by Debra Kayn
Chapter Twenty-One
Fourth down, thirty seconds on the clock in the final quarter, Gary leaned down, put his fist to the turf, and his gaze on the middle of the player in front of him. His arm shook and he widened his feet, taking more of his weight on his legs. The doctor had okay’d him for play, but already his arm showed weakness from playing today.
Thankfully, he had four days before the next game. He’d take it easy in practice and ice it good. Maybe have Angie work her magic on his shoulder.
The whistle blew. He tagged the offensive lineman, pivoted on his heel, and dove on the next player. He grunted, landing on his side.
The referee’s whistle blew. He pushed off the player and turned around. Time out was called. He jogged over to the huddle.
“Satchel and Connor, heavy on the D, bulldoze through. Porter, swing toward the right, you’re going to switch with Satchel. Nail their ass, and we’ll beat the clock. Do not let their QB throw the fucking ball. They get over the line and we’ll be in OT. I got a blonde waiting for me after the game, and I do not want to wait.” George Pierce stepped back, breaking the group.
Gary nodded and jogged back to the line, glancing at the scoreboard. Five seconds.
He’d have to be fast.
He slipped in his mouth guard. Adrenaline spiked, and he bounced on the toes of his shoes before bending over to assume the position. He rocked back and forth, ready to pounce.
The other team’s quarterback called out the play. A gut instinct had him shifting his weight to his left side. He ignored the tremor in his arm.
The ball went live. He hit the other player lower, throwing him to the left, making room through the line. Connor went down hard in front of him. He leaped over the tangled bodies, stretching, and snagged the quarterback. As he rolled, he turned, searching for the ball.
Through the players, he couldn’t see anything. Not the ball, not the receivers, nothing.
The Cowboys’ quarterback cussed as the blare of the air horn over the speaker got the crowd cheering. Gary pushed to his feet and quickly got caught in the mob of players.
“Right on, man.” Conner slapped the top of Gary’s helmet. “Two point lead, and we’re right in the top of the ladder.”
He grinned, taking the slaps, the pats, the helmet bumps. In the crowd, he walked in the direction he got shoved. There was no pain in his body, his energy was restored, and he was flying high off the win.
Acceptance came freely, but it was the fulfillment of providing a need for someone else that filled him. Ever since he was young, knowing that he accomplished what others expected drove him to be better, until all he could do was rely on the fact that he could make things happen for other people to find his worth in the world. Whether that was winning the Super Bowl, mentoring children to strive in school, or putting a smile on Angie’s face. When he could affect others, he belonged. That feeling, that need, had been lacking growing up where nothing he did pleased anyone.
“Good game, Satchel.” Coach slapped his ass on his way past him.
He unsnapped his helmet and peeled it off his head. “Thanks, Coach.”
As he always did while playing a home game, he headed to the wall. A young boy held a pen and paper over the railing. He stretched up and took the offer from the kid.
“Enjoy the game?” He scribbled his name on the paper and handed it back.
The kid bobbed his head. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome.” He high fived the teenager beside the boy and moved down the line.
One after the other, he signed his autograph for every person who had a scrap of paper. He asked a question in return, smiled at the answers, and then moved to the next person waiting to get their moment with him. He stopped in front of a voluptuous woman with her brown hair braided over her shoulder and decked out in Seahawk gear.
“Thanks for coming,” he said.
She leaned over, pulled her sweatshirt down, and displayed her cleavage. “Can you sign?”
He chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. “Pen?”
The gentleman beside her handed him a pen. He grabbed the bottom rail and propped the toe of his shoe against the wall, heaving himself higher. With great care, he signed ‘Gary’ on one breast and ‘Satchel’ on the other.
Before he could jump down, she kissed his cheek. He landed on the ground, smiling. Women were crazy. Always there wanting his attention and doing whatever they could to try and get noticed. He’d taken them home, he’d slept with them in his car before heading back to the condo, and played out their fantasy of having sex with a professional football player. Though he never remembered their names. Hell, half the time, he couldn’t tell you what color hair they’d had.
They used each other for their own needs, and he went home alone. Before Angie, he’d stayed away from relationships. While he’d entertained himself when he knew Angie was out of his reach, he’d still believed no one else would do for him. He was right. Only one woman captured his heart.
He waved to the crowd and made his way to the tunnel to hit the shower. Once he entered the walkway under the stadium, he slowed down and enjoyed the afterglow of the win. The other guys were already unsuiting, and in the locker room. They never stayed after a game to wave or chat with the fans, preferring to have their own party away from the stadium. Sometimes he joined them, most times he wanted to share the night with someone and ended up either alone or unfulfilled.
Now he had Angie to go home with, and she was the only person he wanted to share his win with tonight.
“Do you think if I pulled down my shirt, you’d sign my chest?” Angie’s voice floated toward him.
He raised his gaze and found her leaning against the wall beside the door to the locker room. He glanced around, making sure they were alone. “I’d sign anything you want to show me.”
She remained leaning against the brick and tilted her head. “What if I asked you to kiss me?”
“I never kissed her. She kissed me.” His fingers tightened around the guard on his helmet, wishing he’d jumped a little sooner and skipped the kiss from the other woman and saved Angie the worry. “They’re fans. That’s all.”
Angie’s mouth softened. “I know.”
She brushed a lock of her hair out of her face. Exhaustion from the game came with the contentment of knowing she understood what kind of man he was. He’d no sooner mess around on her than cut out his own heart.
I love you, he mouthed.
She held up her hand, and crooked her finger to him. “I know that too.”
He took the five steps separating them, until he stood in front of her. “I also love playing football.”
“I’m not asking you to give it up or to stop being a decent guy to your fans.” She laid her hand flat on his stomach, below his pads. “Just reminding you that you have me.”
“Don’t need reminders, because no matter what, I’m not letting you go.” He dropped his helmet and cupped her face with both his hands. “We’ll figure something out. It’s our time.”
Her brows arched. He smoothed the line at the corner of her eye with his finger. He’d never get enough of her.
“I should be telling you what a good game you played, and how I loved watching you.” Her neck muscles constricted and she gave him an extra-long blink. “But I was stuck in the locker room rubbing down Jeff Lowry’s leg.”
He growled, pulling her forward until he had her pressed against the front of him. “Don’t really want to hear about what you and Lowry did.”
“You know what I mean,” she mumbled into the front of his jersey.
“Yeah.” He stroked her back, enjoying the feel of her relaxing against him.
They were out in the open. Anyone could walk around the corner and spot them together. He ran through a list of excuses on why he’d be hugging the team’s massage therapist, but no one would believe him. One look at Angie, and they’d know exactly where his thoughts headed.
“Uh, baby?” Angie sighed and turn
ed her head, although she never left his embrace.
He grunted in reply, while kissing the top of her head.
“You do know you stink, right?” She pulled her head back and grinned. “Why don’t you hit the shower? I need to go back in and check on Lowry. He’s soaking in ice.”
He kissed her quickly. “Later, honey.”
“Later.” She picked up his helmet and handed it to him. “You go first. I’ll wait a few minutes and go in after you.”
Walking away from her was the hardest thing he’d had to do today. He tackled people on reflex. He competed because something inside of him drove him to be the best he could be. He followed the rules, because that’s how you play fair. To hide his relationship with Angie from his teammates, the coaches, the owner, went against the kind of person he wanted to be, and he hated it.
He swung through the door to chaos and good spirits. Morgan snapped him with a towel, and he lifted his chin, dodging the stinging snap. At his locker, he punched Pierce in the arm to get his attention and turned around expectantly. Unsuiting was a routine they all went through with help. The quarterback pulled Gary’s jersey over his head.
“Thanks.” Gary set out to remove his shoulder pads. “Good game.”
“You too, man. Saved our win…again.” Pierce clicked his tongue. “The girls are going wild out there. Better shower up and go get you one.”
He chuckled. “Yeah.”
He stripped down and walked to the showers naked. There was only one girl he wanted, and she hadn’t even seen him during his big moment.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Worried that she couldn’t give Gary the attention he deserved to celebrate the winning game, Angie hurried through treating Lowry for his strained hamstring and had the security guard walk her out to the parking lot. She slowed down at her car and rummaged through her bag.
“Thanks again for walking me out.” She held up her key.
Stewart, a couple years younger than Angie, ducked his chin. “See you next game.”
She smiled and turned around. After unlocking her door, she glanced behind her. Stewart jogged back to the stadium.
She dove into the car, found a piece of paper and pen, and wrote a message. Then she studied the area. One player hung out at the exit, but a woman kept him distracted by fawning all over him. The others in the parking lot were either pulling their cars out, or packing their things in the trunk of their cars. She hurried over to Gary’s car, slipped the paper under the windshield wiper, and ran back to her car.
She dove inside and smiled to herself. It was a stupid idea to leave him a message. He’d be home in less than a half hour. They’d have all the privacy they needed inside his condominium. Except, she wanted to do more for him. He deserved a woman who could support him fully and stroke his ego after one of his best pre-season games ever.
At least, she’d heard the talk about how he played. She’d tried to catch a glimpse of him after halftime, but first Sampson and then Lowry came to her with injuries. It was to be expected. Start of the season injuries were always high. Their bodies took a lot of abuse after having a couple months off to rest.
Gary’s body was no exception. She got to see what he went through on a daily basis. He tried to hide a lot of his aches, but she’d noticed. The groan after pushing himself out of bed. The grimace when he grabbed her to roll her over on the couch. But none of his discomfort stopped him from showering attention on her.
She started the car, and drove toward the gate. Three other cars were ahead of her. She gazed in her rearview mirror, and seeing the area clear, made a U-turn. Her heart raced. There were rules that they had two hours to leave the grounds. They were usually out of there within an hour. That gave her some time before the gate shut, but she wanted no one to know where she was going. It was too easy for someone to catch her and she didn’t want to end her career this way. She wanted to stay classy and professional. A rendezvous with a player, no matter their relationship, wouldn’t be viewed as being responsible.
She drove around to section B. The gate attendee had already left, since they only kept one gate open for the team. She parked in the shadow of the stadium and shut off the car’s engine. In the silence, her breath came fast and heavy. She’d never done something like this.
Sure, she’d broken a few rules, went swimming at hotels she wasn’t staying at or begged her way backstage at a concert. She chalked those times up to teenage fun. Now she was an adult, had a job with the Seahawks, and she was hiding from everyone.
She tapped her fingers against the steering wheel. What if Gary didn’t notice the note she left him or someone else found it before he did?
She reached for her keys, but stopped herself from turning the car back on. No, he’d come. He’d already finished dressing when she had left the locker room.
Several minutes passed, and finally she saw headlights sweep the parking lot in front of her and his car appeared around the corner. She smiled, reaching for the door handle. Excitement and nerves had her stomach flipping.
She shut her door quietly when Gary pulled up beside her. She walked over. He rolled the window down, concern etched in his gaze.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She leaned through the window and kissed him. His hand came up and tangled in her hair. She softened her lips, sucking on his bottom lip. The thrill of doing something out here, away from the others, but close enough to share Gary with the sport he loved shot through her. He deserved what others offered him freely, and she wanted to be the one to give it to him.
She reached down and ran her hand over the crotch of his jeans. Her lips curved over his as he hardened from her touch. If she’d had any doubts that he wouldn’t be up for her surprise, they fled.
Unable to unbutton his jeans with one hand, she pulled away, opened the door so she was closer to him, and gazed at him. His eyes softened. “Your note didn’t say anything about this.”
“Surprise,” she whispered, working his buttons loose. “A man who wins the game and puts his team at higher odds going into the season deserves more than me saying, ‘good game,’ don’t you think?”
He chuckled, lifting his hips and tugging his jeans down a smidge. She watched his gaze intensify as she leaned over farther, opening her mouth.
His fingers tightened in her hair. “Jesus, honey…”
She took his cock in her mouth. He bucked off the seat and quickly came down, his whole body relaxing with each caress of her lips. She sprawled her hands on his thighs, keeping him in place. The power in his legs made her own tremble, and she placed her knee on the edge of the doorframe of the car.
“Honey…” He smoothed the hair back from her face. “Damn, that feels good.”
She sucked harder, taking her time, enjoying the moment as much as Gary. Even though he’d never tell her she owed him, she hadn’t forgotten about their sexy time in the locker room when he’d ignored his own needs and pleasured her.
She tilted her head, taking more of him on each down stroke. His muscles quivered under her hands, until he pulled her off him.
She jerked her gaze to him. “But—”
He laid his finger over her lips, and backed her out of the car, climbing out himself. He took her shoulders and turned her around until her back was facing him. She gazed at him over her shoulder as he placed her hands on the side of her car.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
His hands went around her waist to her jeans. She shivered when she realized what he planned to do.
Her breath came fast. “Someone will catch us.”
He pulled her pants down to her knees, taking her panties with them. “No one’s back here. The cars block us from both sides.”
Okay, she really loved this idea.
He put his foot between her legs, pushing her left foot out to widen her stance. She dropped her head between her outstretched arms and arched her back at the sound of a condom wrapper ripping. She smiled. “Are you always prepared
?”
“With you around…yeah.” He caressed her from bare waist to hip. Her arms quivered and her lower body vibrated. Out here in the open, risking everything for this one moment was the hottest thing she’d ever done.
His hard heat slid along her wetness. She leaned forward, and gasped when he slid inside of her. He stilled, and she closed her eyes thinking the best feeling in the world was when he was inside of her and they were connected.
Slowly, barely moving at first, he thrust and withdrew. The roughness of his jeans skimmed the back of her thighs with each movement. Her breasts strained against her bra, sensitive and throbbing. She pushed back against him, and heard his swift intake of breath. Her lower stomach pulsated and she reached for the pleasure he was giving her. Then his arm wrapped around her, and his hand went between her legs. He plunged inside of her, withdrawing until he almost left her, and then gave her every single inch of him.
Her hands slid against the smooth surface of her car. She rose on her toes as he moved within her. His finger was doing crazy, wicked things to her, driving her wild. He was everywhere, touching her, holding her, taking her with him. Heat grew inside her core, and her muscles tightened. Clenched around him, she peaked and lost her breath right before her whole world exploded into tiny delicious bolts of pleasure starting deep inside of her and flowing to her limbs.
She sagged at the same time he held her hips and thrust into her, holding her to him. His body shuddered behind her and it was the most wonderful experience of her life. A carefree giggle grew and she let it out.
Gary wrapped his arms around her and chuckled above her. They were both shaking from exhaustion, barely holding themselves up. If he let go of her, she’d crumble at his feet.
“I lost my jeans around my ankles,” he said.
She dipped her chin and glanced down. “It’s okay, your ass is white compared to the rest of you—if anyone saw it they’d swear it was the moon.”