22. 22 Nathan
22: Nathan
I ’ve never opened up to anyone like that. Never told them the whole story. Never told them how it affects me on the daily.
But seeing Mae cry broke my fucking heart right in half. Especially because it was over her witch of a mother.
I wanted to divert her attention somewhere else for a minute. To let her know she wasn’t alone.
I’d offered her to stay and have breakfast, but we both decided it wouldn’t look good if we showed up at this morning’s practice together. We’re partners, yes, but some things would just look suspicious.
We have a game tomorrow. The team is prepared, as far as I’m concerned. We’ve been playing well, but my stomach sinks knowing my father will be attending. Now that the Super Bowl is approaching, he’s becoming more demanding, and his pressuring texts haven’t gone unnoticed.
I can’t wait to retire so I never have to see his face again. It’ll be like Christmas. I’m counting down the days.
“How’s your hamstring, Nathan?” Cam asks me as I walk into the locker room, and I stare at him. His sister was in my bed last night, and he has no idea. Granted, nothing happened between us, but somehow, consoling one another felt far more intimate than if we were to lock lips. There’s something about confiding in someone else when, for the most part, you’ve been silent, which makes you realise how far you’ve fallen.
How deep you are.
How deep I am.
Because Mae Bexley does something to me—something no other woman has ever done. She makes me forget about my problems. She makes me feel alive again. Like me again, and fuck, he’s been lost for a long time.
“It should be good for the game tomorrow. Thanks, man,” I tell Cam. It could use a massage, but I want to avoid him. The last thing I want is his reminder that Mae doesn’t need this. Doesn’t need me.
Irritation begins to grow.
Because I want her.
But she still feels so out of reach, knowing she’s leaving at the end of the season.
I can’t help but imagine how good she’d feel wrapped around me, arms laced around my neck, with her lips chanting my name into my neck as I slip my cock into her.
Fuck.
Getting a boner in front of Cam wasn’t on the cards today, so I nod at him and quickly head out of the locker room towards the field.
My eyes immediately land on Mae, and they widen when I see she’s wearing my jersey from last night—the one that clearly says Slater in bold on the back. She’s got her honey-coloured hair down, so the embroidery is slightly covered, and luckily, only Sophia, Madison, Bennett and Sam are here.
Renee and Darrell have yet to arrive for the pre-practice meeting.
Mae turns to me, and I beckon her over to the tunnel with my head, where no one can see us.
She gazes up at me with her hazel eyes that capture me every time, and I shake my head, pinching the jersey's material as I back her up against the wall. “Are you trying to get me in trouble, princess?”
Confusion masks her face briefly before she fists the jersey, her lips popping open. “Oh, fuck.”
I release a small sound of exasperation as she pulls me into the women’s locker room, locking the door behind us. She slides the jersey off, only wearing her tight, black sports bra underneath. The swell of her round breasts stares right back at me.
“Here, take it.”
I fist the jersey she’s thrust into my hand, and my eyes skate down her body. “Is it bad that I want you to put it back on?” I take a step towards her, chests close together.
“And risk everyone seeing it?” Mae tilts her head to the side and smiles. “That's very risky of you, Nate.”
“Don’t call me that, princess.”
“Don’t call me princess, then.”
“Yeah, not going to happen.”
I drop the jersey and bite down on my lip. I’m well-aware Mae can see how hard I am for her, her eyes dropping down before she gulps, face flushing.
“Nathan,” Mae says, her voice breathy, and it’s enough to send me into a spiral.
“Is this what you wanted last night, Mae?” I close the gap between us so our faces are inches apart, her minty breath fanning across my face. I tilt my head down until my lips latch onto the spot under her ear, and she immediately moans. “Is this what you were so desperate for?”
Another soft groan.
“Use your words for me. Tell me.” I smile against her skin. I’m so fucking hard right now. My cock is aching.
“Yes,” she responds. “Fuck yes.”
Her raspy voice powers through me, and her eyes collide with mine as I pull away. Within seconds, our lips are locked.
It’s instinct—her hands fisting my hair and my fingers digging into the skin of her hips.
Knowing that we shouldn't be doing this… where we are right now… it adds an element of excitement to the kiss.
Time stands still.
Her lips are desperate, her teeth bumping against my own, causing me to groan into her mouth.
But kissing Mae no longer feels enough. I want to pin her to the wall and fuck her senseless until she’s screaming so loud everyone knows what we’re doing.
She’s been punishing me for too long with her smart mouth.
I want to return the favour.
I give her my best cocky smirk after I pull away, enjoying how her chest quickly rises and falls as she breathes. “Is this pussy wet, Mae?” Dropping down in front of her, I grin, eye level with the front of her spandex shorts. If she’s not soaking, I haven’t done my job properly.
My fingers grip her ass, and I pull her forwards so her pussy is just inches away from me. It would be so easy to lap at her right now. Dip my fingers into these shorts and fuck her with my fingers.
Mae’s tongue darts out, wetting her bottom lip. “Nathan, I need it.”
“What do you need?” I palm her ass cheeks, squeezing the muscle. It fits perfectly in my hands.
“You. Your tongue on me. Shit.” Her head lolls back against the locker room wall. “Why do you have to make a woman so fucking horny?”
I narrow my eyes. “ You , Mae. I make you feel horny. I’m not making anyone else feel this way,” I tell her as I press a tentative kiss to her shorts, just over her pelvic bone.
Mae’s hands are in my hair, fingers pulling at the strands with force, but it feels good.
My hands slide up her toned stomach, and they hover above her breasts, wrapped tightly in her tiny sports bra. I cock a brow at her, silently asking for permission.
She wastes no time in nodding, and within a second, her sports bra is on the floor beside her, and my tongue is swirling around her nipple.
“This is what I wanted to do that night in the hotel.” My voice is husky.
“I would have let you,” is her response.
I growl, lips making their way down her body, back towards her—what I know is soaking—pussy. “I was trying to be a gentleman.”
Mae’s eyes are intense. “Well, don’t.”
Suddenly, multiple loud voices sound outside the locker room, and Mae pulls away from me, lips puffy and eyes hazy.
I groan and rest my forehead against her stomach.
“You should get out there quickly before the girls try and come in here,” she tells me, fingers running across her lips. “Can’t risk ruining your career, now can we, Mr Slater?”
“Are you happy with yourself?” I smirk.
She drops her head to her chest in a nod. “Very. Good luck with that.” She nods to my raging boner.
I pick up my jersey, which I dropped during our makeout session, and hand it back to her. I want her to keep it. I like it when she wears my name, even if the only place she can do so is in private. “Just so you know, next time that happens, you’ll be wearing my name on your back.”
I don’t think it’s possible for Mae to flush anymore, but she somehow turns an even pinker shade.
I exit the locker room, checking that nobody is around, and as I turn the corner towards the men’s locker room, Renee strolls past me. Her face creases, and she shakes her head in disgust as she passes.
But all I can do is chuckle.
Because she has no idea I’ve just left her daughter in the women’s locker room soaking wet and fucking needy for me.
“You brought your tortoise with you on a camping trip?” my sister asks Mae as we drop our bags down in the open space we’re camping on tonight. We’re helping another charity and are participating in a clean-up-the-forest event.
Spending tomorrow picking up trash isn’t anyone’s idea of fun, but it gives me an excuse to ignore my father. Darrell and Renee have taken away our phones.
“Nobody could look after him,” Mae responds, peeking at Chump, who’s content in his little hutch, snacking on a large chunk of kale.
“We’re only here one night,” Sophia laughs.
“One night too many,” is Evan’s response, yanking his one-person tent from his rucksack.
Darrell claps his hands to gain our attention. “Alright, everyone! Let’s get set up before the sun sets. We can spend the evening roasting marshmallows around a campfire or whatever you kids like doing. The hard work begins tomorrow.”
“I’m a thirty-two-year-old man,” Evan scoffs. “I hate marshmallows.”
“Well, then you can cry yourself to sleep in your tent while everyone else has fun, West. We’re here to show Montana that we care about the community. That we’re at one with nature. So let’s put our brave faces on.”
Evan’s not usually one for talking, but he’s out of his depth here—far away from Leo—and I can tell it’s getting to him. “If I piss in a bush, does that count as being at one with nature and means I can go home?”
Darrell narrows his eyes playfully. “My wife’s given up her evening to care for Leo for you. Don’t push it.” He turns to the rest of us. “Get in your groups and start setting up your tents. I need to get some good shots.”
I immediately begin helping Mae. I try not to make it look so instinctual for me, keeping my face sullen and my shoulders dropped, but I can’t get last week out of my head.
All I want to do is have it happen again. And again. And again.
Bennett begins unpacking his tent alongside Poppy, their eyes lingering on each other for a second too long. It appears as if they’re talking telepathically. I can’t put my finger on the way Bennett looks at my sister. It’s protective, for sure. I know he cares for her a lot, but he looks at her like she’s the only person he sees.
“Your mom looks like she’s ready to have a blast,” I whisper to Mae as I nod behind her, stifling my laugh.
Renee is standing with her arms wrapped around her stomach as she glares at everyone, her perfectly done-up hair and pristine makeup looking entirely out of place in the middle of the forest.
“She’s scared of bears. She doesn’t know it’s a fenced-off area, but I won’t tell her that.” Mae giggles, and the sound goes through me like always.
I feel like a gooey pile of, well, goo. Why the hell am I here about to fall to my knees just because she laughed?
This woman could ask me to jump, and I’d probably say how high?
“That’s an impressive tent, Nathan.” Mae’s words force me from my train of thought, and I look at my pants with confusion. She bursts into laughter as she nods to the tent we’re currently stabilising, knowing precisely what she was doing with her wording.
“Well, someone wants to wake up with a Sharpie moustache tomorrow morning.” I keep my smirking to a minimum. Little does she know, I indeed did pack Sharpies. You can never be too prepared when camping out in the forest with a bunch of football players.
The tents are pop-up, so all we have to do is secure them down to the ground to ensure they don’t blow away, and after the sun has set, Samuel uses his Boy Scout training—or lack of—to try and make us a fire. In the end, Evan has to shove him aside and take over.
“Smile, everyone!” Darrell says as his phone camera flashes.
“How come you’re allowed technology?” Bennett complains as he sits on one of the logs we’ve moved to circle the flames.
“I need to take photos. Peter’s orders. And Mr Father-Of-The-Year over there,” he points at Evan with a smirk, “demanded I have it on hand in case something goes wrong with Leo.”
Evan responds with a grumble about wanting to shove the phone up Darrell’s asshole, but all it gains him is a friendly back slap from his coach.
The winter air is chilling, but luckily, we brought a few portable battery-powered heaters, which we set up around the small camp. I have no idea why Peter didn’t plan this at the beginning of the season when it was warmer, but then again, I don’t understand much that goes through that man’s head.
Samuel begins telling some stupid ghost story, and I roll my eyes as I spot Mae and Poppy climbing out of a tent, clutching unopened bags of marshmallows to their chests. They’re doing their best to be quiet, though, and I raise my eyebrows questionably.
Mae holds her finger to her lips to silence me.
I give her a subtle, knowing nod.
Bennett looks like a fish out of water, with his eyes wide and mouth ajar as he listens to Samuel’s—definitely fictional—story of how he got pushed into a lake by the ghost of an old fisherman when he was younger. He claims he almost died, and Bennett seems to be eating up every little detail like some gullible child.
Mae and Poppy stealthily move towards Bennett’s back, each step muted. They’re avoiding the crunchy leaves, and luckily, the crackling of the fire covers any sound they make.
“Boo!”
Bennett yells loudly as the girls grab his shoulders and shake them. He crumbles to the ground in fear and throws his bag of potato chips into the air, the crispy snacks landing all over the floor.
I can’t contain my laughter, and even Renee cracks a small smile before dropping it, which shocks me to my core. She may hate us, but she can’t deny we’re a boatload of fun to be around sometimes. When football’s not the topic, we’re just a group of genuine guys who want to laugh as much as the next person.
“I’m gonna smother the both of you with pillows in your sleep.” Bennett grabs the marshmallows from them and stuffs three in his mouth, sulking like a little boy.
“What was that?” Renee demands as the bush beside her rustles, and she shoots up into a standing position, clutching her hot water bottle tightly. “Is it a bear?”
“Maybe,” I say, chuckling. “I wouldn’t worry, though. The bears in Montana only eat dolled-up cheerleading coaches wearing pink .” I nod to her purple velvet tracksuit, “so you should be good.”
She takes a deep breath, calming herself before trudging over to her tent. I can already tell she isn’t going to get a wink of sleep tonight. People like her don’t belong in environments like this. The fact that she doesn’t have electricity and won’t be able to curl her hair in the morning is going to send her over the edge.
“Peter wouldn’t let her out of it,” Darrell tells us with a laugh before standing. “I’m going to hit the hay, too. Gotta be up early for a fun-filled day.”
Mae releases a yawn. “Me too. I promised Chump I’d read him a bedtime story.”
I love this easygoing side of Mae. It turns me on.
After a few minutes, everyone disappears into their separate tents, and I’m left staring at the hissing fire. I’m not tired. All I can think about is Mae. She’s mere meters away from me—probably braless underneath an oversized band T-shirt and leggings that accentuate every curve of her body.
Great.
I’ve got a fucking hard-on in the middle of the forest.
Scraping my hands through my hair, I kill the fire by pouring a pot of cold water over it and enter my tent. We’re all pretty spaced out, so I’m sure my rustling isn’t going to wake anybody up.
I strip down into just my boxers, staring at the roof of my tent. The material is flimsy, and my sleeping bag offers little comfort. I just know this is going to be a long night—torturous having Mae so close yet out of reach.
Can bears climb fences?
It’s supposed to be a bear-proof area, but that’s never guaranteed.
Could I fight a bear off?
Maybe I could befriend it?
Suddenly, I hear footsteps outside my tent, and I quickly unzip it, half expecting to be greeted by a snarling grizzly, but my eyes land on Mae.
“Hi,” she whispers.
“What are you doing out in the cold dressed like that?” I ask her, placing my hands on her waist, pulling her into the tent and zipping it back up. She’s wearing a pair of pyjama shorts and an old T-shirt. And I was right… she’s very much braless.
“I thought I heard a ghost. Samuel’s story was pretty scary,” she mutters, her lashes fluttering innocently.
“Mmm-hmm,” I hum sarcastically. “And what do you think I’m going to be able to do to keep you safe from that?”
“I don’t know. Scare it away with that grumpy scowl you always do.”
I hike my eyebrows up. “I don’t do a grumpy scowl.”
“Do, too.” She pokes her slender finger into the middle of my forehead. “This area’s all crinkled. That means you scowl too much.”
My fingers trace the space between my eyebrows. She’s making shit up now. “Okay, well, my wrinkles—that I definitely don’t have, by the way—aren’t going to frighten off a ghost.”
Mae flicks her hair behind her shoulder, face lifting to mine as she leans back to rest on her elbows. “Okay, maybe you could just distract me from it instead, then.”
I dance my fingers down the column of her neck. “And how am I supposed to do that?”
“I’m sure you can think of something.”
My fingers grip her waist, gently massaging the skin as her legs slide out to either side of me. I study her, completely in awe. Her plush lips are damp, and I shiver when her gaze drops to my crotch that’s pulsating for her.
“Do you like looking at me?” I tilt my head to the side. I know what her answer is going to be. I always catch her staring.
“Yes.”
I pinch the fabric of her T-shirt between my fingertips, rolling it, raising it so her toned stomach is on display.
“Well, that’s good because I certainly love looking at you.”
Pressing my mouth to the soft skin just underneath her belly button, I kiss it.
Nip it.
Bite it.
And it drives Mae crazy.
Her hands are in my hair. Gripping my neck. Nails scraping the skin of my back.
She relaxes as I press my lips to her exposed collarbone, a moan slipping past her lips. I cover her mouth with my hand for a second. “You’re going to need to be quiet for me, princess, or I’m going to get in a shitload of trouble.”
I drag her lips to mine, her back arching so her chest is flush against me. Warmth radiates from her—not just from her body, but from how she touches me, too. The way she scrapes her fingernails down the back of my neck. The way her legs hook over my own. The way her core gravitates towards me, pressing firmly against the bulge in my boxers.
“Are you wearing underwear, Mae?”
“No.”
Fuck. She’s completely bare under these shorts. The only thing between us is two fragile pieces of fabric.
I increase the pressure my hips are applying to her core, and she gazes up at me with such want. Such need. Such desire.
I know she’s craving it, and all I want to do is give it to her.
However, she can sense my reluctance. “Nathan, I know what you said about not wanting to make me feel like I’m some fling by doing it in a hotel room, but does the same still apply to a tent?”
I hum. I’ve never been with a woman in a tent before. “I just don’t want you to think—”
“The only thing I think , is that I’m fucking desperate for you right now.”
With my finger twirling around the waistband of her shorts, I gauge her reaction as I slowly dip into them, stroking her skin. The tent suddenly feels a whole lot warmer.
“Is this okay?”
“Yes, you don’t even need to ask.” The words rush from her.
“I definitely do.”
I refrain from touching her just yet, though, because if there’s something she needs to know about me, it’s that I’m a tease.
“Nathan,” Mae mutters pleadingly, her hands reaching forwards to stroke my cock over the top of my boxers. I feel it twitch, and a shiver wracks me.
No woman has ever made me feel this way with just one touch. I immediately want more, but more than that, I want to give her more.
“Do you need me, Mae?” I ask, twirling a strand of her hair around my finger. “Does this pussy need me to fuck it with my fingers?”
I can feel her trying to grind herself against me, small whimpers filling the small tent, and her lips sweep against my chest, peppering kisses on the muscle.
She raises her hips once again, and I hook one finger under the waistband and slide them down. I know it would be easy to just slip under the shorts, but I want to see her.
Her bottom half is bare, and I look at her pussy, glistening with wetness for me.
All for me. Only for me.
The small light I have in the corner of my tent creates a sultry aura, and Mae lifts her top to bare her breasts, the curve of them casting shadows onto my chest. “Nathan, please, do it. Make me feel good, or I will.”
The thought of watching her pleasure herself fills my mind, and my cock immediately pulses with excitement. I can’t think of anything hotter, but I’ll save that for another time.
My fingers start at the space just above her breasts, and I trail them down, refusing to neglect her hard nipples. A breath rushes from her lips, eyes fluttering shut.
“I’m not going to rush this, princess. I want to take my time with you.”
Her eyebrows pull together at my statement, and she opens her mouth to say something, but I shush her.
“We’ve got all night. Be patient.” I try to fight my smile but quickly let it take over.
Teasing the area where her thigh meets her pussy, I linger there for a little while, tracing delicate circles on her smooth skin. Then, I run my finger through her wetness, releasing a soft grunt. “You’re fucking soaked, Mae. And it’s all for me.”
I’m tempted to shuck my boxers off and fuck her so I can listen to her scream my name while trying to be as quiet as possible, but I know this isn't the environment for that. Sex is meant to be loud. I’m not going to make her be quiet when it happens.
Her hands grip my neck, her legs widening to give me better access. The tip of my finger inches in, and Mae squeezes around me, mumbling a quiet, “Oh, God.”
“More?” I question, sliding in further.
“Yes, more.”
My finger slips in with ease, and I curl them with every stroke. I know my tempo is cruel, and when I add a second finger, Mae’s slick heat clamps around them.
“Shit, Nathan.”
I take it slow at first, allowing my thumb to graze over her clit with every other pump, but after Mae delivers another needy whimper, I can’t tease her any longer. I need to see her come for me.
The sound of her wetness fills the tent, but I make sure to keep the noise to a minimum, just in case. Although, most people should be asleep by now.
“Nathan, oh, God.” Mae’s head rolls back. “Fuck, don’t stop.”
“I don’t plan on stopping until you’ve come all over my hand.”
Her eyes are bold, staring up at me. Her mouth forms an ‘O’ shape as she grips my forearm, which is moving in perfect rhythm, and after a few more seconds, she begins rocking with me, lifting her hips with every pump.
“Is that how you like it? Just like that?”
“Yes, fuck, yes.”
“Watch me. Watch me fuck you with my fingers.”
Mae doesn’t hesitate, and she raises her head to stare down at my fingers pumping in and out of her, eyebrows knitted together in fascination.
“That’s it, my pretty girl.”
Pressing my lips to hers, I bite at them, and the feeling of Mae moaning into my mouth makes me lose it. I move my fingers faster, wrapping my arm around her waist and hoisting her closer to me, sitting back so I can get a good view of the way my fingers glide in and out of her pussy.
The view is fucking mesmerising.
If I were to die right now, I’d die happy.
“I want to feel this pretty pussy come for me.”
“It feels so fucking good.” Her eyes roll back, and she grabs my hand and brings my palm to her mouth to stop herself from being too loud.
It looks like my little cheerleader’s a screamer.
“That’s it,” I say, talking her through the approach of her orgasm as I tweak her nipple, my spare hand running down her toned stomach. “Show me how good it feels. Let me see it. Let me see what I do to you.”
She comes. Hard. With my hand clamped over her mouth to muffle her pleasured moans. Her body’s trembling, her breathing choppy.
My dick feels like it’s on fire—desperate to release—but after seeing how exhausted she looks after such an intense orgasm, I dress her back in her shorts and pull down her T-shirt to cover her.
“Nathan, Holy shit,” Mae mutters, her hazy eyes fluttering as her chest rises and falls with each effortful breath.
“Get your breath back for me.” I kiss her forehead, checking her over. “Get some sleep.”
She pinches her brows together, eyes dropping to my still rock-hard dick. “Don’t you want—”
“I had enough of a good time watching you come for me.” I can’t stop the smile that threatens to split my lips. I don’t want to rush this with Mae. I don’t want her to think I expect anything back because feeling how soaking wet she was for me was all I needed tonight. “I’m an early riser. I’ll wake you up before anyone else notices. Just sleep for me.”
Mae hesitates for a few seconds before nodding, and she rests her head on my chest as we lie together.
I wrap my arms around her, but I’m unable to fall asleep because all I can think about is how this girl is driving me up the fucking wall.
And I absolutely love it.