by Angela Blake
“What?” I looked at Mark like he was crazy. “What are you talking about?”
“I thought that was a habit of yours,” Mark said, his voice pointed. “You know, you lure the guy in, sleep with him, then tell everyone he took advantage of you later on. No? Well, maybe that was just something extra special you did for me, then.”
Ashlyn looked around as she tried to diffuse the situation. All the busybodies were pretending to mind their own business, but Ashlyn could see Brandon looking right at her. Mark’s voice was loud enough to carry across the room, and Mark certainly wasn’t trying to have a private conversation or keep Ashlyn’s most embarrassing moments a secret either.
“Mark, you know that’s not what happened. Do you want to talk about it?” Ashlyn reached for Mark’s arm, but Mark jerked away.
“If you have something to say, then you can say it right here,” Mark demanded.
“I thought you were my friend. That’s what I have to say.” Ashlyn felt embarrasses. She couldn’t believe that Mark was trying to hurt her. “It’s like every day, you prove more and more why I think the way I do. If you were truly my friend, you wouldn’t do this to me.”
“Funny,” Mark said without laughing, “I said the same thing to myself when you started throwing around your accusations.”
Ashlyn could feel the tears building up in her eyes. “But that was different,” she tried to reason. Mark was only shaking his head.
“Sure, it was different. Because it was you. When you do something, then it’s always the right decision. But if someone else makes that same decision, then it’s wrong. Just learn to grow up, Ashlyn, and recognize yourself for who you really are.”
“Oh yeah,” Ashlyn challenged. “Who am I really then?”
Mark shook his head. “You don’t want me to tell you. I just want you to think about everything I did for you and the friendship we had then the way you decided to destroy it when it didn’t suit you anymore.”
Ashlyn felt like his accusations were unfair, and she wasn’t going to stand there and take them anymore. She turned on her heel and pushed her way past the few people in the kitchen. She had to get out of there, and the broken glass door was right in front of her. She crunched through the broken glass and out into the fresh air.
It was late, and the beach was dark. It didn’t matter to Ashlyn. She finally was far enough away from Mark’s voice that she could think.
Chapter Eight
Only a small strip of sand was visible next to the ocean, which stretched wider than it had been that morning. Ashlyn began walking along the edge of the beach. With the moon covered, though, she couldn’t see well. She finally found a place along the edge, and she sat down, ignoring the feeling of her shorts dampening from the sand.
“Why did Mark even know what happened? Katy said she didn’t tell him, but she probably told another big mouth who told him.” Ashlyn gave a growl, like an animal that didn’t know how to deal with the challenge presented it.
“It’s like everyone on this set is out to ruin me.” Ashlyn considered her sentence for a few minutes and recanted it. That wasn’t true. Pamela was her friend, at least. Most of the others were neutral toward her. Maybe everyone wasn’t trying to ruin her. Maybe it was just Mark.
Ashlyn waited and waited. Part of her hoped that Brandon would come after her. She wanted him to comfort her and ask her what had gone wrong. But the longer she waited, the more tired she felt. It was time to stop waiting. She wanted Brandon, and she was willing to make a sacrifice to be with him. The least she could do would be to start the conversation and see if he would carry it on.
Ashlyn walked back to the beach house and found Brandon sitting on the back porch. She smiled when she saw his form, and she knew it was him even though the light didn’t show him well.
“I was hoping you hadn’t been carried away by the ocean,” Brandon said.
“I’m here,” Ashlyn announced, “alive.”
“That’s the first step to a happy life you know,” Brandon replied. He stood up and offered the seat to Ashlyn. She refused it, not wanting to sit while he stood. They finally ended up sitting on the edge of the tall deck.
“The storm did a lot of damage,” Brandon said, pointing out a fence that went floating by.
“It’s not nearly as bad as some storms that I’ve seen on the news.”
“Did you see the roof? Whoever is sleeping on the top floor has their bed filled with water.”
Ashlyn smiled. This talk was diverting her from her mission. She needed to explain what Brandon had heard. “Let me tell you about Mark,” Ashlyn said.
“Yeah, he sounds like a fun one to have around,” Brandon replied.
Ashlyn nodded and swallowed. She looked at Brandon out of the side of her eyes. What was she being shy about? She had just made love to this man this afternoon! Ashlyn picked up Brandon’s hand and placed it in her lap, playing with his fingers.
“The thing is that back when we were staying in the mountains, Mark and I kind of became friends. I actually, well, I trusted him. He seemed really considerate and gentlemanly, the opposite of everything that he seems now. And, we had this party. I got super drunk at the party. I have never gotten that drunk before, and something happened. I have a pretty good guess what. The thing that was never clear between us was whether or not I consented to what happened.” Ashlyn bit her lower lip, feeling those pesky tears rising again.
“So, after that, it made things pretty awkward between us. Because I only saw him as a friend. I never thought him super attractive or anything. I know that people do stupid things when they’re drunk, but I just don’t think I would have agreed to having Mark and me, well. . .do anything serious.”
“So now, Mark doesn’t get why you have moved on when he clearly hasn’t,” Brandon summarized.
“Yup, and apparently, Katy has a big mouth. Why else would he have decided at that moment to attack me?”
“We all make stupid decisions,” Brandon summarized. “Look, I wasn’t there. I didn’t see you two before that happened, but let me just tell you this. Don’t blame him or make him into the bad guy just to make yourself better. Take responsibility as well.”
Ashlyn hadn’t expected Brandon to stick up for Mark. Then she realized that Brandon wasn’t sticking up for Mark so much as teaching Ashlyn how to deal with life. Ashlyn nodded and kept quiet. She didn’t know how to transition from. “Sorry about my crazy ex-boyfriend” to “I want to stay with you.”
Brandon made the transition for her. “When are you leaving?”
“Are you ready for me to go already?” Ashlyn teased. “You sleep with me, and then you’re done?”
Brandon smiled and shook his head. “Oh, I am not done with you, baby.”
Ashlyn leaned forward, and the two shared a quick kiss. She realized that now was the time to explain. “Brandon, I think that I’m going to stay behind when my crew goes. I want to stay with you.”
Brandon was silent. He squeezed Ashlyn’s hand gently and waited for her to look at him.
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”
Ashlyn nodded. “I love filming, and I will find some way to do it here. I haven’t figured it out exactly, but I know there will be a way. But I just realized, before today even, that what we have together is unique. I can’t just come across a guy like you everywhere I go, even though I have searched, diligently.”
Brandon leaned forward and gave Ashlyn a long kiss. They kissed and kissed. Ashlyn was contented to let the desire build up in her as she tasted his lips again and again. “I’m so glad that you said something,” Brandon finally spoke as he stared off at the angry ocean. “I didn’t want to say anything. I thought that if I said something you might feel obligated to stay just for me, even if you didn’t want to. I mean, we can do long distance.”
“Are you trying to get rid of me?” Ashlyn smiled and gave him a kiss on the cheek. “No, I’m not doing long distance.
I want to be with you and enjoy every day of your crazy life. I don’t have a lot of money saved up, but I’ll find something to do around here, at least while you’re here.”
“Ashlyn,” Brandon was shaking his head, and Ashlyn wasn’t sure if he was refusing her or what. “You are one crazy woman. Imagine, if you hadn’t hurried out into the sea to save a man you thought was drowning, we might never have met.”
“I’d rather not imagine that,” Ashlyn responded. “I prefer to imagine the future, with us together.”
“With us together,” Brandon echoed. He smiled at Ashlyn and lifted one of his eyebrows. “I’m imagining what it will be like to take you back to my place when you’re finally done filming here.”
Ashlyn giggled and kissed Brandon again. This was what Ashlyn had always wanted for her future, the carefree, open love that she had with Brandon.
THE END
A SECRET BABY SPORTS ROMANCE
By Angela Blake
Chapter 1
Mark Hummel groaned as he dropped the weights he had been carrying.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t do it; it was just that his coach had been pushing him extra hard because he was the youngest person on the team.
He knew he had a long way to go to prove himself, and he was willing to go the distance. He wiped the sweat off his brow and dropped to the floor to do twenty push-ups.
He caught a glimpse of a woman staring at him in the mirror, and he winked suggestively. The woman blushed beet red and pretended to be engrossed in what she was doing.
Mark hoisted himself up and grabbed a towel to dry off until he could get to a shower. He grabbed a bottle of water and flexed his muscles as he began to gulp down the water.
He pretended not to notice the pairs of eyes that were on his bare muscular chest. He smirked as he crushed the bottle in his hand, and then tossed it into the bin.
He turned around and stepped on the treadmill to get some mileage in before calling it a night. He grabbed his phone and scrolled through his playlist before settling on some hardcore rock music to get him pumped.
A message came in from his friend Blaire-Blaire Hamilton-the NBA’s MVP, and Mark slowed to a brisk jog as he read his way through it.
He and Blaire had bonded almost instantly a few months ago, they often went out partying together, and picked up girls together. In fact, most of Mark’s techniques came from Blaire himself.
He practically idolized the man, but then Blaire found out that the love of his life had his baby, so he mellowed out.
Mark thought it was a damn shame that it had come to that.
Blaire Hamilton the basketball legend was whipped, and Mark couldn’t for the life of him figure out why. So what if they had a daughter? It didn’t mean he had to be with her mother.
Mark’s own parents were divorced and better off for it, he never once felt the need to have his parents get back together.
Mark shook his head at Blaire’s joke and shot him a text letting him know that he’d join him for a beer after he was done at the gym.
He pulled up the playlist once again, and his feet began to really pick up the pace as the sounds of Led Zeppelin came in through his earphones.
Beads of sweat came pouring down his back, and he had his brow furrowed in intense concentration, so he didn’t notice the brunette standing next to him until she tapped him on his shoulder.
He yanked out the earphone and stared at her for a second, feeling dazed.
“I’m sorry to interrupt, but aren’t you Mark Hummel?”
Mark’s eyebrow went up as he regarded the brunette with the long legs, tiny waist and round firm ass.
“Depends on who’s asking,” he responded as he dragged a hand through his shaggy blonde hair. His green eyes perused her slowly, thinking that he could definitely picture her as wild between the sheets.
Her brown eyes light up. “I saw you at the game last week, you were great.”
Mark nodded as he got off the treadmill and stood directly in front of her. He was still a good deal taller than her, so he noticed how she had to crane her neck to look up at him. He wanted that head thrown back and moaning in pleasure, but he could wait.
“How close were you?” he inquired conversationally as he made his way towards his gym bag.
“Oh, close enough that we could see the sweat,” she said as she sidled up to him and leaned against the wall as she eyed him, her intentions mirrored in her eyes.
His eyes immediately traveled down to her sports bra, and he let his gaze linger there long enough that a slow flush began to crawl up her cheeks. His gaze traveled down noticing her shapely thighs, and the way her sweatpants clung to her legs as if they were one and the same.
That piece of fabric would look much better on the floor, he thought.
He let his eyes travel back up to her face, and he could see that she noticed he was checking her out, and she didn’t mind one bit. In fact if her body language was any indication, she was very hot for him.
Mark swung his bag over his shoulder and casually strode towards her. He stood next to her and leaned in. He smirked as he noticed that her breath caught in her throat and goosebumps rose on her arms in response to his warm breath on her ear.
“Were you this close?” he asked.
It took the brunette a while to comprehend that he asked a question. “No, not really,” she tried to come off sounding nonchalant, but her tremor gave her away.
“Were you close enough that you could smell the sweat?” he asked as he slid his finger casually down her stomach making her quiver in response.
“No,” she stood very still, as if she was afraid that if she moved he’d disappear or somehow stop, and it became very evident to Mark that she didn’t want him to stop.
Her hand came up and traced the electric guitar tattooed onto his bicep. He watched her carefully knowing that if she didn’t stop, it would be very hard for him to leave the gym and go get beers with Blaire.
Her hand began to move to his chest, and Mark could feel a growing bulge in his pants. He deftly grabbed a hold of her wrist and began to run his thumb over the pressure point.
“Would you like to be?” he asked as she took a step back. He had her caged between the wall and himself, and he had to admit that thought of taking her right then and there was very appealing, but there were too many people around.
“Like to be what?” Her voice came out sounding husky. Mark was growing even more turned on, and he casually lowered his bag to hide it. To the rest of the gym it looked like they were simply having a private conversation, but to Mark and the brunette, the air was crackling with sexual tension.
“Would you like to be close enough to smell the sweat?” he murmured as he watched the rapid rise and fall of her chest. He pictured himself tossing away that sports bra and burying himself between those breasts. He shifted and adjusted the bag even lower.
“Yes,” she breathed.
“What’s your name?”
“Laurel.”
Mark chuckled deeply as he noticed how breathy she sounded. He could already see the desire pooling in her eyes. His green eyes met her brown eyes in a direct stare. “Laurel, I want to make you scream with pleasure.” He kept his voice low but purposeful.
Laurel’s eyes widened and her legs tightened in response. Mark grinned because of his earlier assessment of the brunette was right, her reaction meant that she liked to get a little wild between the sheets.
“Unfortunately, I’m supposed to be meeting a friend for drinks in about an hour or two.”
Predictably, Laurel looked disappointed.
“However, I know the manager here. Follow me.” He pointed a thumb towards the door, and they hurried down the hallway. He stopped at the desk and had a few words with the manager who handed over a key.
They were both practically running down the hallway until they reached a shower stall at the end of the bathroom.
“The
manager lent me the keys to his private office. He has a steam room, jacuzzi and shower in there.”
Laurel blinked as she took in the sight. Mark shut the door behind them and flipped the lock closed before dropping his bag on the floor. He kicked off his shorts and watched as Laurel’s eyes darkened with lust.
Laurel kicked off her sweat pants until she stood in nothing but her sports bra and underwear.
“Let’s see if we can put those long legs to use.”
They collided into a mess of limbs as Mark switched on the shower and proceeded to keep his promise to make her scream.
***
Mark grunted as he lifted his jeans up and slipped on his shirt. He flicked his hair out of his eyes and watched as Lauren put on her hoodie.
The door clicked open, and he gestured for Laurel to go first.
She paused uncertainly at the door. “Will I see you again?”
Mark let out an aggravated sigh. “Laurel we’re both adults here, we both know how this works, so I’m not going to lie to you, but it’s been fun babe.”
Laurel nodded and straightened up but not before she grabbed the front of his jeans. Mark felt himself respond to her touch, but his face remained neutral.
“Well, if you ever want a repeat performance, you know where to find me.” She slipped a card into his hands before she reached up and nibbled on his ear.
“I doubt that. I make it a point not to sleep with the same woman twice.” Mark responded nonchalantly as Laurel stopped nibbling on his ear. He hooked his thumb in the waistband of his jeans and watched as Laurel eyed him.
“It’s there if you change your mind,” Laurel said once more before she gave him one last seductive look. She patted her hair carefully before she strode out of the room, her heels echoing in the hallway.
Mark let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. He was still new to the whole bad boy thing, it had only been a year in fact, and it was Blaire who told him not to sleep with the same woman more than once. He told him that it would mean they expected him to call back, take them out and stuff like that, and Mark didn’t want that.