by Maggie Cole
I wondered why I bothered to get out of bed. I should have stayed asleep.
“The sooner you do this, the sooner you can start to get back to normal.”
I still didn’t say anything.
“You know I’m right.”
Damn Liv. I knew that she was, but I still didn’t like it.
Collin stood and waited for me to make a decision.
“I’ll think about it.”
I handed the phone back to Collin and stomped into the bedroom, pissed off, not really at Liv, but at the situation. I knew that we did need to make a statement, but I would have to reveal more about my past and tell the entire world that I had been a victim of domestic violence.
In the last several days, I had gone from the world viewing me as a successful woman—then being portrayed as a slut—and now a victim. It made my stomach churn. I wanted to hide.
I laid down on the bed on my stomach, put my head into the pillow, and tried to figure out how to go back to the way things were.
Collin came into the room. I could feel him sit down on the bed. Other than when he rubbed arnica on me, he hadn’t touched me since he had seen all my bruises. It occurred to me that maybe I no longer was attractive to him. I represented a battered woman, a fragile and weak person, not the woman who was independent and sexually confident… And he didn’t even know what Matt used to do me sexually.
The longer he sat on the bed and didn’t touch me, the more my fear took over.
Sadness ran through me. Fear and anxiety took over. I glanced up at him. “This isn’t going to work anymore, is it?”
He stared at me, confused. “What isn’t going to work? Not doing a press conference?”
I shook my head. “Us.”
His face turned into surprise. “Meg, what are you talking about?”
“You don’t want me anymore. I’m tainted.” I was surprisingly calm.
Confusion filled Collin’s face, and he said in a very stern voice, “Meg, what in God’s name are you talking about?”
I took a deep breath, rolled over, and sat up. “It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”
“I’m seriously not following this conversation. You’re going to have to be a little more clear.”
“You don’t see me the same as before. I’m not the fun, sexual woman that I used to be in your mind. I’m a victim of domestic abuse and bruised. But my bruises you can see now, and that turns you off.”
Anger crossed Collin’s face. “What the fuck are you talking about? Where is this coming from?”
“We haven’t had any sex since you were shot. You don’t find me attractive anymore. It’s okay.” I didn’t want him to feel bad. I couldn’t blame him, as I didn’t love this part of my story either.
Collin glared at me like I had three heads. “Are you for real right now? You have bruises all over your body. You’re swollen and in pain. It has nothing to do with attraction. I’m not going to touch you and hurt you so I can have an orgasm for God’s sake.”
“I’m fine.”
“No, you aren’t!”
“I—”
“Stop. Right now, just stop.”
I stopped. Collin was officially pissed.
“I’ll be damned if I’m going to listen to this. I realize that you’re going through a lot of emotions right now, but everything isn’t about sex, Meg. You’re hurt—the sooner you admit it, the better—and not only on the outside. It’s okay to have people take care of you. It’s called love.” Collin got off the bed.
Collin had never been angry with me before. I realized how stupid I had sounded.
He walked to the door and turned around. “For the record, I’ve always been attracted to you...since I laid eyes on you. That will never change. But our relationship is deeper than just sex. If you can’t let me take care of you when you are hurt and let me in, then you aren’t all in. So decide, but don’t you dare blame your inability to let me in, on me not being attracted to you.” He walked out of the room, pissed off, as he threw my own words in my face.
Shit, now I had done it.
I sat in the bedroom for a long time. I let Collin’s words sink in and grappled with my emotions because I knew he was right.
No one had ever taken care of me. I acted like I wasn’t hurt because it was how I protected myself. Collin had only tried to protect and care for me, and I threw it all in his face. He took three bullets for me, and I refused to show him how hurt I was.
The truth was, my entire body ached, even with all the pain meds that Collin religiously gave me. But I knew how to hide my pain and deal with it. When I had seen Matt again I re-lived all the times I was assaulted and hurt; the emotions rushed to the surface. The current pain I experienced in my body made me feel like the weak girl I once was, and not the strong woman I had become over the years.
Dusk set in. I had sat there, numb from the pain and emotions, all afternoon. Collin walked in with a glass of water and my meds.
He hit the switch to turn the fireplace on and the room transformed with a soft glow. Collin sat on the edge of the bed, handed me my pills, and put the glass up to my mouth. After I took my meds, he pulled my pajamas off me and started to apply the arnica all over my bruises.
“Turn over, Meg.”
I didn’t argue and rolled over.
When Collin finished, he instructed me to roll back, and he put my pajamas back on me.
“Thank you.”
He bent forward and kissed me.
I kissed him back and told him I was sorry.
“I know. Move over.”
I carefully moved over so he could lay on the bed next to me, and I snuggled up to him. “How are you feeling?” I realized I hadn’t even checked on him today.
“Like I was shot.”
I quietly laughed while he stroked my arm and kissed my forehead.
I locked eyes with him. “I’m in pain, Collin. Everywhere. My head down.”
“Rest, babe. Let me take care of you.”
"Okay, you win.”
He reached down and pulled the blankets over us. I fell asleep in his arms.
The next morning, I felt a lot better. Collin woke me up to give me more of my pain meds and ibuprofen, and he applied more arnica.
“Your bruising is getting better. The arnica is helping.”
I kissed him. “Thanks for taking care of me. It didn’t hurt for you to rub that on me today.”
“You can repay me later.” He winked at me.
I sat up a bit. “Do you need your bandages changed?”
“I already did it this morning.”
"Okay.”
Collin read his watch. “Turbo is going to be calling in a few hours. Is it okay if Sam and Keri come over, so I don’t have to leave? I’m not sure if they are going to be needed for any decisions.”
“Sure. I’ll go get in the shower.”
“Are you going to be okay in there?”
“I think I will, but if not, I’ll call in your head massage skills, okay?”
“Deal. I’ll go make some breakfast.”
In the bathroom, I assessed my naked body in the mirror.
Collin was right. My bruises were much better.
I stepped into the shower and didn’t feel any pain. As the hot water cascaded all over me, I wished Collin was with me, so I stepped out of the water, grabbed a towel, and walked out to the living room.
Collin had pulled out bagels, lox, and cream cheese, and was slicing the bagels.
“Babe, can you help me?” I asked him.
He wiped his hands on a kitchen towel, threw it back on the counter, and walked over to me.
I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the bathroom.
The shower was still on, and the bathroom had turned into a steam room. The mirrors were fogged up, and it was nice and warm.
Collin assumed I needed a bath but quickly realized that I wanted to play. Unsure if I still was hurt or not, the negotiator came out and raised his eyebrow at me.
Dropping my towel, I stepped toward Collin. “My bruises are a lot better, aren’t they?” I coyly asked him.
His chest rose with his breath. He scanned my body.
My hands reached out and unbuttoned top. “I think we could make some rules with safe zones.” I ran my finger from his mouth down the middle of his chest to his drawstring, then over his pants, and stroked him lightly.
“Safe zones?” he asked huskily.
“Yes, safe zones,” I whispered as I nibbled on his earlobe.
His penis pulsated against my body, and I stuck my hand down his pants. I grabbed his balls and massaged them. Then, I stuck a finger from my other hand in my mouth and sucked on it.
He groaned and closed his eyes.
“Safe zone?” I took my finger out of my mouth and rubbed it across his lips.
“Safe zone,” he muttered.
“That’s a good boy.” I released his pants to the floor.
He touched my breasts, and I winced. He stepped back in fear.
I stepped forward, took his fingers, put them on my erect nipples, and rubbed them.
“Safe zone?” he growled.
I nodded.
I pushed his shirt off him, so he was naked and kissed his chest, rubbing my hands across his chest. “Safe zone?”
Collin nodded and put his hands on my ass and gently squeezed it. He leaned down, found my mouth, and teased me with his tongue. He pulled back and squeezed my ass again. “Safe zone?”
I smiled, “If you do it like that.” He spun me around, nibbled my neck, and put his hands on my hips, then squeezed me slightly harder.
“Safe zone,” I whispered, as my breath inched up, and my heart beat faster.
His nakedness was against my body. I excitedly grabbed his hand, pulled it into my wetness, and bent my knees to drive him deeper into me. I moved my body up and down on his fingers, with my ass against his hardness. He sucked on my neck and took his other hand to play with my nipple.
I moaned out how good he felt as he took his thumb and rubbed my clit. As he moved around me, I knew I had to have him inside me.
“Come here, Collin,” I instructed and grabbed his hand. He willingly allowed me to pull him into the steamy shower. I pointed for him to sit on the seat.
I kissed his face and then turned around, careful to avoid his wound on his left leg. I sat on him backward as his body filled me.
“Safe zone?” I whispered.
“Safe zone,” he growled, grabbed my hips, and moved me gradually on him.
Up and down, I slowly moved as I enjoyed the sensations of him in me.
Collin leaned forward and whispered in my ear, “Let me see you touch yourself.”
I reached down below and started to rub as I bobbed up and down on his shaft. With every stroke, he got harder inside me.
"That's it, baby," he murmured as his luscious lips kissed my back and sucked on my neck.
Collin pushed me deeper onto him and moved me with more intensity.
Waves of pulsating pleasure rippled through me.
"Rub yourself faster," he commanded.
I increased the speed of my fingers and let out a slight groan.
As I continued our rhythm, he reached up to my nipples. Collin carefully stayed away from the bruise on my breast. He rolled his fingertips, over and over, on me.
Shudders raced from my breasts down to my toes.
"Collin," I whispered, as steam whirled all around us. I was barely able to see anything. "So hot…"
Lava. My body was a volcano of lava about to erupt.
"Squeeze me, baby," he commanded me.
I squeezed and released over and over, as my vagina became a vice, gripping him as he moaned.
Panting, I continued to rub myself as my adrenaline started to speed through my body and pump through my veins. My eyes rolled as I grabbed behind Collin's head with my free hand and pulled his face into my neck.
"Tell me what you need, baby." He rolled my nipples some more.
I leaned back on him, squeezed even harder, and continued to rub myself in my orgasm. "You... I only need you, Collin."
It was true. The only thing on earth I needed was Collin Corwin.
He erupted in an explosion in my vagina, as his muscles shattered against me.
Violent tremors of delight surged through my body, and I screamed Collin's name as it echoed throughout the shower.
When our trembling subsided, his head leaned against my shoulders, my head fell back against his, and our breath synced up. He held me tight as we came down from our high together.
When my legs regained their strength, I stood up under the water.
Collin sat and observed me as I shampooed my hair.
"I love looking at you like this," I admitted to him.
"What's that?"
"Freshly fucked." I grinned at him.
He chuckled, and his muscular body rose to stand under the water. He bent down to kiss me. "I'm happy you're healed up, but bruises or not, you're still the most beautiful woman on earth."
"I have an excellent caretaker." I winked, then ripped his soaked bandages off so I could carefully wash his wounds.
He turned off the water, grabbed a towel, wrapped me up, then grabbed more arnica. He gently rubbed it into my body.
When Collin finished, I dressed his wounds and grabbed his ass. “Safe zone?” I bit my lip and tried not to laugh.
“Safe zone.” He gently rubbed my butt cheeks and kissed the top of my head.
24
Meg
Keri, Sam, Collin, and I sat around the table with Turbo’s representatives on the speaker.
They agreed to four times, but the negotiator held out for five times and wouldn’t back down.
“Four times won’t cut it, and you know it.”
Stephen wouldn’t go down without a fight either. “Collin, you know that four times is more than any player has ever received...and we are giving it to two.”
“Two players that will each increase your revenue by a thousand times your investment.”
“You can’t guarantee that,” Stephen fired back.
Collin sat back in his chair. Calm, cool, and in charge. “You’ve never rolled a partner out with a return less than that. You know that James and Quinto will bring that if you do only an average job on your part.”
Stephen couldn’t deny it.
“Five times or we walk to Lemara, your biggest competitor, who are more than happy to give it to us. I’m still talking to you out of professional courtesy, due to our past.” The negotiator calmly glanced at Sam and Keri, who both had beads of sweat on their foreheads.
Four times was unheard of. Collin demanding five times was really pushing it.
Stephen barked back, “You think I’m falling for that bluff?”
“Have you not seen the press recently? You might want to do a Google search...”
We heard Stephen punch away at his keyboard.
Earlier that morning, with a little help from Tom and his foundation connections, Sam and Keri went to a Lemara press conference. They were presented with a $100,000 check to start the new foundation they were inspired to create, after their visit to the Community Centers.
Liv made sure that press releases were all over the internet. Speculation they would sign with Lemara for shoes and apparel was everywhere.
Sam and Keri posted their gratitude to Lemara on their social media pages. They made a joint video, which had gone viral, to make sure athletes partner with corporations who support their philanthropic efforts.
Apparently, Stephen hadn’t checked the internet. The phone silence lasted for so long that Keri and Sam both mouthed a question to Collin to see if he was still on.
The negotiator held up his hand and motioned for them to remain silent.
Stephen finally spoke. “Five times has never been done, Collin. You have to give me something to take back to Turbo. I can assure you we don’t want to lose this partnership.”
<
br /> “If I give you something, are you authorized to make this happen today?”
“Yes. Fully authorized, Collin,” Stephen assured him.
The negotiator sat back. “Final offer and then I have to go to Lemara. We are on their deadline, Stephen.”
“I understand.”
The negotiator cooly licked his lips. “Four times to Keri, four times to Sam, and two times to their joint foundation.”
“That’s still five times, Collin.” Stephen sounded annoyed.
Keri and Sam watched Collin; both freaked out. Collin put his hand up again, to warn them to calm down.
“Think about it, Stephen. Think of the press and goodwill that Turbo gets for the two times. My guys get happy and excited to work with Turbo over Lemara. Turbo gets its next largest revenue stream, along with incredible benefits for their philanthropic efforts.”
“I don’t know, Collin.”
The negotiator struck back. “You know it makes sense. It’s a good deal. Do you want to lose this when we are so close? Especially to Lemara…”
You could have heard a pin drop. A drop of sweat dripped down Keri’s face. Sam buried his face into his palms. The negotiator stayed calm, cool, and in control. He continued to hold his hand up and make sure that his clients didn’t say a word.
“Damn it, Collin. You have a deal.”
Collin continued to hold up his hand. Keri’s mouth dropped to the floor, and Sam bit his knuckles. “Smart move, Stephen. You’re going to be a hero once this is rolled out. Send the contract we already agreed upon with the correct numbers over in the next hour.”
“You got it, Collin.”
Collin hung up and smacked his hands together.
“Holy shit, did that really happen?” Keri asked as Sam jumped up and let out a loud holy shit.
I sat in awe. Collin landed the biggest deal ever in the history of the sports branding world, and he did it for not only one, but two of his clients.
I gave him a massive victory kiss.
Collin sent a text to Tom and Liv that it was done.
They texted back they were in the car outside and to buzz them in.
A few minutes later, Liv and Tom arrived.
“Tom, that was such a smart idea. Thank you, man.” Collin slapped his back.