Chapter 20 #2
We all hang out, snack on some more food, and play with the kids while we wait. Anticipation buzzes in my veins. I can’t wait to see him, to hug him, and tell him how proud of him I am.
Finally, the door to the suite opens. The guys walk in, looking tired but relieved, and almost instantly, each man makes a beeline for his wife. There are smiles, quiet words, and quick embraces. I barely register any of it, though, because my eyes find Foster the second he steps inside.
His eyes lock with mine, and he strides forward with purpose.
He stalks straight toward me with that familiar intensity, and then his arms are around me, strong and certain, pulling me into him.
His hair is still damp from his shower, and the faint scent of soap clings to him as he buries his face into the curve of my neck.
The world seems to narrow to the feel of his breath, the solid warmth of his body, the way he holds on like he needs this as much as I do.
He grips me tightly, and I cling back with everything I have, my fingers twisting into the fabric of his shirt.
For a moment, nothing else exists. There’s no noise.
No people. Nothing. Just us. I don’t know how long we stand this way, wrapped up in each other, but time slips quietly away, leaving the stillness of the moment that I could cling to forever.
When he finally pulls back, it’s only far enough to rest his forehead against mine. “I love you. I love you so fucking much. Playing tonight, knowing you were here watching me, fuck Eden, it was everything.”
My hands settle on his cheeks. “I love you. I’m so damn proud of you, Foster. You’ve worked so hard to be here. Watching you out on the field, knowing what it took to get you there, knowing the fight, the grit, and determination in you to stay—I’m just so damn proud of you.”
“Hey, Vaughn!” Sloane calls out, pulling us out of our little bubble.
Foster doesn’t rush; he kisses me, just a peck, but a kiss all the same, before pulling me into his chest and looking over at Sloane. “You’re welcome.” She winks.
“What?” Foster asks, brows furrowed.
Baker looks down at his wife. “Did you?”
She grins. “Yep.”
“Oh, shit.” Baker nods. “We’ll see you all later,” he tells us.
“What?” Foster asks again. “I thought we were going to grab dinner.”
“Trust us,” Knox says, pulling Corie into his side that’s not already holding their son. “You’d be pissed if you did.”
“If you ever trust us on something, this is it,” Landry tells him. “Take your girl home.”
“What they said.” Reid nods.
The ladies are all smiling, and the guys look envious, and Foster is still confused as hell. He looks down at me for an explanation, and I’m pretty sure it’s the lingerie everyone is talking about. “I have a surprise for you. I can’t show you until we get home,” I explain.
“We’re out,” Foster says. The room erupts in laughter as he tugs on my hand, leading me out of the suite. Laughing, I call out my goodbye over my shoulder to our friends, telling them to have a good night.
Foster keeps my hand in his as he leads me to his SUV. He doesn’t say a word as he opens the door for me. He leans in, pulls my seat belt across my chest, fastens it, kisses me softly, and closes the door.
When he slides behind the wheel, he backs out of the lot before reaching over and taking my hand in his.
The act is unhurried, familiar, like something we’ve done a hundred times before.
He brings our joined hands to his lips, kisses my knuckles, and then lets them settle on his thigh, steady and warm.
Comforting.
I keep my eyes glued to the road ahead, streetlights a blur as we pass by. No words are spoken, but none are needed. The quiet isn’t awkward or heavy; it feels earned, like a pause we both understand. The low hum of the engine fills the space between us, grounding me in the moment.
My breathing is slow and even, and my body is relaxed into the soft leather seat. It’s enough just to be here. Knowing that wherever life takes us, it’s going to take us there together.
Once we’re in the garage, Foster turns off the car and steps out, rushing around to open my door, offering me his hand to help me.
Once I’m out of the car, he bends, totes me over his shoulder, and carries me into the house.
He stops long enough to drop his keys on the counter before he takes the stairs, as if he’s not carrying any weight at all.
When we step into our room, he flips on the light, before he gently places me on the bed and falls to his knees before me. His brown eyes are so expressive. It’s as if I can read his mind.
“Thank you for today, Eden. I didn’t know how much I needed someone there for me. Not just someone. You. It felt different being out on that field tonight. It felt better, like all my senses were heightened.”
“I loved watching you doing what you were made to do. I’ll never forget my first game,” I tell him, pushing his still-damp hair out of his eyes. “Are you ready for your surprise?” I ask, because I’m more than ready to strip down and let this man have his way with me.
“You are my surprise, baby. The best one I’ve ever been given.”
“I love you,” I tell him. “But I think this one will be a contender.” I reach for the hem of my jersey, but he stops me.
“Why are you taking off my jersey? I had plans to make you scream my name while wearing that,” he says, his eyes heated.
“You’ll see,” I tell him, tugging off the jersey and tossing it behind me.
“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he says, and then his mouth falls open. “Is that my name?” he asks, leaning in close, as if that might change what he’s seeing.
“It is.”
“Where did you get this?”
“Sloane. She makes them. All the girls have them. Now, so do I.”
“Now it all makes sense.” He laughs. “This is a close second,” he agrees, his fingers gently tracing over his name. “There’s more?”
“Yep,” I say, easing back on the bed and unbuttoning my jeans. He moves quickly to pull off my shoes and help me shimmy out of my jeans. I slide off the bed, stand, and turn so he can see the rest. He grips my hips.
“Fuck,” he mutters.
I turn to look at him over my shoulder. “You like?”
“Love, baby. I love. You, the lingerie, the entire fucking package.” He stands and presses his stiff cock against my ass.
“I’ll love the lingerie a little better on our bedroom floor,” he muses as he unsnaps my bra, tossing it away.
He then slides his fingers into the waistband of my panties and slides them down my legs.
I jolt when I feel his hot breath as he kisses one cheek, then the other, before gripping a handful of my ass. “I need you like this,” he rasps.
“Please,” I beg, because I need him inside me. I’ve been thinking about his reaction and this moment since I slid into the gifts that were just as much for me as they were for him.
“This is going to be fast, baby.”
“We have a lifetime to go slow,” I remind him.
“That’s right,” he murmurs, reaching between my thighs. “A lifetime of drowning in this pussy,” he says, before his mouth replaces his hand. I realize then he’s on his knees behind me, while I’m bent over the bed.
I don’t have time to think about what this must look like, what I must look like, because his tongue is doing extraordinary things, but it’s not enough. I need him inside me. “Foster, please,” I beg again.
He stands, aligns himself at my entrance, and pushes inside. We both curse at the feeling before he pulls out and slams back in. I try to stand but can’t do it on my own. Foster helps me, one arm banded around my chest, the other gripping my hip as he pounds into me, over and over again.
Tingles race up my spine, and my orgasm hits me like a bolt of lightning on a clear summer night, hard, fast, and unexpected. I cry out his name at the same time he calls out mine, and we tumble over the edge together.
Foster rests his forehead against my back. I feel his lips press to my spine before he finally pulls away. “Shower,” he mumbles, before lifting me into his arms and carrying me to the bathroom.
Once the water is to his liking, he leads me into the shower. We don’t rush. Instead, we allow our hands to wander, to explore each other’s bodies, even though we could draw a map with our eyes closed.
By the time we make it back to bed, we’re both exhausted. I snuggle into his chest, he wraps his strong arms around me, and we drift off to sleep.