, Andrew, who’s my usual drinking partner when I’m down. We head out to a club, and I know this is the beginning of a night I’m going to regret.
We walk in and go straight to the VIP section. I don’t wait long before I order myself a bottle of Jack Daniels. The staff treats Drew and I like kings in here. One by one, the ladies start coming to our area so we can check them out.
“So, what’s up Scott? You haven’t called me in a while.”
“Man, it’s fucking Maxine. The crazy chick got my name tattooed on her!” I sigh and thank God the bottle girl has come just in time.
Drew orders his own bottle, and I have mine. It’s going to be a long night. I look around and check out the ladies dancing on each other. After a few more drinks, I will find that to be the sexiest thing ever. I fill my glass up, toss it back, and pour some more. At this rate, I’m going to be fucked up pretty quickly, but that’s the point.
“Man, I told you not to get exclusive with Maxine. If she’s anything like Mr. Rivers, I can’t imagine what tricks she has up her sleeve.”
“I doubt she’s anything like her father. I choked that asshole earlier today.”
Drew laughs out loud and raises his glass up for a toast. He doesn’t get along with Mr. Rivers either.
“About time somebody did it, and I doubt if he’ll suspend you for that. Everyone knows you’re the second best player on the team.”
I sip my drink and give him a side look. “What do you mean second best? Hell, I’m better than you, goalie.” I laugh. Drew nods his head but doesn’t say anything.
“Well, Drew, let’s see what trouble we can start tonight.”
We invite the girls to come drink with us. After drinking my whiskey and having shot after shot, I am quite wasted. I start talking to a red headed chick who has been giving me “the look’ all night. Even though I know that’s not her natural hair color, I trick my mind to believe that she’s Grace. Hell, all red heads have to be Grace.
I do body shots off her sexy, flat stomach, and I let her straddle and grind me in the club. She whispers in my ear asking if she can go home with me. Of course I tell her yes. I look over at Drew who has his hands full with two lovely ladies.
“Drew, let’s go back to the spot.”
“Yeah, let’s.”
I pull the red head off my lap and grab her hand. We head out the door with Drew following behind me with his two blondes on his arm. Ah, the life of being a celebrity. Andrew’s BMW pulls up, and I choose to drive, even though I’m drunk, since our spot is down the road, just around the corner. We have a place that we lease together where we can take our one night stands. Don’t judge us - we’re young and it’s fun. Besides, it’s safer to not let them know where we really live.
We get in the car, and I tell everyone, “Buckle up, safety first!”
Everyone starts laughing. I speed, weaving in and out of cars toward our place. I look at the red head, and she looks so beautiful with those dimples. She looks at me, smiles, and grabs my hand. I allow her to touch me - it must be the whiskey doing this. I pull up into the garage and park in our marked parking space. I open the glove box and grab the keycard.
“Damn, Scott. I thought you were going kill us with your fucking driving.”
“Don’t worry! We made it without a scratch on this pretty red head’s face.”
She leans over and gives me a kiss. Drew busts out laughing, and we get out of the car. We walk toward the elevator, scan the keycard, walk into the elevator, and press the fifth floor. I pull my companion in close to me, and she grinds her ass into the front of my pants. I close my eyes and open them again. Damn! I pull her away from me so I can get a better look at her. She’s wearing a black pencil skirt, white low-cut blouse, and six inch fuck-me heels with spikes. She realizes I’m looking at her.
“Hey, Scott. Just so you know, my name is Gloria. Everyone calls me Gigi.” She holds her hand out, but I pull her in and kiss her like she’s the last woman on earth.
The elevator dings and Andrew and his girls rush out the door. He takes them straight to his room. I pull Gigi into the living room and sit down. She climbs on top of me, and I can see her garter straps with her skirt rising up.
She leans me back and whispers in my ear, “I want you inside me, Scott.”
I lift he
r up off me so I can pick her up and carry her into my room. I toss her on to the bed, and she starts to giggle.
“Take off your clothes.”
She stands up in front of me, but I put my finger up so I can have a seat on the bed before she begins.
“Go ahead and show me what you have to offer.”
She starts with her shirt and unbuttons it slowly before she pulls it off and tosses it at me. I notice she has on a sexy black lace bra. I smile and she smiles back.
“You like what you see?”
“Go ahead and finish. I’ll let you know.”
She unzips the side of her skirt and lets it drop to the floor. As steps out of it, I realize her garter straps and black lace thong match her bra. God, that’s sexy! She has to be about a D size cup and has a nice, plump ass. She comes closer and pushes me down on the bed so she can unbutton my pants. I lift my hips up so she can slide them down after I slip my shoes off.
I watch her get on her knees, and I can feel my cock stiffen under my black boxer briefs.
“Someone is happy to see me, and he’s definitely a big boy.”
“Take my briefs off and you can see better with your own eyes.”
She does just that and begins caressing my balls with her hands. I jump a little, but it starts to feel good after a while. She uses her other hand to stroke my cock, and I moan in pleasure.
“I know you probably like to be in control, but I’m in control tonight,” Gloria informs me, turning me on even more. I think it’s sexy when a woman takes control.
The Risk: Scott's Story (Runaway Love Series Book 2) Page 6