Chapter 9 #2
"My knee," I groaned, gripping the arms of the chair. "I can't... I can't chase you tonight, Princess. I can barely stand."
"Then don't stand," she said. "I'll do the work."
She moved closer. She stepped out of her boots. She peeled off her leather leggings.
She stood before me in her underwear. Black lace to match the top. She wasn't hiding. She wasn't posing. She was just... offering.
She stepped between my spread legs, pushing the ice pack aside slightly so she could get closer.
She straddled my good leg, lowering herself onto my lap.
I hissed as her weight settled, but the pain was instantly eclipsed by the sensation of her heat. Her almost-naked body pressed against mine.
"Is this okay?" she whispered, her hands cupping my face. "Does it hurt?"
"Only everywhere," I muttered. "But don't stop."
I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her flush against me. My hands slid up her back, finding the clasp of her bralette.
"Off," I commanded.
She reached back and undid it. The lace fell away.
I groaned. She was perfect. Soft curves, dark nipples hardening in the cool air.
I buried my face in her neck, inhaling her scent. Vanilla. Sweat. Desire.
"You're beautiful," I mumbled against her skin. "You're so beautiful it hurts."
"Kiss me," she begged. "Liam, please."
I captured her mouth. It was a hungry, desperate kiss. We were making up for weeks of restraint. My tongue swept into her mouth, tasting her, claiming her.
She ground down on my leg. I felt the wetness through her panties.
"Good girl," I whispered against her lips. "So ready."
She whimpered, her nails digging into my shoulders.
I moved my hand down, slipping inside her panties. She gasped, arching her back.
I found her. Slick. Hot. Swollen.
I stroked her, finding her rhythm instantly. She was so responsive. Every touch made her shudder.
"Liam," she panted. "I need... I need more."
"What do you need?" I asked, looking into her eyes. I needed to hear it.
"You," she said. "I need you inside me."
The air left the room.
"Sofia," I said, my hand stopping. "You're... you've never..."
"I know," she said. "I know. And I want it to be you. Only you."
"Why?" I asked, my voice cracking. "Why me? Why here? In this dump?"
She framed my face with her hands, forcing me to look at her.
"Because you're the only one who sees me," she said. "And because... I think I love you, Liam."
The words hit me harder than the linebacker had.
I think I love you.
I stared at her. My heart felt like it was going to explode.
I didn't say it back. I couldn't. Not yet. The words were too big, too dangerous.
But I could show her.
"Okay," I whispered. "Okay."
I lifted her hips, helping her slide her panties off. I kicked my boxers down.
I was hard. Aching. Ready.
She positioned herself over me. She looked scared for a second. Her breath hitched.
"Look at me," I commanded softly. "Don't close your eyes. Look at me."
She locked eyes with me.
"Slow," I instructed. "You control the pace. If it hurts, stop."
She nodded. She lowered herself.
She was tight. Incredibly tight.
She gasped as I entered her. Her face contorted. She stopped.
"It's okay," I murmured, rubbing her back, kissing her neck. "Breathe. Just breathe, Sofia. I've got you."
She took a shaky breath. She lowered herself further. inch by inch. Taking me.
When she was fully seated, she let out a long, shuddering sob.
"You okay?" I asked, wiping a tear from her cheek.
"Yeah," she whispered. "It just... it feels... full."
"Yeah," I agreed. "It does."
We stayed still for a moment, letting our bodies adjust. I felt... complete. Like a circuit had finally been closed.
Then, she moved. Just a little. A small rock of her hips.
The sensation was blinding.
"Oh god," I groaned, throwing my head back against the chair.
She moved again. More confident this time.
We found a rhythm. It was slow. Reverent. My hands gripped her hips, guiding her, supporting her. Her hands gripped my shoulders, anchoring her.
The room faded away. The peeling paint didn't matter. The debt didn't matter. The knee didn't matter.
There was only this. Only her.
Her breathing quickened. She started to make those small, broken noises again.
"That's it," I praised her, my voice low and guttural. "Just like that. Take what you need."
"Liam," she cried out. "Liam, I'm..."
"Let go," I said. "I'm right here. Let go."
She shattered. I felt her clamp down around me, pulsating, milking me. She threw her head back, a silent scream of pleasure on her lips.
Watching her come undone—knowing I was the first, the only one—broke my control.
I thrust up into her, hard and deep, chasing my own release.
It hit me like a freight train. I groaned, emptying myself into her, holding her tight against me as the world went white.
We stayed in the chair for a long time.
Sofia was slumped against me, her head on my shoulder, her breathing slowing down. I had pulled the throw blanket from the back of the chair and wrapped it around us.
"Wow," she whispered into my neck.
"Yeah," I rasped. "Wow."
"Is it... is it always like that?" she asked.
I kissed the top of her head. "No. No, Princess. It is definitely not always like that."
She giggled. A tired, happy sound.
"My knee is numb," I realized suddenly.
"See?" she murmured, tracing a pattern on my chest. "I told you. Healing powers."
"Or distraction," I countered.
She shifted, wincing slightly. "I'm sore."
"I bet," I said, rubbing her back soothingly. "We should move to the mattress. It's softer."
"Can't move," she mumbled. "Too happy."
I smiled.
"Stay," I said. "Stay the night."
"I'm not leaving," she said. "Even if your mattress is on the floor."
"I'll buy a frame," I promised. "When I get the draft bonus."
She lifted her head, looking at me. Her eyes were serious again.
"You really think you'll get it? Even with the knee?"
"If I play through it," I said. "I have to finish the season, Sofia. I have to play the Championship. If I do that, I get the contract. I fix my mom's debt. I fix... this." I gestured to the room.
"And then you leave," she said softly.
The reality crashed back in. The post-coital haze evaporated.
"And then I leave," I confirmed.
She looked away. She didn't say anything. She just laid her head back down on my shoulder.
But I felt the tension return to her body.
We were together. We had crossed the line. But the clock was ticking louder than ever.
I tightened my arms around her.
Just for tonight, I told myself. Just let me have tonight.
But as I looked at the dark window, watching the snow pile up against the glass, I knew one night wasn't going to be enough.
It would never be enough.