“What did it ever do to you?” Alex asks, wrapping his arms around my stomach and pulling me against his chest. He plants a kiss on my neck that makes me drop the sponge into the soapy water. “If you get it any cleaner, I might be able to see my reflection.”
I take a handful of bubbles and rub them in his hair, laughing. “Keep talking shit, Parker, and watch what happens.”
He spins me around and tickles me, driving me crazy. “You think you’re funny, but you won’t be saying a word when I bend you over this counter and fuck you senseless.”
My insides ache at the promise, but I’m too sore already, and the thought of more Alex at the moment is exhausting.
And I’m not sure how we’re going to navigate this situation in the morning. Sex with a client, even if he’s not one I directly signed, is not only against Mickey’s code of conduct, but it’s also unprofessional. No one in the country would want to hire me if news broke out that I had sex with players. Or maybe they would, depending on the client. None of that is important right now. My reputation and my relationship with Mickey are what matters.
I slide along the counter until our bodies are no longer touching and slap Alex on his ass. “Good work tonight, Parker.”
His eyes flash with uncertainty. “Um…okay, Coach.” He clears his throat. “Yeah, you, too.”
I know he’s confused, but so am I. I have rules for a reason. Rules I just broke. I’m an idiot.
“Well, good night,” I say with an awkward wave and just about run out of the kitchen.
The sad part is, if the nightmares continue, it will only be a few more hours until he’s in my bed again, and I want him there even though I shouldn’t.
I can hear him sigh with disappointment. “Night.”
Alex
Women are crazy. That’s the conclusion I’ve drawn after rocking Charlotte’s world, only to have her go back to being Coach, my agent. She spouted off a list of instructions for me to follow while I was on the road, two of which were obvious—no drinking and no whoring around. After spending one of the best nights of my life with Charlotte, why would I even want to hook up with another girl?
I never thought much about what I wanted in a woman until I realized that she checked off the mandatory boxes—smart, beautiful, confident, and independent. Can I add pain in my ass to the list? Because we’ve texted and talked on the phone over the six days since we’ve had sex, but she’s not the same. I have to get her to start talking to me.
I’m lying down on the bed in my hotel room, a towel still wrapped around my waist from the shower and my cell phone pressed to my ear.
“I’m sleeping just fine, Alex.” Charlotte yawns. “You worry too much about me.”
I grunt in frustration. “Someone has to. You know, the problem is, you’re not used to having anyone take care of you. I can tell that you haven’t slept since I left, and I feel guilty that I’m not there with you. Every night we talk, you sound like you’re going to pass out mid sentence, so I know you’re still having the nightmares. I bet you were up half the night, crying. Talk to me, Charlotte.”
She sighs loudly into the phone. “Fine, you win. I haven’t slept more than three hours straight since you left. Is that what you want to hear? Are you happy?” Her voice lowers to a whisper. “I need you, Alex, and I’ve never needed anyone before.
This thing between us scares me.”
“I’m scared, too, baby, but don’t let it get in the way. Okay?”
“What happens when you find another girl you want more than me? You haven’t committed to a girl since you were in college. That is a long time to be single, don’t you think?”
“Not if it’s for the right reasons,” I say, defensive.
She snickers. “Oh, please. Now this, I’ve got to hear. What are your reasons?”
We’ve shared so much of our lives already, there’s no point in stopping now. Our emotional connection is just as strong as our physical one. Charlotte needs to know that she can trust me before she’ll let her guard down.
“When I was in high school, my mom cheated on my dad with his close friend and colleague at Boston College. Dad found out and Mommy dearest went to live with her new boyfriend right after. The day she moved out was the last time I ever saw her. She didn’t want me. I was just a bargaining chip and a way for her to cash out her prenup. My dad gave her the money because that was all she ever wanted to begin with, and he got full custody of me.”
“So, would you say that you have issues with trusting women then? That’s what it sounds like to me.”
I shove my face into the pillow and groan. For the twenty minutes I get to talk to Charlotte each night, I’d prefer to spend that time going over our day and not our past. Chicks always want to know things about my previous relationships in hopes that they can fix me.
“I don’t know. Maybe. I also didn’t see the point in committing to one person. My mother didn’t exactly set the greatest example. I liked how things were with just my dad and me, and he thought women were too much of a distraction. It was easier for me to hook up and not become involved. That way, there were no feelings or attachments, if that makes sense.”
“Actually, that makes perfect sense. I haven’t dated many guys. You know I have rules, Alex, and I broke them for you. I live a very controlled life, and you know why. I’ve spent years trying to rebuild a new life for myself, and I can’t take the risk that it will be ripped away from me because we have a connection. You understand where I’m coming from, right?”
“Of course. I don’t want our relationship to affect your ability to do your job. Do you know why I like you so much?”