UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT (Gods of the Gridiron Book 1) Page 2

  He looked her over and tried to rack his brain. High cheekbones, great tits, curvy hips, porcelain skin... Nope, he was drawing a blank. But then again, he’d been hit one too many times in the head since high school.

  “Got a name, Fireball?”

  “Yes, Travis Redmond, I do. Too bad you don’t remember it,” she sassed, and he couldn’t help but laugh at this woman’s audacity. He was certain he would’ve remembered a sexy, feisty redhead; this lady was unforgettable.

  “You’re gonna make me work for it... Ok, fine. Maybe it’ll be fun.” His grin was like the cat that ate the canary for a moment before he spied her engagement ring again. Damn! She was engaged, he’d forgotten. Too bad too, because he could’ve had loads of fun with this sassy, little ginger. Each one he’d ever taken to bed had truly been straight fire, and tonight, he needed that kind of fire to forget all his problems.

  “Oh, I—” she stammered as she went to remove the ring from her finger. “I—I’m not—”

  “Sure. And I’m not one of the NFL’s leading running backs.”

  “No. Actually. He—he, uh—”

  “Sure, he did.” Travis went to turn, annoyed by the woman’s sudden separation from her fiancé on his account.

  “He was fucking his secretary. I just found out yesterday. It’s one of the reasons I’m here. Along with work. I needed to get away.” She blushed, her face as red as her hair. Tears hit her blue eyes. “The affair is big news now. The media got wind of it this morning,” she mumbled, looking down.

  “Bummer.” He understood how the media took a story and ran with it. “So, your fiancé a politician or somethin’?”

  “He’s the mayor of Atlanta.”

  “No shit!” She lived in Atlanta, too? “Wait, ain’t he a bit old for you?” The mayor was, indeed, an old dude.

  “I guess it doesn’t matter much anymore, does it?” She smirked sarcastically, and Travis’s eyes fell over her face.

  She had a light dusting of freckles, which her foundation covered, rosy cheeks, an aquiline nose, and no-nonsense blue eyes. And in that moment, she looked as run-down as he did. He took pity on her and felt bad for calling her a bitch behind her back.

  “Hank, get us two shots. Make ‘em lemon drops.”

  “No,” the pretty woman protested, shaking her head. “I can’t. Really.”

  “Oh, c’mon. Have a drink with your old classmate. We’re celebrating a reunion. Just a round or two. It won’t hurt ya. Besides, there ain’t enough liquor in those things to even get you good and buzzed.”

  She cocked her head, trying to get him to understand, but he persisted.

  “Just one. Maybe two. I swear, I’ll get you home in one piece.”

  “Oh, I know exactly what you’ll try to do… if you’re anything like what you were back in high school. But my car needs a tow and the wrecker’s gonna be a while, so I’ll have one, maybe two with you. But I am not going home with you, Travis.”

  “Deal!” Travis grinned and motioned for Hank to get the shots. “But I gotta ask? Have we slept together before?”

  She shook her head dramatically. “I’d never sleep with you. Not in a million years.”

  “Right, but you’ll sleep with the damn, old-ass, bald guy you were engaged to,” Travis snorted. The woman didn’t confirm nor deny the accusation but she sure as hell was gonna marry the asshole, so there was that.

  “So, are you gonna tell me your damn name so I can get reacquainted with you or are you gonna continue to keep me guessin’?”

  She laughed, like genuinely laughed, and Travis was taken by how beautiful she was as her face lit up.

  Wow! How had he forgotten a woman who looked like that?

  “Skyla.”

  “Skyla?” Travis was combing through every neuron to try and remember this lady, but he couldn’t place her to save his life.

  “I wore glasses, had braces, was overweight,” she elaborated. “Skyla Larson from Bio.”

  “You’re fuckin’ kidding me!”

  Travis was literally dumbfounded as he recalled the chubby, strawberry blonde he’d had Biology with. The girl he remembered was shy, practically mute, and tripped over her own two feet constantly.

  “No way! You are not.”

  “Am too.” Skyla’s brow rose.

  Travis’s eyes roved over her. She’d honed that fleshy pubescent body into a slender masterpiece, taken those ugly-ass glasses and braces off, and now she was fine AF, and he told her so. “Damn! You’re smokin’ fuckin’ hot now, Skyla. What’d you discover? P90X?”

  She rolled her eyes but gave him a smile. “Thanks, Travis. That means a lot coming from you. But not only did I discover P90X and clean-eating, I also grew the fuck up… unlike some of my classmates.”

  Travis laughed. Damn, this was entertaining and got his mind off the fear that his life had become since his brother had come to him three months ago, pleading for five million dollars and protection. “You grew up alright.” Travis’s eyes focused on her big breasts, and he remembered that she did have those in high school—Braces, buck teeth, and big tits. It was starting to come back to him now. “You were never sarcastic though, and I can’t say I like that about you.”

  “Good thing I don’t give a shit what you like.”

  “Burn, baby.” He smirked. “Is the rest of you as scalding hot as that tongue of yours?” He gave her a crooked grin.

  “Wouldn’t you like to find out?” she asked and thanked Hank for the shots he placed before them.

  “Yes! I would indeed,” Travis answered and raised his shot after Sky grabbed hers. “Here’s to reconnections.”

  “Here’s to facing our fears.”

  Travis frowned even as Skyla smiled. What the hell would she know about fear?

  She downed her shot like a pro, and Travis couldn’t hide his surprise. He followed with his own and pulled a lemon wedge to his mouth, sucking it as he set his shot glass down.

  “Why do I suddenly get the feeling I’ve been the butt of many of your jokes over the years? And why the hell does it seem like you’ve done that many times before?” He motioned to the empty shot glass on the bar top.

  Skyla’s brow rose, as if she were keeping a dark secret. “Nope, we aren't going there. Let’s just say, I discovered who I was in college.”

  Travis’s grin deepened. “Pray tell exactly what you discovered. Was it your vagina and how much it likes to swallow cock?” His own brow went up.

  “I’m not even honoring that with an answer. I swear to God, you haven’t changed at all. It’s like I’m looking at the sixteen-year-old version of you all over again.”

  “You didn’t even know me. You talk like we were together.”

  “I knew enough,” she grated as she looked at her watch. “I can’t believe I have to sit here with you for another half hour. Talk about fucking torture.”

  “Oh, c’mon. I’m not that bad...am I?” Travis frowned again. When she just looked him over, he said, “You didn’t answer my first question.”

  “Butt of my jokes? No, but I’m sure your ears were burning from all the swearing I threw at you.”

  Travis was taken off-guard. He didn’t remember mistreating this woman in any way. In fact, he’d taken up for her on more than one occasion and informed her of this to which she responded with, “Yeah, yeah, I know how you jocks were. You made fun of anyone who wasn’t like you. At Brevidge High, if you didn’t fit in with the jocks, rednecks, goths or nerds, there wasn’t a place for you. It’s such a totalitarian view. News flash, I don’t fit into a box.”

  “Whoa, easy there, McFly. You act like you were bullied so badly—”

  “Don’t,” Skyla growled and flicked her finger into Travis’s face. “Don’t act like you even remember. You were there living your glory days. You weren’t in the girls’ bathrooms, you weren’t having to listen to the bullshit and stupid drama. You were too busy scoring touchdowns and getting into girls’ panties and didn’t have a damn care in the world
. Meanwhile, because I was more concerned with my GPA than fucking GAP, I was ridiculed constantly. I wanted more than to be someone’s damn arm candy. Thank you very much.” Skyla’s voice was high-pitched, echoing inside the bar so loudly that the glasses could have rattled.

  Travis was floored by her admissions.

  Sure, Skyla might have been picked on here and there, by boys and girls alike, but he couldn’t remember her ever actually being hurt by someone. Then again, damn if she wasn’t right. Travis had been too concerned with trying to score with Brittany Balboa and making the varsity team his junior year than anything else...and he’d done both.

  He felt bad all of a sudden, for there were unshed tears in Skyla’s eyes and the pain of these memories tore into him. “Jeez, Sky, I guess I didn’t realize how bad high school was for you. I’m sorry.”

  “You’re not half as fuckin’ sorry as I am.” She began to rifle through her giant purse again, looking for tissues, he assumed, as a tear ran down her cheek.

  Hank placed another round of lemon drop shots down in front of them; he must have sensed they needed them.

  “Here,” Travis offered and pushed her shot towards her. “To high school being over.”

  “Fuck high school,” Sky shouted and shot the lemon drop back. She swallowed with a grimace and found the tissue she’d been searching for. She blotted at her eyes and looked back at him. “It wouldn’t have been so bad if it weren’t for you.”

  “Me?” What the hell did I do? he thought and frowned, getting a cynical laugh out of Skyla.

  “Isn’t it obvious, Travis?”

  Travis looked around thoughtfully, then shrugged as his eyes fell back on her. “No. I don’t know what you mean. I was nice to you in fact, if I remember correctly...”

  She huffed and rolled her eyes. “I had a huge-ass crush on you, idiot. Didn’t you know?”

  Travis almost choked on the shot he’d flung back. His eyes went wide. Skyla Larson had a crush on him? When? How? Why? Hadn’t she just said—?

  “I know what you’re thinking,” she stated with a giggle. Uh oh, the alcohol was starting to take effect. “She was a dork, she didn’t even think about boys, she was too busy with books.” She had changed her voice to sound manlier, but it made her sound like Bullwinkle the Moose, and Travis couldn’t help but chuckle. “But dammit dude, I had it bad for you. So bad.”

  He’d like for her to show him how bad. A million sexy thoughts flooded his mind as he fantasized grabbing her up and blowing her mind as he fucked her senseless. It had been a while for him.

  “Oh no. Don’t even think about it, stud. I’m not sleepin’ with you. I already told you.” She scolded, waving a finger in the air.

  “Oh c’mon, you had fantasies about me. Surely there’s a part of you that’s still curious.” He couldn’t help but grin again.

  She smirked and shook her head. “Not in the least. I made something of myself...without climbing the ladder that way.”

  “Me too.” He jeered back and crossed his arms over his broad chest.

  “How about assistant DA?”

  Travis’s eyebrows shot up. That’s right! She was ADA Larson, he suddenly realized.

  “Well on my way to becoming DA, eventually…if I keep playing my cards right.”

  “That’s an impressive accomplishment, Sky.” And sexy as hell, he thought. This woman was feisty, curvy, and probably commanded a courtroom the way she was commanding his semi-erect cock at that moment. He was getting her into bed if it was the last thing he did tonight. “So, why the fuck was your ex-fiancé cheating on you? What an idiot!”

  “You think?” she frowned even as she motioned for Hank to refill their shots.

  Travis smiled. Yes, drink up darlin’, I’m gonna have you naked and on your back before the night is through. “Hell yes, woman. Have you looked in a mirror recently?”

  “Looks aren’t everything, Travis. Gah, I thought you’d gotten over that shit. You’ll never learn. I swear, you’re still a child.”

  “I can assure you, Sky, I got a Dirk Diggler-sized johnson in my pants that says otherwise.” He leaned in even as he got another giggle out of her. She sure loosened up when she got a couple shots in.

  “Dirk Diggler, huh? I’m surprised women don’t run in the opposite direction then. I know I would.” She laughed.

  “Alright, well maybe I’m exaggerating a bit. But still, there’s nothing about me even remotely childlike.” If she were a piece of steak right now, he would eat her up with just the look in his eyes.

  She smirked. “Didn’t mean to damage your ego there, beefcake. You’ve grown a beard and bulked up a bit since I last saw you.” Her eyes moving over his body made him feel like he was being engulfed in licking hot flames of desire. “You’re even bigger in person than on TV.” She gripped his bicep and attempted to squeeze the thick, taut muscle. “Hmm,” she murmured as her small hand rested there.

  When Travis’s eyes came up to hers, he felt a jolt shake him as if Cupid had shot an arrow right through his heart. Fuck, he wanted her. He wanted her with an ache that wouldn’t wait. The need to take her to the bathroom and claim her was so strong he had a hard time resisting it.

  She must have seen it, for she quickly pulled her hand down and looked around bashfully. So, she liked bulging biceps, huh? Perfect. He flexed the arm she’d just been touching for good measure, watching as her eyes widened and her jaw dropped. He would bet her panties were damp with desire, and he almost growled in yearning.

  “You like muscles, baby doll?” he asked. “I got more.” He moved his free hand down his chest and abs, watching her eyes follow down to his tenting crotch. His cock was itching for love in that moment, as gnawing as a toothache. Just as he started to grab for her hand to let her feel what her eyes were doing to him, she shot up from the stool.

  “I—I uh, I should go check and see if the tow truck is here.” She cleared her throat and pulled the heavy bag up to her shoulder.

  “I’ll walk you out,” he said as he stood too and pulled a hundred-dollar bill from his wallet, throwing it on the bar top. “Keep the change, Hank.” He nodded to the bartender and ran after a retreating Skyla who was heading out the door.

  CHAPTER ONE

  Skyla Larson attempted to rein in her breathing and her pounding heart as she stepped from the bar and back out into the rain. This wasn’t happening. This night had gotten so much worse than she ever thought it could.

  First, she’d been humiliated seeing Sampson Steinberger on TV with his arm around the young, blonde secretary he’d been fucking behind her back for far too long. Then she was forced to come to San Antonio to investigate a string of crimes believed to be connected to the Italian mob family she’d been investigating. And, of fucking course, she just had to run into the one person she’d prayed to never have to see again—Travis fucking Redmond.

  He’d been the one man she’d never been able to get off her mind, no matter how much distance she put between herself and him, and damned if he hadn’t been traded to Atlanta—of all the motherfucking places on earth—from the Stallions. And who but him would she run into the first time she’d come home to San Antonio in ten long years! It was as if fate was fucking her in the ass. Ok, bitch, I hear you!

  “Fuck!” she yelled out into the dark night sky. Why?

  Travis had been her high school crush. Gorgeous and untouchable even as he haunted her dreams with hot, raw sex almost nightly. The dreams had been so vivid, his hands so intimate and familiar roaming over her flesh, but she’d never felt worthy of him. Sky had been fat and insecure, a social outcast who cowered in the shadow of his illustrious glory. She’d come a very long way from those days she’d tried so hard to forget, but seeing him here in the flesh, more handsome and powerful than ever, and she became that undeserving, timid, reticent girl all over again.

  “Motherfucking shit!” she screamed again. She’d swore more in the last forty-five minutes than she had all year, and it was his fault.

/>   She looked around the dismal night, cursing the rain, her mood, and the damn blown tire a hundred yards down the wet road. She started to walk, only to have her shoulder grabbed.

  “Hey, wait up, Speedy Gonzalez.”

  “Dammit, Travis, fucking leave me alone. Can’t you take a hint?” she threw back over her shoulder as she shrugged his hand off and continued trudging along.

  “Easy there, Fireball. I just didn’t want you to be all alone walking out of a bar at night. Don’t you watch the news?”

  Fireball. Ha! She was only feisty with him...and bad guys in the courtroom. Otherwise, she was as easy-going as a Sunday morning. Perhaps that’s why Sam had been fucking his damn secretary because Skyla was too easy-going, too even-keeled, too complacent. Perhaps Fireball needed to stick around and stir some shit up!

  “I know what bad guys do, I help put them behind bars, remember?” she smirked.

  “So tough, it’s hot as fuck. I’d love to tangle with you.”

  “Not so fast there, Rocky. I know tai chai, karate, and krav maga.”

  “Nice. A woman who can kick my ass. Keep talking, baby, you’re making my dick hard.”

  “Jesus, you’re impossible. Get away from me, you freak.”

  “Oh, you haven’t seen a freak yet, darlin’.” He laughed and the sound of it rippled through her, all the way down to her sex.

  Skyla picked up her pace but knew he was a running back and would outrun her long after she gave out.

  “Where we going, by the way?” Travis asked and plucked the umbrella from her hands, her skin burning where his broad shoulder brushed hers. She inhaled sharply.

  “To my rental. Waiting on a tow truck, remember?”

  “Yup. Just wanted to know how far.”

  Skyla pointed to the SUV barely forty yards up the slight hill before them, the sound of the rain beginning to lull her annoyance. The road was quiet and empty, the land mostly flat with some trees, cacti, and dead grass on this chilly November night.

  When they got to the SUV, Travis held the umbrella over her head while she fumbled with the keys and unlocked the door. She thanked him, despite that she wanted to tell him to hike back to the bar and go away. He assisted her in and she closed the door as he ran around to the passenger side. In a flash, he was in her car and closing the umbrella, setting it into the back floorboard.