Defending Hayden (Second Chances #7)(61)

Hayden walked toward us, still holding the football in her hands, with a questioning look on her face. Shelby was a beautiful woman, but she didn’t compare to Hayden. Before I could speak, Shelby beat me to it. “Hayden Hunter, I’m Shelby Reynolds,” she said, holding out her hand.

Hayden smiled and shook her hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Shelby turned back to me. “Derek, if you don’t mind, I was kind of hoping Ms. Hunter could sit in on the interview. A lot of my readers are women, and I feel like they’d connect to the story I have in mind.” She glanced between us. “Is that okay?”

Hayden looked up at me and shrugged. “I’m fine with it if you are.”

I put my arm around her shoulder and turned to Shelby. “We’re ready.”





Chapter 27





Hayden


Instead of doing the interview at the stadium, we met Shelby at the Carolina Tavern and had it over dinner. The interview was heartbreaking yet beautiful. I wasn’t expecting the article to be about Derek’s life but more about his NFL career. Shelby showed me some of her other articles, and I was at a complete loss for words. She had a way of drawing readers in and letting them see the real person behind the name.

“You really put everything out there,” I murmured to Derek as he walked into his bedroom.

He came up behind me and slid my shirt to the side, kissing my bare shoulder. His heated gaze met mine in the mirror. “I have nothing to hide, love. I have a damaged past but a very much wanted future…with you. There’s nothing wrong with letting the world know.”

“What if things change between us? Sometimes people fall out of love.”

He turned me around and clasped my face in his hands. “The only way that’s going to happen is if you fall out of love with me. I’m praying that doesn’t ever happen.”

“It won’t,” I promised. Leaning down, he kissed me and pushed me toward the bed. He lifted my shirt and tossed it onto the floor and unbuttoned my shorts before the back of my legs even touched the bed.

“You have no idea how much I f*cking need you,” he whispered against my lips.

“Probably as much as I need you.”

His hands slid down my stomach to the waistband of my shorts, lowering them to the floor. My body tightened and I couldn’t wait to feel him inside me. Once he was naked, he stood in front of me, his arousal thick and heavy between his legs. I wrapped my hand around his length and pumped him hard, relishing his strangled moan. The tip of his cock glistened and I leaned down to lick it off, loving the way he tasted; I wanted more. Taking him into my mouth, I sucked him until he groaned and pulled me away.

“I won’t last if you keep doing that.”

Giggling, I crawled onto the bed and he followed me, his raw gaze penetrating. His breaths came out fast and I knew he was far past ready to take me. I loved it when that hungry look took over his face. It let me know he wasn’t going to go slow but hard and deep.

Spreading my legs with his knee, he didn’t waste any time. He filled me completely and I gasped as the pain and pleasure made me arch off the bed. His mouth closed over a nipple, and just the feel of him everywhere on my body made me lose control. Digging my nails into his back, I screamed out my release as he bit down on my breast, his grip so tight I could barely breathe. His cock pulsated inside me and his warmth filled me as he, too, was driven to completion.

As he leaned his forehead to mine, his breaths came out as deep growls. “I love you so f*cking much.”

“And I love you.”

He pulled out of me gently and carried me into the bathroom so we could rinse off before bed. It was getting late, but I wouldn’t be able to sleep. I just prayed he’d fall asleep fast so I could get to Stonebrooke by midnight. Once we were done in the shower, we got back in bed and he pulled me into his arms.

“Do you want to go to the Whitewater Center tomorrow? I thought we could do something fun together, since I don’t have practice.”

“Sounds fun. Although I might laugh at you if you fall out of the raft.”

He chuckled. “Not if I take you with me.”

His body was warm as he held me against him, and I dreaded having to slip away. When his breathing slowed and deepened, I knew I was home free. He was a deep sleeper, but I still wanted to move carefully. Once I was out from under his arm, I slid out of bed, tiptoeing over to the drawer he’d emptied for me to put my clothes in. I threw on a pair of jeans and a T-shirt before exiting the room. I had ten minutes before I had to meet Kellie at the clinic.

In the kitchen, I scribbled a quick note telling Derek where I was in case he got up looking for me. The last thing I wanted was for him to worry about me. He was going to be angry, but eventually he’d have to understand it was something that had to be done.

The roads were desolate as I drove to Stonebrooke in the dead of night. There was a bar down the street that was still open, but on my end of downtown, everything was closed. I parked in the back, just as Kellie had suggested, and saw her waiting in her car.

We both got out and she looked at the clinic, sighing. “If we find something on these cameras, you know we’ll have to tell my grandfather we broke in.”

I swallowed hard. “That probably won’t help my case, but I need this.” I followed her to the back door.