42. Connor
CONNOR
TWO DAYS LATER
“You ready?”
Eden nods, anticipation written all over her face. I punch in the key code and open the door.
“Voilà, my new place.”
She steps in slowly, surveying the apartment. All 837 square feet of it. “It’s perfect.”
It’s perfect for me, anyway. Last week, I found this one-bedroom in a building near Rawley’s—not as new, not as high-end, but exactly what I needed.
A place of my own. Not relying on Landon or Rawley. Taking care of myself.
It was vacant, so once I paid the deposit and completed the paperwork, the process moved quickly.
“You already have furniture?”
Alright, I might have had help in that department. “Grace and Johnson dropped off a bunch of extra stuff this morning, and Rawley helped me move my things from his place.” It’s still a mess, and undecorated—but there’s a couch, TV, and bed.
“Nice.”
I wave toward the couch, and we sit down. “I’m going to order sushi for us.”
Her brows hike up. “Oh…again?”
I understand her confusion and smile. My thoughts flash to last week when we tried a scene involving a “sushi boat”—on her. I layered her body with sushi and sashimi and ate every fucking bite.
“No, different. Just lunch.”
She gives a light laugh. “Ah, okay. Sounds good.”
“I have a different idea if you’re up to it.”
Having each other’s answers to the questionnaire was a godsend. Sorting out what intrigued each of us helped majorly with our confidence to explore new scenes the last four times we’ve been together.
“So do I…” She does? “I…got you a housewarming gift.”
She reaches into her purse and pulls out a box with wrapping paper around it. Her eyes twinkle as she hands it to me.
I’m officially curious. “Should I open it now?”
“Let’s eat first. I’m starving.”
Yes, ma’am. I order the food on my phone. “Thirty minutes.”
“Not bad.” She closes the three inches between us and rests her head on my shoulder. “How was your appointment yesterday?”
She’d had her first-round game for the playoffs, a victory, and I was scrambling with the move, so we hadn’t caught up in much detail last night.
“It was great. The third session usually marks a transition to long-term relief, but since I’ve already had some in the past, Deb’s not sure how many more I’ll need. We’re going to do six total and assess.”
Like in college, I felt a difference after the first session. A sense of serenity. And this morning, when I revisited some of my worst memories, I could relive them without any haunting emotion. My chest was clear of any tightness, like a thread unspooled.
The rocky wake-ups and nightmares were slightly worse the first couple of weeks—normal as your mind recalibrates around the memories—but I haven’t had any in ten days.
With Mom having not retracted her plans to come to Orlando for Christmas since her text last month, it’s a relief. Hopefully, I can handle her BS without any acute reaction.
“So good,” she says, kissing my cheek. “Would…can I have your permission to bring something up that you…you might not want to hear?”
My antennae go up. She doesn’t look upset, though. I don’t want her to feel hesitant about talking to me. “Of course, Rosy. You don’t need permission, not for that.”
She looks down to where her hands are folded. “I think…it might be good for you to tell your siblings about all of this. They…they love you, and you deserve support from the people who care about you.”
Oh. “Well, I…I have it handled though, right? No need to bring them down.” My chest twinges at the thought of the heaviness in a conversation like that—the weight on them.
If they knew about those years, they’d be hurt, sad, and angry, and probably feel guilty.
It’s better for this secret to stay as is.
“I don’t think they’d see it that way. I mean, I know I don’t.”
I take a deep breath, not wanting to seem dismissive. “I’ll think about it, okay?”
“Okay.” She gives me a small smile, and a moment later, changes to a lighter subject. “This is so exciting. Your own place. How do you feel?”
I accept the shift in topic readily. “Not that I wasn’t grateful to Rawley, but free. Like I’m finally an adult.”
“I get it.”
“It truly was time. Especially with my conversation with Milo last week.”
He’d called me on the previous Tuesday, first checking in on how things were going with the Waves.
“As good as they could be. It’s unlikely I’ll get play time, but it’s as rigorous as I expected.”
“It’s tremendous experience. One you can capitalize on in many ways, which gets me to the purpose of this call.”
“Yes?”
“SLP continues to grow, and I need to add a junior associate soon. I’d like to offer you a position after the season is over. It’s the same role Grace had when she started.”
Wow. Not what I was expecting from this call. “That’s…an honor. Thank you for the opportunity.”
“I’ll send you the details in an email to review. There will be a clause that addresses whether you stay in the NFL for future seasons. Bottom line—we’ll figure it out. The clients you could bring in with the NFL connections are well worth it.”
It was an incredible offer, especially with the uncertainty that I’d ever make a practice squad again, let alone a fifty-three-man roster.
Eden even suggested she’d switch to a different management firm if I ended up going full-time at SLP after the season, so we no longer would be dating in secret.
Either way, “after the Waves season” is our joint pledge on when to go public. It’s not without some debate, but whenever we consider coming clean earlier to Milo and Del, or even Grace, it seems like bad timing.
She’s so busy too. I don’t love the idea of her having to deal with the fallout of us going public in the middle of her playoff push.
Not to mention we’ll be with our families for Thanksgiving next week, separately.
She’ll start talking to NWSL teams right after the NCAA championship, and then she’ll have her school finals and travel to California for Christmas.
Not a good time for drama, so we’re still sneaking around. At least, it’ll be easier with my new apartment.
That doesn’t mean we can’t make another next step. With the apartment secured, I’m ready to ask a question that’s been on the tip of my tongue the last few weeks. For a title I think I finally can live up to, with my newfound self-sufficiency.
I guess I could have brought it up earlier, with the way we were progressing, but it didn’t seem right until I was worthy.
Here goes nothing.
“I was hoping we could christen this place in another way.” Fuck. Probably could have found a way to say that less suggestively.
Not surprisingly, she looks intrigued. “Oh yeah, and how would that be?”
I take her right hand. “Eden, Rosy…”
“Yes?” she says breathily.
“I hope I’ve made it clear how much you mean to me already, but to make it official…will you be my girlfriend?” A little formal, but I wanted to make it feel special.
“Oh.” She brings her free hand to her mouth. “Connor…”
Shit. “You don’t have to…”
“No, no.” She drops that same hand over mine. “It’s just…that was so sweet. No…I’ve never been asked that way. Of course I’ll be your girlfriend.”
She leans over and kisses me firmly on the lips, sealing her promise.
I return it with equal intent before pulling back. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask earlier. I’ve been thinking about it for a while…”
“No, it’s okay. It’s the perfect time. Though I feel bad that you rented this place just as I’m going to hit my busiest weeks. I may not be able to come over a ton until after Christmas break.”
“I get it, Eden. Don’t worry about me.” The last person who wants to mess her up is me.
She pecks my cheek again. “You’re the best boyfriend.”
“I have my moments.”
She keeps her eyes on me as she pulls back a smidge. “I have some news of my own.”
This could be a lot of different things, but the mischievous look on her face tells me I’m going to like what I hear. “Yes?”
“As of today, my birth control has kicked in.” Her singsong voice sounds quite pleased. Which is awesome because I certainly am.
We had talked a couple of weeks ago about dropping condoms, having confirmed we were each STD-free. Now this is the official green light.
I kiss her temple. “You’re the best girlfriend.”
“You’re really going to think that when you open that gift.”
“Should I do it now? While we wait?”
“Yes, I’m excited for you to…see what it is.”
Hmmm. I tear off the wrapping, and there’s an unmarked box. Like something she picked up a drugstore herself. I open it and…
There are leather handcuffs inside.
“Tada…I thought we could graduate from the sashes we’ve been ‘borrowing’ from our robes.”
That has been kind of annoying. Half the time they pull too loose in the middle of our activities.
I beam at her. “Rosy, how thoughtful.”
Her stomach growls before she can respond otherwise, and we both start laughing.
“Sorry, I really need that sushi. When is it getting here?”
My phone displays a notification that the food’s arrived. “Like now. Time to eat.”
An hour later, we’re tackling the next agenda item: testing out her gift. I modified my scene idea to incorporate it, which will only make the scene better.
“You alright, Rosy?” We’re both naked other than our underwear, in my bathroom. We’ve just slipped her cuffs on.
She pulls on them. “Yes, Sir. They’re comfortable enough.”
Good. I let myself slip deeper into Dom mode. “Your blindfold’s going on next. You’re going to be completely under my control. Understood?”
Pink cheeks are my reward. “Yes, Sir.”
I pull the cloth over her eyes, and then check the shower water. I’d turned it on when we first came in. All part of the plan.
It’s shooting warm spray. Everything is ready. This is going to be a hell of a first, fucking her bare, handcuffed, and blindfolded. In the shower, no less.
“I’m going to briefly undo one cuff, and tie you up on the shower nozzle. You won’t be able to move your arms.”
“Okay, Sir.” I get to work to loop the cuffs around the shower nozzle on the ceiling, so they snag on the showerhead. Both of her arms are raised after I reattach the second cuff.
“Say ‘yellow’ if your arms start getting tired. I’ll…help too.” I won’t elaborate for now.
Instead, I focus on the sight before me. Rosy, naked except for yellow lace panties, blindfolded, hands cuffed, immobile. The water making her skin glisten and drops fall from her nipples.
Unable to do anything except what I say. I relish the power she’s given me, tied up, unable to see, completely under my control. The peaceful look on her face making apparent she’s content about that too. Bliss washes over me that may be even better than the feel of fucking her.
I don’t have to choose though, I can do both. I pull down my boxers. My dick’s been hard since we walked in here and now he’s finally going to get attention.
“Those panties are coming off.”
I don’t wait for a reply, just pull them straight down. Baring that beautiful pussy. Already a little wet, I see.
“You’re so gorgeous right now, Rosy. I can’t believe how perfect you are.”
“Thank you, Sir.” She blushes, adding to her perfection. “Permission to make sounds?”
I stand up. “Granted. Don’t move, though, and don’t come until I say you can.”
“Yes, Sir.” She’s relaxed; these are familiar instructions after our weeks together.
I watch again for a moment, for any signs of discomfort. I probably have two more minutes max before her arms will get tired from the raised position if I don’t help as planned.
Not seeing any yet, I get the fun started.
“I’m going to fuck you hard today, Rosy, but I’m going to play first.”
I don’t warn her further, wrapping my hand around my cock and bringing the tip right where it can surely get her fully wet and ready—her clit. I brush her nub with the head, a gasp escaping her immediately. One more pass and she’s squirming.
“No moving, Rosy.”
“Sorry, Sir.”
The clock is ticking with her arms raised, so I wrap one of my own around her back to hold her in place, and then glide my dick back and forth over her clit.
Over and over, for almost a minute. My cock is aching, wanting more, but I shut it out. This is about Rosy. My girl’s moaning freely and being so good, fighting hard not to move.
“Proud of you for listening, beauty.”
She glows from the praise. “Mmmmm.”
The next pass, I rub my head the length of her pussy, to test her wetness. She’s dripping, her juices coating my dick.
Good. It’s time to help her, so her raised arms don’t get fully fatigued. No pain is one of our rules. Time for the next phase.
“That feels good, I know. Not as much as me filling you with my cock will.”
“I…agree, Sir. Please.”
“Please what?”
“Please fuck me, Sir.”
My dick twitches. Ah, my perfect girl.
“I’m going to do exactly that. Hard.” She sighs with pleasure. “I’m lifting you up now. Wrap your legs around me as I make that pussy mine.”
With that direction, I pull her up, and she immediately wraps her legs around my back. The slack of the handcuffs increases with her closer to the showerhead, but she’s still restrained. “Bring your cuffs over my head and rest your arms on my shoulders.”
Once she’s complied, I lean her body against the tile, using the leverage to keep her in place. The water now spits on my back.
“Get ready, Rosy.” With one arm under her ass and the wall bearing her weight, I use my free hand to notch my dick at her opening. “You may come now.”
Pushing in, my dick bare, inside her for the first time without a condom—her wet heat almost does me in only after a couple of inches. Her whimper doesn’t help either.
“Fucking hell. This is…like nothing else.” I kiss her head and push in more. Her pussy grips my dick like it’s made for me. The feel of her: warm, sweet, and soft.
“Mmmmhhhhmmm,” she says, wiggling the slightest bit. I know, beauty.
“I’m working on making this last. I did say I’d give you a proper fucking. A good Dom must live up to his word.”
“I…want that, Sir,” she gasps.
The need in her voice is enough to get me moving. I pull out, and then push in harder. By the third try, I’m fully seated in her.
Holy shit, she feels like a dream. Don’t come yet. This time a message to myself, not her.
My mind steeled to make this good for her, I adjust her angle to one I’ve learned works well, hits her in the perfect spot.
Then I start pistoning into my girl.
Soon after, the slapping sounds of me pounding into her are a chorus to her cries of pleasure.
“Fucking you like this, Rosy, I’ll never get enough. Never,” I say as she hits her climax, moaning.
I finally let myself go as she flutters around me, and it feels like I shoot for hours into that perfect pink pussy.
When we’re done, she’s as drenched inside from the mix of our releases as the outside, drops of water falling from our bodies onto the tile floor.