Playing Hardball: Part 3

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Playing Hardball: Part 3 Page 7

by Sharon Cummin


  I lifted my hand and knocked on the door. When it swung open, I wasn't prepared for what I was seeing. Lance was standing there looking rough but so damn sexy. He had on basketball shorts that hung just perfectly from his hips. His chest and abs begged to be touched. Don't even get me started on that fucking perfect line of hair that disappeared beneath those shorts. When my eyes moved up his body, I could see something in his tired eyes. Don't judge me for looking at his body before his face, it couldn't be helped. His hair was a bit messy and longer than usual. That shit had grown fast. His fingers had just run through it. He looked exhausted and possibly a little drunk.

  “Are you okay?” I asked. “Is something wrong, Lance?”

  Chapter 8

  Lance

  She was walking out the door of her apartment when I got there, but she hadn't seen me. I was curious to see exactly where she was going since she felt it was something I shouldn't know about. When she pulled into the parking lot of a female doctor, I knew that I was definitely not going in there. I waited in the back corner of the lot. She was gone for a long damn time, but it wasn't my place to question how long that kind of stuff took. She went to the pharmacy next and came out with a bag of stuff. For a moment, I couldn't help but wonder if she had something. She was just as bad with the men as I was with the women. At least that's what I'd gotten from my conversations with her and hearing her talk to Carrie. Her next stop was a flower shop. I knew exactly where she was headed after that. She was going to see her brother. It was not my place to intrude there, so I decided on getting something to eat.

  I thought about checking out of the hotel and heading home, but I couldn't do it. The next morning I was leaving again, and I wanted to talk to her before I left. I just wanted to see her for a minute. Why, I had no idea. I just needed to see her up close with my own eyes. I felt bad about the way things had gone between us. One more shot. I'd go by her place. If she wasn't there, I'd just go back to the hotel.

  When I pulled into the lot and knocked on her door, she didn't answer. Then I knocked again. Her car was there, so I knew she was home. Of course she didn't answer the door. That was so her. I sent her a message, and she answered back. We went back and forth a few times. She said she would call me. I told her I'd be at the hotel all night. I was putting the ball in her court. It was her turn to come to me. I was tired in more ways than one. She hadn't realized I was in town. I could tell from her messages. We left it at that. It was my turn to wait.

  I went back to the hotel and you already know what happened. Absolutely nothing happened. She never showed up. I went to the hotel bar to have a few drinks. Then I had a few more. I called Scott. That wasn't the smartest move. The guy thought he was her keeper or some shit, but he was the only way to get to Carrie. I tried to play it off like I was calling about going to Michigan, but he quickly turned the conversation to Lucy.

  “I tried to see her today,” I said. “She told me she was tired. I was two hours from home, knocking on her door, and she sent me away. I don't know. I told her I'd be at the hotel and wanted to talk. This is it, man. I'm not chasing her anymore. I don't know why I'm doing it in the first place. If she doesn't come see me, I'm done. The fun we were having has turned into me constantly going after her only to be rejected. I don't need that shit. I can find pussy anywhere.”

  “Then why don't you?” he asked. “Do you care about her?”

  “No,” I said with a shrug of my shoulders he couldn't see.

  “Then why are you chasing her?” he asked.

  “I have no fucking clue, man,” I said. “You know what, you're right. I shouldn't be. I'm done. She doesn't give a shit about me. She's made that clear over and over. I don't either. I don't need to bother with someone like that. I'm fucking Lance Smith. Fuck this shit. Thanks, man.”

  “Wait a second,” he said.

  “I'll see you tomorrow,” I said. “I'm about to prove I've still got it.”

  “Lance,” Scott yelled into the phone just as I was hitting end on the call.

  I ordered one more drink. The waitress had been checking me out since I walked into the place. I needed to prove to Scott and myself that I didn't give a shit. That wasn't me. I was a guy on the path to great things. I didn't have time to deal someone that didn't want me. I didn't do relationships, and I was tired of acting like I was in one. She didn't care about me anyway. We were both the same. The waitress set the drink down and stood looking down at me.

  “You have any plans tonight?” she asked. “You look like you could use a little stress relief.”

  I thought about everything with Lucy. I needed to prove to everyone that I didn't care and that I was not a guy looking for a relationship. She had a pen tucked into her pocket. I reached over, grabbed it, grabbed the napkin from under my drink, and wrote down my room number before handing it over to her.

  “I get off work in three hours,” she said.

  I nodded and stood. Then I picked up my drink and walked out of the bar. It wasn't until I got into the elevator that I realized I was a bit drunk. Then I thought back to the woman in the bar. She wouldn't expect anything from me but a good fuck. That was all I ever needed.

  I pulled off my shirt and threw it to the side before shoving my jeans down and kicking them off my feet. Then I grabbed a pair of shorts and pulled them on before falling onto the couch. I'd finally closed my eyes when I heard the knock at my door. I didn't want to get up, but I pushed myself off of the couch and walked toward it.

  When I pulled the door open, I wanted to tell her to leave. Who did Lucy think she was? At the same time I wanted to pull her into my arms and just hold her. When she was with me, everything felt a little better. I thought about her so much those two weeks. I was used to women being at the top of their game when they came to me. They were dressed in designer clothes or at least a team jersey. In front of me stood a woman wearing jeans and a t-shirt with her hair pulled into a sloppy mess on top of her head. She didn't have any makeup on her face, and she was still the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. I couldn't take my eyes from her if I had to. I wanted her more than I'd ever wanted anyone or anything. I needed her. I needed to be buried so damn deep inside of her. Fuck Scott and everyone else. I knew what I wanted, and it was her.

  “Are you okay?” she asked. “Is something wrong, Lance?”

  I reached forward, grabbed the back of her neck, and covered her mouth with mine. She let out a gasp, and I took that opportunity to pull her bottom lip between my teeth and open her mouth to me. My tongue dove into her mouth and our tongues fought for control with emotion. She tasted fucking amazing. Her hands dove into my hair, and she grabbed on. I pulled her t-shirt over her head and threw it to the side. Then I undid her bra and slid it down her arms. I grabbed under her ass and pulled her up. She hooked her legs around my waist, and I moved us forward into the bedroom without losing our connection. Her feet slid down my legs, and she pulled back from me.

  “We need to talk,” she said. “You might hate me once I'm done.”

  “We will,” I said. “Not yet. I need you. I've missed you so damn bad that it scares me. I have to have you. Please don't pull away from me, Firecracker. We can talk all you want, but I really need you to wait.”

  She bit her lip and nodded slightly.

  I dropped to my knees and pulled her jeans down with her panties. She stepped out of them before looking down at me.

  “Lance,” she said.

  “Not a word, Lucy,” I said.

  My fingers moved slowly up her legs and ran through her juices. She let out a soft moan. I spread her wide, leaned forward, and dove in with my tongue before she would back away from me. I grabbed her foot and lifted it to my shoulder. My other hand was under her ass holding her up. I looked up at her as I devoured her. She cried out my name before letting her head fall back. I could feel her thighs tighten and knew she was ready to come. I took my finger to her clit and rubbed her while my tongue thrust into her. Her fingers held my hair tight, and I m
ade a mental note not to cut it so short next time. I sped up my finger, and she screamed out as her pussy tightened around my tongue. She called out my name, and I knew I wanted her screaming again.

  I got to my feet, scooped her up, and threw her onto the bed. Then I grabbed a packet, ripped it open, and covered my shaft. Her eyes watched my hand move against my cock.

  “You like what you see?” I asked.

  “Of course I do,” she said.

  I crawled up the bed, over her body, and hovered above her.

  “I fucking missed you, Firecracker,” I said, as I leaned down and covered her mouth with mine. “I need you so bad.”

  My knee went between her legs and nudged them apart. I was lined up at her entrance. When I pulled back and looked into her eyes, there was something there. What was she thinking?

  “Lance,” she said.

  “Need your permission, Babe,” I said.

  She nodded and I didn't give her a moment to change her mind before I thrust in hard and deep. My body stilled, and I soaked up the feeling of being inside of her. There was something so different about being with her, and it drove me crazy.

  “I need you deep, Ballplayer,” she whispered.

  I grabbed her knee and lifted her leg to her chest before pulling out and thrusting in deeper than before. She cried out my name and her eyes closed.

  “Open your eyes,” I demanded.

  They opened slowly. I had the strangest feeling she was planning on it being our last time, and I was going to make it good. My hands found the headboard, and I held on as I pounded into her over and over. She might have wanted to write me off, but she was going to feel me when she was gone. I wanted to ruin her for any other man. It wasn't fair, but it was still what I wanted. She deserved so much more than a guy like me had to give her. I wasn't what she wanted.

  Our eyes stayed connected the entire time I fucked her. She cried out and moaned between thrusts. I made sure to memorize every single moment with her. When a tear slid down her cheek, I felt that shit pull at my heart.

  I leaned down so my forehead was touching hers as I continued to show her just what I had to offer. Her legs wrapped around my waist and pulled me in closer. Then her arms wrapped around my neck. I could feel her nails digging into the skin on my back, and it felt amazing. I pulled her closer and claimed her mouth again. I was taking in every moan she released. It was like I couldn't get close enough to her. We were wrapped so tightly together, and I was so damn afraid to let go.

  When she cried out again, I felt her pussy tighten around me repeatedly. I held her tight and fucked her without a single thought of being careful. When I growled from deep in my chest and let go, my cock released over and over. It took everything out of me.

  I let my body fall gently on hers until I could hear her breath return to normal and her chest quit beating so rapidly against mine. When I rolled off of her and stood up to go to the bathroom, she stood up too.

  “What are you doing?” I asked. “I'll be right back.”

  “I'm getting dressed,” she said. “I told you I came to talk.”

  “You don't need clothes for that,” he said.

  “I'm going to tell you what I came here to say, and then I'm leaving, Lance. I'll get dressed and wait here for you.”

  I turned around so nervous to leave the room. Her hands were shaking as she picked her jeans up from the ground.

  “I'll be right back,” I said.

  Chapter 9

  Lucy

  He walked into the bathroom and closed the door. I moved around quickly to get dressed. That wasn't supposed to happen. I couldn't believe we'd done it. I was more nervous to talk to him than when I first knocked on that door.

  He was going to leave the next day and be out of my life, I thought. I was going to tell him. He was going to flip his shit. Then I was going to move on and so was he. He had too much going on to deal with us. I totally got it. I didn't expect anything. I didn't want a single thing. I just wanted him to have a chance to see his child if he wanted it. Everyone deserved that as a parent. We didn't have to get along. We didn't even need to speak to each other.

  My hands were shaking so hard as I finished getting ready and made sure my keys were still in my pocket. I reached in and took out the ultrasound picture of our little one. Then I set it on the nightstand next to his phone and sat down on the bed to wait for him. My hands were together in my lap and my fingers were moving like crazy. I wasn't even sure how to say what I needed to say. It wasn't something I'd rehearsed at all. He looked so damn sexy when he'd first opened the door, and when he reached out for me, I couldn't stop myself from getting lost in him just one more time. He seemed as if he was happy to see me. I honestly felt like he'd missed me.

  A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. I wasn't sure what to do. He was still in the bathroom. I stood up, walked through the living room to the door, turned the knob, and opened it. In front of me stood a very tall, slim, and beautiful woman with dark hair and dark eyes. She looked a bit confused before looking around the room behind me. Her face lit up like a kid at Christmas, and I knew exactly why she was there. It was no mistake.

  “How did you get to him first?” she asked.

  “Excuse me?” I said, unsure of what she meant.

  Then she flipped her hair to the side and walked by me. I wanted to reach out and snatch her so hard, but I knew it wasn't her fault. It wasn't his either. I knew the score with him.

  “Do you know who he is?” she asked, turning and giving me a look like I was stupid. “I knew the moment I saw him in the hotel bar that I had to have him.”

  “I know exactly who he is. You were in the bar?” I asked.

  “I was his waitress. He wrote his room number on a napkin and handed it to me. I told him what time I was coming. Did you leave anything for me? I really wanted a ride on that cock.”

  I took a deep breath and held the door open a bit wider.

  “There's plenty left,” I said. “He's just cleaning up for you. He'll be right out. Have fun. Tell him I said goodbye.”

  I pushed the elevator button over and over wishing it would fucking hurry. The second the door opened I jumped inside and began slamming the lobby button. Tears streamed down my face as I ran through the lobby out the front door. I didn't give a shit who was watching me.

  I got into my car, shut the door, and let my head fall against the steering wheel. The tears continued to flow faster than ever before. How could I have been stupid enough to believe he'd really missed me? He was damn good with that player routine of his. I honestly felt cared about for a few moments. He'd said he'd come to see me because he missed me. He'd stayed all weekend at the hotel. He'd been trying to talk to me. The moment I took my fucking guard down, he showed me how fucking stupid I really was. She was there because he'd invited her. He'd asked me to stay. When he saw me putting my clothes on, he'd mentioned it. What the fuck was he thinking? Did he think I was going to be down for another woman joining us? That shit was not happening. There was no way. He hadn't known I was going to be there when he'd made plans with her. She was absolutely beautiful without a hair out of place. I was nothing like her in my jeans and t-shirt with my hair in a mess on top of my head. I was nowhere near his league, and I never would be. Who was I kidding?

  I lifted my head from the steering wheel and looked out at the hotel. There was no way my baby was going to be any part of that shit. It was not happening. Lance could have his player life and his career. We weren't going anywhere near it. I'd make up whatever I had to so my baby was safe. I wouldn't let him come and go in and out of my little one's life when he felt like it. My child was going to have all the love in the world. If someone was able to know him or her, it was going to be because they'd earned their spot in their life. Lance was the father of my child, but that didn't change the rules I was putting down. Love had to be earned. It wasn't just given out because of a title.

  I pulled out of the parking lot and drove back to my apa
rtment. When I walked through my door, I walked into my bedroom and grabbed my phone. Then I reached into my pocket to pull out the picture. My fingers moved around to find nothing there. I fell back onto my bed and let out a loud cry. My phone was buzzing over and over again in my hand. There was no way I was going to check it. I'd made the biggest mistake ever. I set the picture on the nightstand when I sat down to wait for him. In all of the craziness that followed with Ms. I Wanted To Ride That Cock, I'd forgotten to go back to get it. A picture of our baby was right there next to his phone, and I had no idea what I was going to do. I felt like I was losing it. My world was crashing down around me, and I felt completely alone.

  To be continued...

  Be sure to watch for my next book - “Playing Hardball” Part 4. Coming August 23rd. I can't wait for you to read more of Lucy's story.

  I will also be working on a new serial that follows Playing Hardball, the novel “A Bright Future”, “The Dark Night Returns”, the first “Bachelor Billionaire Kids” book, the first book in a new inked series, and a new stand-alone book I am super excited about.

  I am not positive on release dates at this moment. Please join my mailing list and friend me on facebook to be notified of new release information. The links are below.

  Please continue on for the Prologue and Chapter 1 of “In Love with My Brother's Best Friend, Part 1”.

  Other Stories by Sharon Cummin

  Romance Series

  Romance and a... Series: The Complete Collection

  Billionaire Romance Series

  Finding Love, Keeping Love, and Saving Love

 

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