“Then you don’t know, for sure, if it would work or not. True or false?”
I smirk. “True. Technically.”
“So, tell me, what do you have to lose?”
I bite my lip. “Nothing, I suppose.”
“Exactly. So, here’s what you’re going to do on Sunday, whenever you feel like youreallyneed to focus during the game.You can’t wear your magic blinders all game long, but whenever—”
“Mymagicblinders?”
“Correct. That’s why you can’t wear them at all times during a game, because their magic might fade if worn too long. It’s important you only put them on whenever you need an extra boost of focus and confidence at a critical moment. Think of them like shifting into the highest gear in a race car.” Her eyebrows cinch together and a crease forms on her forehead. “Or is that thelowestgear?” Iris scratches her chin, contemplating her analogy, and she’s so damned adorable in this moment, it’s all I can do not to tackle her to the soft grass and rip off all clothes, right here and now.
“Iris, I want you to know I respect your intellect and ideas. I truly do. I also appreciate your attempt to help me. But, sweetheart, there’s truly no way in hell—”
“Stop, Roman,” Iris says firmly, raising her palm. “You’re going to do this once on Sunday—for me. And you’re going to do it in earnest. Without holding back. Without rolling your eyes. Without secretly thinking it’s dumb. You’re going all in on this, if only once. And if it doesn’t work that one time, then okay, I’ll never talk about this again.”
I exhale. I can’t argue with that. In fact, I have no desire to argue with her. Not when she’s looking at me like that—like she’s discovered real, true magic and wants only to share it with me, the man she loves. “Okay,” I reply softly in surrender. “What, exactly, do you want me to do, love?”
She lights up. “I want you to put on your magic blinders, like this.” She puts her palms on either side of her head, at her temples, mimicking the squares of leather strapped to Cheerio’s head. “Once you’ve got your magic blinders in place, I want you to actively imagine their magic working for you, blocking out the past and future and your physical ability to think of anythingthat’s not immediately in front of you on the field. When your blinders are on, they make it so you can only think about whatever play you’ve got on tap, and that’s it. You can only feel with your senses. You see the receivers running their routes. You feel the ball against your hands and your cleats digging into the turf. Everything else is magically blocked out.”
She’s definitely using her child psychology background on me in this moment, even though I’m not a fucking child. But you know what? I can’t see a downside to giving it a whirl. What have I got to lose? “Okay, Mr. Miyagi. I’ll give it a shot.”
“You have to believe in the magic, though. Promise me, Roman. It’s likePeter Pan.The fairy dust won’t make you fly unless you truly believe it will.”
“I believe,Iris.”
“Promise?”
“Ibelieve!” I throw up both arms like I’m in a Baptist revival. “I believe!”
As she laughs, I take her giggling frame into my arms and kiss her deeply—and I swear, the resulting combustion feels even more earthquaking than our magical kiss in front of the waterfall in Kauai. Even more so than that life-altering kiss under the swirling stars in Orchard Blossom. She’s my destiny, this woman. The best thing that’s ever happened to me. And it’s now clear I camethisclose to pushing her away, simply because I’m a stupid, scared, self-sabotaging idiot.
I already loved this woman before today. But my love for Iris feels like it’s expanded and deepened today. Plainly, if I want to keep this once-in-a-lifetime love in my life, I’m going to have to kick Regular Season Roman to the curb, once and for all. Not only that, I’ll need to commit to being vulnerable with Iris, too, like she said, even when it’s hard and scary and the last thing I want to do.
“You didn’t want to have sex with me this week?” she whispers against my cheek.
“I always want you, Iris. I was punishing myself.”
She leans back, her breathing hitching. “By punishingme?”
The question hits me like a gut punch. What’s wrong with me? “I’m so sorry, baby. I’ll never do it again. I promise. Let me make it up to you.”
I quickly get her bottom half naked, and after guiding her onto her back and spreading her thighs, I lean in and do the thing I wanted to do in that meadow in Orchard Blossom:I eat my gorgeous woman’s pussy like a starving man. In fact, I devour Iris Benedetto with such enthusiasm, both horses start whinnying and stomping in unison when Iris eventually lets out a loud scream of ecstasy with her climax.
As Iris comes down, I yank off my shoes and jeans and pull her onto my lap. As she sinks herself onto my full length, I cradle her back and bring my forehead to hers. “I love you, Iris. I love you forever. And from this day forward, I’ll always make sure you know that.”
She gyrates passionately on top of me, kissing me feverishly. And when she ultimately comes, it’s with a low, keening groan that sends rockets of desire shooting through me, so of course, I come on her heels.
As our bodies quiet down, we kiss passionately. And by the time our lips part again, I feel like a new man with a newfound lightness of being.
“Magic blinders,” I murmur with a smile, my forehead pressed to hers.
“Magic blinders,” she whispers back. “Do it for me.”
“I’d do anything for you.”
“Then do this. Full throttle. Without holding back. No second-guessing it.”
