Fielding Her SECRET (Corrigan & Co. Book 1) Read online

  I’m immediately slammed backwards into my room. A hand’s clamped over my mouth, but I manage to flip the assailant over me and then I scream. He—I know it’s a he from when I was pressed against him—lunges for me again as the connecting door between my room and Zack’s splinters open. The guy sees Zack barreling through and runs out the door.

  I chase after him and have just reached the stairwell door when I’m pulled back. “Do you have a fucking death wish?”

  I can’t break my cover, so I turn to Zack and notice he’s only in his underwear. “Sorry to interrupt your date. I’m sure you can still make her scream.”

  He lets out a string of curses and follows me down the hall. I walk into my room and call security who tells me they’ll call the police. I’m not trying to eavesdrop, but there is a hole where the door was, so I can hear Zack trying to placate the woman he brought to his room.

  “We can still have fun, Zack.”

  “I’m just not into it tonight. Sorry. I can have a cab called for you.”

  “That’s okay. I’d like you to call me tomorrow night, though.”

  “Maybe.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  I hear his door close and then he walks into my room. He put on jeans, but he’s still shirtless. “Are you okay, Ains?”

  “I’m fine. You didn’t need to send her away. I’m sure they’ll get me a new room or you could have just closed the door on your side. You wanted me to hear the two of you, and now you’ve missed your chance.” I can’t keep the hurt out of my voice.

  Zack sighs and then sits on my bed, running his hands through his hair. “I told you things I’ve only ever told my sister, and you threw it in my face at the airport. That hurt me and I wanted to hurt you back.”

  I know he’s right, but I’m not interested in being the bigger person right now so I lash out as well. “Only after you treated me like I was nothing to you.”

  “I just didn’t want everyone to know about us. I don’t even know what us is and I didn’t want the guys talking about you until we figured out what we wanted to be.”

  “I could handle the guys talking about me. I wouldn’t care.”

  “But you know I would.”

  “You could’ve just said we met in the parking lot. You didn’t need to insult me.”

  “I panicked.”

  “And I reacted badly because you hurt me. I’m sorry for that.”

  “I’m sorry, too. Can we go back to where we were at the diner?”

  I want to tell him yes, but I can’t. “No. I may have been mean, but I didn’t bring a guy to my room and try to throw it in your face. You went too far.”

  “I didn’t want her. At all. I was trying to make you jealous and hurt you.”

  “Well, you succeeded. And why did your clothes end up off if you weren’t going to have sex with her?”

  He hangs his head. “I took my clothes off and then told her to take hers off while I opened my side of the connecting doors. I was planning to try to get you to open your side and see us, but then you screamed.”

  “Di-did you touch her. Never mind. That’s a stupid question. Of course you touched her.”

  “No, I didn’t. She touched my arm in the bar, but then I told her it would be sexier if we didn’t touch each other until we were in bed. She was willing to go along with whatever I wanted. They all are.” I hear the bitterness and also some hurt in his voice.

  “Except for me.”

  He laughs before responding. “Yeah. You almost never do what I want.”

  “Maybe that’s why you like me. If I start doing what you want, you’ll get bored and move on.”

  “I wasn’t bored when you kissed and hugged me at the diner. And I wanted those things very much.”

  “That? I wasn’t even being sexy.”

  “News flash, Ains. You’re always sexy to me. Always.” He walks over and kisses me sweetly.

  “Fine. You’ve worn me down. Again. I’ll go out with you tomorrow if you want.”

  “Oh, I want. But I can’t. I have plans tomorrow.”

  “All day?”

  “After practice, yeah.”

  Well, isn’t that just lovely. I give him another chance and he’s got a date already. “Well, enjoy your date.”

  “It’s not a date.”

  “That’s even better.”

  “Seriously, it’s not a date. And I’m not hooking up with some chick. I know I’ve given you no reason to trust me, but I’m asking you to. I could tell you where I’m going, but it would mean a lot to me if you could just believe that I don’t want anyone but you. Can you do that? Please?”

  I look into his eyes and see that he’s sincere. And that he needs this. He needs me to trust him. I put aside my fears and nod. “Okay. Tomorrow’s out, but it’s not because of another woman. I am trusting you, Zack. Please don’t let me down.”

  Before he can say anything else, there’s a knock at the door. I open it to find security and the police. I spend the next couple of hours going over what happened with them and then letting them try to collect evidence. The guy was wearing gloves and this is a hotel room, so they don’t find anything they can use. I tell the hotel that I’m fine staying in this room. I don’t think he’ll be back.

  Zack tries to talk to me some more, but I tell him I need to rest and ask him to close the door on his side. I can tell he doesn’t want to, but he does what I ask. I climb into bed with a million questions on my mind. I text Reina and tell her I can’t really talk with the thin door being the only thing between me and Zack. She tells me to call tomorrow when I’m alone. I fall into a deep sleep and dream of Zack and how good he looked in his boxer briefs.

  Chapter 5

  Zack

  I’m trying not to screw up anymore with Ainsley. The cops interrupted us last night, but I brought her breakfast before practice this morning. We kissed, but that’s as far as it went. I didn’t want to stop, but we wouldn’t have made it to practice—or the game tomorrow—if we’d gone any further

  I can tell that me being secretive is bothering her, but she’s doing her best to hide it and act normal. I could change my plans for today, but I honestly don’t want to. I shouldn’t have to. Ainsley’s not even my girlfriend and I’m already twisted up about her. No wonder I’ve never done relationships before. I know she’s worth it, though. I want to be with her more than I want to win tomorrow, which is pretty telling.

  Practice ends and I shower before finding a quiet corner to kiss my girl in. I break away sooner than I’d like and head out to meet Sierra. We have a great day, although she makes me go to some museums with her. That’s not really my thing, but I’d do anything for her. I actually enjoy seeing some of the paintings and sculptures. I end up buying something for Ainsley in one of the gift shops. It just reminded me of her and I know she’s going to love it. Of course that led to some questions from Sierra, but I didn’t really care.

  We walk in the door of a restaurant she said she’s been wanting to try and are met with a full waiting area. I muscle us through the throng and give my name to the hostess. I probably could’ve gotten us a table faster, but I try not to do that. Today, especially, I just want to be me.

  “Thanks again for spending the whole day with me, Zack. I know how busy you are with the game tomorrow.”

  “I’d do anything for you. You know that. You’ll be there tomorrow, right?”

  “Of course. I’d never miss the chance to see my favorite player in a live game.”

  “Thanks. It means a lot. There’s no one else I’d rather have there.” I lean over and kiss her on the cheek and then hug her tight. I look up and see Ainsley standing behind us with tears in her eyes. She’s dressed down and is wearing glasses, but she’s still got my cock twitching as I look at her. “Ains? Are you okay?”

  Sierra pushes me away and turns to see where I’m looking. “You’re Ainsley? My brother hasn’t stopped talking about you all day.”

  “Not all day. I also ta
lked to you about your life and football,” I remind her as I walk past her to see why Ainsley’s crying. “What’s wrong? Are you thinking about last night?”

  She shakes her head and then looks down. “I-I thought you two were…well…I didn’t know she was your sister.”

  It hits me like a freight train. How we would’ve looked to someone who didn’t know our relationship. Yeah. Not so good. Especially after I asked her to trust that I wasn’t going out with some other woman. I lean down to whisper in her ear. “I should’ve told you who I’d be with, but I wanted to have your trust. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

  She’s not going for it. I can still see the hurt in her eyes as she sniffles away the last of her tears. “I’m going to go now and let the two of you enjoy your dinner.”

  “You could join us. I’d love to get to know you,” Sierra tells her.

  “I don’t want to intrude on your time together.”

  I pull her chin up to make her look at me. “You wouldn’t be. Please join us.” I mean what I’m saying even though I’m a little freaked out. I’ve never been out with my sister and another girl before. She’s met a couple of the ones I went home with while at the games, but there’s never been anyone who was more than that to me.

  “Umm, you don’t look so sure,” Ainsley tells me as she looks up into my eyes. I thought I was hiding it better, but I guess I can’t really hide from her.

  My sister answers before I can. “We are.” I nod my agreement.

  I change the table size with the hostess and tell her Ainsley doesn’t need her table anymore. Now that things have slowed down a little for her, she recognizes me and we’re led to a table within minutes. She tries to hand me her number, but I decline. The girls each sit on opposite sides of the booth, and I immediately slide in next to Ainsley.

  “You don’t want to sit next to your sister?”

  “Nope. She has cooties.”

  “Jackass.”

  I shrug and pick up the menu, trying to focus on ordering. My thigh is pressed up against Ainsley’s in the booth and the contact is making it hard for me to concentrate. She squirms a little and I know she’s affected, too. I just need to figure out why she’s still upset—because I can tell she is—and then maybe she’ll let me kiss her again.

  We’re all ready to order when the waiter comes back and then Ainsley asks to get out of the booth so she can use the restroom. I let her out and then watch her go with a frown on my face. “Fuck. I just keep screwing things up with her.”

  “It’s not all on you. I mean, I’m not gonna lie or sugarcoat for you. She should definitely be gun shy with your previous behavior, but she needs to give you a chance.”

  “I told you about last night.”

  “That was one of the dumbest things you’ve ever done. I’ll give you that. If she really wants to be with you, she’ll give you another chance to prove you’ve changed and that you were just acting out.”

  “Acting out? What am I, five?”

  “You really do act like it sometimes.”

  “Thanks.”

  “Any time, big brother.”

  I laugh with her and we joke around until Ainsley comes back. She still looks subdued, giving a small smile and thank you when I let her back into the booth. She sips her water and looks around everywhere but at me. My sister lets it go on for a few minutes, but she is my sister after all, and she’s not having it.

  “You’re really that upset about my brother saying what he did, Ainsley?”

  “Wh-what?”

  “This is because he told me how excited he is that I’m going to the game tomorrow, isn’t it?”

  She looks my sister in the eye and then nods. “I have to be there for work, but I thought maybe he was happy I’d be there for him, too. I don’t have to be the one he wants there more than anyone else, but I’d like to be wanted.” She turns and looks at me, then. “I don’t expect you to tell me now, just because you know I want you to. That wouldn’t mean anything. I just hope it means something to you that I will be.”

  Holy fucking hell. We’ve only had one game since we started hanging out, but I didn’t realize that I’ve never said anything to her about how it made me feel to know she was there. That she was cheering for me. And not because she was hoping to get me to go on a date or to bed with her. She could have those things whenever she wants. No, she was there for me and I’ve never let her know how much that means.

  I reach over and take her hand. “It’s everything to me that you’re going to be there, Ains. Everything. I know you’ll be analyzing my play for the team and will help me do better. But I also know you’re there for me. The real me and not the image. Last week when I saw you jumping up and down after my touchdown, I felt like the biggest, most important guy in the world. Because I knew it was just your friend Zack you were cheering for. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you that.”

  “Friend? You two are so much more than friends. I’m about to combust over here just from the heat you’re generating. And you’re only holding hands.”

  “We are friends, Sierra. We…I…I mean…we just hang out.”

  “Oh, I’ve heard. Believe me. I know all about these past two weeks. Let me tell you something, though. My brother has never hung out with a woman before. Going to lunch every day is not part of his agenda when it comes to women.” She turns to me as I frown. “Don’t act hurt. Everyone at this table knows what you’ve been like. I’m just trying to get her to see how different you are with her and how much that should mean to her.”

  “It does mean a lot that you’re willing to take things slow for me. But yesterday, it was bad, Zack. I’m not even going to pretend it wasn’t. You were embarrassed to be seen with me at the airport and then you brought a woman to your room. Whether you were going to really do anything or not isn’t really important. Just that you brought here there and took off your clothes. I spent most of the day reminding myself that you said you wanted only me, and telling myself to believe it, but I can’t just forget what happened.”

  “I wasn’t embarrassed. I’d never be embarrassed of you. Ever. The woman last night was really bad, I know it and I own that mistake. Nothing was going to happen with her. I swear it. I just wanted to hurt you because I was hurt by what you said at McCarran.”

  “I own that I hurt you. What I said at the airport was horrible. I shouldn’t have reacted that way. I believe you when you say nothing would’ve happened with that woman. It was just a lot to take in, especially coupled with someone trying to attack me.”

  “So what I’m hearing is that you both behaved badly—although my brother gets the award for biggest asshole—and seem to be sorry about it.” We both nod. “Now you need to decide if you can get past that and go fuck like bunnies all night.”

  “Sierra!”

  “I’m not a kid, Zack. I don’t sleep around like you have, but I’ve had my fair share of fun.”

  “I could use some fun.” All the blood just rushed to my cock and when I turn and see Ainsley biting her bottom lip after saying that, I can’t stop myself from leaning over and kissing her. I don’t take it too far since I still have enough functioning brain cells to remember that we’re in a restaurant. With my sister.

  “We can have fun later,” I whisper to her when I pull back.

  “Okay.” She smiles shyly and then looks at my sister. “I’m sorry that we’ve been neglecting you and your life while you tried to help us with our problems.”

  “No worries. I just want to see my brother happy. I’d hoped it would be here, but Las Vegas seems to be working out for him.”

  “Here?”

  “Yeah. It was a secret, but I was supposed to be traded here before Jack offered my former team a better deal. I would’ve been able to keep an eye on my apparently wild sister. I’d bought a house already. I was really angry about it, but now things seem to be turning around.”

  “Oh. I didn’t know.” She has a weird look on her face.

  “No one did. It was
really kept quiet and then, well, it didn’t happen. Like I said, I’m happy now, though. Very happy. The team is great and you, well, you make it all even better.”

  The rest of dinner goes smoothly; although, I still feel like something’s a little off. Ainsley and I eat off each other’s plates like we started doing for lunch a few days ago. I like it. I like her. I don’t know where this is going, but I feel happier than I’ve felt in a really long time.

  * * *

  Ainsley

  I’m freaking out a little. Okay, a lot. Zack has a motive for sabotaging the team. He’s so close to his sister and he was going to be living near her until Jack Rivers dashed those plans. I don’t want to believe that he’s involved, but I can’t ignore what I just found out. I’ve got a job to do and my emotions can’t interfere with doing it.

  We’re on our way back to the hotel. Sierra insisted on driving us both back. I’m texting Reina from the backseat while they talk up front.

  Me: I have a problem.

  Reina: What’s wrong?

  Me: Zack Taylor was supposed to be traded here and had bought a house already. His sister, who he’s really close to, lives here. Jack made a better offer and he went to Vegas instead.

  Reina: Well, shit. Now we have another suspect. How’d you find out?

  Me: I had dinner with Zack and his sister, Sierra.

  It takes her a couple minutes to respond. I know Reina and so I know she’s trying to figure out how to ask me why I was at dinner with them. I’ll have to answer honestly.

  Reina: Spill.

  Me: I like him. A lot. We’ve been having lunch together almost every day.

  Reina: Like as in you want to play football with him? Or like as in you want to have hot sex with him all night?

  Me: Option number 2, although I WOULD play football with him, too.

  Reina: Are you alone?

  Me: No. I’m the car with them.