Page 133 of Off Limits
When she moves her hand up and down, I can barely think straight. ‘I gotta car coming to my house, eight a.m.’
‘Then we’ve got time,’ she says as she increases the pressure of her movements. When her hand sinks further down into my fly and she cups my balls, I’m fully charged and ready to go again.
Her tone is playful. ‘How about two for two?’
By the time I walk through the door to my house, I’m missing her already. There’s an ache in my chest that exists only for her. I don’t even wanna get on that plane tomorrow for our next away game.
Dad, Gramps and River are watching TV. Mom’s in the kitchen, cleaning up after family dinner, another dinner I missed.
‘Hey, sweetie!’ she hollers. ‘How was training?’
‘Good,’ I mutter. She doesn’t mention that fact that training finished hours ago.
‘You eat, already?’
My stomach rumbles. I’d just been ignoring it up to now, but now I think about it, I’m famished. ‘Got any leftovers?’
She goes to the oven and grabs a mitt, pulls out a steaming hot plate of food. ‘Way ahead of you there.’
I toss my sports bag and go to the table, taking a seat.
‘I was at the tennis club again today,’ Mom says, still moving around. I pick up my fork. ‘Saw Olivia Francis again. You remember? The weather girl on WKRZ. Still single, honey. Still pretty.’
I drop my fork and it clatters. Mom’s head whips around.
‘Eat your food, honey, before it gets cold,’ she says.
I grit my teeth. I’m done pretending. I just drove halfway across Canyon, back from making love to my girl twice in the cab of my pickup, once again, sneaking around. Not that it wasn’t hot as hell, but not being able to tell people that Serenity is my girlfriend is making me hell to live with.
‘Ma,’ I say, then swallow the lump in my throat. ‘I have a girlfriend.’
She blinks at me. ‘I’m sorry, what?’
Before I know it, River’s stuck her head around the door. I hadn’t noticed, but the TV is no longer audible.
‘I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. Her name is Serenity. She’s a CMC squad member.’
Mom straightens. ‘She’s a cheerleader?’
‘Which is why I’m not allowed to date her. So, we’ve not been able to tell many people.’
River has a wide smile on her face. ‘I don’t understand,’ Mom says cautiously.
‘It’s part of her contract. She’s not allowed to talk to anyone on the pro team. But we didn’t know… at least not initially. But I’m crazy in love with her. And I’m not just saying that because of some dumb crush. She’s it. She’s the one for me. For life. And, look… just so you know, she’s a waitress. A local Canyon girl. She didn’t go to college. She’s not majored in meteorology or anything like that…’
Her lips are pinched together. She looks over to the window. ‘How long have you been… dating?’
I note that River’s smile has wavered. I swallow. ‘I first met her back in August.’
Mom’s brows crawl up her forehead. ‘And you’re only just telling me this now?’
‘I’m sorry, Mom. Like I said, we couldn’t tell anyone.’
‘You couldn’t even trust your own mother? When we moved out here… for you?’
‘Mom, if you think she’s not good enough—’
‘Don’t be ridiculous, honey.’
