Playing For Forever_An Erotic Love Story

by J. C. Grant

  When I finally decided, my stomach sank as I watched my phone power up.

  Five missed calls from David.

  I wouldn't lie, those missed calls made me feel better, if only slightly.

  Then worse, because he hadn't called all day, not until after he'd spent time with other women.

  Setting my phone aside, I searched for something to watch on TV, something to distract me. I needed to sort out my own emotions before I confronted David. I needed to gather my thoughts and figure out exactly what I was upset about, so we could have a productive conversation, not the angry, emotional verbal vomit I wanted to spew at him.

  David

  “Where is she?” I demanded as soon as the call connected. “Been calling both of you all fucking night.”

  Austin had turned off her phone after my first call. I was starting to think I'd seriously underestimated what she was feeling when I left.

  Obviously, my plans to have her in Arizona tonight were fucked. All I wanted was her—with me.

  “Sorry. My phone died. She's in the bedroom.”

  “The bedroom?” I was instantly furious. She was sitting at home with Fergus, ignoring me? “Then why the fuck isn't she answering?” I barked.

  “She saw the video of you and Dawn.” His voice was level, calm, but his words hit like a ton of bricks, stopping me in my tracks; I'd been pacing since we arrived home from the restaurant.

  No wonder she's not answering.

  She almost never looked up anything about us; it never occurred to me she'd find out before I told her.

  Then he added, “And the video of you eating dinner after, with the two girls.”

  Goddamn it.

  “I was sitting at a fucking bar. Those groupies—” I stopped myself, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

  Of course someone filmed that. And they probably edited out the rebuff.

  Instantly, I knew I'd fucked up. I should've called her, but I wanted to wait until I knew I could bring her down.

  Fuck.

  If I'd seen a video of her like that—two guys with her—I'd freak.

  “I wasn't eating dinner with them,” I swore fiercely. “Is that what she thinks? Does she think I was eating dinner with them?”

  “I don't know, but she was upset. Hurt, I think.”

  Fucking perfect.

  That's exactly what I was trying to avoid, hurting her. And after this morning...

  My heart sank. Any hopes I had of her willingly seeing me tonight died.

  “That's why she's not answering.” I sighed, dejected.

  If she'd called me, yelled and screamed, something, it'd be better than her going silent on me.

  “I would guess so.” Fergus was all business. “We were at Chow's having dinner. I never heard her phone ring.”

  Wait, what?

  “You were at Chow's having dinner with Austin?” I checked.

  “Yes.”

  “Fucking serious?” I muttered under my breath.

  Obviously, her going to Chow's with Fergus was to let me know how unhappy she was. But I had to be honest, I felt like that dig was a little too deep. She knew damn well I wanted every first with her I could get, and she gave it to Fergus like it was nothing. Yeah, it was just a restaurant, but it was still a first and I wanted it.

  “There was an incident I was going to call you about.”

  My heart stilled at his tone, afraid I was about to hear she'd done something to make herself feel better, something that'd crush me.

  “What happened?” My voice was soft as my throat tightened, scared of the answer.

  “The lead guitarist from Liam’s band—” Fergus started to explain.

  “Corey?” I thundered.

  “Yes.”

  At his response, I braced myself for what I was about to hear.

  Fergus proceeded to tell me what had taken place, everything from Austin finding the videos, to the moment they arrived home. My breath left me in a rush, relieved that Austin hadn't done anything.

  “On the drive back, she finally told me the truth,” Fergus continued. “He touched her, restrained her as she was leaving the restroom.”

  Everything in me stilled. I went cold, an icy fury pumping through my veins. I’d never felt anything like it before. I wanted to break every finger on Corey’s hands. Slowly. Painfully. Meticulously. Taking my time.

  Corey was one of the nastiest motherfuckers I'd ever met; I wouldn't allow him anywhere near Austin, much less let him touch her. He was the kind of asshole who convinced his naïve fans to suck his dick in a crowded room, just to prove he could.

  Taking a long, deep breath, I ran my fingers through my hair, trying to focus through the blinding rage. I needed Austin to talk to me.

  “How long has she been in our room?” I asked, pacing again.

  “About thirty minutes.”

  The flight back to LA was only a little over an hour. I needed to deal with this in person, not over the phone. “I'll be home in a little bit.”

  “Okay,” he said simply.

  “And, thanks again.”

  “No need to thank me.” Something about his tone made me feel like I was fucking up.

  I ended the call and texted Aaron.

  David: Get me home, now.

  And pick me up from the airport.

  10:10 PM

  Aaron: Only turbo prop available. Glendale

  Municipal in 25 min. I'll pick you up in Burbank.

  10:25 PM

  Burbank would be much easier and faster to get home from than LAX, but a prop? Turbo or not, I was too big to be in a plane that small. I was about to find out what claustrophobia was all about.

  “I need you to take me to Glendale Municipal,” I informed Daniel.

  “Now?” he checked.

  When I nodded, he headed for the garage.

  Checking my pockets—wallet, phone, keys—I followed Daniel. I didn't bother packing, everything I needed was at home.

  Austin.

  Climbing into the passenger seat, I put on my seatbelt as Daniel started the truck. “Take tomorrow off. Let you know when I need you again,” I told Daniel as I stared at my phone. I forced myself to wait until he pulled the truck out onto the main road before I called Liam.

  “Hey, man. I'm so sorry,” he greeted on the first ring.

  “Tell Corey he ever talks to Austin like that again, I'll break his fucking hand,” I warned darkly.

  “Yeah, I'll tell him. Man, I'm sorry. He was just high and... fucked up. He didn't know what he was doing. And the whole stripper thing—”

  “I don't give a shit,” I cut him off. “Give me his fucking number, and I'll do it myself.

  “Taylor, I'll do it, man. Seriously. I know that shit wasn't cool.”

  “No one,” I clarified, “is gonna say shit like that my wife and get away with it.”

  “Yeah, I get it. I seriously understand, dude.”

  “I really don't think you do,” I muttered, ending the call without another word.

  Men had treated her like an object for most of her life, and with her history... No one was going to treat her like that. Not anymore.

  Daniel cleared his throat but didn't say a word.

  I dialed Austin again.

  After three rings her voice mail picked up. I left her another message, explaining and apologizing for not calling sooner. Then I searched through her texts, looking to see when she received mine.

  It wasn't there.

  The only texts she'd sent or received all day were to and from Aaron.

  Austin

  I knew he wanted to talk.

  But I didn't.

  What was there to say?

  With his last call, my anger and jealousy dissolved into repulsion.

  Surprisingly, the Dawn thing didn't even bother me—aside from the fact that he should've told me she was free to roam around and harass us. Him throwing Dawn on her ass was probably going to be a nightmare for Elaine, but that wasn't my conce
rn.

  My concern was the half-dressed women leaning into him with their tits hanging out.

  The concept of trying to keep a man never made sense to me. Why would anyone want a man who didn't want them? And I had far too much pride to stay with a man who'd cheat on me.

  That was the thing, my David wouldn’t cheat, but would The David?

  Pulling out my laptop, I found the video again.

  My heart raced as I hit play.

  Watching closely, I dissected it.

  David didn't encourage them, but he didn't seem to be discouraging them either, keeping his hands on the bar in front of him. But the short clip was only from one angle with dim lighting and appeared to be from a cell phone.

  My stomach plummeted as I watched the brunette's hand slide up his thigh again. Then heat flashed through me.

  He was mine.

  His thigh, his jeans, every fucking part of him. Even his goddamn boots. It was all mine.

  Fuck!

  Possessiveness was an emotion I was unfamiliar with, and the violence I felt was shocking.

  If this is how David feels all the time...

  Shutting the laptop, I stared at the TV. Stunned.

  He had more self-control than I'd ever given him credit for. I wanted to rip the girl’s hand off his body, push her off that stool and flat on her ass. There was toxic cocktail of emotions inside me; I felt completely out of control.

  Seconds later, I decided, I'm tired of this.

  Tired of feeling inadequate and incapable of dealing with our relationship and the emotions it evoked. Tired of trying to talk myself through emotions I didn't fully understand.

  Over the next hour, I found myself checking my phone every fifteen minutes, hoping David would call back.

  He didn't.

  He was probably still out.

  Partying.

  With those girls.

  I stared at the TV, confused and hurt and angry.

  Who was The David?

  Could I trust him?

  The entire day had been a nightmare, living in doubt. It was the reason I didn’t want to date an athlete. I refused to live my life like that.

  I didn’t know if I wanted to throw up or cry. But I knew I wanted to escape it, run away from it. Pulling my laptop out, I clicked on favorites and started shopping—my other tried-and-true coping mechanism, retail therapy.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  “You think you can fucking ignore me, and it's just gonna be like that? That I'm just gonna let it go?” An angry snarl came from just above my ear, cutting through my sleep-fogged brain.

  I felt a big hand wrap around the front of my throat, pulling me back into a warm, hard body.

  “Have I ever let you ignore me? You think I was gonna start now that we're married? Do you think there's any scenario where I'd let you ignore me?” His hand fanned out over my throat, forcing my head back.

  “David, what are you doing here?” My voice was a soft rasp as I cracked open my eyes. I could just make out his shadow in my periphery. He was angry, but his body heat was seeping into me, relaxing me. His warm skin and firm muscles... God, how could I miss him so much in less than twenty-four hours.

  “You know exactly what I'm fucking doing here. You ignored me.” His voice was gruff, his lips brushing my ear as he spoke. “You won't let me explain.”

  “I don’t want to hear it,” I muttered, barely above a whisper, as the images of him with those girls flashed through my mind. I felt a twisting sensation in my chest.

  Completely unaware, or uncaring, David went on. “I didn't call earlier, because I didn't want you to worry.” His thumb brushed reassuringly along my neck.

  “I know, I listened to your messages,” I admitted, suddenly feeling sick hearing him reiterate what he’d said before. The more he said it, the more it felt like a lie.

  He shifted behind me. That’s when I felt his hard length brushing against my bare ass. I’d kicked off my sweats before going to bed, and David had full access to me. And the fact he hadn’t already touched me set off my alarm bells, making those gut-wrenching what-if scenarios more real. His hand left my throat, moving down the front of my body, pushing me back into him.

  My hips lurched forward.

  “I don’t want your sloppy seconds,” I hissed suddenly, my voice dripping with venom. “I don’t know where your dick’s been.”

  His hand stilled on my hip, and my body jerked forward, shaking him off.

  He made no move, said nothing. The sound of his deep, even breaths filled the room. That’s when it sank in. I hadn’t realized I really felt that way. But it was my worst fear—David cheating.

  And fear was a powerful thing.

  “Austin,” he whispered, sounding forlorn.

  “I don’t want whatever STD you have,” I snapped.

  There was a moment of tense silence.

  “Austin,” he growled low, grabbing my hips, jerking me back into his naked body, grinding his dick against my ass. “The only place this—”He thrust crudely, pressing his hard length into my crack. “—has been is in you.” His hand moved to my jaw, fingers digging in slightly, forcing me to look at him.

  The faint light filtering in through the window allowed me to see his solemn expression. He was painfully gorgeous. Silently, we studied each other. Then his jaw clenched, and his nostrils flared. He looked determined and fierce.

  “Just you... I’d never cheat on you. Fucking never,” he swore vehemently.

  I didn’t respond, but hoped bloomed inside me, desperate for him to be telling the truth. In that moment, I knew, if he had cheated, it would destroy me, so I kept my guard up, kept my anger firmly in place.

  “I’ll fuck you, because you give great dick, but you better find a condom.” My voice was matter-of-fact, despite my inner turmoil.

  He huffed out an aggravated breath. Next thing I knew, I was flat on my stomach. David was above me, his hand planted firmly on my back, holding me down as he wedged his knees between my thighs, spreading them wide.

  “No, Austin. I know you can be a hard-ass. I know it’s to protect yourself, but not with me. Not anymore.”

  My heart raced as a bizarre primitive arousal pounded through me. It was angry and competitive, like I needed to prove something. It was an uncomfortable impulse. I wanted to fuck him. I wanted to prove I was better than any other woman. I knew it couldn’t be healthy, but the desire was too strong, overwhelming me, drowning out all coherent thought.

  “I’d never cheat on you.” His hand left me, removing my tee. Then he came down, bracing his forearms on either side of me. “You’re mine.”

  Gripping my hair, he wound it around his fist, pinning my head to the side, exposing my neck. I felt his nose trail over my skin, followed by the flat of his tongue. I shivered. It was odd, but strangely erotic. Possessive even.

  He lowered his body, letting his cock settle in the cleft of my ass, and I let out a shuddered breath. It felt so good, his body on mine, pressing me down. I hated to admit it, but I craved it, the contact, skin on skin.

  Slowly, he licked up the side of my neck again, all the way up to my ear, pulling the lobe into his mouth, suckling. My clit pulsed, keeping time with his gentle pulls. It was such a simple act, but he made it feel filthy as hell. My hips arched back as my pussy clenched and flooded, a low moan spilling from my throat as I tried to get some friction.

  “There’s my girl,” he purred, then shoved a hand under my hip.

  Warm, wet fingers sought greedily between my legs, stroking and delving anxiously along my seam, grazing my clit, sending a sharp jolt of pleasure arrowing through me. “This is my pussy. This is where I belong.”

  My hips shifted, my ass pressing into him.

  “And you’re not keeping me out. Not out of your pussy and not out of your heart, so open the fuck up. Talk.” His voice was both a threat and warning as his fingers crudely massaged my throbbing nub.

  It felt dirty and oh-so good. A delicious pleasure
raced through me. My hips shifted, minute circles was all I could manage under his weight, and that just added to my arousal.

  “You gonna talk?” he taunted.

  “Yes, please,” I begged, squirming, still trying to get the friction where I needed it.

  “Good girl.” His voice was a guttural rasp. “Why didn't you call me back?”

  “Because I don't know how to deal with feeling like this. At first I was jealous. Then I was ready to let you go.”

  His fingers stilled. “You're never letting me go. I won't let you, so don't waste your energy trying. And you're supposed to feel however the fuck you feel.” His conviction and confidence was contagious. Reassuring. “There's no right or wrong. Just tell me. I can deal with you being jealous. I can deal with you being mad. I can handle whatever you're feeling as long as you tell me. Tell me when something's bothering you. That's our deal.”

  “I wanted to sort it out for myself first.” My voice was quiet, embarrassed.

  “Well, you took too long. So I'm gonna sort it out for you.” His fingers went back to massaging my clit as his hips shifted, his hard length probing my opening, before pushing in.

  “Oh, fuck yes, please,” I breathed.

  *****

  “Austin, wake up,” David's deep voice rasped behind me.

  Rolling over, my eyes met his, and the events from the previous day slammed into me full force. The anger with it.

  I saw David’s expression tightened, steeling himself to deal with me, as if he could read my mind.

  “Sit up,” he commanded quietly. “We gotta eat. Then I'm taking you back with me to Arizona.”

  He sat the tray over my lap as I obeyed, sitting up.

  Taken aback by his demeanor, I watched silently as he rounded the bed and sat next to me.

  Once I recovered, I informed him, “I have an appointment with Tracy this morning. And I'm not going to miss it.”

  Still facing the TV, his jaw clenched. Once, twice, then he relented quietly. “Fine... I'll go with you to the gym.”

  We fell into an uncomfortable silence.