Double Coverage (26 page)

“Well, I fucking care, so stop harassing me.” He never swore at her because she knew she didn’t like it, so for him to drop the f-bomb on her was very odd. Something must have happened that he was not telling her. He started walking out the door toward the stairs, so she chased after him.

“Todd, wait…” She lunged at him and grabbed his shoulder, but he pulled away, sending her off balance and tumbling down the stairs. The wall at the bottom of the flight of stairs stopped her in her place. The side of her head was throbbing and her right eye had already started to swell shut. She looked up and saw Todd staring at her, not making a move. Was she dreaming? Did she just fall down the stairs and her boyfriend didn’t seem to care?

As if someone slapped him out of his haze, he dropped his bags and went running down the stairs and dropped before her, cupping her face. A look of horror flashed in his eyes as he took in her appearance.

“Jesus, Hannah…I don’t, I…” He was speechless and she was glad; she didn’t want to hear what he had to say. She propped herself up and found that every bone in her body was aching already. Great, work would be interesting the next day.

Without a word, Hannah went up the stairs and headed straight for her bathroom. When she looked in the mirror, she stared at a frazzled woman with blood running down her face and a swollen eye. Her hand was shaking as she examined the cut that was near her hairline. It didn’t seem too deep, thankfully, because the last thing she wanted to do right now was head to the emergency room and explain why she needed stiches. She pulled out her first aid kit and tended to her wound, closing the one-inch cut with a couple of butterfly strips. Piper would have a cow when she saw her tomorrow.

Hannah put away her kit and turned to leave, but was startled by Todd standing in the doorway. She was so engaged in fixing her cut that she didn’t realize Todd was standing there watching her the whole time. His face looked ghostly white and his eyes looked like they were watering.

She tried to move by him, but he gently stopped her. “Hannah, please I’m so sorry.”

“Just leave, Todd. You wouldn’t want to miss your flight.”

“I’m not going.”

Hannah rolled her eyes. “Oh, is this where I say ‘no Todd, it’s okay, you have to work, go.’?”

“No, I already called. Someone else is covering for me. I’m staying and I want to make sure you’re going to be okay. We should take you to the emergency room. You might have a concussion.”

“I’m not going to the emergency room. I’m fine. I think its best that you stay somewhere else tonight, Todd…maybe think about your priorities.”

Todd ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Hannah, I don’t know how to explain this to you. In order for me to get anywhere in my job, I have to go on these trips; I have to work, but it’s going to pay off, sweetheart. I promise. Remember, just give me two more years and I’ll be ready. We can do it. I just need you to be more understanding.”

“I just hate that you have to leave right when you get here, it’s not fair.”

He pulled her in for a hug. “I know, sweetheart. Believe me, I don’t like leaving you here alone. I want to be with you and hold you every night, but just remember, I’m doing this for us so we can have a life and a family together.”

“I know,” she sniffed, not realizing that she was crying.

“Come on,” he pulled her into the bedroom and started undressing her and himself.

“I thought you were going to leave.”

“No, I told you, I called in. I’m yours all night.”

“You really called in…for me?”

He cupped her face and kissed her forehead. “Of course. You fell down the stairs…because of me. I need to make sure you’re okay. You’re my world Hannah. I love you.”

“I love you too, Todd.”

Hannah let Todd fully undress her and take her to bed. Even though it was heartwarming that he wasn’t going to leave, she still knew he was going to leave at some point. He always gave short notice, so it was hard for her to enjoy the time she had with him, since she was dreading the time he had to leave.

***

Daylight peeked through the windows of Mason’s bedroom, waking him to find a warm, soft body in his embrace. Flashbacks of last night ran through his head. Piper on the pool table, Piper on the kitchen table, Piper in the shower, Piper beneath him and so many other positions and places. She had worn him out and, when he thought they were spent for the night, she reached down grabbed his manhood and started stroking him back to life. Never in his life had he spent a night full of lust like he did last night. If he hadn’t already fallen for her, he definitely fell for her last night and it wasn’t even because of her insatiable appetite for sex. It was in between the sessions of lust that made him go crazy for her.

They talked about everything ranging from elementary school to family to most embarrassing stories. He felt like he had known her for years after last night. He told her some of his deepest secrets and fears and she talked about her controlling father and childhood of moving from place to place, without a warning or care.

They found they had the love of classic movies, music, food and sex in common. Mason liked to take charge and she, to her dismay, didn’t mind relinquishing control. At one point, he had a wad of her hair bunched in his hand, his dick coming at her from behind, and she was bent over the couch, offering her entire body for him to take control of. He had one of the biggest orgasms of his life while gripping her hair and taking what he wanted. He was a goner after that.

She lightly stirred, but stayed sleeping. Mason buried his head in her hair and inhaled. The woman smelled like lavender and her hair was soft as silk. He didn’t want to pull away, but he knew he would have to soon, since he had practice to get to and if he was late, Coach Ryan would have his head.

He rubbed his thumb up and down Piper’s stomach, silently calling her name.

“Piper, babe. I have to get up and get ready for practice.”

“Hmm?” She turned in his arms and he watched her hair fan out across his pillow. He would never forget what she looked like in the morning. She was a goddess. She opened her beautiful eyes and made eye contact with him, which turned out to be a horrible idea. Her eyes started searching Mason’s face and it was as if she realized she was in bed with a shark. She hopped out of bed, tripping and struggling to free herself from the sheets, while picking up her clothes that were scattered across the room.

“Shit, shit, shit,” she muttered under her breath. Mason sat in bed, confused. What the hell was going on? She knew she’d spent the entire night with him, shared stories with him, and swapped bodily fluids, so why was she acting like he was a stranger?

“Piper, what are you doing?”

“I need to get out of here.”

He sat up and slipped on a pair of sweats, not bothering with a T-shirt. “Why?”

She stopped what she was doing and looked at him as if he was stupid. She gestured between them and said, “Because of what I did.” She gripped her head in frustration and tugged on her hair. “Jesus, I have a boyfriend. What was I thinking?”

Rage boiled up Mason’s spine as she charged toward her. “What did I tell you about bringing him up?”

Piper stood right next to him and pointed her finger at his chest. “Don’t tell me what to do. This was a colossal mistake, Mason. It was a one night thing and it sure as hell won’t happen again.”

Mason felt like a rusty shiv was being repeatedly stabbed through his heart as he watched her frantically put her clothes on and grab for her purse. He couldn’t let her leave like this, not after the night they had. The night full of honesty, lust, and what he wanted to think was the start of a relationship.

He went after her and stood in front of his door so she couldn’t leave. “Piper, wait. Please don’t do this. Last night was amazing, beyond amazing. You can’t tell me you didn’t feel something last night…besides my erection.” He tried to make light of the situation, but she wasn’t buying it.

“Last night was great, but Mason, I’m committed to someone else and you have to realize that.” She shoved past him and opened the door. Before she left, she took one last look at him as a tear fell from her face. “You’re amazing and I’m so sorry I can’t give myself over to you.”

With that, she left him standing in his entryway wondering where the hell he went wrong. He was still thinking about where he went wrong when he was strapping on his gear getting ready for practice, as well as in between water breaks from getting slammed left and right on the field.

Mason took his helmet off and squirted water in his mouth. Not only did he have the shittiest morning ever, but now he had to suffer through the wrath of Coach Ryan and he was out for the kill today. Maybe giving the offensive team a couple of days off wasn’t the best idea because Coach Ryan was riding Mason. Every move Mason made, Coach Ryan had something to say about it.

Mason squirted water on his face as Ryker came up next to him. Ryker patted Mason on the back as he squirted water in his mouth.

“Great catch out there, man. I swear you have go-go-gadget arms sometimes.”

Mason laughed, thankful for his friend’s reprieve. “That’s why they pay me the big bucks. You’ll get there, sonny.”

Ryker flipped him off and leaned against the water table. “So…how did last night go after you went back to the bar? Brooke was livid, by the way. I swear she was ready to kill.”

“Yeah, sorry about ditching you with her. Last night was amazing.”

Ryker comically wagged his eyebrows at Mason. “Do tell.”

“I don’t think I’ve exploded that many times in my life. I fucked her every which way you could think of and even got rough with her, which spurred her on even more. One minute, I’m trying to recover and the next she is stroking me to the point where I didn’t think my dick would ever be back to normal. It was insane.”

Ryker laughed. “Damn, I should have gone after her.” Mason gave him the death stare, which made Ryker laugh even more. “If it was so great, then why have you been sulking all morning?”

Mason blew out a frustrated breath. “This morning, she ran out on me without even a thank you for multiple orgasms. She blamed it on the boyfriend again, but I swear to you, she felt what I felt last night. When we weren’t fucking, we talked about everything. I feel like I’ve known her for years. I just don’t get it. I don’t know what else I can to do make her realize that I’m the man for her.”

Ryker was about to respond when his eyes locked on something behind Mason. “Maybe she changed her mind.”

“Why do you say that?”

Ryker nodded to something behind him. “Because she’s standing over by the bench looking around.”

Mason snapped his whole body around and saw his redheaded beauty behind him, looking gorgeous as ever in torn jean shorts, a white T-shirt and her ever-present Converse. Mason felt his heart soar at her appearance. He had no clue how she got into the practice facility, but he didn’t care; he just wanted to throw his arms around her and take her back to the locker room. He started walking toward her when he stopped and watched her spot someone in a crowd of guys. She took off running and that was when Mason’s life went completely black.

The world stopped turning and everything around him was in slow motion as he watched Piper throw herself into Coach Jax Ryan’s arms. She started kissing him all over, while the guys hooted and hollered around them. He watched her smile at the man he despised, actually hated, the man who was making his life a living hell and not just on the football field now.

Mason could not believe what was happening. Was he dreaming? Was Jax Ryan really the guy she was in love with? Was he the boyfriend that was ruining his life? No way, no fucking way.

Mason felt Ryker’s hand on his shoulder and Mason shook him off, not wanting to hear any snide remarks from his friend.

“I don’t want to fucking hear it.”

“I wasn’t going to say anything. I’m not that much of an ass.”

“I can’t fucking believe this. Please tell me this is a dream. This is a fucking dream, right man?” Piper’s laughter echoed through Mason’s ears, causing him physical pain since he wasn’t the one who made her laugh so wholeheartedly. Coach Ryan piped up so the guys could hear him.

“Hit the showers, men; you were saved by my little lady.” Mason envisioned slamming his fist through Jax’s chest after that comment, but restrained himself.

Mason just kept staring at the happy couple. Finally, Piper looked away from her boyfriend and made eye contact with Mason. She mouthed “I’m sorry” to him and then wrapped her arm around Jax’s waist and walked through the tunnel with Mason’s now worst enemy. All the men started walking off the field, but Mason stood in place. He couldn’t believe what just happened. The woman he was meant to be with just walked off with the biggest douche Mason could think of.

Piper had brought back the first happy feeling since Brooke had left him and now it completely vanished and he was left feeling bitter and alone; a lethal combination that could only get him in trouble. He grabbed his helmet and walked into the locker room, bypassing the make-out session Piper was having in Coach Jax’s office. He wanted to hate her; he wanted to hurt her, but he couldn’t. He couldn’t function, let alone worry about ways to get her back.

He sat at his locker and laid his head against it, while listening to the sounds of the locker room. Towels snapping bare skin, medical tape being ripped, joking jabs being thrown at teammates, but none of it really registered because all Mason could focus on was the black hole that started to take over his heart all over again. He was losing himself and he was losing himself quickly.