The Con

by Nicole Marsh

  The plush carpet, his heated gaze, and the slow, intense buildup that’s been happening since I’ve met Collin all combine, allowing an emotion to successfully consume me.

  Stepping forward, I grab onto Collin’s cheeks and tug his face towards me. The second our lips touch, he takes over, claiming me with his kiss. His mouth moves against mine in deep, drugging sweeps as his hands begin to rove over my body. I relax against him with a sigh, my legs no longer wanting to support my weight as Collin continues his assault on my mouth, fanning the flames of desire higher with his every move.

  Collin Franzen is, without a doubt, the best kisser in all of Alabama. Maybe even the world.

  My mind empties of all other thoughts, every cell of my being consumed by the connection of our mouths. It isn’t until Collin tugs at the side zipper to my cheer top then yanks it over my head, that my attention is diverted. I shimmy out of my skirt, feeling his urgency from before and helping him undress me. My uniform quickly becomes a forgotten heap on the floor.

  I force my arms to stay down at my sides. Fighting the urge to cover up as I stand next to Collin’s bed in nothing but black spanks and a black sports bra, while he remains fully clothed.

  Collin’s eyes rake over my near naked form and he leans closer to my lips. I try to continue our kiss from earlier, but he hovers just out of reach with a sparkle in his scorching emerald gaze. “You are so beautiful, McKenzie. I’m a lucky guy.”

  After his words, he seals his lips to mine once more. He kisses me like I’m his salvation, placing his hands underneath my bottom to lift me up. My legs wrap around him naturally as he carries me backwards to his bed and deposits me softly onto the plush mattress. He takes a step back like he’s mentally photographing the image, storing the memory of me in his bed for the rest of eternity.

  “Seems a little unfair, that you’re so overdressed,” I tease in a breathy voice that doesn’t sound like it belongs to me, interrupting his slow perusal of my near naked form.

  Collin smirks and tugs on the bottom of his t-shirt, yanking it over his head one-handed. I scoot backwards on the bed, settling into the pillows as I take in his defined abs. My gaze travels upwards to wander across his broad shoulders, drinking in every inch of exposed muscle before landing on his chiseled face.

  It should be illegal for this man to wear a shirt.

  Collin chuckles, making me realize I spoke the words out loud. Unembarrassed, I shrug and lounge back onto his fluffy pillows with a “so what” expression. It’s the truth and he should know it. I would almost say the world should know it, but I’m too greedy to share Collin like that.

  He winks at me then slowly pops the button of his jeans open, making a show of removing his last vestiges of clothing. He stares at me with intensity as he drags his zipper downward, each prong taking seconds to separate from its neighbor. I’ve felt what Collin’s hiding in his jeans, but I’ve never seen it. The sudden anticipation of this moment is slowly killing me, and I can tell from his smirk, he knows it.

  My muscles tense as I prepare to rise and hurry Collin along, but he shoots me a look. One that says, “If you get up, you’ll never see what’s in these jeans.” Therefore, I do what any sane girl would do and relax into the pillows to enjoy the show.

  When he finally steps out of his jeans, revealing a pair of snug boxer-briefs, I feel more worked up than I did from his touches. Collin only pauses for a brief moment, allowing me a glance at his muscular thighs that isn’t nearly long enough to satisfy my hungry eyes, then he stalks towards me.

  Grabbing onto my ankles he drags me down to the end of the bed, causing me to release a squeal of surprise. He begins kissing up my legs, pausing on the soft, sensitive skin of my upper thigh, and digging in slightly with his teeth. The squeal transforms into a gasp, which quickly morphs into a moan when he hovers above my center, his hot breath hitting me through my panties.

  In a clash of hands, the last articles of my clothing are removed. Collin stops, standing near the edge of the mattress, drinking in my naked body displayed on his bed. “McKenzie, you are gorgeous,” he drawls, his voice a combination of reverence and lust. Tipping forward, he kisses my abdomen. “And smart.” Another kiss, this one at the center of my chest. “And determined.” His mouth locks around my right nipple and he sucks on the sensitive skin, rolling the bud in his mouth before abandoning it. “And fierce.” Collin reverses directions, his breath hitting my center and I swear I hear the words “And mine” before he plunges in, licking and suckling the sensitive bundle of skin between my legs with ferocity.

  My back bows off the bed at the contact and a heated frenzy builds within me. In seconds, Collin has me gasping and in minutes, I’m calling his name as my legs tense, preparing me for the inevitable fall over the edge. It happens with unexpected intensity, my muscles locking as waves of pleasure wash over me, prolonged by Collin’s tongue continuing to worship my body, devouring me like I’m his last meal.

  He finally stops laving at my center as the last aftershock of my orgasm shudders through my body. He slides upwards against me, his skin gliding across mine until his tongue stops on my chest, licking and teasing my left nipple before he continues his journey to join me further up the bed.

  When his face reaches mine, he hovers just above it, his breath fanning across my lips as his eyes search mine. The blazing emerald orbs look like they’re trying to read my thoughts, as if staring intensely can tell you what someone else is thinking.

  I close the gap between us, licking the seam of his lips until they part, allowing me to deepen the kiss. The movement of my tongue against his, releases Collin from his trance and his hands find my breasts, kneading and rubbing until I’m aching for him all over again.

  In one smooth movement, he frees himself from his last article of clothing, his boxers joining the rest of our garments scattered across the floor. Without pause, he aligns himself with my core, and connects our bodies in the most intimate of ways. I gasp, as he slides into me in one slow movement, until he’s sheathed to the hilt.

  Collin pauses to stare at my face, with reverence, affection, and lust all bundled into one expression. Each breath I take reminds me how deeply he’s seated inside me; how full my body feels. Realizing he’s waiting for my permission to continue, ensuring I’m not uncomfortable; I shoot him a sultry smile and a small nod.

  He begins to move with slow, determined strokes, his hands roaming my body, kneading and tweaking, and rubbing. It’s as if Collin is touching me everywhere, all at once, kindling the fire in my lower belly into an inferno with each calculated touch. I meet him, thrust for thrust, our bodies in sync up to the moment where I cry out, pulses of pleasure zipping through my veins. Seconds later, Collin tenses above me, his muscles locking as he groans his own release. With one last, small thrust, he places his damp forehead against mine, eyes closed as we both pant to regain our breath.

  I bask in the afterglow, my entire being feeling heavy, but sated. Lazily dragging one eyelid open, I take in Collin’s face centimeters away from mine. I’m flooded with a nameless feeling that relaxes me further into bed, my eye drifting shut again as my breathing syncs with Collin’s. Our bodies are still connected and every inhale feels more intimate than the last.

  After a few minutes, Collin lifts his head, placing a soft kiss on my forehead, whispering, “I’ll be right back.”

  I watch his firm backside as he strides away, completely comfortable in his naked skin. He reappears a few moments later holding a washcloth. He uses the warm, damp fabric to swipe between my legs and I fight hard to keep my embarrassment at bay. It’s a sweet, but incredibly intimate gesture, and one that no one has ever done before.

  “Thank you,” I whisper as he finishes.

  Collin smiles down at my face with a gentle expression, then uses his golden boy quarterback arm to throw the fabric into his hamper, the cloth making it perfectly into the bin on the first try. He turns back to face me in the bed and gathers me up in his arms, pulling my
still naked back against his chest.

  Leaning over me, he kisses my cheek and drawls, “Goodnight, McKenzie.”

  I whisper back, “Goodnight Collin.”

  There’s more I want to say, but I’m not sure how to voice my feelings. The click of the bedside lamp sounds, and the room is bathed in darkness. Sated, warm, content, and comfortable, I fall asleep almost instantly wrapped in the warm luxury of his arms, before I can figure out the feelings coursing through my veins.

  Chapter 29

  Katie arrives to pick me up early the next morning, too early for me to feel completely human after staying up so late. She barely gives me ten minutes to get ready before shoving my tired butt down the stairs in the direction of the front door.

  A hand grips the top of my shoulder, twirling me around when I’m about halfway across the Franzen’s entryway. The second my spin stops, my eyes lock with an emerald gaze. “Were you trying to escape before saying goodbye?” Collin grumbles, as he buries his face in my hair, still wet from the quick shower my warden, Katie, permitted.

  “I thought you went back to sleep,” I reply, the words garbled by his chest.

  Feeling the shake of his head against my scalp, I reel back and tap my lips against his in a brief peck. “Sorry, I’ll make it up to you later,” I whisper, pulling away from his grasp.

  Before I can fully escape, Collin chases after me, snatching me up in his arms and sealing his mouth to mine. I keep my mouth closed, mindful of Katie and the promise I made to help prepare for the party. My resolve quickly flees as Collin licks and nips the seam of my lips, his determination forcing me to relent. Deepening the kiss, he continues his assault until I release a moan and sag against him.

  “Oh, come on guys, did you forget I was here, again?” Katie groans, interrupting us mid-make out.

  Collin chuckles against my lips, but separates his face a few inches from mine. “It’s your punishment for stealing my girl so early on a Saturday,” he drawls, his eyes seeking Katie’s over my head.

  “Ugh, you’re the worst, Franzen,” Katie exclaims dramatically, punctuating her words with an eye roll.

  Gathering my wits, I drag myself away from Collin to end this argument before it starts, squeezing his hand one last time before stepping closer to the door to join Katie. “Sorry,” I laugh. “I’m ready for real now, we can go.”

  She nods and pivots on her heel, tugging the door open and striding into the early morning sun. I trail behind her, shooting one last lingering glance at Collin, as he leans against the doorframe, shirtless. He winks at me, staying in the open door, and my line of view, until I turn around.

  The sleep-deprived and Collin-lusting fog surrounding my brain, is permeated by Katie’s chipper mood, barely. “Girl! You look exhausted. Does Collin not let you sleep?” She asks the second my butt hits the leather seat in her hot pink bug.

  My cheeks flush, as I recall the reason I didn’t get much rest last night. “We were both just hyped after the game yesterday,” I reply with half-honesty, working hard to tame the blush threatening to cover my cheeks, prior to Katie noticing it. “Also, I could’ve walked, you didn’t have to drive over here,” I add, redirecting the topic of conversation to something involving less naked Collin.

  “It’s no big deal,” Katie replies. “I know how much you hate mornings and I wanted your help prepping for my party. I still have to prepare the food, we need to hang some streamers, and I want to leave enough time to get ready together. If I waited for you to come over until two or something when you woke up, it would be too late to get everything done.” Her tone is matter of fact as she utters the blunt words, and honestly, her assessment is accurate.

  “Fair enough,” I agree with a shrug as she pulls into her driveway after the two-minute journey from the Franzen house. “Don’t your parents mind that you’re throwing a party for a bunch of teenagers?” I ask.

  “Nah,” she replies as she exits the car and ambles towards the front door of her rather intimidating house. “They’re never really home. As long as I clean up the mess, they won’t care.”

  I follow her into the entry and toe off my shoes, nodding at her words. Instead of following that line of conversation, which seems to be a sore spot, I redirect to the party. “What are we doing first?”

  Katie taps her fingernails against her chin, then shoots a finger into the air like a lightbulb has gone off. “Let’s go pick our outfits, then curl our hair. I want to have enough time for the curls to fall and look more natural.”

  I’m not great at hair styling, so I simply agree even though it seems strange to do our hair nine hours before any guests are set to arrive. “Sounds good to me.”

  “Race ya,” Katie exclaims before bolting past me to rush up the stairs. It takes a second for her words to register, but once they do, I sprint into action. Bounding up the steps, I reach the landing a mere half second after her.

  “Cheater,” I tease, while resting against the bannister to catch my breath.

  She shrugs, appearing smug as she wanders down the hallway. Once in her room, she immediately enters her massive closet, riffling through some of the clothes hung on the far wall. She emerges within a few minutes, carrying an armful of dresses. “Okay, I love all of these,” she announces, as she lays the pile across her bed. “Let’s see which ones you want to try on.”

  Flipping through the stack she holds a black, shimmery number against me. “No!” We both say at the same time. Then giggle together in sync.

  She lifts three more in rapid succession: a lime green cocktail dress, a sparkly purple concoction, and then something of a vague shape made primarily of pink ruffles. The last one has horror pumping through my brain, the instant she picks it up, but thankfully, she’s quick to add it to the pile of discards.

  “Hmm, I just don’t feel like any of these are ‘The One’, ya know?” Her eyes continue to scan the pile of hangers while she taps her fingers against her leg, appearing deep in thought.

  “Do you need to pick a dress too?” I ask, interrupting her when the silence drags on, eating away at our time to prepare everything else in the house, while we stand here.

  “No, I’ve had it picked out for months,” She says, immediately breaking free of her funk. “Ooh, I know. I’ll go put it on and show you, so you have an idea of the vibe, then we can search in my closet together to find your dress. This is going to be so fun,” she squeals, clapping her hands together as she rushes towards the bathroom, where a garment bag is hanging off the top of the door.

  Seconds after the latch clicks, my new, fancy phone makes a loud chiming noise from my back pocket. “Is that mine?” Katie shouts from the bathroom. “You can open it and read it to me, I don’t have a passcode.”

  “It’s actually mine,” I reply sheepishly.

  The door to her bathroom flings open and she rushes across the room with her same clothes on. “Oh my gosh, you got a new phone? Letmesee!”

  I pass it to her and she immediately “oohs” over the background photo I set. It’s the selfie from yesterday, when I was kissing Collin’s cheek. Every time I see the picture, it makes me happy, so I set it as the display on my phone.

  “Ugh, you two are so dreamy. Like the perfect couple I swear. Light and dark, wholesome and sultry…” she continues as she walks back into the bathroom and I laugh.

  After thinking about her words for a second, I ask, “Wait, are you saying I’m not wholesome?”

  Katie cackles as she closes the door, just in time to block the slipper I throw from the floor. “Just wait until you see my dress, all will be forgiven,” she yells through the wood separating us.

  “Yeah, yeah,” I mutter, faking my upset more than anything else at this point. My phone dings again, as if reminding me I have an unread message. I pluck it off the bed and see the alert is from Collin.

  It takes me a few clicks to remember how to unlock the screen and when I finally read his message, I giggle. Collin: Hey hot stuff, do you and Katie want anyth
ing from the coffee shop… thinking about heading over there.

  “Hey, Collin is going to grab coffee, do you want anything?” I yell to Katie. At the same time typing back: Just admit it, you miss me already and this is an excuse to see me.

  Three dots pop up in a bubble and I stare at the screen. I’m distracted when a loud crash comes from inside the bathroom, causing me to jump from my seat. “I’m okay, I’m okay,” Katie shouts. Her words do little to help tame my now racing heart, but I sit down anyways. “Can you ask him to get me a mocha Frappuccino?”

  “Sure,” I reply.

  Unlocking my phone again, I see I have another message from Collin: Maybe… I will neither confirm nor deny.

  With a grin, I respond: We will take 2 Mocha Frappuccino’s please, Professor Plum.

  I tuck my phone into my pocket just in time to see the bathroom door fly open and smack into the wall next to it, causing a small piece of plaster to break off. Katie doesn’t acknowledge the damage, instead she yells, “Ta-da!” Throwing her arms wide open in front of her.

  The dress she’s chosen for her party is miniscule. It’s sleeveless, black, and barely goes past her bottom. Even though I would never be comfortable in something so small, Katie is rocking it. The spandex-y fabric hugs every curve, showing off her hourglass figure and toned legs, earned from the hours she’s put into cheer.

  “You look fantastic,” I say with honesty.

  She struts forward with her hands on her hips, then does a small twirl once she’s a quarter of the way into the room. “You really think so? Do you think Alex will like it? I just really like him and I’ve been having such a hard time getting his attention. Although he did agree to come over early and be my date for my party.” She takes another step closer and groans, “Ughh, guys are so hard to read.”