THE PITCH, page 21
“I’ve got a meeting tonight, so I’ll be back late,” I say as I pull up outside her house.
“Oh, you never said, but that’s okay. I’ve got some studying to do anyway.”
“Studying? When did this come about?” I ask, completely taken aback.
“I’m just going over some of my old case studies and looking into new treatment techniques. I’ve not started a new course or anything.” She leans over and kisses me, her hand resting so close to my dick.
“You better go, or I’ll be dragging you inside the house, and I’ll not make my meeting.”
She smiles and gets out of the car. I wind down my window and lean out slightly. “If you need me, ring me. I can come straight back, okay?”
She smiles and nods and blows me a kiss from the doorway, and I put the car in drive and pull out into the road.
I’m being an asshole, and I know it, but I need her to go into the house alone and be there alone after dark. I don’t want her to be scared, but on the other hand, I do. She has such a strong bond with that house, and I know that I won’t be able to talk her into leaving. She’ll have to come to that decision on her own.
I don’t even have a meeting to go to, so I drive around for a while and then head home. As soon as I put the key in my front door, my phone rings, and Brook’s name flashes on the screen.
I smile a little too much as I answer the call.
“Hey, everything okay?”
“No! What the hell have you done?!”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I answer truthfully.
“Yes, you do. I just don’t understand why,” she snaps.
“Why what? What’s happened? Is everything okay?”
“I’m so angry with you right now.”
“Angry? Brook, you’re not making any sense. What the hell am I supposed to have done?”
“While I’ve been at your place, I received a letter.” She stops talking.
“Okay, just spit it out, less of the dramatic pauses,” I snap back.
“If you wanted out, you just needed to say.”
“I don’t want out. I want to know what you’re talking about. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. I can’t do this over the phone.” I end the call and walk back to my car. What the hell is wrong with this woman? I have no idea what the hell she’s talking about.
I don’t get a chance to ring the doorbell before she opens the door. Shit! What did I do?
Chapter 20
Brook
I’d been in the house five minutes and started to go through my post. There was quite a bit since I’d been away from the house for a week. I flick through the envelopes and sift out all the junk mail. That left me with only one real letter, and it looked official.
My heart begins to race, and my stomach churns. I know I’ve got a new landlord, so maybe it’s a new tenancy agreement.
I open the letter and see the letterhead is Sharrock’s Solicitors. Oh crap. I read down the letter and then I read it again and again. Finally, I look at the documents that are attached.
I pick up my phone and dial Carter’s number.
“Hey, everything okay?” he asks cheerfully.
“No! What the hell have you done?!” I shout into the phone.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Yes, you do. I just don’t understand why,” I say, becoming more angry at his ability to lie through his perfect teeth.
“Why what? What’s happened? Is everything okay?”
“I’m so angry with you right now,” I snap.
“Angry? Brook you’re not making any sense. What the hell am I supposed to have done?”
Like he doesn’t know.
“While I’ve been at your place, I received a letter.” I wait for him to realise what I’m talking about.
“Okay, just spit it out, less of the dramatic pauses,” he snaps back.
“If you wanted out, you just needed to say.”
“I don’t want out. I want to know what you’re talking about. I’ll be there in twenty minutes. I can’t do this over the phone.” He ends the call on me, and I stand staring at the phone.
How could he do this to me and not say a single word? We’ve been together twenty-four hours a day for the last six weeks, and he’s stood there and lied to me. Bare faced lied.
I pace up and down the living room into the kitchen, make two cups of tea that I don’t intend on drinking, and then pace back again. I watch out the window, waiting for his big fancy fucking car to pull up. I am so fucking angry.
His car pulls up outside, and he jumps out and bounces up the steps like nothing is wrong. I run to the door and open it before he can even touch my door.
“What the hell is this?” I wave the letter in his face. He knows what it is. His face falls.
“Can I come in?” he asks, putting one foot through the door.
“I suppose, but don’t get comfy. You’re out of here as soon as you’ve changed this back.”
He ignores me and walks into the living room and sits down like he owns the place. Well, he doesn’t.
“I asked you a question. What the hell is this?” I throw the letter at him and hold back the tears that are threatening to fall.
“This shouldn’t have come to you. It was supposed to be a surprise,” he says, looking at the documents.
“Well, who should it have gone to? And why the hell is this house now in my name?”
“Because I wanted you to have stability and security. I wanted you to have this house so that no one could take it away from you ever again.”
“I don’t understand. Why?”
“Because I fucking love you, that’s why, and you love this house.”
“How? How did you do this?”
“The day I met with your landlord, I bought all his properties, including this one. He didn’t give a flying fuck about you or what happened to this house. He was happy to let the place fall down whilst charging you the earth to live here.”
“So, you bought my home and didn’t think to tell me?”
“It wouldn’t have been a surprise if I told you, and I never dreamt that things were going to work so well between us. I just wanted you to be safe and secure.”
“So, when were you going to tell me?”
“I was going to give you the paperwork on your mum’s anniversary. I thought it might make an awful day a little bit easier, knowing you will never lose this place.”
My heart almost bursts, and tears flow like a river down my cheeks. “You were going to do that for me?” I sob and realise I’m ugly crying in front of the world’s most gorgeous generous man. “I don’t know how to thank you, but it really is too much.”
“No, it’s not even nearly enough. We’ve known each other for years, and I actually think I was in love with you back then, too.”
He stands up and wraps his arms around me, pulling me into his broad, solid chest.
“We hardly ever spoke.” I continue to sob.
“No, but I was obsessed.” He starts to laugh. “And I can prove it. But it might freak you the fuck out.”
“Why? What did you do?”
“Only took about a thousand photos of you while you were working or sat on the bench. Anywhere I could get a picture, I did.”
“Oh god, were you a real-life stalker?” I ask, starting to smile.
“I suppose I was, but only while you were at work. I didn’t follow you around or anything weird.”
“What did you do with them?”
“What do you think I did with them? Fucking dreamed of having you any which way I could.”
“You jerked off to photos of me?” I ask, pushing myself off his chest.
“Yeah, I did, but now, I have real-life memories, not just fantasies.”
“I was your fantasy?” I ask, searching his eyes.
“You were, and you always will be.” He smiles as he bends his head and kisses my tear-soaked cheeks.
“This was way too much, Carter. I thought you’d given me the house so that I didn’t need to see you again after your therapy finishes other than at the club.”
“And this is why I bought you the house. I want you to feel secure in yourself and in us. I don’t go around buying people houses, you know? And I was going to talk to you about continuing my treatment. I think we should carry it on indefinitely. I’m concerned that if we stop, it’ll go back to the way it was.”
“I agree. I actually like torturing you every day.”
“So, now you know about the house, and why. Are you okay? I didn’t do it to hurt you in any way.”
“Am I okay? I can’t believe you did this for me. I’ll never be able to thank you enough.”
“I can think of several ways, and one of them is on your knees worshipping my cock like a good girl should,” he says with a broad grin before pulling me into a knee-shaking kiss.
I knew Carter was keeping something from me, and that was what had made me insecure. Now that I know he only kept it from me because he was being kind and thoughtful, it makes me question all the doubts I’ve ever had about this wonderful man.
We are both up and dressed by 7:00 a.m. the next day, as we both have a busy day. I need to work with some of the players, and he’s got some business deals to sort out.
That is, after we’ve completed our naked physiotherapy session at his house.
Life is pretty good. It’s not how Carter imagined his life to be, but because of the pitch being frozen that day, we are together now, and I wouldn’t change a thing.
Epilogue
Carter
Six months later . . .
I asked Brook to move in properly a month ago. We’d been spending every other week at each other’s place to begin with, but slowly, we ended up spending more time here. All my equipment is here, as well as the pool, so it made sense. My injury is the best it will ever get, and I’ve even managed to do a 5K run. Nowhere near as fast as I used to, but running is something I was told would never happen.
I want to know that I’m going to wake up to her every single day and see her as soon as we finish work, so today, she’s officially moving in. She brought the rest of her stuff over last week, but today, she has new tenants moving into her house. It’s a bittersweet moment as she says goodbye to the life she had with her mom, but it’ll be another source of income for her to rely on, and eventually, she’s going to start her own sports physiotherapist business. She wants to share her knowledge and help more people.
I’ve never wanted to spend all my time with a woman, but Brook is more than my girlfriend, she’s my best friend. I don’t keep anything from her anymore. Well, that’s not strictly true. I keep my surprises to myself obviously. And today, she’s going to get a big one, or maybe even two.
I’ve kept her out of the house all day whilst the preparations have been made, and I can’t wait to see her face. It’s almost too much to hold in.
“What are you grinning at?” she asks, tapping my thigh. She’s so much more relaxed these days. She even has her own car, which she’s driving now whilst I make last-minute preparations on the way home.
“Nothing, I’m just replying to an email from Brax. He says that he, Gee, and Xavier are coming over. That’s great news, isn’t it?” I smile so wide, it hurts.
“Yeah, but you’re up to something. You’re never this chirpy unless you’re planning a prank.” She stares at me a second too long as we sit at the traffic lights. The car behind us beeps and breaks her out of her interrogation. I’d normally flick them the bird, but I’d thank them for saving my ass right now.
I keep my head down all the way home, and as we walk into the house, I give a quick glance around. Everything is set.
I walk up the corridor to the far end of the house. “Brook, can you come here a minute?” I shout from outside one of the guest bedrooms.
She walks down the hallway, looking at me expectantly. “What’s up?” she asks.
“This door won’t open. I was going to check that the room was good enough for Brax and Gee.”
“Of course it’s good enough,” she says, but she presses down on the door handle anyway, and low and behold, the door opens with no problem at all.
Brook stands silently in the doorway, and her hands float up to her mouth.
“Do you like it?” I ask.
She turns around, her cheeks instantly soaked with tears as she nods. She takes a few steps inside the room and takes a seat on her mom’s old couch. The bookcases and cabinets that Mason destroyed have been renovated and put back together, and after several hours of searching online, I even found some wallpaper that matched.
“When? How? Why?” she asks, her voice breaking into a sob.
“Okay, so it’s been in the making for a while. How? I had a little help from a few friends and family. Why? Because I wanted you to always have those memories. When you need to have some time alone, this is your space. It’s your home within your home.”
“It’s perfect. How the hell did I get so lucky?”
“Well, I’m sort of glad you think that, because I have something else I want to ask you.”
Her eyes fixate on me as I get down on one knee and produce a small black velvet box from my pocket.
“I never thought that I’d find anyone who could love me for me, but I did, and I will be forever grateful for you coming into my life not once, but twice. I am the luckiest man alive, but I want to push my luck a little more and ask you if you’ll do me the honour of being my wife. Will you marry me, Brook?”
She slides down on the floor opposite me and takes my face in her hands. My heart pounds. Fuck, she’s going to say no. Oh god.
“Of course I’ll marry you. But you didn’t need to do this room out to win me over. I was yours right from the beginning, even though I told you to keep your dick three feet away.”
I slide the ring, a two-carat diamond on a platinum band, onto Brook’s finger.
“It’s so beautiful Carter,” she says as she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me.
A gravelly cough comes from the hallway, and then Brax, Gee, Kane, Ruby, my mom and dad, and Evie stand in the doorway.
“Can we come in now?” Gee asks, moving into the room.
“Oh my god. You’re all here?” Brook asks.
“We are, and congratulations,” Ruby says, laughing.
I used to dream of asking Brook out on a date. Well, I did a little more than dream. Now I’ve proposed, and she’s said yes. Life doesn’t get any better than this.
Until next time . . . in The Track
https://www.books2read.com/the-track
If you missed Braxton and Grace's story there is a snippet coming up… keep reading on.
If you loved reading this book as much as I did writing it please can I ask a tiny favour and ask you to please leave a review. Even if it is just stars. It really helps Indie Authors and keeps us motivated to write more. Thank you xxx
Also By
Martina Dale
THE MORAL COMPASS SERIES
West – Book 1
https://books2read.com/West1
North – Book 2
https://books2read.com/North1
East – Book 3
https://books2read.com/East1
South – Book 4
https://books2read.com/South1
THE HEALING WOUNDS SERIES
Damaged – Book 1
https://books2read.com/damaged1
Broken – Book 2
https://books2read.com/broken23
Saved – Book 3
https://books2read.com/saved1
THE BLACKMOORE BROTHERS
The Ride – Book 1
https://www.books2read.com/theride
The Venue – Book 2
https://www.books2read.com/the-pitch
The Track – Book 4
https://books2read.com/the-track
The Ride
Braxton
“Hmmm, I can feel you’re awake,” a sweet voice says as I open my eyes.
Shit, she is still here!
“I’m not awake.”
“Your dick is saying otherwise, Brax. It’s poking me in the back.”
“That’s not my dick, love. That’s the vibrator we used last night. Do me a favour and chuck it in the trash, will you? I’m going for a shower.”
“Do you want me to join you?”
“No, I would have invited you if I did. I think you should maybe use the guest room shower or . . . just go.”
“Oh, okay, do you want me to put my number in your phone?”
“Not much point, love. I’m not going to ring you. You said you were good with just a fuck, no strings, no return journeys.”
“That was before you fucked me like a pornstar. Seriously, Brax, I never even knew a guy could do it for so long.”
“That’s called being fit, having stamina.” And not being into it half as much as you.
“So, you really don’t want to meet up again?”
“No, I have a busy life, and I don’t have time for relationships. It’s nothing personal.” Yes, it is, now I’m sober, you don’t do it for me at all.
And as if on cue, my phone starts to ring. My dad’s ringtone blares.
“Morning, Dad,” I say cheerfully.
“Oh! You’re actually awake? I thought you might still be asleep.”
“No, I’m just jumping in the shower. What’s up?”
“I need to discuss your thirtieth birthday with you, say, in an hour?”
“What’s the rush?”
“It’s important, Braxton. Your mother and I would like to see you; it’s only a few weeks till your birthday, and we need to discuss some things with you.”
