Going All In

by Cassandra Carr

  Annalise chuckled. “You’re a professional athlete. Aren’t you guys supposed to have some stamina?”

  He maneuvered to his side, his head propped on his hand. “That sounds like a challenge to me. Let me get rid of the condom and take a few minutes to rest and then I’ll show just how much stamina I’ve got, baby.”

  “Oh, my…”

  “Yeah. You didn’t think once was gonna be enough, did you? There are so many more wicked things I want to do to you.” She looked in his eyes and saw more than simple lust, though, and it scared the hell out of her.

  She sat up in bed. “We should go to the store to get the stuff for dinner.”

  “Not so fast.” Sitting up himself, he put his arms around her and nuzzled into her neck. “I need to be inside you at least one more time before I’ll even consider letting you out of this bed.”

  “But—”

  “But nothing. We’ve got plenty of time.” She shifted and winced a little. He jerked his head toward her leg. “Does it hurt?”

  “A little,” she admitted. She couldn’t think of a good reason to lie to him about it, so she didn’t.

  “I’m sorry, hon. Was I too rough?”

  “No, you were great. It’s just been a long day.”

  “Do you want to take it off?”

  “Oh, no, I couldn’t do that.”

  His eyebrows drew down as he frowned. “Why not?”

  “Because it looks weird.”

  “It’s a part of you, Annalise. It’s not weird.”

  She blew out a frustrated breath. “It is weird. And gross. I’ve learned to live with it but that doesn’t mean you have to.”

  “I don’t mind, really.”

  “I mind! I mind, all right?” She knew she shouldn’t be shouting at Marcus. He was only trying to be nice, but she couldn’t help it. She didn’t want his pity.

  “Okay, okay.” Marcus rose and disposed of the condom before kneeling in front of her on the bed. “I don’t ever want to make you uncomfortable. That wasn’t my intention.”

  “I know,” Annalise admitted. She felt like the hugest bitch. She’d ruined the mood and didn’t know any way to get it back. “Can we just go to the store now?”

  “Of course. Whatever you want.” He began to stand up and she grabbed his hand.

  “I’m sorry. It’s just…” She stopped to take a deep breath and he waited patiently for her to continue. “I’m kind of oversensitive since I got teased as a child and the stupid thing just gets more and more uncomfortable the older it gets. Anyway, I’m sorry I took it out on you.”

  Marcus smiled and reached up to run the pad of his index finger down her cheek. “Honey, I know it’s hard. I wish I could make it all better for you. Don’t worry about upsetting or offending me. Believe me, given the shit I hear on the ice every day, anything you could say pales by comparison.” His finger trailed down until it caught on her bottom lip. “Now, I want you to understand something. I want you. And whether or not you’re wearing a prosthesis won’t make any difference. Yeah, it’ll be a little strange the first time we have sex without you wearing it, but it’s certainly not a deal breaker. I guarantee I’ll still be able to get it up.” He grinned and she rolled her eyes. “Of course, if at any time you’d like to help in that endeavor, I wouldn’t complain.” Sinking his finger into her mouth, he moved it back and forth in clear suggestion.

  She knocked his hand away playfully as she shook her head. “You’re incorrigible.”

  Chapter Seven

  Marcus couldn’t believe how good he felt. After they each took a quick shower, since Annalise refused to shower with him, they headed out to the store. She told him she was making a traditional Puerto Rican dish called Carne Mechada, which she said was basically a Puerto Rican pot roast. As they went up and down the aisles looking for the Adobo spice she needed, plus cooking wine and other ingredients, Marcus noticed Annalise was limping. She was also trying to hide the fact she was limping, which sent a jolt of annoyance through him. He wondered how much she’d allow him to do to make dinner. The thought of her standing to cook for him put a bad feeling in his belly that had nothing to do with hunger.

  When Annalise was sure she had the necessary ingredients they walked the short distance back to his apartment. He deliberately kept his strides short and pretended interest in their surroundings so they wouldn’t hurry and make her even sorer. Letting them into the apartment, he placed the bags on the counter and turned to Annalise.

  “I’ll get started preparing all the raw ingredients. I want you to at least sit down, maybe even take your prosthesis off. I don’t know if it’s good or bad to take it off in the middle of the day, but it’s obviously bothering you and I won’t be responsible for it getting even worse because you’re standing at a stove for hours making me dinner.” Gently he pushed her into a kitchen chair and knelt in front of her. “Would it help if I rubbed it?”

  “No, that only irritates the skin.” She sighed and ran her hand over her face. “It’s just chafing right now.”

  “So take it off.”

  Annalise looked away. “I don’t want to.”

  He forced her gaze to his and said, “I told you. I’ve seen a lot of stumps before. It’s fine.”

  “It’s not fine with me!”

  “Annalise, honey, you have to let me in. Maybe you don’t realize this, or maybe you’re afraid or unwilling to admit it to yourself, but you and I are dating. Exclusively, if I have anything to say about it, by the way. And if you want to see gross, I’ll show you my feet. They’re all deformed from years on skates. If you’re in pain, I want you to take care of it.”

  “But I have to make dinner…” Her protest came out in a half-hearted manner and he almost smiled before he was able to force a neutral expression.

  “Tell me what to do and I’ll do it. Look at it this way, you’ll get to boss me around for a couple of hours.”

  A ghost of a smile played at the corners of her mouth, and he couldn’t resist leaning up and kissing her. As she opened for him, he groaned, knowing he wouldn’t get enough of her even if they were together for a hundred years. It was stupid to fall this far this fast, especially with Annalise being so skittish, but no matter how many times he tried to convince himself it was better to keep things casual, he couldn’t. With a sigh, he stole one last kiss before rising.

  “What should I do first?”

  She gave him instructions and soon the roast was in a big pan, bubbling merrily on his stovetop. Annalise was still wearing that damn prosthetic, and when it looked like the meat could be left alone for a bit he went over and swept her into his arms, heading for his bedroom.

  “Where are you going?”

  “You’re going to take that prosthesis off and then I’m going to lick you until you come for me.”

  “But the meat—”

  “I’ll keep an eye on the meat, don’t you worry. The only meat you need to be concerned with is mine.” He leered at her and she laughed. Hey, if he had to be a little silly to keep that smile on her beautiful face he was more than willing to make an ass of himself. “Take off your clothes and the leg. Now. I’m hungry and I want my appetizer.” He turned away to give her some privacy. “I’ll check on the meat while you do that. When I get back you’d better be naked or on your way there.”

  “Aye-aye, sir.”

  He smiled as he left the room. After checking the roast, he poured himself a big glass of water and downed it, trying to cool his overheating body. Marcus wanted to make her forget about her leg, and if giving her multiple orgasms worked, he was up to the task. He just hoped his cock didn’t explode. Right now it was trying to make a break for it out of his jeans. Reaching down, he adjusted himself until he was as comfortable as he could be with a raging erection and then put his glass in the sink before returning to the bedroom.

  Annalise was partially under the covers, and he knew she was trying to hide her stump from him. He let her, for now, and only swept the bed sheet away
far enough to expose her pink, glistening sex. Moaning, he climbed between her legs and pushed both hands underneath her ass to elevate her. He took a long, slow lick and Annalise shuddered. Blowing a stream of hot air over her, he moved in again and then a third time. When his tongue began to spear her clit in short, fast licks, she grabbed the back of his head and tugged him closer.

  Her nails bit into his scalp as her orgasm began. Marcus pushed one finger and then two inside her just as the rhythmic spasms began and she answered with a low, keening cry. He would’ve smiled or laughed in triumph if his face hadn’t been buried between her legs, but with the grip she had on him he figured he wasn’t going anywhere until she let him, so he just kept licking and sucking at her clit as her climax continued.

  When the contractions abated she loosened her grip and he took her hands, placing them on her belly before sitting up. “Gonna go check on the roast again. Don’t you dare move.”

  She mumbled something incoherent and now he did smile. He considered shucking his jeans for a more comfortable, less restraining set of sweats but figured as soon as his pants were off he’d be fighting the natural urge to take her, so he left them on. Padding back to the kitchen, he looked into the pot and added a little bit of water, per Annalise’s earlier instructions. After forcing himself to drink another tall glass of water, he went back to the bedroom. Annalise’s eyes were closed and a Mona Lisa smile played at her lips. A sudden image of those lips wrapped around his dick shot into his head and he couldn’t stifle a groan of agony.

  Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him. “What’s the matter?” He watched as she glanced down, probably to see if her leg was visible, and he wanted to laugh. If only she knew that the pain had nothing to do with her leg. Would she be flattered he was having these carnal thoughts about her?

  “Nothing’s wrong, baby, you just looked so beautiful and peaceful lying here in my bed. I kind of like it.” He sat down next to her and lifted a hand to her face, running the pads of his fingers down her cheek, over her jaw, and all the way down to skate across the generous swells of her breasts. “I thought I told you to take everything off,” he whispered, gliding his hand over one breast before cupping it through her bra. “I want to taste these.”

  “Then take it off.”

  He did and bent to bury his face in her cleavage. She had the most beautiful tits he’d ever seen. Moving his face to the side, he took one puckered nipple into his mouth and drew hard on it, pinching the other between his thumb and forefinger. Annalise tried to grab hold of his head again, but he pulled her arms over her head. He stopped sucking long enough to tell her to leave them there and then went back to work, using his lips, teeth, and tongue to distend her nipple even further. Annalise was letting out little moans and groans as he delivered the erotic torture, and her sounds only served to inflame him more.

  After moving to her other breast, his hand found its way to her mound and he pushed two fingers inside of her like he had before. He wanted Annalise so badly his dick was practically clawing is way out of his clothes. Even so, he deliberately kept up a slow, teasing pace. Annalise let him play for a while but then put her hands down and tugged on his arm.

  He raised his head. “What?”

  “I want you.”

  “Want me how?”

  She blushed. “In my mouth.”

  “And how do you want me?” A shit-eating grin formed on his face and damned if he couldn’t stop it.

  “Um, however you want…”

  The flood of images nearly choked him. “How about if we sixty-nine?”

  Blushing even deeper, she replied, “I’ve never done that. What exactly do you do?”

  Rising, he stood beside the bed and had his jeans and boxers off in record time. Then he reached behind him and pulled his shirt over his head, tossing it on the floor. He didn’t miss the hungry gaze she directed his way. That gaze drifted up to his shoulders, where two large tattoos covered both of his upper arms.

  “Do you like them?” he asked.

  “I do. What do they mean?”

  Pointing to his left bicep, he said, “This one started out as a design of Scorpio, my birth sign. I thought the scorpion thing was kinda cool.” She smiled and he went on. “Eventually through the years I’ve added onto that one, so now the scorpion is in the middle, but there’s the Japanese symbol for family, the Olympic rings from the time I played for Canada, and a few other significant little things.” He turned toward her a little so she could see his right bicep. “This one started out as one of those armband tattoos, but I thought the barbed wire looked silly and added to that one too. Now it’s got an image of a Celtic god named Lenus, who’s a healing god to help with my injuries, an image of a goddess named Skaldi who was said to be the goddess of ice, and a bunch of random twirls to tie it all together.”

  When he looked up she was smiling. Before he could say anything she reached out her hand. “Come to bed and show me how do this sixty-nine thing.”

  “Don’t have to tell me twice.” Carefully he lowered himself over her and then decided that wasn’t going to work. “Lie on your side, whichever side is most comfortable.” When she was situated, he crooked his head into the juncture of her thighs and took a lick. Her breath caught and then she seemed to realize she hadn’t taken him in her mouth yet and reached for his cock.

  “I’ve never done this before, so you’ll have to tell me if I do something wrong.”

  “Baby, if you’ve got my dick in your mouth it’s almost impossible to be doing it wrong. Just don’t use your teeth.” She giggled and her hot breath stole over the head. He shuddered and she did it again, deliberately this time. “Tease. Two can play at that game, you know.”

  “Uh-oh. I’d better behave.” Using both hands, she guided his erection between her lips and his eyes closed of their own volition when the head was sucked into her warm, wet mouth.

  He’d had his share of blow jobs in his time, but the innocent enthusiasm Annalise displayed just about undid him. Marcus had to fight not to guide her, choosing instead to grab handfuls of the sheet in front of him. Taking a look down, he dove for her sex like a starving man. She tightened on him and he nearly lost it again before concentrating his attention on bringing her pleasure.

  Her clit was peeking out from her feminine folds and he separated them with his thumbs before pulling her clit into his mouth to take little sucking pulls from it. She moaned around his cock and he swore, releasing the nub for a moment in a vain effort to process the sensation. Before long though he had it back between his teeth and was taking her ever higher, judging by the increasingly heavy breathing and little noises she was making. Annalise bent her head to take more of him inside and his eyes closed again. He knew he was getting close and that he needed to warn her, to ask her if it was all right to come in her mouth, but his thick tongue refused to form words.

  He felt the familiar stirrings of his orgasm in the base of his cock and bowed his body, pulling himself out of her mouth. She looked at him in confusion. “I’m close, honey. Really fucking close. If you don’t want to swallow, tell me now.”

  She looked down and he noticed twin spots of color on her cheeks. “I want to,” she mumbled so softly he barely heard her, and he groaned, pushing back inside. Annalise sucked hard on the head and before he knew it he was coming as sharps bursts of pleasure ran from his balls up through his cock. He was letting out a series of grunts and groans as each hit, and when Annalise kept her mouth on him and sucked all the way through he started to see spots.

  “Enough.” He collapsed on his back and put a hand over his racing heart. “I’ll get you in a minute. I’m literally seeing stars.”

  Annalise laughed and turned, snuggling up next to him. “Really?”

  He cracked one eye open and saw the look of smug satisfaction. “Really. You keep doing stuff like that and I’ll never let you out of bed.”

  “Mmm, that doesn’t sound all bad. You have a very comfortable bed.” She rolled ag
ain and sat up. “But we should look at the meat again.”

  “Okay. I’ll go.”

  When he returned she said, “We should have about forty-five minutes until we need to take it off the heat, then another fifteen while it rests.”

  “Rests?” He raised an eyebrow and she chuckled.

  “Yes. Meat needs to rest before you serve it.”

  “Because it’s tired from being cooked?”

  She slapped his thigh and he pretended to wince. “No, because if you let it sit there for a little while it seals in the juices. Trust me.”

  “If you say so…” He beckoned to her to lie down. “Now, where were we? Oh yes, I was about to make you scream my name.”

  “You have an absolutely huge ego, don’t you?”

  Marcus sobered. “I actually don’t. A lot of what you see is an act.”

  “Is that right?”

  “That’s right,” he echoed. “When I was younger, I actually got bullied even though I was one of the bigger kids in school. Humor helped me cope and I guess I still use it sometimes.”

  “I wish I had been able to do that. I got bullied too, because of my leg. I had a really bad limp for a long time after I got my prosthesis and kids made fun of me. I think that’s one reason why Hector’s temper is so bad. He always tried to defend me. So no matter how irresponsible he acts or what trouble he gets into now, it’s hard to just turn my back on him.”

  Chapter Eight

  Annalise looked down and Marcus took a gentle hold on her chin and tipped it up so she would look at her. “He’s an adult. No matter what happened to you or to him when he was younger, it’s his responsibility to rise above it now. I can understand you wanting to stick by him, but you have to let him be an adult.”

  “I know.” She felt a tear rising and willed it to stop. Marcus’ head dipped down and he kissed her eye, so she guessed she hadn’t been successful in hiding her upset. Then he kissed the other one before trailing open-mouthed kisses along her cheek to her ear.