Page 18 of Playing for Keeps
“Can we watch mermaid?”
“Only if you promise to sing the songs.” He replied, shifting his attention from me to his daughter. It was the most beautiful moment I’d witnessed. Cameron picked her up, turning toward me, and he held out his hand. “Let’s watch the mermaid.” Waiting for me to take his hand, I jumped from the stool and did just that. It was magical, simple, and regular.
During the movie, Cameron sat between Sofia and me, his arm around his daughter as she lay against him, her tiny fingers intertwined with his shirt. His other hand cupped with mine, our fingers locked together. I had never fallen for someone so quickly, so hard, and yet with him, I allowed myself to fall without an effort to stop. He was a dream and made me feel special, seen, and loved.
I felt a little saddened when day turned to night, not because I didn’t want time alone with him but because I knew morning was only a few short hours away. I wanted to stay in this bubble with him and Sofia, even though I knew it wasn’t possible. It was later that night. I discovered it was his assistant, a young man named Chris, who had been sent to my home and picked up my personal belongings and some clothing. Of course, nothing leftthe house until I gave Marty permission. She wanted details of what was going on, and I wanted to share them with her, but not at that moment. That time was for Cameron and me.
Dressed in my black teddy, I waited for him to put Sofia to bed, taking in my surroundings, still unable to believe this was where I was. How fast I had gotten here. Cameron came into the room, closing the door behind him with an exhausted grin. Pulling his shirt off, he climbed onto the bed, moving over me with a playful groan as he kissed along my neck. It was as if we had known one another, been together even, forever. We fit perfectly together. Sitting back in the middle of the bed, he gripped my wrist and pulled me onto his lap, my legs wrapped around him.
His hands gripped my ass, pulling me into him as his lips moved along my collarbone softly. “I’ve been thinking about this all day.” He admitted before his lips returned to my skin. I closed my eyes, taking in the pleasurable feeling he brought through my body, that aching between my thighs growing as I felt his bulge grow against me. “But first I need to shower.” He quickly added to my dislike. He smirked at me, slapped my ass before he lifted me and placed me in the center of the bed, parting my thighs. “You stay just like that.” He teased, jumping from the bed.
Laughing, I watched him pull his shirt over his head as he moved across the room, tossing it to the corner. Untying his sweats, I took in the view of his body, biting against my lower lip. “Cameron, can I ask you something?”
“You can ask me anything.” He replied, stepping from his pants.
“Where is Sofia’s mother?” Instantly, I noticed his demeanor change as he stood straight up in just his boxer briefs.
“She lives on the East side of town, in an expensive condo.” He replied in a voice I’d not heard before, lowered, emotionless.
“Oh.” It was all I could say. I wanted to know more, to know everything, though I realized quickly that this wasn’t the time. But what could I do? The question was already out. I looked away briefly until he returned to the bed and sat on its edge.
“I met her when I was on the road. She was a bunny.” I had heard of those, those women who follow teams and players with one intent only. It didn’t matter if they were married; they just wanted to bang their athletes. They were one of the biggest reasons I had always stayed away from dating a player, the heartbreaking stories I’d heard and seen play out because of these women and the cheating men.
“We hooked up a few times for over a year, Sofia was a product of our time together.” He continued. “Tried to make it work, but she’s a little much, so I left and took our daughter with me.”
“Does she see Sofia?” I asked.
Cameron nodded. “Yeah. It’s why I’ve made sure she lives in a good place. Lana and Easton help me when it comes to the visits.”
“Why?”
“It’s better that way.” He answered. I knew there was more to the story, but I wouldn’t dare to push it or him. “Be right back.” He said with a light expression.
I sat and watched him go into the bathroom, undressing, and then he moved out of view into the shower. As the water came to life, I took another glance around the room, took in everything he had said to me that day, the wonderful time I had with his daughter and him, and even the story of his ex. If I wanted to leave, that moment would have been the time. Could I do this? Could I be the woman in his child’s life? Could we keep our relationship private? From my father? Would his ex be a problem? What would happen to his career and reputation if we explored each other more? All the questions rolled through mymind at a rapid pace, and yet nothing could get me to walk away from him.
He was willing to risk his life. I’m willing to risk my heart.
Stepping from the bed, I moved to the bathroom, seeing him in the shower, the water rolling over him, down his perfectly sculpted form. I dropped my teddy into a puddle at my feet and stepped into the shower behind him, pressing against his backside as my hands wrapped around him. We stood connected, there were no words to say, no promises to make, just two people drawn together, relishing in a perfect moment.
He slowly turned to face me; our gazes met in the tenderness of that moment. He leaned forward, our lips pressed together, and I felt the butterflies, the weakness of my knees. My feet left the wet floor, my legs wrapped around him, and his hands gripped my ass. He turned me, pressing my back against the marble wall, the water rolling over us, our kiss breaking. We said what we needed without a single word. This wasn’t an affair; this was love. He lowered me slightly, his hips glided forward, and I felt him claim me. There we made love, connecting forever. Paradise.
CHAPTER 18
CAMERON
We sat outside her house, locked in a passionate kiss; my fingers brushed through her hair, and my body reacted to her touch. Without warning, this woman had managed to overtake all my rational thought, my focus. One night, that was all it took for my priorities to change. Waking up a part of me I hadn’t even known to be sleeping. Hannah leaned her head to the side, allowing me greater access to her. Kissing down the soft slope of her neck, I felt her hand grip my arm, my dick growing hard at the desire of having her right then and there.
“You’re going to be late.” She whispered against my ear, her voice a sultry tone. She knew what she was doing to me. I did not doubt it.
Lifting from her, our lust-filled gazes connected, “Then we should make the most of it.” I replied, my lips returned to her neck, and my palm with a hard squeeze of her breast.
“Cameron.” Even the way she spoke my name caused my body to ignite. “You can’t be late for practice. It will be noticed.” Grunting with her words, I sat back in my seat, frustrated. I knew she was right, but that didn’t mean I needed to like it.“Sorry.” She said with a slight giggle, laying her head against the headrest, looking at me.
“You see what you do to me?” I teased with my gaze shifted to her, a slight motion to the bulge in my pants.
“Sorry.” Hannah smiled with that look of playfulness. “We had this talk, can’t draw any attention, everything needs to go on like normal. At least for now.” I nodded in understanding.
That morning, we lay in bed, her naked in my arms, setting what I would have called rules for our relationship. They were more for me, protecting my job, than for her. No matter how much I rebutted, she refused to alter, often telling me she wouldn’t let me risk everything I’ve worked for, for Sofia. The rules were straightforward. There would be no touching or affection in public. We would never address one another at the stadium, unless someone else initiated it. If we went out, measures would be in place to ensure that no photos were taken, and only a select few people would be present. If I were to stay at her place, my car would have to be hidden in the back. If she stayed at mine, she would be picked up by Chris and brought through the back entrance. Only four people were permitted to know about our relationship: Lana, Easton, Marty, and Chris. Sofia had even been told it was a secret and not to speak about Hannah to her mother. It was a strange arrangement, though one needed.
