by Marie Force
“I felt it, too. I couldn’t wait until we could talk freely at the one-year mark. I kept telling myself not to blow it up into a big deal, but it was far too late for those sorts of warnings.”
“I thought about you all the time and would think how crazy it was to be so obsessed with someone I’d never actually met. I didn’t know your name yet, and I was fixated on you.”
“Same. I wondered if the connection was because of what I did for Everly.”
“It was at first, but it’s about so much more than that now. You know that, right?”
“I think so.”
“It is, Maria. Everly brought us together, but everything that’s happened since then is about you and me. And all I want is more of that, of us.”
“Me, too.” I’m completely lost to this man, and even my concerns about what might happen down the road can’t stop me from fully experiencing this moment with him. I reach up to unbutton his shirt.
He stands perfectly still as I follow the trail of buttons down, allowing my fingers to brush against his chest and muscled abdomen. I push the shirt off his shoulders, and he flinches when my hand brushes against his left shoulder.
“Are you sore from pitching?”
“A little. It’s fine.”
I place a soft kiss on his left shoulder, and he sighs as his arms come around me. “You should ice it.”
“I will. Later.” He tugs at my T-shirt, and I step back to let him remove it.
I’ve always been self-conscious about my extravagant curves, as my mother once referred to them, but the hungry way Austin looks at my full breasts contained by the sexiest sheer bra I own fills me with confidence.
“You’re so very beautiful, Maria. I’ll never forget the night you sent me your photo. The first time I saw your face… I must’ve stared at that picture for an hour.”
“Same. I was instantly attracted. Although, I’m sure half the women in America are attracted to the sexy ballplayer with the sweet little girl.”
“I’m only concerned with one of those women. Her opinion is the only one that matters.”
“She thinks you’re smoking hot.”
He laughs even as he seems embarrassed. “Whatever you say.”
Now that I’m allowed to, I want to touch him everywhere. I run my hands over the well-inked muscles of his chest, back and arms, being careful of his tender left arm. “What’s with all the ink?”
“Do you hate it?”
“Nope. It’s actually rather gorgeous.”
“I’m glad you think so. I love to draw, and it seemed like a good way to display some of my work.”
“So, wait. You drew this?”
He nods as I continue to run my hands over him. “You’re making me crazy for you.”
“Am I?”
His harsh laugh makes me smile. “You know exactly what you’re doing to me.”
I kiss his chest and arm, making a circle around him to kiss his back, which is as inked and muscled as the front. While I’m back there, I slide my hands over his ass and give it a squeeze, which has him sucking in a sharp deep breath.
I’m not sure where this temptress is coming from, but being with him makes me feel free in a way I never did with Scott or the other two guys I’ve slept with. When Austin tells me I’m beautiful, I believe him. I remove my bra, press my breasts to his back and reach around to unbutton his shorts, sliding a hand inside the waistband where I encounter the head of his very hard cock.
“Maria… If you keep that up, this is gonna be fast…” He grabs my hand and spins around to kiss me with a ferocity he hasn’t shown me before now. There’s a desperate neediness to it that makes my knees feel weak. We come down on the bed without breaking the kiss. His hands are on my breasts, mine are in the back of his shorts. I’ve never wanted anyone or anything the way I want this man who showed me his heart before I ever saw his face.
He pulls back to look at me. “I want you to know, there hasn’t been anyone since Ev got sick. I’ve been such a mess… This is apt to be over before it starts.”
I reach up to frame his face with my hands. “You’re not a mess.”
“I am on the inside.”
“No, you’re as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside.”
He drops his forehead to lean against mine. “So are you. Beautiful through and through.”
After that, there’re no more words, only longing and desire so hot, it burns me inside and out as we pull at clothes until we’re naked and wrapped around each other.
In the back of my mind, though, is the fact that his daughter is asleep in the next room. “Could we cover up, just in case?”
“Yeah, of course.”
We release each other only long enough to get under the covers, and then we come back together in a tangle of limbs and frantic desire. I’m so carried away by him that I can’t bother to think about anything other than how badly I want him and this and us.
He breaks the kiss and moves so he’s above me, kissing my neck and along my collarbone and then down to the valley between my breasts. “You have no idea how distracted I’ve been since I saw you Friday night. I’ve wanted to kiss you everywhere, touch you, hold you, make love to you. I can’t believe that was only two days ago. It feels like a lifetime of wanting you.”
His heartfelt words bring tears to my eyes. I never imagined finding someone like him and now that I have, I already can’t picture my life without him and Everly as part of it.
He draws my nipple into his mouth, tugging and sucking until I’m half out of my mind and nearly tearing the hair out of his head.
“Easy, tiger, I’m not ready to be bald quite yet.” He smiles as he kisses his way down the front of me, his lips setting me on fire even before he adds his tongue and fingers between my legs, giving me the fastest orgasm of my life.
I have to bite my lip to keep from screaming as he goes right back and does it again, leaving me a boneless, quivering shell of the person I was when I walked into his room. I’ve barely begun to recover when I hear the crinkle of the foil wrapper on the condom and open my eyes to watch him roll it on, my mouth watering at the sight of him fully erect for me. I extend my arms to him, encouraging him to come back to me, and then wrap my arms and legs around him as he comes down on top of me. His lips find mine in another frantic kiss that distracts me from the press of his flesh against mine. But only momentarily.
I gasp and move under him, wanting him right now.
“Easy, sweetheart. Nice and easy. I never want to forget a second of this.”
I look up at him, and the way he’s gazing at me is something I never want to forget as he enters me, arousing me to the point of madness. It’s never been like this, but I’ve also never felt for anyone what I have for him from the beginning.
When he pushes the rest of the way inside me, I again have to hold back the need to scream from the pleasure of it.
Austin brushes his lips against mine. “Hey,” he whispers.
I open my eyes to meet his intense gaze. “Hey.”
“You feel so good, but I knew you would.”
“Mmm, same.” We move together like we’ve been doing this forever. “So good.”
“I want you to know something.”
“Right now?”
“Right now.”
“What?”
“I was more than halfway in love with you before I ever met you.”
“I was, too.”
“And now…”
I nod, because I feel the same thing, but it’s almost too big to put into words.
He gazes into my eyes as he makes love to me, changing me forever in the span of those minutes when our bodies are joined for the first time. It’s almost surreal, as if this is happening to someone else and I’m watching.
It shouldn’t surprise me that he’s fierce and physical and demanding in bed the way he is on the field, and the next orgasm powers through me like a tsunami, touching every part of me, especially the heart th
at now belongs entirely to him.
“God, Maria…” He thrusts into me, his head thrown back, his muscles tense and his body glistening with sweat as he reaches the peak right after me. He’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, and I already know I’ll love him forever.
Chapter 15
AUSTIN
My alarm goes off at five a.m., reminding me to move to the sofa before Everly wakes up. My eyes are gritty from a mostly sleepless night, but it was so, so worth it. The last thing I want to do is pull myself away from Maria’s warm, naked body, but I promised her I wouldn’t let Ev catch us in bed together, and I happen to agree it’s too soon for that.
Not that Everly would mind. She loves “Rie” as much as I do. And yes, of course I love her. How could I not? And no, it’s not about what she did for Everly, although that’s definitely part of it. Like I told her, it’s gone so far beyond that. One email at a time, one conversation at a time, one kiss at a time, she’s worked her way so deep into my heart that I can’t remember what life was like when she wasn’t right in the middle of it.
And after last night, all I want is more of the way I feel when she’s in my arms. It’s the best feeling I’ve ever had outside of fatherhood.
I kiss her shoulder and leave her to sleep while I drag myself out of bed, find some shorts, close my bedroom door and head for the sofa to crash until Everly wakes up. I come to sometime later, gasping for air as an impish little face giggles at the reaction she gets to plugging my nose. It works every time, and her delighted belly laughter is a great thing to wake up to, even if it’s at my expense.
“You think you’re so funny, Miss Everly.”
“Dada silly.”
I gather her into my arms and hold her close to me, breathing in the fresh clean scent of her hair and giving thanks, as I do every day, for her return to good health. The images of her, pale, listless, hairless, bruised from endless needle sticks, will stay with me forever. But at moments like this, I see only the sweet, healthy little girl she is now, and I’m so thankful to the woman sleeping in my bed that it brings tears to my eyes.
I get to have this moment with my baby girl because Maria gave us the ultimate gift. I’ll never forget that.
I turn on the TV for Ev, find some cartoons and doze for a bit, until she gets restless wanting breakfast. I order room service for three and ask Everly to sit on the sofa for a minute while I go in to wake Maria at seven thirty. She has to work at nine, but I sense she might want some time to get herself together. Also, I have no idea how long it’ll take her to get to work from here.
Sitting on the edge of the mattress, I kiss her cheek. “Time to wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”
She groans and burrows deeper into the covers.
“I’m coming in after you.”
“So tired.”
“I’m sorry.”
“You are not.”
“No, I’m really not.” I nibble on her shoulder. “I ordered breakfast, and it’ll be up soon.”
“What’re we telling Ev?”
“That you came to visit and slept over. She won’t think anything of it. Don’t worry.”
“’Kay.”
“Um, Maria? You have to get up.”
“Don’t wanna.”
“Call out sick.”
“I can’t,” she says without opening her eyes. “I did that after we broke up.”
“We never broke up.”
“I tried to break up with you.”
“Don’t do that again.”
Her lips curve into a smile even as her eyes remain closed. “It didn’t work out so well the first time.”
“Do you have any vacation time?”
“Some.”
I kiss a path from her shoulder to her neck. “Why don’t you take a few days so we can hang out? You can help me house hunt.”
“I’ll see if I can do that. I’m off next Friday for Carmen’s wedding.” She finally opens her eyes. “Would you like to come with me to the wedding?”
“I’d love to.”
“My whole family will be there. They’ll be all over us…”
“Okay.”
“You say that because you have no idea what you’re in for.”
“I can handle it.”
“I’m sure we can bring Everly, too. Carmen won’t care. There’ll be other kids there.”
“I have to go back to Baltimore and pack for this unexpected winter in Miami at some point. I figure we’ll drive back down so I’ll have my car.”
“You’re really going to spend the winter in Miami?”
“I really am. Are you sure you still want me?”
She takes my hand and gives it a squeeze. “I’m sure.”
I’m ridiculously relieved to hear that. “Good. Now get up.”
“Your bedside manner could use some work.”
I raise a brow. “Really?”
She giggles. “No, not really. If it was any better, I’d be completely hobbled today rather than only partially hobbled.”
“You’re hurting?”
“Just a little. But it’s the best kind of hurt.”
“Dada!”
“Duty calls. Come out when you’re ready. I’ll tell her you’re here.”
“Tell me you ordered coffee.”
“Of course I did.”
“Thank you.”
I kiss her cheek and leave her to return to Everly, closing the bedroom door behind me.
Without taking her gaze off the TV, Everly pats the sofa next to her, in charge as usual.
I sit next to her and put my arm around her. “Hey, so last night after you went night-night, Rie came over to visit, and she stayed over.”
She looks up at me. “Rie?”
“Yes, she’s here, and she’s going to have breakfast with us.”
“See Rie?”
“In a minute.” I pause for a second before I take the plunge. “You like Rie, right?”
Everly nods.
“That’s good, honey. I like her, too.” I like her so, so much. Last night was just… I don’t have the words for what it was like to make love with her—three times—and then sleep with her in my arms. I’ve had my share of girlfriends and hookups and the actual “relationship” with Kasey that ended in dramatic fashion with threats and lawyers and enough heartache to keep me single forever.
But I’ve never connected with anyone the way I have with Maria, and not just in bed. We were fully connected in every other way before we ever got naked together, and that makes our relationship even more meaningful to me.
Room service delivers our breakfast, and as I wait for Maria to emerge from the bedroom, I find myself breathless with anticipation, knowing she’s in there and coming out to join us any second.
I set Everly up at the table with oatmeal and orange juice and pour a cup of coffee for myself. Coffee has never tasted better than it does this morning, nor has the bacon I steal from under one of the catering covers.
“Dada, eat!”
I love how all her sentences end with exclamation marks now that she’s finding her voice. “I will, sweetheart. I’m just waiting for Rie.”
“Rie! Scream!”
It’s all I can do not to crack up. I fear she’s going to be dreadfully spoiled because I find her so damned cute, and I’m always so painfully aware of how close I came to losing her. “No scream before dinner.”
She takes another bite of oatmeal as she thinks about that. “Why?”
As I celebrate yet another new word, I choose my own words carefully. “Because ice cream is dessert, and we have dessert after dinner.”
“Why?”
“Because that’s the rule.”
Her little brows come together as she ponders the word rule.
“And rules are things little girls have to follow so they can grow up to be big and strong.”
Because she’s seen me lifting weights before, she makes her muscle arms.
Laughing, I tell her, “That’s right
.”
When Maria finally joins us, I’m using a napkin to wipe the oatmeal off Everly’s face. Maria is wearing pink scrubs and white Nikes. Scrubs have never looked so sexy.
“Rie! Scream!” Everly squiggles free of me and runs to Maria.
She picks her up and gives her a loud smooch on the cheek that has Everly giggling.
My heart is on overload watching the two of them together—one with dark hair and eyes, the other blond and blue-eyed, connected to each other forever through a life-saving gift.
“Scream, Rie!”
Maria laughs and tweaks Everly’s nose. “No scream until after dinner, pumpkin.”
“Rules,” Everly says, frowning.
“That’s two new words today so far.”
“What was the other one?”
“Why.”
“Oh yikes.”
“Right?” I take Everly from Maria, return her to her seat to finish her breakfast and pour coffee for Maria.
She looks tired, but happy. I hope she is, anyway. I want her to be as happy as I am today after a night that changed both our lives, or so I hope.
“How do you want it?” I ask about the coffee.
“Black is good.”
“That’ll put hair on your chest.”
“Hasn’t yet,” she says with a meaningful look that takes me right back to having my face buried between her gorgeous breasts.
“I might need to double-check that again later.”
Her face flushes as she drinks her coffee and tries not to look at me.
Everly gets up and goes running into her room.
I hold a chair for Maria. “Have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
“I wasn’t sure what you like, so I got a little of everything.”
“I feel like Vivian in Pretty Woman.”
I’m not sure what she means. “Wasn’t she a hooker?”
She laughs. “Edward ordered everything the next morning because he didn’t know what she liked.”
“The only thing you have in common with her is that you’re a very pretty woman.” Seeing that Everly is occupied in her room, I lean in to kiss Maria. “Very, very pretty.”