Scored

by Sloane Howell

  We both chuckled at her analysis of our hot little sex session, courtesy of one bridesmaid dress and Ethan’s guest room.

  “Hey, Stallworth?”

  “Yeah, babe?”

  “You know I’m not really into the whole marriage thing, right?”

  “You’ve never come out and said it, but I know how to take hints and stuff.” I grinned and sat down on the guest bed. I patted the seat next to me.

  “And you’re okay with that?”

  “I’m okay with you. I don’t want you changing for me.”

  She sat down next to me with a hand on my cheek and kissed me. “Thank you. I feel the same way about you, though. I mean, don’t you want to get married?”

  I shrugged. “I guess. But it’s not a deal-breaker. It’s just a title and legal documents.”

  “I guess it would be nice to walk into a huge room and have everyone focus on how beautiful I looked.” Kelsey shook her head and laughed. “That sounded so fucking conceited, I just can’t.”

  “That already happens to you anytime you walk into a room.”

  She smiled and kissed me again. “I think maybe the idea could grow on me. That’s huge, by the way. I used to be vehemently opposed to it.” Her fingers walked up my neck. “But with you—it doesn’t seem so awful.”

  “Thanks, babe.” I dropped down on a knee in front of her. “In that case, I do have something I’ve been meaning to ask you.”

  “Oh my fucking God, I didn’t mean right—”

  “Shh!” I held a finger to my lips.

  Kelsey froze and I watched her legs shaking in front of me.

  “I’ve been meaning to do this for a few months, and the right time just hasn’t come along, but—”

  “Please don’t ask me yet. I don’t know what words will come out of my mouth. Kind of like right now. Seriously, Stallworth, I—”

  I pulled a key out from my pocket. “Will you move in with me?”

  “I said, I just don’t—” Her eyes widened. “Wait, what?”

  “I want you to move in with me. I mean, you pretty much already live there, but like officially and everything.”

  Her hands clasped her cheeks. “Really?”

  I nodded.

  Kelsey squeed.

  Footsteps pounded down the hall and Jenny whipped around into the room. “I heard a Kelsey squee. Kelsey doesn’t squee. What the hell just happened in here?”

  Kelsey leaped up and showed her the key. They both grabbed each other’s arms and started jumping up and down.

  “Where’s Ethan?”

  Jenny looked at me like I was an idiot. “Still dealing with his tie. Congratulations on the new roommate, by the way.”

  I raised my eyebrows at her. “She hasn’t said yes yet.”

  “Oh my God.” Kelsey whipped around and died laughing. Her head nodded up and down. “I’m so sorry. Yes, of course the answer is yes.”

  Her hands went around my neck and I hugged around her lower back and stared into those golden honey eyes of hers. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Stallworth.”

  Epilogue

  “It might sound silly for me to think childish thoughts like these. But I’m so tired of acting tough and I’m gonna do what I please.”

  —The White Stripes

  Kelsey Martin

  “You ready or what?”

  Matt came around the corner and my panties nearly combusted. My jaw dropped. The custom-tailored black Hugo Boss suit fit him like a glove. I grabbed my phone and snapped a quick photo.

  “Getting yourself a picture to rub one out to while I’m on the road?”

  “I—umm—no!” I looked away from him.

  “Yeah, right. What’s with everyone always taking pictures of me when I’m dressed nice? I don’t always wear T-shirts.”

  I glanced at him with a side eye and pawed at the picture on my phone.

  “You want me to pose for you?” Matt crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out.

  I giggled.

  “You’re one to talk.” He walked up and dropped a few light kisses on my forehead and grabbed me around the waist.

  “Careful. We have plans and can’t be late.”

  “I didn’t do anything.” His nose brushed up against my neck and goosebumps pebbled down my arms.

  I looked at him like don’t be ridiculous.

  “I have self-control.” He looked away and mumbled, “At the plate.”

  “Mmm-hmm.”

  “I can’t help it that you always look so fucking beautiful.” He leaned into my ear. “And that my cock fits so well inside you.”

  “Christ.” I uttered some kind of gibberish right after that. The man was good. Nine months later and he still gave me the same butterflies as the first day I saw him.

  He thrust against my ass and I felt how hard his cock was against me.

  “Gonna make me wait until we get home. It’s gonna cost you.” Matt walked to the door and opened it for me. “After you.”

  Fucker.

  I walked by in my solid-black mini and black Louboutins. Two could play at this game, and we were both seasoned veterans at being teases. I reached back and grabbed the hem of my dress and flipped it up on the way out to show him the new black panties I’d purchased earlier in the day. They covered only the top half of my ass. I turned back and smiled while rocking my hips back and forth before dropping my skirt back down.

  Matt held a fist up to his mouth then looked up at the sky. “Bless you, Lord.”

  The man knew how to make me smile and feel beautiful. There was no doubt about that. He rushed up from the porch to walk me to the passenger door of the Mercedes. He opened that door, as well, and helped me into the seat.

  The entire drive was quieter than usual.

  “You okay, Stallworth? Not saying much.”

  “Just a little nervous.” He glanced over. “For Ethan. You know?”

  “Yeah, marriage is a big step. But he and Jenny are perfect for each other.” I slid my hand over his thigh and it trembled.

  “Man, you are awfully jittery for Ethan’s sake.”

  He glanced down at my hand and back up at me. “He’s my best friend.”

  “It’s just an engagement party, right? They don’t even get married for a few months.”

  “Yeah, they’re definitely taking their time.”

  “I don’t want to drag out our engagement like this. I feel like when you know you know.”

  Matt’s eyes rolled over to me and his leg shook harder. I realized what I’d said almost immediately.

  “I mean, umm, you know what I meant. If we’re ever engaged.”

  Shit.

  I hadn’t told Matt, but I was pretty much sold on the idea of us tying the knot.

  “I didn’t think you wanted to get married. You’re always talking about how it’s an institution designed for conformity and all those other big words that make you sound sophisticated and hot as all hell.”

  “I know. It’s just—”

  We stopped at a red light and Matt turned his focus onto me.

  “Just what?”

  I sighed. “I’m still a girl, okay? It’s not like I didn’t plan my wedding with Ken and Barbie dolls when I was younger. I love the proposals the most, I think. Big, over-the-top gestures and watching the guy react when she says yes, or seeing big, strong guys cry when they see the bride for the first time in her dress.”

  The light turned green and Matt turned his eyes back to the road, but had a huge grin plastered across his face.

  “What?”

  He glanced over at me. “Nothing.”

  I shoved his shoulder and he didn’t even budge—big, strong bastard. “I’m just saying, I love how romantic it is.”

  “We can talk about it more if you want. Soon, if you like.” Matt palmed the top of my hand and our fingers intertwined. “You know I love you more than anything.”

  I grinned. “Yeah, let’s talk about it soon.”

 
“Deal.”

  We went through a few more lights and I glanced at my phone for the time. “Wow, we might actually be there on time for once. Maybe we should skip the pre-evening sex more often.”

  Matt glared in my direction and it got a good chuckle out of me.

  “I can’t believe Ethan rented out Bizzell for the engagement party. Must have cost him a fortune.”

  “I’m sure it was pretty expensive. Awesome venue for an engagement party, though.”

  “I bet you had a hand in helping him choose.” I nudged him with my elbow.

  “Who me?” His mouth formed a sly grin.

  He pulled up and parked out in front of the steps. The place was empty and the lights were shut off. “What the hell?”

  “Jesus, Stallworth. Please tell me you didn’t get the dates mixed up.” I shook my head at him.

  “What the hell?” He glanced at his phone. “I know it was tonight. I double-checked, I swear.”

  He got out of the car and walked around to open my door. I stepped out, holding his hand.

  “What are we doing?”

  “We’re going to go in and see. Maybe they had everyone park somewhere else. I skimmed that part of the invitation.”

  We walked up the steps and to the front door.

  “Matt, the lights are all off. I don’t think it’s here.”

  He waggled his eyebrows at me and turned the knob on the door. It opened right up.

  “Oh shit.” He tugged on my arm a little.

  “We should go. It’s empty in there. I don’t want to get arrested and banned from the place.”

  Matt stared over at me. “What’s wrong? You scared?” He stepped inside.

  “Are you fucking kidding me right now, Stallworth? You will be on the news if you’re caught breaking and entering.”

  He pulled me inside. “Now I have an accomplice.”

  I smacked him on the arm. “You dick. There have to be cameras here.”

  “Oh, calm down. Tell me you’ve never wanted to go check this place out when nobody was here.”

  I bit my lip and folded my arms across my chest. “That is beside the point. This is insane,” I whisper-screamed at him.

  He moved his gaze to me and grinned. “Yolo.”

  Matt pulled me toward the concert hall.

  I gritted my teeth. “Yolo? Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

  He could barely contain his laughter as he led me into the big room giggling like a schoolboy.

  Fuck it.

  I decided to take it all in before we were hauled off to jail. I glanced around and memories of my first date there with Matt swarmed my stomach with butterflies. My heels clacked against the wood floor and echoed through the building.

  “Where are you taking me now?”

  “Shh!” He held a finger to his lips.

  “Don’t you shush me, Stallworth, you big, gorgeous asshole.”

  He stopped and turned to me. “Right here.”

  I looked around the room and then back at him. “Right here what?”

  He smiled and looked down. “Right here.”

  “You’re worrying me. Did you get hit in the head at practice?”

  He took both of my hands in his and kept staring down at the ground and then back at the stage. “Right here is where I fell in love with you, Kelsey Martin.”

  My breath hitched and the room started to spin.

  “This exact spot when you were fighting with yourself over whether or not you wanted to give us a shot. In this exact spot on the dance floor.” He squeezed my hands tighter. “I fell for you, while we made Willy Wonka jokes, right here.”

  My heart pinched and the big bastard made my eyes start leaking again. A guitar started to play and my eyes widened. I looked around and saw it was coming from the shadows on the stage. I recognized the chords. It was the same Spinderellas song that they’d opened with that night, only a light acoustic version. I turned back and Matt kneeled down in front of me and pulled out a small black felt box.

  My heart rate redlined and my whole body went numb, almost like I was watching myself in a dream.

  He looked up at me with his gorgeous blues, and a spotlight moved onto us. My head whipped around the room and then back to him. The butterflies in my stomach turned into hummingbirds and I thought my whole body might melt into the floor.

  “I lo—” Matt started to choke on his words he was so overcome with emotions. “I-I love you s-so much, Kelsey.” He gulped and struggled to find his words. “And I want to spend the rest of my life trying to make you as happy as you make me. Will you marry me?”

  He opened the box. A huge solitaire diamond sat right in the middle. The band of the ring was twisted into music notes that wove together into a circle. It was the most beautiful ring I’d ever seen in my life.

  Tears streamed down my cheeks and I nodded furiously. “Yes.”

  Matt took my hand and pulled the ring from the box, and slid it onto my left ring finger.

  He rose to his feet, crying like a baby, too. It was the sweetest, most romantic thing I’d ever seen, and it was all for me. He pressed his forehead against mine. “Me and you. Nothing can stop us.”

  “Me and you,” I choked out.

  He pressed his lips to mine and I wrapped my arms around his neck to keep from passing out and falling to the floor.

  Whoops, hollers, and cheers broke out from the shadows all around the room.

  The lights lit up one section at a time and all of our family and friends surrounded the dance floor, smiling and clapping.

  A British voice boomed through the loudspeakers. “We’re the Spinderellas and I look nothing like Willy Wonka, mate.”

  I covered my mouth with my palm to hide my shock and then looked up at Matt. He held me tight around the waist.

  I grinned at him. “You didn’t.”

  He nodded. “I did.”

  Ethan, Jenny, Twilight, Aiden, Matt’s family, my family, and a whole crowd of other people we both knew, some of them friends from childhood I hadn’t seen in ages—they all swarmed around us on the dance floor.

  “You put all this together?”

  He nodded. “I did.”

  Nolan and Ryan, Matt’s nephews, ran up and tackled a leg on each of us.

  “You’re gonna coach us still, right?” Nolan stared up at Matt.

  Matt looked at me and shrugged. “Maybe another reason I decided to stay.”

  I laughed.

  Matt grinned back at me. “You’re the main reason, though, I promise.” He looked down at Nolan. “Of course I am, buddy.”

  Both of their arms shot up in the air and they screamed, “Yay!”

  Matt’s mother walked up and hugged me tight. “Welcome to the family, sweetie.” She released me and nudged me with her elbow. “I had a good feeling about you from the beginning. I told Matt.”

  My cheeks flushed and I smiled. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Stallworth.”

  “This is some engagement party.”

  I looked at her like she was an alien. “What do you mean?”

  “I’ve never seen someone get engaged and have their engagement party the same night. Very unique.”

  I whipped around to face Matt. “This is our engagement party?”

  He grinned at me. “In the car you said you wanted your engagement to go fast. Remember?”

  “I know what I said, but there’s no way you put this all together that fast. This took time to plan and—”

  He cut me off. “Babe?”

  “Yes, fiancé?”

  His eyes lit up when I called him fiancé. “I know you.”

  Twilight walked up, twirling around in some kind of Mexican poncho outfit. “The goddess has blessed the two of you.” He shook Matt’s hand. “Congratulations, sonny.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Yo, so this is the fine-ass woman you missed the Bears game for?” Aiden strolled up. “It’s nice to put a face with the, umm—”

  Matt gave him a f
ake glare.

  “I’m just messing around, bro. Congratulations, you two.” He bent way down and wrapped me up in a giant hug. “I can see why you ditched me, Matty.” He held out a fist for Matt.

  Matt bumped it. “Right?”

  I was still processing everything as we walked over to some tables that were set up. Catered food, a huge cake, and glasses of champagne filled the table as the Spinderellas played an acoustic set onstage.

  I just shook my head and looked out at our favorite place in the world. “I can’t believe you did all of this. It’s amazing.”

  “I’d do anything for you.” He took both of my hands and stared deep into my eyes. “Anything. You and me. Forever.”

  I smiled. “You and me, Stallworth.”

  BY SLOANE HOWELL

  Bossed

  Scored

  PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE AUTHOR

  SLOANE HOWELL is the author of Bossed and Scored. A former college baseball player turned author, he enjoys hanging out with his family, watching sports, traveling, and engaging his readers on social media. You can almost always catch him goofing off on Facebook or Twitter and trying to convince Mrs. Howell that it’s “work.”

  sloanehowell.com

  Facebook.com/​AuthorSloaneHowell

  Twitter: @sloanehowell

  Instagram: @sloanehowell

  Newsletter: eepurl.com/bRAXjb

  Read on for an excerpt from

  Ready to Run

  An I Do, I Don’t Novel

  by Lauren Layne

  Available from Loveswept

  Chapter 1

  “Simon, unless you want to die on the side of a Montana highway, I strongly suggest you find another song to sing along with.”

  Simon broke off midchorus of “Eye of the Tiger,” and gave her a disappointed look. “You’re never going to get your guy with that sort of attitude.”

  “Oh, I’ll get my guy,” Jordan muttered. “I didn’t cross two time zones to not get him.”

  Even as she spoke the confident words, she lifted a hand and rubbed her forehead, which had started aching at 32,000 feet over one of the Dakotas and had turned into a throbbing migraine by the time she and her colleague had loaded into their Ford Focus rental car at Missoula International Airport.