Hail Mary (Red Zone Rivals, #4)

by Kandi Steiner

Without even trying. You’ve driven me out of my mind since the moment you moved across the street.” “And now you’ve had me,” she said, her eyes meeting mine with a despair. “So, what more is there? What could I possibly have to offer you?”

“I hate myself because I know that I’m part of the reason you feel this way about yourself.”

“No, it’s true and we both know it. La cagué. I fucked up. And it doesn’t matter that I didn’t know it was you, that it was my girl I was hurting that day after practice in high school. Because it was you, the girl I didn’t know but should have wanted to, the girl who was brave enough to approach me when I had such asshole friends and every eye in school on me.” “I don’t blame you for not giving me a second look. I was—” “As beautiful then as you are now,”

“It was me who was el idiota. Me. Okay? And I will spend every second of every day on my knees to make it up to you.” Mary waggled her brows. “On your knees, hmm?” I cherished that smile, that lightening in her mood, but I wouldn’t let this go until I knew I’d made myself clear.

“You want to know what you have to offer me?” I asked. “Todo. Everything. A chance to start over. A chance to be myself. A chance to have what I’ve always wanted. You offer laughter and adventure, spontaneity and challenge, life,” I said. “You infuriate me,” I added with a smile. “In the best possible way. You make me want to be better, and you make me mad with the need to touch every inch of you until I can map your body out with my eyes closed.”

“I’m sorry I hurt you. I’m so, so fucking sorry. But I’m here. And I want you, Mary, you. All of you. Exclusive. No bullshit, no wondering what’s next, no games.”

“I’ve never felt anything for anyone else but you — even when I didn’t know it was you all along. You’re fucking it for me.”

“This is the real thing, Stig. You and me, right here, right now. I want it. I want us.” “I want us, too.”

“I’m yours,” I promised her. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“You can’t be late to practice.” “I have just enough time.” “To what — get dressed?” “To make you come,”

“You’ve got two minutes to fuck my hand and come for me,” I told her, curling a second finger inside her. “Can you do that for me?” “No,” she said, panting. “No?” I repeated with a challenge, working my fingers inside her as I lowered my mouth to her clit. She bucked her hips when I sucked her into my mouth, and the moan she let out told me she was lying. “I mean, I can,” she amended, panting. “But I want you.”

“I want you buried so deep I feel you in my gut.” “That’s my girl,” I praised, and then I reached down to fist my cock and drive it inside her.

“Fuck, this was not my plan.” “To fuck me before breakfast?” “To come after three pumps inside you,” I said, smacking the side of her ass. “Now, turn around and grab the headboard so I can rail you properly.”

“You love taking this cock, don’t you?” I asked, licking behind her ear as I flexed deeper. “Touch yourself while I fuck you. Play with those sweet tits.”

“We’re running out of time,” I told her. “Come now or you won’t come at all.” She mewled, as if I’d actually leave without getting her off now. Coach could make me run laps all fucking day and I’d do so happily if I had the sounds of Mary’s climax as a soundtrack replaying in my head.

I was deep inside her, and she was touching herself in every place that worked her to the edge. There was only one place empty, and I took a real fucking risk when I went for it without so much as a casual conversation about whether it was okay or not. Sliding one hand from her hip, I ran a palm over her ass, smacking it softly before I settled my thumb at the tight opening above the one I was balls-deep in now. “Yes,” she begged. “Yes.” With that permission, I slicked my thumb in the wetness between us before gently pressing into her. I didn’t push all the way in, just slipped the very tip of my thumb into that tight entrance, but it was enough.

They all pinned me with annoyed glares, but then Kyle let out a fizz of a laugh that set the rest of them laughing, too. And I didn’t care that they cracked jokes the whole ride in, or that by the time I showered and made it on the field, I was a little late and had to run laps to make up for it. I smiled the entire time. I couldn’t wait to get back home.

Leo: Only had to run ten laps. Proceeded to have the best practice of my life afterward. Me: Hmm… sounds like I should be part of your training program. Leo: Deep in you, and then deep in the end zone? I like the sound of that.

“Mary!” Braden called, slinging his bag onto the bay window bench I’d just cleaned. He wrapped me up in a hug and spun me around before I could yell at him. “We’ve missed you.”

“How’s my girl?” he asked sleepily. I smiled, heart skipping a beat. “Better now.”

“You’re looking at NBU’s new Captain.” My jaw slackened. “Wait… really?!” I didn’t even think before I leapt at him, and he caught me just in time for another long, deep kiss. When I pulled back, I slapped him on the arm. “How long have you known? Why didn’t you text me and tell me?” “Because I wanted to see this face in person,” he said, tapping my nose.

“I like when you wear my clothes,” he said, dropping his chain from his mouth and crossing the room to me. I saw evidence of exactly how much he liked it pressing against his shorts as he ran the back of his fingers over my shoulder. “You’re not worried about me stretching them out?” I asked. He almost growled, hands clapping down on the arms of the chair and caging me in as he dropped his mouth to mine. “Woman, if you don’t stop with that shit,” he warned. “Besides, even if you did, it only seems fair, since stretching you out is my favorite pastime.”

“If you want me to play,” he said, drawing a line along my inner thigh. “You have to keep playing.”

“Come on, baby,” he breathed against my core, licking one long, slow swipe of his tongue in time with his finger inside me. “Can you fuck my fingers and stay alive, too?”

“If you want me to gag on it, pay attention,” I told him when he looked down at me.

“Filthy fucking girl,” he cursed against my neck, biting it as he retracted and pushed just a little farther in. “I’m not going to last with you so wet for me.” “Let’s see if you can set a record, then,” I challenged, tucking my pelvis so I took more of him inside me. “How fast can you come, Leo?”

God, it was easy to get lost in that girl.

“Listen, I hate thinking about the years I missed with you. But at the same time, I wonder if it all worked out the way it was supposed to.”

“Leo Hernandez, a believer in fate?” “If fate is what brought you to me, I’m not only a believer — I’m a worshiper.”

“It’s nothing compared to seeing you in the stands now.”

“I brought you here because I wanted to share a little of my life before you came back into it,” I said.

“I wanted to tell you what was important to me before I found you again. And I want you to tell me about you, too. I want to know how you spent your days, your nights, how you ended up in the house across the street, how you found your way to the shop, what your parents are like, your brother. Everything.”

“I don’t think my story will be as light as yours.” “So, let me sit in the darkness with you.”

“It was because of you, you know,” I said softly, fingers trailing over her leg. “I wouldn’t have had the courage to choose NBU if I’d never have met you.” “Yes, you would have.” “No,” I assured her. “I was content to go to Southern Alabama, to be what my dad wanted me to be. But when I met you, when I heard you talk so fearlessly about how you went against the grain with your parents, how you were so fearlessly yourself… it inspired me.”

“After I lost you, it felt like a way to honor what we had, to stand up for myself and choose the school I wanted to go to instead of bending to my father.” Mary smiled, her brows bending together. “I love that, Leo.”

“One day at a time, I’ll stay. I’ll be here for you. And I’ll prove to you that you don’t have anything to be afraid of.”

“You know… I always wanted to make out under these bleachers.” I arched a brow. “Did you now?” “I’m ashamed to admit how many times I fantasized that it’d be you.” “Well, shit,” I said, pulling her to stand. “I’ll be damned if I miss an opportunity to play out one of your fantasies.”

“Mamá, this is Mary,” he said, pulling me close. “Ah, so this is the girl who’s stolen my son’s heart,” she mused. I flushed furiously, but Leo only kissed my temple and nodded. “The very one.”

“She’s too pretty for you.” I laughed, and Leo smiled like this was normal for them. “Lo sé.”

“Help me plate these pastelitos de guayaba and I’ll show you how to make coffee.” “Oh, I know how to make coffee,” I said. She arched that brow at me again, looking at Leo who held up his hands in surrender. “Be easy on her, Mamá, I want to keep her.”

“He loves you, you know,” she said after a moment. “My son.”

“Ten cuidado con su corazón, Mary,” she said with a smile. “Be careful with his heart.”

“There is a way you could properly thank me… for the apprenticeship, the job…” My stomach instantly soured.

In the span of twenty minutes, I’d been promoted, assaulted, fired, and denounced by a man I’d looked to as inspiration for years. I took ten steps toward my car, and then I vomited.

Instead, her face was red and puffy, eyes swollen, lashes wet. She’d been crying. And instantly, I was ready to kill. “What happened?” She shook her head, trying to pull me down into the sheets with her. “Forget it.” “Absolutely not.”

She bit her lip against a wave of tears, finally meeting my gaze after taking a deep breath. “He offered me my own chair. Then, he gave me a hug, and proceeded to grind his erection into me and say he could think of a way or two to properly thank him.” My soul left my body. It hovered above us, listening as Mary continued, saying that when she’d turned him down, he’d taken everything back and fired her. I thought I also heard her say she kneed him in the balls, but I couldn’t even find joy in that. My body was detached, a numb sort of fire crawling up my spine. My jaw ached with how tight it was, throat constricting with the need to scream. That was it. I was going to jail tonight.

“If you ever so much as fucking look at her again, I’ll kill you,”

“Leave me alone, Leo,” I pleaded softly, bringing my eyes to meet his. “I need you to leave me alone.” He swallowed. “What if I can’t?” “Then you’ll prove that you really don’t care about me at all.”

But even though I knew she was safe, I still couldn’t sleep. Because safe or not, I’d lost her all the same.

I didn’t lose her. I couldn’t lose her.