Reckless: A Bad Boy Sport Romance (27 page)

My eyes landed on Caitlin's deep, meaty cleavage, peeking out of her sports bra.

“Thanks for the concern.” I pulled my arm away from her. “But I'm fine –”

“Caitlin and I are going to hit the showers, and we'll be hanging out at my place,” Hannah drawled, tracing a finger against her collarbone. “You're more than welcome to join us. We can open a bottle of wine, talk about everything –”

When Hannah cozied up to me, brushing her soft tit against my arm, my cock twitched.

“Again, like I said, I'm fine, thanks.” I smiled at them, turning away from them. “You ladies have a good night. Later.”

As I made my way to the door, the cheerleaders grumbled, stalking off in the opposite direction.

“Wow, I can't believe you turned them down.”

I zipped up my bag and looked up. Brooklyn was leaning against the doorway, smiling at me. She wore a loose light blue dress that was tied around the neck. As she walked towards me, glorious hints of her side-boob could be seen through the sides of her dress.

“I mean, I don't think even I would have turned them down.”

I slipped an arm around her and reeled her in, kissing her.

“What are you doing here?” I held her against me, rubbing the spot between her hairline and the back of her neck. I could feel her supple tits pressing up against my stomach.

“Had a little time off work, so I thought I'd drive down here to see you.” Brooklyn shrugged, smiling coyly as she looked up at me. “Coach let me in.”

“Good, 'cause I've missed you,” I whispered into her ear, giving her another kiss on the cheek. My hand left the back of her waist. With the back of my hand, I started feeling up the tantalizing outlines of her tits, guiding it down her stomach and between her legs. “And I've missed these tits...This stomach...This beautiful little pussy of yours...”

As I hiked up her dress, drawing my fingers against her thigh, she moaned into my ear.

“Not here,” Brooklyn gasped. She pulled down the ends of her skirt and batted my hand away. She stretched her neck to one side, squinting at the 2 custodial staff mopping the floors behind me. “Come on. I think I know where we can go that's a little more private...”

With my wrist in her hand, Brooklyn led me towards the men's locker room. She poked her head through the door. And when she was content that the coast was clear, she yanked me into the room with her.

We stripped off our clothes and stumbled into the empty showers. But as I reached behind Brooklyn's waist, she shoved me up against the corner of the shower. I flattened up against the wall, feeling the cold tiles pressing up against my back.

Brooklyn dropped to her knees. Her round, perky tits hung freely. Watching them sway as she crawled up to me was damn near hypnotic. She straightened up on her knees, cupping her hands around my cock.

With her round blue eyes peering up at me, she stuck out her small, pink tongue and scraped it across the tip of my head. I was shivering, fucking aching for her to swallow my cock whole. And she knew it.

She parted her mouth halfway, coating me with her dribbling drool. And right as my cock was fully lubricated, she steered my cock into her mouth. I watched as the rest of me disappeared in her mouth, the blues of her eyes still piercing into mine...

Chapter Five:
Brooklyn

2016

“Let's hear it for Bosworth – our resident top dog at Slater Oakridge – 5 months in a row and counting!”

Around me, the cubicles roared with whoops of applause. In front of the office stood Mr. Hernandez and Bosworth, next to the scoreboard. As Mr. Hernandez flourished his champagne flute in Bosworth's direction, I sunk lower in my seat, refusing to clap.

“Thank you, thank you – I try,” said Bosworth loudly as the applause died down. He extended an arm, shaking the boss' hand. “But on behalf of all of us, I would like to take this moment to thank you, Mr. Hernandez, for your stalwart guidance and mentorship. Without you, I wouldn't be where I am today.”

I masked my snort with a violent, hacking cough. The hundreds of eyes in the cubicles glimpsed my way. I chewed on my lip, smiling back at them with burning cheeks. Bosworth glared at me from the front of the room. Hemming obnoxiously, he continued.

“And that is why I'd like to invite everyone here to give credit where real credit is due.” Bosworth raised his glass, the bubbly twinkling under the fluorescent lights. “Here's to Mr. Hernandez, and many prosperous years ahead at Slater Oakridge!”

Feeling the weight of Mr. Hernandez's disapproving gaze, I stared straight ahead and clapped with flaccid wrists. Eventually, all the brown-nosing fizzled out, and everyone got back to work. I swiveled around in my chair and propped my arm up against my desk, resting my chin on my fist.

If this wasn't a rut, I don't know what is. It was getting harder and harder to roll out of bed every morning. I was slamming down the “Snooze” button an extra time each passing week. When I did finally manage to get my butt off my bed, I had to contend with the wave of reporters waiting for me outside my apartment building. I'd never seen poor Mr. Emanuel look so flustered in his life.

It wasn't helping that neither Mom or Dad called once to check in on me after Xavier's disastrous “proposal.” Unless they were summering under a rock, they'd definitely have heard by now. As for why there's been no word from them, I didn't even want to go there.

It didn't take a genius to figure out that I hated my work, but then again, I wasn't special. So did just about everyone with a job. As soul-crushing as this place was, this was the very place keeping my apartment, all my bills, and the studio afloat. I hadn't accepted a cent from my parents since I was 18 (other than college), and I wasn't about to start now. Be that as it may, I couldn't say it wasn't tempting. And as much as I wanted to quit and parade out of here with my middle fingers held high, that would mean losing the studio, the kids, and everything else I actually cared about.

I couldn't let that happen.

XXX

“Oof. Take a look at the Real Housewives reject – my 2 o'clock.”

I lifted my blue cocktail to my lips, peeking over my shoulder. An older woman with cropped black hair sat on the edge of the bar, sandwiched between 2 20-something men. She wore a glitzy sequin black dress that was about 3 sizes too small for her. Her forehead and rouged cheeks were caked with foundation, and her slightly swollen face looked like it was being pulled back by invisible strings.

“Can you say, botched botox?” Tabitha giggled, swinging her leg over the other.

“True, but she seems to be doing alright for herself.” I turned back to Tabitha, shrugging. “Anyway, thanks for coming by after work. Boy, was I glad to see you.”

“You and everyone else.” Tabitha smiled, her eyes twinkling. “You looked like you could use a drink. So, how are you?”

“I'm fine, but enough about me. How are you? I'm not the only one that's slept with a psycho.”

“It was one time. What of it?” Tabitha brushed it off with a smile on her face, but she rubbed her arms, squeezing herself. “Yes, Daymond grew up on my block, but it's not like I ever really knew the guy. Talk about dodging a bullet. And yeah, it's kinda weird, but I'm a silver-lining type of gal, so I'm just going to keep it in my arsenal of crazy stories to tell at a bar.”

“I guess that's one way to look at it.” My eyebrows flicked upwards. “I'm just glad Ace's name is finally cleared. Now, that was a nightmare.”

“So am I.” Tabitha folded her fingers in her lap. “Listen, Brooks, there's something –”

“Ace and I are back together,” I blurted at the same time. I paused. “Sorry, what were you saying?”

Tabitha gaped at me.

“Oh, I – yeah, that's what I was about to say. I figured,” said Tabitha hastily, smiling at me.

“Yeah?” I stared at her, frowning. “'Cause that didn't sound like – never mind. It's been going on for a while. Sorry, I would've told you sooner, but I knew you wouldn't approve –”

“Brooks, I'm happy for you.” Tabitha flashed me a smile, but it was one that never reached her eyes. “Really. Forget what I said. I love you, and I want you to be happy. If this is what makes you happy, my blessings are all yours.”

“Thanks, Tab. I love you, too.” I reached over, squeezing her hand as I got up from my stool. “Okay, I gotta cut the sap short, 'cause I've gotta run to the little girl's room.”

“Be a doll and get me another daiquiri on your way back, will you?”

“Sure thing.”

As I made my way to the little girl's room, I glanced over my shoulder. Tabitha had zoned out completely. She gazed out at the rain drizzling against the window, stirring the ice cubes around in her empty glass.

Chapter Six:
Ace

2016

“Aw, snap – look who's here! Alright, guys, make way for the man of the hour!”

Hardwick jumped down from the stage, the hind legs of his centaur costume bouncing beneath him. As I stepped up to meet him, the bobbing mass of mythical creatures on the dance floor pumped their fists and raised their beers. Their hollers of approval rang in my ears.

“What it do, brother!” Hardwick slapped my hand and pulled me in for a chest bump. “You killed out there today, man. Those cocky Falcon bastards never knew what hit 'em.”

“Thanks, man. Appreciate that.” I grabbed myself a light beer from the bar, looking around me. “Not a bad turnout.”

“Not at all.” Hardwick motioned to a pair of leggy chicks in the middle of the dance floor. They twerked against an oily guido, throwing their hands up in the air as they grinded their tiny loincloths against the dude's crotch. “Check out those slutty wood nymphs. I didn't know I had a fetish until I saw those babes, so thanks for that.”

“You're welcome – I think. But yeah, they're alright.”

“Alright?” Hardwick scoffed, shaking his head at me. He turned back to the wood nymphs, whistling. “I've been scoping them out all night. I say we partner up on this one – whaddaya say? I call dibs on that blonde girl with the tongue ring –”

“Nah, I think I'm good –”

“What? Your girl's pretty cute.” Hardwick scrunched up his face. “I mean, I guess we could tag-team my girl, we haven't done that in a good minute –”

“That sounds like a good time and all that, but I'm good. I'm sorta waiting for someone.”

“Psh. Fine, more for me.” Hardwick grinned, looking me up and down. “What the hell are you supposed to be, anyway?”

“Beats me.” I glanced down at the glowing phoenix armor painted over my chest, arms, and stomach. “Some kind of phoenix-man hybrid, I think? This guy, Pablo – his nephew goes to some art school on the West Coast – modeled for the kid for one of his projects this morning.”

Before Hardwick could rag on me, someone called out to me from behind.

“Ace!”

I glanced back to the familiar face in the middle of the dance floor. The sexy Medusa in the glinting armor bra pushed her way through the crowd. Her bright copper hair was curled in thick locks and stacked up on her head like red snakes.

“Hey, Tabitha. How's it going?”

“Better, now that you're here!”

Tabitha hiccuped, swaying towards me. That was weird. But when I smelled the vodka on her breath, I got it. I reached out and grabbed her arms, steadying her on her feet.

“You might wanna take it easy on the vodka. You've got all night –”

“Wanna dance?” Tabitha clawed at my arm lightly.

“Uh, maybe a little lat –”

“Come on,” Tabitha insisted, tugging on my arm. “One song – that's all I'm asking.”

“Yeah, alright. After you.”

I finished off the rest of my beer and followed Tabitha to the edge of the dance floor. As I danced around her, I made sure to stay about a foot away from her. Shit was awkward as hell, but this wasn't just some girl – this was Brooklyn's best friend. Boundaries were all I could think about.

But as I slowed down, just sort of bouncing from left to right, real low-key, Tabitha kept trying to dance up against me. No matter where I stepped, she came after me, grinding her shaking hips up against my cock. I didn't know what else to do. I reached out and held onto her waist, leaning away from her.

“So, uh, you know when Brooklyn's gonna get here?”

“Nope.” Maybe it was just me, but Tabitha sounded pretty cross. “She said she had to work late tonight, but she'll call me when she gets here.”

She reached behind her, touching the side of my face, but I pulled away from her.

“Whoa, you okay there?” I withdrew my hands and took a step back from her. “Wanna sober up a little bit –”

“No.” Tabitha swung around, grabbing my arm. “I want you to stay here with me.”

“Okay, what –”

“I love you, Ace.” Tabitha squeezed me so hard, she was twisting my wrist. “I've always loved you –”