RUNNING GAME (A SECOND CHANCE SPORTS ROMANCE) (11 page)

I
hobbled to the door
, determined not to use the stupid fucking crutches tonight. They made me feel weak… Like I was less of a man. Tonight called for me to be completely, one hundred percent masculine. I wanted Maisey to see me for who I really was, not some half-assed guy wobbling around on a couple of sticks. I could take a little pain to prove myself. Hell, I was used to getting barreled down by men twice my size, I could handle it.

I could handle anything.

Or so I thought, until I opened that door and almost fell to my knees at the sight of Maisey. She was stunning. Gone were the scrubs, gone was the hesitant shyness, gone was the curls pulled tightly in a bun. She’d replaced all of that with a dose of pure sex.

Her black curls were smoothed into soft tendrils that cascaded down to her bare shoulders. She’d poured herself into a tight red silk dress with thin spaghetti straps that hugged her curvy breasts and hips seductively. The front of the dress plunged to a v deep below her natural cleavage, showing a tiny bit of side boob that almost gutted me. She wore tall, black suede pumps that made her three inches taller than normal and there was a deep red lipstick smeared across those luscious lips that I was now dying to kiss.

“You look - amazing!” I cried, pulling her into my arms and doing just that.

“Stop!” she said, her eyes darting over to the ever present Grady by the elevators.

“He doesn’t care,” I assured her, pulling her in and closing the door. “And besides, he’s sworn to secrecy.”

“Of course he is,” she laughed, as I closed the door and limped over to her on the couch. I winced as I sat down next to her.

“You should be using your crutches,” she said, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m fine,” I said, with a dismissive wave. “And so are
you!
”

“Thank you,” she smiled. “I thought about wearing my scrubs,” she said, shrugging.

“I’m glad you didn’t,” I replied, resting my hand on her bare knee and leaning forward to kiss her again. Her lips were soft, so sweet.

“You look nice, too,” she said. I’d put on a pair of black slacks and a black sweater, which was the first time I’d put on pants since the surgery and it wasn’t easy getting the pants over the bandages on my knee. I wanted to look nice for our dinner, and now that I saw how she was dressed, I was glad I’d done it.

“What’s for dinner?” she asked.

“Well, about that. I tried to cook for you, I really did. Unfortunately, that smell you just walked into is burnt steak and some kind of garlic sauce,” I replied, casting my eyes to the side.

“I think it adds to the ambiance,” she said, laughing.

We both took a second to smile, seconds ticking away until I was finally able to pull my eyes free from hers.

“… Anyway, I ordered in from Mizuna.”

“The expensive French place on Capital Hill?” she asked, her eyes widening.

“That’s the place,” I said. “Hope you don’t mind?”

“Are you kidding? Of course not. My friend Eddie raves about that place, but I’ve never been. I hear they’ve got a waiting list three weeks long and I’m pretty sure they don’t deliver…”

“They deliver for me,” I replied, glancing back at her with a questioning look. “So who’s Eddie?” I asked.

“Oh, just an old friend.”

“An old boyfriend?” I asked, feeling a sudden twinge of jealousy.

“No,” she laughed. “He’s gay. Calm down, stud,” she winked.

“Alright, alright,” I said, laughing with her and shaking my head. “So, shall we go out to the balcony?”

“Oh, sure,” she stood up and the dress clung to her curves temptingly. I watched her walk outside, her hips swaying, her heels clicking on the floor. My cock swelled in my pants, and I reached down to adjust it, limping outside after her.

“Wow!” she exclaimed. Her eyes were lit up with excitement and my heart soared. I was pleased that she was pleased, as cheesy as that sounds. I wanted to see her smile. I wanted those beautiful green eyes to lit up in glee.

“So,” I said, gesturing to the food laid out on a candlelit table that Grady had helped me set. “Tonight, we’ll start with Oyster Rockefeller and Burgundian Escargot, followed by a fresh Arugula & Frisée salad.”

“Oooh!” she said, smiling up at me from her seat.

“And then, my lady, you may choose from Seared King Salmon, Beef Wellington au Poivre, or a lovely Dry Aged Magret Duck Breast.”

“I have no idea what half of that is, but it still sounds amazing. Do I really have to choose?” she asked.

“Nope, we can eat it all! Mizuna does small plates, so feel free to treat yourself…”

“Thank you for this,” she said, her voice soft and quiet, “it’s very nice.” She seemed shy all of a sudden, and it was completely endearing. I closed the distance between us and kissed her gently again before taking my seat next to her.

“It’s my pleasure, trust me, Maisey. I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Me, too, Jesse. Me, too,” her eyes peered into mine deeply. I wanted to take her again, right there, right then, but I was determined to do this right. I’d already ripped her clothes off and taken her on my floor like she was just any other girl. Tonight, I wanted to show her that wasn’t really what I thought of her, that I thought more of her than that, that I thought the world of her - she deserved so much more from me.

“Wine?” I asked, willing my cock to settle down. My body wasn’t making my job here any easier, but Maisey just had that effect on me, I guess. What was that? Chemistry? Pure sexual attraction? Whatever it was, it had a firm grip on my cock, but to tell you the truth, I didn’t mind it one bit. The air was so sexually charged, it was invigorating.

“Yes, please,” she replied, holding her glass up to me while I poured.

“This is a bordeaux from Armand Rousseau. Apparently, Charmes-Chambertin is one of the most famous Grand Cru vineyards in the Côte de Nuits region of Burgundy.”

“Wow, sounds fancy. You’re into wine?” she asked.

“No… I just ordered the most expensive bottle they had and wrote down everything they told me. I’m more of a beer and whiskey guy to tell you the truth. In fact, I’m usually more of a pizza guy as well.”

Her laughter trickled into the air and I laughed with her, reaching out and pushing a lock of hair behind her ear. She stopped laughing and looked over at me with such sweetness on her face.

“Thank you, Jesse,” she said, “but I want you to know I would have been completely happy with pizza and beer.”

“I know you would have,” I said. “But you deserve nice things, too, Maise.”

She smiled slowly, pensively, and I wished so badly that I could hear her thoughts. It was obvious to me that Maisey had a lot to think about, and probably a lot of pressure on her, as well. I wanted to take her away from all that. I wanted to give her just a little bit of an escape from normal, every day life. Even if it was just for one night.

“Thank you, Jesse,” she whispered, reaching out and putting her hand on mine.

“Shall we toast?” I said, raising my glass to hers.

“Sure,” she nodded.

“To tonight,” I said, clinking her glass to mine, “and good friends.”

“Tonight,” she nodded. “Yes, and good friends.” She sipped her wine, staring at me over the edge of her glass for a long moment. I leaned forward, kissing her wine stained lips quickly and sitting back.

“Let’s eat!” I said. “I’m starved!”

We dug into the dinner like starving animals. Maisey ate with gusto, devouring the oysters and escargot like a champ. Before long, we were feeling the effects of the wine and laughing uncontrollably together. A pink sunset poured a soft pink glow onto her face, the light softly fading into night, until we were sitting under a sky studded with sparkling stars.

“This was amazing… Thank you,” she said. She’d relaxed, she was happy, and she was smiling.

Mission accomplished.

Well, almost.

“I have one more surprise for you,” I said, pulling her to her feet.

“Dessert?” she asked.

“Well, yes, there’s a chocolate mousse in the fridge, but we’ll get to that later.”

“What then?” she asked.

“We have to go downstairs first,” I said.

“Why?”

“Do you always ask so many questions?” I teased. “Come on.” I grabbed the small box that I’d left on the kitchen counter earlier and then led her out my front door and down the hall to the elevator.

“Evening, Jesse,” Grady nodded, holding the elevator for us.

“Grady, we’ll be back in a few minutes. Stay here.”

“Yes, Sir,” he nodded, as the elevator doors closed between us. I pushed the button that led to the parking garage and pulled Maisey close for the ride down the twenty-five floors below us.

“Such a mystery,” she said.

“You don’t like surprises?” I asked.

“I don’t know. I guess it depends on what the surprise is.”

“You’ll see soon enough, impatient one.”

“Okay, okay,” she said, leaning into my shoulder. The elevator doors opened up directly into the garage and we stepped out. I stood behind her and then put my hands over her eyes.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Just walk. Don’t peek,” I said, pushing her forward gently. “We’re going around the corner here to the left.” We rounded the corner and I smiled, staring at the surprise in front of us. She was going to be so excited and I couldn’t wait to see her reaction.

“Alright, are you ready?” I asked. She laughed and nodded.

“I think so,” she said.

“Okay, here we go!” I pulled my hands away from her eyes. Parked in front of us was a brand new black Volvo station wagon with a huge red bow on the roof. I reached into my pocket and handed Maisey a small box.

“What…is…this?” she asked, her eyes wide.

“Open the box,” I said.

“Jesse, what have you done?” she asked, opening the box and pulling out the key inside.

“It’s yours.”

“Oh, my god! Jesse, you’re crazy! I can’t accept this,” she protested, shaking her head vigorously.

“Of course you can, Maise. You said your car broke down. I wanted to do something special for you.”

“That’s really sweet, Jesse,” she said, still shaking her head, “but I can’t. It’s too much.”

“I knew you’d say that,” I said. “But it’s already in your name.”

“Jesse, no. Just the insurance alone…” her voice trailed off, her eyes sliding over and eyeing the car.

“Oh, right. The insurance. I paid for a three year policy. Everything’s in your name, Maisey. Take it. You need it.”

She sighed, looking back at me wistfully, shaking her head slowly.

“You’re crazy,” she said.

“I’m insanely overpaid is what I am. Let me help. It’s no big deal. Besides, I can’t have you riding cabs around the city all day. I need you here helping me… I
want
you here…”

She stretched up on her toes and kissed my lips gently. Wrapping my arms around her, I pulled her close, so happy she’d not protested too much about the car.

“Thank you,” she whispered, her pretty green eyes shining into mine.

“Trust me, Maise, the pleasure is all mine. Let’s take her for a spin!”

She laughed, shaking her head and looking up at me hesitantly. She bit her bottom lip, a gesture so sexy, so reminiscent of the Maisey I used to know, that it made me instantly hard.

If she hadn’t pulled away from me and run gleefully to the car, I would have taken her right there on the hood. But she was so happy, so fucking cute as she slid behind the wheel that I restrained myself again.

There was plenty of time to make love to her later.

I limped over to the passenger’s side of the car and slid in next to her.

I hadn’t been this fucking happy in a long time, and it felt really unfamiliar and wonderful at the same time. Maisey made me want to be around her all the time, no matter what we were doing. And that was the strangest feeling to me.

I’d blown my two time rule completely out of the water at this point.

And I didn’t give one fuck about that.

I smiled over at Maisey as she fiddled with the dashboard, and felt my heart swell, right along with my ever hardening dick.

It was good she was around
, I thought.

It was good she was happy.

“It’s beautiful, Jesse,” she said, her eyes beaming with happiness.

“You’re beautiful,” I said, a seriousness washing over me. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Maisey.”

“
Y
es
, yes, right there,” I shuddered, my fingers sinking into Jesse’s hair. His mouth moved against my sex - so warm, so soft, so perfectly skilled - that I was beginning to think he’d sold his soul to the devil for that mouth.

My head fell back on his pillow, my entire body pulsing with pleasure. I melted into his sheets, into his mouth, the slow, sweet caress of his tongue achingly tender, so smooth and velvety as it slid against my skin, sending ripples of blissful pleasure washing over me. His hands gripped my hips, his fingers digging into my soft flesh, holding me firmly in place as my body writhed beneath his delicious assault.

I was transported. Rocketed into a place so far away, a heaven that only Jesse and I existed in. Everything else disappeared.

“Jesse,” I whispered, my voice ragged and raw, my body possessed by his touch. His hand squeezed my hip as he continued pulling every ounce of life from my body. His hair caressed the inside of my thighs and I wrapped them around him tighter. I wanted more of him. I wanted all of him. His mouth was so perfect, so fucking deliciously amazing…but I wanted more. I needed him.

“Baby, please,” I whimpered, lifting my hips to him. He raised his head, his blue eyes piercing mine, that slow grin spreading across his face as he moved up my body. His body was hard, chiseled, his cock throbbing beautifully between his legs, landing on my sex as a low moan escaped my lips.

He slid against me, teasing, up and down, so slowly, his hips moving on top of me, dragging himself across my throbbing, waiting center.

My eyes crashed into his as I realized he was teasing me. I shook my head in protest.

“Don’t…” I said. “Please…”

He kissed me, so softly, so gently, that I thought I would die of the need for more. I couldn’t handle soft and gentle anymore. I wanted more than that. I wanted him to touch me like the starved woman that I was. I wanted all of him. As much of him as he could give me.

He pulled back, his beautiful blue eyes shining with lust, peering deeply into mine. I knew what he saw when he looked at me, and for once, I didn’t care. Let him see how hungry I was. Let him see how much I wanted him. Let him see how needy I was.

He was the only person who could give me what I needed. My hands reached up, running over his wide, muscular chest, trailing over his huge shoulders and sliding down his arms. I shook my head, amazed at the perfection in my hands.

“What do you want, Maisey. Tell me,” he kissed my neck, his mouth inches from my ear as he teased me. “You know I love to hear you say it. Please, Maisey.”

I moaned, arching my back and pressing up to him.

“Fuck me, Jesse,” I cried, pushing my hips towards him. “I need it. I need you. Please, oh god, please…”

He groaned into my neck, a deep, guttural low groan that vibrated through me as he lifted his hips slightly and slid inside me. I shuddered in ecstasy, a surge of electricity shooting through my limbs. I wrapped myself around him as he moved against me, our hips dancing together as he slid in and out of my wet center.

His mouth found mine, silencing my cries as he kissed me so deeply, so sweetly. It was pure magic and the only thought I was able to form was that I never, ever wanted it to end.

A
nd it almost didn’t
.

H
ours and hours later
, drifting in between that sublime state that isn’t quite awake and isn’t quite asleep, our bodies spent and buzzing from the delicious overdose of sensation that only uninhibited lust can create - I couldn’t help but think how right it felt to be wrapped in Jesse’s arms.

He felt like home.

A home I’d never known, really. He reminded me of a past that I’d spent so long trying to forget, I’d forgotten there were parts of it that I’d been fond of. Jesse had been one of those things. In fact, before I left he’d been the most important of all.

My fingers trailed along his chest as I thought about him, about his heart.

The insane fact that he had given me a car was slowly coming back into my consciousness, and I wasn’t sure how to handle that. We’d gone on a short drive and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t fall in love with it. After a few days of taking buses and taxis to work and Maddy’s school and the grocery store and everywhere else, it was beginning to take a toll on me, in more ways than one.

I told myself I’d only use it for short time and then give it back once I was able to get my Honda fixed in a month or so. I thanked Jesse, and we continued on our wonderful night, catching up and talking about old classmates and places around Ault that we’d haunted in our youth. It seemed like so long ago. I’d kept those memories in the dark for a long time; bringing them to life was like opening an old chest in my head. It wasn’t so bad, though.

Jesse had a way of looking at things through rose-colored glasses. He saw things in simpler ways, and his memory lane was a lot more joyful than mine was.

He was so generous, so sweet to me. And it went against everything I’d believed about him. It almost made me forget why I’d left.

Almost, but just for a second.

I’d never forget. How could I?

I’d wondered for so long how things would have turned out, if only we hadn’t had that one conversation. If only he hadn’t said those words, maybe I wouldn’t have run away.

Run away.

That’s what I’d definitely done. I couldn’t lie about it, or pretend I was running towards anything. I had nothing to run towards.

I was running away from Ault. I was running away from Jesse. I was running away from the sheer terror of what would happen if I stayed.

Yeah, it was a snap decision. But it was all because of what Jesse had said to me.

It was week before we’d had sex. An innocent conversation between two young kids. But it had shaped the entire course of my life….

“
Y
ou think
you might ever want kids?” I asked.

“Me?” he said, wrinkling his tanned nose, causing little white lines to form in the creases. “Never!”

“Never?” I asked. “Why not?”

“Because once you have a kid, your life is over,” he said, shaking his head. “My parents waited till I was in my teens to have another kid. And I’ve watched my folks basically put their lives on hold for both of us. We’re so spread out in age, they’ll be taking care of us for over thirty years. They’re giving up all these amazing adventures they could be having - careers, pursuing hobbies, dreams… All of it. Gone.”

“I’m not ready for kids either… But maybe someday,” I replied, shaking my head.

“Someday, I guess. It’s not like I hate kids… I love my sister. She’s amazing. I just have a lot of things I want to do, you know? I’m going pro, Maisey. I don’t want anything getting in the way of that. I don’t have time for a kid.”

“I know,” I said, smiling over at him. “Maybe we should get to work on studying for this test so you can graduate first?”

“If we have to,” he said, staring into my eyes and causing my stomach to flip upside down. He always sat so close to me, looked at me so intently, had the most passionate conversations with me, I didn’t know what to do with him. His attention was unnerving, but it felt like the best thing in the whole world and I couldn’t help but want more of it.

A
nd yeah
, more is
exactly
what I got… A few days later we had sex. Not too long after that we were supposed to go to prom together. This was our night. An adventure just like Jesse said he wanted… Right up until I took a damn pregnancy test.

Telling him I was pregnant was out of the question. There was no way I could - not after that conversation. I couldn’t bring myself to dash all of his dreams. I knew how he felt. I knew how he would react. I knew he would be devastated, even if he played pretend… And most of all, I knew he was right. Having a baby would have changed everything for both of us, no matter how much we tried to make things work.

Jesse had so much potential to be great. It was obvious to everyone, even back then. Who was I to get in the way of that?

And me? I just wanted to run away from every problem I’d ever had.

A child would be challenging, but it wouldn’t ruin me. I could handle it, and even if I didn’t exactly know how I planned on handling things, I knew I would figure it out.

And I did. Maddy and I were doing just fine.

I’d thought a million times what things would have been like if I’d told Jesse the truth. For the first few years, I’d been plagued by self-doubt, especially when things got hard. I’d see Jesse on the news, or read about him in the newspaper… I’d see how high he was soaring and wish I could tell him how proud I was. He was accomplishing everything he said he would. I wanted to pick up the phone and tell him everything…

But I couldn’t do it.

What if he rejected us? What if he thought I’d betrayed him? He’d never understand the stress I was put under living in that house with my stepfather. He’d never forgive me for being a naive young woman who made some rash decisions.

So I kept my secret. After a while, I stopped keeping track of Jesse altogether. I took care of Maddy and life went on, just as it always did. My life with Maddy was beautiful, but there’d never really been nights like this.

Tonight had been the stuff of dreams.

Luxuriously languishing in his arms, I felt on top of the world, like nothing could knock me down.

Something about being with Jesse made me feel strong.

And I was going to need a lot of strength if I intended to peel myself away from him and go back to my life. But Maddy was waiting for me, and I was pretty sure Eddie wanted to go home at some point, even though he’d told me not to worry about a curfew.

“I should go,” I whispered. “It’s getting late.”

Jesse was half-asleep, but he heard me. He pulled me closer and nodded sleepily.

“You have to go home?” he murmured. “To your daughter?”

My blood ran cold at his words. I’d never told him I had a daughter. I left that fact very deliberately out of our conversations…

“How did you know I have a daughter?” I asked, my heart racing in my chest.

“Someone at the clinic mentioned it, I think,” he said, shrugging.

“Oh,” I whispered. I was thankful for the darkness, because if he saw my face, it would have given everything away. “Yes.”

“Ok Maise… Can you let yourself out?” he asked. “My knee is shot after all this
therapy
,” he said with a little laugh.

“I think I can brave the elevator alone,” I said, doing my best to mask my emotions. I reached over and kissed him, and he drifted off back to sleep. Slowly, I untangled myself from his body and pulled myself from the comfort of his bed. I stood up and looked back down at him, wondering what he would think if he knew my secret, if he knew the truth.

He’d never forgive me…

I knew this deep in my heart, and that’s what kept me silent.

I
drove home in a daze
. And with a fucking huge red bow on top of the car. I’d tried to get it off, but I couldn’t do it by myself. When I got home, it was past midnight and I tried to pull into the driveway quietly. I didn’t want to wake Maddy. I couldn’t face her right now.

Guilt had gripped me on the way home. Not only was I starting to feel crushing guilt because of not telling Jesse the truth, but I was starting to realize how much I’d hurt Maddy in the process. I’d simply told her that her father wasn’t around, that he lived a separate life in a different place. She’d asked questions, and they’d gotten more detailed as she’d gotten older, but it wasn’t difficult to dodge them. As long as I stayed vague, I wasn’t lying.

I just wasn’t implicating myself in the process.

Somehow, things felt different now. I’d always told myself I’d done the right thing because I’d given Maddy a good life and I’d given Jesse a chance at fulfilling his dreams. And, because of Jesse’s thoughts on kids back then, I figured Maddy was better off without him in her life, if she wasn’t wanted.