X's and O's (A SECOND CHANCE SPORTS ROMANCE)

by Nikki Wild

  “No,” she said, turning and taking a few steps back toward the entrance.

  I fucked up, I thought as she walked away, I moved too fast.

  “Hold up,” I said, grabbing her elbow. She turned back to me, her eyes searching mine. “This is not going the way I want.”

  “I bet you’re not used to that, are you?”

  “Haley…”

  “It’s fine, Toby, forget it, okay? I need to get back to work and edit these photos. Can you take me home, please?” She looked up at me, confusion in her eyes.

  “Sure. I thought you wanted to edit the photos tonight. Are you changing your mind?”

  “No, I’m going home to work on them. Is that okay with you?” she snapped, looking away. She looked so fucking beautiful in the red light. I resisted reaching out to her again. She was angry now. I’d crossed some line. Some line that wasn’t there before, when we were younger.

  She opened the door and stormed out. I waited while she retrieved her camera, then followed her out. I caught up to her outside near the Maserati.

  I opened her door, my guts wrenching as she avoided looking at me.

  “What’s your address?” I asked, after sliding behind the wheel.

  She rattled it off and I repeated it into the GPS.

  We were both quiet on the drive to her house. The sun had sunk below the horizon while we were inside. Nights were getting shorter, which meant the playoffs were right around the corner. I had to put Haley and all other women out of my mind and concentrate on signing my next contract, but there was no way I was going to be able to stop thinking about her. My cock twitched in my jeans, just to reinforce the effect she had on me.

  “This is it,” she said, pointing to a quaint green house with a flower lined walkway. A birdhouse hung from a small tree in middle of the front yard.

  “This is cute. I’ll walk you to your door,” I said, quickly hopping out of the car and running over to open her door for her.

  At her front porch, she stopped and turned to face me.

  “Thanks for the photos, Toby.”

  “Have dinner with me again.”

  “I don’t think so,” she said, shaking her head. I knew she’d resist, and I knew I couldn’t let her get away.

  “Why not?”

  “Because we have entirely different lives, Toby. The past is the past. It’s probably best left alone, you know?”

  “Are you sure it’s over?” I asked, my voice husky, remembering the way she’d kissed me in the darkness. There was still something between us, something I wanted to explore. She could try to deny it, but I knew better. My cock swelled as I stared down at her, my heart twisting, her green eyes searching mine, the fire burning between us raging.

  “Tell me you don’t want me,” I demanded.

  She looked up at me and bit her lip.

  I knew I’d hurt her.

  I wished like hell I could take it all back.

  “I don’t want you,” she whispered, her eyes telling me a whole different story. They were sad and wistful, their honesty cutting right through me.

  She opened the door and walked inside, closing it behind her without another word, leaving me standing there alone, my cock throbbing hungrily between my legs, every cell in my body filled with regret and lust.

  Seven

  Haley

  I closed the door, my hands trembling. His kiss had left me breathless and shaky. It had left me wanting more, so much more.

  I slumped against the door, my knees weak, as I tried to make sense of it all.

  How could I be so upset with him and want him so badly, all at the same time?

  My body pulsed with desire for him. It was as if my skin remembered his touch, as if my lips remembered his kiss, as if my fingers remembered every inch of his skin. It was as if nothing had changed. My arms longed to welcome him, to wrap around him, to pull him into the deepest corners of my soul.

  But I could never do that.

  I shook my head and headed to the kitchen. Billy wouldn’t arrive home for a few hours and I had a rare moment to myself. The bottle of wine on my kitchen counter was calling my name. I needed something, anything, to mask the intense yearning that was taking over my senses.

  I’d just taken my first sip when the doorbell rang.

  I walked over and opened the door to see Toby standing there, a look of hunger in his eyes. In a flash, he stepped forward and put his arm around my waist, pulling me close.

  “Toby,” I whispered, my eyes wide as he kissed me again, his kiss now passionate, hot, demanding. I moaned, melting under him, everything I’d felt earlier rushing back all at once, overwhelming me with pure desire for him.

  I wanted him so badly that suddenly, nothing else mattered.

  The past didn’t matter.

  The present didn’t matter.

  Nothing mattered except for his kiss, his lips, his heat, his hands…

  “I need you, Haley,” he said, tearing his lips from mine, his voice husky with desire, his stormy eyes crashing into mine. “I know none of this makes sense. It doesn't make sense to me, either. All I know is I can’t go on without having you again.”

  I nodded slowly, speechless.

  A slow smile spread across his lips and then his lips crashed into mine again, his fiery kisses sending explosive shocks of pleasure rippling through me.

  I kissed him back, all the years of yearning, the questions, the pain…wrapped up in our kiss as he bent down and swept me off my feet.

  He closed the door behind him and tore his lips from mine again.

  “Where’s your bedroom?” he growled.

  “That way,” I said, nodding my head toward the hallway. “Last door at the end.”

  His lips pressed against mine once more as he gently laid me down on the bed.

  I pushed away all thoughts of resistance, pushed away every bit of common sense, silencing the little voice inside of me that told me this was wrong.

  Instead, I drank him in — every delicious inch of him as he undressed above me, slowly revealing his rippling muscles.

  His body was like a classic masterpiece I’d seen a million times in pictures, in my memories, in magazines, but seeing it again now, an intoxicating cocktail of new and old, his man’s body a stark contrast to the growing teenaged boy I’d known so long ago….it took my breath away.

  His broad chest was sprinkled with dark hair that trailed down his abs, a tiny tuft of hair leading down to his pulsing treasure. I gasped as he pushed his boxers down, his enormous cock springing into view. I swallowed hard as I looked back into his eyes, the storm brewing there turning dark and tumultuous as he came closer to me.

  Years of history churned in his gaze. I shuddered in anticipation of his touch, laying back on the bed, I stared up at him as he hovered over me. He reached down with a hungry growl, unbuttoning my shirt and pushing it over my shoulders. He reached down, skillfully unclasping my bra. It fell away, exposing my heaving, hungry breasts.

  “Toby…” I whispered, a wisp of uncertainty surfacing.

  “Shh,” he said, silencing me with a kiss. I melted beneath him, his hands running over my curves. I shivered at his touch, pleasure pulsing through me.

  His hands moved to my skirt, pulling it down over my thighs impatiently.

  Exposed, naked, wearing nothing but my black lace panties, he looked down at me. His eyes raged with hunger as he placed his palm against my center. My heart pounded in my chest at the heat of his touch.

  His warm hand moved up my stomach, the fingers gingerly trailing up, caressing my breasts sensuously.

  He kissed me hard, his kiss growing urgent, demanding. I moaned below him, raising my hips towards him, my body igniting with desire.

  I wanted it all. I wanted him inside me. Just one more time, I needed to feel him.

  To remember.

  As he kissed me deeply, I reached down and wrapped my fingers around his shaft.

  He growled, his voice rumbling through me. I st
roked him as he slipped his hand into my panties, rubbing his fingers against my wetness. I moaned as I pressed up towards him.

  “Toby…” I whispered, the sparks between us igniting something wild within me.

  He leaned back, staring into my eyes, sliding the panties down over my thighs.

  “Haley, I can’t stop, once I start,” he said, shaking his head, his stormy eyes questioning me now.

  “Don’t stop,” I whispered urgently, letting my thighs fall open, welcoming him.

  A slow, sexy smile spread across his handsome face and my breath caught, his sheer, raw beauty cutting right through me. My nipples hardened, my stomach fluttering as his hands ran over my thighs, his huge fingers pushing my legs apart. Slowly, he lowered his head, his smiling eyes glued to mine. The heat of his breath hit my quivering center, followed by the smooth velvety slide of his tongue. I shuddered beneath him as pulled the pleasure from my body, his mouth working against me with purpose and precision. My fingers tangled in his soft hair, pulling him closer, my thighs wrapping around his shoulders, my hips flailing and thrashing wildly until I cried out into the darkness of my bedroom, waves of rippling pleasure sending me crashing over the edge. I shivered, shaking and trembling in the wake of it all.

  He slid up my body, the storm in his eyes raging with darkness. I opened my mouth, welcoming the passionate invasion of his tongue. My thighs wrapped around his hips as his throbbing hardness slid inside of me smoothly.

  It was like coming home.

  He was everything I remembered.

  His musky smell, the way his body moved against me, the sounds that came from his perfect lips that I’d kissed a thousand times.

  I melted below him, his rhythmic thrusts so familiar, so perfect. His body fit mine as if they were made for each other, sliding together as one, just as they’d easily done so many years ago.

  It was as if all the time hadn’t passed. As if our bodies clicked together, melting away all the pain, the distance, the absence.

  “My god, Haley,” he growled, thrusting deeper, his cock filling me with sweet familiarity. I wrapped myself around him, my arms, my thighs, my pussy, my mouth, my fingers running over his skin, memorizing and remembering, all at once.

  His thrusts turned harder, faster, hungrier, his hips flying against me urgently, his kiss demanding more and more, until we moved together, running towards the edge together, desperately hurtling towards the darkness.

  He grabbed my hand, intertwining his fingers with mine, as he pushed into me forcefully. His eyes peered into the darkest depths of my own as he gasped for breath, his cock exploding deep inside of me, the heat of his pleasure shooting fireworks of ecstasy straight to the center of my body.

  Eight

  Toby

  Untangling myself from Haley’s body was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do.

  But she'd insisted I leave her house, saying she had to get to work, and rushing me away. I’d gone home, feeling like a goddamned teenager again, with my cock still raging and thoughts of her rushing through my head constantly. Fuck, I could still smell her on me.

  So much for staying focused, I thought, as I drifted off to sleep alone. It had taken all my strength not to get in the car and go back to her house last night, but I was determined to respect her wishes. I’d already pushed the envelope once. I didn’t want to scare her away.

  After practice the next morning, I stopped by my parent’s restaurant. My mother had called around noon, saying things were getting worse. I made time to stop by after hearing her tears.

  Pulling into the parking lot, I noticed it was once again empty. While it was mid-afternoon, they should have had at least a few cars parked. Without customers, there was nothing I could do for them.

  I walked through the front door. My dear mother walked over excitedly as if she hadn’t believed I would show up. After giving her a quick hug, I nodded to the dining room.

  “No customers at all today?”

  She shook her head.

  “No, and I’m getting worried.”

  “I’m going to talk to Pops. He in the back?”

  “Yeah, but I don’t think…”

  “It’ll be okay,” I interrupted.

  She didn’t follow as I made my way to the back of the restaurant. While I wasn’t looking forward to a confrontation with my father, one might be necessary to get him back on track.

  “Hey, Pops, catching some down time?” I asked.

  Startled, he sat up in his swivel chair and spun around.

  “On a break,” he said. “Gotta give the old noggin time to work, you know?”

  “Yeah.” I frowned. “Looks dead out there. Been this way all week?”

  He pursed his lips together as his brow furrowed.

  “What did your mother say to you? She doesn’t know a damn thing.”

  “Nothing, Pops. It’s not her fault. You need to step up your online marketing, Dad. I really think it will help.”

  “I don’t have time for that Tweeper nonsense.”

  “It’s Twitter, and you need to make time.”

  “Or what?” he asked, standing up.

  I leaned against the doorway of the small, cluttered office, blocking his path.

  “Or you’re going to go out of business, and you’ll need me to save you and Ma both.”

  We locked eyes. I straightened up as he inched forward. His chest bumped into mine.

  “We don’t need your damn football money,” he said, words dripping with acid.

  “I’m just trying to help, okay?”

  “Well, you’re not helping by coming in here and demanding I do things your way. This is my restaurant. I’m Louie, and this is my house.”

  “Look, Pops, I don’t have time for this, okay?”

  He shook his head as he sat back down on the office chair and swiveled around.

  “I’ve got to go,” I said.

  “Of course. Get my blood pressure up then run off.”

  “What do you want from me?” I asked. “Aren’t you proud of what I’ve accomplished?”

  “You forget how much your mother and I sacrificed to get you through college. Not to mention your high school years.”

  I sighed. Here we go again.

  “Pops, I appreciate everything you and Ma did for me. Really. But it’s time to move on. Let me help you guys out.”

  “You could help out by coming around every night. It would draw a lot of people here to eat.”

  “I don’t have time for that right now, but I can help financially.”

  “Keep your damn money,” he said, waving dismissively.

  I huffed, bit my tongue, then walked back to the front.

  “Are you okay, dear?” my mother asked as she sliced peppers.

  “I’m fine,” I said. “I’ve got to go. That credit card I gave you is still working, right?”

  “Yes,” she said, glancing over her shoulder as if my father might be listening.

  “Use it if you need it to make orders or whatever, okay?”

  She nodded.

  “And pay someone to help you with advertising. That’s what will save this place.”

  “But I don’t know anyone like that, Toby.”

  “Okay, Ma. I’ll find someone for you.”

  “Thank you, Toby. You’re a good son,” she said, kissing me on the cheek. “How is Haley?”

  My heart sped up at the mention of her name.

  “She’s good, Ma,” I said, smiling.

  “I was so sad to hear about her parents,” she said.

  “Yeah, me too,” I replied. Haley hadn’t said much about them at all to me. I made a mental note to ask her about them again. “I’ve got to go, okay? I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Bye, dear. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Mom,” I said.

  As she waved, I headed out of the restaurant, my head full of thoughts of Haley. Making love to her last night had left me a complete wreck inside. I knew we would have to talk
about it eventually. I still didn’t quite know what to make of it, but the one thing I did know was that I was desperate to have her again.

  I was a fool to think one more time would be enough.

  Nine

  Haley

  Making love to Toby had left my body raw and my mind reeling.

  I was leaving my heart out of the equation completely.

  I tried to put him out of my mind as I did housework and ran errands, but it was impossible.

  I went into the newsroom half-an-hour before my shift started, just to try something new. Billy looked up and smiled as I approached his cubicle. I’d avoided him at home last night and I knew he would be full of questions about my date with Toby yesterday and I wasn’t ready to answer them just yet.

  Turns out, I didn’t have to.

  He always could see right through me.

  “You’ve got a glow to your skin this morning. You fucked him, didn’t you?”

  I smiled, shaking my head as I sat down next to him.

  “Give me all the details,” he said, spinning around in his chair.

  “I don’t even know what to say…”

  “You did fuck him!” he cried out with a smile.

  “Shhh!” I said, looking around as heads popped up from the chest-height dividers at other cubicles in the newsroom. “Let’s go out back.”

  “You better tell me everything, Haley!”

  “Alright, c’mon already!” I said. The truth was, I wanted to talk about it. I just wasn’t sure Billy was the right person. He hated Toby for the way he’d treated me and I knew he would continue to be over-protective.

  In back of the building, he turned to me with an expectant look on his face. He wasn’t going to give me an inch on this.

  I smiled, looking away, my cheeks flushed.

  “Come on, you can tell me.”

  “Well, we took some photos, just like you knew we were going to.”

  “And?”

  “And he dropped me back off at home.”