Chapter 6
ELIAS
The hallway feels endless as I guide Elise toward our room.
My fingers tremble slightly against the keycard, a ridiculous reaction for a professional athlete who performs under pressure for a living.
But this is different. This is ten years of anticipation, frustration, desire, and want compressed into a single moment.
"This is us." I slide the card into the door and push it open, letting her enter first.
James has outdone himself. The room is bathed in soft golden light, red and pink rose petals scattered across a massive king bed, champagne chilling in an ice bucket.
There are strawberries, candles, and even music playing softly from somewhere.
It's over-the-top romantic in a way that would be embarrassing if I could focus on anything but Elise.
She steps into the center of the room, her back to me as I close the door. The click of the lock echoes between us, sealing us away from the world outside.
When she turns to face me, her eyes are wide. "Elias, I need to know something."
My heart hammers against my ribs. "Okay, anything." I take a deep breath.
"The things you said at the reunion, the way you looked at me, touched me ... was it just for show?"
"You mean ... fake? No, none of it was fake, Elise.
Not a single second. Not since I saw you at the game.
Not since high school. For ten years, I've measured every woman I've met against you.
And none of them ever came close." She stands looking down at the floor.
Her hands smooth down her already very smooth dress. "How could they?"
She stares at me, eyes glistening with unshed tears. "I thought I was invisible to everyone… back in high school. Especially to you."
"You were all I could see." I reach out and brush my thumb across her cheek. "I wanted you then. I want you now. I will want you always, Elise."
A single tear emerges and meanders lazily down her cheek.
"I've been just as obsessed with you. I watched you in the hallways.
I went to your games even though I hate sports.
I followed your career, checked your Instagram even though I never followed you.
I've been half in love with you since freshman year, Elias.
I never thought you'd notice someone like me. "
The distance between us vanishes. I'm not sure who moves first, but suddenly my mouth is on hers. Her fingers dig into my biceps, pulling me closer as if she can't bear even an inch of separation.
My hands find the zipper of her dress and tug it down while her fingers fumble with my shirt buttons. We're frantic, our clothes becoming obstacles to what we both desperately need.
Her dress pools at her feet, leaving her in nothing but black lace underwear that makes my breath hitch, my pulse jump, and my cock immediately inflate.
I shed my jacket, my shirt, as her hands move to my belt buckle.
Every brush of her fingers against my stomach sends shocks of electricity through my system.
Without another word, I lift her, her legs wrapping around my waist as I press her harder against the wall. The heat of her pussy against me, even through the barrier of my pants and her underwear, is maddening. I grind against her, swallowing her moan with another kiss.
I hook my fingers in her pretty black lace panties, tearing them off down her legs in one smooth gesture.
I unfasten my belt and push my pants and boxers down just enough to release my solid cock.
She's wet, so wet, and the first touch of my fingers against her has her whimpering.
This time, I catch my name loud and clear as she breathes it huskily right into my ear as she bites on my lobe.
With one hand under her knee, I lift her leg and position my manhood close to her pussy ready for penetration.
Holding my base with one hand, I rub it along her slit, separating her folds, then position it against her entrance and insert the tip.
Making sure we are ready, I tease just the tip in and out a couple of times.
"Are you okay with this?" I feel her hot breath in my ear.
"Fuck me, Elias ... blow my mind," and she whispers, "fuck me like I know it's not fake."
Then I finally push my throbbing cock into her, slow and careful despite our desperation.
I lift her and lay her down on the bed.
Mindful of fulfilling her demands, I build the tempo.
I'm soon pounding into her pussy relentlessly.
She's tight and hot and perfect, her body tenses around mine as she adjusts to the intrusion.
But as I feel her walls constrict around my thrusts and her moans, rise and fall, I subtly vary the pace, depth, and angle of each thrust. I watch her beautiful face mold and distort as the sensations contort through her body.
I work hard. I feel sweat build on my forehead.
She bites on her lips and then on a finger.
"Okay?" I ask, voice strained with the effort of holding still.
"More than okay. Don't you dare stop."
I withdraw almost completely before thrusting back in, setting a rhythm that has her moaning with each movement. Her legs tighten around my waist, heels digging into my lower back, urging me deeper and harder.
"You feel so good," I groan, burying my face in her neck. "So perfect. So tight. I've wanted this for so long, Elise."
Her response is incoherent. I shift slightly, change the angle of my thrusts again, and her whole body jolts.
"There, Elias. That's it ..."
She's magnificent, head thrown back, eyes half-closed, lipstick smeared across her cheek. I can't look away, mesmerized by every reaction, every sound she makes.
"I love you." The words are ripped from somewhere deep inside me. "I love you, Elise."
She freezes, says nothing.
Oh no! For a terrible second, I think I've ruined everything.
"Say that again."
"I love you, Elise." I slow my movements, making each thrust deep, more intense. Meaning every thrust. "I have loved you for years."
Her body clenches around me, her back arches as she comes hard. The sight of her, the feel of her pulsing around me. My restraint breaks. I bury myself deep, release tearing through me with an intensity I've never experienced before, hot ropes of come coating her walls.
We stay locked together, both trembling, my forehead pressed against hers as we try to catch our breath. I'm still inside her, neither of us wanting to break this connection.
"Did you mean it?"
"Every word." I brush my lips against hers. "Every single word."
After a moment, I carefully withdraw, both of us wince slightly at the sensation.
Feeling the sudden loss of connectedness.
I take my time now, removing the rest of her clothes.
I kiss each new inch of skin as it's revealed.
I scatter some rose petals aside, rearranging them to outline her body as she lies on the bed.
I worship her body with hands and mouth, tracing the curve of her waist, the swell of her breasts, the softness of her inner thighs. "I've dreamed about this so many times, but this right here doesn't compare to any of my fantasies."
Elise is not passive; her hands explore my body with equal curiosity and desire. Her touch is both tentative and bold, mapping the contours of my chest, the ridges of my abdomen, the sensitive skin of my hipbones. When her hand wraps around my cock, I groan, already hardening again.
"I love you too," she says suddenly, the words making everything in me go still.
I look up from where I've been kissing the inside of her wrist.
A smile curves her lips. "I love you, Elias."
I roll over and slide her closer to me. Our gazes lock, and I wedge my cock against her glistening pussy again and push inside, slower this time.
With my mouth hovering above hers, I move my hips, burying myself to the hilt and gritting my teeth at how good she feels.
But Elise cannot be outdone. Even from under me, she lifts her hips to meet mine thrust for thrust, and it's fucking glorious.
I lift her leg over my shoulder, allowing me to go even deeper, as I use the other hand to reach between us and tease her clit.
Elise digs her ass into the mattress and lets out a shaky breath. Taking that as a cue to continue, I rut into her until she stiffens, trembles, and moans loudly. I follow her almost immediately. Blinding sparks light the darkness behind my eyes as an explosion of sensations tears through me.
She clings to me in shuddering spasms while I continue coating her pussy with my thick, warm cum.
Sweaty, dazed, and breathless, we lie tangled in the sheets and each other, her head on my chest. The room is quiet except for our gradually steadying breaths and our thumping heartbeats.
"I can't believe this is real."
I press a kiss to the top of her head. "Which part? The part where James got us a room that looks like an interactive Valentine's Day card, or the part where I told you I've been in love with you since high school?"
She chuckles. "Both. But especially the second part."
My fingers find her chin, tilting her face up to mine. "So, can I take you on a real first date?"
"Elias, we're way past first dates."
"I know, but I want to do this right. Wine and dine you. Court you properly."
Her gaze softens. "I'd like that."
I hesitate, suddenly nervous to say aloud my next thought, despite everything we've shared tonight. "Elise, will you be my girlfriend? For real this time. No fake dating, no schemes. Just us."
"Yes. God, yes," she chuckles to herself, "I'm done with practice, anyway."
"You know, it's not polite to laugh at your own jokes .
.. according to James." She reaches out and pinches me hard.
But I have no body fat to grip, and her thumb and finger just slip off into nothingness.
"Ha, serves you right. Now it's my turn," I shoot out my hand to tickle her ribs, and she squirms away laughing loudly.
I shake my head in wonder. "I can't believe you wanted me all this time."
"I can't believe YOU wanted ME all this time."
"We wasted so many years."
"We have time now. All the time in the world."
"I love you, Elise Walters."
She smiles against my lips. "I love you too, Elias King."
And in this moment, with her in my arms, I know that everything—the waiting, the longing, the years apart—was worth it. Because it led us here, to this perfect moment, to each other.
Elise will be mine until the day I die.
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