“You’re so right,” Jesse said, as he slipped his arm around her waist. Cupping her face, he looked her in the eyes and said, “I can’t tell you how sorry I am, and how grateful I am that you have such a big heart, and that you let me in it. I promise, moving forward, I will treat it carefully and make sure to never break it.”
Her smile danced across her face as she brought her lips to his. “You make me happy, Jesse.”
“You make me happy, Ashlin.”
**Ashlin**
Jesse was spread out on the couch, with his arm propping up his head as Ashlin finished rinsing the dishes from their take-out dinner. He offered to help, but she told him to relax. After he explained himself and said how sorry he was, she knew she couldn’t stay mad at him…there was no way. She had finally opened her heart to someone, and she wanted it to stay that way. She felt cared for when Jesse was around, and she reveled in the feeling.
She wiped her hands and headed over to Jesse, who was watching sports highlights on the TV. When she was straddling his lap earlier, she really wanted them to finally have sex and connect in a way they hadn’t before, but he stopped her, and asked if she was hungry. This time, she wasn’t going to let him distract her. She was going to grab him by the balls and take what she wanted. They were in this together…they were in a relationship, it was time.
As she walked into the living room, Jesse smiled up at her and eyed her up and down.
“What’s with the sly grin over there, beautiful?”
“Just taking what I want,” she replied, as she played with the hem of her shirt.
Completely oblivious, he asked, “And what is that?”
Not giving him a second to further question her, she took off her shirt, exposing her breasts to him. She knew he was instantly excited by the way his eyes heated and the way the bulge in his sweatpants grew. Yes, she was definitely not letting him distract her from what she wanted.
Clearing his throat, he said, “Uh, what are you doing, Ashlin?”
“Shut up, Jesse,” she said, as she straddled his lap on the couch and ran her hands up his shirt, which he was forced to take off once she rode the hem over his head. His chest was now bare, exposing his finely chiseled muscles and his colorful tattoos that had no rhyme or reason, but they were sexy as hell. She loved Jesse’s art, because on the outside he was kind and caring; you would never know the man had sleeve tattoos unless they showed, but when they did, he was sexy as hell.
Leaning down, she kissed his taut abs, which jumped at her touch. She could feel him harden quickly under her, which only made her smile. She loved the fact that she could affect Jesse so easily. Kissing his stomach, she made her way up to his chest, where she kissed his pecs and found out first-hand just how muscular he was.
She peeked up at him and noticed his eyes were closed and he was biting down on his lip. She poked his face with her finger and said, “What’s going on? Am I disgusting you?”
“Fuck no, are you kidding me? I’m just trying to be…”
“If you say you’re trying to be good, I am going to pinch your nipple right off.” Her fingers hovered over his nipple.
He laughed uneasily and said, “You’re so beautiful, Ashlin, I’m just…nervous.”
“Nervous?” She cocked her head to the side. “Why?”
“I’ve only been with one other woman, and that was a long time ago.”
Her heart melted instantly. If she hadn’t already known she was in love with the man, she did now. He was a strong, confident, starting quarterback on the field, but a little cuddly teddy bear in person. She was head over heels in love.
Not wanting to use her words, she ran her hands from his chest to his face, and rubbed his cheeks with her thumbs.
Taking a deep breath, she said, “I love you, Jesse, and I don’t care about your past sexual history. All I care about is you and me.”
She had never seen his face so bright. “You said you love me,” he teased, while poking her side.
Blushing, she said, “So?”
“You love me,” he sing-songed and teased.
Propping herself off his chest she said, “Don’t be a jerk about it.”
Within seconds, he’d scooped her up over his shoulder and run through her apartment. Once they were in her bedroom, he placed her on her bed and hovered over her.
He leaned in close and looked her dead in the eyes as he said, “I love you too, Ashlin. I love you too.”
She was lost after that.
Slowly, Jesse grabbed the edges of her panties and slid them down her legs, making her completely naked for him.
“You are so damn beautiful.”
She just smiled as he leaned forward. She stopped him with her foot and said, “I think you’re forgetting something,” she looked down at his boxer-clad crotch.
“Alright, but don’t stare,” he said shyly, making her laugh.
He turned his back and shucked his boxers, giving her a great view of his tight ass. She’d be biting into that later. When he turned around, her breath caught in her throat as she saw Jesse…all of Jesse.
Propping herself up on her elbows, she stared at his erection, and then swallowed hard as she looked back up at him.
“I hit the fucking king of all cocks motherload,” she exclaimed, as she licked her lips, sat on her knees, and pulled Jesse close to her. Marveling at his thick size, she started stroking his long length, and watched as he continued to grow. “Does Mason know about your dick?” she asked, dick-struck.
Laughing, Jesse said, “I’d rather not have you talk about my teammates while I’m aroused and you’re stroking me. It just confuses Boris.”
“Boris?” her eyebrows raised as she tore her eyes off of the giant dick in her hands.
“That’s his name.”
“Oh. My. God!” She laughed as she fell back on the bed.
He was on top of her in an instant with Boris poking at her pussy, begging to be let in. The feeling of him pressing up against her had her laugh falling from her lips and her body heating up all over again.
“Think it’s funny now?”
“Nope,” she shook her head furiously, as she felt her breath start to pick up.
“Good. Now open for me…wide.”
Jesse was pretty easygoing and a fun guy, but right now, he wasn’t anything like that. He was demanding and sexy as sin, something she loved to know that he kept for only the bedroom.
Wanting to listen to his demands, she spread her legs as wide as possible, which allowed the tip of his cock to rub against her clit. A moan escaped the back of her throat as he started to move his dick up and down along her slick pussy. The feeling was incredible, especially since he was owning her mouth with his lips and running his hands up her stomach.
His lips worked down her neck, right to her breasts, where they stopped to peruse. He kissed around her nipple until she was moaning and thrusting her chest into his mouth. With a smile, he grabbed one of her breasts and took it into his mouth. He lightly bit down on her nipple at the same time that he entered her just with his tip.
“Ahhh, Jesse. You’re killing me.”
“I’m killing you? Then I need to stop,” he said jokingly, as he pulled out of her, eliciting a small cry from her. “Sweetheart, you sound so sad.”
“I don’t want to play games, please, make love to me.”
“Well, when you ask like that…” he looked around and pulled out her bed side drawer. “Condoms?”
“I’m on some serious birth control. Don’t worry about it. Please, I just need you.”
He smiled down at her and spread her even further.
“Ever since I saw you hanging out with Ryker, I knew I wanted you, needed you. I just had to find the right time to make my move,” he confessed, as he steadied himself right above her.
“I thought I was the one who made the move?”
“You going to be sassy now? Well, I can either let you be sassy, and I go back to my place, or you can be a good gir
l, stop talking, and listen to me.”
“I’m listening,” she said breathlessly. She really, really liked sexy alpha Jesse.
“Good, normally I would have you flip on your stomach so I could take you from behind, but right now, I want to see your face as my cock enters that sweet hole of yours.”
Nodding, she spread her legs more, put her hands above her head to grab onto the headboard, and waited for his next move.
His fingers ran up and down her stomach and sternum, making her wetter than she thought possible. She could feel the weight of her arousal and she was afraid that she was going to come just from him touching her, but she didn’t dare say a word…she just let Jesse work his magic.
“You’re so soft…everything about you is so perfect.”
“I’m not perfect,” she mumbled.
He grabbed her face and made her look him in the eyes. “You’re my kind of perfect, Ashlin.”
And she melted.
He kissed her lips softly, grabbed her legs, and put them on his shoulders. With a deep breath, he slowly moved his cock into her entrance. There was need lacing his eyes and self-control pouring out of him, but he never once let go. He continued to ease into her, even though the veins in his neck pulsed; his cock twitched relentlessly as he entered her. Once she felt his balls hit her ass, she knew they were fully connected. They both breathed deeply as they felt each other connect in the most intimate way possible.
“You’re perfect for me,” Jesse gritted out, as he started easing himself out, slowly.
The pace he was going at was torturous, but in the most magnificent way ever. He was definitely the most well-endowed man she had ever been with, and she could feel him stretching her in the best way possible.
“Are you doing alright?” he asked, as he started pushing back in again.
“Yes,” she hissed. “But if you could pick up the pace, that would be appreciated.”
Laughing, he did as he was told, and started moving faster. The friction and sounds that he was starting between them were so hot, so erotic, that Ashlin couldn’t help but get lost in his touch, in his weight, in the way he made little grunting noises every time he entered her.
“Fuck,” he mumbled as his head lowered and he pulled on his bottom lip with his teeth. “I’m not going to fucking last.”
“Me either,” she said, as his hand went to her clit and started rubbing tiny little circles over it.
A feral scream escaped her mouth as he took her over the edge. She didn’t even see it coming, but with the way he was moving in and out of her while his fantastic fingers moved over her, he had her screaming his name at the top of her lungs.
As she tried to rein herself in, she saw Jesse above her bite down on his lip and grunt as he released himself into her. Seeing the poised man lose control was such a huge turn-on that she would be seeing him like that, in her head, for days. The image would be helpful when she was all alone on a photo shoot and was in need of a little Jesse loving.
He gently set her legs down and pulled her into his chest. They both breathed each other in as their hearts steadied.
Life would never be the same for her. The gentle giant that was now holding her to his heart had forever changed her, and she couldn’t be more grateful for his persistence in knocking down her walls and making her his.
Chapter Twenty Two
**Piper**
Mason was at the stadium, getting in some Saturday physical therapy, as Piper went to visit with Hannah. Apparently, Hannah had some big news. Mason told Piper that he would get a ride home with one of the guys, so not to worry about him. She didn’t know how long she would be hanging out with Hannah, so she might as well pick Mason up if he was done, but she would figure that out once she got to the stadium.
As she walked into Dick’s Last Chance, she thought about how much her life had changed and so quickly. It was only a couple of months ago that she had hit rock bottom and had to crawl back to her parents for help. One lucky day, she ran into Mason, the love of her life, something she never thought she would say, and then they were swept up together in a whirlwind. There was always the nagging feeling in the back of her mind that everything was too good to be true. He’d let her back into his life too easily, but then again, he loved her, and the way he looked at her proved it.
Piper instantly spotted Hannah behind the counter at the bar and went over to her. When Hannah looked up and saw Piper, she squealed and ran over to her. She wrapped her arms around Piper’s waist, since she was so much shorter, and gave her a big hug.
“Hey,” Piper said while laughing. “What’s going on that has you bouncing up and down like a lunatic?”
Grabbing ahold of her hands, Hannah swung them back and forth as she said, “Ryker and I are moving in together! We bought some things on Friday for our place. I’m so excited!”
“Wow, Hannah. That’s amazing. I’m so happy for you. So, I’m assuming that means things are going very well for you two?”
“Yes, I couldn’t be happier,” she said, as she walked back around the bar. “He is so perfect, Piper. He puts up with my insecurities and calms me down when I go all psychotic on him. He is sweet and funny, and he is…” she paused and looked around before saying, “he’s fantastic in bed.”
A laugh escaped Piper as she watched Hannah’s face blush.
“So, he knows how to pork you like a champ?”
“Piper!” Hannah admonished. “Honestly, I don’t know how Mason puts up with that dirty mouth of yours.”
“He likes it dirty, Hannah. You should know that by now.”
Hannah held up her hand and said, “Let’s not go there.” She started drying some glasses and stacking them as she said, “So, how was meeting the parents?”
Sitting down on the bar stool and leaning her elbows on the counter, Piper said, “It was interesting. Of course, Mason has the best parents ever.” Hannah nodded her head. “His mom totally called me out for my, how would you say it? My slutty ways.”
Hannah snorted and nodded her head. “God, that must have been embarrassing.”
“Mortifying is more like it, to know that your boyfriend’s mom knows that you fucked her son around, yeah, I wanted to melt into the cranberry sauce, but she didn’t seem to care or, at least she didn’t show it. She told me that she can truly see that Mason loves me and that he is worth fighting for, which I completely agree with. He is worth fighting for.”
“Well, I guess that was a good conversation then, right?”
“It was just a little awkward at first, but in the end, everything was great. We had a good time, and his parents gave me big hugs when they left this morning. I feel like it might take a little bit for his mom to truly accept me in Mason’s life, given my pathetic history, but we did bond, and she is going to be sending me some recipes that Mason loved growing up as a kid. It was kind of cute.”
“Well, that’s sweet. I’m glad you had a good Thanksgiving.”
“Yeah, it was one of the best ones I think I’ve ever had, and I have Mason to thank for it. It’s so weird…” Piper trailed off.
“What’s weird?” Hannah asked, as she pulled out the bowls of nuts, once again prepping the bar for the patrons.
“Mason, it just seems like something is going to happen, you know? Life can’t be this easy.”
“It can when you’re in love,” Hannah responded honestly. “I think the same thing about Ryker sometimes, you know? This amazingly handsome professional football player walks into this bar and says that I’m going to be his wife one day? That never happens, but it did. It has taken me a while to get to where I am today, and I’m still struggling with my self-confidence where love is concerned, but with the way Ryker treats me, touches me, and even looks at me, I know he is in this for the long run. Sometimes I’ll catch him just looking at me, and when I do, he has the most loving look on his face. I know, at those moments, that we are meant to be. He would never hurt me like Todd did, and for that, I’m the luckiest girl ev
er.”
Joy filled Piper’s heart for her friend as she patted Hannah’s hand. “You deserve happiness, Hannah, after everything you’ve been through, and I’m so glad you’ve found it with Ryker. He really is such a good guy, even though he can be a pain in the ass.”
“He can be, but that’s why I love him.”
They spent the next two hours talking about the men in their lives and sharing stories about how they acted behind closed doors, when it was just them alone together. Ryker likes to dance around in his boxers and, apparently, he has some really good moves, according to Hannah. Piper told Hannah that Mason is notorious for singing into a wooden spoon when making dinner, and his song of choice is always, “My Heart Will Go On.” Hannah nearly split a gut when she heard that confession.
It was just about the time that Mason would be getting done with PT, so she said her good bye to Hannah and drove the short distance to the stadium. Luckily, she was on the approved list for player access into the stadium. She didn’t know if Mason was done with PT, but when she called him to find out, her call went straight to voicemail. She didn’t really want to go into the stadium, but Ryker’s car was still in the parking lot, and that was who Mason was probably going to get a ride from, so she put her car in park and headed into the stadium.
The familiar scent of the stadium washed over her as visions of Mason pressing her up against the painted cinder block walls ran through her mind. She was still with Jax at that point, but her heart had been slowly falling into Mason’s hands.
As she walked through the tunnels of the stadium, she kept her head down, not really wanting to make eye contact with anyone…not that her hair wouldn’t give her away; it was quite noticeable.
When she turned the corner to the PT room, she ran straight into a man’s chest, a very familiar man’s chest. As she looked up, she saw those brown eyes and white hat that used to star in her dreams.