Promise Me

by Kristin Mayer

  I loved these moments of complete peace when my inner storm calmed and let me be.

  We were in Mark’s truck on the way back to our condo complex when his sister called. His phone was synced to the truck.

  Mark looked over to me and said, “I want you to see how much they like you, Sam. I’ll let them know you’re with me in a minute. I know you’ve been worried about what they think.”

  I nodded and smiled as he connected the call.

  “Hey, Brina,” he said.

  There was squealing on the other end that caused me to try to shy away from the noise. My eyes grew a little wider at this change in his sister. His sister and mom had not been this obnoxious the other day.

  Finally, Sabrina started talking, “Mark, I love Sam. I mean, I love her. Hey, hold on, that’s Mom.”

  The line was silent for a minute. Mark grabbed my knee that had started to bounce, and he squeezed it. I stopped the movement and grabbed his hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze back.

  Sabrina came back on the line. “Hey, Mark. I’ve conferenced Mom in, too.”

  His mom spoke next, “Mark, we want to come see that sweetheart again as soon as possible. Can you give me Sam’s number, so I can discuss some plans with her? She’s absolutely perfect for you. We all can sync our schedules this way.”

  Sabrina chimed in, “You can’t be selfish with her this time. I want to go out with her. Maybe we can do manis and pedis together.”

  They seemed to like me, but it was throwing me a little off-kilter with how much they wanted to get involved in my life after only meeting me once. Mark looked at me, and I smiled. I knew I was probably overreacting with my response, but part of me wished he would take the phone off speaker. I kept telling myself that they were just being nice.

  Mark went to speak, but his mom picked up right where Sabrina had left off. “We’ll text you some dates. Mark, I do hope you two are practicing safe sex even though I wouldn’t mind having a grandbaby.”

  My eyes instantly bulged, and Mark looked right at me.

  “Mom, gotta go.” He disconnected the line.

  Shit. Oh shit.

  She said the B word—well, not the B word exactly, but a word that contained the B.

  The B word…

  The blood was slowly draining from my face, and I was reeling from what they had said. His description of his family was making more sense after that little exchange. I hoped they stayed more docile with me for a bit until I had time to adjust. It was overwhelming, to say the least.

  We were pulling into the condo complex and then stopped at the stop sign. Mark grabbed my hand, causing me to look at him.

  “Damn it. I am sorry. My family is a little forward. They honestly don’t have filters sometimes. I wanted you to hear how much they liked you. They’ve been group-texting me nonstop about wanting to spend more time with you.”

  Instead of freaking out, I playfully slapped his leg. Neither one of us was ready to talk about the B word, but it sure made me want to reinstitute condoms in our sex life.

  “I’m fine. I was shocked by the openness. Hell, my mom is going to have a coronary because I’m dating, period. My parents are very traditional, so no freaking out if she mentions the M word.”

  He leaned in and gave me a kiss. “The M word?”

  “Yeah, that big scary word men normally run from. It’s about as scary as the B word. So, trust me, it’ll all be evened out after you meet my family. I suggest we impose a no-freak-out rule when it comes to the parentals. Plus, you’re gonna have your hands full with meeting my dad, considering I have never mentioned the word boyfriend to him or brought a significant other home. He might chase you off with a shotgun after he’s had his fan moment.”

  Mark laughed at me as a car honked behind us, obviously irritated that we had chosen this stop sign to stop and have a conversation. An emotion passed over his face that I wasn’t able to place, but it was gone just as quickly.

  “Fair enough, no-freak-out rule imposed. My place or yours tonight?”

  “Let’s do mine tonight.”

  He turned right and parked the truck. I wondered if we would start staying with each other most of the time. I was going to let it happen as it was supposed to. I was not going to try to define parameters. All I needed was exclusivity and to feel safe at this point.

  After getting our bags, we walked up to my place. It felt good to be home and not be as tense as I was prior to leaving for our trip.

  He was walking back from my bedroom as he said, “Hey, Sam.”

  I looked up, waiting for him to continue, as I pulled some ingredients for sandwiches from the refrigerator.

  “I want the PR group for the team to do a release about us. I want everyone to know I’m off the market. Are you okay with that?”

  “When do you want it to release?” I liked the idea of being totally committed, even in public, which shocked the hell out of me.

  “As soon as you give the go-ahead.”

  He joined me in the kitchen and started pulling things out that he wanted to add to lunch. It was amazing how normal this felt.

  Tapping my fingers on the counter, I responded as I tried to tame my nerves, “Okay, I need to tell my parents first. I don’t want them surprised by it since I’ve basically avoided the big R word for as long as they can remember.”

  We had stopped what we were doing and were discussing this like a real couple. I reveled in that thought and enjoyed it. I’m normal.

  “You and your letters.” He was clearly amused at me. “When are you going to tell them?”

  This is going to be tough. Finding my courage, I answered, “I can tell them now, but I’m going to get a million questions, and they will want to know when I’m bringing you to meet them. I know you’ll be busy with the preseason soon, but having someone in my life is going to shock the hell out of them, so I’ll need to give them some kind of an idea of when we can go, even if it’s a month from now.”

  He walked up to me and turned me to him, taking this conversation to a whole new level of seriousness. “Let’s go this weekend. I want your family to be comfortable with me prior to the start of the season. I want them to see how much you mean to me before all the chaos, so they aren’t wondering who the hell you are with.”

  His green eyes penetrated mine as we stared at each other.

  “Okay, let me call them.” I took a deep breath as I decided that it was best if we went ahead and chose a date for me to meet his parents as well, so they weren’t trying to sync me to death via my mobile. “Why don’t you see if your family wants to come the week after, so we can have a few weeks alone before the season starts?”

  I was surprised at how calm I was at the prospect of breaking the news to my parents. The thought of spending more time with his family was freaking me out a little more at this point.

  “Sounds good. It’ll get Brina off my ass.”

  I laughed as he sent a text to his sister, and I grabbed my phone. I took a deep breath as I dialed my parents.

  My mom’s cheery Southern voice answered on the second ring, “Hey, Sam. How’s North Carolina?”

  “Hey, Mama. It’s good. Are you sitting down?”

  I was never good at prolonging things or easing into it. It drove my mom crazy how I’d put it out there without all the suaveness a situation sometimes required. I turned down the volume of my phone. The last thing I wanted was for Mark to hear a bad response from my mama.

  “I am now. Don’t tell me you’re moving to California. Sam, that’s way too far.”

  The cautionary, scolding tone made me smile. My move had been hard on them.

  “Mama, calm down. I’m not moving again. I was going to come home to see you guys this weekend.”

  Mark was watching my exchange carefully as he continued to fix us sandwiches, which made me a little nervous.

  She gave a little sigh of contentment. “Oh, that’s wonderful. Your dad will be so glad. He’s missed you terribly. He’d never say a w
ord, but he’s missed having you so close.”

  Here goes nothing. I cleared my throat and went for the big splash. “I miss you guys, too. Hey, Mama, I’m bringing someone home with me this weekend.”

  “Oh, good. I can’t wait to see Allison. Is she showing yet?”

  Of course my mom would assume I was bringing Allison because I hadn’t brought anyone else home since leaving for college. I wanted to facepalm myself.

  “Mama, I’m bringing my boyfriend home. We’ve only been dating for a couple of weeks, and I want you guys to meet him.”

  Something dropped, and then I heard some rustling and murmuring.

  Did she drop the phone in shock?

  She came back on the line and said, “Sorry, I dropped the phone. Did you say boyfriend?”

  Part of me wanted to laugh at how I had stunned her. “Yes, Mama.”

  She was shocked, and I didn’t blame her.

  Sweetly though, she said, “That’s wonderful. Tell me all about him.”

  “He’s the quarterback for Damien’s team. His name is Mark Robertson, and he’s wonderful. He’s sitting right here, Mama, so I’ll talk to you later about the rest.”

  That earned me a raised eyebrow from Mark, but I was not going to go into detail with him standing right there. In response, I stuck my tongue out, and he smacked my ass before he took a seat at the bar.

  My mama was so caught up in the moment that she wasn’t paying attention to what was happening on my side.

  “Lordy mercy, your father is gonna have a heart attack.”

  “That’s why I called you, so you could tell him. Gotta go. I’ll let you know when we are coming in.”

  “Sam—”

  “Bye, Mama. Thanks for telling Dad. Love you.”

  I hung up the phone as she was continuing to sputter. Letting her break less palatable subjects to my dad was one habit of mine she did not find amusing.

  Mark slid a plate over to me, and I started eating my sandwich. I knew he wanted to know what my mom had said, but I decided to stay quiet for a few minutes as I took a couple of bites. Honestly, she was probably still trying to get her head wrapped around it all. My parents were huge advocates of abstinence until marriage. It was one of the reasons I’d never told them about being raped by Greg. I hadn’t wanted them to think less of me. That was the last thing I needed to be thinking about, so I focused back on the topic at hand.

  In between a full bite, I mumbled, “You sure know how to make a good sandwich, Sport.”

  He arched an eyebrow at me, and I sweetly smiled back.

  “Thanks. Is there anything else you want to tell me? Maybe what your mom just said?”

  “Nope,” I said it with a loud, playful pop on the P sound. I didn’t know why I was teasing him on this.

  “If that’s the way you want to play it, babe.” He shrugged and took another bite.

  I looked at him and fluttered my eyelashes. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  The glint in his eyes told me he was up to something.

  What is he planning?

  We finished eating, and I put away the plates from lunch.

  As I was bending over, finishing loading the dishwasher, his mouth was right at my ear.

  “I was thinking about going to the deli and getting some dessert. What kind of cookies would you like?”

  The seductive tone in his voice had me instantly wanting him. I loved this type of foreplay. I started to stand, but he held me in my bent-over position.

  “Whatever she’s just taken out of the oven. Tell her I’ll be by soon. I—”

  He bit my ear. “I’m glad you didn’t tell me what your mom said. This is going to be a lot more fun.”

  Oh, this is bad.

  He was going to win this game, and he knew it.

  Wanting to play but not be tortured forever, I decided to tell him, “Before you go, I’ll tell you everything my mama said.”

  He chuckled as he pulled me to a standing position and gave me a light kiss. “I like my plan better. I’ll be back in just a minute.”

  Trying to regain some control in this conversation, I sassily replied, “Have it your way. You might be missing out on some really juicy details.”

  He nibbled on my lips. “I’ll take my chances.”

  Shit, I’m screwed.

  Our breath mingled, and my pulse continued to climb as I thought about what he was going to do to me when he returned. He kissed me hard and left me in a sexual tizzy.

  Shower. I need a shower. The moment the door closed, I went to wash off the traveling grime. Maybe it will also tame my libido and help me keep my wits about me in this little game we started.

  Five minutes was all I needed, and I would be out before Mark got back. After stripping down, I turned on the shower. The water was nice and hot as I stepped in and reveled in the feeling of the heat. I washed quickly.

  As I was getting out, the sound of the front door opening and closing reached me in the bathroom. This showdown required comfort, so I found tight boy shorts and a T-shirt. Not wanting to fight totally fair, I left the girls floating free in my nearly see-through T-shirt.

  Perfect.

  “Sam?”

  The smell of fresh cookies wafted through the air. Rounding the corner, I didn’t have a chance to respond before he continued, “A batch of peanut butter cookies just came out of the oven, and Edna sent some of the chocolate dipping sauce you love with it.”

  “Oh, boy.” I jumped up and down.

  His eyes went to my chest.

  One point to Sam.

  Trying for extra credit, I gave him a little shimmy to emphasize their free, bouncy nature. As his eyes grew more lustful and his body posture changed, I wanted to shorten playtime and get him inside me sooner rather than later.

  “Do you want to know what she said, Sport?”

  He was pulling off his shirt, and I wanted to pass out at the sight.

  “Go on.”

  A finger went to my nipple as I tweaked it, he groaned.

  “She’s telling my dad, and it’s okay for us to come.”

  He smiled. “Do you trust me?”

  I licked my lips. “Yes.”

  He walked up to me, and I stood my ground. His finger came up and started at my chin. He gently grazed my neck, working his finger down achingly slow to my left breast. I closed my eyes and absorbed the tingling feeling that caused that sensual flip-flopping in my stomach.

  “Sam, can I take control for a bit?”

  My eyes went to his as his finger traced the underlying curve of my breast and continued working its way to my navel and then farther down south. I thought he was going to continue to the top of my boy shorts, but instead, both hands slowly went up my torso.

  My breathing had picked up slightly as he maintained eye contact.

  “I’ll try.” My voice was softer.

  My sex was beyond wet at this point with the slow, teasing movements. As he slowly pulled my shirt up, I put my arms straight up in the air. When the shirt was covering my face, I felt the tip of his tongue come out and flick my nipple. He sucked it in his mouth, hard. As he finished pulling my shirt off of me, he blew on my nipple, which caused it to stand erect. Mark’s finger then trailed down my neck and in between my breasts, slowly making its way to my navel and then to the top of my shorts. I shivered at the sensation.

  Next, he pulled my boy shorts down ever so slowly. As they went down my legs, his fingers barely grazed my clit, and I emitted an involuntary whimper. I wanted him more than I had ever wanted him. His fingers skillfully touched all the right places on the inside of my thigh and continued their trail as my boy shorts made their way to my ankles, and I kicked them off.

  His hands slid back up my body to my hips and then across my breasts. The heat emitting from our bodies could start a forest fire.

  “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. You’re about to scream for me to give you that release.”

  I barely whispe
red, “Please.”

  The devilish grin that spread across his face had me thanking my stars that he was mine. He grabbed my hand and led me to the kitchen. I was curious about what he was going to do with me in here, and I remembered the time he had taken me on the kitchen island before. Prior to this, I had never given a guy this much control. It was a little daunting, thinking about it, but I took a deep breath. Mark could be trusted.

  He grabbed the nape of my neck, brought my lips to his, and roughly kissed me. Feeling his chest slightly against my breasts was amazing at this point. Any small touch sent my body up in smoke. One of his denim-cladded legs came between my legs and began rubbing me. I was building, and I started meeting his grind. On my second rub, he pulled away while I was practically panting. He stepped back and began to strip out of his pants. His erection stood at full attention, and I bit down on my lip at the sight. He started pumping himself a few times. I loved watching Mark touch himself.

  “Hop on the counter, Sam. You’re about to become my new favorite treat.”

  I obeyed. I believed I could handle giving him a little control, knowing he would stop at any minute I became uncomfortable. The cool granite counters brought a new sensuality to my body. Mark went to the bag from Edna’s deli and pulled out the chocolate dipping sauce that I loved.

  He walked back over. “Lie back and close your eyes.”

  I did as he’d asked. Warm dollops of chocolate landed on my nipples and slowly dripped across my body. Between the cold countertop and the warm fudge, I felt a mixture of all different kinds of sensations, which heightened all my senses. More warmness was drizzled between my legs. His tongue started tracing the inside of my thigh, following the chocolate trail to my core. He was moaning appreciatively as he licked up my cleft.

  “Please, Mark.”

  “Not yet. I haven’t had you near enough. You earned a penalty, and you have to serve the sentence.”

  He dipped his tongue into me, and he had to grab my hips to keep me from coming off the counter. He licked, sucked, and worked me up to a near explosion and then stopped. I groaned in frustration, and he chuckled.

  Bastard.

  My dominant behavior took over, and I went to rub myself. He grabbed my hand and then climbed up on the counter, putting himself between my legs.