Valentine (A Standalone Novel) (Bad Boy Romance Book) (21 page)

"Where to?" I tried to stave off
my interest in him. It was an attraction to the fact that he knew my pain and
seemed to have experienced the same life I was living.

"Somewhere warm. I hate the
cold."

Chapter 25

Tate

The meeting with the detective went well
and it seemed like things might finally get on the right track. My mother was
in a great mood as she fixed us a quick grilled cheese before getting ready to
go to Val's game with me. Sam was headed our way to be our driver for the
night, and I was looking forward to seeing him. My bike would be just fine for
me, but my mother wasn't getting on the back of it, and I hated the idea of her
driving late at night in the storm.

Besides, we hadn't spent time together,
the three of us, in a while.

I was sitting at the kitchen table when
the front door opened and Sam's voice sounded out.

"Do I smell Ms. Phillips’ famous
grilled cheese and tomato soup?" He walked into the kitchen and gave me a
high-five before hugging my mother.

"You do. I got the good stuff this
time, too." My mother beamed, and I couldn't help but chuckle. She was so
easy to please. It would seem Valentine was, too. The fact that the girl ate leftover
meatloaf and chicken with us a few days back meant more than it should have.
I'd never met anyone in my life that was like her. She had all the money in the
world, yet you couldn't tell it by talking with her. She was like Sam.

Good. Wholesome. Humble.

"Oh, yeah?" Sam moved up to the
stove to stand by my mother. "Cheddar or Muenster, hm? Man, I love that
old processed stuff you used to use."

"Sam Billmore, you cannot be
serious." She laughed and turned to walk to the fridge. "Do you
really prefer it?"

"Yep, I love it. It's part of my
childhood." He moved to sit across from me with a big smile on his face.
"Guess what?"

"What's up?" I lifted an eyebrow
at him and tried to imagine why he was in such a good mood.

"Val is going to set me up with
Lucinda." He tapped the table and pressed his teeth into his bottom lip.
"I've been on a high all day thinking about it."

"Your dad is going to flip his shit,
Sam." I rolled my eyes. He might like the pretty dark-skinned girl, but
his dad was racist.

"Why is Sam's dad going to be upset,
and who is Lucinda? I like that name, by the way. It's sexy." My mom went
back to the stove to work on dinner.

I shook my head and laughed. "She's
this beautiful black girl that Val is good friends with. Sam's dad doesn't
believe in mixing races."

"What? Why?" She turned around
and gave us an incredulous look. "Your mother is Asian right, Sam?"

"Yeah. I don't what his deal
is." Sam let out a long sigh, and his smile faded.

I felt like a dick for taking away the
happiness he'd been sporting moments before. "Hey, if you like her, then
do it. Your dad's going to be upset for a few minutes, and then he'll get over
it. Right?"

"I guess. I don't know." Sam got
up and moved to the fridge. "You guys have anything to drink?"

"There's soda in the pantry and ice
in the freezer," my mom spoke with her back to us. "I think you have
to follow your heart, Sam. Tate is going through something similar with Val's
parents, but he's going to keep at it. They both are. Right, son?"

"Right, Mom." I pulled out my
phone and smiled as a text popped up from her. "It's not about race, but
about us being poor and them having more money than God."

"Money isn't everything." Sam
dropped back down in his seat. "I'm going to take Lucinda on a date, and
if things work out, then we'll see what happens. My dad's a good guy, just
misguided for some reason. It's weird."

"You never know what makes other
people tick." I reached for his drink and took the first sip, which meant
it was mine to keep. Sam and I had been friends forever, and if I knew one
thing, it was that he would never drink after someone else. Never.

*

"Are you not a little concerned about
Val's parents being so influential?" Sam glanced over at me as we walked
into the gym. "You know the business building is named after her dad,
right? They only have two daughters to focus on. It's going to be a long life
of having to deal with them if you fall in love with this girl."

I chuckled and pointed to some open seats
near Martin and Katelyn. "I don't really have a choice, Sam. If I fall in
love with Val, then I fall in love. I'll deal with her parents just like
everyone else deals with them. Nod and smile and try hard not to be around them
too often."

"Yeah, but the old man threatened
you, Tate. It's not the same." He moved to sit on my left as my mother sat
on my right.

"No, it's not, but I'll set all that
straight." I turned as Martin called out my name.

"Tate. Where you been, man? We've
been sucking like hell without you." He extended his hand and gave me a
warm smile. Things had changed a lot in the last week – both for the better and
the worse.

"Sorry, man. There was some work shit
I had to deal with. Coach kick me off the team yet?" I smirked.

"Not even close. Just come grovel at
his feet and I'm sure everything will be okay."

"Grovel? No." I touched the back
of my mother's shoulder, but kept my attention on Martin. "Hey, man. This
is my mother Sarah and my best friend Sam."

They gave their introductions, but I
couldn't help but turn my attention to the floor as they started calling out
names for the UMN women's basketball team. Val was the last out, and was the
captain of the team, which was something I hadn’t known.

She looked damn good in her tight shirt
and basketball shorts. She was far more feminine than the other girls on the
team, but I'd make sure to tell her that later when I had her pressed beneath
me.

"Hey, Tate." Katelyn smiled at
me from beside Martin. "Have you met Amy and Lucinda?"

"Briefly, I think." I extended
my hand and shook their hands before introducing Sam and my mom to Val's
friends. Sam grunted beside me, and I turned to watch him smile like a tomcat.

"What're you doing? You're supposed
to play it cool. Jeez. Have I taught you nothing about women?" I laughed
and popped him in the chest before turning back toward the court.

Valentine was amazing, and I found myself
cheering for her and being shocked by her skill multiple times during the hour
and a half game. Her shots were perfect, her dribbling off the chain, and her
moves were hot.

"That's it, Val. Get it, girl. Lay it
up. Show them what you're make of." A tall blond guy a few rows in front
of me hadn't stopped yelling for her the whole time we were there. To say it
was getting on my nerves was an understatement. I couldn't help but wonder who
the hell he was. Was the guy trying to hit on Val?

"Martin..." I leaned over and
tapped his shoulder. "That guy looks familiar. Is he on the team with
us?"

"No. He's quarterback here, man. He's
a senior. Kade Jones." He moved back away from me as my stomach tightened.

Kade Jones. Who hadn't heard of him? He
was headed to the NFL, and from what I could tell, he was interested in my
girl.

I forced myself to focus on the game, trying
like hell not to let his cheering and encouragements bother me, but they were
too intimate. He knew her. I wanted to know how.

The game ended with Val sinking a
damn-near impossible three-pointer and the crowd going wild, myself included. I
was so proud of her. She had no idea how fucking talented she was. Her business
degree could come later. She needed to do something with her skills on the
court while she was young enough to do something about it.

"Wow. She was incredible." My
mother glanced over at me as her eyes widened. "My heart is racing in my
chest."

"Mine, too." Sam stood up and
turned toward Martin and the girls. "You guys going out or what?"

"Not sure, but you can come with us
if you want." Lucinda moved around Martin and Katelyn to get closer to us.

"I'll be back." I squeezed
through the crowd and stepped down on the floor of the court as my eyes met
Val's.

She was covered in a light sheen of sweat,
and wisps of hair had pulled from her ponytail and were stuck to her neck. She
looked like heaven, and I wanted to touch every part of her, to worship her
until she got in her head that she was every bit the woman I wanted, even if I
acted like a wayward teenage boy most days.

Kade made it to her before I did, and she
turned her attention to him. I was a little surprised to see him wrap her in a
hug and pick her up off her feet. He spun her around before letting her go and
touching the side of her face like I did.

Anger burned through me, and I moved up to
stand beside him.

Val turned her attention to me with
nothing but innocence on her pretty face. "We did it! Did you like
it?"

"I loved it." I reached for her
and pulled her in for a quick kiss. "Who's your friend here?"

"Oh. Kade, this is my boyfriend,
Tate. Tate, Kade Jones." She moved back, and I turned and gave the guy an
unspoken, “back the fuck up” look.

"Nice to meet you, man." I shook
his hand firmly.

"You, as well." He gave me a
curt nod and released my hand, turning back to Val. "Great job. I'm crazy
impressed. See you tomorrow."

"Okay. Thanks for coming tonight. It
means a lot to me." She reached out and touched his arm before turning
back to me. "Wow. That was a rush. Just knowing that you were in the
stands made me want to play that much harder."

She was breathtaking, and though I wanted
to drag her to me and kiss her a hundred times to ensure that she was in fact
mine, and only mine, I forced myself to stay put.

"You were amazing. What's up for the
rest of the night? You got time for me?" I reached out and took her hand.

"Always."

"Good. Let's go out to the old YMCA
near the edge of town. I used to swim there all the time as a kid. There's a
great indoor swimming pool where we can have some fun." I licked at my
lips and took her in as she panted, trying to catch her breath.

"It'll be closed this time of night,
right?" I half expected her to have her attention all over the place with
the number of people moving around us, most of them calling out to her, but she
didn't. Her eyes were locked on mine. I'd never felt more loved, more cared
for, more important. Not ever.

"I have keys." I wagged my
eyebrows. "Private swim lesson from the best guy on the team?"

"Hell, yes. Sounds like my kind of
night." She moved in and kissed me once more before turning to the crowd
of her friends that had rushed in all around us.

The team lifted her up on their shoulders
and pranced her around the gym as MVP.I moved back to stand next to my mother and
Sam, who was busy laughing with Lucinda.

I couldn't help but notice that Kade
hadn't left, but was standing by the door with his focus on one thing.

Val.

Chapter 26

Val

The afternoon with Kade had been fun, but
a little unnerving. While I felt like he was hoping for something to start
between us, I couldn't help but think that I was overreacting. I didn't feel
anything but a great friendship starting between us – or so I told myself. Our
lives were too much alike not to take notice, but most friends had something in
common.

After the basketball win, I was on a high
like no other. We'd lost to our opposing team a few weeks before, and I wasn't
willing to take another beating by them. I'd pulled out everything I had to
give and encouraged my team to do the same. Somehow it had worked, and we were
victorious. Everyone was in the stands.

Everyone but my parents.

It was probably for the better. I didn't
need to look up and see their disdain over my choice to play college ball
though they'd tried to forbid it.

"What are you thinking about?"
Tate reached over and took my hand as we drove away from Sam's house. Seeing
that my car was shot and it was too cold for his bike, we'd dropped his mother
off and then Sam back at his house. My friends were all headed to a party later
that night, and Lucinda was picking Sam up. Some part of me felt like we should
have joined them, but time alone with Tate sounded much more appealing.

"Nothing. Everything." I moved
closer to him as the snow hit the windshield harder and harder.

He wrapped his arm around me when I got
close enough and pulled me in tightly against his side. "You reliving that
win? It was pretty fucking incredible."

I laughed. "No. I love playing,
though. I wish my future included something to do with it, but it's just not in
the cards."

"Why not?" He snuck a quick kiss
against the side of my neck as we pulled to a stop sign.

"I don't know. I guess because there
is no money in it?" I turned my attention to focus on him and let my eyes
move along the tats at the base of his throat. "When did you get all these
tats?"

"Over the years, but you're changing
the subject." He smirked, and my stomach contracted. I'd never been with a
man before that had such power over my hormones. It was thrilling and bit
nerve-wreaking all at the same time.

"Maybe I am, but there's no reason to
dwell on it. I'm getting my business degree and probably going to work for my
father's company. My sister Allison seems to be doing well with all of
it." I ran my hands through my hair and moved away from him as we took the
final turn toward the YMCA.

"Is she? Have you asked her point
blank if she likes it?" He parked the truck and glanced over at me.
"And just so you know...there's lots of money in sports, playing,
competing, and coaching."

"No, I haven't asked her." I got
out of the truck and moved to the front to wrap myself around him as we moved
to the front door. "You sure we're okay going in here?"

"Nope, but that's yet to stop be
before. Why? You scared?" He looked down at me and laughed. The sound of
it filled me with warmth.

"Scared of what? You? Never." I
moved into the building as the smell of sweat and chlorine filled my senses.
"I've never been to one of these gyms."

"It's the poor folks gym, baby. I've
gotta teach you a thing or two." He grabbed my hand and pulled me toward
the pool area. "We don't have suits, so it's looking like this first
lesson is going to have to be in the buck."

"The buck?" I laughed and
followed him in. My eyes moved along the top of the room in search for cameras,
but I found none. "I'm not getting naked in this public pool. Firstly,
that's just gross, and secondly, someone could come in."

He kicked off his boots, pulled off his
shirt and turned to look at me. "Fine. Just sit there and watch me swim, then."

I let out a frustrated sigh and moved to
the closest bench before dropping down. I was ballsy, but not that much. The
sight of his naked ass caused my heart to flutter and my pulse to quicken.

He glanced over his shoulder. "You
sure? I'd love to feel your body against mine in the water."

"Then let's take a bath back at your
house." I smirked. "You've been trying to get me in that bathroom
with you, anyways."

"Tease." He dove in, barely
making a splash.

I leaned back and watched him with
unabashed interest as he cut through the water. His body was beautiful, a long
line of lean muscle that I wanted to get my hands on. It didn't take more than
a few minutes of watching him before I was cursing myself as I pulled at my
clothes.

He resurfaced about the time I walked
toward the edge of the pool, completely nude.

"Change your mind?" He moved
back and reached for me as I carefully got down into the pool

"Nope. This is an illusion. I'm still
sitting on that bench over there." I wagged my eyebrows as he pulled me
against him and slid his hands down my back to cup my rear.

"Damn good illusion." He leaned
in and kissed the side of my neck before growling softly. "I don't want to
ask, but I gotta know..."

"Know what?" I encircled his
neck with my arms and pressed my breasts to his chest.

"Who was the guy today?" He
flinched, and concern pumped through me.

"What guy?" I moved my legs up
and encircled his waist before pulling him closer.

"The blond." He moved us back to
where he could stand and gripped my ass before pushing himself into me a
little. "I don't have a condom, so go easy on me."

"What blond?" I pressed down on
him and closed my eyes as pleasure rippled from the center of my stomach. I
groaned and he caught me in a long, hot kiss. His fingers entangled into my
hair, and I didn't care about a blond or anything else but him and me.

"Hold your nose." He nipped at
my lips and took us fully under the water.

I opened my eyes to see him watching me. A
smile lifted his lips and I laughed, sending bubbles to the surface. He was all
I wanted, all I needed to find the warmth that life offered so many others
around me, but seemed to avoid me at all costs.

We popped back up to the surface as he
pressed me to the wall and forced his way deep inside my body. He grunted, and
I groaned in tandem.

"The football guy. Mr. Big
Shit." He licked from the side of my throat and worked me until my body
was lose and lubricated.

"Kade. He's just a friend." I
dug my nails into this back as my breasts bobbed between us. He reached up and
palmed them as his eyes closed, and his breathing got off kilter.

"Whoa. Hold up. Shit." He opened
his eyes, and I could see the need in them. He was worried about me having
feelings for Kade.

"No one matters but you, Tate. You
don't need to worry. I'm not that kind of girl. At all." I ran my fingers
along the sides of his head, dragging my nails back and forth as he pressed his
lips to the top of my chest and started to fuck me again.

"Alright. I'm just waiting for the
other shoe to fall." He laughed, but the sound fell flat.

"It's not going to." I lifted
myself off of him and swam toward the middle of the pool. "Come give me a
lesson and we can finish what you've started in a hot shower later. This place
has showers, right?"

"Yes, you little tart. We do wash up
when we're done working out." He shook his head.

"Oh, I know. You clean up well,
greaser." I laughed and let out a yelp as he headed after me. I'd never
swam so fast in my whole life, and yet it didn't matter. He was too quick for me.
Then again, I was pretty sure I wanted to be caught.

*

"It's this way, baby." Tate
opened the door to the locker room and touched my back. We'd finally found two
towels near the front desk.

"You know they're going to be able to
tell that someone was here tonight." I gave him a knowing look.

"No, they aren't. We'll clean up
before we go, okay." He laughed, and I loved the way his expressions were
relaxed. Whether he was turned on or happy, or even upset, he had a calm about
him that I wanted to tap into. It was a lot like the calm that sat on Sam.

"Did Sam tell you he gave me a ride
to campus this morning?" I walked into the locker room and laid my towel
down.

His eyes moved down the length of my body
as he tugged his off, too. He was fully erect again, and I couldn't help but
wonder if he was always turned on. Maybe he was just one of those guys.

I reached out and stroked him as I pressed
my free hand to his chest.

"No, but I assumed he did because
your car is still out at the house." He bit his lip and nodded. "Keep
doing that, but harder, faster."

I picked up my speed and glanced down,
wanting to see him thick and ready to go. "God, that's hot."

"Not nearly as hot as you." He
touched my chin, lifting my eyes back up to his. "Have I told you that?
You're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

"You tell all the girls that?" I
gave him a cheeky grin and tugged at his cock before getting into a rhythm
again.

"Nope. None of them." He leaned
down and pressed his cold lips to mine, turning his head and nudging my lips
open with his tongue. He grunted as he pressed his hips forward against my
hold. "Right there."

He panted against my mouth, and I
memorized the beautiful look of ecstasy on his face as he opened his eyes and
dove into his orgasm. His mouth was slightly parted, his eyes wide and
breathing sporadic at best.

"Fuck," he whispered and reached
down to help me finish him strong. "You're so good, Val. I'm starting to
fall for you. Be careful."

"Starting to?" I walked to the
shower and turned it on. "I've already fallen for you. That's not very
fair. You should catch up."

"You have not." He move up
behind me and squirted some soap into his hands. "Let me wash you."

"I'd like that." I looked over
my shoulder at him and took a shaky breath. I wasn't lying. I'd already fallen
for him – hard.

"So, there's really nothing going on
with Mr. Football God?" He squatted and worked up a lather on my thighs,
taking his time to be thorough as he moved up and spent more time than
necessary between my legs.

"No, baby. He's just a friend. I'm
trying to set him up with Amy." I reached down and ran my fingers through
his dark spiky hair.

"The chunky one?" He glanced up
at me.

"She's not chunky." I moved back
and glared down at him. "She's just feminine. Curvy."

"I think a woman with meat on her
bones is hot, but your friend Amy is a little chunky, baby." He got up and
ran his hands over my stomach and up to encircle my breasts. "She's not
fat, Val. She's chunky. So what?"

"Don't you ever say that to
her." I pushed at his chest a little as he turned me around and scratched
large circles along my back.

I sagged against the shower wall and slid
my hands up to access more of its chilly offering. My skin was hot, my body
needy for far more than a good rubdown.

"I would never say anything to hurt a
woman, especially not one of your friends." He moved up behind me and ran
his hands up my arms, pressing himself to the back of me. "You have no
idea how fucking good look right now, do you?"

"If you're happy, then I don't care."
I tucked my pelvis as he moved into position to impale me. One strong push back
and he was inside of me. Both of us let out a long groan and stood there for a
minute, enjoying the intimacy of being together.

"You were made for me. No woman has
ever taken me like you do." He brushed his lips by the side of my neck as
his fingers slid past the wet curls resting between my thighs.

His attentiveness combined with his deep
thrust left me reaching a high I didn't know was possible. I cried out and the
sound echoed around the room along with his naughty encouragements. I'd never
made love anywhere but a bed, and I wasn't sure I ever wanted to go back to
one.

"I need to get a condom." He
nipped at my ear, and I stiffened.

"Okay." I pressed myself to the
shower wall again and let out a long sigh as he left me there with hot water
pelting my skin.

I worked to reconcile the girl I was a few
weeks ago with the new one I was becoming. Never in a million years would I
have gotten in a public pool naked, much less fucked some hot guy in one.

"Or have sex in a public
shower." I closed my eyes and let my teeth sink into my lip as Tate got
back in the shower.

"Come here, baby. I want to watch
your face while I take you."

I turned and wrapped my arms around him as
he lifted me up and pressed my back to the wall behind me. After wrapping my
legs around him, I locked gazes with him and fell in love watching him make
love to me. I expected hard and fast, but that's not at all what I got.

I got deep and slow as he rubbed his chest
against mine and touched the side of my face. He didn't break the stare as we
brought each other over the edge again. The need to tell him that I loved him
was almost too much to hold back, but I did.