All In: Paying to Play (Gambling With Love) (8 page)

Jake

I wake up with stiffness in my neck and shoulders, aching in my thighs like usual after a game, but with a strange new warmth in my chest. I blink my eyes open, wondering if I imagined the night before. In a way, I wish she was still in Charlotte. Even with the anxiety squeezing my lungs, last night was incredible.

It really happened. Addy is in bed with me, sound asleep with her head on my chest, wearing nothing but my fucking jersey. She's breathing heavy, some would even call it snoring, and there's a tiny damp pool of moisture on my skin where she's drooling on me. For some reason those two little things make me want her even more. Oh yeah, like right this fucking second.

Addy squirms on top of me, probably feeling my hardening and Hugh G. Reckshun. My chest moves with a silent chuckle remembering how she said the fake name all serious and shit in her office lobby.

Now she's really awake, her snoring coming to an end. 

"Morning," I say. She stills, not even bothering to breathe for several seconds before she lifts her head. Her long, black waves are ruffled and sexy, dragging across my stomach as she looks around the room. Her hand swipes over her mouth and with a muttered, "Oh God," she climbs off me and makes a beeline for the bathroom.

Although seeing her bare, perfect ass cheeks underneath my name and numbers on her back is hot as fuck, I don't care for her quick retreat. What the hell was that about?

She regrets last night. That has to be what's going on. I stay in bed and simmer, waiting for her to come back and say the words. The ones about how it was a mistake or whatever bullshit she'll talk herself into. I hear the water pounding on the tile when she turns the shower on. Great, she's not coming back anytime soon. The longer she's gone, the more likely she is to pull away. The more she’ll think about shit.

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, she steps out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her, tucked under her arms to hide her beautiful body from my viewing pleasure. Her normally black hair seems even darker since it's wet and falling over her fair shoulders. She picks up her clothes without saying anything or glancing in my direction. I get more pissed with each silent second.

"Well?" I ask since she's ignoring me.

"Well what?" she asks while pulling her jeans on without removing her towel.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting dressed."

"Yeah, I can see that. Why are you getting dressed?"

"I have to go. I wasn't planning to stay in here all night," she replies, making the anger swell inside me.

"Why the fuck not?" I sit up in bed and ask.

Addy finally pauses in her dressing to look at me. "Because my dad's going to figure out where I've been after he realizes I'm not in the room next to his.”

“Oh fuck him,” I grumble, swiping a hand over my face in frustration.

“You know, it really upsets me when you say disrespectful things about my dad.”

I groan to the ceiling, trying more than usual to think before speaking. “Look, all I’m saying is that you’re a grown-ass woman. Why do you need his permission to fuck me?”

“You really should’ve read our contract,” she mutters as she sits down in one of the hotel chairs to put on her shoes. “If he finds out about us...he might try to void it.”

“What we do is between me and you. So Satan needs to mind his own fucking business and stay the hell out of it.”

She stands up. “Stop calling him that!” yells at me.

“I will, just as soon as he stops being a raging asshole!” I counter. Addy scoffs and shaking her head, walks out the hotel door, letting it slam shut. “Fuck!” I yell in frustration to the empty room as I fall backwards on the bed.

…

Addison

I pull my key card from my back jean pocket as I approach the door to the room I haven't been in since I checked in yesterday. I've got the green lights lit up and am about to turn the handle when the door next to it opens.

"Addison." I jump when my father utters my name in exasperation, the one word dripping with disapproval.

"Good morning," I say cheerfully, turning to him with a fake smile.

"You're making a huge mistake," he replies, causing my shoulders to instantly slump.   

"If I am, then it's my problem to worry about, not yours."

"He's just using you like he uses every other woman. You must know that. You're too smart not to."

"People can change-"

"That's complete bullshit. He's never going to be the kind of man you deserve. One that won't cheat on you as soon as you're out of his sight."

"I guess we'll see, won't we?" I counter looking him dead straight in the eyes, not backing down. He can disapprove all he wants, but he doesn't make my decisions for me.

"Hurry up and get ready. We're having brunch with Jerry. He wants to discuss the possibility of you becoming the Wildcat's team shrink."

"Psychiatrist, not shrink," I correct that annoying word. "And are you serious?" Getting a contract with the Wildcats would be huge! Not to mention the press! Although I wouldn't be able to say who my clients are, of course, just that I'm the team's doctor.

"Yes I'm serious, so go change out of that damn jersey and put on something nice," he says with a frown at Jake's number. "This is a great opportunity and you need to make a good impression."

Without another word I slip into my room, quickly drying my hair and putting on a pair of black dress pants with a dressy black and white blouse and heels. After one last double check in the mirror I head down to meet with my dad and the owner of a freaking NFL team. We had flown to town yesterday on his private jet, but thankfully he had been busy talking with his other guests. The white haired, high powered man makes me nervous.

"Ah, here she is," my dad says to Jerry Tucker who's sitting next to him at the formal dining table.

"Mr. Tucker, how are you?" I ask with my most professional smile in place and an offer of my hand for him to shake.

Inside my guts are all twisted up. During our conversation of how professional athletes deal with the same, if not more severe mental health issues as regular people, I try to stop my mind from wandering. To prevent those constant replays from the night before. Jake had been different. Vulnerable even. That was the real him, right? Until this morning when he went back to his usual jackass self.

"Addison," my father says, snapping my attention back to the table.

"Yes?" I ask while sipping on my orange juice to cover for zoning out.

"Jerry said he thought you would’ve flown back with the team."

"Oh, sorry," I apologize. "I am going to fly back with the team."

Jerry glances down at the expensive platinum watch on his wrist. "Unless I'm mistaken, they should be ready for takeoff any minute now."

"What!?!" I exclaim, jumping up from my chair.

"Their flight is leaving at eleven."

"Shi-oot!" I pull my key card from my pocket and toss it on the table. "Dad, I'm sorry, but will you please grab my things and please check us both out?"

"Where are you going?" my dad asks in surprise.

"I told Jake I'd fly back with him," I explain and ignore his narrowed eyes and frown. "I’m so sorry, Mr. Tucker, but I have to try to catch their flight."

"Sure," he says with a smile. "Nice talking with you, Dr. James."

I shake his hand again before speed walking across the restaurant and out the front door. Thankfully there are cabs lined up at the entrance so I grab the first one, telling the driver I need him to get me to the airport as soon as possible. I
have
to make it in time. I told Jake I would and last night he had been so distraught. Flights are always delayed, so it's just a matter of getting a ticket with the team. Easy. I already had my ID and debit card in my pocket thankfully since I hate carrying a purse around unless I’m in a dress. Of course it takes me forever to get through the line at the ticket counter, and when I do, they tell me I'm too late. Their plane left on time.

Jake

After the two hour flight home I'm two sheets to the wind. All the alcohol in the world can't stop the gnawing worry in my chest, or the image of two bloody, shredded jerseys.
My
jerseys, the ones the paramedics cut off my parents when they tried to revive them.

Of course I know better than to drive, so I take a cab home and pass out with my face buried in the sofa cushion. A nightmare of Addy on a crashing, burning plane startles me awake. Raising my head I blink bleary eyes at the clock on the wall seeing that it's almost seven o'clock at night. She should've been home by now dammit! Not that she'd necessary come here, but she could've at least called to let me know she's back in town. She would already be here safe and sound with me right this second if she hadn't ditched me this morning.

I drag my staggering body over to the kitchen and am digging in the liquor cabinet when I hear the front door open. My first instinct is to go grab her and squeeze her to death while yelling at her. That probably won't go over well so I stay where I am.

"Hey," she says from the doorway, sounding out of breath. My back is still to her, my palms braced on the kitchen counter. I'm trying to do some deep breathing exercises to slow my racing heart now that I know she's okay. "I'm sorry. I didn't know what time the flight was-"

"You would have if you had stayed instead of running out of my room," I interrupt.

"I know, Jake, that's why I apologized," she replies softly. I'd rather she yell at me then be all sweet and shit. How the hell do I respond when she's being nice? "My dad and I were meeting with Jerry when he said the team had already left." 

Great, and I'm sure Satan spent the whole goddamn day telling her she deserves better than me. I hate him even more because he's right. Might as well get this over with.

"Go ahead and say it, Addy. I'm surprised it's taken you this long."

"Say what?" she asks.

"That last night was a mistake. That you regret it. Either. Both."

"It wasn't a mistake, but I'm probably going to regret it," she says, making the muscles in my shoulders tighten in fury. 

"Fucking knew it," I mutter, unscrewing the lid of one of the glass bottles and pouring it down my throat. It doesn't matter what it is. I'm so numb I can't even taste it.        

"I don't want to regret it, but it's not like you have the best track record when it comes to women."

"Women," I scoff. "You mean the nameless, faceless sluts who fuck me because of my NFL contract?"

"You don't have to fuck them."

"You're right. I don't," I agree when I finally turn around to face her. My stomach almost heaves at the sight. So damn beautiful and classy. So out of my league that I bark out a laugh at how stupid I am for wanting her, knowing she deserves so much more than an insensitive jerk like me. "But when the option is go home alone or get between a woman's legs and out of my head for a few hours, it's an easy choice to make."

"Is that all I am? Is that what you're using me for, because I'm convenient?" she asks, and I swear her chin trembled, making me feel even worse. Is that's what she thinks? That I'm just horny and she happens to be here? Fuck, I guess that's all she would see this as.

"You're not convenient and you sure as fuck aren't easy," I tell her as I move forward, backing her up to the kitchen island until she can't go any further and my body's flush against hers, my lips hovering inches from hers as I hold her golden gaze. "You're the biggest pain in the ass, frustrating woman I've ever met! If you're not bitching at me, making me feel like shit, you're putting me on a goddamn guilt trip. But last week, when you were gone, I actually missed you for some stupid reason."

"Yeah, well, you're a jackass," she counters, lowering her eyes to where both her palms sneak their way up underneath my shirt. That's all it takes for my cock to go long following her forward pass.

After she pushes my shirt over my head and off, my lips crash down on hers. Feeling my hard shaft protruding against her stomach through my denim she gasps, giving my tongue the perfect opening to slip into her mouth. My hands get busy undoing her pants and pushing them and her panties down her thighs while she grips my shoulders. When my palm rubs higher along the slit of her pussy she moans before I even slip inside of her.

"God, you're so fucking tight," I groan against her lips when her walls clinch around my fingers.

"I want you inside me. Now," she replies, and while we usually argue over everything right now my cock couldn't agree with her more. I lift her up by her waist, sitting her bare ass on top of the counter so I can finish undressing her. I yank her clothes down her legs after I peel her shoes off. Pulling the condom out of my wallet I quickly unzip my pants and roll it down my shaft. When I step forward between her thighs she wraps her legs around my waist to yank me closer to her scorching hot center. That's when I realize my unfortunate oversight. I've never once seen her completely topless.

Her shirt is off the next second and once her bra is undone it goes flying across the room. I line up my cock, and as soon as I sink in deep, I push Addy until her back is laying on the counter, giving me access to cover her nipple with my mouth while my hips start pounding.

"Oh God!" she cries out, writhing underneath me.

"The name’s Jake, baby, but as long as your pussy keeps squeezing my cock, you can call me any fucking thing you want."

"Stop talking. Fuck me harder," she responds, making me chuckle against her beaded nipple.

I smack both palms flat down on either side of her head before plunging into her forcefully until I can't go any farther. "Is that hard enough?" I ask when she closes her eyes and groans. Following her answer of
yes
I lean down and kiss her parted lips. I've never really cared about kissing a woman during sex, but I want my mouth on Addy, caressing her tongue with mine while swallowing her cries as I take her.

"Are you drunk?" she asks against my lips.

"I was worried," I respond before shutting her up with my tongue down her throat again. Of course that's not the end of her bitching. She pushes me away with her palms against my chest.

"You shouldn't...use alcohol...as a coping mechanism."

If we're having a conversation then I'm obviously not doing something right. I raise up and flip Addy over so that she's face down on the counter before thrusting in deep from behind. Holding her hips I take her hard and fast so the only thing that comes out of her mouth is
Oh!
and
Yes!
when she gets off. She feels too damn good for me to keep going, so I give it up with a curse, coming so hard I see spots in my vision.

Between the release and the alcohol I could probably fall asleep right here standing up. Instead, I trash my condom and zip my pants enough that they'll stay up before throwing Addy over my shoulder, making her laugh as I carry her to my unmade bed and fall down into it with her. I'm too exhausted to take the rest of my clothes off and would've slept in my jeans and shoes if she hadn't removed them for me.

The last thing I remember before falling asleep is Addy's legs tangled with mine and what felt like her fingertips brushing over my chest and down my stomach.

…

Addison

I wake up refreshed from a good night's sleep, naked, burrowed into Jake's warmth. Actually, I'm almost too refreshed.

"Oh shit!" I mutter when I glance over at the time. It's eight o'clock! I'm supposed to be at work by eight! I scramble off the bed, only to be yanked back down to the mattress like I'm tethered to a bungee cord. Jake pounces on top of me, pinning me down underneath him.

"Jake, seriously, I’ve got to go! I'm already late!" I tell him, trying to use my palms against his unmoving body to get him off of me. His rock hard, amazing body. It's a losing battle.

"If you're already late, what's a few more minutes?" he asks against my neck between open mouth kisses. Kisses that cause goosebumps to spread up and down my arms. His knee moves between my legs, spreading them further apart and then he rocks forward and back, using his hard cock like a battering ram trying to force its way into my pussy. Before I know it, my hips are lifting to meet his thrusts.

"Condom?" I ask.

"I thought you were running late," he says, unmoving, just to be difficult. I reach down and wrap my hand around his cock, giving him a squeeze to motivate him. "Ah fuck, Addy." I smile when he groans against my ear before quickly reaching over to the bedside drawer.

I watch him roll the latex down his impressive length and take the time to let my eyes get their fill of the rest of his incredible body. He's every woman's dream man - big, muscular, tan, smooth abs and pelvic lines chiseled to perfection. His gorgeous body is also why he's been with so many women. I try to kick that thought, and all my insecure doubts, to the curb.

"You're thinking," Jake says causing my eyes to return to his dark, assessing ones. "I hate when you do that shit."

"You don't want me to think?" I scoff.

"Nope. Not when I'm fucking you," he replies, moving back between my open thighs.

"Then you should probably get busy so I'll stop-" my sentence cuts off when he sticks two fingers into my mouth. I glare at him and consider biting them off. But with a smirk, he removes them and reaches down to rub them over my clit.  His thumb eventually takes their places while he pumps the thick digits in and out of my pussy. After that I can't think about anything but the building pressure in my lower body, especially with his other hand holding my pelvis down while he finger fucks me until I come screaming his name.

My eyes are still closed when he mounts me and takes me rough and wild. All I can do is grab onto his shoulders and hold on while gasping through another earth shattering release. With a growl and one last deep thrust Jake rolls off of me, panting, his chest rising and falling rapidly. I watch him for a few seconds then shift to my side and throw an arm and leg over him, having this bizarre need to cuddle with him. He's not really the cuddle type of guy, which is probably why I need it from him. I wait for his reaction, to see how long it'll take for him to panic and flee.

"I thought you were running late," he grumbles again, but then both of his arms wrap around me.

"What's a few more minutes?" I respond. I'm pretty sure my first appointment isn't until nine-thirty, so I can still get a shower and make it in plenty of time. The mornings are just when I try to get prepared before my busy day starts.

Jake and I lay in silence just holding each other and it's...nice. And I feel happy. Like ridiculously, can't lose my grin, happy. So much so that I don't want to leave. But I need to.

"I better get a shower," I finally say as I start to squirm out of Jake's arms.

"Okay, but tonight we're having dinner in bed," he says with a last, sweet kiss to my forehead.   

"I can bring home take-out," I say as I slide off the side of the bed.

"Whatever you want as long as I get to eat you out for the first course," he replies with a smile, still stretched out in bed, his arms thrown over the pillows. I laugh and shake my head on the way to the bathroom, but thinking about his request keeps me turned on all day long.