Rise Up (A Coach's Love Book 3) Read online

  “I think you’re right, but we have some work to do. Some of these kids are brand new players, and we have to be sure to give them a fair amount of playing time.”

  Ethan pushes his plate away. “Rinse it and place it in the dishwasher please.”

  He chugs the remainder of his milk and does what I ask. “I’m going to go lay down. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight, Ethan,” Amber and I both say.

  The two of us sit up in the kitchen talking about the team for a bit longer. Basketball is a clear passion of hers, and it’s nice to have her by my side for this. Coaching is a challenge just in getting the kids to work together. Never mind the fact that I don’t have the basketball knowledge or skills she has. Amber’s knowledge of the sport should make things easier on all of us. She starts clearing the table and cleaning up, something I’m not used to. I typically have to do this stuff on my own. I watch her for a moment smiling. It’s nice to have her here. I step up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist. I shift her hair to one side and kiss her neck. She rolls her head giving me better access. One hand is on her neck angling her just right, while the other pinches at her nipple. She rubs her ass against my cock making it twitch.

  “Let’s go to bed,” I whisper in her ear, pulling her away from the sink.

  “But I want to clean up.”

  “It’s fine.” I pull her down the hall toward my room. I peek in on Ethan who is already sound asleep, so I close his door and head to my room.

  Amber is already in there ridding herself of her clothes. Her nipples are like little pebbles, probably a combination of want and the slight winter chill in the air. Her long hair flows in loose curls around her shoulder. “You’re beautiful.”

  She looks down, biting her lip. “Stop.”

  “I mean it.” I lift her chin and press my lips to hers. Our tongues duel it out for control. I slip my hands into her hair and tug slightly, taking the control I love.

  I kiss down the vein in her neck. “I love when you take control,” she moans.

  “Good, because I love being in control.” My lips crash down on hers while I work at the button on her jeans. Walking her backward, she sits when her knees hit the bed. I lift her ass and slide her jeans down her long legs. I pull her ass to the edge of the bed, kneel between her legs, and devour her warm, wet sex. Her hips buck and grind against my face when I suck and nibble on her nub. Within minutes she’s exploding. Her legs quiver and shake as I lap up every ounce of her orgasm.

  I quickly rid myself of my jeans and press her knees to her chest. I slip my cock inside of her, thrusting my hips in an even rhythm. Her beautiful breasts shake with each thrust. Her eyes roll back in her head, and her muscles clench down on my cock, deliciously milking it for all I have. I slam deep inside her one last time, releasing my seed.

  I lean over her, gently kissing her before I slip out of her. A yawn escapes her. “I’m sorry. I’m so tired.”

  “Let’s get cleaned up, and we can get some sleep.”

  She follows me to the bathroom where we take care of business. When we’re done, we slip into bed. She instantly snuggles up to me. “Thank you for convincing me to stay. I love sleeping in your arms.”

  I kiss her on the head. “You’re welcome here anytime, beautiful.”

  It’s the week of Christmas. Vincent and I have created a great routine. I’ve been spending a lot more time at his place now that practice is going, and he needs help with Ethan. I adore that boy and can’t imagine he is the same kid who pulled some of the stunts Vincent has told me about.

  Ellie started working last week, so I’ve started working for Paul. It’s working out well so far. Ellie is a sweet older woman whose husband recently passed away. The income she had wasn’t enough, so she needed to go back to work. I feel for her. It must be hard to suddenly come out of retirement to save all you have. She’s smart and catches on quickly. You would think she’d struggle with the computer given her age, but she hasn’t struggled one bit.

  She told me every time the latest gadget came out she was sure to learn how to use it, so she’s been working with computers going back to the floppy disc era, as she calls it. She was smart to keep up with the times.

  This is a slow time for us. People are busy shopping for the holiday. They’re not thinking about investing. The only thing keeping us busy is preparing for year-end statements to be printed just after the holiday. It’s important that we scrub all the accounts now so all we have to do is a little last-minute data entry and click print.

  “Good morning, Ellie. How are you today?”

  “I’m well, dear. How are you?” She greets me with a huge smile as she does every morning.

  “I’m well, thank you.” She looks around me.

  “No Vincent today?”

  “He’ll be in shortly.” I look at her with questioning eyes. We’ve tried hard to keep us a secret.

  “Dear, you two can’t hide the love you have for one another. It’s evident in the way you look at each other.” She leans on her hand and smiles. “Seth and I used to look at each other the same way.”

  The only word I heard in that sentence was love. We’re not in love, are we? I mean, it’s too soon for that. How could we possibly be in love? “What’s wrong?” she asks, pulling me from my thoughts.

  “Oh, it’s just … well…” I can’t figure out how to get my words out. “We just started dating. It’s not…” She puts up her hand to stop me.

  “Do not tell me it’s not serious, young lady. You may not have admitted it to yourself, but it’s evident to those around you. You love and adore one another. I’ve only been here a few days, and I already see it.”

  “Do you think it’s possible to love someone that quickly? We’ve both been hurt.” I’m not sure why I feel so comfortable spilling my guts to this woman, but I do.

  She smiles. “I knew I loved my husband from the moment he opened his mouth. It was confirmed the moment he kissed me.” She looks at me. “But I believe in love at first sight. Not everyone does.”

  I nod my agreement. “I’m going to go grab some coffee.”

  “You do that, dear.”

  I make my way to the kitchen with my mind reeling with thoughts of love. Is it truly what I feel for Vincent? I’m not sure I’ve ever truly loved anyone. I’m so lost in thought I never get the coffee going. I put the cup under the brewer but never press start.

  “What are you thinking about?”

  I scream. I hadn’t heard Vincent come into the room. “You scared the shit out of me!” I slap Vincent on the chest.

  “I’m sorry I didn’t mean to. Are you okay?”

  I take a few deep breaths, trying to calm my rapidly beating heart. “I can’t believe you did that to me.” I press start on the brewer.

  “I came in to make my coffee and saw you standing there. You were staring off lost in thought.” He looks into my eyes. “Is everything okay?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  His eyes narrow. “What are you not telling me?”

  I give him a tight smile. “I’ll see you for lunch.” I grab my now brewed coffee and leave the kitchen. I need to clear my head and think about work, not my relationship.

  I open my email to discover I have more work to do than I thought. Paul is nowhere near as organized as Vincent is. This makes my job a bit harder, but I got this. I just need to stay focused, stick to my lists, and get things done one step at a time.

  I’ve spent the last few hours going through my emails, organizing Paul’s client list, and making sure he is on top of all the appointments he has left for this year. I also cleared his calendar because Marissa had scheduled him a few clients while he is supposed to be off. Now, it’s almost lunchtime, and Vincent and I usually have lunch together unless he has a meeting out of the office.

  Hey handsome,

  What would you like for lunch?

  Amber

  Well hello beautiful,

  I would like you, naked on my desk ;
-)

  Vincent

  Not funny, Mr. Sexy pants. You know that’s against the rules. What would you like to eat?

  I try a different approach. Maybe now I can get him to tell me what he would like me to order.

  I’m starved. I want to eat you. :-P

  I can’t believe he used the emoji with its tongue sticking out. He is making it really hard to behave.

  Food, what would you like for food? And stop talking about sex. You’re making my panties wet. LOL

  P.S. Come back with one more sex comment, and I’m deciding for you.

  I watch my email for his reply, but it doesn’t come. I’m about to send him another email when it finally comes through.

  Why are you taking my fun away … fine, I’ll have a small Italian on wheat with American cheese. Oh, and I’ll have you for dessert! LOL! Couldn’t resist.

  What on earth am I going to do with this man. I place our order and continue plucking away at my work while I wait. I have a few letters I need to type up for Paul, and I’m hoping to get them done before lunch arrives.

  Just as I’m finishing the second letter, our lunch arrives. I sign the slip and take it over to Vincent’s office. When I walk in, I’m taken aback by a tall, lean woman standing there yelling at him like a lunatic. “I’m sorry, Vincent. I didn’t realize you were in a meeting.”

  “No, you’re fine, beautiful. She was just leaving.” Her head whips around, and instantly I realize who it is.

  “Beautiful!” she shouts. “Now I understand why she’s no longer your assistant. You’re fucking her!”

  He stands so quickly his chair shoots out from behind him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so angry. “My relationship is none of your business. Don’t you dare come here causing a scene when you’re the one who jumped ship. I tried to work it out, and you told me to go fuck myself.” He steps around his desk. “Now get out of my office before I call the police.” She storms off toward the door. “Laney,” he calls out. “Don’t come back here without an appointment set up with my lawyer and me.”

  “I will see my son for Christmas.”

  “Good luck with that,” he calls out just as she slams the door shut.

  He rushes over to me. “I’m so sorry, beautiful.”

  “You have nothing to be sorry for. I didn’t realize she was in here. I should have knocked first.”

  He brushes his knuckles along my cheek. “I do. I called you beautiful not just because you are and it’s what I’ve been calling you, but because I knew it would piss her off.” I start to laugh. “What’s so funny?”

  “The way she blew a gasket. I think you just sent her blood pressure through the roof.” I hand him his sandwich.

  “You’re not mad at me?”

  I walk around him and take a seat at the table. “Why? I would’ve had to deal with her at some point.” I pull out my new favorite salad. “She’s going to make your life a living hell, though.”

  “She already has. Can’t get much worse.” He pulls out his sandwich and digs in.

  “So did she really just show up to yell at you about Christmas?”

  He nods. “Yup. Says Christmas is Friday, and she’s taking her kid.” He wipes his mouth with a napkin. “I told her over my dead body.”

  “That must have gone over well.”

  “About as well as me telling her that her father would be at our house for dinner.” He laughs.

  “I don’t get it.”

  “She tried to throw at me that her father is a judge.” I shrug. “I had already spoken to her father about joining us for dinner. The man is alone and still my son’s grandfather. Besides, he never did anything to me. Why would I push him away?”

  “So you told her that.”

  “Yup.”

  “Oh man. She is not having a good day.”

  “Neither is Judge Mackey. She’s on her way to see him next.” He pulls his phone out. “As a matter of fact, I should warn him.” He shoots off a text that is instantly replied to. He bursts into laughter.

  “What?”

  “She is already on the phone screaming at him.” He taps out another message. “I sent him an apology.”

  “It’s Ethan I feel bad for. He’s stuck in the middle of this. First, he thought his mother doesn’t want him. Now she does. This woman needs to make up her mind.”

  “She’s going to make his school vacation miserable,” he says, rubbing his temple.

  “What were your plans for him during vacation?”

  “Random stuff. I told him he could hang here with us a day or two. Stella offered to let him hang with DJ and Mason at her house. Stella is taking the time off, or working a shorter shift, something like that.

  “I’m sort of new with this entire single dad thing. I thought about this way too late.”

  I smile at him. “That’s because Laney used to tell you she was taking care of it, and her idea of taking care of it was probably leaving him home alone.” I push the remainder of my salad away, too full to finish. “I’d never speak poorly of Laney in front of Ethan, he needs to form his own opinion, but in the few times I’ve seen that woman, she has never been nice.”

  “Maybe that’s it. Maybe he needs to go with her so he can form his own opinion.”

  I shrug. “I don’t know. I’ve never raised a child. It sounds to me like you may not have much choice.” This woman is ridiculous coming here and just making demands, but if she has a good lawyer and being that she is one, she probably does. It may be best if he allows her to take him.

  “I already told her she can’t have him Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. We have plans, and I’m not changing them.”

  “Why don’t you let her take him on Christmas in the afternoon. That way he gets time with both of you.”

  He looks at me like I’m crazy. “Whose side are you on?”

  “I’m on your side, of course, but think about it. Pissing her off to the boiling point and then sending your son off with her because she won is not the best idea.” I uncross my legs and walk over to him. He pulls his seat out from the table, and I settle on his lap. “I know this must be hard, but she’s his mother. If she has a good lawyer, she’s going to get her visitation. Work it out with her for his sake.”

  He sighs. “You may be right. My gut just doesn’t like it.”

  “That’s because you’re a good father, and you care. If she is going to screw up, that’s when she’ll do it. Then he won’t want to see her, and you’ll all have something to use against her in court.”

  He presses his lips to mine. “I’m so lucky to have you.” He kisses me again.

  “I know.” I wink at him. “I have to get back to work, and so do you.” I start to climb off his lap, but he pulls me back down.

  “Where do you think you’re going?”

  “I told you, back to work.” He locks his lips with mine and kisses me passionately. He breaks the kiss and stares into my eyes. He wants to say something, but the words won’t come out.

  “Have a good afternoon, beautiful.”

  “You too.”

  It’s our last practice before Christmas break, and I have a ton on my mind. For starters, I can’t get the lost expression on Amber’s face this morning, and then my ex wife barged into my office demanding to see our son. Of course, that leaves me to explain that she’s back in town.

  Things were just starting to go well in our life. Amber and I have a great routine. She’s been amazing helping me plan meals and get things with Ethan in order, and now Laney has to come back to mess with our world.

  “What’s wrong?” Amber pulls me from my thoughts.

  “I guess I should ask you the same thing.”

  She looks at me like I’m crazy. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I’m fine,” she says, climbing into my SUV. I dropped her off at work this morning and then ran a quick errand for Christmas.

  “You are now, but you weren’t this morning.”

  “Oh, that.”

&nbs
p; “When I got in this morning Ellie asked me where you were. It threw me off. I thought we were doing well at being discreet, but I guess not.”

  “Beautiful, we have lunch together almost every day.” I’m not sure how she thought that was discreet.

  “I know. I told her we were meeting about stuff I needed to train her on.” I shake my head. “Anyway,” she continues, “she said it was obvious we were in love, and that’s what really threw me off.”

  “Why? Does that scare you?”

  “A little. I mean, I know we’ve had this secret crush on each other for a while now, but we’ve only been dating a short time. She just got me thinking because she told me she knew she loved her husband from the moment they first kissed. I’m not really sure I believed in instant love until now.”

  When I stop at a red light, I lean over and give her a chaste kiss. “Beautiful, I believe Ellie is a wise woman, but don’t let someone’s input bring you fear. You have to live for you. That said, I also hope you won’t let your fear of love push us apart.”

  “No, because I don’t believe I’m afraid to love you. I’m afraid that I already love you.”

  A huge grin spreads across my face. “Why does that scare you?”

  “Because of all the men I’ve dated, none have made me feel the way you do.” She pauses. “I’ve never realized it until now, but none of them made love to me. You make love to me.”

  “And that scares you?”

  “No. Losing you scares me.”

  I shrug. “I’m not sure how to resolve that fear, beautiful. I’m in the same boat. I love you, and I want you to be in our lives. You’ve come to mean a lot to both of us in a very short period of time.” I pull into the driveway at the house and turn to face her. “I do believe Ellie is right. It’s evident. We just have to own it. I’ve loved you from the first night we were together.”

  She leans in and kisses me. “I love you too.”