Free Ballers: His Game (Ballers Series Book 1) by Blue Saffire Page A

I feel my knees go weak. I reach out for the back of the chair nearest me to support my weight. I can’t believe it is her . I am staring at the one woman I thought I would never see again. That’s when everything starts to fall into place, slamming into me like a Mack truck.
    I’m a father. I have a daughter, a beautiful little girl with my eyes, my dimples, and my chin. I have a daughter with her and I left. I left without a word, without a trace and I have a daughter. I never knew about her because I made the biggest mistake of my life. Her, she is the woman that stole my heart in one night looking more beautiful than I remember.
    I suck in a sharp breath as I watch them. Brielle says something to her and her smile collapses. Her eyes draw up in the direction Brielle came from and her eyes lock with mine. She just stares for a moment then she blinks a few times and stumbles backward reaching out to grab Ellerie’s hand.
    Ellerie’s face goes from concerned to confused, his head pops up to follow her gaze and his face turns to rage. Her hand shoots to his chest and she turns to say something to him as she shakes her head. And that’s when I snap out of it, I can’t wait any longer.
    ~B~
    “Mommy, mommy,” I hear Brielle singing from behind me cutting Ellerie’s and my conversation short. I turn in time to lock eyes with my little girl. Her little legs carry her right to me as she barrels into my legs, wrapping her arms around them.
    “Mommy, I ate the food. You would be so proud of me I ate it all. And I had ice cream and cake and it was so good. Uncle Eli’s new friend and my new best friend, Brad, said he’s a picky eater too, so he only gave me what was good to eat,” Brielle squeals so fast my head spins.
    When her words sink in my smile crumbles and I look up in the direction Brielle just came from. There he is staring back at me holding on to the back of a chair like his life depends on it. It is like a punch through my heart.
    It is him but it isn’t. He no longer looks like the rookie I met five years ago. The baby face is gone replaced by a square jaw and sharp features. His blonde hair is combed back neatly out of his face and tucked behind his ears brushing well past his shoulders, not like that first night when it was just long enough to cup each ear. It is now a full mass of waves reminding me of Brielle’s hair when I pull a comb through her curls. He definitely put on that Pro weight. He is filling out his tailored suit in a way that would make any woman take a second look, and a third.
    His arms bulge against the suit’s jacket and his thighs stress his suit’s pants. The black suit and crisp white shirt complement his tanned skin. The blue tie is the perfect finish, making him look like a perfectly wrapped package.
    I don’t have a thing for white men. I just have a thing for this white man. Five years and I cannot mistake the butterflies in my belly. There is no denying the fire I feel in my veins at the memory of his touch. I blink a few times and stumble back reaching for my brother’s hand and squeeze it hard.
    “Oh my God,” I gasp, “oh my God, oh no, oh God no.”
    “I’ll kill him,” Ellerie growls beside me as his body tenses.
    I snap out of it and turn to push at my brother’s chest as he starts to launch himself toward Brad. I shake my head fiercely. This is not happening, it can’t be.
    “Listen to me Ellerie, he doesn’t know, he didn’t know. He never knew. I never even told him my name. It was one night. I was stupid and drunk and Stacey had this idea to not tell him and his friend our names. I never tried to tell him. Please ,” I whisper frantically trying to explain.
    “You’re kidding me right, Tam,” Ellerie hisses. “You’ve known all this time who he was and where and you made us believe it was someone you didn’t know how to find or contact.”
    “It’s complicated. I was embarrassed. I was scared,” I almost sob.
    “Brad,” Brielle squeals