The Problem with Sports

by M. E. Clayton

  “I really care about him, Steven,” I admitted. “It’s a scary feeling to care about someone like that again.”

  “I know,” he murmured against my hair. “But just hear him out, Andie. Hear him out, and if you don’t see what I saw, then I agree, move the hell on. But don’t throw the baby out with the bath water because it’s easier.”

  “Did you just call me a coward?” I asked, my voice a watery chuckle.

  “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I did,” he challenged back.

  I pulled out of his arms and looked up at him. “Thank you, Steven.”

  He smiled down at me. “You’re welcome, Andrea.” He jerked his head towards the door. “I’m going to go get Grant, and then we’ll be on our way. Okay?”

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  Steven kissed me on the top of my head, and I just stood there as he walked out of my condo, on his way upstairs to get Grant.

  A part of me could admit that Steven was right about my knee-jerk reaction and ending things with Nathan just to protect myself, but I also knew there could be no misunderstanding about the lengths I would go to in order to protect Grant from any more unnecessary heartache.

  But then, I suppose I wouldn’t be so scared of Nathan Hayes if I weren’t already falling in love with him. I wouldn’t be so scared if he didn’t have the potential to hurt me just as badly as Steven had. And I guess I had to decide if I’d rather be scared than happy.

  Easy, right?

  And then there was still the fact that we were neighbors, and if Grant and Nathan were going to remain friends, then I wasn’t walking away from Nathan free and clear. He was going to be around, and was this something so big that I really couldn’t get past it?

  Was I going to regret not hearing him out later down the road?

  Was I going to regret hearing him out?

  And which was going to hurt more?

  Chapter 24

  Nathan~

  Well, I wasn’t expecting this.

  When Steven had agreed to talk to her for me, I really hadn’t expected it to work. Now, while I had prayed for the best, but I didn’t really think he could pull it off. But the man had done me a solid I wasn’t sure I’d ever be able to repay, whether Andie forgave me or not.

  After he came back to pick up Grant, he hadn’t given me much, other than she had listened to him, but she hasn’t said anything about whether or not she was going to give me a second chance. He said she just thanked him for his efforts, and that was that.

  So, when the doorbell had sounded from the public elevator, I had gotten my hopes up way high. However, as I stood in the doorway, looking at her, I was actually afraid to say anything.

  Her brows rose a bit. “May I come in?”

  Feeling like an idiot, I stepped back and opened the door wider to allow her entrance. “Sure,” I muttered.

  Andie walked in and made her way to into the middle of the inside foyer. I shut the door as she turned around to face me. She didn’t say anything, and I could only stare at her. And, to be fair, even if she were speaking, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hear anything over the rush of blood in my hears and the pounding in my chest.

  When I couldn’t stand it any longer, I said, “I’ll do anything.”

  Her face softened a bit. “I suppose recruiting Steven is kind of proof of that.”

  “I didn’t know what else to do,” I admitted. “And I hadn’t even come up with that idea, if I’m being honest. My brothers came up with that.”

  “Your brothers?” She looked surprised.

  “Yeah. Uh, after I left yesterday, I went over to Sayer’s and Gideon met us there,” I told her. “I needed…them.”

  Andie let out a deeps sigh. “Nathan-”

  I rushed up on her and put my hands on her shoulders, not caring if she was going to deck me for touching her. It’d be worth it, anyway. “I know I fucked up, Andie,” I rushed out. “I know I overstepped and acted like a complete dick during our fight, but…fuck, baby, I swear to you, I never meant to undermine you or…confuse Grant. I would never do anything to hurt that kid.” And that was the God’s honest truth. “Grant thinks Steven and I are friends, for fuck’s sake.” She huffed out a small chuckle. “And I would never do anything to hurt you, Andie. Never.”

  She grimaced. “Steven pointed out that I may have let my uh, old ghosts get out of hand yesterday.” I pulled her to me, and she let me.

  She fucking let me.

  I was probably crushing her, but I couldn’t think about that right now. “I’m sorry, baby,” I whispered against the top of her head. “I’m so fucking sorry, and…I’ll do better.”

  Andrea pulled back, and I let her. Looking up at me, she asked, “Do better?”

  I winced. “Gideon may or may not have pointed out to me that I’ve been a spoiled brat all my life and I could probably benefit from other point of views on life.”

  “He called you a spoiled brat?”

  “He also called me a dumb ass,” I admitted. “And said something to the effect of how being the baby of the family and America’s darling might have contributed to my head being stuck up my ass.”

  She grinned. “I think I like Gideon.”

  I smiled back until I realized she hasn’t said anything about forgiving me or taking me back. “What to sit down?”

  She nodded. “Yeah, I would.”

  I led her through the living room and got her settled on the couch. “Would you like anything to drink?”

  Andie shook her head. “No, thank you. I just…I just really would like to get this conversation over with.”

  That did not sound good.

  “Uh, okay,” I agreed, worried, as I took a seat next to her. But then I remembered she had let me hug her. But was that a friend hug? She also hadn’t corrected me when I had called her baby, so that was a good thing, right?

  I looked into her perfect brown eyes. “So, tell me what I have to do, Andrea,” I said. “Tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”

  “What if you’re not up to the task?” she asked.

  That got me curious. “What if I am?” Did she forget that I was a retired professional athlete? Competition and excelling were in my blood.

  “Okay,” she said, regarding me with doubt all over her pretty face. Or maybe that was just my insecurities creeping through.

  “What’s the task?”

  She took a deep breath. “I need you to love Grant like he’s your own, but I need you to also understand that he’s not yours.” She suddenly looked tired, and I didn’t like that. “I know it’s an unfair condition,” she went on. “I know it sucks to invest yourself in someone but have no say in the important things. I know that’s unfair and…kind of shitty, actually. But…” Andie shrugged her shoulder as if to say, oh well. And she wasn’t wrong.

  That was a shitty situation. But then I thought of Sayer and wondered how he dealt with it. But then again, Leta was a teenager with no health issues. It wasn’t quite apples and apples. However, I was sure this was something Sayer could help me with if I ever found myself fumbling with it.

  “I can do my best,” I told her. And for a little more reassurance, I added, “With Sayer having a stepdaughter he absolutely adores, I can always talk to him for advice if I’m struggling.”

  She didn’t comment at first, but then she muttered, “I think you really are going to be more trouble than you’re worth, Nathan.”

  Are going to be?

  “Meaning?” I needed it in words. I’d already fucked up epically, I needed the words.

  “Meaning, while you’re working on knowing your place, I’ll be working on keeping Steven in his, Grant in his, and me in mine,” she replied.

  Wait? “What does that mean, Andie?” I asked because I was confused as fuck.

  “It means that…if we’re going to do this, then we all have a lot to learn,” she grumbled, and I wasn’t sure if her words were a positive or a negative because the woman did not look happy.

  “So…a
m I forgiven?” Fuck it. I might as well ask straight-out because I was still confused.

  She let out a choked laugh. “Yes, Nat-oh, oomph-” Andrea was perched on my lap before she could say anything more.

  “You’re not fucking with me, are you?”

  She shook her head. “I was scared, Nate,” she confessed. “That’s it. That’s all. While you did mess up big time, I let fear dictate how I handled it. I let fear lead in my reaction, and that wasn’t fair to you.” Getting comfortable on my lap, she put her arms around my neck. “This is the first time Steven and I have had to navigate someone whose was involved with Grant, too. I think we’re all just fumbling about.”

  “Steven’s never introduced any of his girlfriends to Grant?”

  “Grant’s met a couple, but only because they accidentally showed up at Steven’s, not realizing Grant was there. Or there’ve been a couple of times he’s run into one of them while he and Grant were out and about,” she explained. “Steven hasn’t cared about someone strongly enough yet to introduce them to his son.”

  I nodded as I realized I had a lot to learn about being a parent and stepparent, because that’s where this was going. Of course, I didn’t tell Andie this because I wasn’t sure if she was still on her take-it-slow kick, but that’s where this was definitely headed.

  I tightened my hold on Andie’s hip. “I need to be honest with you, Andrea,” I told her, and he immediately looked wary.

  “Uh, okay…”

  “I’m going to fuck up again,” I blurted. “I’m a super work in progress, and that being said, you’re in for the fight of your life if you think I’m going to just let you break up with me every time I screw up. So, think about that, and just save us the aggravation, okay?”

  She chuckled. “Oh, really?”

  I nodded. “We can fight. We can yell. We can silent treatment. We can do all that. But we can’t break up. That’s non-negotiable.” She opened her mouth to argue, I’m sure, before I added, “And we can only fight Thursday evening through Sunday evening during the summer, and Friday evening through Sunday evening during the school year.”

  Her smile lit up her face. “Of course,” she agreed.

  Chapter 25

  Andrea~

  This was about as perfect as it got.

  Well, almost.

  We had a lot to work out, and I knew there was going to be more bumps in the road, but I was all in for this.

  I didn’t want to be afraid.

  And Nathan’s love for Grant was clear. There was no way to deny that he adored my son, and that mattered on a big scale.

  “I have another confession to make,” he blurted again.

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “I’m in love with you, and I have to put that out there because I’m not sure I can contain it,” he confessed, and my stomach dipped. “It’s going to just come flying out of my mouth, I’m sure, and I don’t want to hide it, even if it doesn’t go hand-in-hand with your going-slow program.” His blues searched mine. “I love you, Andrea,” he said. “I love you so much, baby.”

  “Nathan…”

  “I don’t need you to say it back,” he quickly added. “Especially, if you don’t feel it. But I just needed you to know how I felt.” He pulled me up higher on his lap. “I’m in this for real.”

  I knew I was probably already in love with him, but I needed to take this slow for me. I’d only ever said those words to one another man, and I didn’t take that phrase lightly. It wasn’t about being afraid, so much as it was about being sure. So, instead of trying to explain how I felt, I decided to show him.

  I leaned in, and as soon as Nathan gauged that I was about to kiss him, his hands darted into my hair, and he held me firm as his lips landed on mine. My hands tightened around his neck as I deepened the kiss and hoped he could feel what he did to me.

  “Fuck, baby,” he rasped out. “Even one day is too long to be without you.” I knew exactly what he meant.

  “Prove it,” I demanded. I knew what Nathan was capable of in bed, and I knew my demand would be met with the same determination as he played baseball.

  Before I knew it, Nathan had me off his lap and on my knees, facing the back of the couch. I braced my hands on the top of the backrest, and I was already panting with anticipation. My fingers curled into the upholstered wood as Nathan’s hands grabbed the waistband of my yoga pants. Being a Saturday morning without my son, I had been lazing around in an old washed-out Hoyas t-shirt and a pair of black yoga pants. My flip-flops had easily come off when Nathan had positioned me where he wanted me.

  “I’m going to fuck you so hard, Andrea,” Nathan promised against the bare skin of my left hip. “I’m going to bottom out in that sweet pussy of yours.”

  I moaned and prayed to God he would. “Yes…” I shamelessly begged.

  “Yeah?” he rasped out, and I was going to beg some more, but then I realized what he was doing. Nathan had trapped my legs by pulling my pants down only to the bottom of my thighs. I was going to be at his mercy, and the thought was exhilarating.

  Nathan grabbed my hips and popped my ass out until my back was arched, and I was presented to him for that taking. My fingers were wearing on the backrest and I could feel myself practically dripping with need.

  “Fuck, I love the way you smell,” he said, right before his large hands grabbed hold of each of my ass cheeks and pulled them apart. “But I love the way you taste even more.”

  “Oh, God…” I moaned as I felt Nathan’s tongue run a long, smooth path from my clit to my ass. My head dropped as Nathan worked his tongued expertly over my sex. I already knew he was particularly skilled at eating pussy, but I planned to never take his talents for granted. “Nathan…”

  He pulled away and I felt his thumb rubbing everything within its reach. “Let me get this condom on, baby, and I’ll give you exactly what you need.” I was so desperate, it was on the tip of my tongue to tell him to forget the condom, but then I remembered he used to be a professional athlete. While I trusted that Nate wouldn’t do anything to harm me, a person could never be too safe.

  And as if he could read my mind, he said, “After this weekend, we’re both getting tested, so I can stop using these fucking things with you. But, fair warning, I’ve never had sex without a condom before, so I’m probably only going to last three seconds the first time.” I let out a muffled laugh. “But we’ll just have to keep fucking until I build up a respectable tolerance for that tight cunt of yours, baby.”

  His hands retuned to my ass, and spreading me wide again, I felt his spit land on the rosette of my ass and drizzle downward to mix with the wetness already leaking out of my body.

  “Hang the fuck on,” he growled, right before he slammed his entire length inside my body.

  “Oh, God…”

  With one hand digging into my hip, I felt the other grabbed a fistful of my hair as Nathan yanked my head backwards. His lips next to my ear, he said, “I can’t wait to fuck you raw, Andrea. I can’t wait to see my cum leaking out of your body. I can’t wait to flood your cunt.” My body contracted around him, and he let out a dark chuckle. “You like that? You like thinking about how I’m going to unload inside you?”

  “Yes,” I moaned, eager for what he was promising.

  His thrusts became harder and deeper, and his length was making it almost too painful to take. Nathan’s size was always going to be a challenge, but I welcomed it.

  Letting go of my hair, both his hands were now digging into my hips as he crashed his body into mine over, and over, and over again. With my legs being held prisoner by my pants, I couldn’t even adjust my legs to ease any of the force of his thrusts. And every stab into my body, Nathan was giving me every inch of his cock. My ass hit his groin with every single drive.

  “I’ll never get enough of this pussy, baby,” he grunted behind me. “It’ll never be enough.”

  “Nathan…”

  “Yeah, baby?”

  “Please…” I wanted to c
um. I needed to cum. “More…”

  “Fuck, I love the way you beg for my cock,” he moaned, and before I could beg for more, I felt another dribble of spit land on my ass. We hadn’t gotten around to anal sex yet, but I knew it would only be a matter of time. And that thought was confirmed when I felt Nathan’s thumb pop past my puckered ring of resistance.

  And. I. Moaned.

  He started working his thumb in opposite rhythm of his dick and the double penetration had me dripping. “You like that, Andrea? You like me inside your ass?”

  “Oh, God…Nathan…oh…oh, God…” I panted.

  “Good,” he growled. “Because you better believe I’m going to work my cock inside this tight ass of your soon.” My fingers turned white with the grip I had on the couch and I let out choked cry. “That’s it, baby. Cum on my cock. Cum on that thick dick while you take my finger up your ass.”

  Holy fuck.

  “Nathan!” I threw my head back, and almost broke all my nails on the couch as I came all over him.

  “Fuck,” he hissed. “Fuck, fuck, fuck…baby…”

  “Oh, God…”

  “I’m cumming,” he warned me. “Keep squeezing my cock, baby.”

  Whatever else he might be saying was lost in a haze of tremors or was being drowned out by the rush of blood in my ears. My entire body lost its skeletal support, and my head was resting on the backrest of the couch and my body went limp. The only proof of life was my harsh breathing and the twitches of aftermath.

  “Jesus Christ,” Nathan swore behind me before pulling out of my body. The second he was clear, I collapsed on the couch. Nathan chucked, but I just laid there. My eyes closed, I felt him pulling up my yoga pants, and then a soft kiss on the side of my head.

  I wasn’t sure if I passed out or not, but the next thing I knew, Nathan was picking me and walking us to his bedroom. He laid me down on the bed where he immediately went to work on undressing me, and I let him.