“Tell me what else I don’t know about cheerleading. I’m learning a lot.”
She blew out a breath. “Well, we have to stay in far better shape than you do. I have to be light enough to be tossed and strong enough to do the tossing. And because we’re basically sex symbols, we have to look hot all the time. I can’t afford to have a bad hair day. Not like you who gets to just stick a helmet on and cover up with pads.”
“We do have to stay in top physical shape.”
“Yeah, but you’re bears. It’s much easier for you, isn’t it? Isn’t that why they separated the leagues a few years ago?”
“It wasn’t just that,” he said. “Being shifters makes us able to run faster, hit harder, and throw farther than the average pure human.”
“Right, so it’s easier, and it was unfair for the human league, so they gave you your own.”
“I guess you could look at it that way.”
“How else would you look at it?” she asked.
“It’s not easy having to hold back all the time. With an all-shifter league, we can perform at the top of our ability, and in some ways, that makes it much harder to have our own league because they ask more. When I played in high school and most of college, things were much different.”
“Exactly,” she said. “We have it harder.”
“You don’t have your coach breathing down your back constantly.”
She laughed. “Yes, I do.”
He looked at her for a long minute. “I guess I never thought it was so hard being a cheerleader. You make it look so easy. Like all you do is go out there and dance and that’s it.”
“There’s a lot more to it than that.”
“I’m seeing that. I’m sorry I never saw it that way before.”
Her face softened and she gave him a smile. “Well, now you can. I know you guys don’t have it easy either.”
“We sure don’t.” He pushed the last little bits of food around on his plate. “There’s a lot of pressure to be the best. And when you’re not…”
“You’re not the best?”
“You already know that. You made a point of stating it, remember?”
“Yeah, I guess I did.” She looked down, then back at him. “I’m sorry. I get cocky sometimes, and we were warned about you, so I guess I was on guard.”
“So I’ve heard. Brooklyn hates me. She’s out to destroy me.”
“Ah, she’s okay. She’s just been hurt is all. Once you get burned a few times, it’s easy to try to force everyone to stay single because she thinks that’s the best way to avoid being hurt. I wish it worked like that.”
“You don’t worry about getting hurt?” he asked.
“Sure. Any relationship is a risk. But you have to be willing to get hurt to find love. Most things that are worth doing in life are risky and can get you hurt. Like, oh, I don’t know, playing football and being a cheerleader?”
“I like that about you. You’re not afraid of anything.”
“Nope,” she said. “Can’t be.”
“I wish I could be more like you. I’m not afraid on the field, but I’m afraid of being hurt in relationships. I think that’s why I’ve struggled.”
“Fear of commitment,” she said. “Oldest one in the book. But the thing is, if you don’t try committing some time, you’ll never find anything lasting. Relationships aren’t worth investing in if you know they’re not going to last.”
He nodded. “You’re very wise. I think I could learn a lot from you.”
She smiled again and didn’t say anything for a long time.
He felt the atmosphere shifting and knew this was his chance to make a move, though it wasn’t the move he preferred.
“I think I’m going to pay the check before I do anything to mess this night up,” he said.
She raised an eyebrow at him. “What do you mean?”
“It’s been really eye opening for me. Nothing like my usual dates.”
“How do your usual dates go?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Bunch of meaningless chatting followed by a make-out session because the person bored me until there was nothing else to do.”
“But I don’t bore you?”
He shook his head slowly. “Not at all. And I don’t want to do something stupid to ruin it all.”
He waved the waiter over and handed him his credit card when he presented the bill.
“I have to say,” Annabelle said. “You’re not at all what I expected.”
“What did you expect?”
“Someone cocky and interested in nothing but himself and getting laid. But you’ve asked about me all night and genuinely listened. I’m just surprised, I guess. You don’t fall into the typical patterns.”
“Good. I don’t want to be like other men.”
“You’re not.”
They walked outside and he took her hand. “Where’s your car?”
She pointed and they walked in that direction. She unlocked the door and stood to face him. He hadn’t planned to even try kissing her, but she leaned forward and planted her lips on his. He pressed back for a moment but kept it short.
“Thank you for dinner,” she said.
“Thank you for the company. It was truly enlightening.”
He bowed his head and stepped back, waiting as she got in her car and drove off before he did the same.
Chapter 12
The next afternoon, Dustin texted Annabelle.
“Had a great time last night! Hope we can do it again.”
She took about a half hour to respond. “It was great. Love to!”
Perfect. This was going well. Now he just had to find a way to make a move on her without her knowing it.
“What are you up to today?” he asked.
“Laundry, cleaning. Fun stuff.”
He waited a few minutes to avoid looking to desperate with his responses. “Always good. Glad I have a cleaning lady. Don’t think I’ll be getting off the couch today.”
Her responses weren’t immediate either, but consistent. “Aww, lazy bum. Lol.”
“No, it’s not that. Though I wouldn’t mind a lazy Saturday. Haven’t had one in ages. I’m so sore, I can barely move. Coach worked us hard yesterday. Sleeping made me stiffen up.”
He chuckled to himself. That wasn’t the only thing making him stiff.
“That sucks. Yoga? Sauna?”
“Don’t know much about yoga. Sauna might help, but I can’t take sitting in the car long enough to get over to the facility. I’m at the point of taking pain meds or muscle relaxers if it doesn’t get better soon.”
This response was much quicker than her others. “That sounds bad.”
“It is. I wonder if I pulled something. When I move, there’s a sharp pain in my back.”
“Whoa! Did you call the team doctor? You can’t ignore that!”
His mouth pulled into a smile. She was clearly concerned, and that was good. “He said to ice it. I have, but it’s not doing much.”
“You better call him back then!”
“He told me to take a bunch of ibuprofen, and if it doesn’t help to take a muscle relaxer and pain pill.”
“That’s it?! He didn’t say he’d come look at you?!”
“I guess he didn’t think it was bad enough.”
“Man, that’s nuts. What’s up with this doc?” she asked.
“He’s busy? I don’t know. He doesn’t think I’m important enough because I’m not a quarterback or at the top of the rankings?”
“They better not base medical care on your ranking. That’s bull.”
“I should probably just go get a massage or something,” he texted. “That might loosen up the muscles enough that I can move. Then I can do some yoga to keep it going.”
“How will you be able to bear the pain of a massage if you can barely move?”
“I’ll take the pain pill and relaxer first.”
“You can’t drive like that.”
“I don’t know what else I can do. I don’t
have anyone here that can take me.”
There was a bit of a pause then. “Want me to come over? I could take you to get a massage, if that’s what you need. Or to the sauna.”
He had to answer this just right. “Maybe. I’m going to take these pills and see what happens.”
“Okay, well let me know. I don’t have any plans tonight, so I can come over and help you if you need me to.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that. I’ll let you know.”
Chapter 13
He waited several hours to text her again. As it turned out, his timing was perfect. When he picked up his phone, a text from her came through.
“How are you feeling?”
Wow. She was reaching out to him. This might be easier than he thought. If she was the nurturing type, he could play that up easily.
“Better. I can move a little, and I’ve been able to get up and walk around, but I’m still pretty sore.”
“What are you doing for it?”
“The pills helped. I couldn’t get a massage, though. All booked up.”
“Bummer.”
“If you’re still willing to help me out,” he texted, “I could really use it.”
“Sure. What do you need?”
“Food. I haven’t eaten all day. And maybe you could massage me a little? You’re so strong. I know you’d be good at it.”
A few minutes later, she said, “I’d be happy to,” with a smiley face. “What do you want to eat?”
“I don’t care. Surprise me. I’m so hungry, I could eat anything.”
“Give me an hour or so and I’ll be over.”
“Can’t wait.”
He got up and picked up around the house. He didn’t want her walking into a complete mess, but he could claim that he wasn’t able to clean since he’d been laid up most of the day. If he was really lucky, maybe she’d even do a few dishes.
When the doorbell rang, he took his time answering to make it seem like he was still having trouble.
“Hi,” he said with a smile when he opened the door.
Annabelle held up a bag with the name of an Asian restaurant. “Brought you my favorite.”
“Perfect. Thank you so much for coming over.”
He shuffled back into the living room, making sure to put his hand to his back as he did.
“I’ll get the plates and silverware, if you tell me where they are.”
“Plates are in the cabinet by the stove, and utensils are next to the dishwasher.” He heard her opening and closing drawers and cabinets, then she brought him a full plate of food.
“Hope you like it,” she said.
He dug into the chicken first. “What is this place? This is delicious.”
“It’s the best Asian restaurant in the city.”
After he finished eating, he sat back on the sofa. “Even sitting up like that too long hurts.”
“Want me to rub it for you?”
“Yes, please.”
He carefully pulled his shirt over his head and turned his back to her.
“You wax? I like that.” She ran her hand over his smooth bare chest. “Lay down. It’ll be easier.”
He did as she said and she climbed over him, sitting on his legs as she started working her fingers into his back.
“How’s that?”
“Amazing,” he mumbled, his face pressed into the couch. “You’re a goddess.”
She laughed. “Sure, sure.”
After a nice, long massage, she slid off of him. “How’s it feeling now?”
“Much better. My other pain pill is kicking in. I feel good right now.” He sat up and turned to her. “Thank you. I want to try something. Have you ever seen a shifter in bear form?”
“No.” She backed away and gave him a wary look.
“Would that freak you out?”
“No.”
“Good because the best way to stretch out the muscles is to shift for a few minutes. Everything in my body changes when I do, so it’s like hitting the reset button.”
She nodded slowly and watched him.
He stood and took off his pants, making sure he was facing her. He smirked as he pulled down his boxers. It had taken a lot for him to settle his erection before this moment, but he managed to be just limp enough to look big.
She took in a slow breath and definitely checked him out.
He held back his grin as he bent forward and shifted. He stood tall, stretching to almost reach the ceiling. He walked closer to Annabelle slowly so he didn’t scare her, and then rubbed his face against her like he was a cat seeking attention. She petted his head, and he made a happy growling in his throat.
He changed back after a few minutes. “Was that weird?”
“No.” She bit her lip and smiled. “I kinda liked it, actually. Maybe you’ll have to take me for a ride some time.”
“I’d love to. But first, I need to repay you.”
“Repay me?”
“I owe you a massage for that epic one you gave me.”
“That sounds fair.” She turned so her back was toward him.
He put only his boxers back on and slide up behind her. He started at her shoulders, massaging the muscles there, and moved down her back. As she relaxed and moaned under his touch, he leaned in to kiss her neck. Once or twice, he moved his hand toward her front as he massaged.
When she didn’t pull away or tell him to stop, he let his hand drift all the way across her chest to her breast. He gently squeezed and moved back to her shoulders, then down to her other breast. He kissed all along her neck, biting gently as he went.
“I could do this better if you take your top off,” he whispered into her ear.
She responded by pulling her top over her head and unhooking her bra. “That’s as far as we’re going tonight.”
“This is more than I could have dreamed of,” he said.
He took full advantage of every inch of her that he could touch. His next move was risky and would let him know immediately whether she was into him enough. As he made his sweep across her stomach, he dipped his hand down, just under her waistline.
She didn’t say anything or stop him, so he continued, slipping his hand farther down her stomach with every sweep. When he rubbed his hand around her clit, she moaned and pushed her hips into him.
Apparently, she’d decided it was okay to go a little further than originally planned. He unbuttoned her jeans and gained enough room that he could push his finger inside her. She moaned again and leaned back into him so he could reach in deeper.
“You are so hot, Annabelle,” he breathed.
“So are you. I know you shifted in front of me for a reason.”
“Did it work?” He flicked his tongue inside her ear.
“I think so.”
“I want to taste you. Is that okay?”
She nodded and wiggled out of her pants so that her bare bottom was on the sofa. He knelt in front of her and parted her legs.
“I just want to make you feel good. That’s all,” he said.
He flicked his tongue over her clit and pressed it inside her. His finger moved in and out of her as he licked and sucked her. She moaned and moved with him. His dick was so hard, he thought it might burst.
He climbed back up to her to kiss her again, letting his erection, still held by his boxers, press against her.
“We better stop,” he whispered in her ear. “I know you didn’t want it to go this far.”
She reached down to his boxers and slid her hand under so that she could grab him. She stroked his cock back and forth then grabbed his ass and pulled him toward her.
She took hold of him again and guided him into place. When the head of his dick entered her wetness, he pressed in slowly, sliding into her like a warm glove.
“Oh, God, you feel so good.” He paused for a moment to enjoy the sensation, then started moving in and out slowly.
She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him deeper inside her, rocking her hips to move him f
aster.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I don’t think I can go too fast with my back.”
She sat up and straddled his legs. Facing him, she rubbed her clit against him as she moved up and down on his cock, taking over. She bounced fast, sending him in deep each time she came down on him. He grabbed her hips and helped move her up and down.
She let out a small cry and ground harder into him. “I’m coming.”
He lifted up on his hips to slam even harder into her. In a few quick thrusts, he was coming too. He slammed in one last time and went still. Good thing his back hadn’t been hurting before or he would have messed it up good banging her so hard.
“You’re amazing,” he said. “I could really fall for you.”
She chuckled softly. “Don’t get too ahead of yourself. That was good, though. I wouldn’t mind doing it again.” She kissed him, then climbed off him and got dressed.
“Oh, don’t do that.”
“I have to get going.”
“Already? You haven’t been here that long. You’re really going to just screw me and run?”
“Sorry.” She kissed him again and threw his clothing at him. “You think you’ll survive?”
“Wait.” He dug in his pockets for his phone. He needed some sort of proof, even if she was already dressed. “Can we take a pic?”
She flopped back down on the couch beside him and tossed her hair. She smiled beautifully and he took the shot. At least his chest was bare. That helped.
“You’re completely gorgeous,” he said.
“I know.” She winked at him and picked up her purse from beside the couch. “I’ll text you tomorrow.”
“Okay. Thank you!” he called as she walked out.
This had gone so much better than he could have planned. He’d gotten her to bring dinner, give him a massage, and he’d slept with her. Plus, she’d driven herself over and wasn’t spending the night.
He stretched out on the sofa, still naked and tingling in the afterglow. Two down. He had to still be winning, even if Alex and Hayden had managed to hook up this weekend.
He sent them the new photo. “That’s two! Suck it, losers!”
He set the phone down and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep in a content daze.
Dustin (Shifter Football League Book 3) Page 6