“Then I’ll go next year. I’ll get my time.” He seems so certain, I find myself smiling at him with a sense of disbelief.
“That’s stupid, Jay,” I laugh out.
“You’re worth it.” Not even a half-second passes between my words and his. And my smile falters as he cups my face in his hands and forces my gaze on his.
“Why? Why am I worth it?”
Please say it. Please say it.
He scans my face, nothing about his expression looking nervous. His hesitation doesn’t seem to be about fear, but rather about taking his time. And when his eyes finally reach mine again, the crinkles around them give me the sign I am waiting for.
“Because I love you, Colby. I’ve loved you pretty much my whole damn life.” He pulls my mouth to his and dusts my top lip with his, saying the words again.
“I love you. There isn’t another person on this planet who can make me better than you. A better player. A better person. I’ve looked up to you since the day we met. And I don’t know when it happened, but all of a sudden, I quit wanting to belikeyou, and all I wanted was to bewithyou.
“I love you, Colby Kessler. And I don’t give a shit what kind of headache it makes for anyone, or what old-ass white man coach finds it inconvenient, or if it means I might not get called up to Texas. At all. I choose this.” He runs his thumb along my cheek, under my eye. “I choose you.”
And suddenly, it all feels so simple.
“I love you, too,” I say, the last of the knots in my chest unraveling as he smiles and walks me backward to my temporary bed, in this temporary place.
Everything in life is temporary. He’s right. My mom and his dad taught us that. We survived pain to learn this lesson, to know what’s important and to seize the day.
“I love you so much, Jayden,” I say, wrapping my arms around his neck as he lifts me up and spins before sitting on the edge of the bed and holding me on his lap.
His hands undress me slowly, sliding my shirt up and over my head, then slipping my bra straps down my shoulders. He kisses each new inch of exposed skin as if he’s building a map of my body, his lips beginning at my collar bone then moving over the curve of my breast as his hands lower my bra until my nipples are exposed. He grazes the hard peaks with the sides of his thumbs, and my center swells with need.
“Jayden,” I say, breathing out his name as I open my neck to his mouth.
He kisses my throat as my hands gather up his shirt, my fingers finding their home along his toned, muscular chest. I push him to his back, and he falls willingly. I push his shirt up to his neck, and he pulls it off the rest of the way while I dispose of my bra.
“You’re so goddamn beautiful, Colby.” He looks at me with wonder, and it makes me blush.
“This is one thing I have on the other coaches,” I tease.
He chuckles and glides his hands up my thighs, squeezing my ass and pulling me down against him. His hips rise, pushing his hard cock against my swollen pussy, and my head falls back in bliss.
“I fucking love you, Colby. I love you; I love you; I love you,” he says, grinding into me.
“Then fuck me, Jayden,” I whimper.
His expression morphs into something darker. Something . . . delicious. I move back to stand before him and pull my pants and panties down my legs while he pulls his cock out and strokes himself while watching me.
“Touch yourself,” he commands.
I slide my hand up my body, squeezing my nipple between the vice of my thumb and index finger, and I moan from the pleasure I give myself.
“Not there,” he says, dragging his gaze lower.
I rush with heat. I’ve never done that in front of anyone. I’ve done it while thinking about Jayden, though. I’ve done it a lot. Especially lately.
I swallow hard but trust him, moving my hand softly across my belly, then over the strip of hair above my pussy. I open my stance, spreading my legs a little, then glide my fingertips between them. My wet pussy pulses against my own touch.
“Ah,” I gasp.
The flicker of an orgasm shocks me, and Jayden nods as he continues to stroke his cock.
“Make yourself come,” he says.
