part0029

She giggled again and my cock stood to full and painful attention, causing the bed sheet below my waist to rise like a tent. I was losing my fucking mind being away from her. I wished I had the power to make time fly. If I did, today would be the third of January and Natalie and I would be making scorching hot love nonstop in my bed in the master suite inside my mansion in Munich right now.

“Stop laughing, woman and give me a few hints about my treats.”

“Okay. Um, let me see. Red, lacy, and sheer…”

I sat up in bed. “Go on. Tell me more.”

“Black, silk, and crotch-less with feathers… How does that sound?”

“Torturous,” I growled, stroking my dick as visions of Natalie’s naked body floated through my psyche.

“I have edibles too. Chocolate, French vanilla, and butterscotch—take your pick or try them all.”

“I don’t need sex candy or body creams. You taste pretty damn delicious to me, so take that shit back to the store. The only thing I want to lick is you , babe; all over, from head to toe, front to back, and inside and out. No edibles necessary.”

“Okay. No edibles.”

“Oh, there will be edibles indeed, but only the natural kind.”

A soft gasp floated from Natalie’s lips through my phone’s earpiece and kissed my heart. Then it traveled through my bloodstream and rushed like hot bubbling lava to my already stiff and enlarged cock.

“I miss you, Hayden,” she whispered sweetly. “I can’t wait to see you.”

“I miss you more, sweetheart.” I paused a moment before asking the one question that had plagued my mind all day long. “Do your parents know you’re coming to visit me?”

Her laughter lacked humor. It sounded empty. “Yes. I told them this morning.”

“How did they receive the news?”

“Mom encouraged me to follow my heart, but she wants us to take our time getting to know each other. And she insists that you make a trip to Atlanta soon to meet her, my dad, and the rest of the family.”

“I’ll do that. Um, what about your father, babe? What was his response?”

“As expected, he warned me to be careful and call him twice a day while I’m over there. He also asked me to deliver a message to you from him.”

“He did, eh? Let me hear it.”

“Daddy said if you hurt me, he and all of his fraternity brothers are going to invade Germany and start World War III. Then after they find you, he’s going to execute you in public in the most barbaric way known to mankind.”

“Wow! Your father sounds like a friendly fellow. I can’t wait to meet him.”

I checked my watch for the tenth time in as many minutes. Time was moving much too slow for me. I wanted out of this place already. Aggravated to no end, I grabbed my bottle of beer from the table and took a generous swig. Looking around the crowded club, I saw a few of my teammates having a good time dancing with beautiful women and guzzling down strong libations. Edgar, the club’s owner and my former teammate who had retired from football a year ago, was walking around greeting his New Year’s Eve patrons. The grand opening of his new nightclub had turned out to be a successful event. The capacity crowd left standing room only as others fought their way inside.

Edgar had been a decent teammate and friend to me the entire four years we played for Bayern Munich together. So, when he’d asked me six months ago to appear at his new club on New Year’s Eve as the honorary host, I readily agreed. I didn’t have to give a speech or shake hands with guests or anything. He simply used my celebrity status to promote the occasion. My face and name appeared on all forms of promotional material for the event, and I was expected to take the microphone shortly before midnight, pump up the guests, and do the New Year’s countdown. After that, my commitment to Edgar will have been fulfilled. Then I could leave and return to my condo to watch Zyeshia videos on YouTube and listen to her music on the stereo until she reached out to me on FaceTime to wish me a Happy New Year. I would probably drink a few more beers while I waited to hear from her.

“You have exactly thirty-three minutes before you’re expected to take the stage for the countdown, sir.”

I looked up at Selig standing above me with a wide grin on his face. Judging from his glossy eyes, I would guess he’d had one too many shots of Wodka Gorbatschow. He wasn’t sloppy drunk, but he clearly had a vodka buzz. My dear friend was enjoying the festivities, and it amused me. I checked my watch to confirm his time estimation and discovered he was correct.

“I can’t wait to get out of here. You know I’m not much of a clubber.”

“I know, but all work and no play makes Viper a very grumpy boy. Live it up, sir! The night is still young.” He did a sweeping motion with his hand. “Look at all of these lovely ladies assembled in one place, sir. You could have your pick or two or three. My God, you’re Viper Drachenberg. You could have them all .”

“Yes, the ladies look nice, but I only have eyes for one lady, and she’s not here, my friend.”

“I understand, sir. A cluster of cherries can never replace an apple.”

I nodded in agreement to Selig’s analogy and watched him walk away. I finished off my beer and signaled for a server to bring me another one. My eyes roamed around the room, taking in faces while I tapped my foot to live music from a local rock band. The sound of a bottle touching down on the table got my attention. But when I turned around to thank my server, my nerves were rattled by the person I saw standing above my private table in the reserved section of the club.

“Stalking is against the law in Frankfurt, Ms. Göbel.”

“I’m not stalking you at all, my love. I’m here working.” She took a seat in the chair opposite me. “Why do you insist on calling me Ms. Göbel? It’s so formal. We share very personal history. No one knows Ilsa like you do.”

“You’re right. I know you well. You’re the woman who will do anything for money and popularity. There is no bottom you won’t sink to in order to get whatever you want.”

“Is that all you can remember about me? What a shame because we shared so much. Yes, I was ambitious, hungry even. I wanted to make my mark in journalism. Sometimes it’s hard for a woman to earn her just due in a man’s world. So, I did what I had to do and we both benefitted from it. I landed a job with a much bigger and more widely distributed media network in Berlin, and you gained millions of fans even before you became the football star I always knew you would be.”

“Yeah, you exploited me. You used personal information about my life, things you were privy to only because I was your younger lover, and sold the story for money and your professional advancement.”

“That was so long ago, my love. Let us not dwell on the past. We are here right now. I am divorced with no children, and you are obviously unattached. You’re much more mature now, and I have nothing more to prove in journalism. It is a good time for us to start over and rekindle what we once had. Second chances are always good, eh?”

I stood and lowered my head to whisper in Ilsa’s ear. “I’m very much attached to a woman that you can only aspire to be like many years from now. And if I were an unattached

man, I wouldn’t want the likes of you. You’re all washed up. I doubt if you can even count the number of cocks you’ve sucked to make it to the top. So, I decline your offer to start over with you. Happy New Year, Ms. Göbel.”

The crowd cheered and applauded rowdily. Electricity was in the air all around the nightclub, causing the atmosphere to sizzle. There were other celebrities on the stage along with Edgar, the band, and me. Media cameras and lights were front and center. Selig had fallen asleep in a chair at my table in the reserved section of the club. I had promised Tilda that I would take him to my condo immediately after the countdown.

“Everyone grab a drink and get close to someone with kissable lips. The countdown is about to start! Here we go! Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one! Happy New Year!”

A set of lips crushed mine in an aggressive kiss as two thin arms wrapped around my neck. I turned my head away, shoving and wiggling my way out of the unwanted embrace. My rage shot through the roof when I realized Ilsa was the person who had kissed me. I sputtered and wiped my lips with the sleeve of my jacket.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!”

I wanted to slap that sardonic smile off her face. Her red lipstick had smeared across her cheeks and chin as a result of the kiss she’d stolen from me.

“Loosen up, my love. Happy New Year!”

I was tempted to follow Ilsa off the stage and throw her out of the club, but I couldn’t allow my anger to cause me to act like an asshole in a building full of eyewitnesses. So, I walked over to Edgar and gave him the mic and said goodbye. On my way back to my table, I saw Ilsa interviewing club patrons with a photographer by her side. She cut her eyes at me and smiled. Still very much pissed by her actions, I turned my head and made my way to Selig. He was awake but heavily intoxicated.

“Come on, my friend. It’s time for us to go. There’s a special lady in Atlanta, Georgia who wants to wish me a Happy New Year.

“For a cool dude with so much swag, you can be really corny sometimes, bae.”

“Play along with me, sweetheart. Just because we aren’t together, it doesn’t mean we can’t have a New Year’s toast. Now, stop giving me grief and raise your glass.”

Gorgeous as always, even through my laptop screen, Natalie rolled her eyes to the ceiling and shook her head before she raised her crystal champagne flute. “Okay, Mr. Corn Ball.”

“Happy New Year. I hope this year will bring us closer together emotionally as well as in distance. I’ve never a met a woman like you, Natalie Taylor. You’re it for me. Here’s to our wonderful future together. Drink up, babe.” I raised the bottle of beer to my lips.

“Wait! I have something to say too.”

“I’m sorry. Go ahead, sweetheart.”

“Hayden, I didn’t go to the Blue Ridge Mountains expecting to meet you, but I thank God our paths crossed. You are an incredible man, and I’m glad you’re mine. I’m counting down the hours until I’ll be able to touch you again. Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year to you. I love you, Natalie.”

“I love you too.”

We spent an hour talking about all the things we wanted to do during her short visit to Munich in less than forty-eight hours before we ended our video call. I was wide awake afterwards, so I decided to take a warm shower. As I scrubbed my body, many thoughts crossed my mind. I was still very angry with Ilsa for reappearing in my life, but I didn’t want to waste precious time thinking about her foolishness.

I quickly shifted my thoughts back to Natalie’s upcoming visit to Munich. Boy, was she in for a few surprises. First, she was going to be shocked once she learned she would be traveling on my private jet instead of a commercial airline. Selig and I had agreed that it would be best if I were to receive her at the private airstrip at the Munich airport. On the limousine ride to my estate, I would introduce Natalie to Viper Drachenberg. I would reveal all the secrets I’d planned to tell her before we had to leave Blue Ridge unexpectedly. So, by the time we reached my mansion, she would know everything about the man she’d fallen in love with and I believed she would reveal her truth to me.

I left the shower and dried off with pleasant thoughts in my head. In a day and a half, my life would change for the better. I slid under the crisp, cool bed sheet, thinking about being reunited with the woman I loved. Sleep found me easily just moments later.