The End Zone: SPORTS ROMANCE (Contemporary Sport Bad Boy Alpha Male American Football Romance) (New Adult Second Chance Women’s Fiction Romance Short Stories)

by Jenna Payne

  That’s funny. I thought I just bought a new bottle. Annique looked around her tiny bathroom, wondering if she had forgotten to put the new bottle in the shower stall. She finally got enough out of the bottle to wash her hair, tossing the empty bottle into the small bin she kept for recyclables in the bathroom. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she had bought a full bottle the week before, but she chalked her bad memory up to the concussion she’d suffered in the fall. Connor had told her she would forget a few little things here and there as her brain healed, and not to worry unless it became debilitating.

  Annique scoffed at herself. She hardly thought running out of shampoo was debilitating memory loss.

  She toweled off and headed back into her room, expertly rewrapping her shoulder before getting dressed. She couldn’t wait to ditch the wrap, and the random memory loss.

  *****

  Annique pulled into the parking lot outside Sampson’s barn, going around the back to park under a large shade tree. The heads of several hopeful horses peeked out of stalls when they heard the truck engine, but only Sampson whinnied in greeting as she passed by.

  Leah had left for the day, put she’d haltered Sampson up for Annique so she could lead him out to the pasture for his free run day. The vet had given Sampson the all-clear, though Leah and Annique had agreed to keep his leg wrapped for another week for good measure. Leah had taken care of rewrapping Sampson, knowing that Annique’s limited mobility would make the task nearly impossible.

  Annique clipped the lead rope to Sampson’s leather halter, leading him down the hill and towards the pasture. Because he was coming off an injury, Sampson would be spending the afternoon in the geriatric pasture with horses in their late twenties and thirties. A much calmer crowd, Sampson would enjoy a little horsing around without Annique worrying about injury. She opened the gate and turned him loose, watching for a moment to make sure that the trio that lived in the pasture was okay with Sampson’s arrival. After a bit of sniffing and squealing, the four horses walked off towards the green grass near the base of the gentle slope.

  Annique locked the gate and began walking up the steep hill and back to her truck. While he played, she had errands to run. On the top of her list was shampoo, and a few other things that she was surprised to find herself out of. She kept reminding herself that she’d had a really rough week and to cut herself a little slack.

  Annique arrived at the truck slightly out of breath, cursing the week of inactivity. She dragged herself the final few steps to the truck, walking around the back and pushing the remote unlock button on her key fob. She was about to get in when she realized that something wasn’t right with her back tire. Taking a second look, she saw that it was flat. She groaned. It was going to take forever to change a tire with one good arm. She walked around the back of the pickup to check the spare when she noticed that the other back tire was also flat.

  “What the hell?”

  Horseshoe nails! That had to be it. Annique resisted the urge to kick the tire. She was very careful to clean up after her farrier, dragging a large magnet in the dirt to make sure that all of her nails were picked up, every time. But many of the other boarders weren’t as considerate. She’d have to have all four tires checked since it was likely that they all had a nail or two in them. Groaning, she realized that she had no way to leave the farm, and roadside assistance would only change a tire for her, not bring her two fresh ones.

  Her phone rang, Connor’s picture popping up on her screen. She answered it on the first ring, wishing she’d taken a second instead. She didn’t want to appear desperate.

  “I was thinking about you.”

  “I was thinking about horse shoe nails, but then you called and now I’m thinking about you.”

  Connor laughed in her ear, a manly chuckle filled with joy and something else she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

  “I have two flats and I’m sure the other tires have nails in them. So I’m stuck here until Leah gets back with the farm truck from picking up hay. She will be gone until late this afternoon. She takes a flatbed trailer and buys a few hundred bales at a time, directly out of the field.”

  Connor whistled between his teeth. “I guess you’re stuck for a little while then.”

  “I guess I am.”

  “In that case, might I suggest that a picnic at the horse farm might be exactly what the doctor ordered?” He laughed at his own cheesy joke, and Annique couldn’t help laughing with him.

  “I think that would be the best way to deal with flat tires.”

  “I’ll be there soon, I already had a basket packed and was heading out the door.”

  “What if I had said no?”

  “I knew you’d say yes.” He hung up the phone, leaving her standing there with a foolish grin on her face.

  True to his word, he arrived a short while later. Hand in hand they walked to the hill overlooking the pastures, choosing a grassy hillock under a large tree near the back of the property. Connor spread a thick quilt onto the grass and set the basket down. He pulled out a bottle of wine and popped the cork, pouring a little into each glass and handing one to Annique. She ate her food and sipped the sweet wine slowly, enjoying the scent and the smooth texture as it went down.

  Annique held the glass out for more, but Connor shook his head. He said, “I want you to be sober for this.”

  “For what?” she asked.

  Connor leaned forward and kissed her ever so gently. His lips were soft and coaxing as he slowly kissed her full lips. His hand caressed her face, knuckles brushing smooth skin as she kissed him back, a fire building within her. She pulled back, her face feeling flushed as she looked into his eyes.

  “I want you Connor.”

  “Are you sure? Because I can wait. You’re worth the wait.”

  “Thank you,” she said, and smiled. She motioned to the pastures surrounding them, the warm sun and the privacy afforded by their distance from the barn.

  Connor didn’t need to be told twice.

  His hands trembled as he slowly removed her shirt, pulling the fabric over her head and laying it on the quilt. Annique pulled his shirt out of his jeans, working the buttons with her slender fingers while he kissed her neck. She struggled to focus, her nerve endings on fire as he caressed her breasts through her thin bra.

  When she finally undid the last button, she slid the shirt down his arms, wincing when the movement pulled on her shoulder. Connor motioned for her to stop, and gently lay her down on the thick quilt.

  “I’ll do all the work,” he said. “I don’t want to reinjure your arm.”

  She nodded, afraid to speak and break the spell as he undid the buttons of his jeans and slid them off his hips. He kneeled above her, unzipping her jeans and sliding them down her full hips. He set their clothes in a pile on the edge of the quilt, completely naked as he stretched beside her and played with the bra clasp between her breasts.

  “What if we get caught?”

  “Isn’t that half the fun?”

  He was right. Her breath caught as he finally unclasped her bra, releasing her firm breasts and capturing each in his mouth, one at a time, while his free hand fondled the other breast. Annique writhed and moaned, the sound catching on her hitched breath as he tugged and pulled on her dark nipples.

  He kissed her again, his hand trailing down her belly and dipping between her legs. He found her hot and ready, her legs spreading as he touched her.

  “Connor, please,” she said. She begged him with a soft voice and pleading eyes. She’d wanted this since she’d first laid eyes on him, and so had he. The desire sent sparks between them, the air crackling with their need as he positioned himself above her.

  He slowly slid into her, pausing a moment to enjoy the feel of her wet heat around him before he began moving rhythmically against her hips. She moved with him, her breath growing shallow and quick while her hands stroked his broad chest and his muscled arms. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and pull him deeper, but she
knew she risked reinjuring her arm. She forced herself to lie still, closing her eyes and enjoying the pleasure he brought her as the passion inside of her built to a feverish pitch. His hips moved faster and faster, setting her soul afire with their rhythm, tension building within her until she was in danger of bursting into flames.

  Connor kissed her deeply, his kiss as frantic as his thrusts. Annique was about to lose herself when Connor finally tensed, driving into her with powerful strokes, her orgasm over-taking his as they rode wave after wave of pleasure together. Annique wrapped her good arm around his neck and pulled him in for another kiss, devouring his mouth while her body trembled around him.

  Exhausted, Connor lay down beside Annique, snuggled up against her as their heartbeats slowed and they caught their breath.

  The sun started dipping towards the horizon. Annique sat up, wanting this moment to last forever, but knowing that they’d be found naked if they didn’t start dressing before the other boarders returned to the pastures to retrieve their horses.

  “I have to get home and get ready for my shift tonight. Or… Well, I could ask another doctor to cover, if you need me to stay here with you?”

  “I’m fine, and you’re sweet. But Leah will be here in about an hour, and I have to go to the grocery store tonight.” She smiled at him, slipping her shirt over her head and packing her lacy bra in the picnic basket with a wink. “I think you should return my bra in the morning. You know, after your shift when you discover that I accidently left it in your basket.”

  Connor chuckled, cupping her breasts in his hands and rubbing his thumbs across her nipples through the fabric of her shirt. Even with the thick barrier, he could see them pushing against his touch.

  “You sure are something.” He winked back and began packing up their picnic. “I’ll see you in the morning for sure.” He kissed her again, walking down the hill until the path split. He took the trail to the left, heading for his car, while she went right towards Sampson.

  Annique whistled as she reached the gate, but Sampson only picked up his head and stared at her for a moment before returning to the lush grass at his feet. He wasn’t going to come in easily, that much was obvious. So Annique slipped through the fence and headed towards him, humming to herself as she thought about Connor, and how it would be to wake up to him in the morning.

  *****

  Connor walked quickly through the kitchen and into his room, already running behind. The afternoon he’d spent with Annique was magical, but he’d let time slip away from him, and he had about twenty minutes to shower and be out the door if he wanted to get to work on time.

  He was half way down the hall when something in his office caught his eye. He pushed the door open, surprised to see his computer on. His email notification showed that he had one new message waiting for him. He clicked the envelope icon and a video began to play. For a moment, he didn’t know what he was looking at, then it hit him; it was he and Annique making love on the quilt, less than an hour before. Connor closed the screen, cursing under his breath. Rosie! She was still following him.

  He turned around, intent on denying her this intrusion in his life by continuing his day without letting her affect him. Plastered to the walls on either side of the door were pictures of him and Annique. Pictures of the two having lunch, though he had purposely gotten a table away from the windows, just in case she was still following him. There were pictures of him picking Annique up at her house, of the pair driving around in his car. Connor felt sick. How could this still be happening? What did Rosie want?

  He almost exclaimed aloud when the voice on his computer announced, “you’ve got mail!” He clicked the link, his stomach sinking as a giant picture slowly loaded from the top to the bottom. He watched the sky give way to the top of someone’s head as it slowly filled in. All at once, Connor realized that he was looking at a picture of the back of Annique, and she was walking Sampson to his barn stall wearing the same clothes she’d had on early today.

  He dialed 9-1-1, hand shaking as he waited for the dispatcher to pick up.

  “9-1-1, where is your emergency?”

  “Yes, hi. I need police to Camel Valley road, the Carmel Valley Equestrian Center.”

  “Sir, do they need an ambulance?”

  “No, the police. Something bad is about to happen.”

  “Sir, are you onsite right now? Can you describe the nature of the emergency?”

  “No, I’m not. Just please, send someone.”

  “Sir, please remain calm. How do you know there’s something bad if you’re not at the site?”

  “I just do, please send someone. She’s in danger.”

  The operator started to question him further, but he hung up. Frantic, he jumped into his car and headed for the barn, praying he wouldn’t be too late.

  ***

  Annique walked Sampson up the final hill to the barn, his head low and relaxed as they walked side by side. His ears pricked up and he looked over his shoulder. Annique stopped, looking with him, wondering what he had heard. Shrugging, she turned around, and her eyes noted the twisted rage in Rosie’s face a split second before she was punched in the face. She went down hard, losing her grip on Sampson’s rope as he reared and squealed before running off towards the pasture. Annique tried to stand, but Rosie kicked her hard in the ribs and leaned over to tie a black bag over her head.

  She whispered loudly in Annique’s ear. “I’ll teach you to steal what’s mine you little tramp.”

  Annique tried to fight, but her head was spinning from the blow. Rosie dragged the much smaller Annique to her car and threw her into the trunk, jolting her injured shoulder. Rosie slammed the lid and got into the driver’s seat, driving slowly out the side entrance so as not to attract too much attention to herself.

  She pulled into traffic and accelerated. From the trunk, Annique tried to remain calm. She searched her pockets for her cell phone, fighting back tears when she realized that it was probably sitting on the floor of the barn where she fell. She bit her lip to keep from sobbing, trying to focus on the sounds as Rosie tore through the streets and onto the highway.

  Rosie smiled as she saw Connor’s car fly passed her, heading towards the barn.

  “You’re too late!” she screamed at him through her closed car window. He would never find them in time, and she would make Annique pay for trying to steal her husband from her.

  She drove quickly, but stuck with the flow of traffic. She had a plan in mind for Annique’s grand exit from this life, and that plan didn’t include getting pulled over by the police.

  ***

  Connor arrived at the barn just as Leah ran out of the stable with Annique’s phone in her hand, her eyes scanning the grounds for any sign of Annique and Sampson. Connor ran to her, trying to calm her as she rambled on about Sampson running off with Annique being dragged by the rope.

  “No, she’s not with Sampson. My ex, she sent me pictures. She was here Leah, while Annique was walking Sampson to his stall. She was right behind her.”

  Leah covered her mouth, trying to hold back her screams as she imagined the worse.

  “I think I know where they are. Leah, I need you to call the police and tell them Annique has been kidnapped. Tell them that Rosie Braun kidnapped her and she’s taking her to La Jolla.” Connor was running to his car as he spoke, desperate to get to Annique before it was too late.

  “La Jolla?”

  “Yes, the cliffs where I proposed. Leah hurry, we don’t have much time.”

  Connor sped off, catching a glimpse of a young stable hand walking Sampson back towards the barn from down the hill. At least she didn’t kill her horse. Connor shook off the thought, focusing on the road ahead, focusing on Annique. He did not know what Rosie was planning at those cliffs, but he knew it would not be good.

  *****

  Annique stumbled as Rosie shoved her up the hill, reminding her that she had a knife and wouldn’t hesitate to use it if Annique tried to run. Annique’s head throbbe
d along with her heartbeat as she tried to force herself to walk up the hilly trail fast enough to appease Rosie. The smell of the salty sea air was overwhelming, and Annique was afraid that she knew where Rosie was taking her.

  Annique tripped, catching herself with her good arm as she fell. Rosie bellowed behind her, angrily kicking her and grabbing her by the hair to pull her up. Annique struggled, trying to stop the world from spinning around her.

  “I’m injured, Rosie. I’m trying.” She gasped, trying to reason with the angry woman.

  “You know my name? He told you my name?” She kicked Annique several more times, until she heard a sickening crack and tasted blood in her mouth. Rosie screamed at her, pulling her foot back to kick her once more when Annique finally pulled herself up. Doubled over in pain, Annique pushed herself up the hill, praying that Connor would find them in time to stop Rosie.

  The sound of the waves grew louder as they climbed. The brush finally gave way, opening up onto a flat area that looked off the cliff to the crashing waves below. Rosie pushed Annique passed the protective barrier, a mere five feet from the edge.

  Annique tried to calm her breathing, to push away the pain of her cracked rib as she searched for the words that would stop Rosie.

  Rosie started pacing, mumbling to herself and standing between Annique and safety. The waves pounded against the cliff face below, sending spray high into the air and receding to reveal jagged rocks. Annique felt sick, knowing that Rosie meant to push her off the edge. No one could survive that fall. Likely, no one would want to. Tears welled in Annique’s eyes as she fought to hold onto hope while Rosie paced, arguing with her demons, oblivious to her captive.

  Annique saw him before Rosie did, sneaking up another trail. Annique wanted to call out to him, to tell him that she needed him, but she bit her tongue, hoping to give Connor the opportunity to surprised Rosie. Rosie saw him then, reaching out and grabbing Annique’s injured arm and yanking the smaller woman against her.