Flagrant

by M.E. Clayton

What happens when all your dreams finally come true?

You realize that there are more dreams to chase.

Orion
Though life wasn’t always fair, Orion Knight still believed in possibilities. After all, not many kids made it out of poverty to have all their dreams come true. Growing up in Hammond, Illinois, his future had looked bleak until hard work, talent, and perseverance changed all that. Between his four best friends and little sister, he’d had more than enough support to see him through to the other side.

Ten years later, Orion is the best point guard in the NBA, and life couldn’t be more perfect. His team was on its way to back-to-back championships, and more importantly, his sister was healthy, successful, and happy. Life was pretty much perfect, except for one minor detail; a stupid deal that had him swearing off women for a while. Unfortunately for him, timing really was everything.

Sinclair
Though life wasn’t always fair, Sinclair Hansen still believed in good. Raised by great parents that dedicated their lives to helping others, she was used to always looking for the silver lining in life. While some people would call that idealistic, she preferred to think of herself as strong. In fact, her spirited personality had made for an interesting childhood, one that she wouldn’t trade for the world.

Ten years later, Sinclair is a physical therapist, and she was good at her job. She worked for Coltrane Therapy, a very sought-after demand in the world of sports, and though professional athletes were the worst babies in the world, she still felt passionate about what she did. Big or small, her parents had taught her to make a difference in the world, so that’s what she tried to do.

When everything isn’t what it seems…
When the unexpected happens, Orion has no choice but to suck it up and seek some professional help. Though his career is hardly on the line, everyone knows that sports injuries are bad omens. Still, when he finally seeks help for his shoulder, he’s shocked to find out that Sinclair Hansen, the spitfire that hates him and basketball in general, is his new physical therapist.

When the unexpected happens, Sinclair is usually good about rolling with the punches. After all, she’s a physical therapist and nothing is more unexpected than sports injuries. Very aware that athletes are worth more than she’ll ever make in her lifetime, she has to bite her tongue and do her job when Orion Knight, the jerk from the bar, is assigned as her newest patient.

With no choice but to work together for the sake of both their jobs, things get heated between the two the more time that they spend together. However, a huge misunderstanding ends up turning their newfound relationship into a sudden rollercoaster of hateful vitriol, and there aren’t enough apologies in the world that can make things better. After all, fool me once…

This book contains adult situations, adult language, sexually explicit encounters, mention of abuse, mention of child abuse, threats of violence, and violence. If sensitive to any of the aforementioned issues, please do not purchase.

Genres: Sports Romance

139 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2024

About the author

There's not much to add to my bio, I'm pretty boring...LOL. My favorite thing is to read and, last year, I decided to trade in some of those reading hours and try my hand at writing. The experience has been one of the best things I could have ever embarked upon. It's turned into a hobby that is fun and thoroughly enjoyable. When I'm not reading or writing, I'm spending time with my family or friends.

Reviews

[Lammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Samantha (bookgramsaga reviews) · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️

[Ꭿຖᥲ·♡ ྀི · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5✯

-dual POV
-both are 28
-insta love/lust for the hero
-no ow drama
-heroine not a virgin
-the hero was kind of a hoe
-she pushed him away
-om caused drama- when the heroine was in college she caught her bf cheating on her, she thought he was the love of her life but what hurt the most was that everyone knew that he was cheating and no one told her, that was 7 years ago... in the present when she meets the hero he's instantly attracted to her, at first he thinks she has a bf but when he discovers that she's single he asks her out, unfortunately for him she wants nothing to do with him because he's a basketball player just like her cheating ex -who made her hate basketball players and the sport in general- but the hero is relentless and eventually convinces her to go on a date with him, they start dating and everything is going well... about a week later he's playing a game against the team where the h's ex plays, the man gets in the hero's face and starts talking shit about the h, telling him intimate details about her, the hero gets furious and punches him in the face... he goes to see the heroine to confront her (she never told him that she had dated an athlete before or what her ex had done to her, he assumes she lied to him about not hooking up with athletes... tbh I feel like his reaction was too dramatic, the things he said to the h were horrible and in reality she never lied to him) he calls her a lying whore among other things but he never lets her explain her side of the story, she tells him to leave and never contact her again... about a week later he finds out the truth through one of his teammates who knew the h and her ex when they were in college, the H realizes that everything that the h's ex told him had happened many years ago and not recently like he thought, he goes to see the h to apologize but she's determined to not give him another chance (her ex groveled for like a year and half and she never took him back, the man is now married but still has feelings for the h) when the hero realizes that the heroine didn't forgive her ex after all the groveling he did he knows that he has to make a drastic decision, he decides to give up his career for the h, that way she can't reject him for being an athlete, when he's announcing his retirement the h stops him and tells him not do it, he tells her that he knows she won't date an athlete so the only solution is for him to retire, she tells him to find another woman who can handle his job but he tells her that there's no one else for him, that she's the one and that she doesn't get to tell him who to love, he says he'll do whatever he has to in order to get his ring on her finger, the heroine tells him that she refuses to let him retire, he tells her that there's only one way to stop him... so basically he blackmailed her into forgiving him...
-no scenes with OP
-short separation -both celibate
-no cheating
-epilogue: 5 years later -married with a baby and another on the way
~*~*~*~*~*~*

I didn’t want to think about how Orion Knight had gotten so good at eating pussy, but there was no denying that the man knew what he was doing down there. The more that Orion ate me out, the easier it was to tell that he enjoyed this part of sex. Orion Knight was a pleaser, and he was good at it.🤢🤢

*******************************

“The truth hurt? Are you so used to pretending to be a good girl that you’re afraid to acknowledge what you really are?” Though off topic, I felt like I needed to defend women against his kind. “So, it’s okay for athletes to run around and screw whoever they want, but still be revered as gods? Yet, those same women that they’re notching on their bedposts are whores for it? What makes you guys so much better than the women that you bed? If they’re trash, then you’re no better than the dirty trash can next to them.”

*******************************

“Oh, so he’s special,” he remarked, his voice sounding like ice. “Well, I guess that changes things.” I could feel my heart in my throat. “Or is he special like me? Did he get to fuck you up against the wall on your first date? Was it even a date? Did you make him work as hard as me, or was he lucky enough to know that you were a whore beforehand?” Orion took two steps towards me. “If it’s any consolation, he was very complimentary about your dick sucking skills. Said you’re the best, in fact.”

*******************************

“Get out of my house,” I repeated. “Gladly,” he sneered. “The only saving grace in this entire shitshow is that I hadn’t been so far gone for you that I had ditched the condoms.” His eyes raked me up and down, and there was no doubt that Orion Knight loathed me right now. “There’s no telling what cesspool is happening between those legs of yours, though Cap was right; you are the perfect dirty fuck.” “Get. Out,” I hissed, hurt beyond words. “Get out and never contact me again.” He let out a dark laugh. “Because I’d want to?” He stepped to me, eyeing me with disgust again. “Baby, you might have been a good fuck, but there’s better out there. After all, that’s your guys’ specialty, isn’t it? It’s like you gutter groupies train for this shit.”

*******************************

Sinclair had asked me to let her explain, but in the whirlwind of feeling hurt and betrayed, I had shut her down, spewing the most vicious accusations at her. I had accused her of being a liar, a gutter groupie, and even asking which of my teammates had double-teamed her.

*******************************

“Ah, so you’re here because you heard the truth,” I surmised. “You’re not here because you realized that you were wrong about my character, you’re here because someone told you about how I dated Cap back in college, and then all the little puzzle pieces clicked into place for you.” “I can’t erase the past,” he said, ignoring me. “All I can do is admit that I was wrong, tell you how sorry I am, and ask you to give me another chance.” “Another chance to do what, exactly?” I scoffed. “Accuse me of being a whore? Accuse me of letting your teammates doubleteam me? Accuse me of being a gutter groupie?”

*******************************

“Don’t do this,” he begged. “Let me make this right.” “I will never date another athlete, Orion,” I told him, no truer words ever spoken. “I will never date someone whose life is bigger than mine, so he will always be more important than me.” My voice cracked at the end, but I didn’t care. “I’m going to date men that have simple lives and don’t offer what they can’t handle. My husband is going to have a regular job, come home to a regular wife, and help raise regular kids. And, yeah, our lives might be boring and mundane, but when he gets into bed each night and pulls me into his arms, I’ll feel safe. That’s what he’ll do for me, and it’ll mean more to me than all the Orion Knights and Cap Aldriches of the world.” There was a tick in his jaw, his anger shining through, but what could he say? I was done getting my heart broken. I was done taking chances with my love; it deserved better than that. I deserved better than that. “I love you,” he said, and I wanted to hit him. I wanted to unleash all my hurt on him.

*******************************

“I love you,” he repeated. “Apart from my sister, I’ve never said those words to another woman.” “You don’t get points for that, Orion,” I told him. “Saying those words isn’t a get-out of- jail-free card. Especially, when your actions say the very opposite.” “I was wrong. I made a mistake,” he replied. “Are you so perfect that you can’t forgive someone that makes a mistake?” “Is that what you’re looking for? My forgiveness?” I challenged. “Because I can send you a text when God gets me there. However, it’s the second chance that I will not be giving you.”

*******************************

“I love you enough for the both of us, and if I have to beg you on my knees, then I will,” I went on. “I never should have doubted you, and I’m so fucking sorry for that, baby. I swear to God, I am.” I reached up to cup her face because I couldn’t not touch her. “But I am not going to just let you dump me like you’re not the best thing to ever happen to me. If you won’t date athletes, then I won’t be one.”

*******************************

“I know I fucked up,” he said, making his way towards me, no longer satisfied standing on the other side of the room. “I know that I should have trusted you, or at the very least, let you explain what Aldrich had been talking about. I know that, Sinclair.” “Do you?” I asked, my hurt feelings resurfacing. “You can apologize all you want, but that doesn’t erase all those horrible things that you said to me.” His face fell, but this was too important to weaken now. “Is that what I can expect whenever you get pissed off?” “No,” he said vehemently. “No. I swear it.”

*******************************

“I haven’t even forgiven you, Orion. I don’t even know if I can.” “I don’t care!” he roared, releasing me before taking a step back. “I don’t fucking care if you forgive me or not. I just need you with me. You can hate me every fucking day of our marriage as long as you’re mine. That’s all I want, Sinclair.” Looking him in the eye, I told him the absolute truth of the matter. “I don’t trust you, Orion.” I watched as he closed his eyes in defeat. “I’m attracted to you, and I even care for you. More than I should, if I’m being completely honest. But I don’t trust you, and what kind of relationship would that be?"

*******************************

“I love you, Sinclair,” he said. “I know it like I know my own name. I just need one chance to prove it to you. I need only one chance, because I will never hurt you again. I swear it on my life.” “I can’t take that chance-” “Yes, you can,” he insisted. “You can because, deep down, you know that I’m nothing like Aldrich. You know that there’ll never be anyone else for me. You’re it, Sinclair. You were it the moment we met.”

*******************************

“It’s my job to make sure that you never develop feelings for any other man but me.” “By beating up every guy that talks to me?” “No,” I drawled out. “By proving to you that no one will ever love you as much as I do. By proving to you that no one else will ever treat you as well as I do. By being the goddamn hero in your story.”

[Lana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

These guys work fast to profess their love and get their girls to marry them.

A misunderstanding turns to vicious lashing out with cruel words thrown in the heroine's face.
I loved the public groveling and how she still wants to stand her ground.

Tropes:
- Basketball player H, Physical therapist h
- Misunderstanding, wrongly accused h
- Cruel words
- Grovel + grand gesture
- BBS in the end

Summary + spoilers:

Sinclair's had a grudge against basketball players, and most athletes by extension, as a result of her college boyfriend, Cap, cheating on her multiple times while everyone but her knew. When she catches him in their bed with another woman, she ended it but he groveled for over a year trying to win her back until he got drafted to the NBA and left.
Now, years later, she aggressively roots for football teams instead while working as a sports physical therapist who gets a contract with the NBA.

Orion Knight, a basketball player, sees her criticising Raven when watching his football game, and not one to let someone talk badly about his friend, Orion steps in to figure out what her deal is. Sinclair is a spitfire though and her responses only make Orion more intrigued.
He gets the surprise of his life when he finds out she is his PT helping him with his shoulder and uses the opportunity to ask her out.
She keeps saying no, that she doesn't date athletes because they are cheaters and can't be trusted.
Orion thinks this is just a stereotype she believes, not knowing it stems from her past, but breaks down her walls long enough for a chance.
They go on a date which gets a little awkward but Orion is determined to be with her.
He tries to do the gentlemanly thing by giving her time but Sinclair makes the first move and wants more. They hook up and Orion insists on calling her his girlfriend.
She agrees once they establish some ground rules, that she keeps relatively to the shadows, not wanting her private life online despite dating a star.

Later, Orion plays a game against Cap's team, and even though Cap is married now, he still has feelings for Sinclair, and goads Orion. He calls Sinclair his sloppy seconds, that he knows her private birthmark, how she fucks like a whore, can milk a man dry, good at blow jobs et etc until Orion beats him up, getting fined.

Orion storms over to Sinclair, pissed thinking that she lied about never dating athletes. Without letting her explain, he calls her a lying whore, a gutter groupie. Accused her of sleeping with his teammates, asked how many double teamed her. Said he was glad he never stopped using protection with her because "there's no telling what cesspool is happening between those legs", and that while she's a good fuck, there is better.
She, of course, kicks him out and says to never contact her again.
She is hurt and hates herself for breaking her one rule about dating athletes again.

A few days later, Orion's teammate talks to him. He correctly presumed that Cap was trying to piss Orion off about Sinclair, and said that its because they dated in college. Orion learns that they were serious and Cap had cheated on her and tried hard to apologize but she never took him back.

Orion is gutted, realizing how badly he messed up because things make sense now, like why Sinclair had the no athletes rule in the first place, and her reluctance to date, afraid to be humiliated publicly.
He goes to her to apologize, and she shuts him down. He says I love you and she doesn't believe him.
He says he wants her forgiveness and she says she might give it to him eventually but that she would never again date him or other athletes. She threatens him -that she made the mistake of not getting a restraining order against Cap because she didn't want to hurt his career but she would get one against Orion now if he doesn't leave her alone. He says again how he would do whatever it takes for a second chance and she says he sounds like Cap when he tried to grovel.

Orion brainstorms ways to win her back, and decides to announce his retirement from basketball, even if it means going broke trying to pay back the money from breaking his contract early.
He thinks if Sinclair won't date an athlete again, then he won't be one anymore.

She hears she called a press conference and that it's rumored he's announcing his retirement. She runs to stop him, calling him an idiot.
In front of the press and cameras broadcasting it live, he says he would do anything to win her ack and get his ring on her finger.
He pretty much blackmails her into agreeing to be with him so he doesn't retire, or else he will.
He takes her away and they talk in a private room. He explains again how he messed up but if given the chance, he will take her hating him for the rest of their lives, he will grovel forever, as long as he has her.
They have sex and he gets her to agree to marry him. He says I love you but she says she's not ready to say it back.

Epilogue, 5 years later: They are married and have a 2 year old son. Sinclair is pregnant with their daughter and life is good.

[Payal - A Bookaholic's Musings · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
ORION and SINCLAIR

I laughed so hard during this book. Sinclair is a riot and I totally loved her! Every interaction she had with Orion is chaotic, hilarious, filled with chemistry and frustrating in a way that should definitely end up in sex. LOL!

Sinclair hates athletes, which is funny considering she is a pro-sports physio therapist.
Her argument with Orion about hating Raven King was in a word hilarious. Oh, she knows who he is and doesn’t care! She gives it back to him, going over and above to rile him up and annoy him, but she doesn’t realize that she is cementing herself in his heart and making him loose his heart and in this case even sanity to her.

A beautiful woman with a ballsy attitude was like my kryptonite. I didn’t mind sensitive or sweet girls, but there was just something about a woman that didn’t take shit from anyone.

Orion has always prided himself on being the calm one among ‘The Loyal Five,’ but Sinclair makes him want to kiss her, fuck her, strangle her, and kill her all at the same time. He never thought that the foul-mouthed, basketball player hating, athlete despising, menace would be the one to make him fall in love.

“You guys are so goddamn vain that the entire world coddles you and your egos like one bad commentary might send you crying into a corner.”
“Did you just call us pussies?”
“If the tampon fits…”

When Sinclair is assigned to Orion as his physio therapist, he realizes it’s the best opportunity to ask her out until she says yes. And she says no a lot!... Loved it!

“For whatever reason, I’ve touched on your competitive nature, and you can’t stand that your fame, money, charm, and good looks aren’t helping you win this thing.”
“You think I’m good-looking?”

Sinclair has a bad, cheating past, that has left its scars, which is coincidently related to a pro-basketball player too, so being attracted to Orion is horrifying to her, even though h is charming, persistent and all his hotness keeps distracting her from doing her job and also keeping him at arms distance. She is stuck in her past and it keeps intruding in her thoughts whenever she thinks of Orion, or moving on.

“Looking into Orion’s chocolate gaze, I knew that I was making him pay for Cap’s mistakes, but I just couldn’t help it. My refusal to date basketball players was as ingrained in me as my need to sleep each night. I’d been feeding that oath for almost ten years, and I honestly wouldn’t know how to date a professional athlete after all this time.”

Sinclair tries to give Orion a chance, hoping not to let her aversions, and insecurities come in the way, but Orion handles everything and agrees to all her conditions and disclaimers. Despite Sinclair self-sabotaging techniques to preserve her heart, Orion makes her comfortable, and doesn’t allow her to pull back or play defense, making Sinclair take a leap of faith with him.

“Sinclair Hansen was going to take some work to convince. This precious woman had a guarded heart, and what a fucking victory it would be to win that heart.”

The sex is explosive, hot, and a fast burn. That final moment when despite fighting all the attraction, when the damn breaks and you give in, is the best!

“I can handle my attraction to you. I can behave like a gentleman as long as I need to. I can and am willing to wait for as long as I have to for you.”
“However, I can’t handle your attraction to me. If you kiss me, I won’t be able to leave it at a kiss.
“You’re insane if you think that I have the power to resist you. So, you’re going to keep your lips and hands to yourself, agree to another date, then I’m going to leave.”

But just when Sinclair is changing her stance and is ready to accept Orion’s love, the past rears its ugly head along with misunderstandings that cause Orion to act like a horrid jackass, and apologizes are something that she hates, and will drive her further away.

Sinclair knows exactly what to say to eviscerate Orion. No amount of begging, hurt, pleading, declarations of love will work with her. Sinclair has balls of steel, but Orion is not going to give her up. He will give up his living, his career, his money, his popularity, and anything else, before he allows Sinclair to build her walls even higher.
(Love it when men make their woman first and only priority!)

“So, you can’t apologize or else you’ll remind her of her ex-douchebag. You can retire, but there’s no guarantee that she’ll care, and you’ll have a breach of contract that will break you.
You can’t keep begging for forgiveness because she’ll file a restraining order against you.”

Overall, I really liked this book, and I defiantely recommend it.

Side Note: The conversation between the Loyal Five are quite fun and entertaining, filled with comradery and typical male banter and bromance. (I can see their faces all glaring at me for saying bromance...LOL)

PS : I loved Harley and Sinclair’s friendship and the sweetest part was how Orion had no jealousy, no issues with their friendship, once he found out they are best buds.

[Monica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm just generally not a fan of professionals dating their patients. It's icky.