part0034

Three days shouldn’t feel like three months, but it sure as fuck does when it’s three days away from Paige. After our failed pizza date, I decided to give her a day before texting her to check in. Frankly, I needed the time to ease my growing concern about where her loyalties lie— with me or the paper. But then I got busy with football obligations, and my only form of communication was a text here and there.

Tonight’s the first night I’ve finally had a chance to call her, and I’m dying to talk to her. As soon as she answers the phone, her sweet voice soothes the insecurity that was stirring in my gut only a few days ago.

“Hey,” she answers softly, her voice calming me in a way I didn’t even know I needed.

“Hey, how are you?”

“Good.” She exhales heavily. “I’m sorry about the other night, Jack.”

I pause before responding hesitantly, “Sorry for what exactly?”

“Well, a couple of things, really, but mainly the awkwardness that was there when you

“Paige, I want to be with you. There’s no doubt in my mind. Do you want to be with me?” Because at the end of the day, that’s all that matters.

“Yes,” she responds instantly.

There’s still one thing holding me back from feeling completely relaxed with her again. “I know your career is important to you, and I can admire that, but I need to know you’ll be able to keep your career separate from us. Can you do that?”

“You’re right, my career is important to me. Honestly, it used to be the most important thing to me.”

“It’s not anymore,” she whispers. “Jack, please don’t doubt that I will always do whatever I can to protect you and put you first. I’m in this. I want to be with you.”

I close my eyes, allowing her words to wash over me and bring me the relief I’ve been searching for.

Coming back to our conversation, I say, “You mentioned there was more than one thing you were sorry for. What else is there?”

She giggles, and fuck me, that sound is so sexy coming from her.

“We didn’t get to finish what we started during halftime,” she states seductively.

And just like that, I’m hard.

My voice is hoarse when I speak, “You’re right, we didn’t. What are you wearing right now?”

She laughs. “You want to do this now?”

“Hey, you’re the one who started it,” I tease.

It’s a weird sensation to be hard as stone and laughing with her. It’s never been like this with anyone else. It feels good.

Her laugh quiets on the other end of the line. “Do you want the truth? Or something sexy?”

I smirk at her adorableness. “I always want the truth.”

“I’m wearing a tank top and yoga pants.”

I groan, picturing her in my head. “God, I bet you still look sexy as hell.” I think about how her ass felt in my hands the other night, and my hand slides into my boxer briefs, gripping my now rigid length.

“What are you wearing?” Her voice is soft but not tentative. She’s feeling this too.

“Just my boxer briefs.”

“Take them off,” she demands.

Fuck, that’s hot. I love this side of Paige. I remove my hand from my cock and slide my boxer briefs down my legs. “I think it’s only fair if I’m naked that you should be, too.”

I swear I can hear her smile through the phone. “I already am.”

I can’t stop the groan that releases from my mouth. “Touch yourself,” I beg inelegantly.

Honestly, I don’t even care where she touches herself because I can already imagine how sexy she looks, stroking her hands over her breasts and then down to caress her slick heat. When she lets out a breathy moan, I think I might lose my fucking mind with how badly I want this woman.

“Fuck, babe, tell me what you’re doing that just had you making that sexy-ass sound.”

Her breathing is erratic and her voice husky when she responds, “I’m touching my breast with one hand and the other is rubbing my clit. I want you to touch yourself.”

“I already am,” I state, using her line from earlier. This woman has me strung so damn tight, but this already feels better than all the times I’ve jacked off since we got back together.

My balls tighten, release imminent. “Fuck, Paige, I’m gonna come. I need you to come with me.”

“Yes,” she breathes out and releases another loud moan.

We pant into the phone together as we find our release. When both our breathing has finally evened out, she huffs out a laugh. “Well, can’t say I’ve ever done that before.”

I laugh with her as I look down at the mess covering my stomach and pecs. “Uh, yeah, that was a first for me too.”

“Really?” She seems surprised.

“Yeah, really. I was never really a playboy like everyone wants to think. That carried too much risk of unwanted exposure.”

She’s quiet for a minute before finally responding, determination clear in her voice, “I know your privacy is important to you, Jack. I won’t betray your trust.”

And just like that, my insecurities about her loyalties get tucked away. “I trust you, Paige.”

Ever since that night of phone sex, I’ve been dying to get her in my bed. Knowing I can’t wait any longer to have her, I decided to do something extra special for our date today. Paige has made it clear that she’s ready to take that next step, but I still want it to be special. I want it to mean something.

I pick her up and drive us out to San Pedro. It’s a beautiful Southern California day with clear skies and the perfect temperature.

“So, are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Paige asks. Her head is leaning back on the headrest but turned toward me with the most gorgeous smile on her face.

I glance at her quickly with a mischievous smile. “I told you, it’s a surprise.”

“So, not even a hint?”

She leans over and whispers, “What if I do this?”

I feel her teeth graze my ear and I can’t hold back my moan. “Paige,” I warn.

I look over at her and see her eyes dancing with mirth. I love this playful side of her, but damn, it’s distracting and making me hornier than ever. She places her hand right above my knee, and I’m forced to take a deep breath as I try to control my impulse to pull the car over and ravage her right now. I start counting the ABCs backward to tame the growing issue in my pants and cool down my lust. When her hand starts sliding up my thigh, I quickly stop her with my own.

“Paige, please. I’m trying to be a gentleman here, but you’re making it really hard.”

She giggles. “Oh, I can tell.”

I throw my head back and let out another groan. Immediately, I lose the heat of her palm on my thigh as she moves her hand back to her own lap, laughing softly. But just as I start to relax and calm my breathing, she leans over and whispers, “Maybe I don’t want you to be a gentleman.”

The heat in her eyes is almost my undoing. How the fuck did I ever let her go for so long?

I’m saved from my thoughts and from having to respond to Paige’s comment because we pull up to our destination, Point Fermin Park. I park along the street, the main attraction still hidden behind the trees filling the park. I can see a hint of white, but that’s about it. Nerves start to fill my gut. I hope she likes this. I haven’t exactly been the most romantic guy since we split years ago. She was the only woman I ever really wanted to be romantic with, so I’m massively out of practice.

I jump out of the car and hustle over to her side. I see her eyes light up and her lips quirk up at the corners in a smile as I open her door. She takes the hand I offer her and slides out of the car. Once she’s out, I go around back and grab a blanket and picnic basket from the trunk.

“Wow, you really went all out, didn’t you?” There’s a musicality to her voice that tells me she’s pleased by this simple gesture.

“I told you I wanted our date to be special,” I tell her as I walk back to her.

She cups my cheek. “You don’t need to go to any trouble to make it special, Jack. Just being with you is enough.”

She goes up on her toes and kisses me sweetly, her lips the gentlest caress against mine.

I forgot about this feeling. This euphoria that spreads through my whole body and leaves me tingling and wanting more. She’s the only woman who’s ever elicited this reaction from me, who’s ever made me feel this way.

I rest my forehead on hers. “Come on. The picnic basket isn’t the surprise.”

I lead her down the sidewalk, along the pathway that leads to the main reason I chose this location. As we walk hand in hand, the white base of the building comes into view. I glance at Paige to watch her reaction. She’s looking around the park, taking everything in, and then catches me looking at her. She smiles at me before her gaze catches the building in front of us as we finally clear the trees, and she realizes what she’s seeing.

She slows, and a heavy breath leaves her lungs. “Jack…I had no idea this was here.”

The Point Fermin Lighthouse stands tall before us, glowing white from the bright sunshine. She continues to look in awe at the building as we walk toward the entrance. I’m captivated as I watch her face light up. She looks radiant.

We take a private tour of the building, looking out at the beautiful views of the Pacific Ocean. Afterward, I set up our picnic on the grass nearby.

She shakes her head. “I can’t believe you brought me to a lighthouse for our date.”

“Lighthouses were always our thing. At least the one back home. We had a lot of firsts there.”

I smile at the blush that spreads across her cheeks, evidence that she clearly remembers when we had our first kiss, as well as losing our virginity together, at the lighthouse at Chinook Point.

“I remember,” she replies softly.

She gently places her palm on my cheek and guides my face to hers. Her kiss is soft and slow but filled with so much emotion, it nearly makes my heart stop. I wish I could press pause and live in this moment forever.

We spend a couple of hours sitting and talking while admiring the gorgeous views. Miracle of miracles, I only get a couple of requests for autographs, which fortunately doesn’t kill the mood. When I offer up the idea of going back to my place, Paige doesn’t hesitate.

“I’d love to.”

My nerves don’t kick in until we get through the entrance of my gated community and pull up to my house. It’s not as large as some of the guys’ houses on my team, but it sure as hell isn’t small either. I’m nervous to see her reaction to the one place that has become my sanctuary.

I pull the car into the garage and we make our way through my mudroom into the connecting kitchen.

She nods her head, her eyes soaking up every detail of my house. The main floor is open-concept, so she can see the dining room and living room from our spot in the kitchen. I steer her down a hallway that leads us to the front door and a large staircase. The staircase leads to the upstairs where most of the bedrooms are, including mine, but I’m not ready to have her so close to my room.

Well, scratch that, I’m more than ready. But I don’t intend to jump on her the second I get her in my house. And by looking at her, it doesn’t seem like she’s ready for that.

Actually, it looks like she’s massively uncomfortable. Anyone else might think she was just looking around, but I know her. I can see the tension in her shoulders and around her eyes and mouth. She’s uncomfortable.

My heart drops to my stomach. I want her to be happy here, so I need to fix this pronto. I quickly finish up the tour, breezing past the game room, personal gym, and infinity pool that takes up half of my sprawling back patio. I lead her back to the kitchen and offer her a drink, while I quickly place a delivery order for dinner through an app on my phone.

She nods but still doesn’t say anything. Silence descends heavily on us, feeling like a weighted blanket but without the comfort. I hand her a glass of red wine while I sip on my two fingers of whiskey.

She walks toward the wall of windows that overlooks the pool outside and the view of LA. Finally breaking the silence, she turns with a coy smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes.

“This is an incredible view. I bet this pool is one hell of a chick magnet.”

I shrug. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never brought a woman here.” We don’t break eye contact as she turns her body toward me.

“What?” It’s a whisper from her lips as if she can’t believe the truth.

I slowly make my way toward her, placing my drink on the counter as I move from the kitchen.

“I’ve never brought another woman here before. This place is my sanctuary away from all the bullshit. I haven’t had a serious relationship since college, definitely not the whole time I’ve been in the NFL. There are too many jersey chasers. And as you know, I like my privacy. I bought this house after my first season. The only people who’ve been here are my parents, Max, and a few of the guys from the team.”

I pause to assess if she’s ready to hear what I’m about to say.

With my voice strong and sure, I state, “I only bring people that really matter here. You’re the only woman who’s ever mattered.”

She takes an audible breath, sets her wine glass on the table next to the couch, and walks over to me. As soon as she’s within arm’s reach, I slide my fingers through her hair and grasp the back of her neck, drawing her lips to mine.

The second we connect, it’s like electricity hums through my veins. Her fingers curl around my neck, gripping my hair. When she tugs on the short hairs there, I can’t contain the groan that spills from my throat. That sound is like a starting gun going off, and our kiss turns ravenous, like we can’t get enough of each other.

“God, I want to taste every inch of you,” I breathe out, my voice husky with desire.

I find that tender spot on her neck that always gets her worked up, and the moan that releases from her mouth is complete seduction. It’s audio porn, making me harder than granite at the idea that she’s mine and mine alone. No one else gets to have her this way or make her crazy out of her mind with desire the way I do.

I break our kiss, grab her hand, and walk her to my room upstairs. I don’t want our first time together in almost a decade to be on my couch.

The moment we pass the threshold of my room, I spin her around and press her against the wall. My lips capture hers in a deep, possessive kiss.

Her moan damn near unmans me.

Her fingers slip under my shirt and claw against my lower back.

“I wanted this to be slow and sweet, but I don’t think I can wait,” I whisper.

“Fuck slow. I want you so badly.”

She kisses me deeply, her fingers moving up my body to grip my hair again. I’m overwhelmed by my need for her. I pull my lips from hers just long enough to rip off her shirt and mine before we’re connected again.

Our mouths move together in a dance of passion and need. I move my hand around her back to release the clasp of her bra, while her hands move toward the button on my pants. Through gasping breaths, demanding kisses, and short bursts of laughter, we struggle to get out of the remainder of our clothes. But the second I see her standing in front of me fully naked, all the laughter stops.

She’s the most breathtaking woman I’ve ever seen.

I slide my hand around the back of her neck, through her hair, and bring her mouth to mine, devouring her with everything I have. I’m desperate for her to feel all the emotions rolling through my body in this moment. I lift her up into my arms, her legs wrapping around my hips, and walk toward my bed without disconnecting our lips.

Once I lay her back on my bed, I move my lips back to that sensitive spot on her neck, and I watch in delight as goosebumps appear on her skin and she moans softly in my ear. I slide my lips down, determined to kiss every inch of her gorgeous body.

She’s fuller than she was when we were teens, but in the most seductive way possible. Her body is the body of a woman, not a girl, and I’m so fucking turned on, I don’t know if I’ll last long once I slide into her warm, wet pussy.

I slide my tongue across her nipple and watch her as she arches her back up into me, a quiet gasp falling from her lips. I suck it into my mouth, hard, just to hear her gasp louder. Then I slide my mouth over to the other side and give her other nipple the same treatment.

Her body writhing underneath mine is not helping me any, and I’m dangerously close to coming already just from the feel of her skin against mine. I pull back and rest my forehead on her stomach, taking deep breaths while trying to control my raging hard-on.

Fuck, I don’t think I’ve been this hard in my entire life. I feel like this is becoming a pattern with Paige.

Her fingers slide into my hair again, and I lift my head to look into her gorgeous brown eyes.

“Jack, I need you. I need you inside me right now.”

“I need to grab a condom.”

“Do you?” she asks quietly.

“Do I?” I repeat, not quite believing what she’s suggesting, but hoping it’s what I think it is. I’ve never gone without a condom before, but Paige is definitely the woman I’d make an exception for.

“I’m on the pill and clean. I was checked at my last annual appointment and haven’t been with anyone since.”

“I’m clean. I haven’t been with anyone in almost a year and was clean when I had my physical three months ago.”

“Good. Because I really want to feel you bare inside me.”

Her words are my undoing. I move to kiss her and slide inside her just as our lips touch. We both moan loudly at the exquisite feeling of being coupled together.

There is nothing in the world like being inside Paige, but to feel her with no barrier between us is beyond anything I’ve ever experienced.

I move inside her, trying to hold myself back because I’m seriously in danger of coming like a virginal teen boy getting his dick wet for the first time.

“Paige,” I groan. “Fuck, you feel so goddamn good.”

“Jack,” she moans breathlessly, “I’m so close already.”

I move my hand down between us to rub her clit while I continue to thrust inside her. Her

back arches, and she screams my name as her orgasm hits her. Her wet heat squeezing me as she comes is my complete undoing, and I come hard, her insides milking me through my own climax.

Completely spent, I adjust our bodies so we’re side by side, facing each other, yet still touching almost entirely while we take deep breaths and recover from the best sex I’ve ever had.