Page 51 of Quarterback Sneak

“I wish but no. it was simple selfishness on my part.” Moist lips settled on her nipple, sucking on the tightened bud. Grasping his shoulders, she rocked her hips, determined to push past the raw emotion and allow the physical release to take over. His fingertip found her clit and she arched into his touch, aching for more. He obliged her silent request, playing offense on every nerve, hitting all the right spots until the pleasure reached a fever pitch.

“You still owe me a kiss,” he said.

Sam claimed her mouth while waves of ecstasy cut through her, internal muscles throbbing around his length. Her heart enlarged—that scary as hell, but damn it, I can’t help it—feeling that moved her whenever she was with him. Hands cradling the nape of his neck, she rested her forehead against his.

Heaven. She was in heaven and the man holding her with such gentle care was responsible. No matter what challenges they’d faced in the outside world, being in his arms made it all worthwhile.

Was it true love, or was it simply her hormones talking?

Only time would tell.

“Looks like somebody is getting towed.” Sam pointed towards the back of the parking garage in Ivy’s building where red lights flashed. One hand on the small of her back, he gripped the cane with the other. After their steamy morning together, he hadn’t wanted to leave the apartment but that wasn’t an option. He needed to recover from this injury and not just for himself. Once he was back on track, he’d move forward with his plans to ask her to marry him.

Sam grinned at prospect of having her in his life forever. He reached out to take her hand when his stops faltered. The tow truck was backed up to his car. Son of a bitch. He rushed forward, the pain in his knee forgotten in the face of a horrible truth. The nightmare with his finances still in play, the results were showing themselves in the most brutal way imaginable.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Ivy shouted, following close behind Sam.

“Impounding a car, what does it look like?” came the snarled reply from the tow truck driver, a short, stocky guy with a Pioneers tattoo inked at the base of his neck.

Outrage stiffened Sam’s spine and he clenched his fist, trying to hold back his temper. How dare the rude son of a bitch talk to Ivy like that? He willed himself to speak with a calmness he was far from feeling. “It’s my car,” Sam said.

The driver snapped the final tie down in place, a fierce scowl curling his lip.

Sam adjusted his jaw, aching to punch the asshole and read the man’s name off his nametag. Tim.

Tim glanced at the clipboard on the tow deck, then back at Sam. His sullen expression immediately shifted to surprise, his aggressive stance lessening. “Shit, sorry man. The name on this says Caldwell.”

“Company name.” Patrick’s name. Sam forced his shoulders to relax and the professional persona he’d honed over the years washed over him. Fighting the driver for doing his job wasn’t the best course of action, especially considering it wasn’t the man’s fault, no matter how unpleasant his personality. Except Sam still wanted to pummel him. “Can I grab a few things before you take it?”

“Sure.” Tim nodded, mouth agape.

Sam retrieved his Pioneers gym bag while Ivy removed the few personal belongings he had in the cab of the car. She clutched his sunglass case to her chest, hazel eyes shooting daggers at the driver. Sam slipped the items into bag and reined in the humiliation that had grown by the minute. Ivy already knew about Craddock but it didn’t make the situation more palatable. Once he’d zipped the duffle up, he addressed the driver. “Thanks man. I appreciate the favor.”

Tim shook his hand. “Shit, I’m really sorry, Knute.”

“You’re just doing your job.” Asshole. Sam glanced at Ivy and indicated the white van parked near the exit. “It appears we’re taking your van.”

“I’m so sorry. There has to be some mistake,” Ivy said, the pity in her eyes unbearable to see.

Sam wished it were the case, but since all of his assets were frozen, he shouldn’t have been surprised. Everything he’d worked so hard for was disappearing and his stomach knotted. While Craddock was mostly to blame, Sam also blamed himself. He had been so busy raising money for others, he neglected to keep a diligent eye on his own finances. Lesson learned the hard way. “No it’s not. We should hurry. It’s getting late.”

He could feel her watching him, waiting for some answers. Truth was, he had no good answers. He had to wait like all the other victims Craddock ripped off. Lucky for Sam, Howler had floated him some money for incidentals until he could get his shit together, but his friend was trying to build a business and couldn’t afford to carry any heavy debt. Not that Sam would ever ask. He couldn’t depend on Howler for everything.

Sam had learned a long time ago that there was only one person he could truly depend on and that was himself. Pride sure did suck.

Ivy unlocked the doors and slipped on her sunglasses before she started the van. The minute they left the garage, the radio blared to life. Unfortunately, the news was on and the deejay was speaking about Craddock’s sentencing. Sam lowered the volume and tried to keep his fears and uncertainties at bay by reciting the Pioneer team stats in his head. He loved Ivy but he couldn’t drag her into his messy life any more than he already had.

“What happened with the car? You didn’t seem surprised.” Ivy accelerated onto Third Avenue.

How to answer without explaining each excruciating detail? His attorney told him it might take years to work through all the mess. He’d taken it all in stride until he’d hurt his knee. Without his contract, Sam had to reconcile himself with the fact that he had to start all over again in a different profession. He had a degree in environmental science and could always get a job in corporate America or for one of his many sponsors. Except a part of him—that hopeful kid that saw football as a way to escape his horrible life—wanted to play until his fortieth birthday—a lofty goal but one he aspired to reach before retiring from the sport that he loved. That decision was being taken from him. For now. But he was forever hopeful. He had to be.

“The government froze all of Craddock’s assets, including my own but it’s a temporary setback. Everything will turn out fine.”

She slammed on the breaks, jolting the van. He snapped his head up in time to see a car turning. “I don’t have anything to worry about. I’m not the one screwed right now. Craddock embezzled your money and since your car was repossessed, it doesn’t take a genius to recognize that things aren’t fine.”

Before signing with the Pioneers, money hadn’t exactly been falling out of Sam’s pocket. More than his personal loss was the hit this would take on his charity. Granted, just because he couldn’t play ball now didn’t mean he’d lost his status, or his ability to petition others to donate. He had a few years until the shine would rub off and he’d melt into obscurity.

The nauseas feeling returned. He’d never considered himself vain, though he certainly wasn’t ready to be tossed in the has-been pile. Tapping his finger against the head of the cane, he pressed his lips together. Perhaps he was turning into a narcissist like Patrick.

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