Forward Progress (Men of Fall Book 1)

by S. R. Grey

  I hate this.

  My coworkers at the diner write encouraging comments on my team-managed Instagram account.

  Yeah, the breakup pic pops up there too. And they all follow it since I’m with Graham.

  It’s his loss.

  You’re better off without that bum.

  You’re too good for Graham Tettersaw.

  I appreciate that they’re so supportive, even if it doesn’t matter since the breakup isn’t real. It’s not Graham’s loss, and I’d never be better off without him. Nor am I too good for the man. Still, I appreciate how my coworkers have my back.

  I “like” all of their comments.

  But they’re not there for long.

  The team deletes each and every last one, then scrubs my whole account.

  The fast response kind of scares me. I worry the Comets will really end us if they discover we’re sneaking around.

  That settles it. We are going to have to be extremely careful.

  That’s why, even though Graham offers to help me move my stuff back to my apartment, I insist on doing it alone.

  “I don’t have all that much, anyway,” I tell him, which is true.

  Hell, more than half of my clothes belong to the team.

  We’re out in the driveway, and I’m packing up the Audi.

  “At least I get to keep the car,” I say to Graham.

  He nods. “Yes, there is that, silver lining girl.”

  I just laugh.

  There’s some more good news too. I found out just this morning that I’ll still be paid through the end of the season, so long as Graham and I comply with the team’s directive to stay away from each other.

  Figures. Those bastards.

  Maybe I was crazy to have ever agreed to this. But I did meet Graham, so I don’t think I’d change a thing.

  Turning to him, I ask, “Do you think we ever would’ve met on our own?”

  His brow creases. “Hmm, I don’t know. I could’ve ended up at the diner. It’s not far from the stadium.”

  “If you’d come in, would you have noticed me?”

  Lovingly brushing back a strand of hair, he says, “How could I not? You’re everything I could ever ask for, or want, in a woman.”

  “Oh, Graham…” I melt into a pile of goo right there. “Why do you have to say such sweet things when I’m leaving?”

  Smiling, he replies, “Because they’re true. And don’t worry.” He leans forward and whispers, “We’ll see each other real soon, remember?”

  “How could I forget?”

  Graham and I already made our first official “sneaking around” plan, and it’s for tonight. We’re going to meet up out at my secret spot, the one I shared with him.

  “You better not forget,” Graham says, laughing. “I have something special planned.”

  Intrigued, I remark, “Ooh, now I’m super curious. How about one little hint?”

  “Un-uh, no way. You’re going to have to be patient. But trust me on this, okay?”

  Standing on my tiptoes, I press my lips to his and tell him, “I trust you on everything.”

  Eternity

  Tonight Eden and I are secretly meeting up out at the summit she showed me after the first game. It’s special to her, but it holds a place in my heart now too. Not only is it where we first opened up to one another, declaring this thing between us as more than pretend, it’s also where I first kissed her.

  More might have happened that night, but the rain put a stop to it.

  Not tonight, though.

  Nope, there’s no rain in the forecast. I checked. Eden and I can look forward to a clear, crisp autumn night.

  I’m glad the warming trend we’ve been having has waned. Fall weather is finally upon us, which is perfect for what I have planned—a romantic night by the fire.

  Maybe we’ll just kiss and mess around like we’ve been doing.

  Or maybe we’ll move forward.

  The team’s attempt to break us up hasn’t set us back. No, it’s making us more committed to each other.

  I feel a fresh urgency in Eden, and it’s in me too. It’s like how when someone tells you that you can’t have something; you want it all the more.

  I certainly want Eden in every possible way. I want her heart, her love, her body, her soul.

  And I’m ready to give all that back to her. I love her, and I’ve decided I’m going to tell her after all.

  That’s why tonight must go perfectly.

  I’ve already assembled what I need—a small parcel of birch log pieces, kindling, matches, and a nice soft, warm blanket for us to lie on out under the stars. All that’s left is to take the chilled bottle of champagne out of the fridge, pack it in the insulated bag I picked up, and get the heck out of the house.

  Don’t forget the champagne flutes.

  Yeah, good move. Chugging bubbly straight from the bottle might ruin the romantic vibe I’m going for.

  Turns out I have nothing to fear. Even nature is on my side tonight.

  On the way up to the summit, the sky comes into view, and it’s drenched in shades of red, orange, and purple.

  You can’t get much more romantic than this.

  I pull up to the clearing and see Eden’s already here, outside of her car and taking in the gorgeous sky.

  “Isn’t it magnificent?” she exclaims as I walk over, joining her.

  “It is,” I agree.

  She motions to the picture-perfect sky, but I’m busy taking her in.

  “God, you’re beyond beautiful tonight,” I blurt out.

  The setting sun, bathing her hair in a burnished golden glow, makes her look like a goddess. Or maybe it’s the gauzy white dress she has on, how it’s flowing around her in the light breeze, loose but still fitted in all the right places.

  Her supple breasts, her shapely legs… “Do you know how much I want you right now?” I rasp.

  Eden lowers her chin. “Graham…”

  I take a step toward her, my body humming in anticipation of where this night may lead.

  “No, seriously, babe, there’s something in the air up here tonight. Do you feel it?”

  She looks like she’s about to crack a joke, but then I think she gets it too. She senses the magic brewing around us.

  Nodding slowly, she says, “I do, Graham. I actually do.”

  “You said from the start that this place is special.”

  “Clearly,” she replies, laughing softly.

  She blinks, and then her pale green eyes trail down my body appreciatively.

  “Wow,” she murmurs. “You look hot, Graham.”

  “Babe…”

  I wore the dark-wash jeans she likes on me and a tight tee in black. Eden tells me dark shades bring out my blond hair.

  Who’s she fooling?

  She likes how this particular shirt fits snug to my body, showing off my muscles.

  That’s cool, because I like her every plane and curve too—the swell of her breasts, the smoothness of her thighs, and that little hollow on her neck that I love to taste.

  “What are you thinking about right now?” she asks.

  I answer honestly, “I’m imagining every dirty thing I’ve wanted to do to you since the first day we met.”

  She lets out a little groan, and I know I have her right where I want her. But there’s no rush tonight. It’s just the two of us, and this special spot that’s become our own little world.

  Tonight, we have eternity.

  Sunsets and Bubbly

  Graham takes my hand and leads me to the middle of the clearing.

  He knows I’ll go wherever he takes me.

  We parked our cars so that they’re out of the way. Only bad thing is that means Graham has to leave me and jog over to his Porsche to retrieve what he calls “our provisions for the night.”

  I watch him as he goes, his shoulders a wide, silver silhouette in the muted shades of the waning sunset.

  A minute or two later he returns with a small satche
l of wood, among some other things, leading me to ask, “I take it this means we’re making a fire?”

  “We are indeed,” he replies.

  My Girl Scout instincts kick in, and I help him arrange the logs and the kindling in a safe clearing.

  Laughing, he plays along.

  We do a good job, and a short while later not only has the fire started, it’s a roaring blaze.

  “Just in time,” I state. “It’s pretty dark out now.”

  “It is.” Graham glances around. “But perfect for stargazing.”

  It’s true. The night sky, though a blanket of black, is alight with the twinkling of millions of stars.

  When Graham catches me peering up at the sky, he says, “Here, let me spread the blanket out on the ground.”

  He unfolds and lays out a large fuzzy quilt, perfect for this occasion.

  As I plop down, I remark, “You really thought of everything tonight, didn’t you?”

  “I tried to.” Graham sits down next to me and pulls a bottle of bubbly from an insulated bag. “I knew we’d especially want this.”

  “Champagne!” I exclaim. “You really are my hero.”

  Graham pours some into each flute and hands one to me.

  “What should we toast to?” I ask. “Should it be to sneaking around successfully?”

  “Nah.” He shakes his head. “How about we just toast to us?”

  To that, I wholeheartedly agree.

  It’s Only the Beginning

  We toast to us, and then we toast to a new beginning. Eden may not live with me any longer, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of our story.

  No, it’s only the beginning.

  With the fire blazing before us and the champagne flowing, I urge her to lean back against my chest so she can get more comfortable.

  Oh hell, who am I kidding?

  I just want to hold her, okay?

  Once she’s in my arms, I ask her how the rest of her day went after she left the house.

  “Truthfully, it was kind of weird going back to the apartment. It always felt so small and cramped in the past, but now it’s almost unbearable.”

  I nod against the top of her head, murmuring, “Yeah, I bet.”

  “It was good in some ways, though.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Well, there are lots of memories there. So it felt comfortable in a way.”

  She lets out a little chuckle, and I ask, “What’s so funny?”

  “I was just thinking that Paul’s going to be so pissed when he realizes he’ll have to come home to our little apartment instead of our big house.” Quickly, like she just caught herself, she amends, “Uh, I mean, your big house.”

  “Hey now, hold up.” I lean back so I can see her face. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s still your house too, Eden.”

  “Ha, tell that to the team.”

  Bristling, I bite out, “You know what? Fuck the team.”

  Eden sits up fully so she can face me. “Graham, don’t say that. There’s still half the season to go. Just play along. We’ll get through this.”

  I blow out a frustrated breath. She’s right, but I still don’t like the way things went down.

  “I should never have agreed to those stupid sex symbol photo shoots,” I grump, regret pumping through me. “I wasn’t thinking.”

  “No, it’s not that. You were only doing what the team asked of you. You’re a good employee like that.”

  “Too good of an employee,” I scoff. “To the point of my own detriment…and to yours.”

  Ever the optimist, Eden says, “Don’t worry, it’ll all work out.”

  Shaking my head, I tell her what I feel in every fiber of my being, “You’re amazing, you know that? How you can see the good in every situation? How you keep up hope, it just astounds me.”

  She shrugs. “That’s just me, Graham.”

  “I know.” I smile at her. “And I love you all the more for it.”

  Uh-oh, did I just say that?

  I think I did, seeing as everything, including Eden, has gone silent. Even the rustling of the trees seems to have stopped. Only the fire is crackling.

  A minute passes, then another.

  Finally Eden murmurs, “What did you just say?”

  It was time to man up. I planned to do this anyway, right?

  Clearing my throat, I state firmly and decisively, “I said I love you.”

  Swallowing hard, she blinks over at me.

  “You love me?” she says, like she can’t believe it.

  Believe it, baby. Believe it.

  “Yes, I love you,” I confirm, chuckling. “I never planned to fall for you, Eden Vetterly, but I did.”

  Beaming, she says, “I’ve fallen for you too, Graham. I’ve just been too afraid to tell you. You know, in case you felt differently.”

  “Are you kidding?” I’m aghast.

  Eden’s smiling, like the biggest over-the-moon grin, as she admits, “It’s true. I was scared to say it out loud, afraid you weren’t at that point yet.”

  “Well, I am. So say it now. Now that you know it’s okay. How do you feel about me, Eden?”

  Without missing a beat, she loudly states, “I love you, Graham. I really do.”

  “Damn, woman.”

  I’m on her then, kissing her, laughing with her, urging her back on the blanket as I hover over her.

  “It feels so good to finally say it,” she murmurs.

  I lean down and trail soft kisses along her silky smooth neck.

  “It feels good for me too. But tell me again.”

  I can’t get enough of hearing her say the words, giving them life, making it real that she’s fallen for me just as hard as I have for her.

  My heart soars when she says again, “I love you, Graham Tettersaw.”

  Burying my face in her neck, I profess my love to her again and again.

  And then I share, “I never thought this would happen for me. I mean, I hoped it would, but a part of me doubted it was possible.”

  Her hand in my hair, she stills, asking, “Why did you think that?”

  I relax down onto her but shift my weight so I don’t squish her.

  That’d be one hell of a way to ruin a moment, huh?

  I tell her that and she laughs along with me.

  I love that we’re so in tune. That’s why it’s easy to share with her all the fears I’ve had.

  “I don’t know, Eden. I put me on the back burner for such a long time, especially after I had the painkiller problem.” I sigh. “I guess I felt my role was more to help others. Hell, maybe I didn’t think I deserved happiness.”

  “But you do, Graham.” She places her hands on either side of my face. “If anyone deserves to be happy and loved, it’s you.”

  “But do I deserve to be loved by you? It feels like a gift, a gift maybe I’m not worthy of.”

  I’ve poured out my heart, and now I’m sharing my deepest fears. My fate is in this woman’s hands, and I’m holding my breath.

  But it’s okay, ’cause she tells me again that she loves me, and that I’m silly to question that.

  “It just is what it is, Graham. And I guess that means you’re stuck with me.”

  Feeling like the luckiest man on the planet, I assure her, “Babe, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Break Me

  It kills me to think Graham finds himself in any way unworthy or undeserving of love. He’s such a good, caring, giving man. But I guess we all have our insecurities. As big and strong as he is, he, like everyone, he’s not without vulnerabilities.

  Damn, if that doesn’t make him even hotter.

  Rolling my hips under him, I encourage him to lie back down on me fully.

  But he’s in mischievous mode now.

  As if his knowing smirk isn’t enough to tip me off, he inquires in a teasing tone, “What do you want, Eden?”

  To hell with playing games.

  I breathe out, “You. I want you. You said y
ou loved me, and now I want you to show me that you do.”

  Whoa, that surprises him.

  “Uh…”

  Laughing, I say, “You didn’t expect that, did you?”

  Back in control, he wraps an arm under me and hoists me up to him.

  Mmm, I like that.

  With me pressed close to all of him, he rasps in my ear, “Are you sure you’re ready for me?”

  I can feel how hard and rigid he is, how much he’s grown, how he throbs against me, prompting me to say, “I couldn’t be more ready for you if I tried.”

  That’s all Graham needs to hear. He hikes up my dress, slides my panties down my legs, all while I work at his belt and the zipper of his jeans.

  He helps me with my fumbled efforts, and together we get his jeans and boxer briefs down his legs, and then off, cast aside with my undies.

  With the fire roaring behind him, Graham lifts up and removes his shirt in that sexy way only guys can do. I reach forward to touch him, skimming my hand down his firm pecs, his defined abs. Then lower so I can grasp him.

  Hissing in a staggered breath, his fingers find me, his thumb on my clit.

  Yes!

  As he works me up, I ram harder and harder against his hand. And somehow, even though I’m in a fog of lust, I catch Graham reaching over and pulling a condom packet from a pocket of his discarded jeans.

  Good thing one of us is thinking.

  I want him so badly that I might’ve said fuck it. I know he’s clean, same as me, but I’m not on birth control. Not yet, though that will be remedied soon.

  Graham slides the condom down his length while I wait and want. My dress is all askew from his roaming hands, so I undo the rest of the buttons and let it fall open.

  Peering down at me hungrily, Graham growls, “Fuck, Eden.”

  I reach for him. “That’s what I want. I want you to fuck me.”

  He allows me to drag him back down to me so that his body engulfs mine. And then he slides into me, filling me up, making me whole.

  I am overtaken by Graham, and I give into him wholeheartedly.

  He’s so big and strong that when he begins thrusting, I’m like a rag doll in his arms.