by Grey , S. R.
“Sure. Where would you like to go?”
As I started the car, she said, “Is it all right if we go back to my motel room?”
“Motel room?”
“Yes, it’s where I’ve been staying since I got back from Sweden.”
I wanted to hear more details on how she’d gotten back, and what exactly went down, but those answers would come in time. For now I’d just do whatever she felt comfortable with.
So I asked her for directions, and we headed that way.
It didn’t take long before we drove into a really crummy part of town.
I bit my tongue for a while, but when we pulled into the pitted parking lot of a seedy, run-down motel, I could no longer stay quiet.
“This is where you’ve been staying?” I exclaimed.
Lowering her head, she muttered a dejected, “Yes.”
“Jesus, Maisie.”
She chuckled bitterly. “I guess after seeing the trailer, and now this, your illusion of me is finally shattered.”
She’d used those words in her note.
But she was wrong.
I tried to explain. “I’m not judging you, Maisie. Nothing about how I thought of you in Sweden has changed. Not one little bit. To me, you’re still the same beautiful, witty, smart, perfect girl.”
“Ha, not as carefree as you thought, though, right?”
I cocked my head and peered over at her. “I don’t know about that. I think you’ve just had it a little rough lately. I know there’s a carefree girl in there somewhere. Hell, I’ve seen her far too many times to doubt it.”
She snorted, “Yeah, where?”
I ticked off, “At the park in Oslo, in Stockholm, and”—I lowered my voice—“in bed.”
Swallowing hard, she looked over at me, her deep indigo eyes dark and mysterious in the dim glow of the barely lit parking lot.
Shocking the shit out of me, she suddenly said, “Take me there now then, Noel.”
I was pretty sure I knew what she was saying, but I had to be sure.
“What, to bed?”
She nodded and grabbed my hand. “Come.”
Of course I was going. I wasn’t ever letting her go again.
We released our linked hands just long enough to get out of the car. Then we were joined again.
I let Maisie lead me, just like she’d allowed me to help her into my car. Only this time we ended up in her motel room.
It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. The room was tiny and the accommodations sparse, but the place was clean.
Not that I had much time to look around. Maisie was on me as soon as she closed the door.
“Noel…” She fumbled to unbutton the dress shirt I had on, yanking it from where it was tucked into my jeans.
I slid my hands up under her work shirt. “God, I’ve missed you so much.”
Closing her eyes and standing on her tiptoes, her lips touched mine.
I let her kiss me her way—softly, cautiously.
And then I kissed her back my way—firmly, confidently.
Maisie melted into my arms, so I lifted her up and carried her over to the bed.
Laying her down on top of the covers, I undressed her like I was a kid at Christmas un-wrapping the best gift ever.
Maisie was exactly that.
She was perfection with her creamy white skin, pert rosy nipples, and the pink I longed for between her legs.
I let out a soft, wanting groan as I ditched my own clothes and kneeled on the floor.
“What are you doing?” she asked, lifting her head and peering down at me.
I spread her wide and responded, “This.”
Once I tasted her nectar, it was like I couldn’t get enough. She mewed and writhed until she fell apart.
Then she was still, except for the shaking.
Crawling up her body and settling between her quivering legs, I asked, “Are you all right?”
She nodded. “Uh-huh. I’m just happy. Jesus, it’s been so long since I felt like this.”
“Oh, Mais…” I kissed her. “I’m glad you feel good. I want you to be happy always.”
I shifted so that my cock was where we both needed it to be.
But then I hesitated. I was concerned this was too much too soon.
Maisie was more than ready, though.
“Just do it, Noel,” she rasped. “I want this. I need this. That’s why I wanted to come back to the motel.”
I didn’t need any more encouragement than that. One quick thrust and I was sheathed inside her.
“Noel…”
Neither of us dared move. It felt good to just…be.
Pressing my forehead to hers, I said, “I know, sweetheart. I know.”
Our union was perfect. It was coming home to where we both belonged—together, as one.
Eventually, though, the drive was too strong.
I had to move, and so did Maisie.
As I pumped into her, she met my every thrust.
I felt her building, building…then cresting and taking me with her.
As I emptied into Maisie, she cried out what I longed to hear, “I love you, Noel. I love you.”
It’s Out There Now
Shit, I had said the words.
In the throes of passion, I came clean.
So what did it mean?
Would Noel hurt me now that I’d bared my soul?
I closed my eyes and lay quietly beneath him, praying he wouldn’t shatter my heart into a thousand pieces.
Noel, noticing how still I was, asked softly, “Maisie, what’s wrong?”
I opened my eyes.
He appeared concerned.
He was probably thinking I regretted what I’d just said.
But I didn’t, not at all.
I loved Noel Sandlund, more than I should have. And I believed he had a right to know.
Admitting it, though, caused me concern. I was terrified now. And I couldn’t help it, but part of me wanted to run and hide.
I couldn’t do that, certainly not when Noel was still on top of me and inside, partially hard.
There was no getting away.
I blinked up at him and confessed, “I’m just scared. That’s all. I’m not used to baring my soul.”
Kissing my forehead, he replied, “It’s all right, Maisie. I want you to open up to me. I’m not going to hurt you.”
I didn’t know that for sure, so I begged, “Promise me that you won’t.”
“I promise, Maisie.” He kissed me furiously. “I promise you with my life.”
“I love you, Noel,” I choked out between kisses.
“I love you too, sweet girl.”
He swelled inside me, and we shifted together, groaning at how good it felt.
“Damn,” I said.
“Right?” He nuzzled my neck. “I want you again. I swear I’ll never get enough of you.”
I slid along his shaft, and rasped, “Then have me, Noel. Feel how much I still want you. Take me.”
Slipping his hands underneath me, he lifted me up and thrust into me.
“Yes,” I cried out. “More, more!”
I couldn’t get enough of him, either.
Noel, breathing hard and fast, rose to his knees and lifted my hips, working me along his cock.
“Oh, that feels amazing,” I purred.
“Fuck, it does,” he agreed.
Hitting my G-spot over and over with the new angle, I was left shaking and convulsing around his length, coming and begging, “Let go with me.”
We cried out in pleasure together at the intensity of that moment.
Afterward, Noel lowered me down, collapsing on top of me.
“I love you, Mais,” he murmured. “Fuck, it feels so good to say it out loud.”
I was feeling more confident he wouldn’t hurt me, just as he’d promised, so I stated resolutely, “I love you too.”
Rolling onto his back, he smiled over at me.
Noel was clearly excited about so
mething, so I snuggled into his warmth and asked, “What are you scheming over in that head of yours?”
“Oh, wouldn’t you like to find out?”
“As a matter of fact, I would.”
“Ah, I was just wondering what comes next for us.”
“Hmm, we go to sleep?” I teased.
I was feeling good and lighthearted.
And so was Noel.
Laughing, he pulled me into his arms. “No way, Maisie girl. I’m not done with you yet.”
“Mmm”—I hitched my leg over his hip—“so we’re going for another round?”
“Yep. Just give me a few more minutes.”
“Okay.” I rested my chin on his chest. “You still haven’t told me, though.”
“Told you what?”
“What you meant by wondering what comes next for us?”
“Oh, that. I just meant in our relationship.”
I was curious as to how he saw us moving forward, so I asked, “What do you see, Noel?”
He pondered, and said, “I see you and me together and happy, and with—” He grabbed my hand and kissed the back. “—a real future.”
Even though I trusted Noel, and I wanted all those things badly, I regressed. Just like that, I was back to feeling scared as fuck.
Ugh.
I had a feeling this was how it was going to be for a while—a back-and-forth seesaw of emotion.
Healing just wasn’t a straight-line event.
I didn’t want to disappoint Noel. Sweden had been one thing. But it hadn’t been real.
What if I couldn’t be what he needed me to be here in Vegas?
This was the real world.
Would we make it?
I decided to open up and share all my fears with him.
When I finished, he said, “Look, I know you’re afraid. But there’s no reason to be. You are what I want and need, no matter if we’re here, there, or anywhere. Trust me on that, all right?”
I murmured a shaky, “Okay.”
Noel frowned. “That didn’t sound convincing.”
I sat up, blew out a breath.
“I’m trying here, Noel. I really am. But you can’t expect me to feel fully confident that quickly.”
Nodding, he agreed, “I know, Mais. And I don’t expect that.”
We needed to lighten things up, it was getting too heavy.
Groaning, I said, “Enough of that. I have another, more pressing question.”
Raising a brow, he asked, “Oh, yeah? What’s that?”
“I’m curious. What exactly do you plan on telling your friends and teammates when they ask how we met?”
He smiled mischievously. “I’m going to say I brought you back with me from Sweden.”
“Noel, no!” I smacked his hard pec. “That makes it sound like I’m from there.”
“Eh”—he shrugged—“so what if it does? They’ll figure it out once they meet you. And, Maisie, trust me, my teammates are going to adore you.” He reached up and caressed my cheek. “You’ll fit right in with them and their girlfriends and wives.”
I was glad he was so confident.
I wished I could feel the same.
Warily, I said, “I don’t know about that.”
The prospect of meeting all those talented athletes and their perfect women left me uneasy. But Noel was so pumped that I couldn’t ruin it for him. So I kept quiet and let him do most of the talking.
He had a lot to say too.
Things like how he wanted me to move in with him.
And he wanted to buy me a car.
There was more…
“You said you were in school in Arizona, right? Business classes, yeah?”
“Um, yeah,” I replied.
“Great. Then you can enroll in college here.”
I laughed. “Noel, I only have six measly credits. I kind of overstated how far along I was. I’ve only ever taken two business classes. And those were at my local community college.”
“Not a problem. Those credits will transfer.”
He was right, they would. I guess it just felt weird having someone believe in me more than I believed in myself.
Maybe this was what I’d needed all along?
I really did want to finish school someday. I was determined to make something of myself, especially since I was finally out of Two Palms. Even if Noel and I worked out, I wanted to always have the ability to stand on my own two feet.
So, yes, school was good.
I was onboard with that.
“Maybe I can apply for a student loan,” I mused.
Sitting up next to me, Noel said, “Maisie, you don’t have to go into debt. I’ll pay for your classes.”
It amazed me how he could offer things of that magnitude like it was the most natural thing in the world.
But I shook my head. “No. I can’t let you do that.”
Perplexed, he asked, “Why not? I have the money.”
“I know, but it doesn’t feel right. Let me just apply for a loan, okay?”
He acquiesced, but there was one thing on which he held firm.
“You have to move in with me. I won’t have you living in this part of town. It’s just too dangerous. If something were to happen to you, I’d never forgive myself.”
I hesitated, and he laid us back down on our sides so we could face each other.
Quietly, he said, “Maisie, why are you so reluctant to accept my help?”
I looked down, absently picking at a thread on the sheet.
“I don’t know. I guess I just don’t want to use you. I still feel bad for misleading you in Sweden.”
He cupped my face, urging me, “Look at me.”
Once our eyes met, he said, “I told you what happened in Sweden does not bother me. I love you, Maisie, and I mean it. You’re not using me, okay? This is what people who love each other do for one another. They share what they have and do nice things. So please, let me do this for you.”
Choking up, I said, “And just what am I supposed to do for you in return? I have nothing to offer.”
“Ah, babe”—he wrapped me in a big hug—“and that is where you are wrong. You love me, right?”
I nodded. “I do.”
“Then just love me, okay? That’s all I ask for in return.”
“But I already do,” I whispered. “More than you could ever know.”
“Good,” he said. “Just never stop, then. Never stop and we’ll be fine.”
A Little Bit of Progress
Maisie told me she could keep on loving me.
I promised her in return that I’d never leave her, and I’d be patient with her.
It was true. I would have done anything for her.
We made love again to solidify the promises we’d made, and also because we couldn’t keep our hands off of each other.
When morning arrived, Maisie gathered her meager amount of things, and we checked her out for good at the little office in the front of the nondescript motel building.
I knew, despite our promises, it would be an uphill battle for her to feel comfortable with me taking care of things. She was dealing with guilt for having misled me in Stockholm, and had a fiercely independent streak.
There were other things on my mind that morning. I had more to take care of. Like help Maisie go back to school.
On the way to my house, I made a mental note to talk to my sister. I was pretty sure Noelle could help Maisie get into UNLV. She knew just about everyone in the business department, and since classes didn’t start for a couple weeks there was a good chance she’d be able to pull a few strings.
Maisie could maybe start this fall.
I decided not to say anything to Maisie just yet. Not only had I not talked to Noelle, but I didn’t want to get her hopes up, in case it was a no-go.
As we neared my house, I noticed Maisie was really quiet. When we’d first hopped into the car, she’d grabbed up that stuffed dog she called Claude and proceeded to tell me a litt
le about her childhood.
Suffice it to say, those days weren’t the best.
But I wasn’t sure what was going on now. Maisie was clutching Claude like her life depended on it, and she was staring out the passenger window, her lips tightly drawn.
“Maisie, don’t let your childhood get you down.” I reached over and laid what I hoped was a comforting hand on her leggings-clad knee. “The past is the past. And that goes for us too. Whether it’s Sweden, or your life as a kid, everything will be fine from here on out. I swear to you.”
She smiled over at me, but I knew she was unconvinced.
I kept telling myself it was going to take some time.
Sighing, Maisie said, “Can we just change the subject?”
I nodded. “Sure.”
“I don’t know if I mentioned it last night,” she began, switching gears. “But I have a shift tomorrow at the convenience store.”
“All right…”
I wasn’t sure where this was going.
“Well,” Maisie went on, “the problem is I don’t know how I’m going to get there.”
“Huh?”
She glanced around the upscale area we’d entered—my neighborhood—and murmured, “It doesn’t look like there’s a bustling bus service around here.”
She was right.
Good thing I had a great alternative in mind.
Trying to contain my enthusiasm, I said, “What’s your dream car, Mais?”
She thought it over. “Hmm, I have to say this one’s pretty damn nice. I’ve always loved Porsches.”
“Then it’s settled.” I tapped the steering wheel. “We’ll get you one of these. Problem solved.”
Her eyes widened as she gaped over at me.
“Are you crazy, Noel? Absolutely not. You can’t buy me a car, let alone a freaking Porsche!”
Frustrated, I groaned. “Didn’t we just go over this? How people in love do things for each other?”
“Yes, I know, but…” Maisie trailed off, distracted and awed by something.
We’d just pulled up to my house, and she whispered, “Holy shit, Noel.”
As we sat in the driveway, Maisie gawked at my house. In her defense, it was rather big and stately, constructed of hand-cut stone and with an impressive arched entryway.
I was used to it, but I could see where others might find it impressive.