Full Contact

by H. J. Bellus

  Once we arrive at the hotel, I grab our bags, and we head inside. The team hotel is swarming with media, fans, and staff all wanting to get a glimpse of the team as we walk in. It’s a damn media circus. Justice and I stride through it all hand in hand. I’m thankful the lobby of the hotel is not as crowded. Of course, there are a few people with their cell phones out wanting to get pictures.

  “Mr. Blake.” I halt and turn to see two redheads with cell phones in their hands. “Could we please get a picture? We’ve followed you since college.”

  These women aren’t your ordinary football fans. No, they have fake-ass fucking big tits spilling out of their Idaho Diamonds V-neck shirts. I’m a man who appreciates tits. However, there is only one pair that has any power over me.

  “Please.” One of them hops up and down in place singing out the one word in a whiny-as-hell voice. Her tits are bouncing just as high. Jesus.

  Justice places her hand on my chest, peers up to me through her thick eyelashes, batting them slightly, and purrs just like the obnoxious women in front of me. “You heard them, Mr. Blake. They are die-hard fans. They’re even wearing your number.”

  I bite down on my lip and lean down to whisper in her ear. “You’ll be wearing my number later when I spank your ass tonight for this.”

  “We’ll see.” She kisses my cheek and then whispers back. “I’m going to withhold sex for a week, too. I saw you checking out their racks.”

  It’s a running joke in this league about some of the female fans and thinking if they show us their tits it’s game on for them. I throw my head back and erupt in laughter.

  “Alright, ladies, let’s do this.” I place my hand on Justice’s ass, lean in once again. “I’m going to show you whose tits I love when I come all over yours.” I slap her ass, move to the girls, and smile.

  I can see the laughter Justice is trying to hide as she tosses back her shoulders and shimmies her front. It happens so damn quick I’m the only one who picks up on it. Damn crazy woman.

  After the fifth selfie, my patience has run out. I swear to God if they check the picture one more time after it’s taken and declare their angle was off, I will smash their fucking phone. All the while my little vixen has her elbow propped up on a counter with a full smirk on her face, watching the show while I listen to these women tell me the things they would love to do. To me. Together.

  Finally, Justice saunters up to us. One high heel boot is beating down on the tile before the next. Hell, tits could be on my face, and I’d notice nothing but her. She wraps her arms low around my torso, tiptoeing up to peck my cheek.

  “Sorry, girls. Gotta get him to bed.” She pats my abs. “This beast needs all of his energy for the game.”

  The fans aren’t impressed. “So, it’s true, then; you are taken?”

  “I am.” In the best of ways.

  As they turn to walk away, Justice pulls something out of her purse.

  “Excuse me,” she calls out after them, extending the tickets in her hands. “If you’re ever in Idaho, the game is on me.”

  They brighten up and leave us for good.

  “That was damn nice of you.” I lean down and kiss the top of her head.

  “It was either that or kick in their inflated boobs with my boots. I chose the higher road.”

  We laugh all the way into the elevator.

  Philadelphia’s fans are known to be brutal. Hell, they’d even boo Santa Claus off the field. Coach has all of us dialed in to play smart and with heart. I find Justice sitting in the skybox with all of her family surrounding her, which keeps my head focused on the game.

  The entire Diamond clan flooded out to watch the game since we’re on the East Coast. There’s a shit ton of them. Mom and Rowe look like they fit right in with the mob family. I shake my head.

  “Get your head on straight, Liam.” Dad comes up to me, nudging my shoulder.

  “Eh?” I turn to him, gripping my helmet in my hand.

  “You’re pushing yourself in too many different directions. She’s fine. Focus on the game.” He spits out a seed. “Before you go and get all defensive, I know you’ve been under stress. Life is throwing a ton of shit in your direction. However, you won’t be any good to Justice or this team injured.” He grips my shoulder. “She’s safe with her family, your mom and sister are safe, we all love you, and right now your only job is to focus on the next four quarters and nothing else.”

  He’s right. I nod. “Got it.”

  “Philadelphia’s defense is going to be tough as hell; you know this. While they play dirty, you play smart. Don’t throw away the ball, step back and find your man.” Dad squeezes my shoulder again. “Don’t tell you enough, boy, but I’m damn proud of you,” I swear he stumbles over his words, and hell, I think he has tears in his eyes. “You’ve worked your ass off to get back on the field. Don’t think I could have gone through the intense physical therapy you did to get back here today, so don’t let any motherfucker out there knock you down. Game-day focus. No one is letting her out of their sight. I promise, son. Don’t give her or you anything else to worry about.”

  With that, he tucks his hand into the front of his hoodie, pulling out more sunflower seeds, and walks back to his spot. There’s no bigger compliment I could receive than the words my dad just gifted me with. He’s right. I need to focus on nothing but the game. Our families have us and always will. Laser-intense determination. My band of brothers who will be soldiers on the field by my side. And as he so eloquently said, don’t let a motherfucker knock you down.

  23

  Justice

  I’m glowing. Honest to God radiating from every pore of my body. I don’t even care that my ass is growing and my boobs are slightly tender.

  I haven’t been sick in five days, and I remember every delicious bite of my lunch I had with my parents. Even the big piece of chocolate cake that went right to my thighs.

  I’m still tired all the time, but through talking to a therapist my doctor referred me to after my panic attack, I’m learning to deal with my fear the best way I can. And even though my stalker is still out there somewhere, I’m bound and determined not to let them ruin the beauty of my pregnancy.

  Tears build in my eyes when I look down for the third time at the text Liam sent me about fifteen minutes ago.

  Get your sexy ass down here. Make Alex come with you.

  I smile so wide my mouth hurts. The man doesn’t blink an eye at the women with firm asses and big breasts whenever they swarm all over him like queen bees ready to mate. Yet with me, he’s all over mine and constantly grabbing handfuls of my ass. God, I love him more every day.

  I run my finger across his words. The tears welling in my eyes escape as I recall the way Liam went on a twenty-question spree with our doctor last week. He’s been worried about how tired and sick I am all the time. Even though Alina confirmed the same thing we were told at our first appointment and what I already knew from reading my book, he still needed more reassurance.

  The man penetrates my heart in many ways. Our routine is different from one day to the next with his long days and nights. We rarely have dinner together because most of the time he’s with the team, but I feel him with me wherever I am.

  “You are going to love your dad when you meet him,” I whisper, and place my hands over the small yet noticeable little bump. “I can’t wait to feel you move or to meet you. I love you more than you will ever know.”

  My body warms when I think of the tender way Liam caresses my skin, or the way I catch him looking at me as if he can’t believe I’m real, and the admiration in his tone when he says my name when he comes inside me. Which, for the past five days, has been morning and night. It wasn’t that I didn’t want him before, but I crave him now more than ever, and he’s all over that, too. His eyes lit up when I told him how I read that a woman’s sex drive increases during pregnancy.

  Liam has turned into my protector just how he said he would. Shields me from the media, worries about my s
afety as well as the baby's, and he’s even started to research the safest vehicles. He has put me first at every turn all the while leading his team on the turf. I love that man so much my heart swells.

  Shaking my head over the man I hope to spend the rest of my life with as well as the excitement of feeling good and watching him practice, I finish signing the documents Sage brought in, stick them back in the file, and untuck my feet from underneath me. I slip into my flats, make my way out the door, and place them on her desk.

  “Hey, I’m going to go watch the team practice. Do you want to come along?” I take a deep breath and smooth my hands down my legs.

  I take in my best friend as he sits behind his desk. Alex dove right into this job, and I don’t think he’s come up for air since. And even though he’s here, I still find myself missing him more than I did when he wasn’t.

  The fondest of memories scatter my brain. Alex was always the go-getter. The leader of the pack of the Diamond Empire children. And with everything that’s been going on with me, he’s come right in and taken over without any questions or complaints. He might have shocked me when he confessed, but as I watch him study something on his computer, the truth about what he was born to do hits me with a flutter of happiness in my gut. He was born to be a leader like his father, just in a different way.

  “Sure. Let me finish watching this; I want this defensive back from Florida for next season.” His brows scrunch in concentration.

  I hold in my laugh.

  “Are you talking about James Fitzpatrick. The man who can play every defensive position there is? You do know we have scouts who will bring these players to our attention, right?” I ask smugly.

  I may not be around as much as I would like, but I’ve done my best to keep my head where it should be. No matter what is going on in my life, I want the best for this team, so yeah, I know all about the top twenty or so college players.

  No one has complained about me working from home, taking Tuesdays off with Liam, or traveling with him and being by his side when everyone knows I would travel with my family or by myself if things were different. I’ve even thought about how exciting it would be to fly and get to know some of the wives. But my current situation of not knowing when or if this person will strike out at me again has the entire team on a vow of silence as well as agreeing with my safety. Which makes me grateful that they’ve all come to this team and formed a bond.

  “You have been doing your work, good girl. Maybe I should give you your holiday bonus now? You do know I’m a hands-on type of guy and my partner will be ready to deliver her baby around the time of the draft, right?”

  He’s joking about the bonus. Still, a weird pressure builds in my stomach. I’m not sure why; it just does. Nerves maybe. I hadn’t thought of that. In fact, I haven’t thought much of anything past my own bubble of happiness and hell.

  A thought plows its way through my brain. What if I don’t want to come back after I deliver my child? What if I just want to be a mom, to watch my child and my family grow? That’s impossible. I’m not the stay-at-home type of person. I’ll just bring him or her to work with me, or at least that’s what I’m going to tell myself.

  “I’m glad you're here and this is something we have together. I’m proud of you, too, Alex,” I say honestly.

  “It wasn’t as hard for me as you think, partner. Besides, the empire is more our brothers’ thing.” He slings an arm around my shoulder. “Let’s get going. Practice is almost over.”

  “Okay. You should check out the tight end from Michigan, too. He’s really good.” I nudge him on the shoulder as we step onto the elevator.

  It never gets old watching Liam play. If I could sit and do it all day, I would. With all the new developments in our lives and the ever-changing circumstances, Liam is still a force to be reckoned with on the field, and he’s all mine.

  “What on earth?” Astonishment branches out of me when we get off the elevator and walk into the stadium. I’m rooted to my spot at the top of the stairs.

  There’s no practice going on. Liam and our families are standing on the fifty-yard line.

  I notice all of them, but it’s the man who has always held my heart who holds all my attention.

  My heart does some kind of magical flip when I see a Diamonds football jersey in his hand. If I weren’t already madly in love with him, the scene in front of me would seal it for sure.

  God, he’s incredible. Too good for me, really, and the way his eyes are punctuating my skin from where he stands sends me soaring. He’s so beautiful it should be one of the deadly sins. Alex nudges the small of my back, but I can’t move. I’m unable to soak all of this in.

  “You have to walk, Justice.” Alex wraps me closer to him, guiding me down the flights of steps until we’re nearing ground level.

  Liam clears his throat, and it echoes around the stadium. It makes me freeze and peer back up at him. He fumbles with the microphone. His voice not muted enough allowing the speakers to pick it up.

  “Damn, I’m nervous. I have quite a bit to say, but now that you're almost to me, all I want to do is take you in my arms. Just get your gorgeous ass down here, please.”

  It’s the excitement, panic, love, and fear all mixing together in his voice that makes me jolt toward him. I move as fast as I can until I’m on the field and in front of him. Even though all of our family is here, they disappear, leaving only the two of us. The way it’s meant to be. Liam takes my hands in his, placing the microphone down next to us. The man is shaking, sweat beading on his forehead, and it makes me laugh. I have the worst habit of laughing in the most inappropriate times.

  “The first time I met you was at a party in college. I’d never seen you around campus before, but the minute you walked in I knew there was something special about you.” Liam stares down at me, talking only to me as if the rest of the world doesn’t exist. “And even though you were wearing a baseball jersey, I still felt this pull to you. You stunned me. You made that damn ugly shirt look good.

  “Unbeknownst to you, I asked a few friends if they knew who you were. They told me you were the daughter of a mobster. I scoffed, told myself I didn’t give a shit who you were as long as you became mine. I kept my eyes on you until I got the nerve to talk to you, and the first words out of your mouth had me hook, line, and sinker. A woman who was going to challenge me in every way possible. Your innocence and lack of knowledge about football kept me entertained all night.”

  Streams of tears fall down my face as Liam speaks each word. He pauses, using the pad of his thumb to catch as many as he can. I’m not an idiot and know what’s coming next, but I truly can’t help myself. I lean up on my tiptoes and press my lips to his.

  “You are interrupting my plan,” he mumbles against my lips.

  I shrug and pull back. “Couldn’t help myself. Go on, big guy.”

  “I remember a few days later I called and asked you out, and we went out with a group of friends. We spent the entire night talking. As the night wound down, I asked you if you had ever been on a football field.”

  “I told you no, and you hauled my ass to the stadium,” I whisper.

  “The lights were on because the defensive line had a late practice. We sat on the fifty-yard line in the stands. Talked until we were told to leave. We didn’t leave. We sat in the dark and watched the stars in the sky, and then something shifted. I needed to kiss you. Our first kiss. You gave me everything back then, and somehow, you’re giving more now. I’ve loved you since that kiss, Justice. It’s time to start our own tradition.”

  At first, I don’t understand what he means, and when he lets go of my hands and I look over at Rowe when she makes a giggling noise, I still don’t get it. Something tells me whatever this tradition is, she had a part in it.

  Liam lifts his hand up for me to read the back of the jersey. Mrs. Blake. It’s glittery and perfect. Rowe did this. My God, could this man, his family, and mine be any more perfect than they already are? They did all
of this for me.

  “This is our future.”

  He flings the jersey over his shoulders, and what he does next makes my knees buckle and my brain turn to mush. He is changing everything right now and imprinting our world with permanent ink.

  Liam drops to one knee, reaching into his back pocket, and pulls out a black velvet box. His hands tremble, mirroring my own. “Justice Bexley, will you marry me?”

  All I want to do is go home and climb all over him, but this incredible man is waiting for an answer to a question every girl dreams to hear from the man she loves.

  “Yes, Liam Blake, I will marry you.”

  24

  Liam

  The high from tonight is like none other. There’s not one single word to explain what I’m feeling. I pull Justice’s back into my chest as I guide her down the hall in our house. There’s no longer a hers or mine; it’s ours. Everything. I bend down, grazing the sensitive part of her neck, and catch sight of the lettering above number eleven on her jersey.

  My heart swells and my cock is hard in an instant. I’d have her naked in bed by now if Rowe didn’t have to go on and on about how she ironed the decals on the back of Justice’s jersey, and then I had to stand there and let her show everyone the ring.

  My self-control was bending then; it snapped the second we climbed into the vehicle and she shimmied out of her clothes, giving me a glimpse of her naked body before covering it up with her jersey. Pulling over was out of the question since our security was tailing us, and Justice deserves so much more than a roadside fuck.

  “How? When?” She holds her hand out in front of her as we enter our bedroom.

  “I’m pretty sure marriage is meant to happen when a man and a woman love each other.”

  Justice elbows me before I can finish. I turn her around in my arms, pulling her to my chest and backing her up until the back of her legs connect with the mattress. I run my palm up to cup the side of her face.