A few minutes with Google is all I need to find my way to the regatta early Saturday morning. According to the schedule, Juniper’s race starts around 8am, but I want to get there early enough to see if I can find her coach and find the best place to watch.
Some of the women milling around start calling my name, and I recognize them from the Pittsburgh team. "Ty! You made it up here to watch us! That's so nice of you." The short girl named Tina grabs my arm and pulls me to the Pittsburgh team. I immediately relax as I head over to them and get the scoop.
Apparently Juniper is in the zone getting ready for her race, and I'm not going to mess with that, so they show me where I can sit in the bleachers near the finish area. I settle in with them, waiting for her heat. I can see the officials and the men with clipboards on the floating dock, and I know those are the guys determining Juniper’s rowing future.
There are four lanes set up for the race, and I see four women getting their boats set up way up river. Ashley hands me binoculars and points out Derrick at the start area. He’s hanging onto the ball on Juniper’s bow, I guess so her boat doesn’t drift over the start line. I try to fight back my jealousy that it’s not me there whispering encouragement to her before the race. I try not to remember that she didn’t even call me before she left. We’ve both had a really intense week.
I steal Ashley’s binoculars so I can see every second. She only half protests until the gun goes off. Then she and everyone else around me starts screaming for Juniper. I wish I could see her face, but her back is toward me as she races down the water. Juniper is two lengths ahead of the field within a minute of shoving off. I can see the muscles of her back working, can tell she’s clenching her jaw in concentration. Relax, baby, I think, and as if she heard me, I see her shoulders drop and her body tension eases. Now she’s really flying down the water.
The beads of water off the end of her oars glisten like diamonds in the sunshine. Every person here is on their feet screaming for her. It’s not even a race anymore, but an opportunity to see just how fast my girl can get here. I look at the judges, and they’re all either grinning like fools or have their jaws dropped in shock. My girl is fast as fuck, and now everyone knows it.
A few strokes to go and she’ll be here. I’m flying out of my seat and down the bleachers. I want mine to be the face Juniper sees when she crosses the line and pulls up her oars. I get as close to the water as I can. Bam! She’s past. Her chest heaves as she pulls up and just leans back, gliding to a stop.
But then our eyes lock and we are the only people in the world. She makes her way to the dock to climb out of her boat, and I’m stumbling over to her. I crouch down and lift her out of the seat and into my arms. My lips crash into hers as she melts into my arms. This is all I want. Right here. This moment, this woman.
“You came to see my race,” she whispers against my chest.
“Baby, you’re going to have to do more than not tell me about it if you plan to keep me away.” I start laughing and kiss her some more. I can never get enough of how she tastes, and the salty musk of her sweat just adds to her appeal for me right now. Finally, I pull back and cup her chin in my hand. “Juniper Jones, I love you,” I say. I can’t hold it in anymore. “I love you.”
She starts crying then, which I was not expecting, but I also know how emotional I get when I’m competing. She buries her face in my chest and, with a muffled voice, she says, “I never thought I would have any of this.”
“Any of what, JJ?”
She waves her hand around. “All of this. Love. Success. Rowing. Just all of it.”
“Of course you have all these things, baby. You earned all these things.” I’m starting to freak out a little that she hasn’t said anything specifically about loving me back, when she bites my neck.
“I love you, Tyrion Stag.” And then she kisses me, soft and tender, hungry and longing. Eventually I realize some of the cheering and wolf-whistling I hear is Ashley and Tina and the other rowers standing around waiting to congratulate Juniper. Guess the cat is out of the bag about us being together. Good, I think, and kiss her even harder.
Derrick has to peel Juniper out of my arms for the award ceremony and I cheer louder than anyone when they slip that medal around her neck. Some old codger takes the microphone and announces that Juniper’s time was the fastest on record for that race length, and he’s thrilled to offer her a spot on the women’s national team. “I’ll have you know I raced with your father in Montreal in 1976,” he says, pumping her hand. “It will be my honor and my pleasure to serve on your coaching staff as we prepare for Tokyo next year.”
When Juniper finishes hugging everyone and crying, I tug her over to my rental car. I’ve had about all I can stand of looking at her in spandex race gear. I need to get her naked, pronto.
She sits back in her seat, looking so content as I speed to my hotel. I park in a screech of tires. She squeaks when I jump out, pull her door open, and lift her out of the car. I toss her over one shoulder and she starts smacking my ass while I walk to my room. “Ty, put me down. People can see!”
“Baby, I don’t give a shit who can see. I need you and I need you now.”
I slide the key card into the slot and see the green light I’ve been waiting for. I stride over to the bed and ease Juniper onto it as I’m peeling off my shorts.
She shakes her head at me, laughing. “We don’t have to hide anymore, baby,” I say, stepping out of my boxers. I’m naked in front of her, and she’s still fully dressed in her uniform.
“What do you mean we don’t have to hide? What did you do?” She crawls back, like she's trying to get away from me.
“I talked to my brother and I told him I love you and you’re not my lawyer anymore,” I say, crawling onto the bed after her. My dick is so hard it’s lying up against my stomach, and I see her look at it, licking those luscious lips of hers.
“I was going to talk to him on Monday,” she whispers. When I finally reach her, I start licking the hollow of her throat, kissing her shoulder.
“Mmmhmm,” I moan. “More kissing, less talking about my brother.” This gets a giggle from her, and she starts to peel off her spandex tank top. I help her out with the little shorts and ease her down so she’s lying back on the bed.
"Ty, I'm all sweaty and gross," she says, but doesn't really make an effort to move.
"You taste amazing," I say, licking the salty skin of one collarbone. Just thinking of her working so hard today, that determined look on her face, is enough to drive me wild with want.
I nestle in between her legs, tickling her stomach with the medal she left on. I brush the cool metal across a pert nipple, flicking the other one with my tongue until Juniper begins to moan. “I’ve missed you, baby,” I say, dragging my tongue around each nipple while she starts to writhe beneath my chest. Her nipples feel so good against my skin.
She reaches down and finds my cock, and a groan escapes my throat. Her hand feels so good wrapped around my shaft. I’m lost in the sensation and I don’t fully notice what Juniper is doing until I realize she has me lined up against her hot entrance. Bare.
I raise an eyebrow at her, questioning.
She pulls me down by the shoulders. “I read those articles you sent me,” she says, now licking my chest in all the ways I’d been licking her a few minutes ago. “I’m on the pill.”
My animal brain takes over with those words, and I waste no time sinking inside her. “Holy fuck this feels good,” I practically grunt. Her pussy is so wet, so tight and smooth against my skin. “Juniper!”
She wraps those long legs around me, her heels driving me deeper into her body, pressed into my ass cheeks. I’m about to lose control, but not before I get her there first. I brace myself on my forearms, angling my hips so my body rubs right up against her clit. I find the friction I know she needs when she drops her head back and starts screaming my name.
I fucking love how loud she is right now as I drive into her, nothing between us. Just me and Juniper Jones. I can feel it when her orgasm rips through her. She starts to spasm around my cock, her hips bucking wildly off the bed. “Fuck, baby, yes,” I shout, and then I’m with her.
I feel it start to spiral inside me and then my balls draw up tight. My release fires inside of her again and again, thick ropes of ecstasy. My dick twitches and finally rests, and I collapse on top of my lady, both of us heaving and gasping for breath.
“Ty, that was amazing,” she whispers.
“Mmm you’re telling me,” I say, tracing letters on her back as I pull her against my chest. “I’m never letting you go, you know.”
She nods. “I’m ok with that.”