Ballers with Benefits (Double Play Series Book 3) Read online

  Ballers With Benefits

  ***

  Double Play Series

  Nicole Rodrigues

  Table of Contents

  Ballers With Benefits

  Acknowledgements

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Epilogue

  Ballers With Benefits

  I'm Bella Dani- Gavinwood, Bella Gavinwood. I'll never get used to that, but it's a long story. Everybody's friend, the good girl, the princess. I'm sick of everyone treating me like I'm made of glass. For once I want to be bad. Do what I want to do without thinking about consequences. Playing it safe got me here, sitting at a bar by myself, thinking about him and what I did wrong. That bastard. Screw love. Enter tall, dark and dickish brooding next to me and I think God may have answered my prayers. Scratch that, I don't think God will approve of what I plan to do with him. I should be thanking the devil.

  They say men are dogs, well they never met Brynn Roberts. I didn’t do girlfriends, love, relationships, any of that crap. I tried it with her and got bit in the ass like I always knew I would. I get knocked down to Triple A to rehab my knee injury and poof she’s gone. Gold Diggers don't do guys that get demoted. So here I am, at the bar drowning my sorrows until I feel a gaze roaming over me. The little vixen, librarian of my dreams slides me a shot, coaxing me with that raspy, sultry voice and all of the sudden I'm asking myself, Brynn who? They say the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.

  What started as a one night stand turns into an addiction. Our bodies are drawn together every second of the day, no matter the distance between us. Are we slowly mending our brokenness together, or are we just putting a bandaid over the pain, trading one heartbreak for another?

  Acknowledgments

  First and foremost I would like to thank my family. My husband who listens to me ramble, my playlists on repeat, his continuous baseball knowledge, his bootylicious toosh and taking care of the nuggets when I put a ridiculous deadline on myself and have to scramble for two days straight!

  Next, my amazing promo team. You all are my backbone! Without all your posts, reviews, shares and everything and anything in between, it would make my job so much harder! I appreciate everything you have all done for me from the bottom of my heart! Z, Sian, Caroline, Amy, Kali, Laura, Carly, Siobhain, Crystal, Nadia, Debbie, Sheena, Samia, Sam, Samia, Cassie and Gab! Bella for coming up with amazing nicknames for our Dirty Damon ;) Thank you Danielle and Michelle for editing for me!

  My dream team and women who keep me sane when I feel anything but, Emina and Britt. You two have been such a rock throughout this journey so far and I can’t wait to have you by my side as it continues!

  Lastly, but certainly not least, my readers! It is because of you that I can even do what I love! If you all didn’t read these books who knows if I would still be doing this! Thank you for loving the Gavinwood/ Turner gang so far and I hope you keep enjoying each of these stories!

  Welcome to the next generation of these swoony, sassy and sexy ballers!

  Happy reading!

  Prologue

  Bella

  I walk into my aunt's kitchen and see her staring at the pictures on the kitchen wall.

  “Hey, Daddy said you wanted to talk to me?”

  “Hey Bells, yeah. Sit,” she says motioning for me to sit down at the kitchen island.

  I eye her skeptically and wait for her to speak.

  “How do you feel about maybe running a PT practice?” she asks.

  “What...I...I mean I...that would be amazin’, but how would I do that?”

  She smiles.

  “I'm buyin’ the office space in our building and we’re turnin’ it into a PT office for you to run and own when you're ready. Your dad and I just discussed it. I know you have to finish up school and you have the team, but it's yours when you're ready.”

  “Are you bein’ serious right now?”

  “Of course I am!” she says slapping my arm.

  I jump out of my chair and pull her into a hug.

  “Aunt Savannah, thank you. This is gonna be amazin’. I...I can't even tell you how much this means to me.”

  “Well we need to fix it up I'm sure and get all your equipment. By the time you're done with school it should be ready to go for you.”

  “I swear I'll pay you back every penny for this.”

  “You'll do no such thing. You can thank your ex-Uncle Hugh on that one. You're my niece Bells. If I knew about y'all back in the day, I would have money set aside for you anyway.”

  “Thank you,” I whisper grabbing her in a hug again.

  The truth is, I'm only twenty one but I always have thought about life after softball. What would I do with all my time when I no longer played for the national team? I've been doubling up my classes so I should finish by next year, but the season doesn't go all year. People go back home, train, work, spend time with their family. I needed something to go home to and my aunt just gave it to me on a silver platter.

  Her divorce put her through the ringer, but she came out on top, taking back what she earned but lost during her ex-husbands attempt at derailing her, again.

  “How am I gonna run it when I'm away with softball?” I ask.

  “We’ll hire someone. Your daddy and Jackson are actually pretty good at that. That's what they went to school for, so they'll help with the business side. Luckily, your aunt and mama run a company that deals with a lot of athletes, you'll be gettin’ recommendations left and right,” she smiles squeezing my shoulder.

  “This is amazin’! Connor's gonna be so excited about this when I tell him.”

  I see my aunt’s expression change and she opens her mouth to speak.

  “Bells, I like Connor and if he makes you happy then keep him but, if y’all ever take the next step, I wanna be there to draw somethin’ up with you and Andrew, okay?”

  “Aunt Savannah he's not like Hugh, he’s fine. He would never hurt me like that.”

  “Believe me Bells, I wanna believe in him but there are more Hugh's in this world than Jackson's unfortunately. Just..let me be there, okay? It doesn't hurt to have somethin’ in place, just in case.”

  “Okay,” I say reluctantly.

  The truth is I don’t think Connor has a mean bone in his body. He’s attentive and kisses the ground I walk on. I could never picture him as sneaky and cruel as Hugh was to my aunt. I mean the asshole is in jail for God sakes, Connor would wilt like a little flower if he ever even thought about breaking a rule, let alone the law. I let out a breath and my aunt sits back on her chair studying me.

  “What's goin’ on Bells?”

  “I just...what does it feel like bein’ with Jackson? How did you know it was different than what ya had with Hugh?”

  She smiles and looks down, thinking for a second before she opens her mouth to respond. She looks back up at me and scrunches her nose.

  “I knew it was different when I opened the b
irthday present he got me.”

  “What did he get?”

  “Well the PG birthday present,” she laughs, and I shake my head. “It was an envelope filled with different date nights. Well thought out date nights. Things we would enjoy together, not just makin’ a reservation at a restaurant. He put effort into it, thought about it. Didn't just go to a jewelry store and let the woman behind the counter pick out what she thought I would like. That's when he changed in my eyes, really changed. A man who puts in 100% effort and doesn't just half ass it, that's the man you wanna walk down the aisle to.”

  I smile, wondering for a brief moment if I will ever look as happy as my aunt and my mama. There must be that man out there for me. I briefly think of Connor and smile. It's him, he's the man.

  “Thank you Aunt Sav. For everything. I promise I won't let Double Play down.”

  “You couldn't, even if ya tried girl. You're a Gavinwood through and through.”

  I hug her and head outside looking for Connor.

  “You'll never guess what just happened,” I say jumping into his arms.

  “What?” he asks smiling.

  “My aunt is opening a PT practice for me to run when I'm done with school! Can you believe that?”

  Connors face drops a little, but then he smiles.

  “That's amazing Bells, but what about softball? Don't you love it? Traveling and playing and experiencing new things?”

  “I mean yeah, of course, but I can't do that forever. I maybe have until I’m thirty, not even. I want to have a family while I'm still young.”

  “Whoa, lets slow down there a little Bells baby.”

  “Connor I'm not askin’ for a ring, I'm just tellin’ you the good news. Are you happy? Because you don't seem it.”

  “Of course I'm happy, I just want you happy. I know you love softball and I don't want you to have to give that up.”

  “I'm not. I’ll leave when I'm ready, but now, at least I have somethin’ when I do.”

  He kisses me on the forehead and smiles.

  “Let's celebrate tonight. I'll make a reservation.”

  “How about we do somethin’ different?” I say smiling.

  “Like what?”

  “I don't know. What do you think I'd like? We can do somethin’ we've never done before.”

  “I'm not a mind reader Bella, why don't you just tell me? We haven't been to that new Thai restaurant across town?”

  I nod, my smile strained.

  “Sure,” I say patting his chest. “That's fine.”

  He'll get there Bella, he’ll get there.

  Chapter 1

  Bella

  Three years later...

  “Screw him,” I mutter downing my first tequila shot of the night.

  I don't need that asshole. I'm too good for him anyway. If anything he did me a favor.

  But I dedicated four years of my life to that asshole. It can't all be for nothing, right?

  “Fuck her,” says a guy coming up to the bar and sitting on the stool next to me. “Tequila shot,” he says to the bartender, “Just keep them coming.”

  He shakes his head, pulling out his phone to check it and then sets it on the bar. The bartender puts a tequila shot in front of him and he downs it without wincing. He lets out a breath and turns to me. I quickly turn my gaze to my own shot in front of me, embarrassed to get caught staring.

  “Somethin’ on my face?” snaps the stranger.

  I look up and shake my head.

  “N-no..no I just..nothin’, I’m sorry,” I say turning back to my shot and throwing it back.

  Why are you ogling this guy Bella? Get your shit together. He looks so familiar though and I can’t place it.

  The bartender sets another shot down in front of the man and I steal a sideways glance as he drinks it down.

  His Adam's Apple is bobbing as the poison makes its way down his throat. He has a hint of a five o'clock shadow that gives him a manly vibe, the opposite of pretty boy Connor, and I catch a glimpse of a tribal tattoo sleeve all the way down to his wrist. Connor wouldn't dare mark his perfectly moisturized skin. This guy's hair is jet black. The opposite of Connor's platinum blonde and where Connor's eyes were a baby blue, this man's eyes are dark, dangerously dark, and they are staring through me.

  “Can I help you?” he says, annoyance leaking from his lips.

  “Sorry,” I say again shaking my head.

  “You recognize me, don't you? I can never get away from this shit,” he says shaking his head.

  “No, honest I don't. I'm just havin’ a bad night. I'm sorry,” I whisper.

  God Bella, just get drunk and leave the poor guy alone.

  We sit in silence as I mentally chastise myself. If Connor did this much damage, there is no telling what that guy would do to me.

  Leave him alone Bella, he would eat you alive, says the little angel on my shoulder. Well maybe that's exactly what she needs, says the devil on the other side.

  “Shut up,” I whisper.

  “Excuse me?” asks the stranger.

  “Not you, sorry,” I say wincing.

  “Whatever,” he grumbles.

  “Listen, I can tell you ain't havin’ a good day, but neither am I. You don't have to be such a dick.” I shake my head and slide a shot across the bar to him. “I heard it's not healthy to drink alone, so enjoy. I'll be sittin’ over there, where I won't suffocate from your shit attitude.”

  I attempt to get up from the stool, but I'm unsteady on my feet. I'm so sore from working out this afternoon and the two tequila shots back to back probably don't help either. I normally don’t drink and I overdid it at the gym, I know I did, but I needed to let out my frustrations. Talk, dark and dickish reaches out to help steady me.

  “I'm sorry for being an asshole. I'm not having a good day, but that's no excuse. Don't leave because of me. Stay.”

  I snap my head up and look over at him. Something flashes across his gaze, almost like recognition, but then it's gone, and he slides the shot back over to me. He smiles and I catch it before the liquid spills on the top of the bar.

  “What are we drinkin’ to?” he asks lifting up his shot glass towards me.

  “I...I don't know. I would say to asshole exes but that's just my excuse for bein’ here,” I say shrugging my shoulders.

  He smirks and clinks my glass with his.

  “Perfect. To asshole exes,” he says and downs the shot.

  The bartender comes over with two more and mystery man turns his stool to face me.

  “I’m Damon,” he says extending his hand to me.

  I take it in mine and shake it slowly. I recognize the name briefly but can't remember where I've heard it. I swear his face is so familiar, but I'm too buzzed to place it.

  “Bella.”

  “Nice to meet you. I’m sorry about how I acted. My mother raised me better than that. I’ve been having a pretty shitty day, didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

  “It’s fine. I get it.”

  “It's not, I apologize again.”

  We sit in awkward silence and then Damon breaks it.

  “So, Bella...asshole exes huh? Tell me yours and I'll tell you mine,” he says winking.

  I laugh shaking my head.

  “Unbelievable..does that usually work for you?”

  “You tell me?” he laughs.

  “Alright I'll bite…”

  “Mmm a girl after my own heart,” he says huskily.

  “Okay smooth talker...you first,” I say nodding to him.

  “I uh...I'm going through something and my girl decided to ditch instead of stick by my side through it. Sent me a nice ‘it's not you, it's me’ text. I don’t usually date, took a chance on her and of course she reminded me why I don’t do the girlfriend thing,” he says taking the shot.

  “I'll do you one better,” I say taking my shot and downing it. “Boyfriend of four years decided that while I was in Puerto Rico, he would have a friend at his apartment. A female friend...a n
aked female friend. I came home early to surprise him, but I guess I was the one that got the surprise. He's been doin’ if for years, I was so dumb,” I say downing my shot to hide my embarrassment.

  “What an asshole,” he says putting his hand on the back of my chair. “I'm sorry. I swear not all of us guys are as moronic as him.”

  “Thanks. I’m sorry too..about your breakup,” I say.

  “Here,” he says handing me a shot glass. “21 questions. Forget the exes let's have some fun tonight, yeah?”

  I reach for the shot skeptically.