Big Baller: Bad Boy Sports Romance Read online

  “When practice starts up, we’re all going to have to work together.”

  “I’m ready,” Ronnie said.

  The others stayed silent, undressing to get ready for the showers.

  “I’ll see you guys next week,” I said, nodding my head at them before turning and walking out into the hallway outside the locker room.

  I glanced toward Coach’s office, wondering if I should stop in to talk with him. While not a pleasant idea, I should check in with him before I left for the day and went to see Heidi.

  He came out of the office as I approached, concentrating on a tablet in his hands. I cleared my throat.

  “Hey, Coach.”

  He glanced up and stopped.

  “Tony. Good to see you here today even though it wasn’t required.”

  “You know me, Coach. I’m all about the team.”

  “Just don’t take it too far and go to another strip club close to the season opening, okay?”

  “You know about that?”

  He snickered.

  “There isn’t anything that goes on here that I don’t know about.”

  Was he talking about the escorts at the stadium? Coach?

  “That’s why you’re the coach, Coach.”

  “Damn right,” he muttered. “I’ll see you next week. You need to whip this team into shape.”

  “This is the year, Coach.”

  “I’m tired of hearing that and being disappointed.”

  “We’re not going to let you down this year.”

  “You better not.”

  He turned his attention to the tablet and walked down the hallway. I watched a moment then dug out my phone to call Heidi. With all my responsibilities for the day finished, I wanted to see her.

  “Tony?” she asked, answering after the first ring.

  “Yeah, it’s me. How are you?”

  “Better now. We need to talk.”

  “Uh oh. About what?”

  “It’s not bad. Well, it’s bad, but not bad for us. Or potentially not bad for us.”

  “The condom didn’t break, did it?”

  “What?” she asked. “Why would you say that?”

  “I don’t know. Just tell me the news. I hate these games.”

  She sighed.

  “It’s Ugly Stan, my old boss.”

  “Let me guess. He’s running escorts at the stadium.”

  “Yeah. How did you know?”

  “I caught one of them today. You’re not involved with it, are you?”

  “No. Why would you even say that?”

  It was my turn to sigh.

  “Let’s not argue on the phone.”

  “No, let’s not.”

  “I’m heading your way. Are you home?”

  “Yeah,” she said quietly.

  Was there something she wasn’t telling me? Something I needed to know?

  “Oh, shit, I have to go.”

  She ended the call suddenly.

  I stared at the phone, wondering if I should call her back.

  Fuck that. I’ve got to go see her.

  I rushed to the player’s parking lot and slipped into my Mercedes, wondering what had happened to her.

  TWENTY-SIX

  Tony

  I stepped on the gas pedal, accelerating as I flew down the highway toward her new house. My only conscious thoughts were connected to her.

  Problems with the team and everything else floated away as I rushed toward her. How had a single woman captured so much of my passion?

  No answers to my questions came as I pulled into her driveway. I parked and jumped out of the car, slamming the heavy door behind me.

  She opened the front door as I approached the porch. Had she been waiting for me? I saw a hint of sadness on her face. The eyes gave it away.

  “Are you okay?” I asked as I reached her.

  “Yeah, I think.”

  “What happened? You hung up.”

  “Yeah, someone knocked on the door. I should have called you back, but they spooked me.”

  “They spooked you? Who?”

  “One of Ugly Stan’s guys, I think.”

  I frowned as I put a hand on her waist.

  “That fucker is going to pay. What did they say exactly?”

  “Not much. He told me to mind my own fucking business. I hadn’t even told you about what was happening.”

  “Like I said, I saw them today. They must have figured you talked to me.” I pulled her closer. “Come here.”

  “Oh, Tony. I’m sorry. This is too much trouble for you.”

  “You’re not behind it, right?”

  I stared into her eyes, searching for the truth.

  “No,” she insisted. “I’m not lying.”

  “I believe you.”

  “Let’s go inside,” she said.

  I followed her into the foyer, closing the door behind me. We made our way into the living room. She stopped at the edge of the couch and turned.

  Her beauty – inside and out – hit me in that moment. With no hesitation, I moved forward and put my arms around her waist. She blinked, her long lashes so beautiful.

  She leaned up and kissed me on my lips, which parted and kissed her back. I loved the way she clung to me so tightly. Our mouths made music together, an ancient song.

  I ran a hand up her stomach and closed my fingers over her right breast, squeezing as our kiss continued as if we were going for the world record in some way.

  While I wanted to talk with her more, make sure she was okay, her tongue in my mouth led me to believe a good hard fuck would help both of us.

  Harris and that Ugly Stan bastard would have to wait. I needed my cock inside her hot, wet pussy so willing and tight. Fucking all night might not satiate me.

  “Tony,” she moaned, breathing heavier.

  I slipped my hand under her shirt and went up again, even closer to her breast. Her soft, smooth skin brushed against mine. She put her cool hand down the front of my pants.

  The clothes were becoming a problem. I stopped kissing her and stepped back, undressing. She stared at me, not moving or doing anything.

  “Take off your clothes,” I said in a calm, clear voice.

  She obeyed, following my example. Her blouse fell to the floor as I ripped off my jersey. Pants followed. Then the rest of it. We were soon naked in front of each other.

  Not wasting a single second, I swept her up into my arms and carried her to the couch. She let out a startled gasp but said nothing as she clung tightly to my broad shoulders.

  I gently set her on the couch and dropped to my knees in front of her. She spread those silky, long legs so wide, giving me a glimpse of her neatly trimmed prize.

  My lips descended on her flesh, licking, kissing, and moving fast and slow across her skin. She squirmed on the couch as I crept toward her quivering pussy.

  Hands on her thighs, I spread them a bit more as I buried my face between her legs. A moan escaped her lips as I pressed my wet, pink tongue against her outer lips.

  She thrust her hips up as I teased her by barely touching her body with mine. One hand of mine snaked up her body to her breast. I slipped a finger of the other into her.

  “Tony,” she called out.

  I stared up at her face, loving the way she looked when in the heat of passion, the pleasure displayed in her furrowed brow and squinting eyes – a look of beautiful agony.

  As my finger slipped in and out of her wetness, I used my tongue to lick her hooded nub, working it toward a frenzied release. Her breaths came even faster.

  I quit staring at her face and concentrated on the job in front of me. When I slipped a second finger into her, still licking, she moaned louder, letting me know she was close.

  My cock hung between my legs as I bent forward and continued pushing her closer to an orgasm. She grabbed my head, running her fingers through my hair.

  “I’m so close,” she hissed. “I’m going to come.”

  “Yes,” I whispered, increasin
g my efforts. “Come for me.”

  Her pussy tightened around my fingers as she came, crying out in ecstasy.

  “Tony…”

  The way she said my name when coming made me want to spend the rest of my life with her. I pulled my fingers out and got to my feet, staring down at her shaking body.

  She opened her eyes and smiled as she sat up. A moment later, she had her hands on my hips and pulled me closer to her. I sucked in my breath as she wrapped her slender fingers around my cock.

  Blood rushed between my legs, hardening it as she swirled her tongue around the tip. I straightened up, thrusting my hips out. She glanced up, those green eyes open so wide and innocently.

  While her mouth felt incredible, I wasn’t able to wait any longer. I needed to be inside her. A stronger desire had never hit me before during my time on the planet.

  I stepped back then pushed on her shoulders. She fell back on the couch lengthwise, allowing me to slip between her legs. One hand on my cock, I slipped on a condom.

  She moaned again as I slipped it in all the way, not holding back or stopping until I filled her completely. Our eyes met, allowing our souls to melt together like Crayons left in the hot sun.

  I thrust. She pushed up. Together, we fell into a natural rhythm. Smooth friction built up, sending me hurtling toward an orgasm of my own. In and out, I pounded like a madman.

  “Cramp,” she said, face changing.

  I stopped, not pulling out.

  “You okay?”

  “Let’s switch.”

  A moment later, I sat on the couch with her nestled on my lap, my cock buried balls-deep in her again. While she moved on me, I thrust up and into her.

  She put her hands on my shoulders for balance. I grabbed her perfectly-shaped breasts, squeezing them, feeling the hard nipples against my palms.

  “Tony,” she moaned.

  I felt myself slipping toward the edge, the point of no return. She didn’t stop moving her hips, that pussy sucking in my cock like our parts were always meant to be together.

  She tilted her head back, long hair flowing, as she came again. Her pussy tightening around my cock as I thrust into her took me to that special place as I exploded inside the condom.

  We both continued moving, our bodies shaking uncontrollably. Pleasure washed through my body, an orgasm like none other I’d had before. She settled down, my cock still inside her.

  I leaned forward and pressed my lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around me, holding tight. I never wanted to let go or be not inside her. The entire universe made sense.

  She crawled off my lap and stood, almost falling. I sat up and put my hand on her waist.

  “Careful.”

  “My knees are weak,” she said with a smile, her eyes open so wide.

  I kissed her stomach. She moaned, stroking my hair.

  “Shower together?”

  “Try and stop me,” I said, looking up and into her eyes.

  She smiled, staring down at me.

  I realized in that moment we were made for each other. We had our problems, but I couldn’t see life without her, not a life worth living.

  “Come here,” I said after taking off the condom.

  She sat on the couch next to me, her head resting on my chest with my arm around her back.

  “I’m sorry about giving you shit about your money,” I said carefully.

  While I didn’t want to ruin the moment, I thought it was important for us to talk.

  “No, you’re right. I mean, I have more than enough to invest even with all the spending I’ve been doing.”

  “Yeah, but do you…”

  I let my voice trail off.

  “No, I don’t think I want to start a strip club.” She sat up and stared deep into my eyes. “It’s not because you don’t want me to.”

  “I know.”

  “Tony, I’m serious. You have to realize I’ve been alone my whole life. I’ve had to take care of myself and not count on anyone else.”

  “It’s different now,” I said, rubbing her back.

  “Yeah, but…” She sighed. “I don’t know. Why does love have to be so damn complicated.”

  “Right?” I smiled. “It makes it more precious when you do find it. Like us.”

  “I love you, Tony.”

  “I love you more.”

  We kissed, wet lips and tongues dancing together.

  I pulled back.

  “You’re going to get me excited again.”

  She grinned.

  “We have all night, don’t we?”

  “I don’t have any other plans.” After a deep breath, I continued. “You don’t know this, but I grew up poor.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yeah. It wasn’t pretty.”

  “But you had a family, right?”

  I frowned, wishing I could go back in time and make her childhood better. Would she be the same person I loved, though, if I did?

  “Yeah. Let’s not compare childhoods, okay?”

  She nodded slightly, not looking away.

  “Okay.”

  I kissed her again. She pulled away.

  “What?” I asked.

  “Can we both promise to stop running away at the first sign of a problem? I mean, we’re not teenagers.”

  “I’m horny as a teenager,” I said with a grin.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “I do, Heidi. And I agree. If this is the real thing, we have to work together to make sure we don’t ruin it.”

  “Let’s go upstairs.”

  She stood and took my hand in hers. I joined her. Together, we walked upstairs to her master bathroom, naked and without any cares in the world.

  TWENTY-SEVEN

  Heidi

  When I opened my eyes the next morning, I saw Tony, still naked, sleeping on the other side of the huge bed I’d bought. My first thought was going on another shopping trip to help Jessica out.

  She had helped me so much over the years. If I was in a position to help her financially, I had to do it. Tony rolled over, eyes still closed. I waited a moment before touching his beefy arm.

  He opened his eyes and smiled.

  “Good morning, beautiful,” he said.

  “Morning. You sleep okay?”

  “I know I gave you shit about buying this bed, but I think it’s better than mine.”

  “You saying you want to move in?”

  He laughed, scooting closer.

  “I didn’t say that, but we should talk about it. Paying two mortgages makes zero sense.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t know if I want to give up my new house.”

  “Maybe I’d move in with you.”

  He kissed me. I didn’t care about his breath.

  “Yeah?” I asked, staring into his eyes.

  “Why not? This is serious. We talked last night about not acting like teenagers anymore.”

  I took a deep breath.

  “Do you want to go shopping with me and Jessica today?”

  “What?” He sat up. “I thought we were spending time together today.”

  “You don’t mind if Jessica comes along, do you?”

  He groaned.

  “Kinda. Why are you taking her shopping anyway?”

  “She needs help, Tony.”

  “Buying things isn’t going to help her.”

  I moved back.

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m not saying anything,” he grumbled. “Can I have a moment to wake the fuck up?”

  “You don’t need to snap at me.”

  I crawled off the bed and walked toward the bathroom.

  “Heidi…” he called out.

  I stopped and turned around.

  “What about the conversation we had last night?” he asked while getting out of bed.

  “Yeah? What about it?”

  He shook his head and averted his eyes as he walked over.

  “You’re running away right now.”

  “No, I
’m not. Why do you have a problem with me helping Jessica?”

  “You can’t save the world with your money, Heidi.”

  “No kidding, but I can help a friend out.”

  “You care more about her than me?”

  He reached toward me.

  “I’m leaving.”

  “Stop. Wait.”

  “Let go of me,” I said as he grabbed my arm.

  After pulling away I went into the master bathroom and shut the door, locking it behind me. Would he wait around until I finished my shower? Did I care?

  He had brought up not running away like a teenager, but wasn’t he about to do the same damn thing? I took off my robe and stepped into the walk-in shower.

  Warm water caressed my skin as I thought about Tony. Both of us were stubborn. Would that screw up any chance of us having a relationship?

  As I lathered my body with soap, I recalled the night before. Sex with him was amazing, but if we couldn’t get along during all the other hours of the day we had no hope.

  By the time I finished showering and dried off, I had an overwhelming desire to talk with him, work through any problems we were having. He was worth the hassle.

  Wrapped in a towel, I unlocked and opened the bathroom door. He had left the room. Was he downstairs getting coffee or had he left?

  I quickly dressed, putting on a pair of jeans and a cute red shirt with a ladybug on the front I’d bought the other day. The design made me smile.

  On my way downstairs, I heard a commotion at the front door. Tony stood in the foyer. A delivery man dressed in brown stood on the porch.

  “Did you order a piano?” Tony asked.

  “Oh, yeah. I forgot. Your sister said she played…”

  “So you bought a piano?”

  “Where do you want this?” the guy on the porch asked.

  “Inside,” I said. “Will it fit?”

  “A piano?” Tony repeated. “Really?”

  “So?” I asked, mildly annoyed at him.

  He shook his head and raised his hands before walking past me and toward the kitchen.

  “This door isn’t wide enough,” the man on the porch noted.

  “Can you bring it around back?”

  “Sure. It’s going to cost extra.”

  “That’s fine,” I said. “I want it in the living room, please.”

  “You got it.”