by SE Hall
“Nope, done with all of this frat shit. Come on, Ava, get up…we’re moving.”
AVA
Rush is on edge, all patience to have me is gone. Can’t say I don’t feel the same, my entire body pulsing with need—I can’t fight him any longer, not tonight.
He abruptly “escorts” the girl out of the room as I crawl off the bed, curious as to where he plans on moving us to. “I need you to carry these,” he growls as he rips the sheets and blankets off the bed, tossing them to me before piling the pillows on top. “Follow me to my truck.”
I let him lead, watching his muscles ripple and flex as he drags the mattress out of the room, down the hallway and right out the front door. He tosses it in the bed of his truck, and like a raging lunatic grabs the stuff from my arms, making our new “bed” faster than anyone I’ve ever seen…a very determined man on fire…very sexy.
“Get in, I’m gonna pull around to the back of the house.” And with that, he slides in the driver’s seat and starts the engine. It always gets me when his “alpha” comes out full-force, something I would’ve never thought possible. I like being independent and strong, but damn if it doesn’t make me weak in the knees when he gets domineering and demanding.
The truck’s barely in park when he blows out a deep breath and turns to look at me. “Sorry, I’m just wound so fucking tight right now. Watching you all day, no inhibitions, wearing my number…can’t take another interruption.” Without another word, he throws open his door, so I jump out and follow him to the back of the truck.
“I’ve never slept in a truck before.”
“Me neither, but who’s to say we’ll be sleeping.” He teases me and with his help, I climb in and slide up next to him. The night air has a slight chill to it, but with his big warm body next to me, I definitely won’t get cold.
Both of us lying on the mattress, he moves over me, taking us right back to where we left off in the bedroom…but something’s now different—a shift in his approach. Earlier he was frantic, ravenous to get us here—he and I alone, in control and him overpowering me mentally and physically. Now that we’re here, he’s changed his game to a slow and steady one, and much like every damn thing about him, this side of Rush intoxicates me too. As though cherishing me as a person, not just his next fuck, he kisses me with a languid tenderness that makes me feel adored. Important. Meaningful.
Thoughts that he might actually have feelings for me start to surface; fright overshadowing optimism, I use both hands to shove at his chest and push him off me. He lands on his back, staring up at me in confused hunger as I position myself over his body and take charge. I need this to be sex, emotionless as possible—if I have any hope of walking away from him when we get back to Tennessee.
His hands ease up my sides, and slide under the jersey until he reaches my breasts, palming each and giving a slight squeeze before he’s moving on to take firm hold of my ass, guiding me to grind down on him. His dick is bulging beneath me, straining against the zipper making it difficult to unzip his jeans.
“Lemme help,” he offers in deep sedation, lifting me while we both work frantically to lose our pants, anxiously resuming our connection as quickly as possible. I let my thoughts go and my head fall back, taking his thick, hard length inside me, my hungry moan escaping as he fills me completely. My eyes fly open when he hits a deep, glorious spot and I take a moment to admire the stars above me before looking down into his eyes, lazy and half-lidded with desire. His next gentle thrust up into me reminds me to move, so I do, riding him slowly, shifting and rotating my hips until I find that perfect rhythm that’ll send me soaring in orgasm before I know it.
“Fuck, Ava.” His hoarse moan spurs me to fuck him even faster…harder, as he grips onto my ass cheeks again, digging his fingers into my flesh, to command the thrusting…slowing it, me, down. I softly growl out my needy frustration, sexual tension running rampantly through my whole body as I push harder, forcing him deeper and wiggling to put pressure on the perfect spot.
“You need it bad, dontcha babe?”
“Rush, stop talking, just let me have it,” I breathlessly demand and beg at the same time.
“Oh, I plan to,” his laugh is raspy as he drives even deeper into me with a purpose.
I sit straight up and start to pull my top off, only to have him immediately stop me. “Keep it on,” his bossy snarl is sexy as hell. His hands find their way under the jersey again, sending a wave of chills over my skin. My hips move on their own, instinctively wildly, as I cry out in pleasure as an orgasm wracks my body. Rush firms his grip on me and with a low feral grumble, rolls us back over once I’ve finished coming down from my high, his sweat-slickened body on top of mine.
His impossibly deep plunge into me draws a wail from my chest, prolonging the electricity flowing through my body, and making the exact point he intended. This man knows my body better than anyone else in the world, and he wants to remind me of that.
“You love it, don’t you Ava?” his rough-voiced question is loaded with smug pride. “My dick, how only I make you feel. Say it.”
Not only does he know the answer, but I can’t reply, afraid of saying too much. No matter what, I have to end it with him tomorrow…so I’ll save the talking for then. I close my eyes, losing myself in the euphoria, refusing any thought of, or worrying about how I’ll survive our fast-approaching goodbye.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
RUSH
Waking up with Ava next to me in the back of my truck is surreal. An Alabama sunrise is something everyone should see at least once in their life…this is even better. She’s curled up tight against my side, our body heat even warmer than the blanket or the morning sun. I hear others starting to rise, talking in the distance putting me on guard, thoughts of shielding Ava from discovery or embarrassment instant, but…I’m not just yet ready to give this up yet.
I shift just enough to see her better, long hair sprawled out around her, a beautiful mess from having sex all night. She stirs as soon as I move, slowly cracking one eye open to catch me staring at her. “Were you watching me sleep?” her voice thick and sexy.
I curl my arm around her waist and pull her flush against me before responding, “No, I just woke up too.”
She nuzzles her face into my chest and lets out a small moan before she sits up. “We should probably get going soon. I need to make it home early enough to get some stuff done today.” Barely awake…and there it is again, already distancing herself from me. I roll onto my back and watch her awkwardly wobble on the mattress in search of the rest of her clothes. She stops mid-teeter and points just over my shoulder. “Can you hand me my pants?”
I toss my hand above my head and grab them, holding them out to her. She won’t look me in the eyes, so I keep a grip on them until she gives up her tugging and meets my gaze. “Ava, why are you acting like this again?”
“Like what?” she feigns ignorance, but the crack in her voice betrays her…even she can’t deny her bullshit.
“Distant. Cold. Unaffected. Pick one,” I grumble.
“Can we just go? I’ll talk to you on the drive home, I promise. I’m not trying to act any way; I’d just prefer not having this conversation while half-naked in the back of a truck behind a frat house.”
I let go of her pants and rest my head on my hands, folded behind it, flexing my biceps as I do. And yes, she notices… rolling her eyes in over-dramatic denial.
“Rush, why are you still looking at me like that?” she snaps as she yanks on her pants. “I’ve been upfront about everything since the beginning.” Her snippy tone hits me all kinds of wrong and causes me to jump on the defensive, a side I usually never play. I’m done letting her take the easy way out of things, and decide, I’m gonna lay it all out there with her, once and for all. But I will give her the respect of waiting to do so until we’re in the truck and on our way home. Don’t want anyone but me seeing her body any more than she does anyway, and… she can’t run from me, or the truth, going seve
nty down the interstate.
So yeah, I’m suddenly in a hurry now too, hopping out of the truck bed quickly, not a damn bit concerned about my bare ass and who might see it. My clothes are scattered—some hanging over the side of the truck, others on the ground, so this makes it easier anyway. Ava jumps down without another word or asking for help, and we load up. I pull around front and park to take the bedding and mattress inside.
Ava joins me, first opening the front door, then the one to the spare room…jolting backward with a gasp as she does. “What?” I ask as I come to a sudden stop.
“Maybe we should just leave the stuff here in the hall,” she snickers.
“Why?”
“We’re interrupting,” she whispers quietly. I growl, ready to put this damn mattress up and get on the road.
“Ava, what the hell is—”
“Fine,” she drawls with a saucy smile, “see for yourself.” She steps aside, giving me room to have a look in the room. Speaking of bare asses, I’ve seen way too much of this fucker’s in the short time we’ve been here—Hale—and two equally naked girls, in a sexed-out pile on the floor. Nothing about that surprises me in the least, but Ava shocks the shit out of me—laughing unfazed…already immune to Hale’s insanity. She tosses the sheets and blanket near the box springs while I drop the mattress in place. We turn and leave without them even budging, and I lead us toward Jett’s room.
I knock, but decide against waiting for an invite, turning the knob…I know my little brother gets laid, no problem with it…but if he’s sprawled out like Hale, I’d just as soon stop her from seeing him in the flesh too.
“Hey man,” I stick my head in, relieved to find him under the sheets, alone, and open the door wider so Ava can say bye to him too. “We’re gonna take off. Bring your ass to Tennessee soon, bro.”
“Will do,” he mumbles rolling over to face us. “Come gimme a kiss goodbye, Ava.” He opens his arms and puckers his lips.
“Um,” she laughs, “do you sleep in pajamas?”
“Sure do. Got my nekkid pair on right now. They’re my favorite.”
“That’s what I figured. Bye Jett, it’s been a pleasure.” She blows him a kiss. “There’s your kiss.”
I flip him off and pull the door closed, ushering Ava down the hall by a hand on the small of her back—whether she likes it or not. Same way I help her into the truck—handsy and unashamed—chuckling at her glares and attempts to avoid my touch. I wait, impatiently, for her to talk, as promised, but as we come up on an hour of traveling in silence, I’m at the end of my rope.
“So, lemme guess, you’re walking,” I oh so unsubtly start the conversation we’re both dreading.
“Rush, please don’t make this any harder than it already is.” She's looking out her window.
“I’m not making anything harder. You said we’d talk; let’s talk. Do you really expect me to stand back and do nothing? Just let you throw all this away when I damn well know you care about me too?” She doesn't respond to me right away…not that I expected her to. She sighs heavily right before she finally does.
“My first obligation is to the team, you know that, I’ve only said it a hundred times. I promised my grandfather that I would take care of it, and if I'm caught sleeping around with you, it’ll cause negative attention to Thunder. Not just you, or me, but the whole team. Every player, coach, trainer… they all work hard and don’t deserve that kind of publicity around the organization.” She slowly turns her head to look at me, not a single tear even surfacing in her eyes, even though I feel like my heart is about to explode out of my chest. “Pretty selfish to cost them everything they’ve worked for just to because we’re good at sex.”
“Just good sex, huh?” I scoff angrily. “Ava, at least try to sound convincing when you spout off your bullshit excuses. Maybe then you stand a chance of getting yourself to believe it, ‘cause I sure as hell don’t.”
“Excuse me?” Her pitch rises to an offended level. “You calling me a liar, Riggins?”
“I sure the fuck am. Care for me to explain how I know I’m right?”
“By all means, I’m dying to hear this.” She’s irritated with my tone, but I’m done tip-toeing around this subject.
“Alright. Of course, first comes the fact that you fuck me like no other dick but mine will ever do, which, by the way, it won’t. But it’s more than that, Ava. When you look at me, you stare through my eyes, as if you’re searching for answers to questions you’re afraid to ask. And when you think it’s safe, that I’m not paying attention, you smile my way, a real smile, and your eyes light up with a warmness of respect and true affection.”
“Someone certainly thinks highly of himself.” She’s trying hard to keep me out, still resisting any logic about us.
“Absolutely, won’t deny it, but lately I think even more highly of myself. And not because I’m a professional football player; no, I feel like a million bucks because you think highly of me, whether you’re willing to admit it or not, and that’s important to me. Ava, don’t take this the wrong way, please, but who you’re dating won’t affect the team near as much as you think it will. All people care about is our record, and that’s not your job, it’s mine. And I don’t know if you’ve checked lately, but we win games, so it’s being handled. I don’t know why you think your grandfather’s legacy needs all your concentration. Thunder is thriving.”
“True,” she draws out her mumble.
“Okay then, what’s the problem? We make an announcement that we’re together and move on with our relationship. Or, we don’t say anything, just do us, and let them figure it out. Either way, we’ll still win games and everything will be fine.” We come to a standstill in traffic, so I shift to face her. “Ava, move in with me. Be with me, let’s enjoy this. To hell with everyone else. Besides, who doesn’t like a good love story? The media will eat that shit up.”
“Don't be ridiculous, Rush. You don't really want to be tied down to one woman. You’re a competitive alpha male; you simply want to conquer a challenge, take what you can’t have. Which is the exact reason my grandfather always told me to stay away from professional athletes. Their cutthroat instincts make rash decisions for them. We both know you'll get bored with me as soon as you’ve “won” and where will that leave me?” I'm truly taken aback by her words; does she really think that little of me?
“Well, I see you have it all figured out, which is completely fair considering I haven't so much as looked in another woman's direction since I met you. You know what, Ava? I get that you're scared to jump into something with me, but don't make this about me or stereotypes you’ve never experienced to test their accuracy, when I've done nothing to make you feel that any of that shit is true.” My defense is spoken stern, removing any doubt as to whether or not I'm pissed. She easily picks up on it and snaps her head to stare out the window once again.
Miles pass as I struggle to calm myself and swallow down the giant fucking lump in my throat. I wish like hell I could stop this truck and show her how much I care, but the truth is I already have, time and again…she just chooses to ignore it. She made up her mind a long time ago that “my type” are horrible people, our only intentions to “nut and cut,” leaving her feeling used, hurt and alone.
I bite my tongue until we’re about five miles from her house, then clear my throat, ready to say my final piece. If she's going to bolt, she’s at least gonna hear me out first. All of it. “Ava, you've changed me.” I gulp down my pride before continuing, choking back any emotions attempting to surface. “I never thought I'd find anyone that I’d want in my life more than football, but I have. You, Ava. And if that’s what you need from me, the absence of fanfare, temptation or whatever it is that worries you most, then consider this my resignation.”
She whips her head toward me, her eyes swollen from the silent tears she let fall while staring out the window.
“Absolutely not! I won't accept it, Rush. Football is your life and I refuse to be the person t
hat comes between you and your ultimate passion. This is your career, earned through years of hard work.”
“Then don't be,” I shrug. “Stop all of this bullshit and be with me, and I’ll keep playing. Two choices, and whichever one you choose is fine with me. I’m serious, Ava. I’m choosing you.” I pull up to her gate and wait for her final decision, but that’s not what I get.
“Rush, I won’t choose; both options are ludicrous. I can't do this, plain as that, and I’ve tried to make that clear to you all along. I have a huge responsibility and I’d never be able to live with myself if you stop playing. Costing us our quarterback wouldn’t be taking care of the team; it’d be the complete opposite. And dating him… same thing. So please, just,” she’s quick enough to hide the tormented whimper in her voice, “accept it and move on. You are making it worse and I can’t handle anymore.”
I'm not sure how much worse this could be, because I feel like I’ve been gutted, finally realizing I have to let her go. She's determined to resist and toss us aside as though we were never anything. All I can do now is hope that she’ll come to her senses and realize what a dumb fucking decision she's making. Admit that she’s the one insisting things be harder than needed.
“I can't make you love me, Ava, but I also can't let you leave without you hearing me say—I can hardly breathe just thinking about how lonely my life will be without you in it. How empty I’ll feel knowing I won't ever get to touch you or feel you against me anymore. Despite your best efforts not to, you made me fall in love with you and now you want throw that away.”