Chapter 16
“Get on your man, D!” I yelled as I ran down the court.
“I got ‘em. I got ‘em,” D responded as he guarded Oreo.
We called him Oreo because he was the only white dude on the team, so he picked up some of our black habits.
I needed this practice to be over because I was anxious about my date with Sloan. I was happy to spend time with her for more than a couple of hours, and I wanted her to be able to relax. I had a special night planned for us.
She called me the night she and her husband talked to the boys about their divorce and how hard Brooks had taken it.
She wasn’t sure how Blake felt because he hadn’t said much.
I didn’t get to talk to her this morning, but I sent her my usual good morning text.
I had practice early as hell, but I wanted her to wake up and know I thought about her.
“Let’s go!” I shouted as Julian shot a three-pointer, and our team was up by three.
It didn’t matter that this was just practice. We still played like it was an actual game. Our next game was a few days away, and thank goodness, Coach gave us off for a couple of days. I talked about Sloan needing to relax, but I needed the same thing. I’d been working hard as hell.
Just as my shot went into the basket, Coach blew his whistle. “All right, guys. Let’s bring it in.”
Someone tossed the ball to the side as we all huddled up in the middle of the court.
“Y’all know we only have a few games left in the season. Let’s make sure we stay on our shit. I don’t want any excuses from any of you.” He looked around at all of us.
“Yes, Coach!” we responded in unison.
“Good. Make sure y’all rest these next two days, and don’t get into any bullshit. I don’t want any calls from the police station for me to pick any of y’all up. Spend time with your families and rest up. I’ll see y’all in two days.”
Everyone dispersed, and I walked over to the bench to grab my towel and water bottle.
“So, what do you plan on doing with your two days?” Julian asked with a smirk.
“I have a date tonight with Sloan. I rented a boat for the day, and we are going to chill. I’m even having a chef cook for us. You know? Some chill shit.”
“Oh shit. Look at you pulling out all the stops. I’ll be with a set of twins tonight then getting some rest tomorrow.” He chuckled.
“I feel you. Be careful.”
We walked to the locker room to grab our stuff. I didn’t even feel like taking a shower there. I was ready to get home and use my own shower. Plus, I had to make sure everything was set for the night.
“I sure will. You too.”
After we left the locker room, we went our separate ways. Once I climbed into my car, I called Sloan.
“Hello.”
“Hey. Are we still on for tonight?”
“Yes, Calil.”
Her voice made my dick hard. I couldn’t wait until later.
I hoped she’d let me slide into her sweetness again.
I hadn’t cut off anyone else I fucked with, but I hadn’t sex with them either.
I wanted Sloan to know that my intentions were real.
I just needed to make sure we were on the same page before I dropped my roster.
Clarissa was the main one since she was the only consistent one, but I was sure she would understand. At least, that was what I hoped.
“Good. I’m looking forward to it. Don’t forget your bathing suit and be prepared to have a good time.”
“I am. I can’t wait. How was practice?”
“It was good. I was surprised we got a couple of days off, but we all need it.”
“I’m sure you guys need it.”
I liked that Sloan was genuinely interested in what I had going on.
“I just arrived home, and I need to shower and get ready for tonight. I know you don’t want me to pick you up, so just come to my house around six, and we’ll go from there.”
I punched in the gate code and pulled into the driveway. Before I got comfortable, I needed to check on my grandfather. Thankfully, he’d been doing well with the help of the aides the agency sent. They’ve been taking him for walks around the property every day for fresh air.
“Sounds good. Let me finish this paperwork, and I’ll see you later.”
“Okay. See you later.”
We hung up the phone, and I turned the car off. I grabbed my bag from the back seat and got out of the car. I went straight to the other side of the house because I knew once I took a shower, I would lay down for a quick nap.
“What’s up, old man?” I greeted my grandfather when I entered his room.
He sat up in the chair that was on the opposite side of the room.
“Watch it,” he joked. “Your date is tonight, right?”
A smile crossed my face. “Yes, sir.”
“Good. Make sure you treat my girl well and bring her over here to see me before you whisk her off somewhere.”
I chuckled. “I got you. I’m about to shower and nap. I just wanted to check on you. She’s supposed to come here before we go, so I’ll make sure she stops by.”
“Okay. I’m good over here. Ain’t that right, Yvonne?” He glanced over at the nurse and smirked then looked back at me.
She giggled. “Yes, Mr. Cooper.”
Knowing my grandfather, he probably flirted with the lady. She was close to his age, so I wouldn’t be surprised.
I shook my head and laughed. “Okay. I’ll see y’all later.”
I left the room and headed to my side of the house. After my shower, I set my alarm and climbed into bed.
“Oh my God, Calil. This is…”
Sloan’s voice trailed off as we stepped onto the boat. There was a table set with fancy dishes and candles. We could see where the chef prepared the food from the table.
“I’m glad you like it.” I winked as I helped her to the seats in front of the table.
“Is it just us? Well, besides the staff.”
“Of course. They won’t be here long either. Once they serve us dinner, they’ll leave. The only person besides us will be the person driving the boat. I could have driven it myself, but I wanted to focus all my attention on you. Don’t worry. We will have plenty of privacy.”
Nobody would bother us, and I made sure of that by making them sign non-disclosure agreements.
I didn’t need any pictures of Sloan and me in the blogs, especially not while she was in the middle of a divorce.
The blogs would try to find out all of her business, and people would start harassing her. I didn’t want that for her.
Sloan looked around at the boat and the water that surrounded us.
“Are these flowers for me?” she asked when she noticed the bouquet on the corner of the table.
“They are. I didn’t get to send you any at work, so I made sure you had some this evening.”
“They are beautiful. I noticed you’ve been sending me rare flowers. Where do you get them from?”
“I know a guy who owns a flower shop out in Pinewood Mountains, and I get them from there.”
She jerked her head back. “Wait. A guy?”
“Yeah, Kamari. His mother left him her flower shop when she died. And no, he’s not gay. He has a wife who’s a wedding planner.”
Sloan’s thoughts were my own when I first met Kamari. I had never met a dude who ran a flower shop and was not gay.
“Wow. Well, he has some nice flowers.” She picked up the flowers and smelled them before returning them to the corner.
Sloan looked good as hell, and I couldn’t keep my eyes off her.
Her wavy hair framed her face. She wore a little makeup, and I loved how it enhanced her beauty.
The dress she wore hugged her curves, and I had to shake my head at how her husband fumbled.
That was fine because I was here to pick up all the pieces.
“You look beautiful,” I complimented when she focused her attention on me.
I smiled when her cheeks flushed. “Thank you. And you look handsome.”
There was wine in a bucket of ice on the table, so I poured us a glass.
“Thank you. Let’s make a toast.” I picked up my glass, and Sloan did the same. “To a beautiful night and reconnecting with a beautiful person. Also, to a relaxing night where we forget about everything and be in the moment.”
“Yes, to all of that.” Sloan clinked her glass against mine then drank some of her wine.
A few seconds later, the chef brought over our plates. I had it set up so that we wouldn’t have to wait long to eat. Once we had our food and everything else we needed, the chef and his staff left the boat. He let me know that our dessert was in the fridge.
“This looks fancy,” Sloan commented as she looked down at her plate.
“It’s Coq au Vin,” I informed her.
“Um, you act like I know what that is.” She giggled.
“It’s a French stew where chicken is slowly braised in red wine. It’s garnished with mushrooms and pearl onions. There’s also some potatoes and carrots. It’s served on a bed of mashed potatoes.”
The night was special, so we needed to have a special meal to go along with it. I wasn’t sure if Sloan had eaten anything like that before. I wanted her to experience some of the things I experienced during my travels with basketball.
“Well, it looks good.”
“It is. Eat up.”
I prayed over our food, and we dug in. The whole time we ate, Sloan moaned and shimmied in her seat with each bite.
“I’m glad you are enjoying it,” I teased.
“Mm. It’s so good.” She wiped her mouth before taking another swig of her wine.
She returned to eating her food, and I couldn’t help but watch her eat.
Sloan was the epitome of sexy, in my opinion.
I was fascinated by the simplest things when it came to her.
My dick got hard each time she wrapped her full lips around the fork.
My heart fluttered every time she looked at me, and my heart never did that for anyone but her.
“How are you feeling with everything going on?” I wanted to see where her head was at. I knew I had asked her before, but people’s feelings could change day by day. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t wasting my time with her.
“Honestly, I feel good. I know it was the right choice, and I don’t regret it. I know the other day I said I was scared of what was next, but I’m ready for whatever it is.” She looked me straight in the eyes as she talked.
I wasn’t sure, but I felt like she meant wherever things were headed with us.
“I understand. You are going to be fine, and you will find the happiness you deserve. I mean, you don’t have to look any further, but you get it.” I chuckled, but I was serious.
“Is that right?”
“Yes, Sloan. Let’s lighten up the vibes, though. We are supposed to be relaxing. What the future holds will be there when we get off this boat.”
“You are right. I just noticed we were moving.”
We departed from the dock right after the chef and his team left, but Sloan was so busy enjoying the food that she didn’t pay attention. The water was calm, so we barely felt the boat moving.
“Yeah, we’re just going out a little further. I wanted as much privacy with you as possible. I’m going to put these plates away so we can chill. There’s a bedroom, too, if you want to lie down at any point.”
“Okay.”
Sloan slid her feet out of her shoes as I took our dishes to the small kitchen. When I returned to the table, I poured a glass of wine for each of us and then helped Sloan up from her seat so we could sit on the opposite deck. Once we were settled, Sloan put her feet in my lap, and I massaged them.
“Remember how you used to massage my feet for me after my games?” I asked.
“Yes. I’m sure you can get professional massages now,” she responded as I applied more pressure to her foot.
I knew she wore heels often, and I could only imagine what they did to her feet.
Sloan closed her eyes and tossed her head back, but she popped them back open when my dick jumped when she moaned.
“Relax. That’s just how you make me feel.”
She closed her eyes again. “Well, what if you were making me feel like that, too?”
“Then I’ll take care of you, but not yet. We have all night, and best believe, I will fuck you while you’re looking at the ocean.”
“Calil, you can’t be talking like that while rubbing my feet and relaxing me.”
I looked at her and smirked. Her eyes were still closed, so she didn’t know how hard I stared at her.
“I missed you, Sloan.” I didn’t think I told her that since we reconnected, but I did. Sloan was a good friend of mine outside of our relationship. “I never forgot about you. It fucked me up when I saw that ring on your finger, but I’m glad I got a second chance.”
“I missed you, too, Lil.”
I moved her foot from my lap and leaned over to kiss her. I said I wanted to wait to do anything sexual, but I couldn’t help myself. Sloan shifted so she could lie against the pillows. The dress she wore was easy to push up around her waist.
The sun had begun to set, casting a soft glow over the boat.
We were far from the captain, so I wasn’t worried about him seeing us, but depending on how loud Sloan got, there was a chance he could hear us.
I got comfortable on top of Sloan and kissed her again.
The kiss was heated and made me harder as Sloan moaned against my mouth.
“You gonna let me fuck you out here on the ocean, Sloan?”
She nodded.
“Let me hear your voice. I love it when you talk to me.”
“Yes, Calil,” she moaned as I massaged one of her breasts.
I returned to kissing her at the same time I pulled her panties down then freed my dick.
It was reckless, but I entered Sloan raw for the second time.
After that first time, I knew I would never strap up with her.
It was fucking impossible. I needed to feel Sloan in every way possible.
I needed Sloan’s nectar like I needed air to breathe.
“Calil,” she moaned again when I entered her.
“Sloan, you feel so good.” I dug deep and slowly stroked her cushiony walls.
We gazed into each other’s eyes as the boat continued moving to the middle of the ocean.
The moment was too special for words. The only noise was our low moans mixed with the low waves hitting the side of the boat.
I hadn’t made love to a woman in forever, if ever, but I had to with Sloan because she was special to me.
After succumbing to how good we made each other feel, we cuddled and watched the scenery until we fell asleep.