PERSONAL: A Stepbrother Sports Romance Read online

  He ravished me as I held onto him for dear life - the ride of my life. I loved the look of pleasure that whisked across his face; it was a look of bliss only a woman could bring a man, sourced from the deep, feminine chambers between her thighs.

  "I love the way you feel, baby." His husky whisper in my ear added to the erotic sensations floating around my body, dialing up the intensity as I let the chiseled piece of art have his way with me.

  I loved feeling like this, so feminine and desired beneath the muscles of a great man with the body of a god. My smile spread widely across my face as I cried out and watched him in action.

  God, he was a piece of art! A hot piece of art. He made fucking look like dancing. He was amazing with those hips! All that cross-training really paid off. I cried out and dug my fingernails into his shoulders as he pummeled into me so hard, I could barely breathe.

  Edges of pain blurred with sheer ecstasy. I was coming. Hard. I moaned in delight as he received further guidance to thrust me harder, deeper, faster. My body gave way to the familiar release as every ounce of me receded into the orgasmic waters of pleasure and bliss.

  I floated in euphoric ecstasy feeling his body dancing with mine. He cried out into my ears, gripping a handful of my hair that lay on the floor with his fist, making sure my locks felt his strength, the muster of his might from root to tip as he came deep inside me.

  There was one thing for certain: He delivered beautifully on his promise. "Um, Ramon?" I could barely get the words out. "You're going to have to carry me back to bed." I laughed, utterly spent but deliciously filled.

  I'm just a woman, a young woman, seeking to live my life in the best manner possible, living as the best version of myself. Many of you coming to my website for the first time may be doing so because you just caught wind of my night with super star athlete, Ramon Nicholas.

  What was supposed to be a moment of privacy was captured and unlawfully distributed. Our attorneys are tracking the digital copies down and justice will be served.

  As embarrassing as it was to discover my mother’s knowledge of the videos, I rest in ease of who I am and who've I become.

  Many of you do not know my story. You see me as the cover model of the new Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition. Believe me, it's a title I am still getting used to.

  Four years ago I weighed one hundred pounds heavier. I had an unhealthy relationship with food, and used it as a way to cope with the pain of losing my father, and the immense grief that followed. Food was a way to manage the horrible feeling that my world was out of control.

  It was hearing criticism one day in the school bathroom that led me to change.

  I learned many years ago that out of heartache comes fuel and the necessary passion for change.

  So since this scandal has stirred more publicity than I ever thought I'd ever have, I want to use my platform to inspire any girl out there who is made fun of.

  First of all, be happy for who you are. Don't change for anyone else but you. Be beautiful inside first, and then create your best life you can. I believe we are a three person being.

  Take care of your body so you can have the energy to fulfill your purpose. Don't strive for a certain size to be validated; be strong in finding the strength and confidence of knowing your value goes beyond any number on the scale.

  The leaking of this private recording has created much heartbreak and distress, but I have to trust that I'm being prepared for something greater again.

  I will not let the judgment of others regarding a private matter with a man I'm dating cause me to slow down.

  I took a deep breath as I re-read that portion of my confession: man I'm dating. Man I'm dating! I am dating Ramon Nicholas!

  I may be a swimsuit model but I am still a woman of morals. And I will fight against sexism at any level. Anything is possible if a person believes in themselves. Anything is possible despite setbacks.

  I’m not going anywhere. If anything, I’m determined to go up!

  I held my breath as Kendra read my draft. "Do I need to change anything?"

  “Normally I would handle all press releases and statements, as you know. That's my job. But this is perfect. Absolutely perfect.” She smiled at me, her eyes in genuine approval of my words.

  I exhaled a sigh of relief.

  "…And what about Ramon?"

  "Are you kidding? Every man in America is rooting for him. He nailed the model!"

  Two months later:

  We’ve survived a lot together in the last two months. With both of our schedules, time flew by yet one thing has remained: our focus on our careers and our love for each other.

  I typed under a photo selfie that the two of us had taken in the aqua waters, when we were still sort of unknown to the world. There was a lightness to our faces that I loved. This photo would be a favorite; I’d frame it for sure. I typed a #tbt for Throwback Thursday in the caption and uploaded the photo to my Instagram account.

  And then I had to do it. I had to post this next photo.

  It was a picture of Ramon in his alma mater jersey from ASU. His eyes looked fierce; they were lasered in on a teammate yards ahead. His expression demonstrated pure determination to throw the ball just right.

  Those focused brown eyes. I knew them as soft and gentle; the world would soon know them as determined to win.

  Today’s the special day. I couldn’t be more proud of my boyfriend. I know whatever happens, it’s in God’s hands. I’m happy to share this special day with him. I knew Ramon back when he was a Panther quarterback. Whoever gets this guy, is getting gold. He knows how to lead a team.

  I uploaded the picture as I continued to shop and browse for the lingerie set I was going to surprise Ramon with tonight as a congratulations gift.

  And as soon as I found out which team was going to call him today, I couldn’t wait to schedule a private sexy shoot just for him wearing a mid drift jersey with his name on the back and cheeky boy shorts. Oh, this was going to be fun!

  RAMON

  I paced Coach’s theater viewing room. In a few hours, dozens of my friends, teammates, and people who’ve been a part of my life would fill these seats with food, drinks and support all in wait for my phone call from “the team.”

  Among the people soon to arrive: Coach Michaels from high school, a few of my teachers, a few buddies from High School, and Cat. My girlfriend Cat. They’d all be here.

  “Only about seven percent of college athletes play in the NFL,” the sports broadcaster informed the viewers on draft day.

  I paced the room.

  "Bro, you're going to play. Everyone knows your beast. Don't psych yourself out!" Chris placed a firm hand was on my shoulder. “We’ve been through a lot together. You and me; we trained night and day. You’ve worked harder than anyone I know. If anyone should be afraid not get a call today, it would be me.”

  I slapped his chest playfully and looked into his serious eyes. He was the best wide receiver I’d ever had the pleasure to play with. It would be a dream if we ever played together. We could make a dream team together.

  He held up his elbow, his palm ready to accept my handshake. We slapped hands and embraced. It was an emotional day - the most intense day of my life. We hugged each other, the silent communication expressing how much we understood what we were going through in the moment.

  Chris pulled away, “We’re brothers for life, yo. No matter what happens, there’s only one song I want you blastin’ right now, and that’s Drake.” He swiped his playlist open and Drake started rapping. Drake’s music always got me hype.

  “Listen. You got yo fine ass supermodel girlfriend. Why don’t you go blow off some steam with her and have some fun?”

  I shook my head, laughing as blew out some air. I could get that phone call any minute. Any minute from any NFL coach in the country. God, this was torture!

  “Look man, I gotta jet. My fam’s blowin’ up my phone like crazy. I gotta get home or my momma’s gonna kill me. If I get the cal
l and she’s not there to witness it, I’m gonna be a dead fella, catch my drift, man?”

  I laughed. Chris had the charisma of a standup comedian. We always called him Rock, after the comedian Chris Rock. Even coach welcomed his off the wall humor. Whatever team was lucky to snag him, was snagging gold.

  “Okay man.”

  “Peace out, rockstar! Go fuck your model!”

  I threw him a throw pillow.

  “Coach’s kids are in earsight, man!”

  “Always the golden boy,” he shook his head. “Always the golden poster boy!”

  One hour later…

  “Ramon, it’s head coach Todd Bowles and owner Woody Johnson with the New York Jets. How about getting some warmer clothes and moving up here?”

  I couldn’t believe what I heard. Chills flooded my body. I couldn’t speak, think, or process anything as the tears of joy from all my life’s hard work streamed down my face. I put in work for this, and everything I given had come down to this moment.

  I’d made it. I finally made it.

  The entire media viewing room jumped up and down, a roaring rumble of support pouring in as Coach’s kids ran to my legs and hugged them, Cat’s kisses were on my cheeks, coach bear hugged me. I felt so much love from my family consisting of friends, and teammates, I melted like chocolate on a hot summer day.

  Fire surged throughout my entire body. I couldn’t believe it!

  This was it. This. Was. It.

  “Ramon, you there? Your hard work has been admired from the masses. We know you’re going to bring that same work ethic and leadership to take this team back to the Bowl. It’s been a very long time since we’ve won, but if anyone can take us there, we know you can. You’re the number one pick – and you deserve it.”

  The Draft Ceremony

  CAT

  Gold.

  I chose a gold Versace dress in honor of Ramon’s heart of gold.

  Ramon looked good in his suit. I helped him pick it out and it was tailored just right over his bulging muscles. He looked good in navy blue and the world was about to see, too.

  Get ready GQ cover!

  Dressed to the nines, Coach Lineheart, my mother, and myself sat at the table with Ramon for the NFL draft ceremony. This was the night Ramon had worked and waited his entire life for. And there we were, his family, surrounding him and ready to cheer him on.

  Finally, the moment arrived: the start of the ceremony.

  “With the first round pick of the 2016 NFL draft, the New York Jets select Ramon Nicholas, quarterback, Arizona State University.”

  We burst into tears, laughter, and hugs as Ramon stood up to shake the hands with the owners of his new home. A split-screen video montage began to play of Ramon’s story.

  “Since the age of six, Ramon Moon Nicholas had his eye on one thing: football.” A woman’s smooth storytelling voice narrated.

  The picture of him in his navy blue Panthers flag football jersey brought tears to my eyes.

  “In high school, Nicholas threw over four thousand yards, breaking records and bringing his school to win a state championship while only a sophomore, which is something unheard of and unprecedented. Six hundred and sixty-seven passes, completing four hundred, for four thousand, nine hundred yards. This record is listed in the Texas High School Activities Association Record Book. But the record breaking arm was made in humility and dedication as he trained every morning and every night at his home gym.”

  The gray outside exterior of his home gym was shown. They videoed him doing a mock workouts with his favorite music blasting as hopped over cones then did pushups and sit-ups with the focus of a sniper.

  “In high school, Nicholas’ father saved what very little money they had to build this state of the art facility, knowing one day his son would make it to the big leagues.”

  A picture of Ramon and his dad with his hippie hair, crinkly wrinkles, and tanned skin brought more buckets of tears to all of our eyes.

  A shot of him throwing the winning touchdown as a sophomore at the state championship sent chills down my body. Looking at it, it was truly an intense, history-making moment.

  “Coaches not only saw talent in Nicholas. They also saw drive and ambition.”

  "In my three decades of coaching, I've never seen drive in a kid like this. His willpower to succeed is something out of this world," his high school coach, Coach Michaels, declared proudly as the screen played a clip of the team running to the sidelines pouring ice buckets over his head for winning play, causing quite the chuckle.

  “With the win of the state championship, and the ability to take this team to the State finals twice, colleges came knocking. Playing for the Arizona Cardinals at ASU, Nicholas developed a special bond with Coach Linehart. After a devastating loss of his father's battle with cancer, Nicholas lived with Linehart year-round to focus on one thing: the game.”

  This was a moment that would forever be seared into my memory: watching Ramon grace the steps to the platform, accepting his new jersey, holding it up high with his ASU game day face on, covering the big screen behind him and in one big box: Round 1, Pick 1.

  Number seven.

  Nicholas.

  Perfection.

  Oh, I knew his father was proud.

  I knew he was proud.

  As we left the press conference, my arm secured tightly and proudly with his, surrounded by the media flashing bright lights at us, a woman stopped us.

  “Excuse me, Ramon?”

  I instantly knew who she was.

  "I... I... it's me. Your mother. I saw the news of the scandal. I didn't know how to find you all these years but now I have. It's my biggest regret abandoning you.”

  She got spoke quickly, probably in fear that Ramon would walk away. But he stood strong and quiet, listening to every word in spite of the media swarming around us, eager to soak up what they could.

  She shifted nervously as she continued. “But…I would like to mend what's been broken. I'm not looking for money. I'm looking for forgiveness, for relief off my guilty, heavy heart that I’ve carried over the last twenty-two years.”

  We all stood stiff as a nail, wondering how the most famous talked about star of the nation would react. He opened his arms and welcomed her in them. Everyone grew silent as the shutters clicked and the paparazzi managed to become human for once, behaving with some decency and respect to let them have their moment.

  "Gosh you’re strong. You’re my little superman.” She pulled away. Her voice picked up its cadence, full of excitement only a mother could have. “A god from the stars, I tell you. I'm sorry. I am. And promise it's not because of the football star thing. I saw the scandal! I don’t watch TV, but I was at the mechanic’s and your story was on TV. I almost turned away that the headline they had, but as soon as I saw those eyes and they did the story of your father dying of cancer… an-and I heard his name, I knew it was you.”

  Tears welled in her eyes. She looked at him as if he were a miracle to behold. “God look at you. You look just like your father, except packed with meat! I didn't even know your father’s last name, you know? Those things didn’t matter back then. We thought the world was ending, and I knew I didn’t - I mean, I knew I couldn’t give you a normal, grounded life like your father’s good family could.”

  “It's okay... Mom. I forgive you. I forgive you. I do. Let me take your number and we can talk about this sometime. In private, away from all of this.” He gestured to the media frenzy around us. “Okay?”

  She nodded, fresh tears springing from her eyes as she gave him her number.

  “Are you sure you have a place a stay?”

  She nodded. “I promise I do. I just came to find you. I found what I came looking for.”

  Home, at last.

  “Are you sure you’re okay? That was pretty heavy back there.”

  “Yeah, of course. It was unexpected, but it seemed right at the same time. I look forward to meeting her again, my mom.”

  “She called y
ou Superman, just like I had.”

  His smile hung quietly on his face.

  “Are you sure you don’t want to go out and celebrate with Major tonight and a few other of your teammates?”

  “You kidding? Tomorrow I want to be fresh as a newborn. Speaking of Major, read his text he sent me a few minutes ago.”

  Major Clementine: Alright, alright we okay, we okay. Listen I got that Lindsey babe anyway, pa! The model. We good. We straight. See you on the field, Ramy, baby. Happy to have you on my team.

  Oh, his precious ego.

  His team. Oh he was something.

  I knew that he wouldn’t want to go out, which is why I had prepared well in advance. Prior to the event, I cooked and transformed our new home so it was ripe for seduction. I turned the place into a romantic, welcoming environment with dozens of exotic flowers, scented candles and sensual music. As he unlocked the door, we were greeted to our haven.

  “You can have one glass of red wine for your heart.” I winked at him.

  He stopped at our entryway, the dozens of flames dancing around the room. The view was further enhanced with brilliance of the city’s sparkling in background, creating a dazzling backdrop in conjunction the night sky.

  “Wow, baby. You did all this for me?”

  “Of course I did. Now, I’ll be right back.”

  I poured him a glass of red wine and quickly made my way to our beautiful walk-in closet, a perk of our new high-rise condo in Manhattan. I reached for the photo I shot for him, wearing his jersey. I had the photo placed in a custom gold baroque frame.

  Nicholas.

  “Are you ready!” I called out.

  “For what?”

  “You’ll see!”

  As I rounded the corner of the wall that separated the sleeping quarters from the living room, I caught a glimpse of my player, in his trousers and no shirt on, holding his wine, I couldn’t help but to smile a pretty damn big smile. Life was pretty fucking amazing!