Bound by Blood Box Set

by Lane Hart

  "Of course."

  She laughed, something I was starting to love hearing more and more each day. "Are you sure? I haven't even told you where we're going yet."

  "I don't need to know, or think about it. I'll do anything to spend more time with you."

  "Good, then I'm going to hold you to that," she said with a smile. "Did you play any sports in high school?"

  "Yeah, football and basketball. Why?" I asked.

  "Oh good!"

  "It's good that I played sports in high school?" I asked, confused.

  "Well yeah. What positions?"

  "Tight end in football and center on our basketball team."

  "Were you any good?" she inquired with a smirk.

  "That is debatable. I was the starting tight end on the varsity football team for three years, and starting center for my last two. All conference in both my senior year, but definitely not good enough for scholarships or anything."

  "I bet all the girls had crushes on you."

  I laughed. "Maybe a few did, but I had a high school sweetheart for the last two and a half years I was there, so they were out of luck."

  "Oh really? So what happened to her? Just grow apart?"

  "Pretty much. I went into the Army, she went out of state for college. We wrote each other for a while, but then decided it wasn't going to work anymore."

  "Was she your first?" she leaned forward on her elbows and asked quietly.

  Laughter burst from my lips at her prying question, and I couldn't help but smile at how cute she was, wanting to know about my past. "Actually, yes. And now, you have to tell me about yours."

  She leaned back against the booth seat and sighed. "Well, not much to tell. I knew because of my, um, ‘condition’ that I had to be careful. So on prom night I decided I'd do it while my inexperienced date was so inebriated he wouldn't remember. It was over and done quickly in a motel room. I disposed of the condom, then I drug him to the shower without letting our lips separate to get rid of the evidence."

  "Pretty smart."

  "It was either that or keep my virginity for the rest of my life," she said with a shrug.

  "I for one am really glad it was the former. I'm sure your prom date was too."

  "Speaking of which, we have about two hours to kill if you'd like to head back to the hotel."

  "Let's go," I said, jumping up and grabbing her hand to drag her out of the restaurant.

  Chapter Eleven

  Elizabeth

  Tom wanted to drive, probably because he didn't trust Old Betsy to get us anywhere without breaking down, so I was giving him turn by turn directions along the way. It was really sweet how he'd agreed to come with me, without even knowing what we would be doing. I hoped he wasn't going to mind once he found out where we were headed.

  The further we went, the more run down the houses became. Buildings were in ruins and boarded up, graffiti was painted on most available surfaces, and trash littered the streets and sidewalks.

  "Ah, Elizabeth, where are we going?"

  "The Boys and Girls Club. Why? Do you want to back out?" I asked.

  He looked over at me a second before he looked back at the road. "No, of course not. Do you volunteer there?"

  "Yeah. It's basketball season and I help coach one of the five to six-year olds' teams, the Hornets."

  "You're amazing, you know that?" he asked with a grin.

  "I just like being around the kids. They're cute and a lot of fun. Take the next left and you'll see it on the right," I told him when we got closer.

  Several kids were playing outside on the playground, some without coats on in the freezing cold. I made a mental note to swing by Goodwill in the next day or so.

  I waved at a few faces I recognized from previous years on the way inside, then checked us in at the front desk.

  "Hey Bonnie. This is Tom, and he's going to help us out today."

  I signed in our names and grabbed two visitor badges while Bonnie blatantly ogled Tom.

  "Hi there Tom. We're so glad to have you, and really hope you'll come back and see us again," she said, actually batting her eyelashes at him.

  "Aren't you married Bonnie?" I teased.

  The middle aged, heavy set woman heaved a sigh. "Yes, but Bill isn't half as handsome as Tom here is."

  I peeked over at Tom who was rubbing the back of his neck, which was turning red.

  "Come on, we're already five minutes late for warm-ups," I said, grabbing his hand to drag him away. "Are you blushing?" I asked on the way to the gym.

  "Of course not. So how does this work?" he asked, sounding a little nervous. The man was a D.R.A. agent, had recently seen my brother kill an agent and helped cover it up, yet he looked concerned about interacting with children.

  "I'm just the assistant coach, so what we'll do is back up John. He's the coach. There are four ten minute quarters, with a ten minute break at the half. We have twelve kids on our team, seven boys and five girls. They all get to play, and that's our main job, to make sure everyone gets rotated in. Other than that we hand out cups of water, fix booboos, try and prevent fights, and cheer them on."

  "Sounds easy enough," he said with a smile.

  "Uh-uh, see if you say the same thing an hour from now," I teased, and laughed when he looked more uneasy. "I take it you don't hang around with kids very often?"

  "Ah, no. I'm the youngest in our family. Some of my cousins have kids, but they all live out of state."

  "Well, I'm sure you'll be fine. Just watch your language," I teased.

  He laughed. "Got it."

  I led the way through the gym, which had already been separated into smaller courts by long blue curtains for night games. I finally found our group on the last court.

  "Ms. Liz!" one of the taller boys, with curly brown hair exclaimed, and came running over for a hug.

  "Hi Marcus. You ready to score a bunch of baskets?" I asked when he eased his grip on my legs.

  "I bet I'll get six today!"

  "That'd be great, but it's okay if you don't. Five is a really awesome record."

  "Is he your boyfriend Ms. Liz?" the curious boy asked, tilting his neck back to look up at Tom like he was a giant.

  "Um, yeah, sure. This is Tom. Tom, this is Marcus."

  I wasn't sure how Tom felt about the label after we just met two days ago, but it was easier than explaining anything to a little boy. It wasn't like it mattered.

  "Nice to meet you Marcus. Sounds like you're a really good player," Tom said, shaking his little hand.

  The three of us made our way over to the rest of the group that was already sitting down in a circle stretching.

  "Hi John. Sorry we're late."

  "Oh, you're fine. Glad to see you. Are you ready to rumble?"

  "Heck yes," I told him. "John, this is my friend Tom. Tom this is Coach John."

  The two men shook hands, and I didn't miss their assessment of each other. John's flirting with me had become more and more obvious lately, but I'd never had those sort of feelings for him.

  "Thanks for joining us, Tom."

  "Sure. Glad to help, just let me know what you need me to do," Tom said, and his arm went possessively around my waist.

  "Actually, we're a ref short tonight. Would you mind filling in?" John asked him.

  "Yeah, that sounds fun," Tom said and I couldn't help my giggle. "What?" he asked.

  "Nothing. I'm sure you'll be a great ref. Tom played center in high school."

  "That right?" John said, like he couldn’t care less. "Liz, I'll need you with me, lining up the kids and getting them in and out."

  "Sure."

  "Ms. Liz, can you tie my shoe please?" Kayla tugged on my shirt and asked so nicely. She was just too cute with her blonde hair in pigtails.

  "Of course cutie," I went down to my knees to tie double knots in her well-worn shoes.

  "Alright guys, bring it in," John called out and we were suddenly surrounded by twelve bouncing kids. "On the count of three, 'Let's go Hor
nets'. One, two, three."

  "Let's go Hornets!" roared the group.

  I grabbed our team clipboard from the bench that had the order of the players, and when to change them up, so that everyone got equal play time.

  "Okay, Bobby, Xander, Shelly, Will, and Kayla, you're up first tonight," I yelled over the group.

  Once all five had made it onto the court I looked around for Tom. He was pulling on the black and white striped referee shirt, while talking to a group of five-year-old boys that'd gathered admiringly around him. He'd never looked so sexy. I could easily picture him as the father of one of these little girls or boys, and I just knew he'd be really damn good at it too. When he looked over and saw me watching him a smile spread across his face. He was so getting laid tonight. Several times.

  …

  Tom

  The clock was down to the last two minutes of the game. Thank God. I was dripping wet with sweat, I'd been kicked in the shins, twice, elbowed in the gut several times, and hit it the head with the ball. Not to mention I'd lost track of how many kids I'd seen cry, or how many parents had yelled at me. Despite all that it had been the most worthwhile experience I'd ever had. Even if I hadn't enjoyed it, seeing Elizabeth's smile would have convinced me to do it a hundred times over.

  It was obvious that she was loved by all the kids and their parents, not to mention the coach … the bastard. I wasn’t sure how long she'd been volunteering, but I knew she was really attached to all these guys. Her worry for them was so damn sweet. During timeouts I'd watched her hold ice packs on sore knees and faces, comfort hysterical kids until they calmed down, and cheer on all the players, especially the ones that were not the most … athletically inclined.

  If I thought the woman was amazing before, well now she had just surpassed that and become down right incredible.

  The buzzer sounded and the Hornets cheered for their win. It'd been a pretty close game with the final score twenty to the Bears sixteen. There was high fiving for all players on both teams in a show of good sportsmanship, then the parents started gathering their kids to head home.

  I was swiping a sleeve across my forehead, trying to catch the sweat before it dripped down my face when Elizabeth walked up. She grabbed the front of my shirt and stretched up on her tiptoes to lean in close to my ear.

  "I've never wanted anyone as much as I want you right now," she whispered.

  The images that flooded my mind were highly inappropriate for the current environment. I looked around checking for small ears, but the two of us and the bastard coach that’d eye-fucked Elizabeth so many times I wanted to choke his kind, community volunteering neck, were the only ones left on our small court.

  "Oh sweetheart, I can't wait to get you back to my room," I told her, brushing my lips quickly across her cheek.

  "Good job tonight Tom," John came up and said, almost certainly just to interrupt us. "Too bad Liz said you're only in town for a few weeks."

  "I'm starting to think it may be for much longer than that. Maybe even permanently," I told him, while my eyes stayed on Elizabeth, watching her eyes widen in surprise.

  "Really?" she beamed.

  "Really. I like it here."

  "Yeah, well, see you guys later," John finally said when he realized we weren't paying any attention to him.

  "See ya John," I said, trying to keep my insane jealousy out of my tone.

  "Let's go sweetheart. I can't wait to get naked with you in my shower," I said to Elizabeth while he was still within earshot.

  "Tom!" she exclaimed, her cheeks glowing bright with her embarrassment.

  "What? There aren't any kids around."

  "You know what," she said, rolling her eyes before taking my hand. "But yes, take me back to your room you insanely gorgeous man."

  The ride home was the longest fifteen minutes of my life. I couldn't wait to get back to the hotel room with Elizabeth, and after our joint shower, spend the rest of the night in her. By the time she left Friday morning for her exam, we'd gone through a dozen condoms.

  After Elizabeth left I laid in bed thinking about her. I realized that in just three days I'd made love to her almost three times as often as I had my wife in two months. Which reminded me, Vanessa should be getting served her paperwork today. Too bad I couldn't be there to see her reaction in person. I couldn't wait to have our hack of a marriage dissolved.

  Since Vanessa's mother and my own were best friends, and my sister and Vanessa were two bitchy peas in a pod, I was sure my mother and sister would both side with her. That was perfectly fine with me, too. No family at all was better than having to deal with any of them. But now I was starting to want my own family for the first time ever. I could really picture myself marrying Elizabeth and having children with her. Even though we just met, I knew she was the only one that I could ever be ridiculously happy with, and I would love her for the rest of my life. Wow, I hadn't even realized it, and I wasn't sure the exact moment when it had happened, but I had already fallen completely in love with her.

  Chapter Twelve

  Elizabeth

  It was the Friday before Christmas, and I had just finished my last exam. I was so happy I could have done cartwheels in the parking lot. My suitcase was in my car, packed and ready to go with Tom on my first beach trip.

  Tom wanted us to go somewhere to celebrate my graduation and spend Christmas together. So, when Jason said he'd be okay, and had plans with friends for the holidays, I jumped at the chance to get away with Tom. I'd never actually been to the coast before, so that's where we were heading today for a weeklong trip together. I was also looking forward to the distraction of getting away for the first Christmas without my mother.

  I now had an associate’s degree, and would start school at Madison University in just four weeks. Other than the hole in my chest where I missed her, I didn’t think I could feel any better.

  I’d been sleeping six or seven hours a night with Tom for the last two weeks, eating regularly again, and my body couldn’t feel any more relaxed and satisfied from all the orgasms I’d had. I loved spending time with him, and just being in the same room with him made me ridiculously happy.

  Tom was waiting for me when I pulled up in the hotel parking lot. I couldn’t hold in my excitement anymore. I jumped out of my car and threw myself at him, my arms going around his neck as he picked me up and kissed me.

  “Congratulations,” he told me against my lips.

  “I want you,” I told him. “Right now. I can’t wait. Please take me inside,” I begged him, and he willingly obliged.

  As soon as we walked into the hotel room we pulled each other’s clothes off. I wanted Tom so badly it hurt. When we made it to the bed I straddled him, losing myself to the feeling of him inside me, and the warmth in his eyes as he watched me above him. I was desperate for him, and needed him more than anything. He sat up, wrapping his arms around me, connecting his mouth to mine while we made intense and earthshattering love to each other.

  “Elizabeth. I’ve got to stop. Right now. Oh God, I don’t want to,” Tom moaned, reminding me of what we'd forgotten in our urgency.

  “Please don’t stop. Oh! Tom!” I cried out through the orgasm, then felt him fill me with his own release.

  He laid back down against the bed with me still on top of him, kissing him, and yearning for more. Tom flipped our positions, putting him above me. He ravished my mouth until he was sliding into me again.

  Holding on to his large muscled arms, I looked up into his burning blue eyes as he made love to me again.

  “You’re so beautiful,” he said.

  “So are you,” I told him with a smile, right before another orgasm took me under. Tom’s mouth went to my neck, kissing me as I came apart.

  “Do you want me to stop?” he asked. “Tell me now.”

  Oh God. My mind said I was an idiot and this was the second time we hadn’t used a condom, but if he was okay with the possible, but unlikely, consequences, than I was too.

  “N
o, don't stop,” I whispered and held onto him as he groaned through his own release, pouring into me again.

  After Tom collapsed onto me, he quickly rolled us to our sides so his weight wouldn't crush me.

  “You wore me out,” he said, still breathing heavily and placing a kiss to my temple.

  I laughed as I nuzzled against his neck. “I really like having you above me. And under me. And behind me. Pretty much any way I can get you,” I told him. He laughed before kissing my lips again.

  “I know what we just did is risky, but with you, the consequences don’t scare me at all,” he said, and for whatever reason I felt the same way.

  “I’m not worried about it either. But are you really sure you're okay with the chance, although probably slim, that I could get pregnant?”

  “I love you Elizabeth, and even though we just met a few weeks ago, I already know that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if you’ll let me.”

  My breathing stopped as I replayed his words in my mind over and over, trying to grasp them and convince myself I'd actually heard them. I felt a tear slide down my cheek before I could speak.

  “No, Elizabeth, don’t cry,” Tom said as his fingertips wiped it from my face. “I’ll wait however long it takes for you to feel the same way. I’m not going anywhere.”

  “I love you too,” I told him even though my voice was barely more than a whisper. “And I want to be with you.”

  Tom’s mouth covered mine, kissing me deeply, lovingly. When he finally pulled away he smiled down at me.

  “I want to take care of you and have a family with you. I want to do everything I can to make you happy,” then he laughed. “It’s not just to make you happy. I’ve never wanted kids before but I want them with you. And I know what they’ll be but I don’t care. We’ll keep them safe.”

  “I want that more than anything in the world,” I told him honestly, as more tears fell.

  I'd fallen hard for this man in just a few weeks, and I couldn't imagine my life without him. The only thing better than having him would be us having a family together. The dream from the night before came barreling into me. Me cradling our daughter to my chest. A beautiful newborn baby girl.