Sidelined

“Nothing.” He shook his head. “It’s nothing. Just that I can’t wait to fuck you while you come again. How did you say it in French?”

I kissed him. “Baise-moi.”

He chuckled. “Baise-moi?”

I nodded. “Oui.” My body felt warm pressed against him, the sweat of sex slick between us. I was somehow satisfied and restless at the same time.

“Then baise-moi, darlin’.”

I didn’t question him. But I didn’t believe what he had said either. He was about to say something important. I could sense it. I could see it in his eyes. And if he felt half of what I did when he was inside me, we had both fucked up. We had made the mistake of thinking we could leave the hotel as strangers, just as we had found each other in the bar. But this man didn’t feel like someone I didn’t know. Sam felt like part of my soul. Part of the air I breathed.

I looked into his eyes, wondering if he felt the same thing.

Seven

Sam

I heard my alarm go off and slapped the bedside table. Shit. I felt exhausted. My body was sore and I got two hours of sleep. I rolled over, ready to pull Natalia to my chest. I could let the rule slip for another couple of hours. It was still technically not the season. Not yet. Kick off wasn’t until eight-thirty.

Last night had been fucking incredible. Nirvana, even. It was the most epic one-night stand of my life. And in my gut, I wanted more. My cock twitched, thinking of taking her again. I wanted to taste her, feel her, and kiss her until the last second. I rolled toward the wall, but the covers were flat.

I sat forward. Her clothes were gone. Her purse was gone. The bathroom door was wide open.

I closed my eyes. Shit. She wasn’t here. I didn’t have her last name or her number. I didn’t know where she worked or what she did. What I did know was that she had done something to me, when I didn’t think that was possible. One-night stands didn’t affect me. They never had. And I’d have to make sure this one didn’t either.

I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my palms and let out a deep breath. I knew nights like last night didn’t just happen. Two people didn’t move together like we did. Do the things we did to each other. But I needed to file it in my memory bank and put a lock on it.

I stood from the bed and stretched my arms toward the ceiling. I needed to shower. The team would meet for breakfast in forty-five minutes, and then Coach would call a meeting to review the protocol for heading over to the Warriors’ dilapidated stadium. That place was a shit hole and we all knew it. Not only did we hate our rivals, we pitied them.

I pulled a T-shirt over my wet hair and the fabric clung to my chest. I stepped into a pair of jeans. Team meetings were casual. We wouldn’t have to dress up until it was time to ride over to the stadium. I stuffed my cell phone into my pocket and walked down the hall. It was hard not to picture Natalia next to the room door. I shook my head. Fuck no. I wasn’t going to do this.

I arrived at the elevator and waited for it. I told myself I wasn’t going to relive that kiss inside its walls. I wouldn’t remember how Natalia clung to me. What her ass felt like. How tight her long body was under my hands.

The doors retracted.

“Sam,” Cavan Grainger greeted me.

Thank God there was someone else in the elevator. I already needed a distraction from my own brain. I didn’t care if we talked about the fucking weather. He could say anything at this point.

“How’s it going?” I didn’t know Cavan well. He was on the rookie roster. He had been nominated to take my place this year as the coordinator of the Dean.

“Ready for tonight?” he asked.

I nodded. “Couldn’t be more ready. What about you? First time on Monday night. Big game too.”

He shrugged. “Trying not to think about that part.”

“Yeah, focus on the plays. That’s all anybody needs to do.”

The elevator deposited us in the lobby. We walked to the conference room together. I left Cavan to search for coffee before taking a seat. Only half of the team was here. They would slowly trickle down from their rooms. I hated to think how many were hung over, and how that was going to affect the game.

I didn’t have that kind of hangover. No, mine was worse. There wasn’t enough water or aspirin to get rid of the way I felt when I was with Natalia.

Eight

Natalia

The yoga outfit wasn’t bad. At least I wasn’t walking home in a black dress. This walk of shame looked as if I had gone for an early exercise class. No shame in that.