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Billionaire Bad Boy Sport Romance
By:
Jess Winters
Contents:
Introduction
Chapter 1 – Meeting the Rude Boy
Chapter 2 – Playful Kisses
Chapter 3 – The Heated Moment
Chapter 4 – The Interview and the Dinner
Chapter 5 – The Fresh Start
Copyright © 2017 by Jess Winters
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited, and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
As a journalist, Jessica Ryder knew how to deal with all kinds of situations. But when her editor assigned her a last minute interview, she realized that she wasn’t prepared at all for the number one tennis player, Hayden Connors. She imagined him as some spoiled rich kid, but found a bad boy billionaire instead.
From the moment they met, they disliked each other. Hayden was the kind of man that Jessica despised. He was arrogant, a playboy and bad mouthed, yet she found him so attractive that it became difficult to fight the growing desire that was drawing them closer together.
It was a shiny September day in New York City, perfect for a picnic in the park or a big birthday party. Jessica Ryder wished she could fully enjoy the last summer days. Summer was her favorite season, and she felt like it had passed far too quickly.
Unfortunately, when you are a reporter working for a major U.S. TV station, there were barely any free days. Something was always happening around the world, and Jessica couldn’t remember when the last time was she had more than four hours of sleep a day, let alone some rest on a breath-taking beach, enjoying the hot days without having to worry about deadlines. When was the last time she went on a vacation?
That weekend was supposed to be her long deserved break. She was supposed to be at her younger sister’s birthday party in New Jersey, not in the Upper East Side. She was supposed to enjoy the margaritas that were her sister’s favorite, not doing some last minute job that her editor Timothy assigned to her.
There was nothing enjoyable about interviewing some celebrity who was a top tennis player.
She turned around to her cameraman, John. “What was his name again?”
John rolled his eyes. This was usual for the two of them. He was like her personal notebook, reminding her of the important facts. They had worked for quite a long time together, so he had got used to Jessica’s lack of concentration. She was a good reporter, but her memory was short-term only. At least when it came to the people that she was often asked to interview.
“Hayden Connors, the number one tennis player in the world.”
Jessica rolled her eyes. Seriously? Of all of the tedious tasks that Timothy could have given her, he sent her to interview some spoiled tennis star? He knew sports wasn’t her strong side. She was great when it came to reporting about politics, crime or even fashion shows. Not that she was particularly interested in any of those, but she could at least cope well with the topics.
How in the world she can interview some tennis player when she had no idea about the sport and, what’s more, she knew nothing about Hayden Connors. Besides, she wasn’t fond of sports players by default. Most of them were either womanizers or stupid. Or both.
When Timothy had told her the previous day to prepare for the set of three interviews that were scheduled for that weekend and Monday, she’d had a mini-heart attack. No amount of googling could prepare her seriously. She would have to improvise a lot.
Luckily, John was always by her side when she needed help, and it was pure luck that he was a huge Hayden fan.
“If you just smile and bat your eyelashes, you will go well,” Luke, her boom operator, was well-known for his sarcasm. He particularly liked sexist jokes. “I heard that he is weak when it comes to women.”
She glared at him. That was another cosmic joke. Of all of the boom operators she had the opportunity to work with, Luke was her least favorite. He particularly liked to poke fun at her size.
Jessica was 5'4 tall, and weighed 155 lbs, so there was too much meat on her thighs and hips. Most of the days, she didn’t mind her size. She loved her big breasts, and she enjoyed when men admired her butt in her jeans.
But today wasn’t a day to make jokes about her. She was cranky enough. She didn’t need Luke to make her more nervous than she already was.
“Shut up,” she hissed. “Let’s just all focus on this job.”
“You are the one who needs to focus, sweetheart. Do you even know who he is?”
There was no doubt that Luke knew that she didn’t know anything about Hayden. He was just provoking her. She sighed. They stopped in front of Hayden’s apartment complex on East End Avenue. Just like the whole neighborhood, the tall building was astounding.
It was made of beautiful, beige bricks and each floor had oversized bay windows that gave its tenants a great view of the East River. She could only dream of living in such a beautiful place. Maybe she could live in this part of the city one day if she could finally win the lottery she had been playing for so many years.
She needed a quick reminder before they enter.
“Remind me, John, how many times did he win the US Open?”
“He won his third title last Sunday.”
“Three times. Got it. How long has he been the number one?”
“Around 200 weeks.”
“If I remember correctly, he won all four Grand Slams?”
“Yes. They call him the Golden Hope.”
“Golden Hope?”
“Yes, because he rose quickly to the top, won all four Grand Slams thrice in a row and has one of the longest match winning streaks, with 40 matches won in a row and still ongoing.”
She didn’t understand at all what John had said but tried to memorize the facts anyway. She took a deep breath and walked toward the glass door. An old doorman dressed in black uniform greeted them and opened the door for them.
The whole lobby was made from expensive, with beige colored marble and crystal chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. The hall was huge and decorated with some exotic plants Jessica didn’t recognize.
Their footsteps echoed through the hall as they walked toward the elevators. They followed the instructions that Timothy gave them. There were 3 elevators and the middle elevator led to Hayden’s penthouse. His apartment was the only one on the 20th floor.
They stood in silence during the whole ride. When the doors opened, they stepped out into the small hallway covered with an expensive rug. There was only one door, and that was the door of Hayden’s apartment.
Jessica rang the bell and tried to relax. Everything will be fine, she reminded herself. He was just some stupid player who probably doesn’t even know how to tie his shoe-laces because he was used to others doing that for him. He was probably some rich kid who didn’t even know how to spell his name properly. He...
The door suddenly opened, and the man who appeared wasn’t anything like the person that Jessica had imagined.
The first thing she noticed was his sharp jawline and prominent cheekbones. His short blonde hair was messy and falling across his forehead. He had stunning deep blue eyes. They reminded Jessica of a tempestuous sea. He placed one arm against the door frame, seemingly relaxed, but Jessica noticed that his taut arm muscles were tense.
He was wearing a black T-shirt and black workout pants that did nothing to hide his strong abdominals and well-shaped legs. Jessica thought that he definitely looked like he was visiting the gym daily. He had tattoos in mock-tribal designs on both of his arms. Their intricate and beautiful lines went to his elbows, and it was difficult to take her eyes off them.
This man was much more attractive in person than in the pictures she found on the internet last night. She assumed he was stupid, but he didn’t look stupid it at all. In fact, his eyes were so sharp that she had a feeling that he could see right through her.
He was so attractive that she instantly disliked him. No one who looked like that could be a nice person. Besides, it seemed like he was in a bad mood and not happy to see them.
She felt short of breath when his eyes gave her the once-over. He scowled at her and set his lips in a disapproving line. Jessica regretted that she had decided to wear a floral dress today. Also, her high-heeled sandals seemed too high now. Did she put too much makeup on? Was her ponytail in place?
She flinched when she realized she began feeling too self-conscious. This made her angry at herself. It was absurd that she allowed this guy to intimidate her, and he didn’t even speak a word.
She cleared her throat. “Good afternoon. My name is Jessica Ryder, and I come from the ABA TV network. These are my colleagues, John Thompson and Luke Jones.”
She extended her hand so they could shake hands but he just looked at her hand and did nothing. Jessica felt that her cheeks were becoming bright red, and she silently cursed him for his inhospitality.
“Mr. Connors. Can we come in?” John asked in a confused tone behind her.
Suddenly, Hayden smirked, but there was no humor in his smile. Instead, he looked at them like they were the dirt beneath his shoes. Her hate increased.
“By all means,” his voice was deep and mocking. He stepped aside and let them enter. Jessica entered first, and she felt the goose bumps all over her body when she passed so close to him that they were almost touching. He smelled good. She tried not to notice the angry stare that he gave her.
She took in the place before her and gasped in surprise. Such luxury! Everywhere she looked, there were expensive and modern furniture pieces, luxurious white carpets and paintings decorating the white walls.
His large living room was garnished with even more expensive furniture, all in white. She noticed the group of big windows on one side of the room and the doors that led to the huge balcony.
“Will you stop ogling and step aside so people can enter?” Hayden’s voice was full of disgust. Ogling? She was not ogling!
Besides, his insinuation that she was so wide that John and even Luke couldn’t pass was so impolite. “Jeez, I didn’t know your place was so small that it becomes overcrowded when just one person enters,” she bit back.
“It’s no wonder when that one person is the size of two.”
“What the hell is your problem?” She crossed her arms, ready to fight with him. This whole situation threatened to escalate into something ugly, which was something she shouldn’t have allowed herself to be irritated by because it was unprofessional.
She could already imagine Timothy’s anger at her, and there would be consequences for sure. But being the number one tennis player in the world or not, it was not okay to insult her. They had barely even met and he was already at her throat.
He approached her slowly, in a menacing way, and she had to move one step back. She clutched her laptop bag on her shoulder and prepared for the worse. Would he hit her? Did Hayden hit women for no reason? She had John and Luke on her side, but somehow Hayden looked like he could fight them both without breaking a sweat.
Hayden stopped a few inches from her, not once taking his eyes off her.
“What the hell is my problem? These past several months have been really stressful and rough, wherever I look there are problems and, on top of that, some news hyenas decided to show up at the most inconvenient moment and make a fucking interview with me. That is my goddamn problem!”
His voice came out like a snarl, and she was surprised by the intensity of his aversion. “Now move your big ass aside before I decide to cancel this stupid shit interview and throw you out of my place.”
Jessica got used to all kinds of bullshit in her line of work. Being a journalist wasn’t rainbows and butterflies. She had been insulted so many times that she has lost count. She was offended in her station, she was offended on the field, and she argued so many times with her colleagues that it was a wonder she wasn’t already regularly visiting the shrink.
She had a strong temper, which meant that she had to try as twice as hard to control it. When her interviewees called her ugly names or implied that she was a bad journalist, she had to ignore and reply politely because it was completely unprofessional to argue.
That rule had been especially important during a live broadcast of a TV show when she had to plaster a smile on her face in front of the cameras and pretend her guest hadn’t just threatened to get her fired because of her incompetence.
She wasn’t incompetent. In fact, she was famous for making questions that hit the right spot. So that’s why her guests, particularly politicians, didn’t like her much.
But this guy acted like they forced him to do his job and treated them with the complete disrespect. Jessica left her bag with the laptop in the living room and went to the toilet to make a quick call to Timothy. She had a feeling he didn’t tell her all the details about this job.
Just like everything else in his apartment, the bathroom was spacious and equipped with the automatic flushing toilet and an automatic hand washing tap. The mirror was big, occupying the whole wall and she stopped for a few moments to examine her exhausted face.
Her honey colored hair was a mess, despite her tries to make it slick with a bit of gel. Her face was puffy, which made the circles under her eyes even more noticeable. Not even concealer could hide their dark purple color. Her brown eyes were a bit bloodshot, probably because she hadn’t got enough sleep the night before.
She had got back from her last assignment the previous day. She had just finished another set of interviews, and had hoped for a slower work pace. Instead, she was stuck here, with the rude tennis star.
Timothy answered the call after the third ring. “Yes, Jessie?”
“I am calling from Hayden’s apartment. I must say, we didn’t quite get a welcome party here.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that he is one of the rudest asses I’ve ever met. He clearly doesn’t want us here. So remind me again, why did we schedule this interview with him?”
Timothy sighed. “I hope you didn’t react harshly...”
“Don’t worry Timothy. The pride of our station is still intact. I just want to know what I’m dealing here with. You didn’t tell me everything.”
He sighed again, and there was silence for a few moments. It seemed as if he was thinking about what he could say to her. “Listen, there is some private shit happening in his life. You were busy in Atlanta so you probably didn’t catch the news but he got involved in scandal after he won the US Open last week.”
“What happened?”
“His fiancée broke the engagement. She said she caught him in a threesome with the strippers in some club. She mentioned that she couldn’t stand him being unfaithful to her anymore. It was all over the news. He was on every tabloid’s front page, and paparazzi have been chasing him for days.”
“What makes his situation worse is that he got caught drunk and fighting with others too much in the past few months. Some speculate that he will decline his participation in the China Open that starts next month.”
“Unbelievable.” She was right. He was looking too good to be a good person. He was some playboy who didn’t even care about his fiancée. Fiancée? Did he even know what that meant?
Fiancée means a woman who you love and want to spend the rest of your life with. It means that you have to respect her and be loyal, not spending your time in some club, fucking strippers or fucking with anyone, period.
How in the world would she manage to finish this interview without insulting him? She wanted to say all kinds of things to that man, but she had a job to do, and there was no way for her to get out otherwise.
“So why did he accept this interview?”
“His manager made him accept it. This interview is an opportunity for him to show the world that he is a decent, hard-working man.”
“Excuse me?” She snorted. “Decent, hard working man? He is a Neanderthal! And what do you mean by that? How is this interview different than the others?”
Timothy’s voice started sounding tired, “I’ve sent you an email with the specific questions you will ask him. I hope you have studied them well. The second interview will be held on the tennis court where he will be practicing. The message should be loud and clear: No matter what, Hayden continues to fight.”
Someone called him, and Jessica realized it was time to let him continue his work.
“Listen, Jessie, it’s important that you stay professional. Just follow the instructions and ask him those specific questions and everything will be okay. It is okay to ask some of your own questions, of course, but don’t ask anything about this scandal. His private life is not what matters now but his tennis playing qualities. So stick to that, okay?”
He immediately hung up, not even giving her a chance to respond.
Jessica was sick and tired of listening to that word; “professional.” She didn’t even see that email so she had no clue what he was talking about. She would have to use her laptop and check it quickly.
“Are you done gossiping about me?” Hayden’s voice was full of animosity. Jessica yelped and dropped her phone. She found him in the mirror, looking at her from behind. She didn’t even notice him entering and closing the door.
“What are you doing here? Can’t woman have any privacy while she is in the toilet?”
“If you wanted some fucking privacy you could have at least locked the door. Besides, it took you too long.” He started approaching her, and she tried to move back but she immediately hit into the sink, and there was no place for her to run.
He placed his hands against the sink countertop on either side of her and trapped her. All of a sudden, she was out of breath. He smelled and looked good. His stare was intense that she felt all hot. His gaze dropped to her chest, and suddenly she felt that her dress revealed too much. He titled his head and looked her straight in the eyes.
“I see that I am making you nervous, honey, but don’t worry, big girls are not my type,” he said in a purr, making her blush wildly.
She felt such anger that she wanted to slap him. She raised her hand, but it seemed that he had anticipated her move since he immediately pinned her hand against the countertop. His eyes were full of hatred, making her shiver. “You do that, and you’ll regret coming here.”
“Oh yeah? Well, here’s the secret, boy: I already regret coming here. I regretted this whole project since the moment I received it!”
She was fuming now. She seriously wanted to hurt him. She raised the other hand but he pinned that hand too, and there were only inches separating them now. His breath was hot on her face. He increased the pressure he put on her hands, and it was becoming painful.
“You are hurting me. Let me go.”
“I don’t think so.”
He surprised her completely when his tongue caressed the sensitive skin of her jawline. He left a wet trail across the hollow of her neck, licking her slowly, and the shots of pure pleasure awoke every single nerve in her body. He reached her shoulder and placed tiny, wet kisses on its top. She was leaning into him now, panting from her desire.
The next moment he was chuckling wickedly, bringing her back to reality.
His eyes were cold and in contrast with the passion that had come from his kisses.
“I wasn’t a ‘Neanderthal’ just a few seconds ago when you were almost begging me to kiss you more, right?” He smiled smugly. “It would be best if you just shut the fuck up and do your damn job. You don’t interfere in my affairs, and maybe we’ll manage to end this interview successfully.”
He released and stepped away from her. “I always hated media busybodies but you, honey, are one of the most annoying reporters I have ever met.” He turned around and got out of the toilet. She was fuming in anger. She just didn’t know if she was angrier at him for playing her like this or at herself for letting him do it.
Jessica sat in the far corner of the living room and opened Timothy’s email. John and Luke were setting the equipment on the other side of the room, and Hayden went to change his clothes. It was difficult for Jessica to concentrate on her email because she kept thinking about Hayden and how he had acted towards her.
He was very handsome, she had to admit that. It was such a shame that he was black inside, but that didn’t surprise Jessica at all. She had got used to the fact that beautiful people outside can’t be beautiful inside a long time ago.
She opened her Google homepage and searched for some articles and pictures that would tell her more about him. She needed to know what she was dealing with here.
She found the usual articles that followed all celebrities. He was a regular visitor of exclusive restaurants and clubs. He drove fast cars. He got hooked up with so many models in the past that she got bored of seeing his pictures on the red carpet.
He had the taste just like the rest of brainless men, because he preferred the huge, fake boobs, a beautiful face covered in tons of makeup and a tiny waist.
Everything that she was not, she thought sardonically. No, she mustn’t think like that. She didn’t care whom he liked, that had nothing to do with her.
She pushed these thoughts aside and focused on his career. She had to admit it was impressive. It was no wonder they called him the Golden Hope since he had managed to do so much in such a short period of time. It appeared that he was poor before he became a tennis player.
He wasn’t some rich kid whose parents enabled him to play tennis. Instead, his parents had taken out various loans so that he could buy the second-hand equipment and go on his first tournaments. There were some long articles about his poverty and his late start in tennis.
He was about twelve when he had started playing, with the help of his middle school P.E. teacher, who pushed him to continue pursuing his dreams of becoming a pro tennis player.
So basically, Hayden became a billionaire through his hard work, strong will, and perseverance and he had only twenty-five years to his name, the same age as her.
Nevertheless, it didn’t change the fact that he was a jerk.
He came back dressed in a navy blue shirt and black trousers. His sandy hair was slicked back, and Jessica didn’t know if she preferred his hair to be messy or styled like this. He looked sexy either way.
She almost shook her head, reminding herself to stop thinking about the way he looks.
“John, is everything okay with the equipment?”
“Yes, we can start in ten,” he answered her.
Luke was setting the cables for the microphone. “Where do you want the mic?”
She planned to make Hayden sit on the armchair next to the balcony door, and she would place the second armchair opposite him. She directed Luke where to put the microphone.
John and Luke set the equipment, and Jessica explained to Hayden what the interview was going to be like. They would speak about his beginnings today and continue about the time he became the number one tomorrow. John would shoot him practicing. The last interview was to be held in his apartment, and they would talk about his recent tennis history.
There was a clear warning at the end of the email: Don’t ask sensitive and private questions. As long as the questions were general, like what kind of things motivate him or who is his idol, everything should be okay.
Jessica wondered if Hayden had anything to do with the choice of questions. Did he talk with Timothy and specifically said what kind of topics were forbidden?
At least he co-operated. They sat on the armchairs and Luke took the position next to them with the microphone. She got her tablet and opened Timothy’s email with questions. She would have to combine those with some of her own.
Hayden’s derisive glare was intimidating, in fact, he didn’t take his eyes off her the whole time, and she gave her best to focus on the task at hand. If he planned to humiliate her, then he would be disappointed.
John began counting down and signaled them to start. Jessica took a deep breath, trying to ignore the nervousness that kept brewing inside her. She only hoped they’ll manage to finish this interview without being at each other’s throats.
Unfortunately, she hoped for too much. At first, everything was okay. She asked him basic questions about his childhood and his passion for tennis. He didn’t glare at her anymore. She noticed the change in his facial expression when the camera turned on, and she knew that he had put his “public face” on.
He was a good speaker, and he knew how to make people interested in what he had to say. Jessica noticed that every time he stopped talking about a particular situation, she found herself wanted him to continue talking so she could learn more.
She couldn’t understand what was so special about him. His story was motivating, yes, and he was a dedicated player, true, but almost every sports player shared the same story. Many of them came from the slums and paved their way through continuous blood and sweat.
But Hayden had some sort of special charisma, something that made his every word sound extremely important and she got lost in his world. She caught herself wanting to meet the younger Hayden, the one who was bullied by his peers because of his poverty and misunderstood for his desire to train tennis.
Playing tennis was considered nerdy, and his classmates had made fun of him and his old equipment every day. Jessica noticed how his face lit when he started talking about his first victory ever on some local tournament, and there was a flick of something warm inside her.
She immediately stopped her dreamy thoughts. It was dangerous to feel like that. He was a jerk, and she shouldn’t think about him like he was some sort of hero.
To prove that to herself, she asked one of her very own questions, “There was a doping scandal at the beginning of your pro career. You were accused of using the illegal substances in the match against the number four player at that time on the tournament in Chile. Some say that it was impossible for a beginner player to play the way you played in that final. What do you have to say about that?”
His expression changed immediately. Viewers behind the TV screens would see a serious face, nothing too strange, but she saw the storm in his eyes. If he could, he would kill her with his eyes.
Suddenly he smiled, but there was nothing amiable in it. “I gave so many interviews with regard to that accusation, but I guess you didn’t bother to check them at all. If you did, you would know it was a complete fabrication.”
He was trying to put her down, which only fueled her antipathy towards him. He will not evade this question that easily. “But did you ever dope?”
She could hear Luke’s quick snort. She looked at John and saw the message clearly on his face: ‘You are looking for trouble’.
Either way, the whole situation seemed absurd to her. Why did she have to avoid certain questions? If he was such a “respectable” person, what did he have to hide? Even politicians spoke of their scandals because that was an opportunity for them to clear their name.
Pretending that some problem didn’t exist won’t make that problem go away. If this interview was an opportunity for Hayden to clear his name, he should use the chance and speak openly about his issues.
“Tell me, Jessica, how long have you worked as a journalist?”
He threw her off balance with this question. Why was that relevant? She would probably have to cut this part later during video editing.
“Almost four years.”
“Do you love your job?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Do you work hard and commit yourself completely to the task?”
She still had no idea what the point was of his questions. “Yes. Why do you ask?”
He ignored her question and pressed further, “Did you ever lie while reporting?”
She felt insulted by that question. “No, of course not.”
“Then how can you ask me such a dumb question? Tennis is my life, something I committed myself to completely, what I work hard for every single day of my life since I started playing it thirteen years ago. What is most important is that I respect myself the most. So how can you ask me if I was so stupid to risk everything I fought for in order to gain what? One false victory? Well, screw you.”
By the end of his answer, he was so angry that his public mask fell off. He looked like he wanted to snap her neck.
He had a point, she had to admit that, but that didn’t change the fact that he was a bastard off the tennis court.
Somehow, she couldn’t stop her next question. “You said you put hard work into your training, and you care about your health. Yet sometimes you got caught being extremely drunk. How do you manage to be fresh and clear-headed the next day on the training?”
She was openly provoking him now. Luke looked like he was having fun. Jessica was sure that he would love nothing more than to see Hayden and her in a fight.
Hayden was watching her silently for several seconds. She noticed him clenching his fists and realized that he was really furious now. For a moment she thought he was going to cancel the interview and throw them out. No, not out. From the balcony. He would throw them from his balcony.
His calm voice didn’t reveal a single trace of anger, “I can hold my liquor, thank you very much for your care. Now, if there are no more substantial questions, I think we should finish for today.”
He didn’t wait for her answer. He got up from his armchair and looked at her one last time. “You know where the door is.” He marched out of the room, leaving them alone.
Jessica sighed. Luke’s grin was huge. “Jessie, you nailed it this time. If we could only air this...” Jessica cast a murderous glance at him. He threw his hands up in defense. “What? Tabloids would love this!”
“How old are you Luke? We are here to do a real job and not to make some stupid reality show.”
He rolled his eyes. “Then start doing your job, chubby face. Everything went well until you opened your mouth and ruined everything. You had to play with fire, right?” He took a long breath. “I need a cigarette.”
She looked at John for support, but he just shook his head. “He is right, and you know it. I think you should apologize to Hayden before we go.”
That was the last thing she wanted to do, but she knew that it would be weird to continue the tomorrow’s interview like today’s mess didn’t happen. She was a professional but she needed to assure him that this wouldn’t happen again.
No matter how much she wanted to ask about his private life, Timothy had given her clear directions. If she wanted to save her job she had to go there and talk to him.
“Okay. You wait here. I’ll be right back.”
“Stay safe!” Luke said amusingly.
She searched around, passing the several rooms until she finally found him in his personal gym. She was surprised by the size of the room and the amount of equipment stuffed in it. What surprised her, even more, was that Hayden has been exercising on the seated chest press machine. And he was shirtless, wearing only his workout shorts.
Holy shit. She was mesmerized with his well-sculpted chest. He was ripped!
He froze when he spotted her. “What are you doing here?”
Hayden got up and crossed the room in few strides and stopped several inches away from her, making her gasp because of his sudden movement. They were almost touching. She tried to put the distance between them, but he caught her arm, making her unable to move. His fingers felt like steel, and his strength frightened her.
“Please, let me go. I just came here to talk.”
“We have nothing to talk about. What are you still doing in my place?”
She tried to pull her hand out of his grasp but with no success. “I just wanted to say that I crossed my line back there.” It was too much embarrassing for her to say this, but she swallowed her pride and continued, “I shouldn’t have tried to provoke you just because I don’t like you. It wasn’t okay, so I will stick to your questions next time.”
“You can be damn sure it wasn’t right. I don’t like you either, but I won’t act like a brat when I have a task to finish.” He frowned. “And what do you mean by ‘my questions’?”
“I mean that I know you choose which questions are allowed and which issues are sensitive and not supposed to be talked about in this interview.”
He bore his spiteful eyes into her. “What the hell are you talking about?”
Why was he pretending he doesn’t know what was going on? It made her crazy that he would play dumb like this. “I know that you have sent a list of questions for this interview. I have to stick to those questions, clearly avoiding your recent issue with your fiancée. Pardon, ex-fiancée now.”
If he was angry before, he was mad now. He pushed her towards the wall and moved his body so close that it was flush with hers. Despite the threatening move, Jessica couldn’t stop admiring the perfect lines of his face, now that she got to see him close up.
His blue eyes were almost black in rage and, for some twisted reason, Jessica began throbbing down there. She was surprised by the sudden arousal. She imagined him kissing her and her eyes locked on his full, soft lips.
“What bullshit is this?” He was almost yelling now and grabbed her other hand, pulling her arms above her head. “I didn’t send any goddamn list of questions to anyone. I don’t even know what those fucking questions are.”
Her breasts were now completely pressed against his hard chest, and she felt her nipples hardening against her will.
She didn’t want to feel this desire, and she was angry at her body for betraying her. He was just too hot for his own good and Jessica couldn’t remember when was the last time any man managed to make her so aroused she was on the verge of losing her common sense.
It seemed that he finally noticed her arousal and her face became red like a beetroot. For a moment, both of them couldn’t breathe at all. She expected him to make a sneering comment or do something to embarrass her.
Instead, she was taken aback when he touched one sensitive bud through the thin material of her dress, while still holding her hands above with his other hand.
Hayden moved his thumb over her nipple, and she began panting. His voice was thick with desire when he spoke, “No bra, huh?” He pulled the strap of her dress down her shoulder, revealing her plump, soft breast. He groaned and pressed his mouth against her hard bud. She arched her back, pressing herself into him.
She couldn’t think rationally anymore. She felt his hard arousal on her stomach and the knowledge that she did that to him made her feel powerful. Jessica desperately needed to touch him, to feel his skin, but he was holding her firmly and wouldn’t let go.
“Hayden,” she moaned. “Please...”
He arched his head and looked at her, his mouth still on her sensitive breast. She tried to decipher the heat she saw in them, so opposite from the usual coldness. This time, there was no anger in them, only desire.
“What, baby? Tell me what you want...,” his voice was so raspy and deep.
“I want to kiss you. Please.”
Hayden smiled honestly for the first time, and she couldn’t breathe for a moment, her heart squeezing painfully. He was truly beautiful when he smiled for real. The corners of his mouth would twist gorgeously, revealing a set of perfectly white teeth and his eyes would crinkle.
He raised his head and when their lips met she felt an explosion of pleasure filling every inch of her body. He released her hands, and she locked them behind his neck, pulling him closer to her.
Their tongues played a sensual dance, forgeting about everything but the urgent need to give and take. He rubbed his erection against her soft core and she wondered if he could feel how wet she was for him.
He lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist, surprised how strong he was. She wasn’t a light weight, but he didn’t seem to mind that at all. In fact, he lifted her up effortlessly and continued devouring her mouth.
She cried out when his hand reached under her dress and found her sex between their bodies. He began a circling motion with his hand, massaging her clit through the wet material of her panties. She arched her head, pressing her nails deep into his shoulder in pleasure.
She was so near her orgasm that she was trembling wildly. Few more strokes later and she crashed, breaking into thousand pieces, burying her head into his shoulder. His skin muffled her screams.
“You are so sexy when you come.” He whispered into her ear and licked her earlobe.
She raised her head weakly and looked at him, finding such need in his eyes that she felt burnt by its intensity. Jessica wanted him badly, right there, in his gym.
Unfortunately, fate had other plans.
“K-hm, excuse me.” Luke coughed, and Jessica jerked when she realized Hayden and her had been caught making out, right after she had came in Hayden’s embrace.
‘Oh my, God’, Jessica thought, ‘what have I done?’
Luke’s appearance had the effect of a cold shower for both of them, and they separated like they were hit with electricity. Jessica remembered her breast was exposed, and she pulled the strap of her dress back.
She could only imagine how much Luke was going to tease her about this afterward. But that wasn’t important now. What was the most important was the look of fury and regret in Hayden’s eyes when he realized what they had done. Any trace of desire in him was long gone now. His cold mask was back in place.
Jessica wanted to slap herself for making such a stupid mistake. He was a bastard, and she flew right into his arms. Her face flushed, and she needed to escape right away.
“We are ready to go,” Luke said. “Are you?” He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, and she wanted to choke him. But she needed to regain her composure and act like an adult.
“Okay... So we will be off now,” she said to Hayden, feeling weirder than ever.
“You better be.” His icy voice sent several painful jolts that broke something in her and she felt like crying. He came closer to her, only inches separating them and whispered into her ear, “This never happened, got it? If you or your colleagues say even a word about this, you will regret it.”
She didn’t need to see the threat in his eyes to understand that his warning was real. He had the power to unleash his wrath on them if he wanted and she didn’t want to provoke him more than she already had. This wasn’t only about her anymore. She couldn’t risk John’s job.
She didn’t really care about Luke because, as cunning as he was; he could always manage to pull through any hard situation. He would easily find a new job, being the same age as her, but John had to feed five children, and he was in his fifties, so the last thing he needed at this moment was to get fired.
“Don’t worry, our lips are sealed.” She looked sharply at Luke as if she wanted to convince him not to say a word about this. He just raised his thumb at her and winked.
She turned towards Hayden again. This man could awaken all different kinds of emotions in her, most of them bitter and negative.
No matter how much she tried, it was difficult for her not to be sarcastic, “I am not crazy to fall for you. I still dislike you. I don’t give any importance to what happened here because for me nothing actually happened.” She pivoted and walked out of the gym with Luke behind her.
“You pussy didn’t say so.” She heard him mutter before the door between them closed.
Next day was another perfect, sunny day and Jessica regretted for the hundredth time that she couldn’t be in New Jersey, especially after her sister called her and told her that everyone was having a blast.
This time, Jessica didn’t bother with dresses and high-heels. Instead, she wore comfortable navy jeans and a loose striped shirt that suited her striped espadrilles.
She was walking down the path with John and Luke, approaching one of the practice courts in the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Hayden was supposed to start with his training in half an hour, and they had to take footage of him during his practice.
If Jessica had felt nervous yesterday, then today she felt even worse. She couldn’t sleep at all last night, and she got up this morning feeling like she is heading for a breakdown.
She tried not to remind herself of the moment they have shared in his gym. That may have been the most passionate and exciting moment of her life, but she couldn’t pretend that he wasn’t a douche. He was a trouble that she should stay away from, no matter how good her betraying body had felt.
They arrived at the practice field at the same time as Hayden and his trainer. He just nodded when he saw them from the other side of the field and continued to the players’ bench with his bags. They continued to the bleachers across the players’ benches. John and Luke started setting the equipment while Jessica looked through today’s questions for the last time.
There were some fans gathered on the bleachers, excited to see their number one player during practice. Jessica was impressed that Hayden wasn’t fazed by their presence. In fact, he greeted them with smiles and waves. For a moment, she wished he could send that kind of smile to her.
Luke wiped his forehead. “It’s pretty hot here. I always wondered how they can practice under such strong sunlight. I would be roasted.”
“And that’s why you will never be a top tennis player.” Jessica’s voice was dipped in sarcasm.
“Oh please, don’t tell me you don’t feel hot under all those layers of meat? Seriously, why don’t you lose weight a bit?” She couldn’t prevent herself from hitting him in the shoulder.
“That’s none of your business, butthead. Just do what you are paid for and don’t ask stupid questions.”
“I think the stupid questions are your forte, sweetheart. Just don’t do anything irrational during the interview today, okay?”
He turned his back on her, not giving her a chance to make a comeback. Not that she cared. She had to admit he was right. She had to pull herself together and stop paying attention to how sexy Hayden looked today in his practice clothes. He was completely dressed in black.
Jessica couldn’t take her eyes off Hayden while he was doing his warm up. She was fascinated how his muscles contracted in different poses or during running. She admired each sculpted line of his body that showed all those hours of hard training until his whole body became a work of art. If nothing else, she respected him for the effort he put in his body and the sport he loved.
She wondered what he would be like if he ever loved a woman like that. Would he treat her with the same passion and commitment as he treated tennis? She remembered his passion from the last night very well. Their embrace replayed in her mind over and over again during the late hours, and she was sure he was skilled in bed just like he was on the court.
Hayden looked at her right at that moment, and she blushed. She hoped she didn’t look like she was fantasizing about him, which she did. He just smirked and returned his gaze to the field.
John shot Hayden’s practice from several angles and made some long and medium shots.
They filmed a short part of the interview while he was in the middle of his practice. John made a close up shot of sweaty Hayden on his bench, while Jessica made questions about his usual exercise routines and what he planned to work on the most for the next tournament.
Sunday afternoon was passing quickly, and Jessica found that she enjoyed seeing Hayden in action, all over the court. His serves were fast and powerful and his forehands and backhands precise. He was truly focused and didn’t complain about the scorching heat or the noise that his fans were making.
She wished that she could see him in the real game, against other top players, and she decided to watch the footage of the last US Open final.
Hayden finally finished his practice and went to take a shower before they continued with the interview. Before he left the court, he stopped to sign some autographs and take the pictures with some of the girls in tops and skirts.
Jessica felt some unpleasant feeling in the pit of her stomach when she noticed their slim bodies pressed next to his. In fact, one blonde pressed her boobs against his arm, and Jessica got the urge to slap her.
Shocked by this sudden jealousy, she turned around and forced herself to concentrate on her notes again.
They finished the interview quickly and with no problems. In fact, Jessica was surprised how charming Hayden was when they talked. Somehow, in one moment, their conversation became natural and she started making her own questions inspired by his enthralling answers. He had his own distinct way of telling stories.
She forgot all about prepared questions and asked about the things from his career that have piqued her interest the most. This time, he was laughing, and it wasn’t a cynical laugh, but pleasant and cheerful. He made Jessica laugh too. She completely forgot about their antagonism and, from the looks of it, he had forgot about it too.
In the end, after they have wrapped up and John and Luke started packing the equipment, Jessica felt a pang of sadness because their interview finished that quickly. She had no idea why there was a sudden and complete change in Hayden, but she liked this pleasant man that he had been for the past few hours.
“Thank you for the interview. I...” She felt she started blushing. “I enjoyed it.”
He didn’t laugh at her. “Believe it or not, I enjoyed it too.”
“Well, I am glad we didn’t kill each other today.” She offered a small smile. It felt strange somehow to talk like this with him after yesterday’s insults, but she hoped this “truce” wouldn’t disappear just like that.
“Who would have thought, right?” His voice sounded mocking, but his eyes were intense as he stared at her. There was something hot in them, something similar to what he displayed last night. “You aren’t a harpy 100% of the time.”
“And who would have thought we would spend time together for more than ten minutes and not throw insults at each other?”
He laughed. “You have been devouring me with your eyes the whole time. Luckily, I was able to focus completely on it. Otherwise, this would have been lousy training.”
Her heart fluttered for a moment, and her throat became dry. “I wasn’t ‘devouring’ you. I was just showing a mild interest.” He snorted. “Besides, since when do you care whether I look at you or not? And what if I look at you? You are not supposed to care at all, let alone lose focus during your practice.”
He froze when he heard these words and looked into the distance like he was thinking carefully about something. He slowly returned his gaze to her, his eyes glowing in an unusual way.
“That’s a good question, Jessica. You know, yesterday was awful, and we couldn’t get along at all but today...”
He ran his hand through his hair. “I don’t know. You seem different, nicer. I actually enjoyed talking with you when you interviewed me. I thought in those moments how I would like to talk more with you... Not about my career. More casually.”
He looked confused as if his revelation was something new to him too. Jessica felt something melting inside of her, threatening to turn into much more. Was she actually starting to like this guy?
Hayden approached her and almost whispered, “Do you want to have dinner with me tonight? So we can talk some more?”
Jessica was impressed when she sat at the table Hayden had got prepared for the two of them on his balcony. The ground was decorated with flowers and candles, and quiet classical music came from his stereo system in the room.
“I am surprised you don’t have a maid or someone who can help you with... You know, stuff like this.”
He grinned. “You really think us sports players are spoiled rich kids?” She nodded with a blush, and he burst into a laugh. “Well, as you know, I wasn’t rich my whole life. So let’s just say that I don’t like someone cleaning after me. I am grown enough to take care of myself and my own dirty laundry.”
Jessica was surprised by how mature he sounded. She looked at the food in front of her. There were a lot of different dishes served on the table and the drink was champagne that she was happily sipping now.
“What do we celebrate?” Jessica asked, and raised her glass.
“Our truce?”
“Speaking of truce, what made you trade your insults for these pleasantries?”
His expression changed from relaxed to serious. He put his elbows on the table and leaned towards her. “I have trust issues. Yesterday I was angry, and I lashed out on you, but that wasn’t right at all. It wasn’t your fault that I felt like shit.”
It was a sensitive topic, she knew it, but that didn’t stop her from wanting to know more. “What made you feel like that?”
“You’ve certainly heard about the last week’s scandal.” She slowly nodded. “Well, what she had said, my ex-fiancée-,“ He said that word as it was poisonous. “That was a lie. She was the one who’s been cheating on me.”
Jessica gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “But... but she said...”
“Yes, but it was quite the opposite. She was the one I caught with the strippers in some downtown club. Our relationship hadn’t been well for quite some time. She wanted to marry me only because of my status, and she didn’t love me. That night in club proved everything.”
She was scared he would refuse her touch, but she wanted to touch him. So she tenderly put her hand on his. He looked at their connected hands and smiled faintly.
“It’s okay. I didn’t love her. I thought I loved her, but that feeling was long gone. Maybe I never loved her, and it was just a pure infatuation. Our relationship had been a living hell for the last several months, each day a new drama with her and that was when I started drinking...”
“Of course, paparazzi were everywhere and each time it would be all over newspapers: ‘Shocking – Number One Tennis Star Drunk,' ‘Hayden Connors Finally Lost It’ and so on. So my trainer had a serious talk with me before the US Open. Either I pull myself together and get back on track, or I continue making shit and risk destroying my career over nothing.”
He took her hand in his and squeezed it. “It wasn’t difficult to choose. I concentrated with all I’ve got on the US Open and decided to cancel the engagement after the tournament. The night I caught her with the strippers was the night I broke up with her. In all her anger, she went to media and told her twisted version of the story.”
Hayden looked tired when he finally finished. She felt grateful and touched that he decided she was trustworthy enough to hear it.
“Why didn’t you tell the truth? Why didn’t you say that she was the one who cheated and not you?”
“Because denial in media never has the same power as the original statement. I could defend myself publicly as much as I wanted, but words are useless. People would always believe what they want to believe. So I sued her for defamation. We will settle our issues in court. And then, there would be no need for me to defend myself in media.”
They were silent for a few moments. “Thank you,” she said quietly.
“What for?”
“For believing me enough to tell me all of this.”
Hayden was observing her, choosing his next words carefully, “You know, you are not the only who snooped around someone’s past. Last night, after you left, I searched for some information about you. I watched some of your older interviews. I...”
He stopped for a second, and she encouraged him to continue talking with her understanding smile.
“I was impressed. The way you handled some of those people... The way you tackled some serious issues. I read your biography and the way you fought for your career from the start. You were like me, right? Coming from a poor family and there were some difficult circumstances, but you managed to find the job on your own and get promoted. You are a good reporter Jessica.”
His words meant so much to her. “Thank you.”
“I mean it. As I said, I was hurt and unduly rude towards you. It was logical that you reacted the way you did. Everybody would do the same. So I wanted to apologize.”
“I wanted to apologize too, Hayden. No matter what, my reaction wasn’t right. I had a job to do, and I failed when I tried to provoke you. I mixed personal issues with my work and nothing justifies that.”
Hayden kissed the back of her hand. His lips lingered on her skin, causing Jessica to tremble. Her body immediately reacted to his touch, feeling light headed and hot for him. “We both made a mistake and acted like brats, right?”
He turned her hand and kissed her palm. She sucked her breath in, mesmerized by the fiery look in his eyes. He wanted her as much as she wanted him. “You have such beautiful hands. Actually, all of you is beautiful.”
Jessica blushed. She was never shy or had low self-confidence, but she had to admit that being with the extremely handsome Hayden, who dated only thin models if the media was anything to go by, did something strange to her self-esteem. She was wearing an elegant black dress that hugged her body, emphasizing her curves, but she was a bit unconfident in front of him.
She tried to avoid his gaze, but he turned her chin towards him gently and made her look at him. “Please, don’t be insecure. You are truly a beautiful and sexy woman, Jessica. I wanted to kiss you since the moment that I first saw you.”
She chuckled nervously. “No way.”
“Way.”
“But you said that big girls aren’t your type.”
He shook his head. “Forget about those stupid words. I was annoyed, and I didn’t mean them at all. Despite my anger and cold treatment, I wanted you. The dress you wore yesterday? I wanted to rip it into pieces, so I could see you completely naked. Come here.”
He pulled her by the hand to get up. He placed her on his lap with a surprising tenderness. “This dress? It’s fucking making me crazy.”
He began kissing her neck, sucking at the tender skin on her collarbone and continuing even lower. He pulled the straps of her dress off and exposed her breasts. Hayden hissed. “Damn Jessica, your breasts are perfect.”
He greedily pulled one pink nipple into his mouth and sucked it gently, making her squirm on his lap. She was already wet and ready for him. She clutched onto him, grinding her sex against his erection.
“I need to feel you. I want to see you come again.” His words already made her core pulsing painfully for him. She needed to feel him deep inside. She...
“Did I interrupt something?” The sharp female voice sounded on the balcony, breaking their passionate moment. Jessica looked above Hayden’s shoulder and froze when she recognized the beautiful, red-haired woman.
It was Hayden’s ex-fiancée.
“How the hell did you get in, Rachel?” Hayden jumped up and loomed over her.
She shrugged her shoulders. “I have the spare key.”
“I thought I told you to return it.”
She smirked. “Yes? Well, consider it returned.” She tossed the key angrily at him, hitting him in his left shoulder. He didn’t even wince. Instead, he looked like he was going to kill her.
“Get out.”
“And what if I don’t want to? What if I am here to stay?” She passed him and walked towards Jessica, then moving around her in an assessing way. “I see that you have already found a new slut.”
“Shut your dirty mouth. You have no right to offend Jessica. If you don’t go out, I am calling the security.”
She looked at Jessica, this time curiously. “Jessica, huh? A plain name for such plain girl. Since when did you love them fat, Hayden? Are fat girls better in bed these days? Did she suck your cock well?”
Jessica slapped her, without even thinking about it. “You have no right to insult me.”
Hayden crossed the balcony in two long steps and grabbed Rachel by her arm. “You have no right to be here. You are leaving.”
Rachel started fighting him like a furious cat. “You can’t do this, I am your fiancée! This fat ass is the intruder here! Kick her out!”
Hayden was now dragging her across his apartment. “I thought I was clear when I said that everything was finished between us. Obviously, your brain was too slow to catch on to the meaning.”
He stopped and looked at her with such dangerous ice in his eyes that would make every person run away. “We are finished. I don’t want to see you ever again. If you ever come anywhere near me, I will get a restraining order.”
She scoffed. “I am not afraid of you.”
“You should be. You forget that I am the one who has the power here, not you. I gave you money and connections. All of your petty friends parading around in Gucci and Prada? You will lose them, and all I have to do is make one phone call, and you know it.”
This time, Rachel became pale, and Hayden used that fear to deliver a final blow.
“Besides, I had access to your laptop. And I don’t regret to inform you that I took the liberty of taking all your nude photos and the porn videos you made with those dipshits before and after you met me. I am keeping them in a safe place and believe me when I say that you want them to stay hidden there. You don’t want them leaked to media, do you?”
Rachel sneered, but seemed to have realised that she was completely cornered. “You bastard!”
Hayden laugh was full of mockery. “Just like you.”
She slapped him, but she squealed when he grabbed her wrist in sudden, deadly rage. “Now, that is the last time you did such stupid thing. You will leave now, and you will never come back again. Do you understand?”
Somehow Jessica wouldn’t be surprised if he hit her or broke a few bones, he looked that mad. It seemed that Rachel saw the same fury since she immediately took her leave.
When the door closed with a bang behind her, Hayden finally turned towards Jessica. She didn’t even realize she had been trembling the whole time. She sat down on the couch and rubbed her arms, trying to get rid of the coldness.
He sat down next to her and embraced her. “I am sorry that you had to witness that scene.”
She pressed her head to his neck. “It’s okay. I am sorry she is causing you such problems. You looked really mad.”
He looked at her concerned. “Are you afraid of me?” It took her a second to shake her head. “Jessica, please don’t be afraid of me. I never hit women. That’s something terrible, and I am not that kind of person. I have beaten many men in the past, that’s true, but not even once have I hit the women. Or any other woman, for that matter.”
She believed him. There was something about him, some kindness in him that she could recognize through his layers of bitterness, strength, and sheer power. He was a dangerous man, that was true, but she trusted his goodness.
She understood now that his harsh behavior was the consequence of him being hurt. Rachel had treated him with complete disrespect and lied to him. Hayden had to suffer through it all. She was his fiancée, she was maybe the love of his life, and yet she was not loyal to him. Any man would be broken.
Jessica had to ask, “Are you sure you don’t feel anything for her anymore?”
Hayden took her face in his hands and gave Jessica a long glance. It was full of meaning and something like a promise. “As I told you, once I thought that I was in love with her. Now I understand that I didn’t know her at all. I liked a fake. Either way, there is nothing that I feel for her now.”
He sighed. “In the end, I felt hurt mostly because of my pride... because I let things go too far without dealing with them. What troubled me the most was being pestered by the media when I was supposed to focus on important matches.”
Jessica understood him. She nodded and kissed him. It was a slow kiss at first, teasing as their tongues met, and then making them hungry for more. Hayden’s kiss became relentless as he took everything from her and she responded with the same force, getting lost in the whirlwind of sensations.
She had no idea how she felt about Hayden but there was one thing she knew for sure. She couldn’t get him out of her head. She hoped she would get to be much more around him. Then, maybe, this would blossom into something much bigger, and more important.
He pressed her against the couch, hovering above her, not breaking their kiss. He pulled her dress off her and moved away so he could see her completely. She was only then clad in her lacy panties.
The way that her smooth, fair skin gleamed in the dimmed light of his living room, the beautiful, sensual curves of her hips and thighs, and her soft, round stomach made him so hard that he couldn’t wait to get inside her.
“Jessica you are so attractive. You are driving me crazy.” She smiled seductively. He groaned and got up to take all of his clothes off.
Hayden then scooped her up in his arms and carried her to his large bedroom. He placed her on his bed covered in black sheets with a surprising tenderness, and pressed lips against one sensitive nipple. She arched her back and moaned. “Hayden!”
His hands were everywhere on her, creating various sensations that made her core throb and beg for his touch. Hayden kissed her other bud, licking it softly and then lowered his head, leaving kisses all over her belly...
She gasped from the pure pleasure when his tongue started caressing her clit. He increased the speed, moving his tongue up and down, making her lost in the sensations. She couldn’t think anymore.
The way he was giving her pleasure was too much for her to bear. The pressure was building deep inside her, threatening to erupt in pure, hot lava. She pressed his head against her core and exploded.
“So fucking sexy,” he murmured and got up to put on a condom. It would later on occur to her that that gesture – taking responsibility – was also endearing in its own way. Jessica admired his well built, naked body. He was all muscle. She wanted to trace every single tattoo on his arm with her fingers and lips. Her eyes lingered on his penis... It was huge, hard as steel and full of power.
He positioned himself above her and pressed his erection against her soft entrance. She met him with her hips as he entered in one slow thrust.
“Yes...” She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him even deeper into her and she moaned in overwhelming ecstasy. Shivers passed up her spine.
“You feel so good...” He started moving fast, bringing her waves of torturous pleasure that left her wanting more. His kiss was stealing her breath, making her heart long for him. She felt it was going to burst out of her chest with that sudden feeling of... love.
Was it possible that she was falling for him? Falling for the rude and cold bad boy, who was also so tender and passionate? She saw how powerful he was when he was on the field, fighting with all his might, yet he had his weak side. He was hurting from betrayal, not being able to be with the person who truly loved him.
Was the moment that he had decided he trusted her enough to tell her the truth actually the moment that she had started falling in love with him? Or was it before? She didn’t know. She just knew that she was losing herself in the maelstrom of feelings that he was creating in her.
They were both riding on the waves of complete bliss until they finally climaxed together, lost in their embrace.
Jessica didn’t even notice when she fell asleep. She also wasn’t sure how many times Hayden and her had made love. The only thing she knew was that it was a perfect night, and she never wanted it to end.
She turned around and saw him lying next to her, asleep. His face looked so peaceful, and she raised her hand to trace the outlines of his perfect face. It was so handsome and masculine.
“You are tickling me.”
She gasped and pulled her hand back. He laughed and brought her hand back to his face. “Just kidding. I want you to touch me more. I want you to touch me all over, sweet Jessica.”
Encouraged by his words, she touched him tenderly at first, then teasingly. She lowered her hand and began stroking his penis that was growing harder in her hand with each passing second.
Hayden sucked air in through his teeth. “You are killing me.” She giggled. “Are you laughing at me?” He pretended to be angry.
“Maybe.”
In one move he was over her, pinning her against the bed and kissing her wildly.
They didn’t get much sleep after that.
It was Monday, and the last day of the interview. They were in Hayden’s apartment, and Jessica had already went over the last questions. They were supposed to talk about his most recent successes and his plans for the future. Personally, she was interested if he had any plans for the future that involved her.
While Hayden was talking with his trainer on the phone, Luke and John were setting up the equipment in Hayden’s library.
Jessica was on the balcony, observing the purple, sunset sky. One of the best things in Hayden’s place was the view. It was truly beautiful and calming. Unfortunately, Jessica didn’t feel calm. She felt a bit lonely. They didn’t discuss last night about what they would do after the interview is over. Were they seeing each other? Did he like her? She sighed.
“Why is such a pretty lady like you alone on the balcony?”
She turned around and smiled tenderly to Hayden. “I am enjoying the view for the last time.”
He frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I mean that after this I might never step my foot on this balcony again.”
“Why? Don’t you want to?”
She froze, unsure of the meaning of his words. “What do you mean?”
He approached her slowly. He was smiling flirtatiously, making the hundreds of butterflies flutter in her belly. He took the locks of her hair in his hand and pulled his fingers through them. “Don’t you want to come here again, to stay with me?”
Her breath got caught in her lungs. Her heart was now beating so fast and loud that she was sure he could hear it. “Stay in what way, Hayden? As... as friends?”
His eyes twinkled. “Do you want us to be just friends?”
She shook her head and whispered, “No.” She placed her palm on his cheek, savoring the softness of his skin. She wanted to stay. She wanted to make him happy, and erase all his pain and negative thoughts. “I like you, Hayden. I want us to be more than friends.”
His smile was warm and his eyes full of affection. She loved those eyes. “Guess what? I like you too.” His kiss was sweet and slow, and her knees were giving out.
John and Luke watched them from the balcony entrance. She thought they were probably shocked to see them kiss, and she would have to do a lot of explaining later, but for now she was happy, and she didn’t care about the rest of the world or about the future. All that mattered was that this man, her Golden Hope, felt the same as her.
“I want you to stay with me, Jessica. I want to spend much more time with you, not as a reporter, but as my girlfriend. What do you say?”
Her heart was dancing happily, and she felt like she was on cloud nine. He had won her completely.
“If you say so, my number one bad boy...”
*****
THE END
