by Jenna Reed
“Maybe you can find a team to coach here?”
“Nah, it wouldn’t be the same. My buddy Rhett and I coach together, that’s half the fun of it.” Only after I say the words, do I realize what she just said. She wants me to find a team here. Does she want me to say?
I put the box down next to her on the bed before taking a seat beside her. The bed dips under my weight, and the box almost slips off the bed. My heart hammers out of my chest as Nina grabs it at the last second.
“What’s this?” she asks, spotting the stack of letters tucked in with the baseball cards.
“Oh, those are actually love letters from my grandpa to my grandma. Want me to read you one?”
“Really?” Her voice goes high-pitched like she’s surprised I asked. Truthfully, I’m surprised too. “Sure, I’d love to hear one.”
I nod and grab one of the letters. Unfolding it, I start to read, “My darling Abigail. Not a night has gone by that I haven’t wished to be by your side, and now, the time has come. While you’re reading this, I am headed back to you and will forever be yours once more. War has not hardened me but made me stronger and more in love. I’m ready to start our family, our forever, our great love story. Love always, Harold.”
“Wow, that’s so sweet,” Nina says, her voice low. I look up and see her wiping away a stray tear. “These things have so much history written within them.”
“Sorry I made you cry,” I apologize, unsure of how to feel right now.
“No, it’s sweet. I get emotional about the strangest things. Don’t feel bad.”
“This was my great grandfather’s too,” I tell her. Opening my nightstand drawer, I take out my grandfather’s watch. “He had this during the war, and he put a picture of my grandmother, Abigail inside.”
Nina takes the watch from me and opens it up. Holding it up to look at it, she takes in the old weathered picture inside.
“She’s beautiful, Travis.”
“I know, she really was gorgeous. You would have really liked her.”
Silence blankets the room. With each passing second, the air between us seems to grow thicker. The hairs on my arms raise as goosebumps spread out.
“Do you want to watch a movie?” Nina asks, breaking the spell.
“Sure, let’s do it.” I put my collection away carefully and go out into the living room. I’m glad we’re going to be able to move past last night. I was so worried that she would be angry and hate me for not giving in to her advances, but thankfully, she isn’t.
Once she puts the movie in the DVD player—I didn’t realize her TV had in it—she disappears into the kitchen for a few minutes, before returning, her arms full of snacks.
She flops down on the floor next to me, leaving enough space between us to fit another person. “We really need a couch.”
“Yeah,” I agree. “Maybe we can go look for one tomorrow? Let me buy it, since you bought the other stuff. I live here, after all.”
“Temporarily.” She points out while pointing her index finger at me.
“Long enough for me to want to sit on a couch.”
“Just watch the movie.” She orders and throws me a bag of chips.
The movie starts, and we both dig into the snacks she brought. We talk about the movie, laugh at the funny scenes, and throw snacks at each other in between. Just hanging out with her is the most relaxed I’ve felt in weeks. Why can’t it always be like this between us?
“So, I have to tell you something,” Nina says, and I glance over at her. I have no clue what’s coming, and that kind of scares me.
“Okay.” I sit up a little straighter.
“There is a video of my boob on YouTube, from the Renaissance Fair. It slipped out while we were leaving, and you didn’t even tell me!”
“What?” I have to make sure I heard her right.
“My tit popped out of my dress, and it’s online for everyone to see.”
I dive for the laptop next to her and run away from her with it. She screeches at me to stop but pauses the movie before chasing after me.
I’m laughing as I run away, “I missed it when I was there, so it’s only right that I see it now. I can’t believe I missed it standing right next to you.”
“Oh no, you don’t. I told you that because I thought you’d seen it happen, not so you’d look it up.”
Pouting, I say, “Everyone else is getting to see it, so I should too. Besides, it’s no big deal, I’ve seen them before.”
We both stop dead in our tracks and stare at each other. Great. Just like that, I’ve managed to make it awkward again.
Way to go, Travis.
14
Nina
Things just took an awkward turn really quick. We sit back down on the floor, and I realize he is still holding my laptop. Yes, he’s seen my tits before, but . . . Well, I don’t particularly know where I was going with that thought.
Honestly, I don’t know what the big deal would be with him seeing it. I haven’t actually watched the video of my boob because I didn’t want to die of embarrassment. What if it looks weird or I’m mid-giant bite of turkey leg?
I crawl over and put my hand on the laptop, but he pulls it away at the last second, so instead my hand lands in his lap. I essentially have my hand on his crotch, and when I realize it, I jump back like a cat getting her paws wet. I jump so far back that I hit the wall next to the door and my head smacks against it with a thud. “Ow,” I grunt as I try desperately to climb to my feet.
By the time I manage the small task, he surprises me by rushing toward me. His hands rest on my hips, and I can feel the heat of his palms through my clothes. They move over my sides and up and down. He’s smiling as his face moves toward mine. Our noses are barely an inch apart as he steps forward, effectively pressing my back into the wall and trapping me between his huge body.
“I want to kiss you again, Nina,” he whispers, and it’s almost like he’s asking for permission. I can feel his hot breath against my lips, and it sends jolts of pleasure surging through my body. A dull throb forms between my legs, and I shift from one foot to the other in a desperate attempt to alleviate some of the ache. Of course, it doesn’t work because the one person I want to do that, can’t.
He looks at me for a minute before raising a brow. I want to say something sexy and cute, but my brain and mouth are malfunctioning. The best I can come up with is, “Okay, so do it.”
Travis leans into me, and I feel like my whole body is one giant nerve. I’ve been anticipating this moment all night, and now it’s about to happen. There is a lot I want to say, but for now, I just want to feel his lips on mine and his fingers on my body. His hands tighten on my sides, and I bring my arms up to wrap around his neck.
I close my eyes and lean forward. However, instead of pleasure, I feel blinding pain as something happens to the back of my head. My scalp is burning.
My hair is caught in the key hook on the wall and somehow has tied itself in a death knot. I awkwardly try to reach behind my head to untangle this mess, but I only end up making the knot worse. I twist and turn, looking like a drunken ballerina that doesn’t know which end is up.
“Ow,” I screech, “help me!”
Travis takes a startled step back, clearly having not seen what the hell is going on behind my head. He begins to sputter, holding his hands up in front of him. “I’m sorry, I thought you wanted me to.”
“Wait! What? Oh, yes, I do, but I’m stuck. Well, I’m not stuck, but my hair is… on the… thing…”
He just stares at me, confused at my rambling. “My hair… my hair is stuck on the key hooky thingy.” I jab a finger toward the offending device.
His eyes widen, and then he nods, the puzzle pieces finally clicking together, “Oh, wow, okay, I’m sorry, hold on.” Reaching behind me, he proceeds to try to help detangle my hair.
For about two minutes, I handle it while he makes it a hundred times worse. Now, my hair is no longer just tangled against the hook, but a set of keys h
as somehow managed to muck up the mess, becoming entangled in it as well.
Shit!
Finally, the pain becomes more than I can handle. Huffing out, I whimper, “Okay, just stop. The more we’re trying, the more I get stuck. There are scissors in the kitchen, go get them, and just cut it off.”
Travis stares, literally stares for a good second before saying, “Are you sure? It’s a lot, Nina. I mean, I’m not an expert with hair, but…”
The pain radiates across my scalp, and I’ve had enough. “Just get them!” I’m in a lot of pain and not thinking clearly, but I don’t care. This stupid key hook and stupid keys. Putting my hand up, I feel the amount of hair that’s locked into the key hook. It doesn’t feel like that much. Plus, hair grows back. I’ll be fine.
“Cut it, Travis. I won’t be mad at you,” I tell him. I’m fairly certain this is one of those things I’m going to regret tomorrow, but I’m going to let future Nina worry about that. If it’s going to stop my scalp from being peeled off my head, I couldn’t care less if I shaved my head.
He holds up the scissors in front of me, his face a bit pale. “Are you sure about this? I mean... very sure?” He looks at me for a minute before raising a brow.
“Yes,” I whimper, “Just freaking cut it already.”
My brain doesn’t quite comprehend what is happening until I hear the snip, snip of the scissors, and the tension at the back of my scalp is suddenly gone.
“Ahh. That feels so much better,” I sigh, rubbing at the tender spot on the back of my head.
Travis steps into my line of sight and holds up my freshly sheared locks like they’re a trophy. My eyes widen instantly, and a scream I meant to hold in escapes my lips. Lord in heaven, if my neighbors heard me, they would for sure call the cops. It’s a lot of hair! Like way more than it felt like when it was in my hand. There’s no way I don’t have a bald spot on the back of my head.
My scream startles Travis, causing him to scream back at me and take a quick step back. He trips over my purse carelessly placed next to the door and tosses my shorn locks up in the air at the same time he falls back. He lands with a hard thud that’s followed with a low groan, while I watch my hair fall to the ground.
I look down, and now I can see how much he’s taken off, I’m scared to even reach back and feel. Oh god! I’m bald.
“I’m sorry I scalped you,” he says with a frown, “if it helps, I still want to kiss you.” The pitiful look on his face makes me burst into a fit of laughter. I can’t help it because I really wanted him to kiss me, and everything just fell apart, shattered. I still want him to kiss me though.
“Okay, but maybe let’s move to the middle of the room, where nothing can attack my hair. One bald spot is enough for tonight.”
He gets up and chuckles, the sound goes straight to my core. He gently backs me toward the center of the room before he leans down and takes my mouth with his. Finally, I think as his warm mouth covers mine. I open to him and allow his tongue to explore my mouth as I sigh and melt into a puddle of mush.
“You taste good,” he moans as he pulls back and kisses down my neck. My body is waking up again, and it is ready to take whatever he has to offer. Little ripples of pleasure move through me as he takes charge and commands me to open further. He deepens the kiss and pushes me back against the other wall, blanketing my body with his. It’s my turn to moan as I shift and circle my arms around his neck. His teeth nip at my bottom lip, and I’m pretty sure this is what heaven feels like. I don’t care if he takes me right here on the floor because if he does, it’s going to be amazing.
His fingers slip under the edge of my shirt and pull it up slowly. Holy shit, this is really happening. Tugging my shirt up over my head, he throws it somewhere beside us. Eagerly, I tug on his shirt, making him laugh when I pull it up so quickly, I accidentally hit his chin.
“Sorry,” I mutter. “Want to go to my bedroom?”
“Yes, very much so.”
Then I remember the state my room is in right now. Shit, it’s a mess. “Just give me one second.” Rushing into the bedroom, I throw things off the bed and onto the floor, then shoving everything under my bed. I put clothes in the closet and hide all my embarrassing food wrappers in the dresser. Quickly strip out of the rest of my clothes, I toss my hair up into a messy bun and jump into bed. I barely have enough time to pull the blankets over my body when the door swings open. Travis walks in with a swagger that only he can—like he owns the place, owns me.
A giggle escapes me, and his eyes lock with mine, and I can feel the desire surging between us. My body is heating up as my eyes wander down his bare chest.
The throbbing between my legs is back as I unabashedly admire his chiseled physique. Six-pack abs, well-defined muscles that I want to lick. Damn, he’s fine as hell, and I’m salivating. Swallowing thickly, I watch as his hands go to the buttons on his jeans. I know what lies beneath that denim, and I can’t wait to see it again, touch it, taste it.
Slowly, he walks toward me, then suddenly, his eyes grow wide, and he trips, his big body falling forward, before disappearing completely from sight. A loud thud fills the room, followed by a string of curse words.
“What happened?” I ask, crawling to the edge of the bed.
“I tripped over these.” He looks up at me from the floor while holding up one of my unicorn slippers that I somehow managed not to hide. Jesus. Placing my head in my hands, I sigh. This is shaping up to be the least romantic experience ever. Like on the face of the Earth.
“Great, this is great.” I shake my head and toss my hands in the air before turning to bury my face in the pillow.
“No, it’s okay, they’re cute,” he says, chuckling, “come here.”
Sitting down on the bed beside me, he takes my chin and turns my head toward him. Then he’s on me. He kisses me again, and I melt like an ice cream cone. All the awkwardness is forgotten in a heartbeat. Butterflies erupt in my belly as my body once again prepares for pleasure.
Travis kisses me for a while, making sure to keep his hands far away from my hair, which makes me want to laugh and cry all at the same time. Shifting beneath him, I feel the hardness that’s hidden beneath his jeans. Thick, long, and pulsing. At least he’s still turned on. I know I’m still wet with need, drenched actually.
Scooting down the bed, he positions himself over me, pressing me deeper into the mattress. He nudges my legs apart with his knee, his hard length brushing against my aching core. At contact, I gasp, my entire body warming all over.
His fingers skim up my legs before slipping between our bodies. It only takes a second before he finds my throbbing center. With slow, maddening strokes, he rolls his finger over my clit, again and again, and I nearly come undone.
There we go, I think we’ve finally managed to get around all the obstacles. Gently, he dips his finger between my folds and slips his thick digit inside me. I suck in a sharp breath as he teases me from the inside, and his mouth claims mine again, swallowing my cries of pleasure. In and out, he moves, touching the soft tissue at the top of my channel. My back arches off the bed as the heel of his hand slaps against my mound with each stroke.
Pleasure explodes behind my eyes and zings through my body, making it hard for me to breathe, think, or exist. He’s so good at knowing what to do to drive me crazy.
I need him inside me now.
“Please, I don’t want to wait anymore,” I plead.
Travis chuckles, and it’s a low, rumbling sound that vibrates from his chest and into mine. He leans back and pulls down his boxers, revealing a very nice, very thick cock. And every delicious inch is for me. All mine. The mushroom head glistens with precum, and I lick my lips, wanting to taste him.
My entire body hums with anticipation, a hunger like I’ve never felt before fills me.
I bite my lip to stop my mouth from watering and watch eagerly as he pumps his shaft a few times, precum beading on the head.
He leans forward and takes my mouth again. Thi
s time the kiss isn’t soft or gentle but firm and demanding. He’s going to own me in every way, I know it.
His tongue sweeps into my mouth, dueling with mine. One of his hands comes to the back of my neck, squeezing there as he stakes his claim. Fiercely, his body presses into mine, imprinting me with his scent, touch, and taste, and I want more, need more.
Nudging my legs farther apart, preparing me for his entry, I shudder once more. I can feel the ache growing, pooling deep in my gut as he lines himself up with my entrance. Teases me, he slides in just barely before pulling out again. This time is so different compared to our first time. I’m more experienced and way less nervous.
“Please,” I whimper. The burning in my body will not stop until I feel him buried deep inside me, and I need it to happen, like, now.
Again, he chuckles, and I’ve had about as much teasing as I can handle. Finally, having had enough, I take charge, hitching my leg over his hip, and urging him forward.
The cry of pleasure that erupts from my lips as he fills me completely is one of complete bliss and longing. There is nothing like this feeling, it’s pure euphoria as he begins to pump into me. Slow and steady at first. In and out. All the way out and back in, he goes over and over again, making me climb the pegs of pleasure with each thrust.
Just when I’m sure nothing can ruin the moment, his rhythm is thrown off when his stride is broken because he misses the target and hits just a little too low. The sudden pinch of pain causes me to jump, and I lean forward, slamming my forehead into his mouth.
“Ow,” he mumbles before adding, “it’s okay, I can fix this.” He leans forward to kiss me and smiles, causing me to screech because his teeth are covered in blood.
Alarmed and horror-stricken, he brings a hand to his mouth and looks at it, seeing the blood. “Shit!” he growls and pulls out of me, taking the pleasure that was building inside of me with him. He rushes to the bathroom, and I curl up on my side, completely mortified. When he returns a minute later, he stares at me.
