Second Chance: A Military Football Romance

by Claire Adams

  “Look, I’m not excusing him, I’m just saying that he had problems to begin with, and I made the perfect target for his rage,” I continued. “It got worse, to the point that there was a period of about month when I didn’t leave the apartment at all. I curled up in the bedroom and ignored everyone except Dominic, who would call or text every 15 minutes just to make sure I hadn’t gone anywhere with anyone.”

  “Jesus, he kept you a prisoner!” Brian shouted as he jumped off the bed and began pacing the room.

  I wrapped my arms tightly around my legs and pressed my forehead against my knees as I squeezed my eyes shut and gently rocked. Brian immediately noticed the change, stopped his pacing, and said, “I’m sorry, Ava. I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

  “I’m not scared of you, Brian,” I mumbled. “I’m scared of what Dominic might be capable of, and I have no idea what that is.”

  “How did you get away from him?” he asked as he sat down on the edge of the bed and gently patted my foot.

  “I walked out,” I laughed bitterly. “He cheated on me, and I found out, so I walked out the door and never looked back. How cliché is that? I mean, the guy belittles me, hits me, and basically breaks down every part of me, but I don’t get mad enough to leave until he cheats on me with another woman? What a fool I was.”

  “You’re not a fool, Ava,” Brian consoled. “Lots of people go through what you did and never find it in themselves to leave. But you left. You found a way to make yourself safe and you left him.”

  I looked up at him with tears running down my face and shook my head as I spoke in a small voice, “But he’s never going to let me get away. Don’t you see? He’s obsessed with me, and I’m never ever going to be free of him.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  “No, no, I’m not,” I whispered. “If he can’t have me, he’s going to kill me.”

  Brian swiftly climbed on to the bed and wrapped his strong arms around my weeping frame and said, “No, he’s most definitely not going to do that.”

  “How do you know?” I cried.

  “Because if he harms even one hair on your head, I will make sure it’s the last thing he ever does,” he promised in a tense voice as he tightened his arms around me, and for the first time in more than a year, I took a deep breath and relaxed.

  *****

  We stayed that way for a long time. Brian’s arms felt so strong and warm wrapped around me, and when he rested his chin on the top of my head, I’d never felt safer in my entire life. I felt stiff from having been tensed up for so long, and as Brian ran one hand down my back, I began to relax a little. I didn’t know what to say now; I felt like I’d just put myself through the ringer by telling the story, but Brian had been right, it had felt good to get it out. Somehow, sharing my experience with him had made me feel so much less alone, and all of the awful things that Dominic had done started to belong to him, not me. I wasn’t responsible for his horrible behavior or his violent need to control me. He, and he alone, was responsible for that. Thinking about Dominic sent a shiver up my spine.

  “It’s okay,” Brian murmured. “You’re safe, I promise. You’re safe with me.”

  I exhaled slowly as I lifted my head and tried to stretch my legs. They’d been crushed up against my chest for so long that they’d fallen asleep, and I couldn’t unbend them. Brian let go of me, leaned back, and gently pulled one leg and then the other out, so that for the first time in hours, I was sitting up straight as he lightly ran his hands up and down my legs, stimulating the circulation. When the pins and needles feeling ran up my legs, I let out a howl as I began kicking my feet, trying to drive it out quickly.

  “Stay still!” he laughed. “You’re not going to do anything but make it worse if you kick like that.”

  “But it hurts!” I cried as I continued ignoring his advice and kicking my legs. “Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!”

  “You are one stubborn woman,” he laughed. “You really ought to listen to me.”

  “I know, but I can’t help it!” I laughed along with him as the pain in my legs began to subside. I leaned forward and stretched a little, then sat back up and looked intently at Brian. “Can you do that again?”

  “Do what again?” he asked, genuinely confused.

  “Make me feel safe like you did a little while ago?” I quietly requested. He looked at me for a long moment, then stood up, leaned over and scooped me up off of the end of the bed, and plopped down with his back against the headboard and me across his lap. He wrapped one arm around my lower back, and brought his other hand up and gently ran it through my hair as he pulled my head to his shoulder. Enveloped in his arms, I sighed quietly as I let go and enjoyed the feeling of his hard, warm body pressed against mine. He rested his chin on my head again as his finger played with my hair, gently brushing it away from my face. I studied the vein that was pulsing at the base of his neck as I felt the warmth of his arms wrapped around me, and without thinking, I leaned forward and kissed the spot where his neck met his collarbone.

  “Ava…” His surprise was evident, but he didn’t pull away. “I’m not sure if this is…”

  “I am,” I whispered, as I leaned in and ran a string of light kisses down his jawline. Brian inhaled deeply and then exhaled slowly as he fought to keep things under control. I, on the other hand, continued to work to upset the balance, and as I continued kissing his jaw, I lifted my hand to stroke his cheek. That elicited a quiet groan from his lips as he brought his hand to my face and tipped my chin up so we were looking into each other’s eyes.

  He stroked my cheek with his thumb as he gazed at me, and then murmured, “So beautiful,” before dipping his head and lightly brushing my lips with his. I hadn’t been with anyone—or even wanted to be with anyone—in the year since I’d left Dominic, and the sensation of his lips against mine awakened my desire in a way I hadn’t anticipated.

  Brian must have felt the change, and he pulled back and asked, “Are you sure?” I was more than sure, and I nodded as I reached up and pulled his lips back down to mine. His were soft as he traced the edge of my mouth with his tongue, gently parting my lips so our tongues could find each other. He teased me as he began gliding his hands down my body, roaming over my curves and then returning to caress my face as our kiss deepened.

  Soon, he reached down and tugged the edge of my T-shirt and pulled it up over my head. My bra joined the T-shirt on the floor in quick order as he slipped out from under me and lowered me onto my back. I looked up at him as he unzipped his hoodie, tossed it to the floor, and then stripped the standard white T-shirt from his body. I inhaled sharply as I took in his broad, muscled chest and strong arms, and moments later, he was pressing them against my bare skin as he leaned down and continued kissing me. I ran my hands down his arms and felt the muscles bulging under my fingertips, and moaned softly as his hands found my sensitive nipples and began circling them with his fingers. He pulled back and watched me closely as he teased them into erect points before dipping his head down and capturing one between his lips. The sensation was unlike anything I’d ever felt before, and I cried out as I buried my fingers in his thick hair and pulled him against my breasts. He continued licking and sucking as one hand moved lower and found the waistband of my pants, and moments later, he pushed himself up off my body so that he could strip me bare.

  I lay on the bed as he ran his eyes and his hands over my now-naked body. He kept murmuring, “So beautiful” as he touched me, and he kept looking back up at my face as if to ask if I was alright. I nodded and pulled him back down against me, kissing him deeply and urging him to continue as I unzipped his pants and tried to push them off of him. I was pinned under him, and we both laughed a little as he was forced to pull his own pants off.

  Now both naked, the urgency of our need took over, and we began grinding against one another; skin on skin as we kissed and touched, exploring each other’s bodies. I could feel Brian’s hardness pressing against my leg and I braced myself for what I thought would come
next, but he felt the slight shift and stopped to look at me for a moment. “You okay?” he asked.

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I looked away. “Bad memory of another lifetime, sorry.”

  “You never have to be sorry with me, Ava,” he vowed as his hand traced a slow path down my body until he was parting my thighs and stroking the soft skin of my outer lips. He kissed me softly as his fingers spread me open, and then he sighed into my lips as he began stroking the velvety softness of my already slick inner lips. A desperate moan escaped my lips as he spent long minutes stroking me until I was so wet I could feel the moisture dripping out of me and soaking the bed. He watched me intently as he slid his fingers to the edge of my tight entry, and then teased it until I raised my hips to try and push his fingers inside me.

  “You want it, don’t you?” he murmured.

  “Oh yes, I need it! I need it!” I cried as my hips chased his fingers.

  Brian smiled as he continued the erotic torture, bending down to kiss me again and again. Slowly, he positioned himself on top of me, sliding his thick shaft between my legs, coating it in my wetness before spreading my lips and holding the tip on the edge of my tight, wet pussy. He held my gaze as he slowly pushed forward, burying himself inside me. I moaned loudly and gripped his arms as I tried to pull him deeper inside my body. I wanted to feel all of him. I needed him.

  “Please, Brian, please!” I groaned.

  “Please what?” he teased.

  “Please! Stop teasing me! You’re driving me crazy!” I cried as I pushed my hips up, only to have him withdraw an equal distance. I wanted to feel him driving into me, deep and hard, but he was intent on teasing me until I went insane. “Brian, please, please, please, please…” As my begging became a chat of pure need, Brian watched me carefully.

  The change happened in an instant. One moment he was soft and slow, and the next he was plunging down into me hard and fast, taking my breath away as I cried with relief. I could feel every stroke, and I arched my back and pushed my hips up to meet every forceful thrust. We were like a well-oiled machine, and we found a rhythm that made me forget all about Dominic and my father and let the force of our desire engulf us. Brian reached down between us and found my clit as he slammed down into me over and over again, and for a moment, I felt as if I had left my body. The rhythm of our hips, his fingers stroking my clit, and our lips pressed together moved us closer and closer to the edge of orgasm.

  The sweat ran down his nose and dropped onto my face as he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me tightly against him, trying to find a way to dive deeper. My hands gripped his arms as I felt the first wave moving through my body. I cried out, “Yes! Yes! Yes!” as I felt his fingers moving faster, and as the orgasm enveloped me, I felt him drive harder and deeper as he raced to catch up with me. Soon he was groaning as he reached his own blissful release, and we held tight to each other as the waves of pleasure washed over us.

  Many minutes later, Brian opened his eyes and found me watching him. “Oh, sorry!” he exclaimed as he quickly rolled off of me, pulled the covers down on the bed, and urged me to get underneath them before returning to lay by my side. “Can’t have you getting cold!”

  “You must have been a Boy Scout,” I laughed.

  “No, ma’am,” he replied. “I’m not much for joining things, and I’ve only ever been a Navy man!”

  I laughed again as I snuggled in next to him. It felt good to be safely wrapped in his strong arms. I pressed my head against his chest and the steady rhythm of his heartbeat soon lulled me into a deep and dreamless sleep.

  PROTECTOR #2

  The next morning, slowly emerging from sleep, I was confused by my unfamiliar surroundings. As I lazily stretched my arms, my hand touched the body next to me and panic set in. What did I do? It all came flooding into my brain as I remembered the way I’d confessed everything to Brian. I’d told him all my secrets and shared all of my shame about my relationship with Dominic, and then I replayed the kiss and everything that followed.

  Oh no! I flipped over and looked at him sleeping so peacefully next to me, and was horrified that I’d let him so far into my life. Now he had all the information he needed about what happened between me and Dominic, and he would tell my father everything! I’d spent the past year figuring out how to get away from a man who had so totally controlled my life that he’d almost killed me, and then I’d let the man that my father hired to control my life into my bed and here I was again, right back to where I started. Plus, he didn’t even know me. I’d spent one day with him, and look where this had ended up. I was making bad choices again, and I needed to eliminate these men from my life, not allow them more access. I was disgusted with myself for being so weak and needy.

  I rolled over and watched Brian as he slept. He was restless, and his face never seemed to stop moving. He looked as if he were acting out his dreams, and occasionally he’d yelp or mumble something unintelligible. He obviously had issues, but what they were was not my problem. My issue was to get rid of the bodyguard and not have my father prying into every area of my life when all he cared about was his own reputation.

  I’m going to have to cut this off as quickly and painlessly as possible, I thought as I watched Brian sleep. The memory of his hands on my body and the careful way he’d touched my skin made me shiver, but I knew that if I got too attached to him now, it would just make it harder to let go later. I had to do it; for both of us. He didn’t need me to complicate his life any more than I needed him to complicate mine. I braced myself and set the plan in motion. First thing first, I grabbed my discarded clothes from the floor and put them on before sitting back down on the edge of the bed farthest away from where he was sleeping.

  “Brian,” I said softly as I shook him. “Brian, wake up.”

  It only took a few seconds for him to hear my wakeup call, and when he did, he bolted up out of bed, poised for attack. “Ready, SIR!” he yelled.

  “Brian, it’s me, Ava,” I said quietly—and a little shocked. I was afraid that he wasn’t fully awake yet, and in this state of readiness, I was worried that he’d mistake me for someone else. “Good morning, Mr. Bodyguard.”

  “Huh?” he rubbed his eyes and shook his head before looking over at me, and in a voice still groggy with sleep, he said, “Wait, what?”

  “It’s time to get up. I’ve got class,” I said in an all-business tone. “We need to get going.”

  “Ava, are you okay?” he said in a tone that conveyed extreme concern. “Is something wrong?”

  “Yeah, I’m fine,” I replied. “I just need to get going. I’ve got a big day on campus and I need to pick up my books before we head over to the quad.”

  When he reached across the bed and grabbed my hand, I quickly withdrew and got up off the bed. I began anxiously pacing the floor as I tried not to lose my cool.

  “Ava,” he began.

  “No, don’t,” I said stopping him cold. “It’s fine. Last night was nice, but it was a big mistake. We should not have done that. You work for my father, and I need to focus on my schoolwork, not on being romanced by my personal protection agent.”

  “But I don’t think —” he interrupted.

  “You might not, but I do,” I replied. “Last night was a mistake that we should both forget. You are here to protect me from that whacko, Dominic, and I need to focus on my classes.”

  Brian started to object, then stopped and looked away. “Fine,” he mumbled. “I’ll stay on my side of the suite and maintain constant vigilance.”

  I couldn’t tell if he was mocking me or being serious, but for the time being, I didn’t care. I’d dealt with the situation, and now it was time to get to class.

  “Get dressed,” I said. “I don’t want to be late to class.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he replied with a snappy salute before quickly pulling on his clothes and heading out to the main room.

  I felt a twinge of sadness as I watched him walk through the door, but I took a deep breath and pushe
d it aside.

  *****

  On the ride back to the dorm, Brian rolled down the window and let the breeze blow through the SUV. He fiddled with the stereo for a while before turning it off and plunging the interior into silence. I looked out the passenger side window at the buildings flying by and wondered how I’d wound up here. I’d made some poor decisions, for certain, but somehow, it didn’t all add up.

  “You know, Ava, what we did last night isn’t something to be ashamed of,” Brian’s voice cut through my silent thoughts.

  “I know,” I replied.

  “It’s totally normal for people who’ve been abused to transfer feelings from one situation to another,” he continued. “It’s perfectly understandable if you feel uncomfortable, but I promise you that I didn’t use you last night.”

  “What are you talking about?” I snapped.

  “I’m saying that I didn’t use you,” he continued. “And it wasn’t my intent to make you feel used.”

  “I don’t feel used in the least.” I was getting progressively more irritated with his attempt at playing therapist. “In fact, I don’t feel anything.”

  “Oh, I see.” His voice sounded both hurt and patronizing, and I wondered how that was possible.

  “Look, I’m not saying it was bad or that I think you did anything wrong,” I backpedaled, and tried to soothe his obviously hurt feelings. “I’m just saying that I appreciate you being there for me last night. It was kind of you, and I’m grateful that you were there, but I don’t feel more than that and I’d like to keep it professional from now on.”

  “Sure,” came the terse reply.

  “But really, thank you,” I said quietly. “You were really great.”

  My backhanded compliment was met with a stony silence that lasted until we arrived at the dorm.

  *****

  After I’d stopped in my room to change my clothes and grab my books, Brian and I walked toward the quad in silence. I felt bad that I’d basically shot him down in the car when he was trying so hard to be nice, but I couldn’t see any good coming of us continuing down the path of some fake romance that was brought about by my situation. All I wanted was to let him do his job so I could walk around campus safe from the fear of being attacked by Dominic and his illusions about our future.