Chapter 7

Zora

When my eyes opened, all I saw was tanned skin with reddish hair splattered on a chest. I must have passed out after Harvey, went all-Harvey on me. God, that man was a beast. Built like one and fucked like one.

Despite all of that, there was an overwhelming need to care for him yesterday because he was the number one hated man on sports television in the Philadelphia area. Shit, it was even beyond Philadelphia and even though it was the semi-pro league, news traveled fast. I knew the man was unconventional and didn’t dance to anyone’s fucking drum, but I understood. Even without knowing all the facts, I understood.

The coach sued. As a fellow coach, I wouldn’t have gone that route, but okay. She was fired and so was her whole team. The commentators were trying to act like, he should have only fired her and not the rest but if I was to leave on bad terms with the Vikings, Pete would be a fool to keep Sasha and Justine on. The cohesion of the team matters, and athletes are the most superstitious group of people that exist and so are the damn coaches and anyone who has played, bet or a fan of sports. Everything matters. I’m sorry that they lost their jobs, but he had to do it.

The topic was rather sore for me because a couple of years ago when I took over the Lady Vikings, one of the players left on bad terms, leaving her loyal friends behind. They caused so much of a ruckus that year. They were the first I drafted, and they were the star players. However, I couldn’t have given a rat’s ass. They almost destroyed the team with their bitterness. They had to go and while they could hate on Harvey, in this case, I was with him and I wasn’t sure how to say that without saying it.

Surprisingly enough, Harvey let me have my wicked way with him. He was not a man to give up control for anyone. This, I knew, but he let me. Which showed a deep level of trust that I would not explore further than last night.

I got up, grabbed one of his shirts and proceeded to the bathroom to clean up and then to the kitchen to make some breakfast. I figured our weekend would be disrupted with the new development, but he needed to eat and so did I. At least, we could share breakfast.

There was no coffee maker anywhere, but an assortment of tea that the man had in one cabinet. It contained five different wooden boxes of various tea leaves with different label colors. Therefore, I took one box out and started going through the tea before I turned on his kettle to boil the water. Under the top cover, list ways to boil the tea, which I followed. They even had the various temperatures and kettles to use. Who knew, Harvey was a tea connoisseur.

After the kettle started to whistle, I heard water running in the bathroom. A couple of minutes later, arms snake around my middle and cool lips were on my neck.

“Something smells good,” Harvey mutters in my ear with his morning, husky voice.

The minty aroma of his breath lingered, making all the fine hair on my neck rise to attention.

“Figured we could eat breakfast, since our weekend is shot.” I tried not to sound disappointed.

Harvey turned me around to face him, then he searched my eyes.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I did not anticipate this shit storm,” he sighed. “Rain check on our weekend?”

“Yes, of course.” I tapped his chest. “Now, let’s eat because you’re going to need your energy.”

He laughed before he said, “Says the woman who zapped it from me last night.”

“I heard no complaints,” I replied.

“Fuck no,” Harvey said right away. “Loved every minute of it.”

Then he crowded me against the table and said, “Want more of it, Zora.”

I nodded my head. I wasn’t sure how much there was to give but I promised him I would try, and I owed it to myself that I would.

“Let’s eat, okay.” I finally spoke. “Also, you’re a tea person, huh?”

He looked around, then laughed. “Yeah, that’s sort of my thing. Started when I was young because my grandfather was into it before he went back to India. He taught me all the basics and as I grew older, I learned more and began to expand my palette for tea.”

“Do you have a favorite?” I asked and pointed over to the box lying on the counter.

“That box was custom made, so all of those are my favorite.” He tipped the cup I had on the table up to his mouth. “This is First Flush.”

“Damn, you’re good.” I laughed. “There were some pretty explicit instructions on how to make this. The degrees, minutes, spring water, and all of that.”

He smiled and took another sip as if he was savoring every taste. I followed suit, and it was extremely good to the taste.

“Wait,” Harvey said as he reached out. “You have to taste it with the tip of your tongue first, then the second in the back of your mouth, so then your taste buds are awake when you take the third sip.”

I was seconds from rolling my eyes but he was so serious, I did what he said and whether it was the power of influence or persuasion, the third taste was much better than my first.

“Okay, Harvey.” I nodded my head. “This tea is damn good.”

He smiled and inclined his head. “I know.”

Harvey and I ate breakfast, talked about everything but what was going on in his sports world or mine and then his car took me back to my house, so I could get ready for practice.

The gossip amongst the ladies was all about why Coach Prentice was fired and why she sued. Sasha and Justine even thought I knew what was going on. but that I was leaving to go coach there.

“Just take me with you,” Sasha whispered when I walked in.

We were shortly joined with Justine who chimed in, “Me too.”

“What are y’all talking about?” I asked.

“You,” Justine pointed. “Going to the Warriors.”

“Yeah,” Sasha whispered.

I shook my head at their antics.

“I’m not going anywhere.” I told them. “Lady Vikings it is.”

“Right,” Sasha said sarcastically.

“I’m serious,” I told them. “Who leaves their team before the season starts?”

“A team that ain’t going to win,” Justine muttered.

“Yeah, well ours will,” I chimed back in. “Prentice was old school. Trying to hold onto her college glory. This is a new league and a new game. They have some good players but again, cohesion means something,” I added. “Listen, I’m not going anywhere, and neither are y’all.”

They both nodded, and we began practice. 

A few of the players shared the gossip they heard from the other teams until I made a brief announcement that the only business we should be discussing is Lady Viking business. That shut that down. But when I returned to my office and looked at Sports Center, Warriors were the number one topic.

I’d received no calls or text from Harvey but I expected that. He was probably in the thick of things and cussing through it all. The man’s mouth was filthy. In and out of bed.

Last night, I swear his words alone could have brought me to orgasm. He’s nasty but then so am I.

Quickly sending him a text:

Take time to relax.

Z

Within an hour, I received a text.

Miss you sweetheart.

Well, if I was a lovey kind of person, I might have screeched out loud. Instead, my inner teenager, simply smiled.

After one glass of wine, more sports center and a quick episode of The Carmichael Show, I was ready to pack up and call it a night. My doorbell rang, causing me to speculate what someone wanted at this time of night. Well, nine o’clock was my bed time since I had no life outside of sports.

Looking through the peep hole, my heart did a somersault, it was Harvey.

Opening the door wide, I smiled and greeted him, “Hey.”

Despite the weariness in his eyes, he smiled back and said, “Hey yourself.”

“Did you eat?” I asked him after closing the door behind him.

“I think,” he scoffed. “Fuck, I don’t remember.”

I followed him into the kitchen, to see him leaning his bulky body against the counter. Pulling out the crackers, fruit and cheese from the refrigerator, I spread it out on the counter next to him.

“Come here,” Harvey commanded.

Slowly, I moved toward him, wondering where his mind was with everything that happened with his organization. As soon as I was within arm’s reach of him, he nabbed me, bringing me inches from his face.

“You okay?” I asked.

“I wasn’t before, but I am now,” he murmured in a low voice. “Just wanted to see you.”

He moved the hair out of my face with his thumbs, so he could frame it. My heart did that somersault thing again, but I tried to ignore it.

“Need some food, a shower—” I started but Harvey cut me off.

“Or some loving.” He smirked.

“That too.” I laughed.

“How about you give me all of that but not in that order?” Harvey asked.

Now, that I could do. Slipping off my silk nightgown, I stood before him bare in the kitchen. Harvey groaned and said, “God, you’re so damn beautiful.”

He moved everything off the table, picked me up so I was on the woodwork and began to undress. As each piece of clothing or accessory dropped to the granite floor, I grew hotter. My tongue swept out to lick my lips as they grew dry watching him take off his armor, only to expose how much of a man he really was.

“Zora, been taking you ungloved. I’m clean and I think you said you were on the pill. Is that right?” Harvey asked, as he stood between my legs.

“Yes, I just started to take them,” I shared. “I’m also clean.”

He nodded his head before he said, “Are you sore? I’m feeling raw right now. Shits on the edge.”

I shook my head at him as I scooter forward and pressed my lips to his.

“No need to explain. Take what you need.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and bit his bottom lip. This caused a growl to release from him and before I knew it, Harvey had flipped me and bent my ass over the table and entered me like an animal unleashed.

I held on to the sides of the table as he fucked the absolute hell out of me. Each grunt and groan causing my pussy to clench onto his hardened cock.

“Fuck me, Harvey,” I screamed.

He pulled me up by my neck and held me in place with my back in his chest while he fucked me silly.

“Mine,” he growled.

“Yes,” I moaned.

His free hand let go of my arm as he started to rub my taut clit, which had my body jerking and falling apart until the roar that topped all sounds, followed by a bite to my neck, had us both spilling over.

My body tangled as perspiration slid down the side of my head, over my breast and hit the table. It wasn’t even mine but Harvey’s. His heart was racing, breath was ragged as he continued to hold tight to the front of my neck and remain seated deep inside of me.

I couldn’t think, couldn’t process the intensity of what just happened. There was no pain just the aftermath of the craziest orgasm I’ve ever had. This man was my undoing and God, was he everything.

“Damn,” Harvey breathed. “You’re perfect.”

His hand slid from my throat, as he pulled out, resulting in his seed trickling down my leg. This time, it wasn’t me who led us to the bedroom, but Harvey. Just like he said, we fucked, washed and ate until we passed out.

The next morning, I was the one waking up to the smell of coffee and bacon. My inner teenager squealed while my adult self, smiled. I pushed all thoughts of it being too good to be true down. I would not entertain them because for once in my goddamn life, something had to be real. This had to be real. This man had me falling and going head first. Despite all my warning signs, he bypassed my security system and had free reign. This was not the intention, but he should never had broken inside of the vault. Now, I was a goner.

I could only pray he was a keeper.

“Morning,” I called as I entered the kitchen after taking care of myself in the bathroom.

“Morning, sweetheart.” Harvey turned, looking like a different man.

Besides the fact he was in briefs, a t-shirt and black socks, standing over my stove with a spatula in his hand. The weight of the world did not look like it was wearing him down.

“You look calmer,” I noted. “You slept well?”

He laughed before he said, “Abso-fuckin’-lutley. Best night since my last with you.”

That made me smile. “Well, I’m glad,” I shared.

“Come here,” he commanded.

With no protest or even a thought to disobey, I moved toward him before he reached out and pulled me closer by grabbing the side of my neck. Our foreheads connected and Harvey inhaled deeply.

“You have me breaking all the rules with you.” He started. “We need to have some conversations about us and what the other wants, so we don’t have any ridiculous expectations or miscommunication. I’m almost done with the hot cakes and then you and me, we talk.”

“Okay,” I answered because this actually scared me.

Ridiculous expectations?

Miscommunication?

Us?

“Okay,” Harvey said before pecking me on the lips.

Ten minutes later, we sat at the island with pancakes, scrambled cheese eggs, bacon and coffee. Well, I had coffee, and he had tea.

“Where’d you get tea from?” I asked, since I knew I didn’t have any.

“Keep some with me,” he said it like it was a regular thing that people did.

“So, you just keep tea on your person, for those times when you need a cup?” I asked with unchecked humor etched in my voice.

“Yeah, I love tea.” He nodded.

“Mmkay,” I murmured with a nod and took a bite out of bacon.

I was half way through and Harvey had devoured his food and was on his second helping before he asked, “So what do you want from me?”

I nearly spit out my coffee, with the blunt entrance on the ‘us’ conversation.

“Nothing,” I managed to say after coughing up the excess coffee that remained in my windpipe.

“Zora,” Harvey muttered. “I didn’t mean it like that. I mean, from us. What are you hoping to get from this?”

He motioned between the two of us and I still didn’t like the line of questioning. I stood up and went to dump the rest of my contents into the garbage.

“Zor…” he cut himself off when he saw me coming back to my seat.

His eyes followed me and searched to see where I was and what I wasn’t saying but he needed to be clear with me.

“Okay Harvey,” I brace myself to take the stand he’s refusing to take. “Is this sex or something else? Let’s start there?”

“Something else,” He immediately answered with his brows pushed together like I had two heads.

“Okay, relationship or just platonic fucking?” I asked.

“Relationship,” Harvey enunciated, voice laced with finality.

“So, the first question, for this relationship. Is it exclusive or open?” I asked him.

“Fucking exclusive!” he barked.

“Is there a time limit on these things or you just play it by ear?” I knew he’d be annoyed but when he stalked toward me, I moved.

“Zora!” he growled.

“What?” I laughed. “I feel like you’re trying to gauge me when the reality is, what I want doesn’t really matter in this scenario,” I said. “You’re an owner and I’m a coach. For you, this is a conflict of interest. Shit, even for me, depending on how they spin it, it could be a conflict as well.”

“Wait, wait.” He waved his hand in the air. “This is no conflict for me. I want an exclusive relationship with you and you alone. I want to take you out, show you off, make you come and kiss those beautiful lips in public. Fuck these people. I don’t dance to their drum. Never will.”

I nodded at his admission. The man had no fucks to give, and he grew to the point he had enough money to throw away fucks. I, on the other hand, was not so fortunate. I would be fired, shit, he just fired a coach.

“Zora, you gave me a chance, now give me a real one. One that can last?” He seemed to be asking.

This was different. Not demanding or commanding, but putting the ball in my court.

“What do we look like in your mind?” I asked as I sat down on the seat, showing I would not run.

Harvey sauntered over to me and moved a curly lock of hair out of my face.

“This looks like you and me on the red carpet next Saturday. Your hand in mine and me restraining myself not to kiss those luscious lips in order to claim you in front of the world. It looks like us going out together, painting the town red, and enjoying ourselves. It looks like you and me, getting to know each other inside and out. It looks like we’re falling for the other with no safety net. Just like, sitting across the counter talking about what our life will be.”

Harvey’s gaze was intense, his words so poignant, and my heart was so full.