by Hughes, Maya
I didn’t care if he was her dad or not, but laying him out wasn’t going to win me any points in her book. My dad and I hadn’t always seen eye to eye, but there was never a doubt in my mind that he wanted me to be happy. It was why he’d let me play football in the first place after years of giving me a resounding no.
One of the double doors to the gym swung open, creaking like it had never met a can of oil in its life. It banged closed, and I went back to punching—not a smart move considering my whole future rested on keeping my hands protected.
“Want to talk about it?” Nix grabbed the bag, hanging on to it as I landed another five punches.
“Not really.” Sweat poured down my face.
“It’s either that or fuck up your hands for the game next weekend.”
I threw another punch, but he moved the bag out of the way, making me miss and stumble forward. “What the hell, man?”
“You’ve been unusually quiet since Thanksgiving. You said you were going to Seph’s for dinner, ditching the team, and then you’re on the bus the next morning looking like you want to bite someone’s head off. Meeting the parents didn’t go well?”
“No.” Using my teeth, I ripped at the Velcro on the base of the boxing glove on my hand. The satisfying rip filled the air. Tucking the glove between my legs, I grabbed the other one, taking it off as well.
“You’re going to have to give me more than that.”
“Why?” I spun around, throwing my gloves down. “Why do I have to give you anything? You’re barely around. You keep disappearing. I’m not the only one with secrets.” Grabbing my towel, I clenched my hands around it.
“Mine aren’t affecting my game play.”
I ran the towel over my face. “Always the perfect player.” I threw it down on the bench and brushed past him, knocking into his shoulder. He’d lived the life most people dreamed of. He would get a first-round pick in his sleep and had a legend as his dad, a man who had three championship rings and even more records to his name.
He grabbed my arm and jerked me back. “Fuck you, man. I came here to help you, to let you vent to someone off the field so you don’t screw up the future you’ve been killing yourself for, for how many years? But if you want to be an asshole about it, that’s on you.”
Spinning on his heel, he stomped away.
“Wait,” I called out, and my shoulders sagged as I sat on the workout bench. “Just wait.”
He stopped and turned, walking back to me. Dragging a bench press bench over, he sat across from me.
“I’m sorry, okay. I went to Thanksgiving at Seph’s house with her parents.”
“I take it things didn’t go well.”
“If you call almost beating her dad’s face in and storming out not well, then yeah. It was a clusterfuck.”
“What happened?”
“He was being such an asshole, constantly picking her apart. Everything she did was wrong. Every move she made should have been faster or slower. I told you about what happened at my parents’ place when she knocked over the glass of wine.”
He nodded.
“Man, with the way her dad laid into her when she spilled white wine on the table, I’m surprised she didn’t bolt straight from the house.”
“That bad, huh?”
I punched my fist into my open palm. “Worse. It was horrible, and I knew if I didn’t get out of there, things were going to go sideways. I just left. I stormed out of the house and left her there.”
“What were you supposed to do?”
“She ran after me and stared back at me like that was just how it was. I asked her to come with me.”
“I take it she didn’t.”
I shook my head. “No, and I left.”
“When it comes to family, stuff gets complicated. You know that just as well as anyone else. We all have our issues when it comes to family, some worse than others. Some we can outrun, and others we can’t.” His lips pressed together in a grim line.
“I’m pretty sure she hates me for walking out on her like that.” Running my hands over my face, I let out a growl. I should have thrown her over my shoulder and taken her out of there. We could have gone back to my hotel room, taken a shower, had overpriced drinks from the mini bar, and watched movies together. “She probably feels like I abandoned her to her executioner.”
“She doesn’t.” He dropped his hand onto my shoulder.
My eyebrows furrowed. “What makes you say that?”
“Because she’ll be here in about two minutes.” He cracked a smile. He’d had this up his sleeve this whole time.
I shot up from the bench. “What?”
“She sent me a message and I said I’d help her find you. When I spotted you in here, I told her where you were.” He clapped me on the shoulder. “You can thank me later.”
“What were you going to do if I’d let you leave before?”
He shrugged. “Let you wallow in your misery a little longer.”
I chucked my sweaty towel at his head. “Asshole.”
The door to the gym swung open. Seph stepped inside with her hands clasped in front of her against her calf-length coat. She tugged at her thumbs, biting the lips I’d been deprived of for days.
“I’ll leave you two to it.”
“Thanks,” I said absently, my full attention riveted to Seph.
Nix walked out the door, pausing beside her. “Told you I’d find him for you.” He threw a look over his shoulder.
“I appreciate it.”
He walked out. Her gaze lifted to mine, and she still nibbled on her bottom lip. When she let it loose from between her teeth, it was fuller and glistened in the light. I wanted to run my fingers across it.
Her hair was half up and half down. Her crown of braids was still there, but the gentle waves settled around her shoulders like they had when I’d run my fingers through them, like I wanted to right now.
She stepped forward but stopped halfway across the room like she wanted to be able to make a fast getaway. “I came to say sorry.”
I wiped the sweat off my face with a towel. “Why are you sorry, Seph?” It seemed like she’d spent her whole life being sorry and apologizing for shit she didn’t need to.
“For Thanksgiving. I shouldn’t have invited you in the first place. It was a mistake.”
That stung. Like a ninety-yard pass thrown from ten feet away, it slammed straight into my chest. “You didn’t want me there?” Why did I sound like a needy little kid who’d been disinvited from a party?
“No.” Her voice rang out in the rafters of the gym and she shook her head, taking a step closer. “I wanted to see you. I wanted to spend the holiday with you. I wanted it to be as warm and inviting as when I got to meet your family, but—” Her chin dropped. “My dad doesn’t make that easy.”
My fists clenched at my sides.
The overhead lights caught the thin silver looped around her neck and disappearing down into her shirt. Moving forward, I lifted my hand and slid it under the chain. The backs of my fingers skimmed along her chest, and she didn’t step away.
Running my hand under the metal, I lifted the charm I’d gotten for her out from under her shirt. It was warm in my hand, heated by her skin. “You’re wearing it.” I stared down at the inscription on it. When I’d seen it, I had picked it up without a second thought. After spending that dinner with her family, I’d realized how much she needed to hear those words.
“I haven’t taken it off since you gave it to me.” Her words were barely above a whisper.
My throat tightened. I ran my thumb across the inscription. My knuckles brushed against her chest right at the base of her throat.
She swallowed, the hollow of her throat jumping. “It’s the best gift I’ve ever gotten. Thank you.” Her hand covered mine, so soft and delicate, long and slender, refined just like her. They contrasted with my rough and overly large ball-catching hands. We were opposite in so many ways, but we fit.
“It’s one hundred p
ercent true, all the time.”
Her head dipped. My lips ghosted against her forehead as she spoke. “It’s hard to believe it when you’ve never been enough, when no matter how hard you try, you’re always lacking.” Her whispered words sent that old anger pulsing through my veins, but that came second to making her see the truth.
I tipped her head up and gazed into her eyes. “You’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”
She rested her hands on my chest, her thumbs tracing a small circle over my sweaty shirt, which clung to my body.
“You’re just saying that because I’m the only person you’ve ever met who put out an ad for sex.” She tilted her head to the side, and the corner of her mouth lifted.
“You’re right there. I can’t imagine I’ll run into someone else like that in my life.” I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and cupped her cheek.
What would have happened if I’d been five minutes late? If Coach had set up the meeting at another coffee shop or the PR person had been five minutes early? I swallowed past the anvil-sized lump in my throat. She was the first thing I thought about in the morning and the last thing on my mind as I closed my eyes, hoping my dreams would be filled with her addictive kisses and gentle touch.
The fall was long and hard, so hard I’d have bruises on my knees for months, but she was still leaving at the end of the school year. The time we had left ticked away second by second. I captured her lips with mine instead of saying the words that threatened to make a break for the surface: I’m in love with you.
Her hands tightened on my shirt, pulling me in closer, not wanting to break our connection. Coming up for air, we both stood in the middle of the weight room, panting.
“I’m a sweaty, disgusting mess. Give me three minutes and I’ll take a shower then we can head to my place.”
A small smile curved her lips. “I’ll be waiting.”
25
Seph
We burst through the door of his house, and Berk shot forward with an eyebrow lifted. Reece took the steps two at a time, tugging me behind him.
“Hi, Berk! Bye, Berk!” I managed to squeeze the words out before he disappeared from view as we made it to the top of the staircase.
“Have fun, you two crazy kids,” he shouted from downstairs.
Reece threw open his door and pulled me inside. The lock had barely clicked before his hands were on me, sinking into my hair, the carefully done braid unraveling as his fingers sank into my scalp, raking across the sensitive skin. His mouth marked its scalding touch on my skin and my body vibrated with desire.
“I missed you.” His fingers toyed with the end of my braid. Working like he had all the time in the world and my body wasn’t about to combust from his touch, he loosened my hair. Strands fell in front of my face, covering my eyes like a curtain. His gentle touch did just as much to me as the rough pads of his fingers scraping across my skin.
He gripped the hair at the base of my neck and stared down into my eyes. My hair fell around my face, newly loose from the crisscross braid I’d put it in. “I like watching you come undone.” He slipped his hand under my chin and kissed my lips until they were throbbing and swollen. The TV volume increased downstairs, vibrating the floor.
“I think Berk is feeling a little resentful.” He laughed against my lips and pulled me away from the door to the bed.
Sinking to my knees, I unbuttoned his jeans. He eyed me from the bed like I was a burglar asking to hold his wallet. He lifted his hips and I dragged them down his legs. His cock sprung up, tapping against his stomach.
I hadn’t seen it this up close and personal before. The light from outside came through the slatted blinds. I ran my hand up and down his length, spreading the pre-cum collecting on his thick mushroom tip. His fingers sank into the bedspread. It bunched under his hold and he sucked in a breath.
Reveling in the silky smooth feel of his skin and the reaction to my every move, I leaned in closer.
“Seph.” My name was a hoarse whisper that spoke of his restraint and closeness to his breaking point. My head swam with the power and pleasure bouncing between us.
“Don’t worry, I’ve read up on this a bunch.”
He barked out a laugh. “I can only hope this ends up better than our pool adventure.” His last word was cut off as I wrapped my lips around the tip and swirled my tongue around the base of the head.
He groaned and his head shot back. “Fuck, you could have warned me.” His body shuddered.
Breathing through my nose, I swallowed more of him. My mouth stretched to the max to take all of him. I’d missed him too. The springtime smell of his skin fresh from the shower brushed against the side of my face. He shot forward, hunched over. Curled over on top of me, his chest brushing against the top of my head, he sank his fingers into my hair, pulling at the roots each time I swiped my tongue across the crown of his dick. His hard length pulsed against my tongue.
His raspy groans sent shivers down my spine. “Stop, Seph.”
But I didn’t want to stop. The silky smoothness of his shaft, coupled with the urgency of his fingers in my scalp, made me feel like I was flying. My pussy clenched with each tug on my hair.
“I’m going to come.” His harsh whisper made my stomach flip.
Tightening my lips, I hollowed my cheeks and sank as deep as I could. He yelled and his dick pulsed in my mouth. Ropes of cum spilled down my throat and I swallowed all of him.
Slowly, he lifted my head away from his dick. The tip came free from my mouth with a pop and he shivered. His panting breaths joined the sounds of my deep inhalations.
“Was that seriously your first time?” His eyes were wide as his chest rose and fell. He kept his hands on my cheeks, holding the sides of my face.
Worry crept into the back of my mind. “I told you I read up on it. It was okay, right?”
He held my chin between his fingers and lifted my face toward him. “If you think that was just okay, next time you might blow my brain out the back of my skull.” His lips met mine in a soft, almost reverent way.
My hands ran along his legs. His muscles bunched under my touch. Wrapping his arms around me, he lifted me from the floor and pulled me up onto the bed beside him, never letting his lips leave mine. He delved between my parted lips, stealing away a little bit more of my breath until he was the air I needed.
His hands worked feverishly, lifting my shirt up and over my head and dragging my pants down off my legs like they were on fire.
“I’ve been dreaming of you every night, and if I’m still dreaming, I don’t want to wake up. I need you.” That was the only warning I got. He knelt on the bed. The heavy weight of his erect cock jutted out in front of him. His recovery time was nothing short of spectacular based on what I’d read. Staring down at my body, his eyes raked over me.
“I need you too. More than my next breath, I need to feel you.”
Exposed and open to him, I’d never felt more alive. He spread my legs, letting my knees fall open. Parting my pussy with his fingers, he pressed a kiss against my clit and sucked it into his mouth. Pulsing electric pleasure shot through my body. My back arched off the bed and I yelped. Painting my pussy with his tongue, he slipped it inside me. I smacked my hand down on the bed beside me. My orgasms slammed into me in rapid succession.
“It’s unfair how good you taste, Wild Child. Making me choose between eating you out all night and watching you ride me is almost too cruel.” He grabbed a condom out of the pocket of his jeans and ripped it open with his teeth. Rolling it down his length, he hooked my legs behind the knees and rested them on his shoulders. “But I’ve got to have you now.”
He ran his dick along my soaking wet opening, teasing me with a gentle tap of his head against my clit. I grabbed a fistful of blankets under me. Moving closer on his knees, he plunged into me, one long, slow, forward movement, stretching me with every inch.
With my legs over his shoulders, I was impossibly open to him. His half stroke seemed
to never end until the fronts of his thighs settled against the backs of mine. I writhed against him, gasping and sucking in short breaths against his delicious invasion.
He dropped his head, nearly resting it on mine. I’d never thought being twisted up like a pretzel could feel so good.
“You okay?” He swallowed and stared into my eyes, the connection between us tugging me forward like a string was lassoed around my heart.
I nodded. No way were any intelligible sounds coming out of my mouth at this point.
“Good, because I want you to come on my dick so I can make you come again.” Leaning in farther, pushing himself deeper than before, he kissed the tip of my nose before beginning his retreat. My walls clamped around him, not wanting him to leave, slow and steady strokes with both of our gazes locked on the apex of my thighs where we were joined together.
“More, Reece. Give me more.”
He looked up at me, his eyebrows furrowed in deep concentration. Holding on to my knees, he slammed his hips into me.
I screamed—at least I was pretty sure I did. The windows rattled. He did it again and again, each stroke bottoming out and hurtling me toward the edge of the orgasm I’d been balancing on. My toes curled and I slammed my heels into his back. The orgasm rushed at me like a charging bull, and if I hadn’t already been on my back, I’d have been flat on my ass. I smacked my hands down on the bed, trying to hold on as Reece fucked me harder. My fingers tightened around the sheets and I took them with me as his never-ending advance stole my breath away. The headboard banged against my head and my hips shot off the mattress as he tapped on my clit in time to his thrusts.
The second brutal climax ripped through me, my muscles tightening like I was attached to a live wire. My walls clamped around him. He shouted, his fingers digging into my thighs. His cock expanded in the latex prison, triggering another orgasm that had me banging my hands against the headboard. My eyes fluttered closed and I tried to remember my own name. The warm cocoon of my orgasm and Reece’s body made my skin hum.