Full Court Press (13 page)

Anderson couldn’t stand it anymore. He coughed loudly and pushed her away. “God...dammit, Car.”

“What? It doesn’t sound like fun?” she teased, knowing that it had gotten him a little excited. She was a little surprised at herself.

He took a deep breath and looked around, adjusting his T-shirt. “You can’t go around saying...things like that.”

“Why not?”

Carmondy jumped when two hands grabbed her waist from behind. “Because...” Beck’s voice sounded in her ear, “...someone might get some ideas.”

Carmondy froze.
Busted.
“Uh, I was just messing around. Getting him back for hitting on me and stuff.”

“Sure.” Beck’s voice in her ear made her shiver. He released her and she didn’t turn around as he heard him walk away.

Anderson grinned. “That’s what you get for being all...” He waved his hands in the air, looking for the right word.

“Sexy?”

“Yeah! Do you really fantasize about that?” he asked.

“No!” she laughed. “I just knew it would get you all worked up.”

He pouted. “Damn...cause you were really reminding me of Kendall just then.”

She cocked her head. “Oh really?”

He nodded. “God she was so...sexy. I mean...you gotta be one confident woman to be comfortable with that stuff, you know?”

“Umm, no, I don’t actually, but if you say so. So you and Kendall were...into that stuff?” she asked casually.

Anderson grinned. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” He pushed her down the hall. “Get outta here, psycho. I’ll see you after practice.”

She grinned back and blew him a kiss.

Practice was the hardest they had had so far. The boys got the court first so the girls ran the stairs in the balcony. Up, across, down, across, up, across, down, across, up. They circled countless times above the court while the boys practiced. One of the requirements was that no one was left behind. They all had to either slow down or speed up to keep up the average pace. The coach insisted it was a team building exercise but Car was pretty sure it was just torture.

She and the posts were the tallest on the team, so it was hard for them to go so slowly up the stairs, but they had to stay with the team. The coach had let them have a ten-minute rest once half an hour had passed but then they started right back up again.

The only good thing about it was that they got to watch the boys, as long as they could navigate the stairs while looking down into the court. She watched as they ran through all of their presses and offenses.

They had a particularly effective-looking full court press called Code Red that put Beck smack in the middle of the court. He used his height and long arms to pick off lazy passes. Car got into a steady pace, keeping slow to make sure the team stayed together, but watching Beck the whole time. She wanted to study him, to be like him on the court. He seemed to have his mind everywhere. He knew where everyone should be at all times and seemed to know where the other team was going to pass. It was fascinating to watch him. She could do it all day.

“Car...Carmondy!” Someone called her name and snapped her out of her thoughts. She was halfway up a set of stairs, by herself.

“What are you doing?” Alli asked, looking up at her from the landing.

“Huh?”

“We’re done. Come on.” She shook her head and left the balcony, leaving Carmondy a little confused. She looked down and saw the boys clearing off the court. She hurried down the stairs and exited the balcony as the boys made their way up.

She shouldered her way through the wave of boys, though it wasn’t real effective. She ran head on into Beck. He scowled at her.

“What are you doing?” he asked, grabbing her arm.

“Trying to...” suddenly the boys all squeezed up the stairs, leaving them alone in the dark stairwell, “get out.”

“So I was thinking, tomorrow after shoot-around—”

“I’m coming over for homework,” she said firmly.

“Yes, but also if you wanted to work on your post moves, that was the deal, right?”

“Oh, yeah, right. That’d be cool.”

He nodded and let go of her arm.

“Oh, and about what you heard in the hallway, between me and Anderson, that was just a joke. I mean...that’s not really my style.”

He smirked. “And you’re letting me know because you don’t want me to be confused for next time?”

“Well, yeah, I didn’t want you to think...I mean...wait. No, because there isn’t going to be a next time.” She shook her head, confused. What was she thinking?

He just looked down at her, waiting.

“Err. Bye.” She turned and walked away abruptly, before she could say something even more stupid.

For the remainder of practice, she managed to keep Beck out of her mind for the most part. She had glanced up at the boys a couple times. Beck was leading the team at a steady pace, up and down the multiple sets of stairs. Seeing Beck shirtless brought back some very pleasant memories of that evening she had spent at his house. She couldn’t deny that it had been amazing but it really shouldn’t happen again. She was the kind of girl to find a relationship, not have casual encounters.

A
fter practice, Carmondy was invited to go to a preseason party at Torie’s house. She had a blast and stayed after to help the other girls clean up. She was starting to feel like part of the team.

When she got back to Anderson’s, she opened the door to his room to tell him she was back. “Oh...sorry!” She scurried back out the door and slammed it shut.

Anderson wasn’t asleep, and he wasn’t alone either. She hadn’t been in there for more than a second but the image was burned into her mind. Anderson was currently having sex with a redhead she didn’t recognize. Unfortunately for Car, they hadn’t turned off the lights or even bothered to get under the covers. The girl had been on all fours while Anderson knelt behind her and had a hold of her hair while she made some...interesting noises. Oh, God. She clenched her eyes shut, trying to get the image out of her head.

She glanced around. God, she couldn’t stay now that she knew Anderson was having sex—semi-kinky sex—in the next room.

Suddenly his door burst open and Anderson stood there, a sheet wrapped around his hips, a little lipstick smeared on his neck.

“Ah! Sorry, sorry, I didn’t know you were...err, had company.” She tried to avert her eyes.

“No...it’s okay.” He was a little breathless. “Sorry, I thought that you would...be longer.”

“No, sorry, um...” She blinked. “I’m just going to...” she grabbed her keys and wallet off the couch, “get out of your way.”

“Car...you can stay, really, I’ll just—”

“Anderson! No. You just go on back in there and...continue.”

“Go to Beck’s. He won’t mind and I’m sure he’s not asleep.”

“I don’t think—”

“Please? I don’t want you driving home. You’re tired, and it’s late. I’d worry.”

“Okay, I’ll go to Beck’s, all right? Just...” She waved him back into his room. His arousal was all too obvious under the sheer white sheet, and she really needed to not see it anymore.

“Okay...yeah, sorry again.” He hurried back into his room and shut the door.

She sighed in relief and rushed back out of the house. She didn’t want to go to Beck’s but Anderson was right, she didn’t want to make a two-hour drive back to her house. She was a little nervous as she pulled into Beck’s driveway and behind his house. She hadn’t been here since the night they’d had sex. She parked beside his car and glanced at the windows. There was at least one light on inside.

She took a deep breath and got out of her Jeep, quickly crossing to his door and knocking hurriedly. She waited, stuffing her hands into her pockets and remembered that she was still wearing jeans. She didn’t have anything to sleep in...great.

The door opened within a minute and Beck stood in the doorway, shirtless, looking a little tired.

He leaned against the door jamb. “Wow, gotta be honest, I didn’t think you’d be back for more so soon.”

“I’m not here for that.”

“No?” He didn’t move from the doorway, just stood there, forcing her to take in the view of his fully exposed abs and chest.

“I need somewhere to sleep.”

He cocked an eyebrow. “What’s wrong with Anderson’s place?”

She frowned. “I kind of...walked in on him having sex.”

“Oh yeah? Good for him. Was she hot?”

“Look, he wanted me to come here because he didn’t want me driving all the way home, but if you don’t want me to stay then just say so.”

“I don’t want you to stay,” he said.

“Fine.” She turned to go but he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the house.

“But that doesn’t mean I won’t let you.” He shut the door and locked it, putting the chain lock on also.

She sighed. “I’m just looking for a couch to crash on.”

“Can’t have the couch.” He moved slowly and stiffly across the room, like he was injured.

“Okay...the floor?”

He waved a hand to his bedroom. “You can sleep on my bed.”

“I’m not sleeping with you.” She followed him slowly toward the center of the room. He had pushed the couch back from the TV and the coffee table against the wall. A blanket and pillow were spread on the floor in front of the TV.

“Just go to bed.” He lowered himself slowly down onto the blanket on the floor.

“What are you doing?” she asked, watching as he rubbed his back.

“What the hell does it look like I’m doing?”

“Umm, sitting on the floor.”

“My back is tweaked, okay? Sleeping on the floor helps.”

“Oh...” She felt kind of bad now. He was obviously in pain. “Well, are you all right?”

He laughed dryly. “You sound concerned.”

“Excuse me for caring.”

“Just...I’m fine. My back does this sometimes if I twist it wrong at practice. No big deal. I sleep on the floor for a night, it gets better.” He looked over his shoulder at her. “Do you have clothes or anything?”

“Er...no. I kinda of left in a hurry. It’s okay though, I’ll just—”

“Black dresser, you’ll find something in there you can wear.”

“No it’s ok—”

“Those jeans are too damn tight to sleep in comfortably, though they do look sexy. Very take-off-able, if you know what I mean.”

“Ah, now you’re concerned about my comfort?”

He ignored her and lowered himself all the way down onto his back, keeping his knees bent.

“Are you sure you’re okay? Is there something...I can do?” God, why was she asking?

He looked at her. “Yeah, come over here and give me a blowjob, that’d be great.”

“Beck, I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

“Okay well, I’m going to go change.”

He didn’t respond, just picked up his TV remote.

She didn’t know why she was surprised. She entered his room slowly and crossed to the only black dresser in the room. She opened the top drawer and found boxers. She wasn’t sure exactly what she was looking for but she closed that drawer and opened the next one, which was full of sweats and T-shirts. She sighed, knowing she wouldn’t sleep well in those sweats, they would be insanely baggy on her. She opened the drawer with boxers again and grabbed a black pair. She was fine with her tank top. She just needed to get these jeans off. She quickly slipped out of her jeans and pulled the silk boxers on. How did she get herself into predicaments like this?

She looked at the huge, comfy-looking bed. She felt a little bad for Beck. She walked back out of the bedroom and saw him flipping through channels. He shifted a little on the floor, wincing slightly. He closed his eyes and pulled his knees to his chest for moment, stretching his back before putting his feet back on the floor. He looked almost cute, laying there on the floor, no smirk or scowl on his face.

She entered further into the room, sitting on the edge of the coffee table so he could see her without twisting around.

“Blowjob’s not gonna work well from way over there,” he said, not taking his eyes off the TV.

“I’m not giving you a blowjob.”

“Well, that’s all I’ve got to offer right now, unfortunately. If you want to the real thing, you’re gonna have to wait. I’m not up for the thrusting right now, you know, bad back and all. Unless you wanted to hop on top. Take me for a ride?”

She sighed. “Is sex all you ever think about?”

“You think about it more than you’d like to admit. You were the one who was talking dirty to Anderson in the hallway.”

“I wasn’t talking dirty. I was just messing with him.”

“Do you really fantasize about that kind of stuff?”

“No, of course not. I was just messing around.”

“You sure about that? You never experimented a little with your ex-boyfriend? I mean, you guys had sex for what? At least a year, and you guys never got out of the normal routine?”

They hadn’t. She had wanted to, but he was never into it.

“What do you want from me? Why do you always give me a hard time? You don’t do this to other girls. You don’t bother them like you bother me.”

“The other girls aren’t afraid to admit that they want me.”

“So that’s it then? You want me because I don’t want you?”

“No, I want to fuck you because you won’t admit to wanting me.”