Hinted Entail
To : Kara Heart
From : Jessica O’Conner
Subject : So, here’s the thing…
So, here’s the thing, it’s mid December—been almost 3 months since I seen you and… I’m sorry, I haven’t been in contact. Everything has been so weird with you gone.
Matt broke up with me about two weeks ago. I started seeing this other guy but turns out he just likes to get it on with like… everyone AND I’m just going to conclude that, school is really boring without you here, punching someone in the face. Where are you even living these days? I’ll send you a Christmas present from Virginia.
Jess
Kara stared at the email on James’ laptop in front of her. At first, she’d just been trying to pass the time in the expensive hotel room as she waited for him to return from practice. Looking at random things while searching the internet, but that had led her to open her email, where she found an unexpected message from her best friend, Jessica O’Conner.
The sound of the hotel door slamming made her jump and she closed the laptop, pushing it aside on the bed as James walked in, dressed in his sponsored clothing. She wasn’t used to that, he looked so branded and it threw her off from his normal dress shirt and pressed pants. He chucked the duffel bag near the door and walked in.
“Hey.” She smiled, wiggling her way into a sitting position on the bed. She’d done nothing all day and it wore her guilty. He looked up from where he stood, removing his pristine runners.
“How was practice?”
He walked over to her. “I don’t think we’ll do well tomorrow.”
“Why?” She was still trying to push Jessica’s email from her mind. She’d come to morally support him and she wanted to focus on that task but she was unsure if he really needed it or not.
“We’re screwed. One of the forwards hurt himself and we’re out a goalie. I don’t even think the backup will be able to stop one, his focus is ridiculous. I scored on him ten out of ten bloody times.”
Kara wrinkled her nose. “You scored on your own team?”
He stared at her, slowly smiling. “It was practice, love.”
“Oh.” She shook her head. “Yeah, sorry.”
“Mm.”
“Even if you lose tomorrow, it’s not a big deal, at least you tried.”
He smiled. “No, it sort of is a big deal,actually.”
“That sucks, but…” she told him. “You’re still getting paid, either way.”
“You’re attempting to look on the bright side, and I appreciate that.”
She sighed as she sucked with the moral. “I told you I shouldn’t come with you to games.”
He smiled and sat down next to her. “No, it’s a good thing. I would probably be twitching if you weren’t here.”
She smiled and crawled closer, kissing his cheek. “You’re damp.” Then moved her mouth to his shoulder and bit him.
He watched her. “You’re hot.”
She lifted her lips. “Yeah?”
“Yes.” He leaned into her, their lips meeting in the middle.
She giggled as he pushed her down on the bed, caging her beneath him.
His eyes wandered to the laptop near her head. “What were you doing on the computer?”
Her heart thumped. “Nothing.”
“Were you looking at the real-estate ads I showed you?”
She blinked, still trying to come to terms with what he wanted to do regarding them and a real home. “Yeah.”
“Really?” He perked up.
Fuck.
She swallowed. “No, I was on my email.”
He sighed. “So, you haven’t looked at them yet?”
“I glanced…” she said, “at them.”
“We should go look at one when we get back, so you need to choose one you like.”
She huffed, looking away from him.
“It’s not difficult, love.”
“I just…” She looked back to him and her sentence fell short.
He waited. “What?”
“I don’t know.”
“Well…” He caged around her, taking her to her back playfully. “Do you know what you want for Christmas then?”
Any more questions and she was about to explode. “No.”
“I have to get you something for Christmas, so you might as well make something up.”
“I want…” she thought.
“What?” He watched her with a focus that made her antsy.
She squirmed under him. “Some baby-things.”
His hand came down her side. “You’re going to get that either way. It’s irrelevant as far as Christmas is concerned. Think of something else.”
“I don’t know.” She brought her hands along his chest and he took one of her palms.
His eyes stopped to study her as he kissed her fingers. “Well, suddenly I do.”
She giggled as he got off the bed. “What is it?”
“I’m not telling.” He walked across the bedroom into the bathroom. “Want to have a shower with me?”
She glanced at the laptop. “Coming.”
He shut the door and she opened the laptop once the water started.
To : Jessica O’Conner
From : Kara Heart
Subject : RE : So, here’s the thing…
I really don’t miss punching people, but I do miss Virginia sometimes.
The weird thing is, I wake up most mornings, still thinking I’m back home. It’s different here, sort of backwards. Most things don’t make sense to me.
I struggle. James doesn’t. Everyone likes him. Even his ex-girlfriend who I hate—likes him still… UGH.
Sorry to hear about Matt and the other guy but I’m sure you’re figuring all that out.
Hope you’re doing well otherwise…
Kara
She added a P.S. in at the end and their current address, before hitting send and watched as it went out into cyber-space. It had been the one thing eating her the last couple months and now she had a chance to settle it with her former best-friend.
She scooted off the side of the bed and looked to the bathroom, the warm steam filtering out the half open door. She thought of the approaching holidays, James and many other things she figured she’d never have and she walked forward into the open washroom.
Stripping her pyjama bottoms she’d spent the day in, and tank top, she opened the shower door.
He paused with his hands full of soap as she stepped inside.
“That took you much too long.”
She smiled at him and stepped under the hot water. “I’m cold.”
“I’ll warm you up.”
She laughed as he moved against her, running his hands full of soap all over her body, their mouths finding each other with careful joy.
Kara sat in the fancy swivelling chair that was housed in one of the swanky box seats far above the soccer pitch. She glanced over the railing, looking down as the stands filled by the second.
General seating. I should have been down there.
“Would you like something to drink, ma’am?”
Kara hadn’t expected the nearness of a server and it took her a moment to collect herself. “Water would be awesome.”
The woman in white and black nodded. “Just a few minutes.”
“Thanks,” Kara breathed as she walked away, looking over her shoulder as two women entered the box. Shit, who are these people?
They made their way over to the seating.
The blonde of the two women smiled at her. “Hello! I’m Merium.”
Kara looked to the outstretched hand. “Kara.”
The girl beside her burst into the conversation. “James Dray’s wife.”
“Oh, I’m not—” Kara gave up as the excitement of the information got to Merium.
“Oh my god!” Merium put a hand over her heart. “We love James.”
“This is so exciting that we get to sit with you!” The other woman giggled. “I told Daddy these seats were worth it!”
Kara stared at them, blinking. The bubbly excitement of two spoiled, rich girls was almost too much. Fucking soccer.
“I’ve always said that James will be the best thing to happen to Elite football. He’s extremely talented and exciting to watch!”
Kara tensed as the words leaked inside of her, her boyfriend was clearly a fan-favorite and she’d totally missed that memo until right then. “I guess…”
“Now we get to sit with his wife!” Merium concluded.
“We’re not married,” Kara added quietly.
“Oh, yes, we know!” The other woman added, “But soon, no?”
Kara didn’t know what to say, she only wished she could run away and go back to the hotel. In fact, she could make it back there and likely watch the whole game, lie to James that she’d been there and call it a day.
The women continued to chat and Kara tuned them out, only engaging in conversation when they called her name, which was more often than not.
The game started and with it came an odd exhilaration as she leaned forward in her seat to see what was happening. It wasn’t like being back home, watching Josh as the sun set on the dried grasses of the field. When the announcer broke through the speakers, her eyes focused on every player until she found him, number three. Watching James Dray in a soccer uniform became her and she even cheered when he took the ball and scored a multitude of times. All his worries of not winning suddenly became a distant memory as they won.
She bit the inside of her cheek as the exciting game captured her . Maybe I will marry him one day.
Kara sat in the elegant restaurant at a back table farther away from the dinner crowd. She hadn’t chosen the table; she’d just been brought there by the host. Maybe James had requested privacy and if that was the case, they’d done their job.
Tapping the table, her gaze wandered around the dim surroundings. It had a dark and romantic air to it, perhaps just for the night time crowd but sensual enough to make her heart thump and her adrenaline peak. She put a hand to her hungry stomach as the first trimester of pregnancy started to show it’s face more and more each day.
The soft clinking of glasses and murmur of voices hardly distracted her off her grumbling stomach. Her cheeks reddened when the waitress walked back and clearly heard the gurgle.
“Can I get you a drink while you wait for your date?”
Date? Why does she think I’m on a date? Kara hummed on the idea of a drink. “I’m fine, thanks.”
The Croatian waitress arched a brow and walked away, leaving Kara to tap her fingers in apprehension. The hired car had driven her to the restaurant from the soccer game and the text from James hadn’t been totally clear other than… There’s a reservation, it’s under my name. She read over the text again out of boredom.
Her eyes flashed to his name at the top of her text window, it still said James Dray. Suddenly, she found something so formal about that. Like she wasn’t in a committed relationship with him.
She tapped the info button on the side of the contact, something she’d never bothered to play with since she’d gotten the phone weeks before and hit edit. It gave her the option to adjust the entire field, she erased and retyped Mr. Dray, clicking save when he came up beside her.
He put a kiss on her cheek and that startled her into dropping her new phone flat to the table. It clunked the silverware laid out on the white linen.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said.
“You didn’t…” She looked over her shoulder to him and kissed him back.
“You look lovely.” He sat at the table opposite from her as she picked up the phone to shut it off. “What were you doing on your phone?”
“Well, I…” She looked across to him. “I changed your contact name.”
He smiled. “What?”
“I had your full name, I don’t know why,” she shook her head with her awkwardness. “Every time your name comes up on my screen it’s like your full name. It’s weird, right?”
“A bit, love.”
“Well, what’s my name on your phone?”
“Uh,” he paused, picking up the drink menu from the side of the table that had been left by the waitress before he’d gotten there. “Just Kara. What did you change my name to?”
“Mr. Dray.” She looked proud of herself and amused at the same time.
He glanced up from the menu with a smirk. “However did you come up with that?”
Kara bit her lip and giggled. “Just came to me.”
“Mm, funny. How did you like the game?” He changed the subject.
“I had to sit up there with two women that were your biggest fans.”
“Oh. I actually was told no one would be sitting with you. I’m sorry.”
Kara shrugged. “Their dad bought them the tickets. They asked me when we were going to get married. I didn’t know what to say.”
He tilted his head, his eyes catching fire as the comment escaped her lips. “Why?”
“I don’t know why they asked that. Seemed sort of nosey in my opinion.”
He cleared his throat. “I meant why didn’t you know what to say?”
“Because we’re not getting married?”
“I see.”
“Oh, your date is here…” The waitress appeared, looking mostly at James. “Evening. Would you like something to drink?”
“The Mozaik,” he told her.
She nodded her head. “A bottle?”
“Please.” He gave her a nod and she walked away.
Kara winced. I can’t drink.
James’ eyes shifted to her. “You can have one glass. It won’t hurt.”
She felt her heart thump. How he knew what she thought and felt constantly surprised her.
He picked up the food menu and she sat in front of him with some awkwardness.
“Can I have one to look through?”
“No,” he replied.
She smiled, thinking it a joke, then she reached for the second menu. His eyes lifted off the single page of the inlaid leather sleeve and he put his hand out to stop her.
“I’ll order for you.”
She swallowed and withdrew her hand. “James.”
“Kara, you can hardly decide on bloody pub food.”
Her cheeks got hot as the waitress arrived with their bottle of wine. She placed it down and started to uncork it.
James’ eyes lifted to her as the woman tested his patience. “Thank you. I’ll pour it.” He picked up the bottle as she walked away and took Kara’s glass to pour hers first.
“I can pick out my own food, James.”
“I know you can, but I want to do it tonight for you.”
Some of the fluster of the situation left her and she allowed him the trouble that night. Kara sipped the wine once he handed it to her. Smooth, strong, it had a deep lush taste that made her want more.
“Maybe you should have asked for a cheap wine.”
James chuckled, “Why’s that?”
“Because it’s good. I shouldn’t be drinking.”
“You sat through the entire match; you deserve a glass of wine.”
When that glass finished, their meal appeared and they ate in silence, sharing a few smiles and comments, but nothing of a serious topic. As she took her last few mouthfuls, she indulged him in her thoughts.
“I was excited to see you tonight.”
He had just finished pushing his plate away when she spoke, his fingers pausing. “You were?”
“I thought you did great today. The television really doesn’t do your talent any justice and you scored so many goals. It was exciting. You’re really…”
He waited for her to finish.
She smiled. “Well, you’re really amazing, James.”
His expression brightened. “Thank you, my love.”
Surprised that her compliment seemed to mean so much to him, she stumbled on another formation of words and failed.
His eyes stayed on her throughout her internal word battle. “Are you eager for Christmas break then and my week home?”
She smiled. “Should I be?”
“Perhaps,” he suggested. “Other than, I suppose, having to deal with my family.”
“They can’t be that bad.”
James grunted. “No, not that bad. My aunt can be a bit off-putting, but just ignore her.”
I highly doubt I’ll be able to do that. Kara shifted in the leather chair. “You don’t even really care about the holidays though. I had to beg for that little Christmas tree in the corner of the living room and then Carter knocked it over last week when he was drunk.”
“I told you not to put it there.”
Kara sighed. “It was pretty, while it lasted.”
“Yes, fine.” He reached forward and took her hand. “And it’s because you’re here.”
She gulped down the instant lump in her throat. “That makes it exciting?”
His fingers traced over hers. “Enthralling.”
She let out a laugh. “Wow, I doubt that.”
He smiled as the waitress placed the black bill book on the table and walked away. Reaching out, he flipped it open and got up, pulling out his wallet from his pocket.
She stood when he did, adjusting her cardigan around her shoulders, trying not to look at the bill but doing so by accident. It was astronomical, the bottle of wine alone and they hadn’t even finished it.
James tucked money into the book and closed it without a second thought.
“I hope my company was worth that much,” she joked as he turned to her and put his wallet away.
He looked down at her. His six foot-four frame seemed taller than normal, even with her heels. “I couldn’t put a price on that, my love,” he said.
She bit her lip as he drew in closer, kissing her with more control than she liked.
“How’s that bit of wine sitting with you?”
“Why?” She smiled at him as his thumb brushed under her chin.
“You’re flushed.” He put his mouth to her ear to whisper the rest, “like when we make love.”
Kara felt her cheeks get hotter and lifted her hands in a failed attempt to cool them. “I guess it’s hit me a bit. Just been a long day.”
“We’ll go back to the hotel and fill the jacuzzi. Enjoy our last night here.” He turned her by taking her hand to do so.
Her eyes flashed out across the restaurant and bar, a few others had stopped to watch them. He led her forward and she followed him, keeping close at his side and out of prying eyes.
At the door, he collected the coat he’d worn from the host.
“Where’s yours?” He asked her.
Her eyes moved from the door as a tall young man walked in with women on each arm. They were laughing hysterically about something and Kara wondered what.
“I didn’t bring one,” she said softly, eyes meeting his.
“Mm.” James didn’t look pleased but he slipped his coat over her shoulders and she caught it.
“Thank you…”
He took her hand again and they walked toward the door the man that just came in, he hardly noticed being in the way as the women entertained him.
“Trevor,” James said quite loudly and it stopped the giggling women.
The man turned and his smile got big. “Ah, you took my advice and came to this hole in the wall!” His English accent left nothing to imagination as his eyes danced upon her. “And this must be Kara! Jesus, you’re way too pretty for him. Want to join in with us?”
She smiled, not having a clue who he was but the wine helped her play along. “I think I’ll stick with the star striker tonight and the bill proved it’s not so much a hole in the wall.”
James’ eyes caught hers with his chuckle.
“Aww that’s cute. He did well today…” The man stumbled in toward her and with his slight slur said, “The wine is not cheap, I will give you that. I’m Trevor Scheer.” He held out his hand for her and she shook it. “Your boyfriend’s better half on the field.”
“Oh,” Kara tried not to laugh. “Another footballer.”
“He’s a forward.” James stepped into the conversation. “Sometimes we pass each other the ball.”
“That’s if Dray shares it with me.” Trevor unglued himself from the women as the host asked him for a reservation. He gave her his last name and he shooed his dates along. “Did you enjoy the game? Were we entertaining enough?”
Kara smiled. “Super exciting.”
“Glad to hear it. I better wine and dine them, but it was nice meeting you, Kara—I always hear lots about you.”
Kara blushed as the idea of James talking about her when he was away epitomized their relationship a bit more.
Trevor waved them off with his natural swagger and Kara turned to face James.
“Does he always have two girlfriends?”
“Italian models.” James chuckled. “We won. He’s celebrating.” His hand went to her lower back and nudged her toward the outside. The door was opened for them and the cool breeze hit her face. Kara pulled his jacket around her arms as the wind scooted up under her shorter dress.
“Where’s the car? I’m freezing.” Kara shivered.
“If you’d worn a bloody coat…” James muttered as she turned toward him. “A walk will warm you up, the hotel is just down there.”
“I’d prefer a car.”
He paused while trying not to smile. “I didn’t get a car, I thought we could walk.”
She pouted. “I’m in heels, James.”
“Oh no.” He took her hand and pulled her along down the street.
“What?” She kept up to his long stride, more than used to it.
“I’ve spoiled you.”
She hit his arm playfully. “Stop.”
“Stop spoiling you?”
Kara shut her mouth and kept walking. Not exactly loving the mini excursion but the restaurant had been a close to ten-minute walk to the hotel. The back of her heels ached as the elevator took them up to their floor. She still hadn’t stopped shivering but the warmth of the hotel eased some goosebumps along her legs.
“You’re still cold.”
“I wasn’t dressed for that,” she admitted.
“No, the next time you’ll wear a coat, won’t you?” He pressed a kiss to her temple and she nodded, cuddling into him, right as the door dinged open.
She followed him down the hall and he swiped open the door, as the extravagant dinner hit her stomach. “I’m so full.”
He let her in ahead and she stopped to remove her shoes, using the wall for support and loving the way her feet hit the carpet flat. She glanced down to her bloated belly and was thankful they were back at the hotel.
Her hand went to it and rubbed. “Sure you don’t prefer an Italian model as well? I don’t think they get bloated like this.”
He walked up behind her and removed his coat from her shoulders, chucking it aside to the nearest couch. His arm wrapped her waist as his mouth met the crook of her neck.
“That’s the little one, I noticed this morning.”
She swallowed and turned her cheek toward his mouth as it ghosted over her cool skin. “You did?”
“Yes, you’re beautiful with this bump.” He kissed her shoulder and walked her forward toward the jetted tub across the suite, unzipping the back of her structured red dress in the process.
She turned in his arms and kissed him, still with a tiny quiver in her bottom lip. “I am?”
“I stayed in bed as long as I could this morning because of it, holding you. Then I got to go play the game. Take you to dinner. It was a good day.” He teased her shoulder with a bite and she giggled through it. She didn’t understand how things were so simply enjoyable all the time between them but she wasn’t about to question it. He let her go and stepped around her to turn on the hot water for the tub.
“This will warm you up. Get out of the dress.” His hands went to his belt and he loosened off the leather.
Kara slipped her shoulders from the straps of the dress and shimmied out of the tight garment as he started to strip with her, which left him in his boxers.
“Don’t get in quite yet.” He told her as he walked across the room to the washroom and flipped on the lights.
“Ugh, but I’m freezing, James!” she called to him as she shivered on the spot, totally naked.
“Stop pouting or I’ll spank you…”
“You won’t.” She rolled her eyes as she heard him searching through a plastic bag.
He chuckled but never replied to her. Her gaze landed on the nearest window of sheer curtains. The moon outside the window, big and bright, flowed through them casting shadows across the white carpets. The lavish moment wrapped her into a daze and he returned to her moments later.
“Do you know what this is?” He showed her a bottle of clear fluid.
She read it with a blush. “Why do we need this?”
“So we can have sex in the bath. What do you think?”
She smiled at him with a bud of excitement. “Obviously you planned this.”
“Obviously.” He popped the top open. “The shower yesterday was a tad disappointing. I wanted to make it up to you.”
“I thought the shower was fun…”
He didn’t look impressed as he squeezed a bit of lubricant out into his hand discreetly. She bumped against him as she watched and his hand dropped between her thighs.
He kissed her to distract her eyes away and his tongue dipped against hers, while his fingers lathered her inside and out.
She almost fell into him when his hand left her, she’d enjoyed it too much and grabbed his biceps to steady herself.
“Right. Now you can get in.” He instructed her and it took her a few seconds to catch up.
She stepped back to the running bath and went to step in, feeling the special lubricant between her thighs glide with little friction.
He leaned over and shut off the water, hitting a button to start the jets and she leaned back into the water with a smile.
“This is great. We should get a house with one.”
James glanced at her. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
Kara bubbled with excitement as he joined her in the bath and she crawled toward him before he’d even settled across from her. She wanted it now, wanted him inside right then. He took her hips as she settled in his lap and their mouths met.
Her hips sunk with desperation and found what she wanted right away. When he filled her, she broke her mouth from his and whimpered, her hips rocking with the stretch.
“Slow.” He steadied her in his arms and made it easier for her to control herself. “That’s a good girl.”
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and nibbled at his neck. “I love you.”
He groaned something before she heard the return of his affection. Even if in the pit of her soul she felt she didn’t deserve him, she was thankful for every moment with him.