The Game of Love: (BWWM Romance) (14 page)

She clapped her hands together. “Yes, that sounds wonderful. Thank you, Kyle. You are really a good friend to me and to Austin.”

The corner of his mouth turned up. “It’s the least I can do. I hate to see my good friend walking around all depressed like he is.”

He wrapped up the conversation and when she hung up, any guilt that he’d previously had was no nowhere to be found. He knew just the guy to send to the airport to make sure that he snapped the photo of Austin and Jessica. Then, once their reignited romance was front page tabloid news, he’d personally deliver the edition to Sommer. Even if she wouldn’t have him, he refused to leave her to be free game for a man like Austin Riley. She would probably be upset at first, but over time, she’d understand. Then maybe, now that he was a changed man, he would be able to pick up where they left off and give her the life that she truly deserved.

Chapter Six

The last thing Austin said to Sommer before they exited the plane was that there was a car waiting for her, and all she had to do was find the driver who was holding up her name. Then, he followed her off the plane and they branched off into two separate directions: she in search of the car he’d sent, and him into a swarm of people that seemed to have already been waiting for him at the terminal.

She stopped for a moment to watch him handle the crowd like a pro, flashing smiles, posing for pictures with fans, and signing autographs. She’d assumed that seeing
him like this, in his second element, would have been a turn-off. That it would be too far removed from the Austin she’d grown up with. But in the middle of him signing a little boy’s jersey before returning the excited hug the boy gave him, he met her eyes across the terminal and she realized that he was still there. Mischievous, sometimes exasperating, yet hopelessly loveable, funny, and warm-hearted Austin Riley. And that same wonderful man was going to be the father of her child.

She glanced down, touched her stomach, and cursed the tears that threatened behind her lids.

“Excuse me? Miss Hayes?”

She looked up to find a short, elderly man holding a sign with her name on it in front of his chest, and he was adorably dressed in a black suit and red bow tie.

“Yes, that’s me, but you can call me Sommer.”

He extended his hand. “Oh good. My name is Walter Jackson, but you can call me Walt. We have your bags already.” He gestured towards a black town car that was waiting at the curb. “Are you all ready to go?”

Sommer started after him, but an excited scream across the terminal stopped them both in their tracks. Walking with a crowd flanking her on each side in a pair of high-heeled fashion sandals and a yellow dress that showed off her tanned shoulders, was the infamous Jessica Costa. With her svelte silhouette and long, shiny hair, she was everything Sommer hoped she wouldn’t be.

Jessica glided across the waxed airport floors in Austin’s direction and an emotion that
Sommer couldn’t quite place flashed across his face. He glanced over at her standing next to Walt and his expression briefly turned apologetic before it was replaced by a dazzling smile as he wrapped his arms around Jessica, and accepted a kiss on the cheek.

“I’m ready to go Walt,”
Sommer said.

He extended an elbow. “Of course. And it’s nice to finally meet you,
Sommer.”

Jessica place
d an immaculately manicured hand on Austin’s shoulder before curling it around his bicep, and he searched the terminal once more, finding Sommer’s gaze again. This time, she turned away, hoping that the distress in her stomach was merely a bout of pregnancy-related nausea.

“Can I ask you a question, Walt?”
she asked as they exited the terminal.

“Of course.”

“What exactly did Austin tell you about me?”

“Well,” he began, clearing his throat, “
He told me that you two grew up together in North Carolina and that you’d be staying with him for a little while. And he also told me about the little one that you’ve got cooking in there.”

Sommer
placed a hand over her stomach. “I didn’t expect him to tell you that.”

Walter took one last glance at Jessica and Austin. “
Sommer, I’ve known Austin for a good amount of time. I’ve been by his side since the first day he stepped foot in this league. He trusts me and any secret that he tells me, I will carry to my grave. So yes, I know that’s his baby baking in there.”

Sommer’s
heart slammed into her chest. Hopefully, Walter was a man of his word because she didn’t want to imagine what would happen if it was discovered that Austin had a baby on the way, and especially a baby with her. Although she despised Kyle, there was some truth to his words.

“I also know that you’re worried about his relationship with Jessica,” Walter added, “
But like I said, I know that boy in there. That man parted a sea of people with his gaze to find you across the room. Only one other man I know of that ever parted a sea of anything.”

He helped her into the car before easing in next to her. “Don’t worry, honey. Everything will be okay. And if he does anything that you don’t like, you just come to old Uncle Walt and I’ll sock him good for you.”

Sommer burst out laughing. “I’m keeping you to that, Walt.”

He smiled. “By all means, do. And once again, it’s lovely to finally meet you,
Sommer Hayes. Welcome to Texas.”

*****

No matter how many times he looked at it, Austin still marveled at the Dallas skyline as the elevator made its way up to the penthouse level of his building. Soon, the city’s brimming nightlife would filter its own unique weekend lightshow into the downtown scape. This time, however, he wasn’t going to be watching it from his balcony alone. At least, he hoped that he wouldn’t be. Sommer hadn’t looked too pleased when Jessica blindsided him at the airport, but instead of trying to assault her with an explanation the minute he walked through the door, he decided to wait to get a sense of how she felt. That way, he could better explain that even though he hadn’t welcomed Jessica’s advances, he still had to smile and pretend that they were cordial for the cameras.

He didn’t even know why there were so many cameras there in the first place, as well as tabloid reporters, as though they’d been expecting for he and Jessica to run into each other. Camera phones and requests for autographs he was used to, but the fact that there was even one major tabloid reporter there stunk of a preplanned Jessica Costa photo op.

He stepped across the entryway and onto the polished, walnut floors. Everything looked oddly undisturbed and he felt a knot tighten in his stomach as he walked through the space and found no evidence that Sommer had even been there. Running was Sommer’s thing, which was why he was determined never to let her do it, so it wouldn’t surprise him if she’d booked the next flight back to North Carolina because of Jessica’s little display at the airport.

“Austin, is that you?”

She appeared at the top of the stairs and the fact that she’d showered and changed into a top and silky pajama bottoms put him at ease.

“Did you miss me?”
he asked, moving to the bottom of the stairs.

“Not really.” She bit back a grin. “It’s just that Walt’s been up to check on me several times in the last few hours, and he told me that he doesn’t even live in the area. I just wanted to make sure that it wasn’t him. By the way, I never pegged you as a man who needed a personal assistant.”

He climbed two steps. “Walt’s more like a friend.”

“He seems more like a father figure to me.”

He climbed the rest of the way to the bottom platform and faced her standing at the top level. “If we’re talking about fathers like mine, then Walt’s a super hero.”

He placed his foot on the first step and she backed up an inch.

“Where are you going?” he asked.

“Nowhere.”

He climbed another step and again she backed away, biting her bottom lip to hide another smile. Lifting his foot, he hovered over the next step and she watched it intently, her body slightly turned down the hallway.

“I’m faster than you are,” he warned.

“I beg to differ.”

“Oh, really? I can take these steps three at a time and be on you before you even make it to the bedroom door.”

When she opened her mouth to respond, he charged up the stairs and she screamed in delight, stumbling a bit before catching her footing and running towards the bedroom door. Austin caught her around the waist before she made it into the room, carried her like a package against his side, and then placed her on top of the plush mattress. He looked down at her expecting to find amusement, but instead the smile had faded, her lids were half-closed, her chest was heaving, and her nipples were now visible through the soft cotton top she was wearing. Immediately, he felt his body stiffen.

“Come here,” she invited, and he joined her on the bed.

“Settling in okay?” he asked.

She reached for his belt and tugged it off
. Then she pulled his shirt over his head and ran her hands along his chest, her eyes intently focused on her task. “Yes, but your shower’s weird.”

“You have to turn the handle to the left first.”

She moved her hands over his shoulders and her lips went to chest. “I just ended up taking a cold shower. Nearly gave myself hypothermia.”

He laughed and tried to wrap an arm around her waist, but she pushed his hand back onto the bed and straddled his middle. Sighing, she held his gaze.

“What’s wrong, beautiful?” he asked, attempting again to wrap his arms around her. She pushed them back towards the bed another time, and then began to grind her hips in a circular motion on top of him.

“It’s gorgeous here, Austin,” she answered, pulling her shirt over her head. Her areolas were visible through the sheer, black lace bra she’d had hidden underneath, and Austin tried a third time to reach up and run his thumbs over her hardened nipples. She caught his arm, pushed it back towards the mattress, and held it there. Leaning forward, she touched the softness of her breasts to his chest, hardening him even more.

“The skyline, the city…I never thought buildings could be beautiful,” she went on as though she didn’t know she was torturing him by denying every attempt he made to touch her. She was trying to take control, but he didn’t know how long he’d make it before he flipped her onto her back and tore off the bottoms she was wearing.

“I thought the same thing when I first moved in,” he said, groaning as her hips switched to a rocking motion. “I didn’t think things other than nature could be relaxing.”

“Mhm,” she answered, her hands now at his waistband. She tugged him out of the rest of his clothes and tossed them off the side of the bed, and then removed her pajama bottoms. Kneeling over him, she trailed her eyes over his nude body and he flexed his fingers to stop himself from snatching off the bra and panties she still wore.

“You knew that this would happen, didn’t you?”
she asked, meeting his eyes. “That I would fall in love with being in the city and start to question going back home?”

He cautiously reached towards her and this time, she didn’t stop him as he ran his fingers along the moisture that had soaked through her panties.

“That’s not the best part,” he said. “After the airport, I stopped in to see a realtor.”

She closed her eyes and moved her hips to match the rhythm of his stroking. “You’re moving?”

“Not me. Us. We’ll need a house. This place is nice, but I think a house would be better for when the baby gets here.”

He pushed the panties aside and slipped a finger into her wetness, but she grabbed his hand and
directed it back to her breast. On the way, he brought the finger to his lips to taste her, and her eyes pooled even darker.

Moving further down his body, she wrapped her hands around his shaft, kissed the tip of his erection, and then swiftly took him into her mouth.

The softness and heat of her mouth threatened to send Austin over the edge, and as she flicked her tongue over and gently sucked on his sensitive tip, he groaned as the waves of pleasure extended to his toes. There was no way that he was going to let this woman leave. Ever. And now, he was ready to regain control.

Slipping his arms from her grasp, he tipped a finger underneath her chin and brought her lips up to his. Hungrily capturing her mouth, he unclasped the hooks of her bra with one hand before flipping her over onto her back. Then, he tugged at her panties. When
Sommer heard the sound of tearing fabric, her eyes widened.

“Austin—”

She stopped mid-sentence when she felt his thickness slowly fill her body.

“I’m sorry,” he answered, his voice hoarse.

“You tore my panties.”

Just as slowly, he pulled out.

“I’ll buy you another pair.”

“No, no. I
kinda like it.

He entered her again, deeper this time, and his name crept quietly from her lips as she dug her nails into his back. It was time to repay her for the torture that her curious mouth had put him through, and when he reached between her legs, she whispered his name a second time.