Running into Coverage Ch. 05

A little later the SUV pulled up to Hadley's apartment complex and Marcus got out and walked her to the front entrance. The frigid air caused both of their hands to remain in their pockets; the shrill sound of his mother's laugh filled the path as his parents laughed hysterically trying to sort out the seatbelts.

Shivering from the cold or from something else, her voice stammered. "Today was too much fun, thanks Marcus."

Bending down, he wrapped her in his arms and held close for a minute. "Of course, I'm glad you were able to get the day off."

"Me too." Looking up, she wanted to stand on her toes to kiss him but didn't think she should. "You should get back to your parents to make sure they're alive in there."

Wanting nothing more than to follow her into her apartment, he sighed with reluctance and nodded. Dropping his lips to hers, they kissed briefly, the action bringing warmth to her cheeks. "I'll call you tomorrow."

She tore herself away from him and left before either could get swept away. Marcus walked back to the SUV, and already knew the conversation that was in store. Felicia waited until he was buckled up to say anything at all.

Rubbing her husband's thigh, she said. "She's wonderful, Marcus."

Heat crept up from his neck and filled his own cheeks. "She's a real smartass, but I like her."

Norm laughed at his son. "It takes one to know one. I for one would like to see more of Hadley."

That was the thought that burned deep in his own mind, because Marcus had wanted to see more of Hadley too.

****

"You thinkin' about who you're inviting for Friday night yet, Jennings?"

Hot water splashed down Marcus' face, and trickled down the drain in the locker room. Fabian's voice boomed in the large space as he shouted from another side and still Marcus didn't hear it. They had just played the last game of the regular season against Indianapolis and were both showering the grime from the game. It was a close game, but the Cougars managed take the Colts down late in the third and come ahead 30-27. He turned in the shower and let the scorching water run down his back, soothing a deep red mark that was bound to turn into a large bruise.

It was from a bone jarring hit from the side and he fully intended on taking more Tylenol than needed, but it got the ball down the field thirty-one yards, enough yardage to score a touchdown with the next set of plays. There were loud catcalls and bottles popping throughout the locker room, but none of the noise registered past the pounding in his body. The tackle was fierce and he was thankful the team would have a week off until their next game.

Shutting off the taps, he heard Fabian call out again. "J—you hear me, man? Are you takin' anyone Friday?"

Fabian was referring to a function that all of the players had to attend in support of the team coming in first in the Division. The coaches came into the locker room with the players right after the game to congratulate them for a comeback season. They mentioned the practice schedule for the week in addition to the gala. Because the following weekend would be devoted to weeding out other teams for the wild card, the Cougars would have another bye week. Practices would continue of course, except for the two-a-days which wouldn't happen in the post-season. The gala was a black tie event, which meant he would need to rent a tuxedo, something he wouldn't mind doing.

"I'll see if Hadley can make it out."

Rubbing his coarse hair with the towel, he thought it over and hoped she didn't have anything planned for that night so she could go. Much of the fun with being involved in a sports club was the celebrations for all of the team's hard work. If she could go, she would be able to see all of the players and coaching staff having a good time outside of the madness on the field. Several of the guys had already met her on multiple occasions, so it wouldn't seem so unusual to ask.

"I don't get you guys, man."

Wrapping the towel around his waist, Marcus walked off of the tiled floors. "What's not to get?"

Fabian shut off his own shower. "You guys act like you're together but you're not."

"I already told you, we're friends."

His teammate scoffed at his casual response and knew his friend better than that. "Friends with benefits."

"What the hell, Fabian. What does it matter to you?"

"Because she's cute and feisty as hell. If you don't do somethin' someone else will."

"No one is fucking doing anything with her."

"Then why the hell aren't you?"

Marcus ran a hand through his drying hair, trying to remain calm. Whenever he thought about this subject it always pissed him off. Hadley was so damn independent, he didn't know what she would do if he started a relationship conversation with her. Last week when she spent the day with his parents and then sitting at dinner, something changed between them. Since then, he was anxious until they spoke. All throughout the week, she had sent him messages or started calling him before he got the chance. The Cougars' last games were at Pendicon Field, so he was able to drop by her apartment or studio whenever practices and meetings let out. They were friends but it was more than that, the way she gripped his hand at the dinner table that night reassured him.

"Look man, I don't want to piss you off."

"It's nothing I haven't thought to myself, don't worry about it. Hadley's different from any other girl I've dated, slow works with her."

"Then do what you gotta do."

****

A light knocking on the front door interrupted the girls as they sat on the couch watching a reality show. Hadley placed her tea mug on the coffee table and dashed to answer it, figuring it was Marcus. Usually he sent a text after leaving the complex letting her know he was on his way only this time he didn't. The door swung open swiftly, blowing her hair off of her shoulders. Marcus stood on the other side and looked just as good as he did the night before.

Hadley grabbed his hand and pulled him inside. "Hurry and get in here! Close the door will you?" Mystified, he did as she asked and watched her run back to curl up on the couch. Laughing he started to speak. "Commercial, I'll tell you then."

Figuring he would be there for awhile, he took off his coat and draped it over one of the chairs near the kitchen. The jackass in him wanted to walk in front of the small television screen to see how both would react, seeing how they were completely engrossed with the action taking place. He sat down on the mismatched chair off to the side and shook his head as he recognized what they were watching. Some god awful show about housewives.

Caitlin piped up first during a segment, "I seriously need to branch out and make new bitchy friends. This is just depressing."

Hadley reached for the abandoned tea mug and took a sip while still staring at the screen. "Oh my god, I would slap these women if we were friends!"

His eyes darted back and forth between them until the longed-for commercial break finally happened. Hadley looked over at Marcus and laughed at his bewildered expression. "Guilty pleasures are sinful, and yet so delicious." She was greeted with a heavy rumble of laughter. "I didn't think you would stop by, you didn't answer my text."

It was true, and guilt hit him for a minute. After leaving Pendicon Field, he couldn't muster the energy to text her back and contemplated just going home rather than stopping by. A bunch of the guys were out partying at a bar in the city but something else drove him away from the celebrations. While on the Kennedy his SUV had other thoughts and soon enough he was pulling off of the expressway at her exit.

"It was crazy tonight, I forgot to check my phone."

A sly smile spread at her lips as she crawled off of the couch and walked over to him. "I'm sure, congratulations on the win, Marcus. You made number one; that has to feel incredible."

Not as incredible as you. The thought startled him and he pushed it to the back of his mind for now. Reaching for her, he caught her hip and drew her closer. Hadley giggled softly, dropping her hands to his shoulders before kissing the corner of his mouth. The grip of his fingers tightened, but she wriggled out of his hold on her as the commercial break ended. Marcus' head fell back against the pillows of the chair. For the next half-hour, Hadley kept sneaking suggestive glances at him and when the show ended he gladly walked over to her and shackled her hands. Caitlin laughed at the two of them as she left for her own room so she could study for the night.

Leaning into him, Hadley wrapped herself around him, running her fingers up along his back. He always smelled so good after a game, everything was fresh and clean. Perfectly crisp. Marcus lowered his head to nuzzle her neck, his fingers pushing strands of hair away so his lips could brush the soft skin.

Shivers rippled down her body like a sneaky fire she never wanted to put out. "Hmm, can we stay at your house tonight?"

With his lips brushing the tender skin, he nipped her collarbone at the request. "Go grab some stuff."

With an urgency he'd never seen with her before, she pushed away from him and moved to her room where she could pack up a small bag. Taking a few minutes he wandered around and stopped near the refrigerator looking at the calendar they kept under several magnets. Hadley's chicken-scratch was scattered all over the sheet of paper. He scanned it for the gala's date and saw that she had an early morning shift but there wasn't anything else written down. There were a few things like the name of several books and a wine night she hadn't mentioned before.

"Keeping tabs on me?"

"You have no idea."

The ride to his condo wasn't as long or brutal to sit through as he weaved through the city. To his amusement and pleasure, Hadley unhooked her seatbelt and scooted closer to him as he drove. Curling up next to him she rubbed his chest and nibbled the skin on his neck. Her breath was wickedly cool against his hot skin, and when she bit down on his earlobe, he groaned. With a free hand he stroked her thigh and enjoyed the sounds of her choppy breaths, each exhale filled with anticipation.

He nearly picked her up when they parked in the lot and made their way up to his floor. On a rare occasion, one of the other residents would ride the elevators with them putting a quick damper on their mood. Unfortunately for both of them, there was a couple sharing the small space with them then. Marcus kept his hand at her neck and rubbed the skin, setting her insides on fire. Getting inside his condo took more effort than either would ever say out loud. Struggling with getting the key in the lock, Hadley took advantage and stroked Marcus through his dress pants. Almost to the point of sagging against the wall, he finally managed to get the damn key through the lock and growled at her to get inside.

He didn't say anything more to her and walked back to his bedroom. Caught under his spell, Hadley followed him after she took off her boots. Stumbling into the room, she held her breath as he knelt next to the fireplace with his pants undone to ignite the fire. His imposing erection shot heat right to her very core, her own hand was fidgeting with the skin at her neck. Hearing her enter the room, he turned to look and found himself reaching a hand out to her. A sweet smile filled her beautiful face as she went to him. Slowly she sank down onto the floor with him in front of the fireplace, wrapping her arms around his strong neck. She kissed him softly, warmly, a kiss filled with everything. The Hadley he knew was there deep down. Something about her warned him to back off and go slow but not with this, not now. Making love with her was different.

Their tongues mated in a wild orgy that was so wrong and yet still so very right. Tilting his head, he took her deeper into his mouth and was rewarded with a low moan. Releasing their lips, Marcus was hesitant to move but did in order to grab the heavy blanket from the bed and brought it back to the floor. Laying it down, he smiled at Hadley knowing she would understand why he got the blanket. Tonight with the game, her apartment and now the fireplace--it was the perfect place for them. The space in front of the fire was warm; it was a place where they could be just the two of them.

Straddling him, she raked her fingers slowly up his chest only to undo each of the buttons with unbelievable patience. With her mouth, she marked the skin leaving little love bites causing him to break out in gooseflesh. Sweat started to bead at his temples but he refused to move. He distracted himself from the short pants of Hadley's breath as he trailed a finger along her thighs. Hadley leaned back and licked her lips. Marcus pushed her gently so he could sit up, slowly he lifted her long shirt over her rib cage until she stripped it off. Her breasts were pliant in his hands as he played with the flesh. Arching her back at his touch, he released the hook in the back freeing her. Her hips rocked in his lap as his powerful arousal pulsed below her.

Twisting them, Marcus rolled on top of Hadley and held her legs up against his shoulders to remove her leggings. Short pants escaped her open mouth. With a skill she knew he had all too well, he removed her panties, leaving her naked below him. His eyes raked over her body, and as they roamed she felt as if his hands were stroking her skin instead of his eyes. Covering his arousal, he pressed down to keep control without ending the contact. Hadley bit her lip when Marcus lowered her legs and lay down next to her. Reaching over he stroked her face with the back of his hands before pulling her close for a deep kiss. Her hands were all over him as they lost each other in the kiss, grappling the opening of his pants and thrusting the material down over his hips. Wanting to feel his pulsing manhood, she pressed on his chest to roll out from under him. Above him, she removed his pants leaving him naked. Running a finger down his slick abdomen, she held him quickly and traced the thickest part of him. A guttural sound poured out of him at her touch and she kept on with her exploration. Soft trails along the skin followed by sweet kisses kept his body trembling with need. When he couldn't take anymore, he rolled back on her and in between her legs.

Boring deep into her eyes, Marcus lifted a brow seductively and slid a finger inside of her, testing how ready she was. Hadley cried out at the sensations swirling around her and rocked her hips to the rhythm of his hand. Pushing deep, his finger was slick from her wetness, and every muscle started to contract as he glided another finger inside and moved faster. With a great cry that came from her belly, Hadley held him tight as an orgasm washed over her.

While she was shaking beneath him, Marcus positioned himself and entered her smoothly. They both groaned together as their bodies mated. Together they moved with leisurely strokes. Their connection was carnal but remained sensuous. As he gripped her thigh to press deeper, he sunk his teeth into the crook of her neck. Normally she would claw his back; now she arched into him, kissing his shoulder. The cords at his neck bunched while his entire body began to shake. Pulling back from her neck, his hips drove hard and he growled out to her, "Fuck."

His unravel brought a wave of foreign emotions and excitement to ripple through her. Placing her palm against his neck, Hadley looked into Marcus' eyes as he started to lose control. It was when he hit her hard, they fluttered shut and she gave herself up to those emotions. Wailing out to him, "Marcus!"

Giving in to that sweet release, he plunged once more before fully losing himself inside of her. Hadley cried out, feeling the sweeping rush between them and held him close. Several long minutes passed as he lay above her. The weight was heavy, but nothing in the world could make her push him off. Marcus kissed Hadley's neck as her legs cradled him, tiny tendrils of hair stuck to her damp skin.

Later she draped herself over his body, enjoying the warmth of the fire and their closeness. With his hand lightly stroking her soft skin, Hadley shivered. Marcus dropped his lips to the top of her head and whispered, "Are you cold?"

The hair tickled his nose when she shifted to look at him. "Not at all."

Out of habit he raked a thumb near the slope of her breast, bringing a soft hum of pleasure. "Do you know what you're doing Friday night?"

"I think I have to work in the morning. Why?"

Marcus shifted to the side so that he could look at Hadley as they talked. Her fingers caressed the skin under his arm, causing ripples of memory loss. "There's going to be a party up in Rockford to celebrate our season." He traced her jaw with his thumb. "Would you be my date?"

"Is this an everybody kind of thing?"

Knowing what she meant, he smiled at her. "Sam and Gabe will be there, same with the rest of the team."

"That's why you were looking at my calendar."

She was greeted with a devils grin. "Yeah. What do you say?"

Hadley thought it over but knew her answer even before she told him she would go. A day or somewhere that she couldn't pinpoint, he had cracked through her guarded exterior; because of that she would do anything for him. They didn't talk much about the gala for the rest of the night. Being together in their little nook was far too special to disregard. In between light dozes, they would tenderly kiss each other and then claim their bodies for more.

****

The week breezed by as Hadley anticipated going to the Cougars' formal gala. The coffee shop had been a complete mess when several of her co-workers had called in sick, so she had been asked to pick up a few extra shifts. While it was nice to get extra money in a paycheck, it wasn't so great when she often fell asleep without putting paints away or talking to Marcus, though he wouldn't say anything to her and gladly let her pass out in his bed when she was there. After he invited her to the event, she immediately phoned Sam, who wasn't surprised to hear that she would attend. The two talked about dresses to wear and when they would meet up in the event space. Before she knew it, she was opening the door for Marcus as he came to pick her up.

Standing in front of her, he looked incredible, and as comfortable if he had been wearing jeans. He was dressed in a fitted black suit, the wider black tie silhouetted by a classic white button up shirt. What really stood out was the gold handkerchief that peeked out of the breast pocket; it screamed elegance and masculinity. His typically mussed blonde bed hair was styled into a short sexy peak. A drop dead grin snapped all thoughts back into her body and she invited him in.

"We don't have that much time, are you ready?"

All she could do was nod, the air thick and filled with anticipation. For the event, she had found a strapless mini dress at one of the local boutiques in Wicker Park. The tanned silky fabric angled down from above her right breast and fell just shy of her knees. A light trail of gray traveled down one side accenting the way the material bunched in the chest. Marcus expected to see straightened locks, and nearly dropped his jaw taking in the light waves that was held in a messy bun at the nape of her thin neck.

Slipping on a coat, she noticed that one of his hands was behind his back. For a change, she was several inches taller with the high heels and leaned into him. "What are you hiding?"

Casting a wicked grin, Marcus stepped back. A hand extended up with a gardenia for her hair. It took Hadley a minute to register why he had brought the flower, and then she remembered a day long ago when they were out at a bar. He joked about her apparent style that stood out from others and would be surprised if she didn't do something to a casual dress. Hadley had laughed him off saying that casual would be in the form of adding a flower somewhere. Warmth spread through her as he dropped a kiss to the corner of her mouth while sliding the stem behind her ear. Laughing at the placement, she quickly moved the flower so that it accented the bun.