23. Worth It
TWENTY-THREE
WORTH IT
RYAN
Ryan
I miss you
Firecracker
It’s only been an hour
How can you miss me already?
Ryan
I don’t know, but it’s possible
Clearly
Firecracker
You’ll be back in a few days. This isn’t even the longest road trip you’ve been on since I’ve known you
Ryan
Yeah, but we also weren’t what we are now
How am I going to survive not seeing you for five days?
Firecracker
I really need to stop spending the night at your place
I think you’re getting too attached
Ryan
No such thing
Firecracker
Oh, there definitely is and I think you might be past that point
How’s the bus?
Ryan
Shitty
Firecracker
Why’s that?
And don’t you dare say it
Ryan
Because you’re not here
Firecracker
*sigh* I told you not to say it
How’s the bus actually?
Ryan
It’s fine. Coop is snoring like a trucker
My eyes slide to where he’s slumped against the window. Times like these make me glad we don’t share hotel rooms on away trips. I don’t think I’d get any sleep with him sawing logs like this.
Firecracker
Shouldn’t you be sleeping too? Resting up for tonight’s game?
Ryan
Probably, but I’d rather talk to you
Firecracker
Ryan…
Ryan
What? I can say things like that now, right?
That’s what this whole “seeing how things go” is all about, yeah?
Firecracker
I miss you too, weirdo
Ryan
Sooo what are you doing the week of the all-star game?
Firecracker
Uhhh, I’m not sure. Probably going to be an office week since you don’t have any home games until after
Why? Aren’t you on the team?
Ryan
Yeah, but that’s not why I’m asking. We have this charity gala the team hosts every year to benefit the local children’s hospital
Firecracker
Okay…
Ryan
I want you to be my date
Firecracker
Ryan…
I can’t. You know I can’t
Ryan
Hear me out
Everyone associated with the team in any way is invited, including the TV crew. It wouldn’t be out of place for you to be there. We won’t show up together, and we can both sneak to mine at the end of the night
I want a night out with my girl. All dressed up, a nice meal, some dancing
I’ll even recruit the guys to dance with you too, so it won’t look weird that you dance with me. I promise I won’t get too jealous
Firecracker
…
I’ll think about it
We’ve been seeing how things go for less than a week and I’m already wishing for more. I need more. But I also don’t want to scare her off. Or rush her.
I still can’t believe I asked the question. The what are we. I felt like a girl being strung along by some dude when I asked. But I needed the clarity. Which to be fair, I still didn’t really get.
We’ve only really had two dates and hooked up a handful of times. What did I expect her to say? I’m in love with you, Ryan, Let’s get married tomorrow.
No, definitely not. I’m lucky enough that we’re at least exclusive so I know she’s not giving any other guys the time of day.
But I want her to be mine. Want to make her mine.
I can’t get back to the hotel from this loss against San Diego soon enough. We’re only two games into our four game away series against the Bears and all I want to do is hole up in my room on the phone with Isa.
I’m out of my seat the moment the bus parks up outside the building and in my room in record time. The guys are all going to the bar for a beer to drown their sorrows, but I’d rather drown mine in Isa’s gaze.
Bag ditched in a corner, shoes kicked off in the same direction, I flop onto the bed as the FaceTime tone rings out through the room.
The camera jostles as she answers the call on the third ring.
“Ryan, hi.” She’s fresh faced with a pink tinge, likely from scrubbing makeup off.
There’s still a small fleck of white at the corner of her mouth where she didn’t quite manage to get all the toothpaste.
I can tell from the stark whiteness around her that she’s in her bathroom.
“Sorry, I was getting ready for bed,” she says with a sheepish smile.
“Hey, baby,” I drawl.
She rolls her eyes, but they glitter with amusement. “I’ve told you not to call me that.”
I chuckle. “Was I interrupting? Want to call me back?” I ask, genuine.
“No, no, it’s fine. I was finished anyway.
” She hastily wipes away the fleck of toothpaste.
“I didn’t think you’d get back to your room so quickly is all.
Figured you’d all be dragging your feet after the loss.
” Her lips drop into a frown and her eyes flash with sympathy. “Sorry about that by the way.”
I shrug. “Eh, it is what it is. You win some, you lose some. It doesn’t impact our chances for the playoffs, so I’m not too worried yet. We just had a bad night is all. It’s bound to happen when you play 162 games in a season.”
We both fall silent as she switches off the light in her bathroom and moves through the room to her bed.
She sets her phone down on her nightstand, giving me a view of the ceiling and the sounds of her skin rustling against the sheets as she climbs under the covers before she picks it back up and holds it in front of her face propped against a pillow.
“Ah, that’s better,” I say, with a smile.
She rolls her eyes. “Shut up.”
“Tell me about your day.”
“Hm, let’s see.” She purses her lips as she thinks.
“The team isn’t in town, so I spent my entire day sitting at my desk re-writing all the procedures currently in place.
Basically, I was in administrative hell.
” She huffs a breath. “I love my job, I do. But the admin work is the bane of my existence.”
“Wouldn’t the director promotion mean you’d have more admin work?” I ask.
She groans and closes her eyes, letting her head roll away from the camera. “Don’t remind me.”
“So, why do you want it then?”
“Is it terrible of me to say it’s the money?” she asks, cracking one eye open to peek at me.
I wobble my head back and forth. “Not terrible. LA is expensive. But money can’t buy happiness.”
She glares at me through the phone. “You’re like a greeting card or one of those cross-stitch granny pillows.
” She sighs. “It’s not only the money. Although, the money is a huge incentive.
The promotion is also one of those things—the things you’re supposed to do, you know?
Get job, get promotion, reach top of career ladder, that’s success.
You can’t be successful when you’re stuck at the middle level job. ”
“Says who?”
She shrugs. “I mean, no one, I guess. But it’s one of those implied societal things I suppose.
Or maybe it’s the pressure I put on myself to succeed.
To impress my parents. Make them proud. Get the best grades.
Find the right guy. Land a successful career.
Hit all these milestones to prove that I’m doing something with my life.
That I left home for a good reason.” Her eyes have lost focus on the screen, lost in thought.
“My brother, for example. He’s going to make something of himself, of course he is.
How could he not? That’s always been a given.
He’s also the baby of the family so he’s always had this different support system than the first born.
I had to force my way out of their nest, and now that I’m out, I have to continue to prove to them that I know what I’m doing.
That I made the right decisions for myself.
The worst thing I could think of happening would be having to move back home and admit to them that I failed.
Admit it to myself.” She blinks, her vision coming back to focus on the screen as if she just remembered who she was word vomiting to.
“It was a big reason why I was so hesitant to give us a shot in the first place. If we got caught and I lost my job? That would bring my worst-case scenario to life, and I didn’t want that… ” She trails off.
“But now?” I ask, my words soft, anticipation heavy in the air. I’d be afraid to ask the question if I couldn’t see from her face that she’s confident in her choice to tear down the walls between us.
She gives me a soft smile, all sadness dropping from her face. “I think you’re worth the risk.”
Warmth blooms in my chest. “I know I don’t actually have anything at stake in this, but if I did? You’d be worth the risk too, firecracker.”
Her warm chocolate eyes turn molten with desire. “God, I wish you were here right now,” she says, voice a bit huskier than usual.
I smirk at her through the screen as my cock begins to thicken in my pants. “Oh, yeah? What would you do if I were there right now?”
“I, um…” She trails off, pink creeping up her cheeks. “Well, I’d kiss you.”
“Mmm, yes, that’s a given. What else would you do?
” She nibbles her bottom lip as she thinks, her nerves starting to show.
We’ve never done this before, but I can see the heat in her eyes telling me she wants this.
She’s just not entirely sure how to navigate it.
“Or how about this. What would you want me to do to you?” I ask, dropping my voice lower, taking charge to guide her.
I turn over in the bed so I’m lying on my side and use the lamp on the nightstand to prop my phone up, bringing more of myself into view.
At that suggestion, her eyes pop wide open in the dim light, her pupils nearly swallowing the chocolate brown of her eyes.
“Oh,” she breathes out. The picture jostles and I hear more rustling as she adjusts her position, coming back into focus when she’s mirroring my position—phone propped up on the nightstand.
“Close your eyes and tell me what you’re imagining.”
Her breath hitches before she gives me a quick nod and lets her eyes fall shut. “You’d kiss your way down my neck.”
I hum in agreement as I let my hand trail down to grip my length through my sweatpants.
A wicked smile crosses her lips. “I’d probably let you leave a mark too.”
“Fuck. Isa,” I groan as I give my cock a squeeze. “You can’t say things like that when I’m not around to follow through.”
“It’s my fantasy, I can do whatever I want in it.”
I chuckle. “Alright, firecracker. What am I doing next in your fantasy?”
She squirms in place which tells me she’s getting more turned on, searching for friction to relieve the building ache. “You’d take my top off?—”
“Do it. Take your top off and let me see you. But slowly. Tease yourself a bit. Like I would.”
I thought she’d fight me on how I all but commanded her, but she immediately obeys.
Her hands fall off screen to the hem of her shirt where she slowly—so slowly—drags it up, exposing her stomach.
Higher still, until her breasts come into view, her dusky nipples peaked.
She whips the shirt off over her head and tosses it behind her.
“God, I miss your tits,” I say. “Pinch your nipples for me, baby.” The endearment slips out without meaning to, but she doesn’t correct me.
Probably too far gone in her head to have noticed.
Her hands trail to her breasts where she does as I asked.
One hand squeezing a breast while the other one tweaks and pinches her nipples. “How does that feel?”
“Good,” she gasps. “But not as good as you. You do this better than me.”
“Good,” I respond, smug. “Keep going.” I lift up so I can whip my own shirt off and drag my sweatpants down my legs, left only in my briefs.
I shift back farther on the bed until my erection fits into the camera’s view.
My hand falls back to my cock, and I stroke myself slowly through the fabric. “What’s next?”
“I want you to”—she breaks off on a gasp when she pinches her nipple—“touch me.”
“I’m already touching you, so you’ll need to be more specific. Touch you where?” I say, my voice low and deep.
“My… pussy,” she pants out.
“Your wish is my command,” I purr. “Touch yourself.” She dances her fingers along her stomach until she reaches the waistband of her pajama shorts, which sadly for me are off camera.
“But let me watch.” She cracks an eye open and shimmies herself along the bed until she’s in full view of the camera.
“Fuck.” I can’t help the word from slipping out at the sight of her laid out for me.
She lets her eyes open fully and shoots me a knowing smile, keeping eye contact with the camera as she slowly slides the shorts and her underwear down her legs in one single move.
I groan at the sight of her. “Are you wet for me, baby?”
She bites her bottom lip and nods. “Soaking.”
“Show me.” Isa dips her fingers between her legs and when she holds them up to the camera, they shimmer, coated in her arousal. “Fuuuuuck. Touch yourself,” I repeat.
“You too,” she says, words slurring a bit with the pleasure as she drops her hand back to her center.
“With pleasure.” I tug my briefs down my legs and toss them away. Her eyes flare when they land on my hard length, the tip glistening with precum. I fist my cock and pump myself slowly at first, waiting to follow her rhythm.
She’s slow and tentative at first. Ghosting a finger over her clit in small circles before she dips it between her thighs into the slickness I know is pooling there and working herself in a faster rhythm.
She whimpers. “I need… more.”
“Then give yourself more. Add a finger,” I instruct. She halts the circles and eases a finger inside with a quiet moan. “Better?” She nods her head but then immediately shakes her head, and I can’t help but smile. “Add another.” She does with a gasp.
“Yes, yes, that’s,” she moans, “good. So good.”
“Gonna come for me?” I grunt out as I pick up the pace of my strokes.
“Yes, I’m so—ah, so close.”
“Come on, baby. Get yourself there.” Tingles travel up my spine as my orgasm nears and I know I’m about to come any second, but I want her to go first. I hold it off for as long as I can while I study her movements. Her body starts to twitch, and I know she’s nearing the brink as well.
“Ryan, fuck, yes,” she gasps, and she begins to convulse as her climax overtakes her.
I follow her over that edge with another two pumps of my hand, coating my hand and stomach with my release.
It’s quiet except for our panting breaths for several moments before Isa’s laugh carries to me through the phone.
“What’s so funny, firecracker?” I ask with a smirk, propping myself up on an elbow to admire her. Her cheeks and chest are flushed red from the orgasm and her hair is a mess from writhing around the pillow, but she’s never looked more beautiful.
“I’ve never done anything like that before,” she says on a laugh. “The phone sex thing. I never knew it could be so…” She trails off.
“Hot?” I supply.
“Yeah,” she breathes out. “That was almost as good as one of my vibrators.”
My eyes narrow into a glare. “Excuse me? Almost as good? Absolutely not. We’ll have to work on improving that.”
She dissolves into giggles on the other end, and it takes everything in me to bite back the words I’m not allowed to say.