26. Ryan
26
RYAN
After a game like that—and two hours of raw, sweaty sex with the sweetest girl I’d ever had—I passed out cold. I barely had the coherency to trash the condom. Nica, bless her, pulled back the sheets before I could fall facedown into the pillow. I felt her snuggle up against me, and I was done. Knowing she was safe and warm beside me was the last thing I needed before I could let sleep claim me.
When I finally woke, Nica was propped up on the pillows, frowning at her phone. She tossed it aside as soon as she noticed me stir. A tight smile flashed on her face that told me something was wrong, but she slid down to snuggle into my chest.
“Hi,” she murmured.
“Hi.” I forgot about the phone and hugged her tight. My dick stirred, but I was equal parts turned on and content as hell. Good god, she felt so good in my arms. Good god, she was officially my girl.
Good god, I wanted this to last.
Don’t think like that. Just let this be this. It is enough.
Nica’s hips flexed against me. Her breasts grazed my chest, and my eyes opened. “You keep teasing me like that, Trouble, and you might not like what happens.”
Her sassy giggle made me smile. “What the hell makes you think I won’t like it, Goalie?”
Before I knew it, we were a tangle of hands, mouths, and bedsheets. She was so small, nearly a foot shorter than me and small-boned, and something about it drove me wild. Because she was so fucking strong , too. And she could take my cock in that tight-as-hell pussy like I was made for her.
A point she reconfirmed before we ever left the bed.
When we’d caught our breath, I finally rolled off the mattress and caught her hand. She followed me to the bathroom—and, predictably, stopped dead when she saw the counter.
“I was joking! How did you even have time to—Ryan, I was joking. ” Nica palmed her eyes and groaned.
I laughed. “I had my housekeeper get it yesterday. Is it what you wanted?”
She sniffed the lavender soap and bubble bath, then held up the purple silk robe and sighed. “They’re perfect. Dammit, I was?—”
“Joking. Yeah, yeah. But you said it was the bare minimum to keep you as a lover. And, for transparency, I’m definitely trying to do just that.”
Nica set the robe down and wrapped her arms around me. She tilted her head back to meet my eyes. “I’m in, Goalie. This is officially this. You don’t have to do a damn thing.”
I bent down and kissed her nose. “Yeah, but it’s more fun if I do.”
After the shower, we went downstairs to make breakfast and say good morning to Henrik. Nica opened her phone again while we sat drinking coffee. Her sigh drew my attention.
“Something wrong?”
“No,” she said in a tone that said the opposite. “I, uh, I’ll have to go in a few hours.”
“Damn. I was hoping you’d stay until tomorrow.”
Another sigh. “I have to… do a thing in Hartford. I could come back, I guess. I think I can, at least.”
I wanted to question her, but I could tell I’d not get far. “Okay. In that case, go on and get back as soon as you can.”
She kissed me goodbye with a brief smile that didn’t reach her eyes. I went to update my spreadsheets and pack for the road trip. It was nearly dark when she texted, asking me to meet her at The Pub in an hour.
I walked in to find her at a table with her brother. They both smiled when they saw me, but again, Nica’s eyes were sad. Vinny shook my hand while she said, “Vinny, this is Ryan. My boyfriend.”
His smile stretched wide. “That’s awesome. Congrats, you two.”
I kissed her cheek. “Thanks, man. Round on me.”
We had a beer, chitchatting about the season, the weather, whatever. Nica was quiet, but she jumped in when we recapped the Atlanta game. When the beers were gone, she nodded to her brother, who got the message. We wished him goodnight and headed outside.
“Hungry?” I asked.
“Very. I haven’t eaten all day.”
“Tacos? It’s just down the block.”
She hesitated. “People will see us. Expect to wind up in the local news.”
I shrugged. “Fine by me if you’re okay with it.”
We walked there together. She came to life a little while we ate. When her phone lit up at the end of the meal, though, she really smiled. “Okay, that’s done.”
I cocked my head, but she shook me off. We went back to The Pub’s parking lot. I looked around for her car, but Nica followed me to the Tesla.
“Hang on. Where’s yours?”
She shook her head and dropped into my passenger’s seat.
“Nica?” I asked when our doors were shut.
She bit her lips into a line. “I sold my car today. I took the bus from Hartford here.”
“What? Why?”
“Can we please go back to yours?”
“Of course. But I’m not going to let you hide from this.”
She smirked. “Unless I use my safe word.”
I shut up and drove us back to my house. Nica slipped inside and went to the kitchen. I watched her start the kettle and drop a tea bag into the same mug she’d used last night while Henrik danced around her. I loved the way she already seemed comfortable in my home, and she was clearly enamored of my dog. But I had to understand her more.
“Okay, then. Why did you sell your car?”
She sighed again and sat on the barstool, motioning me to sit with her. “I needed money fast. I, uh, wanted to get it over with. The car was the most valuable thing I had, so I sold it.”
“You wanted to get what over with? Are you in trouble?”
Headshake.
“Nica,” I warned. “Did you do something? What’s this about?”
Her lips curved in a humorless smile. “I know I told you all about my upbringing, so it’s fair for you to be suspicious. But, no, Ryan. I’m in no trouble, and I didn’t do something wrong. I, uh… the guy Vinny mentioned? My ‘manager’ who suggested I do your profile?”
I nodded.
“I can still close the page if you want. But I didn’t want to deal with him anymore, so I bought him out. Except I didn’t have the cash to do it, so I sold my car.”
My jaw unhinged. “That car couldn’t have been worth more than fifteen grand.”
She pulled a face. “Dammit, you’re good. That plus what I made from the article let me settle up.”
“Do you have anything left over?”
“Enough for rent and food, yeah.” Nica’s gaze dropped to her lap. “This is really embarrassing to tell you. Twenty thousand isn’t a big deal to you, but it is to me. This is why I can’t go to Boston with the WAGs. I just don’t have the means.”
I eased her hand off the mug and laced it with mine. “You don’t have to be embarrassed. You work hard and make your own way. What’s embarrassing about that?”
She shrugged. I hooked her barstool and dragged it closer to me until she glanced up. “Nica Solance, you are an enigma wrapped in a mystery in so many ways. But if you’re with me, you can stop worrying about money. You’ll take my card and ride with Stella tomorrow. And if you need cash, you can ask.”
Blue-gray eyes flashed. “I could never ask you for cash to pay off a debt like that. Don’t be silly. It’s hard enough trying to fathom shopping on your card. I don’t take charity.”
I laughed. “It’s not charity, Trouble. It’s love.”
Everything paused. My brain reeled. Good god, I’d blurted that out with absolutely no calculation. Nica’s eyes went wide, but she didn’t make a sound. Our hands stayed motionless on the counter.
The scene unfroze when two tears rolled down her cheeks. “Love?”
Her voice was barely audible, but I didn’t miss it. I blew out a breath. “Sorry. A little premature of me, maybe?”
She pressed her lips into a line, but her smile broke through. “Definitely probably.”
“I’ll do better. I promise.”
She laughed and held my face in both hands. “Maybe you could say it again. Premature though it might be.”
My pulse raced, but I leaned my forehead against hers. Surely, this was thin ice. Surely, it was too soon to know it, much less say it.
Fuck calculations. I tested the words again. “I think I might love you.”
Nica’s face lit with the most beautiful smile I’d ever seen. “Good boy.”
“It’s far too soon.”
She nodded.
“It might all fall apart.”
Another nod, still with that lovely smile.
“I’m afraid it will.”
“Me too,” she whispered.
“But it’s okay if it does.”
“Yes.”
The anxious knots in my stomach started to unwind. “Yes?”
“Yes. It will be okay if it ends. It’ll hurt, but this is worth the hurt. Because I, ah, think I might love you, too, Goalie.”
Nica clapped a hand over her mouth. Her shining eyes went wide. Meanwhile, my heart went into freefall.
“Oh, you’ve done it now,” I murmured when I could take a full breath.
She didn’t take her hand from her mouth. “I have, haven’t I? It was worth it.”
“What was?”
“The trouble,” she whispered before throwing herself into my arms.
I groaned and lifted her onto the island, unwilling to break the kiss as I fumbled with her pants. In no time, I’d stripped her to nothing but her bra. My pants and underwear hit the floor. I eyed the counter. She was just a few inches too high for this to work.
Nica spread her knees and sucked on two of her fingers. I forgot about logistics as I watched her trail those fingers down her body to tease her clit. “Fuck,” I sighed.
“Mm, I’m ready for you, Goalie.”
“I can see that from here, Trouble. I—Henrik, go lie down! ” My lust paused briefly when my dog began to sniff the clothes pooled at my feet. He glared up at me and then strode away with a loud huff.
Nica and I traded a smile that turned into a kiss. I sucked on her lip and then stepped back, nodding at her to proceed. She played with herself. A little gasp slipped from her that drove me absolutely wild. I gripped my cock and stroked slowly, enjoying the show. “Good girl. Touch yourself for me.”
Her cheeks blushed bright red, but she continued. My mouth damn well watered. I was dying to touch her, taste her, fuck her. But, hell. How could I stop a sight like this?
“Ryan,” she whimpered at last. Her eyes met mine. “I’m close. Should I keep going?”
“Oh, yeah.” I rasped a little laugh.
“Can I have your fingers inside me?”
As if she needed to ask. I reached out and thrust two deep into that soaked pussy. Right away, her walls squeezed around me. I groaned and pulsed. Nica’s fingers switched over her swollen clit, faster now. I leaned forward and breathed in her ear.
“I think I love you, Trouble.”
Her wail hit my ears after I felt her spasm. I grinned and drew out her orgasm while she pulsed around my hand.
“Goalie, I think I love you, too.”
We were playing with fire for sure, but I didn’t give a fuck. For once, all the logic that said be careful meant nothing. I felt it. And by the look in her eyes and the force of her orgasm, she felt it, too.
It might hurt later. But it was real.
I couldn’t wait anymore. I hauled her off the island and down onto my waiting cock. Nica’s legs wrapped around me as she wailed again. “I wasn’t ready for more!”
“Mm, yes, you were. You’re absolutely soaked.”
She clung to me. “Where are we going to do this? You’re strong as hell, but standing up is awkward.”
I spun and took her to the dining table, lay her down flat on her back, and threw one leg on the table by her hips. Her jaw dropped. “Holy shit, you’re flexible.”
“Goalie life. But, ah, we forgot a condom.”
She shrugged. “Pull out is fine.”
Worked for me. I took her hard and slow, not wanting to rush the moment. Not wanting to rush any moment between us. We’d been circling this for months, ever since that night on Long Island. Maybe I was surprised we ever got here. Maybe I was surprised it took so long. Either way, I had Nica Solance moaning and sweating on my dining table, and that was a reality I wanted to live in as long as possible.
I made her come again. My fingers did the work this time until she convulsed all over my cock, pushing me closer to the edge. When she melted into the table with a final whimper, I gripped her hips. “Okay to finish?”
She nodded, gazing at me through her lashes.
My orgasm wound up fast after all of that. “I want to come inside of you,” I confessed through clenched teeth.
“I want it, too.”
“I also want to come all over you.”
Her eyes flared. Tongue darted out to wet her lips. “Dirty. Do that one for now, please.”
“Do what?”
She smirked. “Come all over me. Mark me. Claim me.”
Well, fuck. I pulled out just as my orgasm barreled over me. Ropes of hot come swirled all over her chest and stomach.
Nica squealed. She threw her head back and grinned. “Yes, yes, good boy. My filthy fucking goalie. God, you’re amazing.”
“That’s you,” I panted with what little breath I had. I dropped into the nearest chair and rubbed my face—and realized my glasses were still on. Breathing a laugh, I adjusted them and watched Nica sit up.
She gazed down at her body. “Oh, my. What a mess.”
“Good thing someone has fancy soap in the bathroom.”
Her lips twisted. “No car, no money, but hand-milled French soap. Just a regular Thursday.”
We walked upstairs together to the bathroom. Nica followed me into the shower. She stared at her body as she washed me off of her. “You’re a lot sexier than I expected a nerd to be.”
I barked a laugh. “Thank you? How dare you? How do I reply to that?”
She smiled up at me. “It’s a compliment.”
“You’re a lot shier than I expected a glamorous influencer to be.”
Her eyes rolled. “All part of the smoke screen. I’m, uh, not really… well. I’ve never felt sexier than I have in the past seventy-two hours.”
My laugh was softer this time. “Same, actually.”
It was true. She brought out something in me rawer and more open than I’d ever known. She was so much sweeter than I’d expected. The way she put herself in my hands had me stoned on lust.
But then there were moments like this, when she wrapped her arms around me and snuggled into me. All of it combined made I love you feel so fucking right.
I kissed her head and shut off the water. “How am I supposed to leave for a week after all this?”
She wrinkled her nose. “Don’t remind me.”
We went to the bedroom. She’d brought a nightie, so I dressed in underwear and pulled back the sheet. “Two things get resolved right now. Come to bed so we can discuss serious business.”
She stared at me when I thumped the pillow. One hand went to her hip. “I’ve never done anal, but I’m willing to try. Not sure how I feel about a threesome. I guess it depends on who it’s with.”
For the second time that night, my jaw unhinged. “Fuck,” I muttered, instantly semi-hard.
Nica blinked. “Was that not what you meant?”
I swallowed hard. “No, but now it’s all I can think of.”
She covered her face with her hands and groaned. “Oops.”
“No, no. Yours are much more fun.”
I recovered myself while she crawled into bed and eyed my crotch. “Don’t tempt me unless you want to go another round.”
Her hand skimmed over the half-mast in my underwear. I stared into her eyes and raised one eyebrow. “Willing to try anal, huh?”
She blushed. “I hear it’s nice. And I liked that thing you did with your fingers that first night.”
I blew out a breath. “Yeah, okay. Talk later.” Leaning toward her, I palmed the back of her head and crashed a kiss on that mouth.
We were naked again in no time.
“You mean that thing with my fingers?” I panted as I recovered beside her.
“Oh, yeah,” she sighed right back.
My head lolled to stare at her. “Two things. One, the profile. Run it if you think it’s a good idea. Just don’t put anything on it that would make me feel weird, please. It all makes me feel weird, but so far you’ve done a good job keeping it neutral. Please don’t violate my trust with this.”
“I never will,” she promised.
“Two. Go to Boston. Yes?”
“Ugh. Fine. Yes.”
“Good girl. Now, let’s get another shower and sleep before I pull my groin and have to sit out a few games.”