Clean at last and dressed in fresh shorts and a T-shirt, she curled up on the couch with a cold drink and started skimming the sports channels on television, looking for any breaking news on the situation. It was old news so no one was paying it a lot of attention at the moment except to wonder where things stood and what the resolution was going to be. People were still digging around but it seemed no one was talking. Reporters were still hot to talk to Ryan, but he continued to be unavailable.Kaitlyn knew training camp started in a couple of weeks. She was sure everyone wanted this cleared up by then. If Bob Del Rio's contacts came through right away, he'd be able to get the blog out there just in time. Kaitlyn had no idea how she got through the rest of that day. Two beers helped her sleep that night, although fitfully, but by the next morning she was itchy in her own skin. A dozen times she started to call Bob and ask him what was happening but she didn't want to disturb him if
"What's the big emergency?" Ryan asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee. Looking at the clock he saw it was barely eight in the morning. He needed the caffeine after yet another restless night. "It must be a real disaster to bring you here this early in the morning.""Not an emergency." Walt grinned at him. "And, for a change, not a disaster. Where's your laptop.""My laptop?" Ryan blinked. "Why do I need a computer at the crack of dawn.""Just get the damn thing." Walt was so hyped he sounded like he'd already had more than his share of caffeine."It's right there on the kitchen counter. Help yourself."In seconds, Walt had it open and booted up. His fingers danced on the keys as he brought up the browser and typed something into the search bar. When Ryan saw Before the Game come up on the screen, his stomach knotted. Oh, hell. Was his disaster now starring in the most read sports blog on the Internet? But, when he saw the headline, he nearly dropped his coffee.Ryan McCabe a Vi
Part Three: Sideline InfractionSarah York fiddled with the stem of her wine glass and stared at the debris on the table. The party was definitely over. They'd all gone off and left her, all six of them. She guessed that was what happened when you were the odd man out. How stupid of her not to realize the others would couple up. Had she missed out because she held herself aloof from that? She'd come here to meet up with her study group from law school to celebrate their long journey to becoming a lawyer. New Orleans, the official party town, seemed a great place to celebrate. They'd partied hard for three days. Then tonight the atmosphere had shifted. How had she missed the signals that her six study buddies were building up to a night of unrestrained sex? And that she was odd man out. What the hell? The very last thing she'd expected was for the others to couple up and leave her sitting here alone. Thanks, guys.So now what? she asked herself. Stay here and have her own private p
"Sorry." She shrugged. "Work's hard but I hang onto my Sundays. My family thinks I have an uncontrollable addiction to the game.""I'll bet you have brothers who are pigskin hounds," he guessed."No. Just a dad I idolized who taught me everything there was to know about it.""In that case, I'll drink a toast to him." He lifted his glass, tilted it slightly and took a deep swallow. "So how come you only get Sundays to yourself?"Sarah sipped her wine again, savoring the smooth taste of the reisling. "Law school. Grind, grind, grind." She chuckled. "I figured out they think if they don't kill us we'll survive in the legal world."He lifted his eyebrow. "You don't even get Saturdays off?""Ha! Saturdays are no different than Wednesdays when you're a law student, except you spend them in the library or a study group instead of in class.""But you're finished now," he guessed.She nodded. "Just got the word that I passed." She flipped her hand at the empty chairs. "All of us. We wen
His mouth was so close to hers she had to restrain herself from leaning that hairs' breadth closer to touch hers to him. She was playing a dangerous game here, enveloped in a charged sexual atmosphere with a total stranger. Except he wasn't really that. Hadn't she seen him plenty of times on television? He was practically an old friend.Just keep telling yourself that. He leaned in so close to her that his breath was a warm breeze on her face. She was mesmerized, locked in place, waiting, waiting, waiting. He tucked one finger beneath her chin to tilt her head to a better angle. Then his mouth touched hers, his firm lips warm against hers, the contact so soft and gentle it was a caress. As light as the contact was it sent lightning sparking through her system and froze her breath in her lungs.She had absolutely no idea how long they sat there like that, completely ignoring the fact they were sitting in a public place. It was Beau who finally broke the contact, lifting his lips from h
Swiftly and with an economy of movement he stripped off his clothes, tossing them onto the bench at the foot of the bed. Sarah's eyes widened and she was sure she was drooling as her gaze took in his body in all its glory. His body was definitely that of a toned athlete, all hard planes and muscles, flat abdomen and solid chest. His flat male nipples, a dark bronze color, peeped through curls two shades darker than the hair on his head.The carved muscle look continued down his long legs but what drew her attention was a most impressive cock. Thick and long, swollen with obvious need, it rose from the nest of dark blond curls at his groin and pointed upward, as if searching for her warmth. The head was a dark plum color and on its slit sat a tiny bed of fluid. Staring at it, Sarah couldn't help licking her lips."Like what you see?" Beau's voice was husky with lust.She could only nod and curl her fingers into the palms of her hands. Her clothes felt way too tight on her. She wanted
Six years laterBeau Perini scrubbed his hands over his face and raked his fingers through his unruly hair. Every bone in his body ached from yesterday's practice and he would have sold his soul for two more hours of sleep. But with a three-year-old in the house, even with a nanny in place, early rising was the norm. Beau was determined that his son would always come first no matter what the circumstances.Coffee. That's what he needed. In sweat pants and tee shirt he made his way to the kitchen and the single serving coffee maker."Hi, Daddy!" Toby waved to him from his high chair where he was entertaining his three-year-old self with a few pieces of dry cereal. Babs, the nanny, was at the sink, Although Beau realized calling her a nanny barely covered what she did. She ran everything in the house including him. "Hi yourself." He bent down and kissed the little boy's smooth forehead."Ceweal." He held up one of the little circles. "Daddy have?"Beau tried not to grimace. Ri
"Getting settled in?"At the sound of the male voice Sarah York looked up from her desk to see her new boss, Chris Davidson, lounging in her doorway. She pushed aside the contract she'd been looking at and smiled at him."Yes, thanks. And thanks for helping with the condo and everything."He walked into the office and dropped into the chair in front of her desk. "So everything got taken care of okay? Sorry I had to go out of town.""Oh, no. Please." She shook her head. "Business first. Everything went smoothly at the bank, the moving truck arrived on time and I'm good to go.""Excellent." He rubbed his hands. "I know this has all been kind of fast, but we really needed you here as fast as possible."Really fast didn't even begin to describe it, she thought."I don't know if anyone told you," he said, "but we're having a press conference at two thirty this afternoon. We'll be introducing the hot new free agent we just signed. I'd like it if you could be there." The position o
"I'll get some more coffee." Sarah started to rise from the couch. "No." He held up a hand. "I'm fine. No, not fine," he corrected himself, "but I don't think I should drink more coffee."She was silent for a long moment. "That must all have been so devastating for you, Beau," she said at last. " He relaxed an infinite amount when her voice sounded softer, warmer."And humiliating." he went on. "All the world could see how stupid I'd been." He clenched his fists then relaxed them. He hadn't let any grass grow under his feet that time. "But one thing money can buy you is a damn good lawyer." He started pacing again. "Mine was a shark. Before I could blink I was divorced, Lacey had a hefty property settlement and I had sole custody of Toby.""Lucky for him," she said.He could almost see a smile on her face. Still, he knew he was not out of the woods here yet. Far from it. "The divorce decree stipulated she have no contact with him," he went on, rubbing the back of his neck to
Beau knew he'd taken a big risk coming over here like this. He was afraid, though, if he called first Sarah would hang up on him. Getting rid of Lacey had taken some doing, especially when he forcibly escorted her out to her car. What a nasty scene that had been, especially when he threatened to have the cops come and haul her off.All the way over here he'd alternately prayed and beaten himself up for his stupidity. He had no idea what he'd find at Sarah's but he was determined to deal with whatever was going on. He couldn't lose her. That just wasn't an option.At least she'd opened the door for him. The sight of her rumpled in her sleep shirt made his cock stand at attention. He sent it an urgent message to stand down. This wasn't the time for sex, not until he made her understand what was going on and how he felt about her.He took a good look at her, framed in the doorway. She hadn't been crying, thank god, but he didn't know if that was a good sign or a bad one. Hopefully she
For a moment Sarah's stomach muscles tightened. He had told her that. He'd said he'd see her in the morning. And…he'd come home early, just like Lacey had said he would.Had he really planned to spend the night with Lacey and then act with her, Sarah, as if nothing was wrong? Or was breakfast the time he would tell her it was over? Wait, no. He'd said they'd spend tomorrow night together. Something wasn't quite right her. But then, what about the damn codes and the key? She and Beau had divorced long before he moved to Tampa."Cat got your tongue?" Lacey's sharp words cut the air."No." Babs broke in, her voice was like ice. "But I wish it would get yours. I don't know how you got the codes to get in here, or the key to the house, but if you value your life you'll get gone before Mr. Perini gets back." She took a step toward Lacey. "And I mean now.""Beau," she stressed the word, "gave them to me. He expects me to be waiting for him when he gets home. So you'd better get out of the
"So you still plan to get back tonight?" Sarah leaned back in her desk chair, cell phone to her ear. She tried to squash her disappointment at Beau's information. He'd been gone a week doing stuff for one of his sponsors and she really missed him."I do, sugar. Promise." He sounded so weary she wanted to reach through the phone and give him a hug."Rough trip?" she asked."Not bad. Just busy and tiring. I was hoping to catch a flight out about four this afternoon," he explained "but the sponsor is insisting he wants to set up this dinner for me so it looks like I won't be out of here until later." "No chance you can get out of it?""I'm hoping to be able to settle for drinks but we'll see. Rich is working on it now."Rich was a representative from his agent's office along to oversee the activities, Beau had told her. Apparently he'd accompanied Beau on several of these trips over the past couple of years.Sarah held the phone a little tighter. "I wouldn't mind waiting at the house for
Before the spasms had fully subsided he had yanked off his pants and boxer briefs, rolled on a condom and was back on the bed between Sara's very exquisite thighs. Placing his hands beneath the cheeks of her ass he lifted her so he could position his cock right at her opening."God, Sarah," he breathed taking in her very wet, now rosy pink pussy. If he hadn't wanted his dick inside her so badly he'd have gone down on her again. What a dilemma to have—a woman whose body appealed to him on so many levels and in so many places.She was still shuddering slightly, her breathing uneven as he drove into her with one solid thrust."Beau!" She practically screamed his name. "Ohmigod! Beau!""Yeah, sugar. Let me hear you, Jesus, that feels so fucking good."And it did. She was so tight around him it nearly made his heart stop. He allowed himself a moment to lean down and take one more lick at her gorgeous nipples. Then, bracing himself, he began the rhythm that would take them over the edge
Beau did his best to keep himself under control but as soon as they were inside Sarah's condo he pulled her into his arms and kissed her as if he was a starving man and her mouth the only thing that would ease him. There was nothing gentle about this kiss. His mouth came down hard on hers and his tongue pressed insistently for entrance. Sarah stood on tiptoe and tunneled her fingers through his hair as she let her own tongue answer his need and duel with his. Jesus, she tasted good. Beau wasn't sure which part of her he liked to lick the best, her warm wonderful mouth or her very sweet pussy or maybe all that satin-smooth skin in between. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her tight against him, pressing his very aroused cock against her mound. He knew not even two layers of clothing could disguise how hard and swollen he was. Pulling his mouth from hers with great reluctance he trailed his lips across her cheek and down the slender column of her neck. He couldn't resist taki
The gated community Beau lived in was about half an hour from the Rough Riders headquarters, and fortunately against the wave of traffic. She gave her name to the guard on duty who waved her through the gates. At the house she punched in the gate code Beau had given her, waited while the ironwork gates slid smoothly open and drove on up the curving drive and parked at the steps to the front door. She climbed out of the car and took her first good look at Beau Perini's residence.The architecture was slightly Mediterranean, as were a lot of the buildings in Florida. Exquisite landscaping surrounded the two-story home that soared up to a red barrel tile roof. The elaborately carved front door opened and Beau jogged out to meet her. She stopped a moment, the sight of him taking her breath away. He was dressed in khakis and a shirt almost the exact shade of chocolate as his eyes and the sun caught the highlights in his blond hair. He could have stepped off the cover of a magazine about s
Sarah closed out the contract she was reviewing and leaned back in her chair. An alert from her calendar flashed in the upper corner of her screen and she smiled. 5:30 Dinner at Beau's HouseDinner at Beau's house. Wow! Had it only been one short week ago since the afternoon of the press conference and the incredible dinner at Jake's After Dark? If someone had told her that morning the two of them would be together riding high on their feelings for each other she'd have smacked them down and called them stupid. Yet here she was, so deep into this relationship after only seven days that she couldn't imagine being without him.Slow down, she kept telling herself. Trust came very hard to her and while she wanted to believe him when he told her this was it for him—that after six years he was where he was supposed to be all along—she still wondered if, or when, it would all fall apart. When he'd trade her in for the next woman."I'm going to make you believe in me no matter what I have
When they were seated in the dining room Beau noted that Sarah switched her drink to iced tea so he did the same."You don't have to change just because I did," she pointed out.He shrugged. "Two beers were plenty for me. I'm good."And he was, in more ways than one, He'd just spent more than an hour in a dark corner booth with the woman of his dreams. What could be better than that except to take her to bed, something he hoped to accomplish before too long but not tonight. No, this time he was going to do it right. He had a sense that she was doing this to get him out of her system. Well, there was no getting her out of his system, so it was up to him to make sure this thing stayed on track.He deliberately pushed any obstacles from his mind. Tomorrow he planned to call his attorney and have him contact Lacey's attorney. The message? Stay out of my life or I'll go to court and renegotiate the financial agreement. He was iffy about introducing her to Toby until he saw where this th