by Penny Wylder
Carson looks as shocked by the words as I am. But the craziest part of it, is when I said those words, I meant them. I felt them with the entirety of my being.
The press conference ends abruptly as I turn my back on the cameras and walk back into the hospital. I hear them calling out questions about the final date of the wedding, where the honeymoon will take place, and if there are any plans for children in the near future. The questions about his medical status take second seat to our relationship.
As I enter the hospital’s waiting room and look up at the multitude of TV screens surrounding me, I see the tail-end of the conference on delay.
Carson sighs triumphantly and pats me on the shoulder with a wide smile. “Welcome to the team.”
12
AJ
My eyes are still closed, but I can smell her, that light, warm scent of clean linens, lemon, honey, sugar, vanilla. All of the good things in life. The scent is faint, overlaid by antiseptic, and that sort of Band-Aid scent all hospitals seem to have, but she’s here. I know it. I can hear her too, now, her low, beautiful voice sounding serious and technical. She’s going to take care of me. She’s going to keep me safe. That sense of security lulls me back into a deep sleep.
When I wake up again I’m not sure if it’s been minutes or hours. I can feel her this time. A hand is resting on mine. I squeeze it. She says something in that beautiful, soothing voice of hers, but I’m not sure what she says. I’m already slipping under again. My mind only seems to have the strength to wake for a moment, long enough to know that Claire is still with me. That familiar darkness surrounds me again.
Again, I’m not sure how long it’s been when I wake. A day, maybe? The light is different. It comes through the window in a solid, blinding sheet. The kind of brightness that only comes from morning. My eyes are bleary, caked with sleep. Forcing them to fully open, I look around until I find her. Claire is curled up with a white hospital sheet. There’s a dog-eared romance novel on a side table and a can of diet root beer beside it. Her shoes are off, the toes of her striped socks stick out from the blanket. Her light snores are music to my ears.
I try to say her name but the sound is nothing more than a dry puff of air. My tongue is like a piece of overbaked bread. I don’t think I’ve ever been this thirsty in all my life. I try to call to her again. This time a rasp of sound barely croaks out.
She sits up abruptly, and groggily looks around until finding me. It takes her a moment to wipe the sleep from her eyes. She blinks several times until her gaze seems to focus.
She hits me with rapid fire questions. “How’s your leg?”
“It’s fine. Numb, I think.”
“What’s your pain level?”
“Five.”
“Can you move your toes?”
I demonstrate by giving them a wiggle beneath the blanket.
She lets out a sigh of relief and gets up. There’s a carafe of water beside my bed that I hadn’t seen. She pours some into a plastic cup with a bent straw and brings it to my lips. I don’t think water has ever tasted this good. I chug it greedily until my mouth feels hydrated enough to work properly.
My voice is back to its old self when I ask, “I need you to give me the news straight.”
“The damage wasn’t nearly as bad as I initially thought. You’ll walk again.” Her mouth curves into a frown and my stomach sinks. “But AJ, I hate to have to tell you this, your days of playing football are over, I’m afraid.”
Though it’s not the news I wanted to hear, I already knew my days on the field were numbered. It was just a matter of time.
I sigh. “I had a feeling. I knew the moment that kid hit me that my time had come.”
My eyes start to blur again, but this time with tears. They come sudden and unexpected. Even though I was expecting this result, it doesn’t hurt any less. My whole life has been about this game. Now it’s over.
A few tears slide down my cheek. I wipe them away and glance at Claire to see if she saw them. I’m surprised to find her crying as well.
I reach out to her. She climbs into the bed beside me, careful of my leg and careful not to disturb the different tubes and wires stuck to me.
As soon as she wraps her arms around me, I lose control. I’m weeping all of my pain and loss and disappointment into her hair. My future is stretched out before me, and for the first time in my life, football isn’t a part of it. I don’t know who I am without it. I feel lost. Knowing that mine and Claire’s fake engagement will soon come to an end, I’ll have nothing.
I squeeze her. Maybe a little too hard. I hear the breath rush from her lungs. But she doesn’t protest or try to pull away. I just need to hold her right now. This moment is all I have left of her and I want to keep it with me for as long as I can, memorizing the smell of her, the feel of her skin, the way just being in her presence makes everything better. She clings to me just as hard as if she might be doing the same thing. But I know she’s not. She’s ready to get out from under the spotlight so she can have her life back. With this career-ending injury, I’ll soon be just another retired pro. The public focus will shift to some up and coming rookie, possibly the one who ended me. And Claire will be able to step away, into the shadows without anyone noticing. Except for me.
“Stay with me,” I say in a last ditch effort to hold onto this dream of us that I’ve held onto for so long.
“Always,” she says.
The shock of her words hardly register before she’s kissing me. I kiss her back, pouring every ounce of love I have for her into it. There’s no mistaking the love she gives back.
13
Claire
This is my favorite part of the day, when the sun is coming through the blinds, growing brighter and brighter as it reflects off Lake Michigan. It’s the perfect way to wake up on my day off, gradual, natural, without the scream of an alarm going off in my ear. And the best part yet is AJ’s warm body next to mine on a crisp September morning. I know as soon as I get out of bed the floor will be cold and the house will be chilly, so I’m in no hurry to get up.
When AJ was released from the hospital, he needed help. He was too proud to allow a nurse to stay with him fulltime, so I moved in. Seriously, I let down my walls a little and that’s it, I go all in. He did agree to allow someone to come over during the day when I am at work, though. That was a hard-fought win. Another hard-fought win was getting AJ to allow me to incorporate some of my own furniture into this gorgeous house, but really, he pretends to put up a fight, but he’s putty in my hands.
I curl up on my side, carefully arranging myself under AJ’s arm. It’s still the early stage of his recovery, and I need to be careful not to bump him or cause him any pain. Lying tucked into AJ, I stare out over the lake and see a flock of cranes flying in a V formation. I could fall asleep again staring at the view, but I force myself to get up. I have a lot of things I need to do today.
Padding down the stairs I check my cell phone, and just as I’d expected, I see a dozen calls from the wedding planner. I don’t know if it was the pain medication that AJ’s been taking or the fact that we’re both so excited, but our wedding is turning into an over-the-top party. We set a date for next year, since we want AJ fully recovered so he can spin me on the dance floor. Most of all, though, AJ says he wants to be able to fuck me properly on our wedding night. Sex hasn’t been so easy in his recovery, although it’s harder to keep our sex drives in check so we’ve had to get very creative.
I scoop some coffee into the coffee maker and flip it on, stepping outside onto the deck to let the chilly air wake me up. I take a few deep breaths, centering myself for the day. After I told AJ I would be with him, things didn’t automatically slip into place. It’s been a bit of a learning curve learning to trust him and open up to him. But he’s only ever met me with kindness and patience, even on the days when he’s wracked with pain and frustration from his recovery. When I think back to my old defensive ways, I don’t even understand it. I guess a strategy
I picked up in college to help me focus on my studies turned into a habit that kept me alone. Although I can hardly regret it now. All those years alone led me to my amazing career and eventually to AJ. The coffee maker beeps to let me know the pot is brewed and I go inside.
I walk slowly and carefully up the stairs balancing the tray with coffees. I told AJ not to get too used to this. I expect once he’s recovered he’ll be the one waiting on me. At least sometimes. I slip into our bedroom and I see AJ is still asleep. His chest rises and falls with his deep breaths, the white sheet draped over his waist. I see the outline of his morning erection against the linen. I can’t resist.
I quietly place the tray beside my bed and slip back into bed. But first, I take the bottle of lube out of my drawer. I squeeze a healthy dollop into my hand. I prop myself up on my elbow close to AJ and reach under the sheet. His cock jerks in my hand when I first touch it, but aside from that, AJ doesn’t stir. I rub the lube all over his hard shaft, coating it thoroughly. I feel a tingle between my legs as I trace my fingers over the veins running up and down his cock, as I circle my thumb around the swelling head.
I nip at his shoulder, wanting to taste his skin. I suck a little, getting turned on thinking about leaving a mark that his nurse may see later. I pump his cock in sure and steady strokes, and he starts to respond in his sleep. He lets out a long sigh, and his hips start to move, meeting my strokes. I squeeze my thighs together trying to quell the growing feeling between my legs but deciding instead to really take care of myself.
I roll over back to my table and grab my small vibrator. I turn it on low and position it just above my clit, held in place by my panties. I enjoy the feeling for a beat, adjusting the vibrator so it hits me just where I want it, and then turn my attention back to AJ, his erection now creating a full on tent with the sheet. I pull the sheet aside and take in the gorgeous sight. On my knees, I lower my mouth to him, and suck on the head. I’m ready for him to wake up now. I’m ready to play. Small, short strokes in and out of my mouth finally get me the response I’m looking for, and I feel AJ’s fingers weaving through my hair, massaging my scalp and urging me to take him deeper.
“Good morning,” he grumbles, his voice gravely with sleep.
I can’t respond with his dick in my mouth, but I snake my hand up his chest and pinch his nipple. His hips come off the bed and he hisses in response. “Fuck, do that again.” He loves it when I play with his nipples. I take his nipple between my fingers and pinch, hard. His hand creeps down my body, and lands on my panties. “What do we have here?” he asks, amusement in his voice when he feels my panties vibrating.
I let his cock fall out of my mouth and rest my head on his stomach, looking up at him. “I just found myself in a particular mood this morning,” I tell him.
“I think I can satisfy that,” he says. “Climb up, baby.”
I take off my panties and toss them and the vibrator aside. Carefully I straddle AJ, making sure not to put any weight on his leg, and being sure that he doesn’t try to move me himself. Just last week he forgot all about his injury while he was fucking me like this, and when he tried to flip me over, the pain was excruciating.
I ease myself down onto him, loving the sight of his massive cock disappearing inside me. When I’m firmly seated on him, I lean over and kiss him. “Now you remember the rules, don’t you, AJ?” I ask, lifting my hips just an inch and falling back down on him. He takes my face in his huge hands and captures my lips again, kissing me while nodding. “I do,” he murmurs.
I rock my hips again, eliciting a low groan from deep inside him. “Tell me,” I say, firmly.
“If I move too much, you stop,” he says. “And fuck. . .I don’t want you to stop.”
“That’s right.”
I stay low, my tits pressed against his chest, and fuck him slowly, raising my hips and taking him almost all the way out before I slam back down onto him. Our foreheads are against each other, and I love the sexy look of determination and concentration on his face. As much as he loves to be buried inside me, it’s an exquisite kind of torture for him to let me be totally in charge. But he has no choice. Until that apparatus comes off his leg, there’s no other way.
I sit up, and start bouncing on him, and his hands fly up to my tits, kneading them and holding them as they jiggle. He’s tweaking at my nipples and I feel a fresh burst of wetness flood me. Shit, it feels so good. I close my eyes and throw my head back, riding him now for just my pleasure, loving the way his cock can drag across my g-spot when I lean back.
Suddenly I hear the hum of my vibrator and see a devilish expression come over AJ’s face. He’s gently circling my clit with the toy. I stay in this position, giving him access to my clit and fucking him faster. I can only brace myself with one arm on his one leg, but when I’m this close to coming, I find I can hold any position, no matter how precarious.
The feeling is radiating from my clit and out to the tips if my fingers and my toes. Everything is starting to feel fuzzy, and my hips are rocking back and forth faster and faster. “That’s it, baby,” AJ says. “I want to see you come for me.” That’s all I need. I was tight as a trip wire and the sound of AJ’s voice sends me over. I fall forward, fucking AJ furiously as wave after wave breaks over me. AJ frees his hand from between our bodies and grabs my ass. He holds my ass firmly against him and I feel him shake underneath me as his hot cum shoots inside me. I feel the vibration of his moan in my body more than I hear it. Finally, his hands relax on my ass and I roll over to my side of the bed, completely spent.
I look over across the pillows at AJ, he’s looking at me and he has a huge smile on his face.
“Morning,” he says.
“Morning,” I reply.
And we stare at each other just like that. And I love this feeling of never wanting to run from him ever again.
Epilogue
Claire
Waking up in this gorgeous house is still a surprise to me. Even though I’ve lived here for a year, and I feel perfectly at home, I still can’t believe how absolutely settled I feel. How different my life is now. Being with AJ has changed everything.
Professionally I couldn’t be any better. Hope Center is a model of excellence, and doctors from around the country come to us all the time trying to improve their own clinics. I’ve even been asked to speak at conferences, and as much as I enjoy treating patients, I’ve found my true passion is making health care systems run better. I love brainstorming with nurses and doctors and administrators, trying to find ways to increase positive patient outcomes and experiences. And after the months of taking AJ to doctors’ appointments and physical therapy, I gained a whole new perspective on what it feels like to experience these places as a patient.
AJ and I have been home from our honeymoon for a week now. As much as tabloid pictures almost derailed our relationship, we actually took a lot of pleasure in selling splashy pictures of our wedding and from our honeymoon to the tabloids. We raised a ton of money for the second Hope Center, and I have to say, I have a taste for this exhibitionist lifestyle.
It’s been a year now since AJ’s been pain free. That first year of recovery was rough. He could hardly move without the pain torturing him. But after a few surgeries and physical therapy, he’s back to his old self, and he’s definitely making up for the intimate time we missed.
He begins to stir behind me in bed as I rub my naked butt against him. He makes a groggy sound of approval. His hand cups my ass and spreads me so he can ease into my eagerly awaiting pussy. I moan as he fills me. Neither of us seem to be in any hurry. It’s a lazy morning; being together feels too good to rush things. He slowly thrusts into me while I push back onto him, creating a perfect rhythm. His strong arms hold me tight, his hands gripping my breasts, fingers rolling my hard nipples while he kisses the back of my neck.
“Good morning, wife,” he whispers in my ear before gently biting my shoulder and pushing harder, making me gasp. He reaches around, toying with my clit.
“Don’t worry, baby, I’m far from finished with you,” he says.
He rolls me onto my back and spreads my legs wide. He kisses me deeply, our tongues twisting in a sensual dance that wakes up my body and sends a shiver through me. His lips part from mine and kiss their way down my chin, lingering for a moment at my neck before finding their way to my breasts. His tongue works furiously at my nipples, flicking and sucking, sending electricity straight to my clit as if the two parts of me were connected.
“Holy shit,” I say as my clit hardens and pulses.
He releases my erect nipple from his mouth. It’s swollen and bright pink from the attention. Kissing his way down my stomach, he finally reaches the spot I’ve been craving. His delicate kisses cover the mound of soft waxed flesh. Taking the outer lips into his mouth he sucks and stretches them, bringing even more blood flow to the area.
I gasp and moan when his tongue finally searches out my clit. He laps at it, gentle, but firm, making these glorious circles that have my body singing. My wetness spills out of me, dripping down my asshole.
Stretching my legs wider, opening me, his long tongue dives into my eager hole. “Oh fuck,” I cry as he tongue-fucks me vigorously. I spread my pussy lips wide to give him plenty of room.
He groans. “God, you have the most beautiful pussy I’ve ever seen.”