Bring The Heat: A Bad Boy Sports Romance (Bad Boys of Summer Book 1) (18 page)

“Hot and heavy? What? No, no, no! Please, Chelsea, let me explain…”

“No.” She tried to push the door closed but I kept my place, blocking her. “Go away, Cody! I’m not opposed to calling the cops on you.”

“Summer and I were together a long, long time ago! It’s been over for years!”

“I knew her in high school you know.”

“What?” I reeled back.

“Mmhmm. I know how she likes
boys
like you. Notice I didn’t say
men
…”

“Chels, I don’t—”

“I don’t care, Cody. Whatever is, or was, going on with you two, I don’t need the details. We had fun. It’s over now. Just accept it and leave before your pretty little face ends up slapped on some sports gossip site with a mugshot for trespassing and harassment.”

I backed up and let her slam the door closed.

I raised my voice, setting aside my pride. “Chelsea, Summer Pratt was my college girlfriend. I didn’t know you two went to high school together. We dated for two years. I broke up with her when I got drafted. She’s a gold digger who wants to be the trophy wife of a pro athlete.”

The door cracked open again. Chelsea popped out, only her eyes showing. “Go on…”

I sighed. “I knew she was just using me. She wanted to be with a rich, successful guy and figured I had the best shot.”

“Okay, that explains why she was with you but why were you with her?”

“Because she was the hottest girl on campus, and I liked being the guy with her on my arm,” I admitted. Chelsea was worth setting aside my pride. I didn’t even care that I was broadcasting my dirty laundry to her entire subdivision. It didn’t matter.

“Ick. But okay…then explain to me why she’s in Oklahoma City, blasting it all over that you two are together. What happened in Dallas?”

“Dallas?” I shook my head. “I can’t believe this is happening.”

“Well it is, so keep talking or I’m shutting the door again.”

I met her eyes and my heart slammed against my chest. “Chels, she’s doing PR for the team. They introduced her at a team meeting when we were in Dallas for that game a week or whatever ago. I swear, I hadn’t seen her since the day we broke up and then all of a sudden…bam! There she was.”

“And since then?”

I heaved another sigh. “I’ve seen her a couple of times. But trust me, neither time was pleasurable.”

Chelsea stared at me for a minute.

“Baby, you gotta believe me. I don’t want to be with her. I’m sorry for whatever she said to you.”

Chelsea shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. This is just a casual thing, right? I shouldn’t have let it bother me.”

I propped an arm against the frame of the front door. “Chels, I think we both know this is way more than casual…”

She drew in a breath and met my eyes, blinking in rapid succession. “Cody, I can’t do this. I don’t want to be in this world, where girls like Summer prowl around causing trouble and drama.”

“Hell, I don’t either, but this is where I’m at.”

She stared at me for another long moment. Then she took a step back and opened the door. “Do you want to come in?” she whispered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. She clicked on the entryway light and I saw the red rims around her eyes. My heart squeezed into a tight ball and a wave of anger raged against Summer for putting Chelsea through all this shit.

“I do,” I said, taking a tentative step inside. “I brought you a get-better-soon kit.”

I held up the bag and she took it from me. I closed the door and followed her into the living room. She plopped onto the couch and opened the bag. A smile played at her lips. “Pepto, breath mints, ramen in a cup, nail polish, and a movie?”

“Not just a movie. A chick flick.”

She laughed softly and looked back at her lap where the contents were now strewn. “Thank you, Cody. This was sweet of you.”

“Well, Paris said your stomach was iffy. I figured Pepto could take care of that. The gum or mints were for after that cause seriously that stuff tastes like shit. Then ramen and a movie for afterward.”

“And the nail polish?” she asked, holding up the glass bottle.

I shrugged. “I thought it would look good on you. Impulse buy.”

She laughed again and set it down. Her gaze lingered on her hands and when she dared to look back up at me, her eyes were glossy again. “So you really dated Summer? For two years?”

I nodded and sank down onto the seat beside her. The bottle of polish rolled toward me and I righted it on the coffee table before reaching for Chelsea’s hands. “It is what it is. But it’s nothing now. Past.” A surprised laugh escaped her perfect lips and she nodded her head slowly. “So, is it true that you really don’t like me?”

“I wish I didn’t…sometimes…”

“I get that. I’m a hard man to…get along with,” I said, biting back the near slip. It was way too early to start dropping L-bombs on the poor woman. Hell, it was too early for me to even consider that. But there it was, right there at the tip of my tongue.

Damn, this girl was gonna be the death of me.

“You really are,” Chelsea teased, a spark coming back into her eyes.

“I’m sorry, sugar.” I stroked my fingers down the side of her face, tracing the tracks in her makeup from where the tears slid down. It damn near broke my heart.

She ducked her chin. “It was just a misunderstanding. Although, I think you need to talk to her.”

“To Summer?” I grimaced at the idea.

“She thinks you guys are together. I saw her in the bar with two friends. I made Paris switch to a booth because I didn’t want an impromptu high school reunion ruining my perfect afternoon.”

I snorted. “Right? I hate it when that happens.”

Chelsea smiled but it faded all too quickly. “Anyway, I went to the bathroom and Summer was in there with one of her friends. They didn’t see me come in but she was talking to her friend and said you two reconnected in Dallas and the friend was talking about her bachelorette party and—”

“Fuck!”

Chelsea nodded. “It was a little…crazy.”

“I’ll say. Holy shit. No, just no. Chels, she’s delusional.” Anger twisted into a tight, red hot ball in my stomach and it was all I could do to keep my ass on the couch and not launch out into the night to track Summer down and cuss her out until every last one of her visions of us together was good and shattered.

“I believe you,” Chelsea said, her large eyes dark and boring into mine. “Thank you for coming over to set the record straight.”

“Of course. I guess you don’t really need any of this though,” I said, glancing down at the cheesy pile of drug store bargains.

She giggled. “I might make you watch the rom-com as punishment.”

I barked a laugh. “Only if we can watch it in bed and you promise not to wear a stitch of clothing.”

She laughed and tossed her head back. “If I did that, I don’t think you’d even watch a minute of the movie.”

“Not a single second.” I captured her chin and brought her lips to mine. The kiss started slow and sweet but took a quick turn south when Chelsea’s tongue probed out and licked the seam of my lips. Then it was on. I pushed past her lips and tangled with her eager tongue, plundering her sweet little mouth that tasted like dark chocolate. I coaxed a moan from her and dragged my fingers down her throat, feeling the vibrations of it against my fingertips.

When I reached the neckline of her tank top I slipped beneath the fabric and traced the curves of her tits, keeping my touch featherlight. Chelsea shivered and her skin flushed as I continued my exploration. Inside my chest, impatience burst forth with the rocketing of my pulse and I knew we weren’t going to make it upstairs. I needed her. Right there on the couch. I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to stop until she was stripped naked, on display for my eyes only, and I could get lost deep inside of her.

“Cody,” she breathed, her lips grazing my ear as I worked my lips down the side of her neck. I nibbled the supple flesh and she shuddered against me. I tugged at the end of her shirt and she lifted her arms so I could strip it from her.

I grinned. “Naughty girl…no bra…”

She giggled and watched me drink her in. “To be fair, that tank has a built in bra.”

“I like it. I feel like you should never keep these beauties under wraps. At least, not when you’re with me. If I had it my way, you’d be in my bed, naked, all day. Every day.”

Her giggle gave way to a throaty laugh. “What? Eating bonbons and watching soaps?”

“Baby, I wouldn’t even care. Just knowing what was waiting for me at home would drive me crazy all damn day.”

She nodded, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. “Well I didn’t go to college to be your little sex kitten, but I suppose a day here and there couldn’t hurt…”

I nibbled her neck and then made my way up to her ear. “You’d like being my little sex kitten. Wouldn’t you, baby?” I whispered.

I sucked on her earlobe, swirling the tender skin with the tip of my tongue and Chelsea groaned. “Mmhmm.”

I smirked. “Good. Cause we got all night, baby girl.”

“Then you’re going to need to lose some articles here too,” she said, pulling at my shirt. “Come on. Strip for me, Mr. Wright.”

I laughed and jumped up from the couch. I pulled my shirt off over my head and gave her a little hip swivel. “How’s that?”

“Pretty damn good,” she said, her eyes glued to the v-lines at my hips.

I kicked out of my shoes. “Oh, I know where your fantastically dirty little mind is wandering,” I teased, toying with my fly. “You came here for the whole package.”

Chelsea laughed. “Literally.”

I grinned at her and loosened the button, then tugged the zipper, and shucked off my pants and shorts in one move. “Ka-bam!”

Chelsea’s eyes went dark with desire and I lowered down to the couch, covering her body with mine. Within minutes, she had her hand wrapped around my cock and I was stripping her leggings off her perky little ass. Everything from the care package was shoved to the floor, except the pack of condoms I’d brought—ya know, just in case—and it wasn’t long before Chelsea had her hands digging into my rock hard butt muscles, pulling me deep inside of her.

Chelsea

“I do have some bad news to drop on ya, baby.”

I craned around to look at Cody. We were still clinging together on the couch, bare naked, coated in sweat from the wild ride. I was facing the couch with him tucked alongside me, his cock nestled between my ass cheeks. If memory served, it wouldn’t be long before it roared back to life again, but for the moment we were content holding onto each other.

“What is it?”

He kissed a small trail along my shoulder. “The day of your big presentation, I have to fly out for an eight-day stretch.”

“That’s crappy.”

“Yeah, it is. I wanted to take you out to a big dinner after you kick ass.”

I was surprised by his admission. Not only did he remember my presentation, but he also had plans in mind. It was a simple thing but it was a big deal at the same time. I smiled to myself, still marveling at the sudden change of events. An hour ago I’d been screaming at Cody from behind my locked front door and had no intention of ever speaking to him again. Now, not only had he just delivered another earth-shattering orgasm—or two—okay, eight, but he was talking about plans, our future. Not a future with Summer Pratt.

“That’s sweet. But don’t worry about it.”

He grazed his fingers over the places he’d just kissed and then dragged them down my arm where goosebumps were rising as my body cooled and the sweat evaporated. “I want to do something special. Would a late lunch work? I don’t fly out till six.”

I wiggled until I flipped over, my breasts crushed up against his solid chest. I met his green eyes and sucked in a breath. They were so warm and sweet. He really wasn’t the asshole guy he played off for the team and the media. This was the real Cody Wright. Soft eyes, sweet gestures. “You’re such a marshmallow,” I teased, tracing my finger down his rock hard chest muscles. I ringed around his nipple and he kissed me fiercely.

He pulled away, leaving me breathless and more than a little turned on. “Would a marshmallow kiss you like that? Or tongue fuck you like I just did?” He grinned, his eyes sparking with the mischief that normally resided there.

I laughed. “I guess not. But you might have to get back down there and prove your point.”

“Nothing I would rather do, baby than suck on your sweet cunt until you scream my name.”

He started to slide down my body and all coherent thoughts evaporated once his mouth slipped over my aching pussy.

I didn’t know how much more I could take, but I was more than willing to see if we could find my limits.

Cody buried his face between my thighs and I lost myself in every shiver, shudder, every drop of the delicious pleasure that only he could give me. When he looked up, his eyes working up my stomach, between my breasts, then lingered for a moment on my lips, and then met my eyes. I shuddered at the way my heart beat against my ribs. This man was doing things to me.

Changing me.

I knew I was getting in too deep. Falling too hard. Too fast. Cody had already grabbed a piece of my heart and the rest of me was slipping away right along with it.

* * * *

The day of my presentation came all too quickly. The week leading up to it passed like the blink of an eye. I spent every day buried in work, and every night with Cody buried inside of me. I was running on fumes, exhausted beyond belief, but happier and more fulfilled than I’d ever been before. After the conversation with Cody about Summer, something had changed between us. I knew my heart was reaching for his, getting tangled together and falling a little further every time we were together. I could see it happening—but I was powerless to stop it. I couldn’t find the strength to pull away from him again.

He wasn’t backing away and I wasn’t either.

He helped me immensely with my game development, answering all of my questions about baseball and offering suggestions for the more intricate details of the game. He even talked me into naming one of the fish teams the
Warrior Fish
. Complete with red jerseys. Naturally. He was just as excited about the game as I was, and his confidence gave me the boost I needed to get over those creative hurdles that had blocked me in the past. We’d work late into the night until one or both of us couldn’t take it anymore and jumped the other. Which, in and of itself, was a competition between the two of us. A game with unwritten rules that whoever made the other cave and put aside the work was the winner. The results were ridiculously hot as the last hour of work ended up being a tug-of-war of pleasure and distraction techniques that all built into unbearable foreplay and led into explosive sex like I’d never experienced before.