Chapter 39
Chapter Thirty-nine
Ben
I was trying like hell to hold out for dinner. My news was on the tip of my tongue, even buried deep in Mazzy’s pussy.
She had been right about me. Making out was never just kissing. At least—not the lips on her face. But it was so rare we didn’t have a kid in the house, I was taking full advantage.
The minute we’d gotten inside her place, I had her bent over the kitchen counter, skirt up and panties down, and went to my favorite spot on earth. On my knees behind her, her ass in my hands, her taste on my tongue, scent all over my face.
Her sweet cries nearly did me in. I had to let go of her to press on my throbbing dick, giving myself some kind of relief so I wouldn’t finish before she did. That was what she did to me, without even trying.
I couldn’t lose her. Not now, not ever. I refused.
Only when her knees buckled did I climb to my feet and gather her in my arms. Her mouth was on mine as I walked us to the couch, falling with her in my lap. She scrambled to pull down my shorts then dropped on me, her ass slapping against my thighs before I could get my bearings.
“Oh hell.” My head fell back so I could look at her. Glasses askew, her lips red and bitten. I scraped my fingers through the sides of her hair, holding her head in place. “You just…I love you so damn much.”
“Love you too,” she panted.
Her fingers curled into my shoulders as she rode me, taking me deep and slow. Her hazy gaze slid over my face, like she was checking for something. I couldn’t tell if she found it, or even what she was looking for, but I liked her eyes on me as much as I liked the rest of her on me.
Leaning forward, I dragged my mouth down her throat, sucking on her smooth skin. When I reached her shoulder, I found a spot most of her shirts covered, and sank my teeth in. Her inner walls contracted around me, and her head fell back as she moaned.
“Yeah, you like that,” I murmured against her shoulder. “You want me to mark you.”
If I had my way, I’d mark her all over. Hell, she could wear a sign saying she belonged to me and I’d be happy. Unfortunately, we lived in a society, so I had to rein in my caveman ways. Lucky for me, though, she didn’t mind if I left evidence in discreet spots.
She lifted her head, breath still stuttering. “Do you want me to mark you?” she whispered.
“Already are,” I rasped. “Every single day.”
Her hips rolled again, dragging another groan out of my chest. I held on to her like my life depended on it, fingers digging into her waist, my forehead pressed to her collarbone.
“Mazzy,” I breathed. “Say it.”
“Say what?”
“That you’re mine. Tell me you choose me, no matter what.”
She stilled for one heartbeat, nudging my chin so we were eye to eye. Her gaze dropped to my mouth then lifted back to my eyes. Something warm and fierce sparked there.
“I’m yours, Ben,” she said, clear and certain. “I choose you every time.”
That was what I’d needed to hear. No matter how much I felt it, knew it deep in my bones, I needed her to say it.
“Again,” I choked.
“I’m yours,” she repeated, rocking her hips, squeezing around me so tight it nearly broke me. “You’re mine too. Don’t forget that.”
A broken laugh tore out of me. “Couldn’t if I tried…and I’ll never try.”
I snapped my hips against her, desperate to be so deep inside her neither of us would know where we began and ended. Her hands flew to my face, holding me there as she kissed me with the same need.
“Yes,” she gasped when I hit her just right. “Right there, Ben.”
My name on her lips was all it took. I came apart under her, a low, wrecked groan ripping from my throat as I held her tight, spilling into her, trembling like I’d just run a goddamn marathon.
She collapsed onto my chest, both of us shaking and tangled up in each other.
I didn’t let go.
I had no plans of ever letting her go.
Mazzy was in the bathroom finishing her makeup, wearing one of her favorite dresses that tied on the side, and I was already getting ideas. Those dresses made her look like a fancy present just waiting for me to untie.
She found my gaze in the mirror and read me like a book. “Don’t even think about it.”
I hitched a grin. “Oh, I’ll be thinking about it all night.” Then I showed her my hands. “I won’t do it, though. Not until we’re back here.”
She turned around to face me. “We’re staying here again?”
I shrugged. “Thought it’d be easier to grab Kat from Aunt Barb in the morning.”
“Maybe we could stay at your house this weekend. Katty’s probably missing her unicorns, and I’m kind of missing the extra space.”
“I don’t know.” I slid my hands over her hips. “I kind of like having no space from you.”
She snorted. “I meant the space between our bedroom and our daughter’s.”
“Yeah. There’s something to be said for that. But I like it when you try your hardest to be quiet.” I brought my hand up to her face, brushing my thumb over her bottom lip. “It’s sexy seeing you struggle.”
She batted my hand away, the apples of her cheeks flushing. “Shut up.”
“Hey now. I struggle just as much, but half the time my mouth is muffled by your pussy or ass, so…” I waggled my eyebrows. A giggle burst out of her, and my chest inflated like it had been filled with a thousand balloons. I hadn’t heard her laugh enough lately, and that was going to change.
A lot was.
Suddenly, I didn’t want to wait until dinner to tell her everything.
Taking her hand, I pulled her out of the bathroom. “Come here. I want to tell you something.”
She followed me, her fingers flexing around mine. “Something…good?”
“Something amazing.” I perched her on one of the barstools at the kitchen counter and positioned myself between her legs. “I had a call with Seth, my agent, about my contract for next season.”
She tugged on the hem of my shirt. “Are the Mountain Lions offering you stacks of money?”
I chuckled. “Well, their offer is good. Stacks might be an overstatement, but it’s decent.
But…the Mountain Lions aren’t the only team that wants me.
I’ve been offered a spot with my dream team.
I never thought it would happen. I’m too old, right?
But Seth said the Warriors want my name recognition for next season. ”
“The Warriors?”
I scooped her hair off her shoulders, sliding it behind her back.
“The Warriors are arguably the best team in the world, baby. I’ve trained with them, but I never dreamed…
” I shook my head. “When we met, I was returning home from training with them. That’s how I know this is kismet. It’s all connected.”
Her crinkled brow dropped low. “The Warriors are a team in New Zealand?”
“Yes, baby.” I chuckled at how cute she was. She really knew nothing about sportsball. I’d get her there, though. A year as a WAG, and she’d be an expert. “They’re the team in New Zealand, and their roster has an opening just my size.”
“What about the Mountain Lions?”
“I love my team, and I’ll be sad to move on, but this…” I shook my head, “this’ll be the pinnacle of my career. What a way to go out.”
I saw it all in my head. One or two more brilliant seasons with the best players and franchise in the world. I’d be able to walk away from this part of my life knowing I’d lived it to the fullest. If it all had to come to an end—and it did, unfortunately—this was how I wanted it to happen.
She swallowed so hard, it was audible. “So you’ve made up your mind? You’re going?”
I pulled back, my eyes darting between hers. Her mouth was curving and falling, again and again, like she was trying to be happy, but it wasn’t happening. Seeing her this way made it dawn on me how stupid I was. I hadn’t said the most important part.
“We’re going. You, me, and Kat. The team will line up a house for us, and the other wives can help us pick a school for Kat.
She’s going to love it over there.” I cupped the side of her neck.
“I know your first experience in New Zealand didn’t go well, so I’m going to make it up to you.
We’ll have time to travel, see the country, really soak it in together.
You won’t want to come home when the season’s over. ”
“Ben…” She pushed me back and slid off the stool. “I can’t move to another country.”
I watched her retreat from me, confused. “What?”
“Are you really surprised?” She pressed her hands to her abdomen. “I’m in the middle of law school and have a really great job. I can’t just…I guess you expect me to quit all of it?”
“No. No.” I shook my head hard. “You don’t have to quit.
Well, the job, yeah, but you can find one there if you want to keep working.
Or get a new one when you get back. And law school…
I don’t know how that works. Maybe you can do online courses, or pick it back up when we come back.
It’s a year—two tops. Not much in the grand scheme of things, and I promise, baby, you’ll love it there. It’ll be so damn peaceful.”
“You’ve got this all figured out.” She walked to the other side of the room then spun around.
“I’m sorry, Ben. I can’t drop everything to follow you to the other side of the world after only a few months together.
Your career is important, but so is mine.
I’ve worked too hard to get where I am and build something to call my own to give it all up with absolutely no backup plan. ”
This wasn’t what I’d been expecting at all. But maybe she wasn’t getting it. It was a surprise after all. She probably needed time to come around. Not much, since we needed to be on a plane in a few weeks, but we had all night to talk.
“I’m not asking you to drop anything, Mazz. I admire how hard you’ve worked, and I know family law is important to you. I get it. But why not take a year or two off? I’ll take care of everything, and you can relax for once.”
“Ben.” She breathed my name like it was the saddest in the world. “I love you very much, but I’m not going to New Zealand with you.”