Page 39 of Home Town Advantage (Fourth Quarter Fever #1)

EIGHTEEN

SULLEY

W e’re just about to finish practice. I’m in a bit of a rush to get home.

Tonight is my dinner party. I’m nervous.

I’ve never hosted anything like this. I’m grateful for Layla’s help.

Presley is going to stay with the baby until the sitter comes so Layla can help me get everything ready.

She’s going to shower and change at my house.

I dribble the ball a few times and toss an alley-oop up for Kennedy so she can attempt a dunk, but she slams it directly onto the rim and then lands hard on her ass. She groans in disappointment. “Fuck me! I’ll never get to dunk. I’m too fucking short. My damn mother and her genes fucked me over.”

I giggle. “You must be over six feet.” She’s an inch or two taller than me. “You’re hardly short.”

She scowls. “Not tall enough to dunk. I’ve worked so fucking hard on my vertical for the past three months.” She points an accusatory finger at Shay. “Tongue-fu master barely has to jump and the bitch can dunk.”

Shay grabs her stomach and doubles over in laughter. “ Tongue-fu master? Fucking classic, Darth Vader. I need to text Alyssa that one.”

Kennedy deadpans, “Who do you think taught me the term? That’s what my new bestie calls you behind your back.”

“For real?” Shay asks with a proud look on her face.

Kennedy smiles and winks as Layla offers a hand to help her off the ground. She then smacks Kennedy on the ass. “You’ll get it eventually. I have faith.”

“At least you can reach the rim,” I offer, “I can’t even get up that high.”

Kennedy twists her lips. “I’m not giving up. My goal is to dunk this season. I refuse to quit until it happens.”

A phone alarm starts ringing, and Layla runs over to the bench and pulls out a packet of birth control pills, quickly washing one down with a gulp of bottled water.

She looks at all of us. “What? I have mommy brain right now. I swear, being a mother makes you significantly dumber. I need an alarm to remember to do everything, including taking birth control. No more bambinos for a while.”

Kennedy asks, “Why doesn’t Presley just wear condoms?”

Layla shrugs. “Not sure. We never even considered going back to condoms. He hates them. We haven’t used them since we first started dating.”

My mind goes straight to Vance and my complete and total irresponsibility. I haven’t used condoms at all with him. What the hell am I thinking?

Kennedy interrupts my self-loathing. “Women can get pregnant once in nine months, but men can impregnate countless women in nine months. Shouldn’t birth control be for men?”

Shay sighs. “Like I’ve said before, your brain will be studied one day.”

Kennedy turns to her intern. “Booster, I need some ice for my ass. Go grab me some.”

He nods and answers, “Yes, Queen Jeffries,” before heading into the locker room.

As soon as he disappears, I ask, “Why do you make him wear sweatpants and a T-shirt that are both clearly a size too small?”

She shrugs. “Why have the women at Hooters had to wear those barely there uniforms for decades? Why do cocktail waitresses at clubs wear short skirts? Men have been doing it to women for years and years. It’s my turn for payback. Revealing gray sweatpants are our Hooters tops.”

A few hours later, the doorbell rings, signaling my first houseguest besides Layla. I open the door to see Daylen with a celery stick poking out of his mouth. I wonder why he’s always eating celery.

He kisses my cheek and hands me an unwrapped candle in a jar that reads, I hope your neighbors aren’t serial killers .

I smile. “Thank you. Such a beautiful candle with a sweet message.”

He nods. “I thought so.”

Kennedy approaches my stoop right behind him. He turns when he hears her. “Did you bring a better attitude?” he asks her.

“Did you bring a better personality?” she immediately replies.

He holds out his arms like he’s handing her imaginary flowers. “Roses are red, violets are blue, I have five fingers, but the middle one is for you.” At that, he turns his hand and flips her the bird.

She holds her phone up to her ear. “Your village just called. They want their idiot back.”

He shakes his head. “You’re a fucking handful.”

She shrugs. “I might be a handful, but at least my tits are too so that makes up for it.”

He lets out his loud, house-shaking laugh. “I can’t argue with that. Your rack is your best attribute.” He wiggles his eyebrows as he stares shamelessly and obviously at her chest.

She shoves him to the side as she walks by him. “You’re such a child.”

“Breastfeed me then.” He chuckles.

She ignores him and hands me a purple gift bag with light pink tissue paper peeking out. “Happy new house.”

I smile. “You’re so sweet. Thank you.”

She nods toward it. “Open the gift. You can use it tonight.”

Assuming it’s a bottle of wine, I dip my hand into the bag only to pull out what appears to be a penis-shaped wine decanter. She smirks. “I hear things really open up in the balls.”

Yep, there are two big glass balls at the bottom. “I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

She giggles. “I made Booster go into the store to pick it up. You should have seen his face. God, I love having an intern. Shaming a man in the process is an added perk.”

Daylen raises an eyebrow. “You have an intern?”

She nods. “I do.”

“Why?”

“Because it amuses me, and I’m a busy woman. I need someone to run errands for me.”

“Do you pay him?” Daylen asks.

She smirks. “Nope. That’s the beauty. He gets school credit for it.”

He studies her carefully. “That’s actually brilliant. I need an intern.”

Everyone arrives shortly thereafter, each with a gift in hand. They’re all so generous and thoughtful. Beau brought me a healthy living cookbook for athletes that lists him as the author. I think there’s more to Beau Fudd than meets the eye.

When Vance arrives, looking edible as always in his customary uniform of jeans, a flannel, and cowboy boots, he offers me a gift bag too. “Should I open it?” I ask.

He nods. “You can if you want.”

I reach into the bag and pull out a pretty wooden picture frame.

As I examine it closely, I see it’s a picture of Finn and me.

I remember taking it. He was eighteen and I was ten.

I’m on his back at the front entrance of the cabin.

It was the day they finally finished. We’re both covered in paint and laughing without a care in the world.

I give him a soft smile. “I love it. Thank you.”

“That was a good day.”

I nod. “Sure was. I remember it clearly. I know just the spot for it.”

With him on my heels, I walk through the house and place it prominently on the mantel above my fireplace. Vance smirks at me. “Is that a gas fireplace, O’Shea?”

I scrunch my face. “Yes. It’s the only thing I dislike about this place, though I can’t imagine finding wood would be easy in the city.”

He whispers, “I’ll give you as much wood as you want.”

I narrow my eyes at him and mouth, “Behave.”

He shakes his head and mouths back, “Never.”

All I want to do is kiss that smug smile off his face. Or sit on it.

So…Vance McCaffrey is officially my weakness. He sexually coerced me into agreeing to a top-secret relationship. One minute I was saying no, and the next he was inside me, and I said yes. Several times. Over and over. Very loudly.

We agreed to spend time together away from any prying eyes. That is all I will ever give him. Of course, I know this is a colossal mistake, but I can’t seem to help myself. I’m addicted to the sex. At least that’s what I’m telling myself.

He adjusts himself in his jeans. “I can see my bite marks on your neck. Fuck, it’s turning me on.”

Feeling heat rush to my cheeks, I quickly fix the collar of my blouse. I thought I had it covered.

He subtly rubs his pinkie over mine. “Can I take you out on a date this week? ”

I shake my head. “No. This is a top-secret relationship, remember? It’s not like we can just hide away in a restaurant corner. We’ll be recognized wherever we go.”

He licks his lips. “If I promise we won’t be seen, can I take you out? It’s off the beaten path.” He leans over toward my ear, and I feel his warm breath on my neck. “It will be worth your while, I assure you.”

I catch a waft of his scent, and my whole body reacts. My nipples harden, and my panties dampen. Because my body is completely under his control, I’m powerless to do anything but nod in agreement.

He squeezes my hand and breathes, “Good girl.”

And my panties go from damp to drenched with two simple words.

His eyes move up and down my body, landing right on my pussy. His Adam’s apple bobs. “I’ll take care of that when everyone leaves, unless you want me to bend you over the dining room table now.”

I blow out a breath. Lord, please help me get through this night without letting him mount me in front of a full audience.

We turn and walk back toward the group, who are all sitting around with drinks in hand. I love seeing everyone chatting and having a good time in my home.

Presley holds up three fingers. “Three rules. There are only three things you need to do in order to make a woman happy. Smack her ass, tell her she’s pretty, and bring her tacos.”

Layla raises an eyebrow. “That ass smacking better be followed by some long lovin’.”

He leans over and kisses her cheek. “Always, mi corazón.”

Palmer looks like she’s going to melt. “You two are so cute. What’s the secret to a happy marriage?”

Layla smiles. “Twice a week, we go to a nice restaurant to enjoy good food, good wine, good company, and good conversation. Presley goes on Tuesdays, and I go on Fridays,”she deadpans .

Presley grins widely. “Women aren’t complicated. If you make a mistake, tell her you’re sorry. If she makes a mistake…tell her you’re sorry.”

We all laugh as the caterer lets us know dinner is ready, and we sit at my new dining room table. I feel like such an adult.