Chapter 35
THIRTY-FIVE
For the last week, Abby had been distant.
She’d gone to visit her Gram after Mason’s worrying call, but she’d confessed that seeing her grandma hadn’t eased any of her worries, and when she’d tried to talk to her about it, her concerns had been brushed aside.
Since then, she’d been lost in her own head, clearly still worried.
I knew my plan for tonight wouldn’t fix what was going on with her grandma or ease her worry over her brother, but I hoped it would give her a much-needed chance to just disconnect and relax.
When she showed up to my place, I had a handful of options ready to go—a large bowl of popcorn, a variety of candy choices, and an assortment of drinks.
I wanted this night to be relaxing and low-key for her.
I’d even cleaned our living room, which was saying something considering I lived with three other guys who weren’t exactly known for their tidiness.
“You’ve thought of everything,” she said, a genuine smile spreading across her face as she surveyed the coffee table laden with snacks.
“I just want you to be able to relax tonight,” I told her, pulling her into my arms and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “No worrying allowed.”
We got snuggled on the couch with a Marvel movie—Thor: Ragnarok, because she wanted action and a laugh.
I draped my favorite blanket over our laps, and Abby nestled perfectly into the crook of my arm, her head resting against my chest. The weight of her against me felt right in a way I was getting dangerously addicted to.
The longer we were together, the greater my sense of peace when she was around.
The movie had just started when the door opened and Drew and Liam walked in.
“What are you guys doing here? I thought you had dates tonight.” My tone made it clear I wasn’t thrilled with the interruption.
“Nah,” Liam said, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it over the back of a chair. “The girls found out we’d hooked up with their other roommates and got pissed, so the dates ended early and we decided just to cut our losses and come back home.”
“Hey, is that Thor?” Drew asked, his eyes lighting up as he recognized the movie playing on the screen.
Drew and Liam started to take seats on the other couch and I sat forward. “Whoa, whoa, whoa, what are you guys doing?”
“We’re joining you,” Liam said, like it should be obvious. He flopped down on the couch to our left, immediately reaching for the bowl of popcorn. “This is one of our favorite movies.”
“I’m on a date,” I told them, gesturing to Abby who was sitting there, biting back a grin. Her eyes danced with amusement as she watched the exchange.
Liam arched a brow, his expression completely unapologetic. “Dude, you take your girl out to a movie when you’re on a date. You’re just hanging out at home, so you get what you get. We’re here now and we want to watch the movie.”
“Yeah, if you wanted privacy, you would have watched the movie in your room,” Drew added, already making himself comfortable next to Liam and grabbing a handful of my carefully prepared snacks.
“I thought you guys were going to be out for the night,” I said, not bothering to hide my frustration.
“Well, now we’re not.” Drew’s smirk was infuriating.
Before I could fight with them anymore, the front door opened again and Gordy walked in.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, completely exasperated with my housemates now. I wasn’t sure where he’d been, but he told me he had plans tonight.
He shrugged. “My plans fell through. What are you guys watching?”
“Abby and I,” I enunciated, emphasizing each word, “are on a date watching Thor: Ragnarok.”
He stared at me and Abby and then his gaze moved to Drew and Liam before they bounced back to me. “Well, if you wanted privacy, you should have watched it in your own room.”
Abby let out a choked snort beside me that quickly turned into a full belly laugh, and I couldn’t fight the grin that spread across my face. “This is amusing to you, huh?”
The smile that lit up her face made my heart race as her beautiful brown eyes connected with mine. “I mean, I’ve got to be the luckiest girl on campus to be on a date with four of the best players on the hockey team.”
Liam sat forward and opened his mouth, but I held up my finger. “Don’t even say it. I don’t share,” I said.
Abby’s cheeks blushed my favorite shade of pink and I wrapped my arm around her, holding her close. Then I let out a heavy sigh, giving in to the losing battle. “Fine, I guess we’re all watching the movie.”
It was well past midnight by the time the movie ended.
The guys had been decent company, keeping their commentary mostly funny rather than obnoxious.
Abby had laughed at their jokes, once again proving how seamlessly she fit in with my friends and making my chest tight with an emotion I wasn’t quite ready to name.
Now we stood in the entryway as she gathered her things, and I was worried about her driving home this late at night.
“What if you stayed here?” I said, the words coming out before I could overthink them.
“With you?” Her eyes widened slightly, a mix of surprise and something else—anticipation, maybe—flickering across her face.
“Yeah, my bed’s big enough. And I’d feel better knowing you’re not driving this time of night.”
She nibbled her lip and I used my thumb to pull it away from her teeth. The soft fullness of her bottom lip beneath my touch sent a jolt of desire through me. “You know, every time you do that, you make me want to bite this lip. You have no idea what you do to me, do you?”
“No,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
I bent my head down, close enough that our foreheads nearly touched. “You make me feel things I’ve never felt before.” The admission felt raw and honest in a way I’d only ever allowed myself to be with her.
She swallowed thickly and looked up at me, her eyes filled with vulnerability. “I’m a virgin,” she said quickly like she was confessing a crime.
I suspected as much, based on things she’d said and how she’d acted before, but hearing it, feeling the weight of those words, knowing eventually I would be her first—and if I was lucky, her only—hit me hard.
The responsibility of that trust settled over me, and I knew in that moment I would do anything to be worthy of it.
“We’re not having sex tonight,” I told her, my voice gentle but firm.
The spot between her eyebrows furrowed. “We aren’t?” A hint of confusion—maybe even disappointment—crossed her face.
I shook my head, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “No, because I want it to be special for you, and losing your virginity after the guys just crashed our date is really not romantic in the slightest.”
She giggled and the sound warmed me to my core. “No, I suppose it’s not,” she said, her shoulders relaxing. “So then what would we do?”
I kissed her nose, loving the way it scrunched up in response.
“Well, first I’ll get you into one of my T-shirts.
” I kissed her cheek, feeling the silkiness of her skin against my lips.
“And then I’ll pull you close.” I kissed her other cheek, breathing in the light vanilla-citrus scent of her body lotion.
“And then we might make out a little bit, if you want.” I kissed her lips, gently at first, then with more pressure as she responded before I reluctantly pulled away.
Fuck, I loved kissing her. “And then we’ll go to sleep. ”
Her pout was adorable, her bottom lip jutting out just enough to make me want to capture it between my teeth. “That’s it?”
I laughed, pressing my forehead against hers. “That’s it for tonight. I want to take my time with you, Abby. I want it to be perfect.”
She nodded, her features relaxing into an achingly tender expression. “Okay.”
I took her hand and led her to my bedroom, closing the door behind us.
My room was probably the cleanest in the house, mainly because I’d cleaned it before she came over.
My queen-sized bed was pushed to the right against the wall, covered in a dark blue comforter I’d purchased a few weeks ago.
My dresser, closet, and desk were on the other side.
I pulled out a clean T-shirt from my drawer and handed it to her.
“Bathroom’s through there if you want to change,” I said, nodding toward the en suite and suddenly grateful that I paid more to have the primary bedroom.
The other guys had to share a bathroom, and I didn’t like the idea of them seeing her in this state of undress.
When she emerged a few minutes later wearing nothing but my shirt, which fell to mid-thigh on her shorter frame, I nearly forgot how to breathe. Her hair was down, cascading over her shoulders. She looked impossibly beautiful.
I’d told her once she was way out of my league, and I still thought that was true.
“Is this okay?” she asked, tugging at the hem of the shirt.
“More than okay,” I managed, my voice rougher than I intended. I’d changed into a pair of sweatpants and a fresh T-shirt while she was in the bathroom. I normally slept in my boxer briefs, but more clothes seemed like a good idea if I was going to keep from going too far.
I pulled back the covers and gestured for her to get in. She slid between the sheets, and I followed, immediately drawing her into my arms. She fit against me perfectly, her back to my chest, her curves molding against my body like she was made for me.
“This is nice,” she murmured, her voice already heavy with sleep.
I pressed a kiss to the back of her head. “Yeah, it is.”
“Foster?”
“Hmm?”
“Thank you for tonight. For trying to give me a break from everything.”
I tightened my arms around her. “Anytime, Babe. I mean it.”
She turned in my arms to face me, her eyes searching mine in the dim light filtering through the curtains. “I know you do,” she whispered, leaning forward to press her lips to mine.
What started as a gentle kiss quickly deepened as she parted her lips, inviting me in.
I groaned softly against her mouth, my hand sliding up her back, feeling the warmth of her skin through the thin fabric of my shirt.
Her fingers tangled in my hair, pulling me closer as our tongues met in a slow, sensual dance.
We kissed until we were both breathless, until my control started slipping. I was sure she could feel what she did to me since my cock was hard as a rock and pressing against her. Reluctantly, I pulled back, pressing one last chaste kiss to her swollen lips.
“We should probably stop,” I whispered, my voice strained.
She nodded, though her eyes were still dark with desire. “Probably, but I don’t want to.”
She pulled my head back down and I went willingly, kissing her with everything I had.
Her body arched against mine, our legs intertwining until her soaked panties ground against my thigh and it nearly broke me. The heat of her against my leg had me harder than steel.
She whimpered as she found a rhythm, grinding against me. I moved my mouth, kissing down her neck, as I slipped my hands into her underwear, gripping her luscious ass that I’d had too many dreams about to count.
“Foster,” she moaned. “Please,” she begged, her voice taking on a needy edge.
“Please what, Baby? Tell me what you want.”
“Touch me,” she whispered.
“I am touching you.”
“Make me come…please.”
Fuck. I couldn’t deny her when she begged me like that.
I slid my hand around to the front of her body and then pressed two fingers against her swollen clit. Her whole body shuddered against mine as she let out another breathy moan that had me dangerously close to the edge of coming.
“Oh, God. That feels so good,” she sighed.
I was desperate to taste her—to feel her come on my tongue—but I wouldn’t push her that far tonight.
“Fuck, Baby. You’re so wet for me.”
She whimpered, nuzzling her face against my neck. Fuck, she was going to make me come. It had been too long, and touching her like this already had me so fucking close.
“You gonna come for me?”
“Y-yes,” she stuttered, her body tensing against me as I continued to rub circles over her needy little clit.
She cried out as she came, and the way her wetness coated my fingers had me so hard, it was a miracle I didn’t come in my pants.
She sagged against me, while both of us tried to catch our breath.
I tucked her head under my chin, holding her close as our breathing gradually slowed. The feel of her in my arms, the scent of her hair, the steady rhythm of her heart against mine—it all felt right in a way nothing ever had before.
It felt even better knowing I’d given her pleasure no one else ever had.
As she drifted off to sleep, her breathing becoming deep and even, I realized something that should have terrified me but somehow didn’t. I was falling in love with Abby Walker. And for the first time in my life, I wasn’t afraid of what that meant.
“Sweet dreams, Baby,” I whispered into the darkness, knowing that mine would be filled with her.