by Anne Leigh
“Yeah…” He sounded gruff and maybe because they lost in a close game against Syracuse yesterday and he needed some stroking.
I’d be stroking him everywhere if he only gave me a hint that he wanted me to.
I took a breath in and with a calm voice, I said, “I miss the way you stand so close to me that I smell you – the scent of bergamot and pineapple and lavender and whatever you use for your aftershave, and I find myself looking for it when you’re not around. I miss the way you joke around and you shrug your shoulders when you’re bored. I miss the way your eyes crinkle at the sides letting me know that you’re about to challenge whatever I said. I miss the way your lips move when you talk, and God, I miss the way you look at me with those gorgeous eyes.”
The other end was quiet for a few seconds, but I could hear the sounds of him breathing.
“Kara…” His voice sounded like he was on the verge of losing control. “Are you ready?”
“For what?” I just told him I missed him and he’s asking me something else? What a way to change the subject, Bishop.
“For me?” I’d never heard this from him. We talked about a lot of things and we logged a lot of hours on the phone. I knew all of his interests; hiking, ATV’s, and going on expeditions; and least favorite things; fried food and pistachio ice cream.
But he hadn’t asked this one.
“I’ve been ready Bishop,” I affirmed, tying my long hair in the back to give it a semblance of order. I didn’t have much time this morning to accomplish everything on my plate. “I’ve been ready for you for a long time.”
“Good,” he said, relief in his voice. “Good. I’ll see you tonight. I’ll pick you up around six.”
“I can’t wait,” I replied, knowing that tonight was going to be a game-changer.
I was still smiling thinking of my early morning conversation with Bishop when Cody nudged my shoulder.
“Hey, are you off to dreamland again?” His eyes were laughing as he raised his left hand to my other classmates. It was really funny how he now knew all of them, he’d even hung out with a few of them.
“No –“ I denied, clutching the small Bottega Venneta clutch that I used for school. My mother preferred Hermes and Prada, but I loved this clutch that went with everything I wore. It was one of the two purses I brought from Texas.
“I think he’s at practice right now,” Cody responded while checking his phone. He’d often talked about how busy his life was and I believed it – frat duties, work, school, and family obligations could take up a lot of time.
“Cool,” I said, my brain already thinking about what I could do to surprise Bishop.
He wanted to meet tonight, but I wanted to do something else.
He was always trying to surprise me, trying to woo me for the longest time, even though he knew I was way more-than-it-was-legal-to-be attracted to him already.
Now it was time for me to show him just how much he meant to me.
Bishop
Not seeing Kara for four days was doing damage to my brain cells.
Brain cells were made up of seventy-five percent water and without it, they would die.
Well, Kara made up at least fifty percent of my brain cells, so not being near her for fifty-seven percent of the week was enough to make them wither.
She was all I thought about and all I jerked off to.
When I woke up in the morning, I texted her and when I was on campus, I made sure our paths crossed somehow.
The Physics and Business buildings weren’t exactly neighbors, but I made up the distance and shortened the time by running instead of walking so I could walk her from Quantum to either the library or drive her to her dorm.
It was my senior year so my classes were jam-packed as I prepared to graduate.
And with rugby practice, games in between, and frat responsibilities, I hardly had time for myself much less a girlfriend.
But I wanted to make time for her.
Because after waiting on her for so long, I wanted her to be mine.
And when she became mine, there’d be no questions about whether or not she was important to me.
I’d been sending her flowers and chocolates and whatever else I could think of and Kara was always grateful for them. She could buy whatever she wanted, her family was loaded, but she always made me feel as if the simple things I gave her were special.
My sister and I were privileged enough to grow up in the expensive homes surrounded by the best things that money could buy.
But Bridge and I knew that money only scratched the surface of what made people happy.
So while I could wine and dine Kara in these expensive places, which I would eventually if that’s what she wanted and I had no problems with it, I really wanted to show her that she meant a lot to me.
I spent my waking hour talking and texting her.
I gave her my time because I wanted to get to know her.
Physically, I could not want for any more than what she already had.
I knew she had the brains to match.
But I wanted to get to know on a deeper level.
Maybe this was why I never had a girlfriend. In high school, I’d slept with girls from other schools, but I was not one for commitment. They were cool and all, but they didn’t hold my interest.
With Kara, the more I talked to her, the deeper I got inside the web she’d crafted for me.
I was giving her time to breathe after breaking up with Scott and I was patiently waiting for when she was ready.
There were so many times when I walked her to and from class that I wanted to pull her aside and kiss her senselessly.
When I drove her around, I wanted to hold her hand and press it close to me.
I dreamt of all the things I wanted to do to her mouth and it was a miracle I could go on days without bursting into a big blob of blue balls on the floor.
I was also buying time. Time for me to veto the current frat rules about dating exes.
I’d seen Scott around and he’d acted like his normal self – cool and composed. He’d been playing the same but other than that, I couldn’t really tell if he was adversely affected by their breakup. Rikko was his regular self too, fun, gross, and just Rikko. He told me that he’d let his sister borrow his car – his prized possession, to which Kara hadn’t taken him up on. She had no reason to since I’d been driving her around. I hated it when she took Uber or Lyft so I asked Cody to drive her around too if she needed to go somewhere and to give me the receipt for his gas. Cody, of course, hasn’t asked me for anything. He was a good kid and I was going to recommend him for an officer position before I graduated.
The photo that Kara sent this morning was going to the top of my spank bank.
I’d traced the phone with my right hand while holding my dick with the left because the sight of her boobs was enough to make me come on the spot.
Fuck, she was hot.
She’d told me just how much she’d missed me and I wished I could see her face when she said those words. I couldn’t wait to show her how ready I was for her tonight so the minute I got out of the shower to get ready for practice, I called Rancho Marguerite to reserve a suite for tonight. I couldn’t bring her to my frat house. Not until I’d talked about the rules in our next meeting.
“Princess! Are you going to get off your ass sometime today?” Ian’s voice rang through my ears as he was waiting for me to get on the field.
Losses were difficult for me to process and that’s what happened with Syracuse.
We played our best, but they were better and it showed in the final score of 34-29. It was our first loss in two years and it stung harder than a hundred bees.
I joined my teammates on the field and started to go through the plays.
Coach Masterson wanted to change our attacking tactics and I agreed with him. Today we were changing some key things about out hit-ups so we could breach our opponents’ defensive lines better. I called Jason and explained the play to him.
For a forward, he was larger than average and he would be the best guy to take the hit-up because of his size.
Jason nodded his head and that jumpstarted our practice.
“Shit, that’s good!” Jose mumbled as water dripped down his mouth.
We’ve been practicing for two hours and the sun was beating down on us vigorously.
Cons nodded his head and started to say, “I wish I had Katya with me right now-”
Ian shook his head, “Man it’s a hundred degrees and even I would hate to fuck in this weather.”
“Fucking is always good in any weather,” Cons retaliated and bounced the bottled water he’d just emptied inside the recycle bin that was a foot away from where we were congregated.
We had twenty minutes to catch a break then another hour of practice and we’d call it a day.
Jose turned around and waved to his fans on the bleachers. After practice, I usually stayed around and walked over to the stands to sign shirts. And so did my teammates.
We weren’t playing professionally, but we were all grateful for the people who showed up to our games and our practices.
Signing my name on a shirt wasn’t a big thing for me, but I’d seen the looks on the faces of kids who smiled as if my signature meant everything to them and that was what made it worth it for me.
Coach had talked to me about playing professionally and I had been giving it some thought. I loved the sport and while I had a lot of work to do to play against the calibers of Maro Itoje, Ben Smith, Kieran Head, and Brodie Retallick, I knew that it would be an honor to be on the field with them.
“Who is that?” Jose said in a reverent voice. He’d completely turned his body around to check out whoever was in the stands.
“Daaammnn, I’d forget about Katya if she gave me her number,” Cons stated. Normally I would have brushed it off, but with all the whoring that Cons did, Katya was his number one. The bar he set the standard upon. She was a cool Ukrainian girl and all, but I liked my women a little bit more conservative than her.
Ian’s hands slammed on the two knuckleheads and said, “That’s your Captain’s girl. Well, the girl he’s trying to bag, so hands off, fuckers.”
Kara?
Kara was here?
I talked to Ian about Kara a few times, especially on long bus rides to away games. I didn’t say much. Not really. I just said that she’d broken up with Strauss (Scott was known to SDU by his last name) and that I was making a play for her. All he’d said was, “Finally and good for you.”
I pivoted so fast that I almost knocked over the array of bottled waters by my side, but I could care less.
Ian was right.
On the stands was the woman I’d been itching to touch since the first time I’d ever laid my eyes on her.
I walked to where she was standing and saw that Cody was beside her, texting on his phone. Like I said, he was a good kid. After that one time he flubbed on Rikko’s orders, he never missed to follow mine. He’d been my sidekick in my pursuit of Kara. I’d only told him once not to say anything to Scott or Rikko about it until I brought it up.
“Hi,” I said, seeing the white jersey that she was wearing with the yellow stripes on the sides. She’d paired it with denim shorts and goddamn, her legs looked longer and she looked beautiful.
She smiled and I saw the faint signs of her face getting burned by the sun, “I wanted to see you practice.”
Cody said, “What’s up?” to which I nodded my head and he moved to the side, giving Kara and I privacy.
“I gotta go back in five minutes,” I said with lament. I never wailed about practice but right now, all I wanted was to be with her. I missed her and I was prepared for tonight but now seeing her on my turf, I realized just how much I missed her.
She reached for my hand and I pulled her in for a hug, then realized, “I smell like a sewer.”
She wrinkled her nose but stayed in my hug. “You do, but I don’t care.”
I could hear the catcalls around us but I was lost in her presence, Kara was standing on the lowest bleacher, making her at eye level with me.
She brushed a few of the strands that strayed across my eyes, I knew I needed a haircut but I’d been waiting on it until this weekend. He voice was soft and her mouth moved, “I couldn’t wait til tonight.”
I lowered my hands to her waist and said, “You missed me that much?”
Shit.
My cock had already started to stir and in a few minutes, it would be hard for me to walk. Much less, run.
“Yes.” Her blue eyes glimmered with mischief, “I like to see you sweaty.”
“Babe, I’ll sweat for you all night tonight, but right now I gotta go back to practice,” I said, wishing that I didn’t have to go back on the field. “Are you going to stay?”
“You want me to?” Her eyes meeting mine.
“Fuck yeah.” I’d never invited anyone to watch me play. Bridge was a different story because she was my sister. But I’d never wanted for a girl who meant a lot to me watch me on the field until now.
I tugged softly on the end of the loose ponytail that she was wearing. “Wear sunscreen. Reapply. You’re already burning up.”
She nodded her head, “I just put some on but I’ll put more.”
Coach’s whistle drew my attention. It was time to go back.
I loosened my hold on her waist and before I could do anything, she grazed her lips softly on mine then slowly she replaced them with her hand.
“Go. Do your thing. I’ll be here,” she ordered me and as much as I wanted to slam her down on the grass and do every single dirty thing I’d fantasized about, I had a job to do.
“Princess, get your balls in order and come back here!” It was Jose.
Kara chuckled and I shook my head. “Payback’s a bitch, babe.”
She merely shrugged her shoulders and said, “I can’t wait, handsome.”
I let my fingers touch her face for the last time and it was a struggle to leave her side, but I turned my back on her, knowing that she was there for me, waiting.
Babe.
How easily that came out of me.
I never called anyone that.
I had been hit many times during the rest of practice but I didn’t feel it. My teammates were cracking up jokes upon jokes and the loud yells of “Pussy whipped” brought Coach Masterson’s ire on them, but I was floating on Cloud Nine, somewhere I’d never been before.
This must be how Iron Man felt every time his pulse bolted with the kinetic energy he’d picked up along his path.
How Hercules felt when he realized that he was the son of Zeus and bore supernatural gifts.
And this must be what Superman experienced each time he flew and hovered above the Earth.
Bishop
It was our first official date.
She’d waited for me until I was done with practice and then I’d dropped her off at her dorm.
Her hand hadn’t left mine and I’d peppered her hand with kisses the whole time I drove. I’d asked her to bring an overnight bag for our date. She’d answered me with a blistering kiss before leaving my truck. I’d wanted to go inside but there was no parking close by and she wanted to get ready.
I was ready to take her the way she was.
But Kara had admonished my idea and said she’d see me in an hour.
So here I was, an hour later, holding a fresh bouquet of lilies that I had Cody pick up for me.
I knocked on the door twice and texted her that I was up front.
She hadn’t responded so I figured I’d just wait.
Another minute wouldn’t kill me.
I was normally a patient man. But everything I felt for this woman was beyond my scope of patience.
Everything with her was heightened.
I didn’t have to see her to know that she was around.
I felt it when she was nearby.
As if my molecules were naturally inclined to look for her.
The door opened
just as I was looking up from my phone.
“Hold on –“ I barely saw her, just a flash of red, before she ran to her room.
“I’m not done yet.” She called out, “Make yourself comfortable in the living room.”
I made room for my ass on the sofa and then stood up, realizing that I still had the blooms in my hand. “Babe, can I put these flowers in a vase?”
Her voice was clear, “Yeah, go ahead. See if you can find one by the cupboards. Your flowers have taken over my dorm.”
I smiled, scanning the room and seeing that there were flowers in glasses, vases, and even small pots everywhere. Her roommate, Anissa, had joked that she could start selling them to the neighbors and she’d make big bucks. I’d met Anissa three weeks ago when I dropped off Kara, and Anissa was cool – she laughed a lot and I never felt awkward around her. She made me feel welcomed at their dorm.
I bent down and looked under the sink and saw two empty Kerr glasses. Kara must’ve used these as vases already so I grabbed one.
I held the flowers by the sink and removed the tie that bounded them when I heard, “Did you find one?”
I sucked in a breath when I caught sight of her.
“Goddamn.”
Pushing the flowers inside the vase as fast as I could, I stepped towards her while devouring her with my eyes, soaking in the sexiest vision I’d ever seen.
She was wearing a red dress that had two thick lace straps outlining the shape of her sexy-as-sin body. The sheer material hit just above her knee, creating a look that was both vixen and innocent.
I touched her arm and I swore under my breath, “Fuck.”
Her right hand reached up to my jaw, “You like?”
This time I let my hands roam around her ass and I gently squeezed, “We won’t make it to dinner.”
Her blue eyes shimmered with a devious glint, “You have to feed me first.”
My jeans started to feel tight and snug around the zipper area, “I’ll feed you alright,” as I skimmed her arms.