by Claire Adams
We looked into each other's eyes again, sharing an intense gaze before he moved his head down to my chest, softly kissing the exposed area of my breasts as he reached behind me to undo my bra, which he did with expert precision.
My breasts burst free as the bra came off. My nipples were already standing at attention, fully aroused and stiff. He cupped my left breast with his hand and started massaging my erect nipple with his forefinger and thumb; on my right breast, he started gently kissing and sucking briefly on my right nipple, which sent wave after wave of pleasure rippling through my body.
As he continued, I moved my hand down over his hard, washboard stomach to his crotch, where I felt his manhood pressing with an almost painful urgency against the inside of his pants. I ran my fingers gently over it, silently marveling at its length and substantial girth.
I started moaning and gasping, and my body began to buck and shudder from the bliss coursing through me. I was getting intensely wet while he continued to amaze me with his mouth. He slipped one hand slowly over my stomach, lingering for a moment to playfully caress my belly button, before sliding it down into my jeans, seeking the center of the intense heat and wetness down there.
With eager hands, I unbuttoned my jeans and unzipped them to give him easier access. He slipped his finger down between my legs, and as soon as his fingertips found the hot, wet opening of my slit, a jolt of intense pleasure rippled through me.
He gently started moving his fingertips around, probing inside and caressing outside, spreading the warmth and intensifying my arousal. I felt the pleasure from this exploration combining with the pleasure from the stimulation of his mouth on my breasts, and together, they were unleashing the first waves of an orgasm.
He began rubbing with soft, rhythmic pressure on my clit, which got me shuddering and gasping. I began to breathe faster and harder, and soon I was bucking and grinding myself against the motion of his fingers, losing control as the orgasm built its force inside me.
Then, finally, it was loosed, and pulses of bliss tore through my body as I came. I gasped and cried out, gripping a fistful of his hair in one hand and digging the nails of my other into his back. Eventually, after the explosive joy of it had passed, I relaxed, panting on the seat. I moved to open his zipper, but just as I did, a police car rolled into the parking lot.
“I think you’d better get dressed,” Wade murmured with a grin, even though from his heavy breathing and the very visible bulge pressing against his pants, I could tell stopping was the absolute last thing he wanted to do.
“Yeah...might be a good idea,” I managed to gasp.
I pulled my jeans back up and slipped my top back on, shoving my bra behind my back. I’d managed to get myself dressed just as a police officer came and tapped on the window.
Wade rolled the window down. “Yes, Officer?” he said.
“What's going on here?” asked the cop.
“We just came out here to watch the moon rise,” Wade informed him.
“I see. Well, I wouldn't advise hanging around here. There have been a number of robberies in this park recently, all at night. Just letting you know.”
“Thank you, Officer. We won't hang around too much longer,” Wade assured him.
“All right. Have yourselves a good evening, then,” the policeman said.
“You, too, Officer,” Wade replied.
The cop walked away, and Wade rolled the window back up. Then he looked at me. “Well...that was fun,” he said.
I smiled shyly and blushed. “That it was,” I replied.
“I guess,” he continued, “we'd better talk about this then?” A sheepish smile pushed up one corner of his beautiful mouth.
“Yeah, I guess we should.”
Chapter Twenty
Wade
This was hard – as was a certain part of my body, but I couldn't do anything about that now, as much as I wanted to. Eryn looked even more beautiful, which I hadn't thought could even be possible, but with her skin glowing and a satisfied, shy smile on her face, I couldn't deny being absolutely captivated by this woman.
Still, we had crossed a line here – a line that we had both previously agreed we wouldn't cross. But once things had been set in motion, it had been impossible to stop.
I decided that the best thing to do would be to not beat around the bush, and just cut right to the chase. “Look, Eryn,” I began, “I think you know how I feel about you.”
“I'm pretty sure I do,” she replied. “And, I guess that you realize that I feel the same about you.”
“Yeah. But what the big issue is, as we both know, is that I'm your coach.”
“And, I'm on your volleyball team.”
“And, if anyone finds out, we'll both be screwed. And not in a good way,” I tried to lighten the topic a little. She giggled and I wanted to kiss her all over again…everywhere. But, I got back on point. “The thing is, I could lose my job; you could lose your spot on the team, which would mean your scholarship. And, of course, the vultures in the media will have a field day with the gossip. They always do.”
“I know. There's a lot at stake here.”
“I know. But what I also have to say is that, to me, this is not just a fling. It's not simply lust. It's...it feels so real. I mean, I can't remember ever feeling like this about anyone. When I'm with you, I feel totally alive. I feel like I can do anything. And when we talk, it's like I could talk to you forever. Like we could seriously talk all night without getting tired. It's just so easy and natural with you.”
She smiled at me, reached over, and tangled her fingers with mine.
“I feel exactly the same, Wade. I have to confess that I had a lot of misconceptions about the kind of guy you were when we first met. Obviously, I'm sure you know a lot of that comes from the gossip magazines, and your reputation, and the fact that you were dating this really famous actress-”
“I don't blame you for that,” I stopped her before she could start comparing herself to anything in my previous life. They didn’t hold a candle to her. “But you know, that person wasn't me – at least, he wasn't the real me.
“I got caught up in all that stuff for a time, but really, I hated it. All the partying I did and the craziness, it was just to cover up how deeply unhappy I felt out there. That's why I came back to Florida. I needed a fresh start, I needed to not have all that garbage in my life any more. I needed to live a life true to myself – and I couldn't do that there.
“But you – you represent everything good about who I am and who I really want to be. You're just this naturally beautiful, unpretentious, kind, generous woman. You work so hard, and you're so focused and selfless. In fact, you're everything that the girls who were after me on the West Coast are not. And that makes me even more madly attracted to you.”
She nodded, still smiling. “Wow...thank you for all the compliments, Wade. They do mean a lot to me. And, you've been so kind and so generous, helping me out not only with all the car stuff, but with my mom and her health issues, as well. Not to mention, of course, the fact that you're a great coach, who has not only inspired me, but everyone else on the team, to work super hard and be the best players we could be.
“But what really changed my mind and amplified my attraction to you was your generosity and selfless kindness.”
I was touched by her honesty and her compliments. “I'm glad you saw past the surface noise and gave me a chance to prove I wasn’t that guy.”
“So am I. But, I’m not so sure it was just the surface noise that made me think that way. I think part of it was me,” she said.
“How so?” I asked.
“Well, to explain that, I think that I have to tell you a little about my relationship with Tim,” she said. “Just to give you some context, really.”
“All right, you can go ahead and tell me if you want.”
“I loved him, I did. But he totally played me, badly. I guess I fell for him for all the wrong reasons. He swept me off my feet when we first met
. I mean, he was such a charmer. As a narcissist, he's perfected that act, I can tell you that.
“So, he used his good looks and charm to manipulate me. I was having thoughts of he and I spending the rest of our lives together, but he was sleeping with every other girl on campus.”
“Oh, man, I'm really sorry to hear that. He sounds like a real dirt bag.”
“Oh, he was…is, trust me. I have no illusions about that now – I just feel ashamed that he had me fooled for so long.”
“It's nothing to be ashamed of, Eryn. Guys like him are experts at keeping women in the dark. They've got it down to a fine art,” I tried to reassure her.
“I still feel like I should have known better.”
“You can't blame yourself, though. You really can't.”
“I know that, but it took… Well, it’s still taking time to accept that. And, to get myself to the point where I can fully trust a guy again. It isn't easy you know, especially when, uh, when he’s a drop dead gorgeous guy…good looking, just like Tim.”
“But I'm not like him, at all. I guarantee you that.”
“I can see that now,” she said. “But you have to understand that once a person's trust has been totally crushed like that, it takes a little time to allow oneself to trust fully again.”
“I understand. And I'm not saying we should jump into anything – but I am saying that these feelings I have for you are real. And, they are intense. I don't think I can deny them or keep them bottled up for much longer. I meant it when I said I haven't felt this way about a woman before.”
“And, I haven't felt this way about a guy for a very long time, either.”
We both sat in silence for a while, each thinking on the other's words. “So,” I said eventually, “what are we gonna do about this?”
“I don't want it to end,” she said, and I could tell from the tone of her voice that she was serious about that. “I really don't want it to end. It feels so wonderful. It’s the most honest feeling I’ve ever had with a man.”
“I totally agree. But there's the whole...you know, coach and player thing.”
“I know. So, I guess what we have to do is, well, keep this secret,” she sighed. “I really don't like keeping secrets.”
“We don't have any other choice, though,” I said. “It's either keep this secret – or not have it at all. And the last thing I am going to do is put you in a position that could be harmful to you in any way. I’m not going to try to talk you into that. I care too much about you.”
We both sat quietly. “I care about you, too,” she said. “And, I'm willing to give it a try if you are.”
A surge of what I could only describe as pure joy rushed through my heart. “I'm absolutely one hundred percent willing to give it a try and to keep it a total secret. I want this – you and I – more than anything. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you since long before that first kiss.”
She smiled and squeezed my hand tighter. “I do, too, Wade. I do, too.”
“All right then. It's agreed – we'll keep it a secret.”
“Remember, when we say 'secret,' it means a total, one hundred percent secret,” I said. “I can’t have you getting in trouble.”
“Right. We can't tell anyone. Not family, not best friends, not anyone at all,” she added. “The consequences of anyone finding out about this could be-”
“Totally disastrous.”
“Believe me, Wade, I know just how much is at stake here.”
“All right. Well, you know I trust you – and you can trust me completely.”
“Yeah. Well, this evening has been amazing. I guess it's time to call it a night, though, before another cop shows up and we end up in a gossip column because we were arrested for indecent exposure or something,” she laughed.
“I guess it is,” I replied, disappointed that the night had to be over. Still, we didn't want things to get too crazy too quickly. It was better to take it slow.
“Can you drive me home now?”
“I can, not that I really want to see you go,” I replied.
We chatted on the way back to her place. Like I had told her before, it was just so easy to talk to her; it really felt like the most natural thing in the world. The conversation flowed so smoothly and easily between us, and once again, it was hard to believe that there were ten years between us. It was as if I was talking to someone older and more mature, and I had to say that I appreciated her emotional maturity.
Finally, we reached her place. “Well, here we are,” I said.
“Yep, here we are.”
“Before you go, there's something I have to say,” I expressed, looking into her eyes. “But words alone aren't enough to say it.”
“I think I know what it is,” she replied, and we both moved at once, pressing our lips together in a passionate and intense kiss. We both grew sweltering and excited, but knew that we shouldn't do more at this point, so we reluctantly broke it off. I went around and opened her door, helping her out of the car.
“Bye, Wade,” she said with a smile.
“Bye, Eryn,” I replied, and watched her until she made it safely inside her apartment. I drove off feeling happier than I had in years.
Chapter Twenty-One
Eryn
After a couple of weeks of light participation in practice — which meant no actual practicing — I’d finally been released by the doctor to get back to full speed. I had to remind myself daily that pushing it too hard too soon would prolong my injury, and as annoying as it had been for a fitness junkie like me, I'd listened to my doctor and coach and stayed off my feet and rested.
Now, however, I was back on the court at last. I realized after spiking my first successful attack over the net, not just how much I loved this game, but how much I needed it. If there ever was a place I felt fully and truly at home, it was here on the volleyball court. I'd been born to do this – of that much I was certain.
The ball came back over the net in a well-placed attack. I dove to the ground and saved it, sending it back up to Leena, who set up a perfect attack. We scored again. Leena high-fived me as I steadied myself back on my feet.
“That ankle doing all right, Eryn?” she asked.
“It's holding up well, yeah,” I replied.
“You're sure you're okay playing on it?”
I nodded. “Definitely. It feels like it wasn't ever hurt, actually.”
She smiled. “Awesome! You have no idea how happy I am to have you back in action!”
“You and me both. I'm ready to kick some ass; seriously, I am. Especially after doing nothing much but sitting on the sofa and binge-watching Netflix. It was like I could feel my muscles shriveling up and dying. It was terrible!”
What I wasn't saying, however, was that a lot of that time spent on the sofa, while Leena had been out, had been with Wade – and we hadn't just been watching shows, I could tell you that.
In fact, just the thought of what we'd gotten up to in that time started getting things pretty warm between my thighs. I blushed, even though nobody knew what was happening down there except me. Practice was definitely not the place for thinking about such things. With a guy like Wade, however, it was hard to keep my mind off him. Especially at practice, considering that tiny, little detail of him being my volleyball coach.
Yeah, not so tiny, really.
My volleyball scholarship was still hanging by a thread, even though I'd finally made the starting lineup. I knew the university was looking to cut costs, and if anyone found out anything about what was going on between Wade and me, I'd be dropped faster than third-period French class.
And with Mom's medical bills an issue now, if anything happened to my scholarship, there would be no way I could stay in school. I'd have to get a job – although what I could do with no experience and no college degree certainly limited my options. It was a scary thought that was hard not to worry about.
Somehow, I managed to get my head back in the game. I was focused, my perfo
rmance was pretty well on par, and although my fitness level had deteriorated a bit, I was satisfied with my ability to keep up.
We finished up practice by winning the fourth game and not having to drag it out to a fifth.
“Well done, ladies!” Wade called as he strode out onto the court. I couldn't keep my eyes off him; I watched his muscles shift beneath his golf shirt and pictured how they looked underneath. What that led to was me picturing other parts of his body, as well. Other hard, large parts.
“Are you paying attention, Eryn?” he snapped angrily. “Looks like your damn head is in the clouds or something – and that's the sort of stuff that makes us lose games!”
I knew it was an act, and that his anger was simply put on and not real, so I reacted appropriately, putting on an act of shame. “I'm sorry, Coach Vinson,” I replied sheepishly. “Don't worry, I'm paying attention now.”
“You better be.” He looked over all of us as we stood in front of him.
“All right, ladies, as you all know, this weekend's game is against Rollins College. I'm sure you are all aware of their reputation. This isn't gonna be a cakewalk like our game against Miami. Rollins has some of the best players in the division, and from what I've heard, they've been working very hard on upping their game.
“Make no mistake, ladies, this is going to be one hell of a hard game. As such, we need absolute focus and absolute dedication. I'm not even talking about 110 percent. I'm talking 200 percent! Can you do that?!”
“Yes, Coach!” we all replied in unison.
“I didn't hear you. I said, CAN YOU DO THAT?!”
“YES, COACH!” we roared in response. The team was pretty fired up, that was for sure.
“All right, good. I'll send out the starting lineup list tomorrow, so check your emails and prepare accordingly. That's all for now, ladies. Go hit those showers!”
The hot shower felt amazing after practice. I considered lingering a bit to try to talk with Wade for a few minutes, but decided against it. As I left the locker room, my phone rang so I fished it out of my bag. It was Anne.