Game Changer

by Amelia Whitmore

  “It was horrible when she showed up, Aiden. I don’t even know how to describe it. I tried to tell myself it didn’t matter because we weren’t in a relationship or anything, but I cared so much. I’ve literally been a bump on a log. Last night was the first night I’ve gone out since I got back from Cancún, and of course I had to see you there.”

  I had to shake my head at the irony.

  “If you hadn’t been there last night, I wouldn’t be here this morning.”

  “Actually, if Ethan hadn’t been there last night, you wouldn’t be here this morning,” I corrected. “In case you forgot, I didn’t call you, he did.”

  His arms tightened around me and I felt his lips against my head, “I hurt you, and you have every right to still be mad at me.” After a pause he asked, “Are you still mad at me?”

  I had to think about it for a minute, wanting to be honest with my answer, because hurting him at this point would upset me too. “I’m upset with what happened, but not with you.”

  “What’s the difference?”

  “There were a lot of different ways that things could have happened, but instead, they went the way they did. You couldn’t control Brittney coming to Cancún, and you couldn’t make me listen to you no matter how hard you tried. It was all beyond your control, so I can’t and don’t blame you.”

  “Do you honestly believe that? Or are you just saying it for my benefit?”

  “I honestly believe it. I wouldn’t say something if I didn’t believe in what I was saying.”

  “Okay, fair enough.”

  I grinned. “Okay.” I sat up and turned towards him, covering my face. “You can’t look at me, I’m probably covered in smudged makeup.”

  “I don’t think so,” he says, grabbing my arm and pulling me back to him and laying on top of me, trying to keep my hands from covering my face. I keep giggling and fighting him, trying to squiggle my body out from under his.

  He finally got a good grip on my wrists and pinned my arms against the bed. He held them firmly, but it didn’t hurt and I never felt safer in my life.

  “I’ve missed your face too much for you to hide it from me now.”

  As he said this, he peppered my face with soft kisses. His kisses were innocent but devious at the same time.

  Then his lips captured mine, and I felt like my body was about to explode. I couldn't breathe, let alone form any coherent thought. I could only feel and hope that I didn't melt from the inside out. My senses were on overload.

  I felt his groan vibrate against my lips and I moaned lightly.

  “I missed you so much, Emily.”

  “I missed you too Aiden. More than you could ever know.”

  Aiden glanced at the clock and let out a curse.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I have a game tonight and I need to be there in like an hour. I can call in if you want me to.”

  “No, don’t be ridiculous. Aiden, work is important.” I don’t want you to get in trouble just to spend the day with me. I promise I’ll be here when you get done.

  He stood up and lifted my hand in his, gently pulling me to my feet. I felt unsteady and fell into him. His arms went around me instantly, pulling me close to him.

  “I thought you just played last night?”

  “Nah! That was just a scrimmage. Our first official pre-season game is tonight.”

  “Coming to the game?”

  “Are you sure?” I asked, “Won’t I be a distraction for you?”

  “Does it really matter?” He asked with a grin.

  “Yes. Of course it matters. I refuse to be the reason Houston loses a game.”

  “You won’t babe. You’ll be my good luck charm, I can feel it already.”

  “I think you have to say that. Aren’t all football players superstitious?”

  “Most, but not all.”

  “Are you?” I ask, sitting back up on the bed and crossing my legs in front of me.

  “I don’t know, I guess you could say so considering I haven’t changed my boxers in five weeks.”

  My jaw droped in disgust and he laughed, doubling over with his hand on his knee. “You should have seen your face,” he gasped.

  I threw a pillow at him. “That wasn’t funny Aiden. I was about to burn my sheets,” I said, shaking my head and trying to fight the smile that wanted to take over my face.

  “You’re right, it wasn’t funny. It was downright hilarious.”

  Before heading out he kissed my forehead.

  “I’ll see you tonight?” I nodded. “Just go to the ticket counter and tell them your name and that I left two tickets for you. Bring Ethan, he’ll love it.”

  “Have fun,” I yelled at him as he was walking out the door.

  “Always,” he called back.

  Chapter 12

  I heard the door slam as Aiden left my house, and realized I didn’t have his phone number.

  I quickly ran to the window and yelled out to him, “Aiden!”

  He twisted and tilted his head up at me. “What?”

  He was laughing. I must have looked ridiculous in my pajamas and bed mussed hair, leaning out of the window.

  “I need your number!”

  “Oh, 32.”

  I wrinkled my nose for a moment before I understood what he meant and then burst out laughing.

  “No, well, yes that’s helpful, but I meant that I needed your phone number.”

  He smiled and took out his cell phone. I assumed that he didn’t know it by memory, so I had to look it up. Instead I heard my phone beep. I reached for it and answered the call.

  “Now you have it,” Aiden said into the phone. “I’ve really gotta go now, text me if you need anything, I can’t have my phone ringing during practice.”

  “You keep your phone with you during practice?”

  “Emily …”

  “Fine, tell me later. See you tonight.

  “Love you Babe.”

  He hung up before I could stumble over myself to answer him. Did he really just tell me that he loved me? Seriously? Was it on purpose or was it an accident? Instead of obsessing about it I decided to take a shower and put some makeup on.

  “Hey sleepyhead,” Kaitlin greeted me as I came downstairs.

  “Hello,” I said, sitting down across from her at the small table in the kitchen.

  “How’d you sleep?” She asked, eyeing me with concern.

  “I slept perfectly. Did you know that Ethan called Aiden?”

  “No, but I wasn’t necessarily surprised when he showed up at our door last night. You needed him, so don’t be mad at Ethan.”

  “I know, and I’m not. I know Ethan just wants the best for me.”

  I stood up and started making some Ramen noodles for lunch.

  “So are you and Aiden doing anything tonight?”

  “Yeah, he gave me a pair of tickets to the game. The first game of the pre-season.”

  “I suppose you are taking Ethan with you then?” Kaitlin asked.

  “Yeah, you know how much he loves his team.”

  We both laughed. Anyone who knew Ethan, knew that he was a football fanatic. If he found out I had tickets to the Houston pre-season opener and didn’t take him with me, he would probably never talk to me again.

  Four and a half hours later, after a trip to the police station to give my statement about last night, I was standing in front of my closet, biting my lip and wondering what to wear. I didn’t have a shirt that was the same dark blue as the Houston jersey, so I found a white top instead. It would just have to do.

  Ethan pulled up to my house about five minutes before we were supposed to leave.

  Go figure he would be early when I was busy trying to look my best.

  “I’m so excited,” Ethan said as I got in his car. He sounded like a little kid about to go to Disneyworld.

  The arena was packed with crazed football fans, and I had to laugh at some of them. One guy painted his face and chest blue and had the number ‘32�
� on his back. I felt proud that my boyfriend was being recognized like that. Was Aiden officially my boyfriend? I mean, earlier he did say he loved me, so surely that meant we were a couple now, right?

  “Why don’t you go sit down and I’ll get us something to drink,” Ethan suggested, pushing me towards the open door.

  Our seats are really nice, between the forty and fifty yard line, right up front near the field. We were so close to the action I felt like I could just reach out and touch one of the players.

  Ethan came back just as the players were making their way onto the field. I screeched when I saw Aiden and my eyes never left him as the National Anthem was sung. He looked so sexy in his football attire. Seriously, my buff and burley boyfriend happened to be intimidating and rugged on the field.

  Behind us, I heard somebody mention how sexy the players were and I felt myself blush as I thought ‘Hell yes they are’. I was immediately thankful I hadn’t said it out loud.

  Turns out, the game was against San Francisco and it was a heated match, almost going into overtime but in the end, Houston won with a three point lead.

  After the game was over I wasn’t sure where to meet Aiden. He said he would meet us but neglected to mention where that would be, so Ethan and I decided to just stay in our seats. If nothing else, Aiden could text me and tell us where to go when he was ready.

  Around thirty minutes later, I felt somebody sit down next to me. It was Aiden, smiling like a crazy person.

  His hair was still damp from the shower, and he smelled amazing. I threw my arms around him, kissing him for a brief second before telling him how much fun it was to watch him play.

  He grinned. “I thought you might like it. Much better than watching it on TV, huh?”

  “Absolutely. The crowds really make all the difference in the world. There was just so much energy.”

  He smiled and looked past me. “Hey Ethan.”

  “That was incredible, you guys played an intense game,” Ethan said, as he leaned forward to shake Aiden’s hand.

  “Careful Ethan, you’ll start drooling in a minute.”

  “Oh hush you.”

  We sat and talked for a while, but eventually, the cleaning crew showed up and began giving us odd looks.

  “Guess it’s time to leave,” Aiden said as his hand gripped mine. “Can I take you home?”

  I looked to Ethan and he just shrugged. “Sure. That would be great.”

  “You two be careful and don’t do anything I would,” Ethan teased as he headed out of the stadium to the parking lot, while Aiden and I headed the opposite way to the player assigned parking.

  When we got to the car, Aiden pushed me up against the passenger side door and kissed me passionately. I moaned and ran my fingers through his hair, pulling him even closer.

  All too soon, he pulled back and looked into my eyes. “Do you love me, Emily?”

  I bit my lip, debating what I should say. “I don’t know,” I told him honestly. Sure, I had feelings for the guy, but love? I didn’t think at this point in our relationship I could say that is what it was between us.

  He looked down like he was disappointed with my answer. “Okay.”

  He went to open my door for me but I pulled him back so he was in front of me again.

  “No, not ‘okay’. I’m not telling you that I don’t love you, I’m just… I’m trying to do the right thing here. I know that I’ve missed you like crazy and that seeing you with another woman made me feel like hell…”

  I trailed off, thinking through everything. My eyebrows lowered and I squinted my eyes slightly. Doesn’t that sound like love? Being so attached to a person that when they’re not there you feel devastated? Isn’t love that feeling you get when you know you can’t be without that person.

  “What am I thinking?” I asked myself out loud. I looked into Aiden’s eyes, he was watching me, almost as if he was amused by my self-reflection. “Of course I love you, how could I not? You are the most amazing guy I’ve ever met in my life. You make me feel like nobody ever has.”

  I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him down for a kiss, which he eagerly returned.

  “Come home with me?” He asked, barely breaking our lip lock.

  “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 13

  Aiden drove out of the arena and headed downtown. I didn’t realize we lived so far from each other. That was going to be an interesting commute between our two homes.

  He parked in the underground garage of a huge skyscraper. Holy hell! The place was impressive from the outside, so I could only imagine what it might be like on the inside.

  “You live here?”

  He nodded and got out, running around to open my door for me. Before I could slide out of his truck, his lips were on mine and his arms were wrapped around my waist as he pulled me out.

  I could feel his grin against my mouth as I groaned in response. He pulled away slightly and stared into my eyes for a moment, kissing me lightly once more before bringing me inside.

  “Let me guess, you live in the Penthouse?”

  He chuckled. “No, twentieth floor.”

  I quickly glanced at the buttons on the elevator, there were thirty floors in all.

  While he might not have lived in the Penthouse, still, his apartment was huge, bigger even than the four bedroom house I lived in. It wasn’t your typical bachelor pad either. It looked like a home straight out of some HGTV decorating show. Everything was immaculate. I knew football players made a lot of money, but even this was more than I expected.

  After giving me a quick tour we ended up in his bedroom. As soon as I saw his bed I burst out laughing.

  “A water bed? Really?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “I didn’t even know they made these things anymore.”

  He shrugged and walked over to it, laying back and bouncing slightly as the water moved beneath him. I crawled onto the bed and was pulled into his arms. I missed him so much, and now he was back. It felt a little surreal.

  He pulled me towards him for a gentle kiss. His lips were always so soft against mine, yet now they seemed even more so. As time progressed, so did the kiss. It became heated and more passionate. Aiden’s hands slid into my hair, pulling me even closer to him. I moaned and opened my mouth against his tongue which lightly licked my lips.

  We pulled apart only when we started breathing too heavily to continue, even then Aiden’s lips never left me. He trailed kisses along my jaw bone, and then to my ear where he nibbled on the lobe, on down my neck and to my collar bone. He flicked his tongue against my heated skin and I gasped.

  “Aiden, please,” I whispered, not really sure what I was asking for.

  He seemed to understand though. I felt his fingertips slowly peeling my top higher and higher against my body. I sighed in relief when he pulled it over my head.

  Whatever coherent part that was still left of me began helping him out of his T-shirt, reveling in the feel of our skin pressed together once it was off. Aiden’s hand worked itself to my back and he plucked at the clasp of my bra, unhooking it and taking it off of me.

  He lifted his body from mine and gazed down on me. I watched as his pupils dilated.

  “Christ,” I thought I heard him say before he lowered his lips to my breasts.

  He placed light kisses all over my chest before moving to my nipples. One hand caressed my left breast while his mouth worked on the right. I exhaled a shuddering breath when he sucked gently on my right nipple, nibbling lightly.

  My hands reached his pants, and I struggled to unbuckle his belt. He seemed to sense my frustration because his lips moved to mine, kissing me.

  After placing several small kisses on my cheeks and forehead, Aiden worked his way down my body again, only now he didn’t stop at my chest. Kisses were trailed down my ribs, to my belly-button and along the waistline of my jeans. He undid the button and we worked together to get the stubborn fabric down my legs. It was a slow process when every new inch of my body that got revea
led, received a kiss.

  Once my pants were off, Aiden’s lips traveled back up my legs, ending at the apex of my thighs. I felt his lips through my panties and jumped slightly. My whole body was zinging from the unexpected bolt.

  The one sexual experience I’d had was nothing like this. This, well, this made it hard to think straight. Before I really knew what was happening, I was lying completely naked with Aiden making me feel something I never thought I’d feel from somebody besides myself.

  “Aiden,” I moaned before something within me let go and I cried out, my fingers gripping his hair.

  When my mind finally began to clear, I realized that Aiden’s body was on top of mine once again.

  “Oh god,” I whispered, unable to say anything else.

  We met for a slow deep kiss and I tasted myself on his lips for the first time. After a long while of me trying to calm down,

  Aiden’s lips moved to my ear. “Emi, baby, have you ever done this before?”

  “Once,” I admitted, however I was starting to wonder if it could even be called sex; it had felt nowhere near as amazing as this.

  When I looked into Aiden’s eyes, I saw an interesting mix of relief and disappointment.

  “It was in tenth grade, with a boy who thought that rolling a condom on was foreplay,” I explained, needing him to understand.

  Instead of answering with words, his lips met mine again. Not long after, I felt Aiden shift against me, then I felt him pressing lightly against my entrance. A flash of nervous excitement passed through me,

  “Are you ready?” He asked and I nodded, wrapping my arms around his neck as he slowly pushed inside me.

  Although I had done this before, it felt completely new. The large size was uncomfortable to start, but as I grew accustomed to him, it felt nice. Unlike when I was sixteen, this didn’t feel awkward or dirty, it felt right. I squeezed my muscles and felt a small amount of pride when Aiden groaned and dropped his head to my shoulder, struggling to keep control over his body.