by Luxe, Eva
For a moment, Brian didn’t know what to do. He hated this feeling, hanging in limbo, not knowing which way life would go. This wasn’t the first time he felt like this about Sadie. Before she had regained her memories, their relationship had been a big question mark. Half the time, she had let him believe that he was the one that she wanted. The other half, she had been so unsure about her life and everything she couldn’t remember that she had pushed him away as hard as she could.
Somehow, he thought they were past that. It looked like he was wrong.
Finally, he made up his mind. He tried her number one more time. When he got her voicemail again, he cleared his throat.
“I hope you’re safe,” he said. “Take care of yourself. I just wanted to let you know I’m going out to a bar to have a drink. I love you.”
There was so much more he had wanted to say, but it wouldn’t be appropriate on a voicemail message. So, he would go out to a bar and drown his sorrows.
Sadie felt in her pocket for her cell phone. It was turned off– she didn’t want Brian to try to call her– but she felt lost without it. She knew he would be trying to reach her. Still, she couldn’t just let this slide. She didn’t understand what Brian was going on about the day before. He had been so supportive of everything she had done. He’d been there for her during her amnesia, let her feel that she was the biggest priority in his life. And now? Now, he was choosing football over her happiness.
“I just don’t understand,” Sadie said to Lauren. She had spent the night at Lauren’s place, purely because it was the last place Brian would think she would go. It felt stupid hiding from her husband, but his reaction to the news had been the last thing she had expected.
“It feels like he’s being unfair to me,” Sadie said. “I can’t sit in the same position for the rest of my life. The point of a career is to excel, to move up.”
Lauren nodded. She had made coffee for them both, and she had her fingers wrapped around her own cup. Sadie’s cup sat cooling on the coffee table.
“I know where you’re coming from, Sadie,” Lauren said. “But you have to try and see it from his point of view. He’s been giving up everything for you for so long, and you didn’t speak to him about this.”
“I know.” Sadie sighed. She knew she should have spoken to Brian about this. Even if not about that job, then at least about the idea that she was looking for a job. But she had been scared about what he would say.
Brian was so dedicated to his team that she had been worried he would choose the team over her. So much for believing that she was his number one priority. Maybe that was what she hoped for and didn’t necessarily believe.
“Why didn’t you?” Lauren asked. Her friend was always so logical.
“Because I was scared he would have told me I wasn’t allowed to. No one can tell me what I should do.”
Lauren shook her head. “You know Brian isn’t like that. He only cares for you. To be fair, this is something he should have known about. I understand why you feel neglected, why you feel like he doesn’t care, but when something goes wrong, Brian shuts down. You should know this by now.”
Sadie nodded. She didn’t need Lauren to tell her that she was overreacting when she left. Sometimes, she wished she had the patience that Lauren had. Then again, Lauren could be objective about everything because she wasn’t involved with any of the men, not romantically. That was what made her such a great confidant.
“Do you want to know what I would have done?” Lauren asked.
Sadie chuckled without emotion. “You would probably have handled it perfectly,” she said.
Lauren was someone to be envied. She was Sadie’s assistant coach because she knew how to keep her head when everything was going wrong. Lauren applied this to every aspect of her life.
“I would talk to my husband,” Lauren said. “I’m not here to tell you what to do. I’m here to listen because I’m your friend. At the end of the day, Sadie, you have to decide what you want.”
That was the problem. Sadie knew exactly what she wanted; she wanted Brian. But she wanted that coaching position in Kentucky as well. How was she supposed to choose? Brian was never supposed to be the man that would make her choose.
“You’re right,” Sadie said to Lauren. “You’re such a stunning person to speak to. Thank you for being there for me when I need you.”
Lauren smiled. “I’ll always be here,” she said. “What I want to see is you happy.”
Sadie was wrong. She knew it. She had known from the start, but once Brian and she started arguing, it was a matter of winning. Sadie had never been very good at arguing and admitting defeat. Apologizing was the hardest thing for her to do.
When she switched on her phone, Sadie got a message from Brian. Even though they were fighting, he was concerned for her safety. He didn’t want her to worry. He had told her exactly where he would be. He was a fantastic husband, and Sadie felt like an idiot for being so difficult the day before.
Sadie walked into Batting Cage and spotted Brian straight away. The men all came to the sports bar on a regular basis. It was the one place where they could unwind. Usually, it was the three of them, bulging muscles and raging egos crammed around one tiny table. Now, it was just Brian sucking down a lonely beer.
When Sadie approached him, Brian looked up. He had expected her to come to him, but he half expected her to stay away for a lot longer. She sat down, and even though they were arguing, she was a vision. Everything about her was perfect–from her raven hair, to her stormy eyes, to the way she carried herself. She sat down at the table with him. Brian wasn’t drunk yet. A moment ago, he wished he responded to the alcohol better. Now, he was glad he didn’t.
“You found me,” Brian said.
Sadie nodded. “I want to talk to you,” she said. “Is that okay?”
“Why do you think it wouldn’t be?”
“Because I was a bitch for walking away,” Sadie admitted. “I handled it wrong, and I want to make it right.”
Brian nodded slowly. “I would like to talk,” he said.
Sadie took a deep breath. This was hard for her. She had freaked out so badly and pushed it so far that it was hard to bounce back. But Brian was her husband, and she loved him. She wanted to do what she could to make it right.
“I should have spoken to you about all of this before,” she said. “It was unfair of me to expect you to give up the team. I know your career is just as important to you as mine is to me.”
Brian nodded, finishing his beer. “That’s all I wanted you to understand,” he said. “This means a lot to me.”
Sadie held out her hand, and Brian took it.
“Let’s go home, my love,” she said.
Chapter 6
Sleeping next to Sadie was the part of Brian’s day that he looked forward to the most.
They had only been apart for one night, and there were weeks on end where Brian was away from home when he had to play games. Somehow, last night without Sadie had been different. He hated that they had fought, and it always made him miserable to be without her.
He reached for Sadie and pulled her against his body. She was small, her curves beautiful, and his hand fit perfectly in the arch of her waist. She let out a contented sigh when he kissed her neck. His cock hardened in his pants, and he ground himself against her. Her ass was perfect, round, and firm. He ran his hand up and down her thigh as he moved his hips, rubbing his dick against her ass cheeks.
Sadie looked over her shoulder, smiling at him. “You’re up early,” she said.
Brian chuckled at her joke.
“I can’t help it,” he said against her neck. “You’re so fucking hot, and I missed you last night.”
Sadie turned around so that she faced Brian, and she kissed him. Brian pushed his tongue into her mouth, and she sighed. They made out a lot, but she would never get used to Brian’s kisses. He had been the first boy that had kissed her, and even though she had been with one or two men after her accid
ent, nothing compared to Brian. Of course, it helped that he was devilishly good looking, with muscles in all the right places and a body that made her feel delicate.
Brian rolled onto her, and his hand found her breast. He kissed her, grinding his hips against her crotch, rubbing himself on her. It was making her wet.
“I want you inside of me,” Sadie said. Her nerve endings were on fire, her body responding to Brian’s advances. He would forever be her only weakness.
“Well, that can be arranged,” Brian said, smiling against her lips.
Brian proceeded to undress Sadie. Every piece of clothing he removed, he dropped on the floor and paused to study her beautiful body. She was perfect. Everything about her was like a wet dream. He remembered when he had seen her in the school hallways, once upon a time and long ago. She had been a vision then, and nothing had changed. After the accident, when he had seen her at the training center, his stomach had flipped the same way it had the first time he laid eyes on her.
Brian ran his hands down her body when she was completely naked and cupped her pussy. He pushed a finger into her slit.
“You’re so wet,” he growled.
Sadie only nodded in response. Brian was only wearing boxers, and it didn’t take long before he got rid of them. When they were both completely naked, he positioned himself at her entrance. She wrapped her long legs around his waist, pulling him closer to her. When he pushed into her, they both groaned.
Fucking Sadie was, and would always be, the best thing Brian could ever imagine. Her body was soft, wet, and hot. With her legs around his ass, she pulled him into her, and there was no reason to argue. He started moving his hips back and forth, sliding in and out of her with slow strokes.
Her first orgasm came quickly. It was always a compliment that he could bring her to orgasm so soon after they started. It was a major ego boost, knowing that with his dick, he could give her so much pleasure. Sadie cried out, moaning and writhing, riding out the orgasm. When she came, she came with reckless abandon, and it was so different from this scared, nervous person he had seen at the training center two years ago. Now, Sadie was the woman she had been before the accident.
After her first orgasm, Sadie gently nudged Brian’s chest so that he would get off her. Without having to tell him what to do, he laid down on his back. When they had sex, it felt like Brian and Sadie were on the same level. They knew what each other was thinking without having to speak a lot. Now, Sadie clambered on top of him, straddling him. She lifted herself, hovering over his cock. With her fingers wrapped around the base of his shaft, she guided him toward her.
When she sat down on him, she let out a long breath. From this angle, she was in control of how deep he went. Sometimes, it was necessary. Brian was well-endowed, to put it politely.
Sadie started moving her hips, riding Brian. She rocked back and forth, sliding his cock in and out of her. He stroked against her G-spot, her clit rubbing against his pubic bone. Her hands were on his chiseled chest, his muscled arms wrapped around her body, hands on her hips.
She rode him harder and faster, coaxing an orgasm out of him. She could tell when he was finally close to coming because his face changed, riddled with concentration–she would never get over his face and how happy it made her to see him like this–and the muscles in his arms, chest, and stomach were strained. His body started jerking.
“That’s enough,” Brian growled. He pulled Sadie forward so that her chest was against his, her breasts mashing against him. She couldn’t ride him in this position, and she knew exactly what was going to happen. Even though he loved having her on top, when he needed to come, she couldn’t rock hard enough. He usually took over.
Brian started bucking his hips on the bed, fucking her from underneath. She cried out as he penetrated deeper and deeper, slamming into her body. Another orgasm washed over her, racking her body, making her cry out. It pushed Brian over the edge, too. He exploded inside of her with a grunt, putting himself inside her as deep as he could. She felt him jerk and spasm, emptying himself inside her. Together, they rode out their orgasms.
This was how it was supposed to be. Together.
When they were finally done, lying side-by-side and panting on the bed, Sadie turned her head to Brian.
“I love you,” she said.
“I love you, too,” Brian responded.
“I was thinking,” Sadie said. “Maybe I don’t need to go to a different university to be able to make a difference in my career.”
Brian rolled onto his side, his dick flaccid now. He was completely comfortable with his body, and with a body like his, there was no reason not to be. Sadie ran her eyes down his body, enjoying the view for a second before she carried on talking.
“There’s no reason why I can’t change the team I have into the best he ever,” Sadie said. “No one has given Louisville a run for their money in a long time.”
Brian nodded. “If there’s anyone that can do it, it’s you, babe,” he said. “I have complete faith in you.”
Sadie smiled. There was the supportive husband she knew and loved.
“I was scared to try until now,” she said. “I was scared to step out of my comfort zone, especially after the amnesia. It’s hard to believe that I can do anything I can put my mind to, but if the amnesia taught me anything, it’s that even when I forgot who I was, I was still an excellent coach.”
Brian nodded, reaching out to her and stroking her hair. “I know what you mean. You are an incredible woman. Sometimes, I wish you would see what I see when I look at you.”
Sadie blushed. Brian always knew exactly what to say. The amnesia had dented her self-esteem and made her wonder if she really was what everyone believed she was. Were you still yourself if you couldn’t remember who you were? After she had regained her memories, Sadie had realized that during the five years without them, she had still stayed true to who she was. Now was the time to prove to herself that she was amazing from the start.
“Where did you stay the night before last?” Brian asked. He hadn’t tried to find out before. It had meant more to him that Sadie had come back.
“At Lauren’s house,” Sadie said.
Brian shook his head. “That was the last place I thought to look, purely because Lauren is so close to all of us now. I guess I should never underestimate the bond between best friends.”
Brian kissed Sadie again and hugged her to him. His wife was an amazing person. Yes, they had some rough patches, but this was proof that they could get through anything. Sadie was willing to compromise for him, to put him first, where he had always done the same for her. It meant so much to him, and he didn’t know how to tell her that.
Instead of leaving, instead of going to a new state, a new University, a new home, Sadie was willing to stay for the sake of his career. She wanted to turn her dreams into reality. She was willing to find a way to turn her career into something great without leaving. Sadie was trying, and that was all any man could ask for.
Chapter 7
Jacob & Kina
“So, what did you think?” Jacob asked Kina when they walked out of the open house. They had been looking at new houses all week. Jacob enjoyed house hunting. Deciding together on a new place to live was part of what made a relationship amazing.
“I think my feet are killing me,” Kina said. She sat back in the car, rubbing her swollen tummy. Kina was five months pregnant, and seeing as how it was the second child, she was a lot bigger than with the first. Their first boy was just about a year old now.
“I’m sorry, baby,” Jacob said, touching her stomach. “Is there something I can do?”
“It would be great if you don’t schedule any more open houses for a while,” Kina said. “I don’t think I can do any more of this.”
“We’ll have something soon, babe,” Jacob said. “Tell me what you thought of this one.”
Kina sighed. She didn’t understand why Jacob was pushing this. They had a good home, and they were happy. “Wha
t’s so bad about our house?”
“It will be good if we moved closer to a good school,” he said. “We won’t have to worry about waiting lists and things then. Besides, soon there will be four of us, and a bigger home will be a good idea. Don’t you think so?”
Kina didn’t think so. She was happy in the home they had. It was more than big enough, with extra rooms they could transform for the new baby. They didn’t need that much space. They often spent all their time in one room.
“I just don’t see why we need to move,” she said. “We’re happy, aren’t we?”
Jacob looked exasperated. He really wanted a new house. To him, the celebration of a new arrival wasn’t complete without a new home. They had the money, they were expanding the family, and it was never a bad thing to be close to a good school. But Kina looked unhappy. The more houses they saw together, the unhappier she seemed. Jacob had been sure, at first, that it was all about her pregnancy hormones–her swollen feet, her aching back, that kind of thing. Kina had been a difficult person during the first pregnancy, and he was expecting roughly the same this time around.
“You still haven’t told me what you think of the house,” Jacob said.
Kina sighed. He wasn’t going to stop until he had an answer, was he?
“I don’t like the garden. It doesn’t seem child friendly. The kitchen isn’t open plan, so I will feel like I’m not a part of the conversation when I have to cook. The family room and a bar are adjacent, which doesn’t make sense for raising children, and the entire bathroom upstairs puts me off.”
Jacob raised his eyebrows. “Is that all?”
“I’m just getting started,” Kina said.
Jacob fought the urge to roll his eyes at her. It was the same story every time they saw a new house. The bathrooms were ugly, or the flow was wrong. And if that wasn’t the case, the garden was dangerous. He was starting to wonder if he would ever find something that would make her happy. There had been two already that he’d liked, one of which he’d just showed her.
