said thoughtfully. “I think so. I have a plan.”
“What is it?”
“I’m not going to say. I’m still working on it.”
Susan put her hand on Sam’s shoulder and turned him to face her. “We don’t have much time. Jonathan wants this thing wrapped up quickly. There's a lot of work to be done, and we need her.”
“I know that,” Sam snapped. “But you had three months and couldn’t do it, how can you expect me to do it in one week?”
“Because you are a lot sexier than I am,” Susan teased.
Sam was not in the mood. “Give me a little more time. She has some serious issues. If we rush this thing, we could lose her.”
“I know. Okay. I’ll talk to Jonathan and tell him that we need more time. It's worth it. She has great power. She just has no idea.”
“I’ll keep you updated.” Sam grunted and headed out, slamming the door behind him.
Chapter Six
Sam was there at 11:00 sharp the next morning. He was wearing shorts, and Kathryn thought she was going to die. His legs were long and powerful; his quads strained against his caramel skin as he drove. Kathryn was dressed for serious basketball business in her workout shorts and sleeveless t-shirt. She had her hair pulled back in a high ponytail and was not wearing any makeup. In her gym bag she had everything she needed to make a transformation from queen of the court to breezy, spring lady who lunches. She was looking forward to the entire day.
Sam was a member of a very nice gym that had several basketball courts. When they arrived, there weren't too many people shooting, so they were able to get a hoop all to themselves. Kathryn sat down on the floor and began her stretching routine. Sam bounced the basketball around and looked at her with a bemused expression on his face.
“Oh, so you’re serious?”
Kathryn smiled as she stretched out her hamstrings. “Absolutely. Proper stretching is the best way to prevent injury.” She then joked, “Of course, no amount of stretching will keep you from injuring your pride when I wax the floor with yo ass!”
Sam laughed loudly. “Oh, so you wanna play like that, trash talker?”
Kathryn reveled in the banter. “It’s not trash talking when it’s the truth.”
“Okay, I see. So what are the stakes? Picking up the tab again?”
“Sounds good to me. I could use another free meal.” Kathryn stood up and stretched her triceps.
“Oh, no. Not this time.” Sam let sail a beautiful jumper that was nothing but net. He winked at her. “I’m going to order the biggest, most expensive thing on the menu, so I hope you brought your credit card.”
Kathryn retrieved the ball, dribbled to the outside, and let fly a perfect jumper of her own. “Actually, I left my wallet at home because I knew I wouldn’t need it.”
With that, the game was on. Kathryn knew that she couldn't beat him, but she did want to give him a run for his money. At first, she managed to catch him off guard with a few head-fakes and some quick jumpers. It was clear that he had underestimated her. After she got ahead of him 12 to 8 in the first game, he began using his 6’4” frame to his advantage.
“Oh, so now you want to play?” Kathryn taunted as he smacked down one of her jumpers.
“Don’t get mad,” he said with a twinkle in his eyes. Sam retrieved the ball and dribbled to the top of the key. He used his considerable height and weight advantage to barrel past her and make a beautiful layup. As Sam upped his physical game, Kathryn had a hard time concentrating. When he body-checked her, she felt every muscle as she bounced off his immobile frame. Occasionally, he would wrap his massive arms around her to prevent her from dribbling. Kathryn found it impossible to escape his firm grasp, and she really didn’t want to. Once, he caught her off guard and effortlessly lifted her up off her feet as though she were a twig. She squirmed and called foul, but inside her heart was racing with desire. He let her take her two