Hook Up (A Bad Boy Sports Romance) (15 page)

“Get in,” she instructed, hopping into the driver side.

“Whose car is this?”

“It’s a rental. Pat got it for me…I still don’t carry credit cards. Come on. Get in.”

I jumped in on the passenger side, unable to take my eyes off of her as she started the car and pulled out of the parking spot. “Where are we going? When did you get in? How was Vegas? Wow, I can’t believe you’re here. Did you see the game?”

She moved a hand from the steering wheel and put a finger on my lips. Rightly so, because I wanted to know everything.

“Shhhhhh Chris. Before we get too far, I kind of need a favor.”

I was confused, but ready to say yes to anything she asked for that I could do for her. “Of course. Tell me.”

“Take a look behind you.”

Unsure what to expect, I turned around slowly. No one was in the back seat and there were no vehicles behind us. “I’m not sure what I’m supposed to look for.”

“Check behind your seat. Look closely.”

I looked again, twisting my torso to look directly behind the seat. That’s when I saw it all.

“If that’s what I think it is, let’s get you to my place right now, gingersnap.”

“It is. And I was thinking the same thing.”

I ripped off my seat belt. “Pull over.”

“Why?”

“I’ll drive. I can get us there faster.”

She flipped on her signal and slowed down, pulling to the side of the road. “I bet you can, baby.”

We got out of the SUV and switched places, but before I jumped in, I took a look at the back seat again. All her things she’d left at my parents’ place were there, along with a stack of brand new picture frames and bags of art supplies. Jo was moving back home with me.

“Little lady, I can’t tell you how happy you’ve made me,” I told her, getting in.

“I should never have left,” she confessed. “You’re the closest thing I have to family, and you’ve been so good to me, letting me into your life, and in your home, and welcoming me into your family when we went to El Paso. Then I met your mom, and she reminded me how much I missed my own momma, and how she was so full of life. People loved her, and…”

She blinked back some tears. “Mrs. James told me how proud Momma would be if she were still here with us. I really needed to hear that, you know? Then Pat did something he didn’t have to, and your friend… he’s changed my life forever. Everything good that’s happened to me is because of you. You were right… you shouldn’t have had to say a word when I saw your actions, which spoke way louder…And one more thing. I don’t care if I’m the first one to say this. I love you, Chris.”

Just when I thought I knew everything about Jo, she found a way to surprise me and remind me why I fell in love with her in the first place. “Josephine Odette Celia Quinn, I have loved you since I first laid eyes on you…and I love you still.”

“Awwww.”

“Let’s get you home, little lady. I’ve been craving you for over a week.”

“I’d go anywhere with you, darling.” She parted her legs and took my hand, placing it between her legs. “All the city cops are back at the street party. I’m sure you can risk running a few red lights to get us there.”

“Don’t you worry, babe,” I said, speeding off. “Don’t you worry.”

F
ive Months
Later

T
his was it
. I was finally here. It was the first night of the NFL Drafts, the most epic football player picking event televised live to millions of football fans, and I was praying to hear my name called. I sat with Jo and my family at the awe-inspiring Chicago Auditorium Theatre on what was probably the most important night of my life. All the nearby tables were occupied by my fellow teammates and their families. Slade and Evan were closer to the front as they were expected to be in the top ten overall picks. Mo, Chad and I were near the middle rows. It was more likely that we would end up getting picked another night over the three-day weekend. As far as I was concerned, we were all lucky to be here.

Jo leaned over to me and squeezed my hand as the host introduced the NFL Commissioner. She looked stunning tonight. Her hair was pulled back and her eyes shone bright in contrast to the black knee-length cocktail dress she had picked out. I could kiss her right now.

“I’m so excited for you, babe. You worked so hard. I’m sure you got this.”

I nodded. I was nervous as hell.

The truth was that every player in this room deserved to be here, but there were only so many picks. Management for all the teams had already begun the game of trades for existing NFL players so they’d be in the best position to get what they wanted tonight. Nothing was for certain, and at the end of the three-day event, all that mattered was whether my teammates and I would all leave with a draft cap on our heads and a team tee in our hands. On top of that, I had the another life-altering thing to do tonight.

Ma and Pops gave me a thumbs up, and Connor had one arm extended, mimicking the driving motion of turning a steering wheel, just so I’d keep my promise in mind if I got drafted. He shifted Chandler from one knee to the other, bouncing our youngest family member slightly to keep him entertained for as much time as possible. Toddlers could only sit still for so long. The twins had been warned—and bribed—to be on their best behavior. Ma promised she and Pops would take them to the Lincoln Park Zoo tomorrow. They didn’t know she’d already bought them tickets, which were back at the adjoining two-family hotel suite where we all stayed. So far they were holding up their end of the bargain. Back at the hotel, my bags were packed. The season officially started tonight, and some teams would fly their draft picks directly to camp as early as tonight or in the morning. We all had to be ready for anything.

After the Commish gave a signal to someone side stage, the event intro music faded in, and the audience quieted down.

“Good evening. I’m so excited to welcome you all to this year’s NFL Draft. This is a memorable night for our teams, our players, and especially for our fans. If you’ve been watching our earlier coverage, you know there’s been some historic moves made as teams begin the balancing act to come out strong by the end of the weekend. Let’s kick it off by officially opening Round One of the NFL Draft. On the clock with the first draft pick for this season is the Rams, who will have a new home in Los Angeles this year. As many of you know, this year teams will have ten minutes to make a choice instead of fifteen. Let’s wait and see who the Rams will choose.”

He left the stage while the Rams management deliberated from somewhere backstage, where they were probably fielding last-minute trade offers from other teams. The audience was near silent, with players like me practically holding our breaths to hear the news. The announcement of every new draftee had a way of affecting every team’s decision after it.

“It looks like the pick is in, ladies and gentlemen,” the Commissioner said when he returned to the podium. Someone from the stage crew brought over the card with the lucky draftee’s name. “Let’s find out who will make history tonight. Ladies and gentlemen, for the first pick of the 2016 NFL Draft, the soon to be Los Angeles Rams select…Slade Clark, quarterback, Louisiana State!”

Everyone at Slade’s table excitedly got to their feet and surrounded him and his girlfriend, Cassidy, throwing their arms around him. Mo, Evan, Chad and I were over there to congratulate him to before they dragged him away to get up on stage. I was so proud to have played with that guy, and though we were all most likely going our separate ways after tonight, our bond and the memories we made would last a lifetime.

The next two or so hours went by with its usual stops and starts as each team with a pick tonight got their chance to choose or trade. The excitement waned a bit at a time, and those of us not selected knew logically we still had a chance over the next two days, but it was still demoralizing to not have gotten chosen.

The Commissioner was back up there, waiting to make the final pick announcements of the evening. “Let’s see what these remaining selections look like.” He took the card and checked the name. “The seventeenth draftee for round one, ladies and gentlemen, the Denver Broncos have chosen… Chris James, cornerback, Louisiana State.”

Hearing my name tonight was unexpected but fantastic. Everything after that was a blur, from the hugs and handshakes from friends and family, planting a kiss on Jo’s lips, to getting up on that stage. All I could think of was I needed to play my ass off at training camp. It was a total shocker. Denver had never approached me formally, except for a few informal hellos during the combine. After I got off the stage—with my Broncos draft cap, I might add—someone from the team came over to shake my hand. “Congratulations, Chris. You’re a Denver Bronco, son.”

“I'm a Denver Bronco!”

“We’re making a few more picks this weekend, so a car will collect you tomorrow morning and fly you to Denver. Can you swing that?”

“Yes sir, I sure can.”

“Great. Give your hotel details to Joseph Mackie, the athletic coordinator over there.” He shook my hand again. “Welcome aboard, son.”

“Thank you, sir!”

It took a while to get back to my seat with all the back stage photos and media requests for sound bites. When I finally made it back, I told my parents and Jo the news about having to leave tomorrow. I wanted to have a quick chat with Jo, so we stepped out of the auditorium.

“It’s what we were expecting, babe,” she told me. “Don’t you worry. I’ll get help to pack our things at the apartment and can meet you in Denver in a few weeks. After that, I’ll take care of the house hunting while you’re at training.”

“No.”

“No?” She stared up at me, confusion on her face. “What part don’t you like?”

“The part about us being apart for three weeks.”

“Babe, you’re in the NFL, honey. There’ll be lots of times we’ll have to be apart. You know that right?”

“Sure I do, but now don’t have to be one of those times. I’ve got a better idea. Fly out to Denver and meet me out there tomorrow. We’ll find a place with whatever free time I got over the first few days. After that, you can head back and get the movers to pack us up and ship our things there.”

“I guess that could work.”

“Of course it will, besides, I want you with me. We’ll make more progress this way, and then you can settle in that much more quickly.”

“You’re right. I have two pieces to get done in the next ten weeks. Time will be tight, so finding a place gets me working on them faster.”

I took her into my arms and she leaned the side of her head in my chest as I kissed the top of her head. She didn’t notice my folks and siblings had emerged from the auditorium as well and were standing about twenty feet behind her. This part was going as planned. I pulled back and lifted her chin to look at her gorgeous face. “You still have mischief in your eyes, gingersnap.”

She smiled. “That look’s never gonna leave, honey.”

“I’m counting on that…because,” I took a step back and slid my hand into the breast pocket of my suit, then got down on one knee.

“Oh my God, Chris… oh my goodness!” Her eyes lit up and her hands flew up to cover her mouth when I turned the red ring box toward her.

I opened it to reveal the yellow gold engagement ring with two-carat diamond solitaire that Ma helped me pick for her. “Jo, we met by wild luck, and before I knew it you were as close to me as family. I don’t want to go another day without you knowing where my heart is. I love you so much, and babe, I would be the happiest man on the planet if you would do me the honor of being my wife. Will you marry me?”

“Oh my gosh, yes, yes I’ll marry you!” She put her left hand out for me and I slowly slid the ring up her finger, watching her face light up in shock and beam with so much love I thought my chest would burst. “Oh my God. I love you so much, Chris.”

I loosened her hand and got to my feet to give her the kiss I wanted to give her all evening, after which my parents, the kids and some complete strangers milling around the large hallway all began to clap for us. Dad was the first one to make it over to us. “Congratulations, son. Welcome to the family, Josephine.”

“Thanks so much, Mr. James.”

Mrs. James went over to Jo and gave her a warm hug as they chatted about whether she liked the ring.

“I love it. I can barely look away. It’s gorgeous.”

If I didn’t break this up fast we’d have been in that hallway for the next hour, so I pulled Jo away and we excused ourselves, letting them know we would see them back at the hotel.

“Where are we going?” Jo asked still half staring at the ring.

“You’ll see.” I led her out front and we hopped into a waiting cab, giving the instruction to take us to our hotel a few minutes away. We couldn’t get there fast enough, but once we were there and up to our private suite, I swiped my card and opened the door, motioning for her to go on in.

Jo took a step inside, and before I could close the door she had turned and laced her arms around my waist. “What about what you promised me, love?” she purred.

“Take a look over there in the corner.”

She slowly stepped over there, then her mouth fell open when she realized I had packed up all her art supplies and works in progress, along with an extra suitcase of clothes. “Oh honey. I can’t believe you did this for me.”

“I did it for us, baby. This should be enough for us to manage the first few days in Denver, right?”

“More than enough. Thank you, love.”

I ducked down and kissed her neck, picking her up off the floor in one move and headed to the bedroom. I lowered her onto the bed, removing her shoes then kissing all the way up her leg as she moaned and ran her hands through my hair as soon as her fingertips could reach. Tugging her evening dress up past her hips, she parted her legs for me to get to my prize. I looked at her face. Her eyes slipped closed and her hips lifted to meet my lips against her lacy panties. All these clothes were getting in the way. I helped her to her feet and turned her around so I could undo her zipper. Finally that dress fell to the floor, revealing her creamy skin and those curves I still couldn’t get enough of touching.

Jo got my suit jacket off and tugged on the buttons of my shirt, peeling the material off my skin. Stepping back to the bed, she crawled on top of it, then let her hair down and turned her head back to me. “Get over here and make love to me, Bronco,” she whispered, grinning and removing her bra. “Give it to me rough.”

“That’s what I love about you. You’re my wild woman, and my Jo gets whatever she wants.” I kicked my shoes off and had my pants and boxers down my legs in a hurry, and was behind her in an instant, kissing a trail down from her shoulders to the small of her back. I took a second to admire her sexy as sin body, and that ass that was my true addiction.

My hands slid up the front of her body, coming to rest a moment at her breasts.

She was all mine.

I roamed down to her stomach, which tightened and fluttered at my touch until I slid my fingers past her panties, gripped it into my fist and ripped it off of her. She groaned out a breathless hiss. A second later she held on to the bed rails, pushing her ass back in to my groin. I held her hips. This was not going to be slow or sweet or tender, but it was exactly what she wanted. Throwing the ripped shreds of what used to be her panties off to the side, I tilted her hips and positioned myself to enter her. Her breath seemed to get caught in her throat when my cock pressed against her hot wet heat. She parted her thighs some more, ready for my aching hardness inside of her. I eased in slightly, and when her hips began to move with mine, I pulled her into me and ricked my hips forward, burying so deeply inside of her she let out a shriek from the shock of it.

“God. Yes, Chris,” she cried, encouraging me to keep going.

Which I did.

Her back arched and her core tightened against my shaft, getting into our wicked rhythm. I slipped a hand to her ass, pressing into her until my cockhead hit another depth of her core. Jo cried out and begged me to keep going, her knuckles white from gripping the bed post so tightly. I wished I could stare into her face right now, to see her pleasure, and her eyes rolling into the back of her head, and her lips as she called my name.

I continued plunging in and out of her, desperate to own every inch of her channel…and more still. Parting her ass cheeks, I slide a finger over her asshole. That was mine too. I pressed into her tight little ass inch by inch, keeping up the rhythm as I buried deep into her pussy. I claimed every part of her, burying my finger in nice and deep. Jo arched her back and snapped her head back. She cried out loudly as her core clenched around my cock, body shaking as she had a powerful orgasm. In her weakened state, she ducked her had to the pillows and griped the sheets, panting hard as she held on and begged me to keep going.

“Come inside me,” she begged, barely able to move.

I paused for a moment and kissed her upper back before pressing on, claiming her as I picked up the pace. Continuing my attack, I reached my hand forward and gripped her hair with my fingers, pulling her back and anchoring with each thrust. I heard that low rumble come from my own lips when I couldn’t control the wild, freeing sensations of exploding my release inside of her.

After a few moments, I stretched out beside her and pulled her into my arms, neither of us able speak for some time. Jo ran her fingers down my chest, bringing it to my lower stomach. I was already hard again. She tilted her head up to look at me.