Promise Me

by Kristin Mayer

  I could hear the stress in her voice.

  I was trying to think of what to say to support her, when she continued, “I was about to tell him, but then Katie started chasing the horses, causing a ruckus. By the time all that was settled, Damien was sweaty, filthy, and tired. I didn’t want to just say, Oh, by the way, I’m pregnant. I want the moment to be perfect.”

  I gave her a small chuckle at how this must be rocking her perpetual planning habit.

  It was time for a subject change to something less stressful for both of us as I said, “I love that dog. Katie is the best gift Martin and I could have ever gotten Damien.”

  That caused us both to smile. I started thinking about when Martin and I had figured out what to give Damien as a just-because gift. Martin and I were always giving Damien a hard time.

  Martin had been Damien’s best friend from childhood. After the death of Damien’s sister, Rebecca, Damien and Martin had caused each other wounds, and they were now healing from them. Since I had met Martin on Tybee Island, he had become one of my very dear friends and a big part of our group. Martin and I were each other’s sidekicks when it came to giving Wales a hard time. Martin was a blast and so funny.

  “Sam, what the hell are we going to get Wales? It can’t be some boring-ass gift. We have a reputation to uphold.”

  Leaving the fifteenth store, I racked my brain for what to get Damien. It couldn’t be just anything. With the shit we gave him on a constant basis, this had to be epic. Just then, I heard some whining. I turned my head and saw the most adorable black lab puppies. Martin was still walking when I grabbed his shirtsleeve to stop him.

  “What the hell, Sam?”

  A devious grin spread on my face as an idea formed. I pointed toward the puppies. “Maybe we should get Damien a practice baby. Do you know how much shit we could give him every time the dog did something bad or good?”

  Martin grabbed my hand and started pulling me toward the pen. “You pick which one, and I’ll pay. You’re a genius.”

  Picturing the endless fun this was going to provide had me laughing.

  Throwing her hands out to the side and rising from the bed, Allison continued, “I feel awful because I’ve known about being pregnant for over twenty-four hours without telling the father.”

  Obviously, Allison isn’t ready for a subject change.

  Coming to sit beside her, I grabbed her in a half-hug. “Allison, just belt it out. He’s not going to care one way or another how you tell him. We all know how badly he wants one. Plus, he’s had a lot of practice with Katie. He’s more than prepared.”

  She gave me a small smile. I was sure she was thinking about all the crap Martin and I had dished his way when it came to Katie.

  Allison’s phone rang from her purse on the dresser. It was Damien’s ringtone. The dreaded look on her face made me laugh as she marched toward it like it was a death sentence.

  “Shut it, Sam. It’s not funny. Damien’s going to think I’m upset. I’m so happy. I was just shocked.”

  She grunted in frustration as she picked up the phone, which caused me to laugh even harder as she answered the call.

  “Hey, Damien. Yes, I made it. Okay—”

  All of a sudden, the phone was pushed into my face before Allison ran to the bathroom and closed the door. It appeared that my best friend was having her first bout with morning sickness.

  What the hell am I going to say to Damien?

  Putting the phone to my ear, I spoke, “Hey, Damien. It’s Sam. Allison had to go to the bathroom?”

  Way to sound like I’m covering something up.

  “Sam, is she okay? What’s wrong?” His concern came through the phone as he rapidly fired questions at me.

  I was at a loss for what to say. As I looked at the bathroom door, I responded to his questions, “I think so? Um…doesn’t feel well?”

  Why am I talking in questions? In my stupidity, I threw my palm to my face. Allison is going to kill me for not being my usual suave self.

  From the bathroom, I heard retching. I needed to get in there to help my friend.

  Damien continued, “Sam, I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m on my way.”

  “Okay. She’s okay, Damien. I’ve got—”

  The phone disconnected before I even finished. I rolled my eyes, thinking about what my ever-concerned brother-in-law was doing to everyone to get here immediately. Well, Allison was about to have to let the proverbial cat out of the bag. She was going to be irritated beyond belief at my less-than-suave manner.

  I walked through the bathroom door as my poor friend dry-heaved into the toilet. After grabbing a washcloth, I wet it and squeezed out the excess water. This was what my mama had always done when I was sick, and it had seemed to help.

  Removing Allison’s hair from the side of her face, I handed her the damp cloth. “Do you need anything else, sweetie?”

  She shook her head as another round of dry heaves racked her body. I hoped she wouldn’t have this for too long. It looked awful.

  Finally, after what seemed like forever, she collapsed on the floor and wiped her face. “Ugh, not fun. I need to brush my teeth.”

  I helped her as she wobbled up onto her feet.

  She pulled out a new toothbrush from the bathroom drawer. “I’m too lazy to go to my bedroom right now.” She leaned on the counter, obviously exhausted from what baby Wales had put her through.

  I got a new washcloth and went to the other sink to wet it. Folding it on the counter, I told her in my no-nonsense tone, “Once you’re done, let’s go lie down for a few minutes. You’re looking a little ashen.”

  She nodded as she made her way to my bed and lay down. I needed to keep her distracted from remembering that Damien had been on the phone with her before the marathon puking began. Making that task easier for me, Allison closed her eyes, clearly exhausted.

  “Thanks for helping me, Sam. You’re the best.”

  “Oh, I can remember a few times in the beginning of college when you held my hair away from the porcelain throne. It’s what best friends do.”

  Allison gave a weak laugh, and her eyes fluttered shut.

  All too soon, I heard commotion, and Damien’s voice was calling for her. My head snapped over to the door as Allison bolted upright in bed, trying to fix herself. We looked like we had as kids when we had gotten caught doing something wrong. Our eyes were as big as saucers, and our bodies were as stiff as boards. We had definitely lost our touch today.

  Right on cue, Damien marched through the door, looking at both of us. He took in the still sick-looking Allison, and he was by her side in a minute. Totally consumed by her, he brushed the side of her face, and my chest tightened infinitesimally as he looked at her.

  Ah hell, I need to get out of here, stat. I got up from the bed and walked to the far side of the room.

  Worried, Damien said, “Baby, what’s wrong? You look like you’ve been sick. I’ll have the doctor come.”

  “I’m fine, Damien. Just had…I mean, I’m…oh geez, this is not going how I planned it in my head.” Allison looked down at her knotted fingers.

  Reading my best friend was easy. I imagined Allison was internally battling with herself on whether to tell a little white lie or blurt out the truth. I wanted to belt it out and save her the hassle of digging herself out of this one, but I remained silent while observing it all.

  “Alli…” His voice became commanding.

  Allison looked into his eyes before he continued.

  Control—he had it with Allison, and she gave it to him freely.

  “What is going on? You’re scaring the hell out of me with how sick you look. Tell me what’s going on, baby.”

  Automatically, she started rambling, “I was going to tell you yesterday, but then Katie caused that ruckus. I wanted it to be perfect because everything you do for me is perfect.” She took a deep breath and raised her hand to stop Damien from speaking. “Just know that I’m ecstatic, and the only reason I haven�
��t said anything is because I wanted it to be magical when I told you. When I went to the doctor yesterday, I told her I wasn’t feeling well, and she did a test.”

  Allison stopped breathing as Damien’s eyes lit up. There appeared to be hope in his features, but Damien didn’t say a word as he waited for her to continue. My legs were frozen as I took in the scene. I could feel the same emotions that had led me to the club yesterday starting to surface.

  A smile spread across Allison’s face. “I’m pregnant, Damien. I’m about five weeks along.”

  His lips descended on Allison’s in adoration, and a pressure in my chest increased to where I felt like I was suffocating.

  Damien pulled away and put his hands on her stomach. “We’re having a baby. Alli, you have made me the happiest man on earth. I’m going to be a dad!”

  Triumph and joy radiated from them both. As I took in this scene, my world started to unravel. I slowly moved to the door. They were talking to the baby when I slipped out of the room, undetected.

  This was their moment. Images of the dreams from my past started flooding my head, and I drew an iron curtain to stop my mind. When I thought I was out of earshot from Allison and Damien, I took off like a bat out of hell, needing to regain control of this emotion that kept popping up.

  I hopped in my car and started to drive. I had gone without using sex as a coping mechanism for six months.

  Six months!

  And I had needed it for the last two damn days. Why am I losing so much control all of a sudden? It was unacceptable. All my well-constructed walls were starting to shift and become weak.

  I looked at my phone, and a thought started to form. I picked it up and dialed the number. I needed something to take the edge off. People had casual sex all the time. Maybe that was my balance instead of going to Club Envy. I had already had sex with Mark a couple of times, so it wouldn’t be adding another notch to the belt.

  The phone rang a few times while I nervously tapped my fingers against the leather steering wheel.

  “This is Robertson.”

  He didn’t recognize my company number. He had tried to contact me on my personal line on several occasions, making it clear he’d wanted more. The couple of times I’d hooked up with him were phenomenal. He was one of the few who I had gone back to for seconds—and now, apparently, thirds. However, when he had mentioned the word date, I had gone running in the opposite direction. I didn’t date, but right now, desperation was running through my blood. I would be up-front and make it clear that I just wanted sex.

  Only sex. Nothing more.

  “Hey, Mark. It’s Sam. Where are you?”

  He was momentarily stunned as silence filled the line. “I’m finishing up my workout at the stadium. Then, I need to hit the showers and grab a bite to eat.”

  “Great. I’ll be there in a minute.”

  I hung up before he had the chance to respond. I knew he didn’t have a girlfriend. I had to follow information like that on all the teammates in case it could hurt the team.

  I drove like hellhounds were chasing me. After screeching into the back entrance, I threw my car into park and looked down at my appearance. I was in jeans, wedge sandals, and a fuchsia silk tank top. It wasn’t my finest ensemble, but it would have to do. I opened my purse and put a condom in my pocket.

  Quickly, I jogged inside and headed down to the locker room. In the past few months, Mark and I had seen each other in team settings, but I would disappear right after, not wanting that awkward tension between us because of how I had left things.

  Mark was the only guy from the team who I had slept with. Our first time had been in Vegas after the gala. The second time had been when I’d re-signed the kicker for Wales’ team. After the kicker had left, Mark and I happened to be at the same bar. After I’d snuck out of the room, leaving Mark behind for a second time, I’d made a vow to keep my sexual encounters away from any personnel on Wales’s payroll. I didn’t want to be the team whore. Since I had already hooked up with Mark prior to that self-imposed rule, I figured I could still sleep with him for my needed release.

  I came into the locker room, and I was thankful to find it abandoned. No one was in the showers or the locker area, not even Mark.

  Damn it, I told him to wait.

  Just as I was about to call him, I heard cabinets opening in the physical therapy room. Through the small window, I saw Mark looking through the cabinets, and he pulled out a tube of cream. I assumed it was probably for his sore muscles. I slipped in the room and quietly closed the door. When the lock snapped, Mark’s head looked my way.

  “Sam, what are you doing here? I was surprised to hear from you. It’s been a few months.”

  He was the perfect specimen of a man. His muscles were flawlessly sculpted, and his short blond hair was a sweaty mess. My sex started to throb in anticipation, wanting a release. I couldn’t wait to be on top of him again.

  He set the tube of cream down and leaned against the counter. Folding his muscular arms across his chest, he waited for me to speak first. I started to walk his way with enough sway to be on the seductive side.

  “I haven’t seen you in a while, and I thought I should say hello since I’m about to officially be a North Carolina resident.” I stopped right in front of him as I licked my bottom lip. “I thought you’d want to personally welcome me to the city.”

  My blood roared as my hormones took over. His athletic shorts were hanging low on his waist, showing that muscled V that I loved on a man. I knew it was dangerous, coming back to him when he affected me on such a primal level, but I would control it.

  His skin glistened with sweat from what had to have been an intense workout. “Well, welcome, Miss Matthews. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go shower.”

  I leaned against the counter, blocking his path. “That’s not a very neighborly welcome.” I batted my eyelashes up at him.

  The moment his eyes dipped to my breasts, I knew if I played my cards right, I would be in the homestretch.

  He cleared his throat. “How about a cup of coffee?” His voice was smooth.

  I shook my head as I inched a little closer, and our eyes locked in a lust-filled trance. Hopefully, he wanted me as much as I wanted him in this moment.

  We had been hot as sin in the bedroom together.

  I bit my bottom lip as my hand reached out and traced the top of his shorts. His muscles quivered under my touch as we continued to look at each other.

  Mark pressed on and asked, “What about dinner then?”

  “Oh, Mark, I was thinking more of a joyride.”

  I dipped my hand underneath his waistband and brushed the tip of his erection. Mark Junior is ready to come out and play.

  A light hiss escaped between his teeth. “Sam…”

  I put my index finger to his mouth and then stepped back. His gaze followed me. I pulled my silk tank top over the top of my head and then shimmied out of my jeans. Mark’s knuckles turned white as he gripped the counter.

  Using my authoritative voice, I said, “Take off your shorts if you want me to ride you on the chair over there.”

  Mark actually looked torn about what to do.

  What the hell?

  The asshole countered, “Let’s go get dinner, and then we can go for a joyride.”

  What is he trying to pull?

  “No deal. I’m sure I can find someone else to welcome me properly if you’re not up for the task.”

  I hoped he couldn’t tell that I was bluffing. My pulse hammered with uncertainty. I needed this now to right my control for a bit. To further sell my charade, I bent over to give the impression that I was about to get dressed. Instead, I was actually grabbing the condom from my pants, and I also wanted to showcase my sheer red thong. His intake of breath gave me the hope I needed.

  Bingo.

  “Damn it, Sam.”

  I felt a hard body come up behind me as hands grabbed my hips, pulling me against his erection. I grabbed the condom out from my pants
.

  He whispered in my ear, “You’re not going somewhere else, but we are having dinner together.”

  No way in hell is he going to take control over this situation.

  “Mark, you either want this, or you don’t. I don’t do strings and attachments. You should know that by now. This is purely sex, and from what I remember, it’ll be great sex.”

  I stood up slowly, grinding into him, and then I opened my bra from the front hook. I moved my hands down to his, and I slowly guided them up to my breasts that were heavy with need. He grabbed them and stood there.

  Holding the condom up, I asked, “Are you gonna pass or play, Sport?”

  One hand took the condom, and the other instinctively started kneading my breast. Small erotic pulses started jumping to my groin. I loved this part of the game—the buildup to get to the finale. The telltale sign of ripping foil caused my core to clench. I tilted my head to the side, and he accepted my invitation as he began nibbling up to my ear.

  “Hell, woman, you drive me crazy. I’ll play.”

  I smiled at the victory. I turned around and pulled his shorts down, and then Mark kicked them to the side. Pointing across the room, I said, “On the chair, Sport. I want my joyride.”

  Before conceding, he took my mouth with his, wrenching my body close. Slowly backing us toward the chair, he kissed me, and I met his tongue stroke for stroke. My skin inflamed, and my desire skyrocketed to a whole new level. As his body lowered to the chair, he brought one finger down the middle of my chest to my navel, slowly making his way to my underwear.

  I continued to take control as I said, “Rip them off.”

  Without hesitation, he tore my panties from my body. He took in my Brazilian-waxed sex, and his groan of approval was all I needed to move closer. I straddled him, barely hovering above his throbbing erection. Our eyes locked as want emanated from both of us. In one fluid motion, I slammed home and moaned at the sensation, loving the stretched-out feeling that was on the verge of pain because I hadn’t primed myself.