Page 2 of Baller's Surprise Baby

Nudity is nothing to me as I’m constantly surrounded by athletes in the locker-room, but I wasn’t expecting to see Everly again like this. I take a hesitant step back, suddenly very self-conscious. My little sister’s best friend is next to family. I may have grown up looking at her as an adorable little kid, but for some reason her opinion matters.

“Ev?” I wave my hand in front of her and lean forward with concern. “Is everything okay?”

She’s breathing - huffing and puffing, actually - but a few seconds go by before she splutters something unintelligible and scrambles to her feet. I reach forward to help pick up her bag in the same moment she does and then manage to pull back just before her head can slam into mine, which only seems to fluster her further.

“Ev? Talk to me. What’s going on?”

I’m starting to get worried. I haven’t seen Everly in so long, and I’m not sure how it’s even possible we’d see each other here. Basketball games have me traveling and training frequently, and she backed out of a lot of normal social activities when her aunt got cancer. It’s been a long time, and she looks different now…

“Do you need something?” I’m still waiting for some response, but if anything, her eyes get bigger before she finally turns on her heel and exits the room.

I lurch toward the bench where I’d dropped my towel earlier and scramble after Everly, leaving my former partner, Maddie, completely forgotten.

“Everly, wait!” Oblivious to the staff in the building, I pound the tiles down the hallway, suddenly desperate to catch this girl from my past. I’ve never seen her at a game, and I have no idea how she even got into the building, but something in me is burning as I recall her hand resting on my dick with those perfect, beautiful eyes fastened on me.

I’ve had my share of willing females, and I know this chance meeting is as big a surprise to Everly as it is to me. Everything that happened in that room was unintentional, of that I’m one hundred percent certain…but I’m still incredibly turned on, and it’s not because of the hot model I left in that room.

“Everly!” I land a hand on the wall as I swing around a corner just in time to see her go through the main photoshoot doorway. Seconds later I burst into the room where clusters of people stand around prepping for a long day. On one side are the snack and supply tables. In the forefront stands a large white screen with lighting and reflective panels surrounded by technicians, a camera man, random chairs, fans, and props. I see the team manager and my public relations manager in conversation with the director of the shoot but hardly register their presence, because there’s Everly standing right beside the primary camera setup and talking to the videographer.

I jog to her side and grab her arm without thinking, swinging her toward me and leaning down until we are face to face.

“What the hell, Everly? Why are you running from me? What are you doing here?”

She’s still staring at me with those wide eyes, and in spite of my annoyance, I notice that my erection is starting to announce itself all over again. I’m horny and mad at the same time, and I want to shake her for not answering me.

She’s shaking her head at me, but her voice isn’t coming out.

“What?!” I’m practically roaring now, and several people begin to take notice.

“Ryder, please!” She speaks in barely a whisper, but it snags my attention.

Please what? Please help? Please back off? Please let me touch you again? Please pretend it never happened?

Out of the corner of my eye I recognize Ed, the director of the shoot as he steps forward with no small amount of concern on his face and extends a hand gently toward my shoulder.

“Ryder, is everything okay here?” His eyes dart back and forth between me and Everly, and my annoyance increases as I realize how I must look. Everly isn’t tiny, but professional athletes in my line of work tend to be tall, and I’m no exception. I’m towering over her, muscles bunched, unconsciously in warrior mode. Something inside of me wants to growl and mark my territory. It’s all I can do not to pull her closer and shove Ed’s hand aside.

“Ryder is just surprised to see me here.” Everly’s low voice snaps my attention back to her, and if anything makes me even angrier.

“What do you mean surprised?” I say it in a moderately even tone, while inside I want to roar at her. “I haven’t seen you in years, and then you slam into my dressing room and put your hands on me?”

She gives a reassuring smile to the gathering crowd around us until my words register. Immediately, she turns stricken eyes back to me, and just like in the changing room her face goes beet red. Normally, I’m a fan of the ladies, and we get along great. But I’ve had it today. This is my territory. I’m a professional ball player here to do a photo shoot, and she’s the one who came out of nowhere, stealing my attention and turning my head around. Seriously, I can’t think straight! I don’t know what she’s doing to me, but it is driving me nuts!

“Ryder, I’m not sure what all happened here.”

I turn my gaze to stare at Jack, my media manager, as if he’s lost his mind. He’s full of false bravado and gently clears his throat before speaking again.

“Why don’t you come with me and explain?” He claps a friendly hand on my shoulder and tilts his head toward me. Then he has the audacity to gently steer me toward an alcove where he magically produces a robe big enough to fit me.

I realize I’m still wearing the towel I grabbed in the changing room, but I can hardly bring myself to care. Ballers like me tend to run in one of two directions: party animal or family man. Being single, it doesn’t really matter if I’m conservative or extravagant; either way, I still fit one of the two stereotypes.

With the robe secured, I glance toward the middle of the room again to see that Everly has gone back to her discussion with the videographer, and they’re now adjusting their equipment.

“Jack, what is she doing here?“ I glance toward my media man, and I know I still look aggressive with my hands planted on my hips, but I can’t help it. Jack looks slightly perplexed himself. Whether it’s about Everly’s presence or my little scene though, I can’t tell. He blows out a breath, eyebrows raised, and gives a small shrug before answering.

“They hired her this week. I understand she came highly recommended from a project on the West Coast. I didn’t know you were acquainted, to be honest.” He eyes me for a second, but I can’t keep my gaze off of Everly.

“Do we need to have her removed?” At that suggestion, my attention snaps back to Jack. I purse my lips as I mull it over.

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