PERSONAL: A Stepbrother Sports Romance (6 page)

Whoa.

He was more ripped than I ever remember him to be, and taller too. How was that possible?

He towered over Clementine like a gladiator. I suddenly felt safe and protected, like I could breathe again. Whew! I couldn’t even process all of this at once. I just was glad I was out of this perv’s hands.

"Aw Ramy baby, come on bro! You’ll get used to these pussy cats actin’ all bitchy like they don’t want it and shit when we all know, they really want that dick!"

I rolled my eyes at this ridiculous superstar athlete. He was a real pig! I remember thinking football stars had egos in high school. Did they just grow and inflate to the size of Texas in the major leagues when you were as powerful and popular as Clementine? He really thought he owned the whole world.

Ramon stepped even closer to him, standing mere centimeters from him as he stared him down. "Don't call her that," he growled.

Oh no. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good. This wasn’t good. Please don’t break out into a fight!

Lindsey looked at the two, her pretty eyes hazy and confused. Good, maybe this would make her come to her senses before she allowed herself to be whisked away by a prick with an ego bigger than Kanye’s.

"I think I can call whoever I want whatever I want in my own house. And on my own team,” Clementine spat in response. “Now if you want to stick around and be
welcome
on this team, we've got to see eye to eye on that. Capisce? Comprende, pa?”

He popped that last “pa” loud and clear as if to say,
That’s right, I own this world
. He looked angry as he took a step back nodding as if he were trying to calm down. I was scared at how this lunatic would act if provoked. You never knew these days. “Now, I'll be back. Clementine senior has some gardening to do.” He rested his hand on Ramon’s shoulder. “Later baby. Lighten up.”

He then pointed at me.  “And you, coming back for you!" He frisked me like a creepy uncle. Ugh!

Just his mere touch of me caused Ramon to cut him off. He rested his hand rested on my lower back. Every part of me froze at the electrifying touch of his strong hand. I felt protected, yes, but his touch shot an instant jolt of longing up and down my spine. Damn it.

“Hey Clementine!” Ramon shot out at him. My heartbeat doubled although I stood still in shock, part of me still trying to process Ramon’s presence right here, right now, with his hand on my back.

“Yeah baby?”

Ramon’s hot lips crashed into mine like a tsunami. I was engulfed by his strength, by his soft lips, his passion – before I could even blink. I was whisked away by the sensations, the touch, the feeling of my lips parted by his leadership and tongue. God, his kiss melted me. I was swirling with dizziness and fantasy when…

… I finally came to my senses. This man did not
deserve
to kiss me. Not one bit. I pulled away fast, breathless, shocked, mesmerized.

“How dare you!” I slapped him and spun around on my heels, my hands shaking.
I shook my head, swallowing back the giant lump in my throat as I made my eyes lasered in on the bouncers. I could spot them anywhere. I had to get out of here.

“See what I mean man. Bitches.” I heard Clementine call back to Ramon.

What the hell just happened and what the hell did I just do?

I reached for a champagne flute from a young girl who witnessed the entire scene with sparkling stars in her eyes. Her gaping mouth was so open for so long she could have used it to catch a thousand flies in this night.

“Damn I shouldn't have signed that non-disclosure. TMZ would have loved to see that,” she said.

I didn't know where I was going. I didn't know what I was doing. But I did know one thing: Ramon didn’t own me! He couldn’t just kiss me like that - like another chauvinist pig of a celebrity animal! Who the hell did he think he was and what was he doing here?

Team?

My thoughts danced around my mind as I stormed passed the drunken people who were lost in their own world, too wasted to notice what just happened.

It was too much for me to handle and process. And Lindsey had gone with him! That stupid molly pill! She wasn’t thinking straight! Damn it!

“Whoa, whoa, Kate!” The bouncer who recognized me earlier grabbed my wrist. I jumped and pulled it away, still frazzled. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Just, are you sure you want to go back in there. We can’t protect VIPS in there.”

We can’t protect you in there.

If they were supposed to be protecting the VIPs out here, then how the hell did that just happen to me? Oh, right. The move was made by their boss.

I shook my head yes, fighting the panic attack that I felt rising.

“Well, alright.” He released his grip.

Once back inside the home, I took the first right, and then another right, and yet another right. I walked down a secluded hallway and opened a door fast before shutting the world out behind me.

My heart pounded wildly as I slid my back down the door. I could hear the music kissing the walls, making its presence faintly known. It would take the physical act of walking half a mile down the block to escape the cacophony.

My head pounded like a wild drum. I sought to catch my breath and recalibrate. I need to process everything that had just happened. How the hell had Ramon gotten access to this party? I hadn’t followed his career or him or anything. Was he really about to go pro?

I shook my head and clutched my phone. No, no, no, I would not look him up.

You will not look him up!

Being determined to lose weight and change your life comes with a very important trait: sheer self-will.

I hadn’t looked up Ramon even once. Why would I? He broke my heart! During my intensive in France, one of the first things I learned in therapy was to stay away from triggers.

Ramon was a trigger.

But damn, did he look good. Really good.

And hot damn, that kiss! I shook my head and touched my lips with trembling fingers. I’d never been kissed like that. The way he took claim to me, it was as if I was already his and Clementine didn’t know it.

Whatever the fuck that was, I wasn’t going to be any man’s little plaything. I wasn’t—

Knock. Knock.

The knocking caused me to scream out. I held my breath, hoping whoever it was would go away.

The knock was lighter again. “Cat? …I know you’re in there. It’s me. Ramon.”

Ramon

The door opened slowly. I looked into her eyes as she retreated and sat back on the floor, looking down at the ground, “What are you doing here, Ramon?”

Her words were hard, bitter, and she wouldn’t even make eye contact with me.

“Hey…I…look… Don’t be mad at me for that kiss. I had to protect you. Fight that horny prick off.”

“So, what? I’m a supermodel now, and
now
you’re proud to be seen with me? To claim me? To kiss me?”

She was so adorably cute when she was mad. Her cheeks flushed rosy pink. She was still the same Cat to me. I knew her heart of gold. Other guys didn’t see that. My fists were balled tightly by my sides thinking of what could have happened to her had I not been here to protect her. Her eyes noticed everything. I clenched my jaw.

“What? So now you’re like the amazing Hulk or something now? A superhero? Swooping in and saving the damsel in distress? Where’s your cap, since you’re all Superman and stuff?”

Leave it to her to have to say something witty even when she’s mad.

“I’ve been called other things.” I took a step closer. You could feel the electricity between us. It was so thick.

“You know, I train everyday in boxing. I know how to lay it on someone when they get fresh.” She shot at me.

“Yeah, my face still stings.”

She sat with her legs crossed and in that two part dress, her abs were tight and toned and I couldn’t help but to stare at the chiseled line she had in her upper abs. I wanted to run my hands over them. I wanted to touch every inch of her body. I wanted to make her forget everything. Her leg bounced up and down in nerves and frustration. The sexy way it bounced was driving me absolutely insane, reminding me of all the things I wanted to do to her right now.

“Look…” I sighed. “I know it’s been a while.”

“A while? It’s been almost four years. And…” She trailed off and sighed in obvious distress.

“Look, this isn’t the time or place to have the type of talk I want to have with you. And I don’t trust myself alone with you in this bedroom,” I replied.

“But you could trust yourself four years ago when we were alone with me.” She glared at me.

She stood up. I could feel her anger. It rolled off her in thick, hot waves.

“Look, I can take care of myself. I can do a lot of things. Now if you’ll excuse me. I’m outie.”

I wasn’t going to let her get away. And I as sure as hell wasn’t going to let her out there into the sea of crazies and wild men who’d take advantage of her.

“Cat, can we just go somewhere and talk please? I can’t let you leave by yourself.”

“Why?”

“Look at how crazy this house is. It’s filled with a bunch of wild animals. I’m staying in the city over the weekend. Let me take you back. I don’t trust any of these people.”

“We’re not step-siblings anymore, Ramon. You can drop the protective brother act.”

“I am. You’re coming with me. No arguing.” I picked her up and threw her over my shoulder, suppressing her. She lightly pounded my back as I opened the door and walked down the hallway.

CAT

“Ramon! My man! Yeah!”

“Dude, that’s Cat Johnson. Look at her ass.”

As mad as I was with Ramon, and as much as I hated being thrown over his shoulder like a toy, or a possession, I felt safe as we drifted out of the house, leaving the drunken party scene.

With the animal house now out of sight, I wasn’t going to lie. That experience was really intense. I’d never go to one of those events alone again.

“Why’d you rent a car?”

“Jeep.”

“Same thing.”

“I wanted to get to know the area in case, you know, I moved here.”

I nodded. Wow.

In case I moved here.

Anger or no anger, I was thrilled for him. He was the hardest working guy I’d ever known, and if he was really about to go pro, he deserved it. If anyone deserved it, he definitely did.

“Look, we don’t have to talk. Let’s not. Let’s wait until dinner. There’s a lot I want to say to you.”

“Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

“No, I mean, for real. For saving me back there.”

Nothing like having a 6’5” strong gladiator by your side.

DINNER

As soon as we sat down at the restaurant, and finished placing our order, his words flew out.

“Cat, I’m really sorry about what happened, about what I said. I’ve wanted to tell you in person but I never got to see you again. And with you changing your number once you moved to France, it was impossible to contact you. You deleted your Facebook, too.”

I inhaled a deep breath. He looked really sorry, I could tell.

“I was a prick. I didn’t mean what I said. I never meant for you to hear what I said. It was an act. And those words still haunt me that I said such an awful thing.”

It was what I wanted to hear since forever.

I stared at those puppy dog eyes. Tender and bright. He really had a soft heart and I saw it that night we shared under the stars. I knew he didn’t mean to hurt me. But words do hurt, especially when other people bear witness to them and laugh.

I shook my head, trying to shake the sad scene from my memory. It was one of those horrible scenes that were practically branded into my soul. I wanted to release it.

“Look. Girls like me didn’t get guys like you back then. I forgive you. I know the childish ways of high school. The words still stung though,” I responded, with enough civility not to lose it. “That’s why I had to get away and create a new life for myself in a place where no one saw me as ‘Fat Cat.’ Where no one expected me to be funny, or to say something witty. Home reminded me of my restrictions and filled me with temptations. And then with my mom marrying your Dad… I wasn’t ready for a new dad. I couldn’t process it, even though he was a nice man.”

I honestly regretted not attending the funeral. I felt awful that I couldn’t be there for my mom and him. My mom understood. She just wanted me to get better and take care of myself.

I cleared my throat, readying myself for confidence to apologize. I needed to make my own amends.

“I’m sorry I haven’t said anything about your father.”

“It’s okay.”

“I’m so sorry he passed, and that you didn’t know about him being sick.”

“I appreciate that, Cat. I’m thankful he found love in your Mom. She made him very happy, you know? Even when I didn’t know he was sick, every time I’d FaceTime home, the two of them would just beam together.”

“Yeah, he brought out good in my mom, too. She sort of found a more balanced approach to life and quit working as much.”

“They were good for each other.”

I nodded, lost in thought, thinking of my own Dad and what he did. Work. Money. Loss of balance. I never told anyone my secret.

“It’s just…funerals….”

He held up his hand. “Cat, you don’t have to explain it to me. I know your dad is gone.”

I shook my head. “I… I never told you everything.”

“Everything?”

“About his death.”

“You don’t have to.”

“But I want to. I want to talk about it. To someone.”

“To me? Are you sure?”

“He… staged his own murder so he didn’t have to do it himself. So my mother and I would have insurance money.”

“It?”

“Suicide. When you do that, your family doesn’t get the insurance money.”

I don’t know why, but sharing my secret made me feel light.

He reached for my hand and comforted me gently. A fresh tear fell down my face and I dabbed my eyes with a napkin.

“Hey… Don’t cry. It’s okay. He was just thinking about his family. Stress gets to people sometimes.”

“I know. I just miss him is all. I didn’t care about all that money. Or all that stuff. I just wanted him.”

“I’m sorry, Cat.”

I cleared my throat. Wow, I just unloaded on him. “I’m sorry, I don’t know why I’m telling you this.” I released a big sigh.

“No, I’m glad you did because I care about you.”

“You care about me?”

“I cared about you then, too. I brought you to my property remember? Never brought anyone there before.” He leaned in closer across the table.

That happy memory of us on that couch felt like a pleasant spring day.

“That was a nice night.” I admitted, feeling a smile form across my face.

“It was.”

He really looked at me. Like
really
looked at me. He full on stared.

“What, do I have something in my teeth?”

“Cat, you look absolutely amazing. I’m serious.” He shook his head. “I mean, when I saw you on that TV screen while walking out on that runway, my jaw dropped to the floor. I was so proud of you. You should be proud of all your hard work.”

My heart rate doubled. I still had the hots for Ramon Nicholas, and for him to say he liked what he saw made high school Cat, who still existed deep inside, melt.

I mean look at him.

That jawline, had it always been so pronounced? His boyish charm had evolved to full-grown heartthrob. I could totally see him gracing the
GQ
magazine soon, rocking a suit when he made it to the NFL.

The white t-shirt over his massive biceps made my panties dampen. Its V-neck cut gave the perfect tease of his packed chest. The crisp white color made his tan skin pop. He was always training. While most guys didn’t even own a tan in winter, he did.

Suddenly, the house lights lifted, indicating that it was time for us late night customers to get the heck out! I suddenly wished it wasn’t 2 am.

“Looks like they’re kicking us out of here. The lights have lifted.”