Chapter 31
At her basketball game Thursday, the team had been acing every play and hitting every basket. They could do no wrong. Considering they were playing last year’s most obnoxious team away from home, Marlie was more than ready for this win.
She’d driven over with Damon, appreciating his winterized truck with snow tires. They’d finally gotten a dusting of the white stuff, though it probably wouldn’t stick.
“That’s it, Melly. Nice one, girls.”
The last ten seconds ticked down. Her team had resisted the urge to mouth off, ignored the refs’ terrible calls, and paid no attention to the rowdy crowd calling them names. Because yeah, it was that kind of school, a small gathering of parents who cared more about winning than sportsmanship.
She hated the coach as well, an irritating guy who was trying to live through his players and who considered any win a good win. Whether his team played fair or not.
She would make sure to let the high school know she refused to play this group again. Enough was enough.
Damon sat up in the stands in the back, once again trying to be inconspicuous by slouching a lot and covering up in a ballcap—this one a Portland Trailblazers black and red—and a thick coat. He’d been respectful when cheering for their team, not saying a word when the parents mouthed off.
She’d warned him beforehand what to expect. Fortunately, he’d taken her guidance to be discreet.
Not so easy to do, because she wanted badly to flip off one of the opposing players’ fathers—Scott Dorson—a jackass with a reputation among all the girls’ basketball coaches in their district and father to several girls who played at various ages.
With the buzzer sounding, Marlie was glad to finally get the hell out of the jerky town. She hated the entire place, including the dumbass vice-principal who encouraged poor attitudes. The old bat added to the boisterous cheering and booing as she next to the coach.
Really, Barbara?
Having played against Barbara’s conceited daughter in college, Marlie knew that rotten apple fell from the same cursed tree. She shook hands with the team and coach, saving Barbara for last.
“Reynolds.”
“Barb.”
The older woman glared as they shook hands.
Marlie sneered back and quickly took her hand away. Then, to be a good example to her players, she ignored the jeering crowd and herded the girls back to their parents, making sure everyone left safely. No one could accuse the Riverdown players of making trouble.
Unfortunately, that left her in the back hallway near the locker rooms, alone, after the last girl left.
“Well, well. If it isn’t the cheating coach of the Riverdown bitches.”
She knew that voice. Smothering a groan, she turned and flashed a bright smile at every coach’s worst nightmare. An abusive parent who thought high school sports the end-all to everything.
She’d met the douche last year, when she’d coached her girls to a victory over his older daughter, a junior still playing JV ball.
“Gee, Mr. Dorson. How have you been? It’s like I’ve been hearing that same tune you’re singing ever since we beat you last year. And the year before that. Oh, and just tonight. Merry Christmas!”
Marlie watched the dickhead with caution. He had a few inches and several pounds on her, a big guy with a belly, large fists, and little brain power to figure out issues like fair play and kindness. It was no surprise to see his daughter was one of the dirtiest players on the court.
“Marlie Reynolds. I know you think you’re better than the rest of us.”
“I don’t think that.”
“Yeah?”
She snorted. “I know that.” His face turned beet-red as she added, “We don’t cheat to win. We’re good players. If you guys would focus more on fundamentals and less on fancy moves that go nowhere, in addition to some much-needed defense, you might have done better tonight.”
Over his shoulder, she saw the guy’s two brothers waiting, glaring holes into her. Throwbacks to The Hills Have Eyes mutants, she thought with distant humor. Hmm. Maybe she and Damon should watch that movie next.
She couldn’t lie and say Dorson didn’t make her nervous, but more than that, he infuriated her with the way he ruined the game. If he put a hand on her, she’d make him eat his camouflaged hat.
Then she noticed Damon standing behind his family, fury building in his icy gaze. Uh-oh.
“I got this,” she warned.
Dorson took a few steps toward her. His brothers did as well.
Then Damon moved.
He pushed himself between the inbred twins behind Dorson, who stared at him in shock. A six-and-a-half-foot giant aimed for their brother, yet they didn’t warn him at all.
“Marlie, step back,” Damon warned.
Dorson turned around and found himself staring up into Damon’s flat expression.
“You got a problem with my girlfriend?” he growled. “Because I’m happy to fix that for you, fuckhead. Let’s step outside. Bring the stupid twins with you.”
“Damon…” Okay, honestly, he was totally turning her on. For all that he claimed to be a tough guy, she had the sneaking suspicions he was acting like a bad boy to make her happy. For the most part, Damon was a sweetheart.
And damn it all, she loved that about him.
But this… This mean, angry, rough guy ready to throw down was the real deal.
Dorson didn’t look so certain anymore. “Now hold on, fella, you—”
“You hold on.” Damon’s voice didn’t rise, and he didn’t move.
He just stood there staring into Dorson’s beady eyes.
“You threaten a woman who did no more than coach a bunch of teenage girls to play fairly against your team. You lost. Suck it up. But no, you need to come out here with your backup dancers and act all tough.” Damon looked him over and snorted.
“Come on then. Act tough. Let’s go trade punches outside. ”
Dorson glanced back at her, but Marlie folded her arms over her chest and glared back at him. The guy looked over at his brothers, who seemed undecided.
Dorson coughed. “We don’t want any trouble.”
“Then fuck off.” Damon leaned close and lifted Dorson up by his shirt, pulling the guy up on his tiptoes.
Marlie wanted to cheer.
“You threaten her ever again, I’ll rip off your nuts and feed them to you one at a time.
Then I’ll break you in half before I start on your buddies.
” He tossed Dorson at his brothers. “You hear me, you pieces of shit? You threaten a woman, three on one, over a kid’s game?
” To Marlie he whispered out of the corner of his mouth, “No offense.”
“A little taken,” she whispered back.
“Well?” Damon took a step toward Dorson.
“Sorry. We gotta go.” He turned and shoved his brothers down the hall, away from the pending threat.
Once the hallway had cleared, Damon turned to her with a bright smile. “You know I was kidding, right? I think basketball is more than kid’s game. But I was trying to insult the guy.”
“Damon?”
“Yeah?” He looked nervous.
“Shut up.” Marlie yanked him down for a kiss that had them both breathless by the time she finished.
“Not mad at me?” he rasped.
“Nope. That was hot.”
He broke out into a wide grin. “It was, wasn’t it? But not half as hot as you staring down that old lady as you went down the line. Honey, you’re so sexy when you’re mean.”
“We’re a pair.”
“We are. So, ah, do you have all your stuff? We should probably go before they key my truck or knife my tires.”
She laughed. “Good point.”
They drove home, where he went over her team’s movements play by play, impressing her that he’d paid attention. He also told her a lot of what the parents had been saying about her and the opposing team, much of which she agreed with and made her laugh.
“Yeah, the parents were saying that Barbara Mereford hates you because you ran rings around her daughter in college when you were hooping.”
“True. Our rivalry is kind of legendary. Plus, everyone in the JV league hates the Farndon Hares. These guys suck. They never play fair, and they always try to pick fights. Not just the girls’ teams but the boys’ sports as well.”
“Dicks. You really stuck it to them. I was so proud.”
She blushed. “You’re just saying that.”
“Marlie, you’re an amazing coach.”
She could hear that he meant that, and his opinion made her feel ten feet tall.
“I’m not just saying that to get lucky later.” He’d been pretty demonstrative earlier that morning about using orgasms to help with her cramps.
He hadn’t been wrong at all.
By the time they arrived back at her house, she found herself wanting to make him feel as good as he’d made her.
“Damon?”
“Yeah?”
“Keep the truck running for a minute.”
“Sure.”
“Keep your hands on the wheel, okay?”
“Why? Did I…” he trailed off when she unbuckled herself then him and leaned in to unbutton the fly of his jeans.
The truck was silent as a tomb while she took him out, his dick as hard and thick as she knew it would be. The man’s body never lied. He wanted her, and that turned her on as much as his tough-guy act did.
“Marlie,” he whispered, staring at her in awe.
She winked. “You were so sexy earlier.” Then she lowered her head to his lap and took him in her mouth.
“Oh fuck.”
She smiled around his dick but soon grew lost in the sounds he made as she sucked and licked, pressing her hands between his legs to get to his poor balls, smushed by denim.
She moved up and down, taking him as deep as she could without gagging. But damn, he was huge, making her jaw hurt with his girth.
“I’m not gonna last, baby. Fuck, Marlie. Please,” he begged so prettily.
She put a hand at his base as she worked him, taking as much of him as she could, sucking harder, moving faster.
His breathing grew labored, until he was nothing but moans and swearing.
“Coming,” he warned.
Instead of pulling away, she doubled down.
He jetted into her mouth on a groan, his hands in her hair, holding but not forcing her down.
Once finished, he tried to catch his breath while she pulled away and tucked him back in his pants.
Staring at her with amazement, drugged on pleasure, he jerked her into his arms and kissed her. She wondered if he liked the taste of himself and was shocked she didn’t mind it. Not that she’d ever been a huge fan of giving head, but giving Damon pleasure made her…happy.
He made her happy.
Damon pulled back from her and planted kisses over her face until she stopped him, laughing.
“Best. Girlfriend. Ever.”
“Girlfriend, huh?”
He paused, then started kissing her again. “Best. Ho-bag. Ever.”
Which had her laughing and poking him at the same time. “Ho-bag?”
“Oh, is that offensive?” He turned off the truck and hustled out of it with her. “You should make me pay for that. In bed. Many, many more times.”
“You’re so easy.”
“Sadly, I know.”
And making it too easy to fall for you, you big dope.
Annoyed at the emotions she’d tried to hide behind a wall of casual fun, she glared at him all the way into the house and her bed.
Where she made him overwhelm her with pleasure until she was too tired to do anything but sleep. And dreamed of her rowdy prince soon leaving her kingdom for a brighter, better palace made of ice.