Dustin (Shifter Football League Book 3)

by Becca Fanning

  He let his hands run up and down her back, stopping to grab her ass on occasion, but he didn’t move under her shirt. She wanted him to feel her breasts, to touch her more. It was starting to get frustrated. Maybe she needed to ask him to go to his bedroom.

  She reached under his shirt and circled around his nipple. He made a soft moaning sound and squeezed her in a tight hug. She pinched him gently, and he made another moaning sound. There had to be a way to make it obvious what she wanted.

  She broke their kiss and sat up to pull her own shirt off, but when he saw what she was doing, he put his hand on hers to stop her.

  “Wait a minute,” he said. “Don’t.”

  She sat up, still sitting on him, and dropped her hands, letting her shirt fall. “Why?” She tried not to feel the rejection burning her face.

  “It’s too soon for that.”

  She narrowed her eyes slightly. “Too soon? You’re kidding, right?”

  “No.” He shifted to sit up, moving her back off him in the process. “I can’t be like that anymore. I can’t just give in to those sexual desires and not think about the consequences.”

  “Okay…” She crossed her arms over her chest. “And what are the consequences of me taking my shirt off?”

  He shook his head. “That it wouldn’t stop there. There would come a point where I couldn’t stop myself.”

  “And what’s wrong with that?” she snapped.

  “I’m not going to sleep with you.”

  “Why not?” She was almost yelling now. The rush of emotions was overwhelming her. The strong desire, left unfulfilled, burned between her legs, still causing her heart to race too fast.

  “Because it’s too soon. We’ve just gotten to the point where we decided we don’t hate each other.”

  She let out a hard sigh and turned away from him. “Do you know how long it’s been?”

  “For what?”

  “For me?” she said. “How long since I felt comfortable enough with someone, trusted someone enough, to sleep with them?”

  “No, I don’t know, but that proves my point even more. I haven’t proved myself enough. You may think you can trust me, but falling back into my old ways would just prove you wrong. You’d probably wake up in my bed in the morning thinking you’d made a huge mistake and then decide that I hadn’t changed at all.”

  “But Dustin…” Her eyes burned, but she did not want to cry. “I just wanted you to touch me.”

  He leaned over to wrap his arms around her and pulled her close until she was sitting in his lap, facing away from him. He held her in a tight hug, rocking gently with her back and forth. She could feel that he was still hard, and she did marvel at his ability to stop when they were already making out so heavily.

  For a long while, he held her, rocking her. Her heart slowed, and she calmed down. The desire slowly faded, but was replaced with comfort. It felt so good just to have him hold her close. She felt cared for.

  After a long while, she started to feel sleepy. Maybe he was right about her needing a good night’s sleep.

  He whispered in her ear, “If you want, we can go lay down. I’ll just hold you while you sleep.”

  Her throat burned again and she almost cried. She nodded and he scooped her up, carrying her effortlessly upstairs to his bedroom. He lay her down on the bed, pulled the covers over her, then slid in behind her. He wrapped her in his arms, and she fell into a solid sleep.

  Chapter 33

  When Brooklyn woke, the first thing she noticed was Dustin’s arms around her and how good they felt. Inside, she was still icy and raw, but there was an outer layer of warmth, and it came all from him, from knowing someone was there for her.

  She turned to face him. The movement caused him to stir and peel his eyes open.

  “Morning,” he mumbled.

  She answered by kissing him. He kissed back then chuckled.

  “I really thought you’d wake up and hate me,” he said.

  “No,” she whispered. “Thank you for last night. For every part of it.”

  “Aren’t you glad now that I didn’t take you up on your offer to sleep with you?”

  “Not really. But I’m not upset that you didn’t.”

  He rubbed his eyes and yawned. “I’m surprised by that.”

  “Why?”

  “I thought it was one of those things. You were feeling upset and vulnerable. I thought if we slept together, you’d regret it and hate me in the morning. You’d feel like I took advantage of the situation or something.”

  “Well, you didn’t.” She kissed him again. “Thank you.”

  Brooklyn stretched before slipping out of bed.

  “I’m hungry,” she said. “Want me to make something?”

  “You’re going to cook me breakfast?”

  “Sure, why not? Unless you’re not hungry.”

  He sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. “Starving.”

  “Okay then.”

  He blinked at her for a moment. “Okay.”

  She rummaged around his kitchen, deciding what to make. He had eggs, breads, milk. She settled on a few eggs, French toast, and coffee. Lots of strong coffee. By the time the eggs were almost done cooking, and the French toast was already on the plate, Dustin stepped into the kitchen, sniffing around.

  Brooklyn pointed to a mug. “I didn’t know how you like it, so it’s just black.”

  He took a long sip. “That’s exactly how I like it.”

  “Me too.” She sipped her own coffee, then flipped the eggs in the pan.

  “This looks awesome. I could probably eat about ten eggs.”

  “I’ll make more if you’re still hungry.”

  She plated the food and slid a plate piled high across the counter to him. He picked up the fork and wasted no time digging in. They stood at the counter, side by side, eating too fast.

  He cleared his plate and smiled at her. “That was a good appetizer.”

  She laughed. “I’ll make more.”

  “You’ve never really known a shifter, have you?”

  “No.”

  “We eat a lot.”

  “Got it.” She broke several more eggs into the pan then dipped more bread into the French toast mixture.

  He ate another heaping plate and was finally satisfied. “You want to get home?”

  “I’m not in a rush.” The thought of being there alone still bothered her. Maybe she should call her mother and go stay with her for a while.

  “Feel free to stay as long as you want. Just know, I’m not the cleanest guy around.”

  She glanced over the kitchen at the dirty dishes in the sink, the splatters of grease on the stove, the crumbs on the counter. “I figured that much.”

  “What do you want to do today? I’m up for whatever you want,” he said.

  The sudden empty expanse of the day ahead flooded over her. She didn’t want to do anything. She wanted to hide and never leave the house and never see people again. But that was impossible, and falling into that would only lead her to depression. And that would keep her from doing anything productive in her career, love life, or anything else. Everything just felt so heavy in that moment. She wasn’t sure how to process it.

  After thinking for a moment, she made a decision. “I think I will wallow today. And then, tomorrow, I’ll get out and do something.”

  He pulled his mouth into a half smile. “I’ll get the alcohol.”

  She set down her mug and went to him. His mug was still in his hand and she took it, setting it down as well. Then she stepped closer so that she could lean against him. His arms automatically went around her. She nuzzled her nose into his neck, taking in his scent.

  He was right in what he’d said earlier. He hadn’t taken her up on her offer to sleep together last night. And though she was sure in her decision, it did say something to her. It proved he’d changed. It proved he had some sort of feelings for her. After all they’d been through, and all that had come of it, she felt sure, and at
the same time apprehensive about what she was about to say. But she took in a deep breath and said it.

  “Last night, we kind of talked about… being together,” she started.

  “But we didn’t.”

  “No, I mean, not just sex. I mean, us being a thing.”

  “Like dating.”

  “Like dating. Yeah.”

  He paused. “And?”

  “And, have you thought any more about it since we talked last night?”

  He sighed. “I think it could be a complete disaster, given our history together.”

  “But we’ve changed so much.”

  “Maybe.”

  “You don’t think so?” She stood up to look him in the eyes.

  “I see changes. In you, in me. I don’t know if it’s enough.”

  “Do you have a fear of commitment?”

  “Well, yeah.” He chuckled. “I haven’t had the best record with women. I always end up messing things up. I jump in too fast, I make decisions before I really know the person, and it ends badly. And that was the few times I tried to have a relationship. Usually, I don’t even bother.”

  “But you know me. You know me better than a lot of people.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Do I?”

  “I told you a lot last night. I’ve let you in like I haven’t let anyone in in a really long time.”

  “I’m surprise you trust me like that.”

  “Me too.” She chuckled. “But I did, and I do. I don’t have the best record with men either. But everything feels different about this. Maybe our history will make us better.”

  “How’s that?”

  “We’ve already hurt each other. We won’t be waiting to mess up or be hurt because it’s already happened.”

  “Fair point, but does that make it better or worse?” he said. “I can’t believe you really want to date me. That’s just… crazy.”

  “If you don’t want to, that’s fine. I’m not trying to convince you or force you into something. I thought you had some feelings for me too, and that maybe we could help each other figure out how to have a successful relationship.”

  “It’s not that I don’t want to be with you. I’ve wanted to for a while. I’m worried that I’ll disappoint you and hurt you worse. And I’m a little worried about what everyone will think. We’ve had a rather public battle between us, and I wouldn’t want people putting you down or thinking less of you for being with me.”

  “I’m not worried about that.”

  “I don’t want to be the reason you have more crap heaped on you. There’s already been enough, and there’s about to be a lot more with this whole Alex and Hayden thing. I’d hate myself for making it worse.”

  “But Dustin—” She had to close her eyes and swallow hard. “Right now, you’re the only thing making it better. I feel comfortable with you, and I can trust you. You were there. You saved me. You’re the other half of this entire crazy story. And I just want us to have a good ending. Or not even an ending, but a next chapter.”

  She met his eyes, but he looked away.

  “Okay,” she said. “Forget it. You don’t want to be with me, that’s fine. I don’t blame you.”

  She stepped back and turned, not wanting to cry in front of him again, like this. But now she didn’t know what to do. She still didn’t want to go home, but it would be too hard to stay here now. She walked toward the living room but only took a few steps before he reached out and caught her with his arm around her waist. He pulled her back and turned her, taking her cheek into his hand and kissing her softly.

  “Brooklyn,” he whispered into her ear. “I am falling for you, and that terrifies me. I don’t know how to do this. I’ve never been in a good relationship. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  She squeezed her arms around him. “I know, but there’s always that risk. I could be the one to hurt you. But what if we don’t? What if we never took the chance? We might miss out on something amazing.”

  “Or we might miss out on the next great disaster.”

  “Then why don’t we agree right now not to hurt each other?” she said.

  “I wish it were that easy.”

  “It is. I treat you with love and respect, and you do the same.”

  “I guess it’s worth a shot,” he said. “Just don’t hate me if I fail you somehow.”

  “Deal. But you have to do the same.”

  “Okay.”

  He tilted her face up to meet his then kissed her for a long while. When he broke the kiss, he said, “I think I have an idea.”

  “What’s that?”

  “We start this amazing, epic relationship…”

  “I like this idea so far.” She beamed at him.

  “But maybe we wait until things settle down to let anyone know. They see us being friendly toward each other, they know that we’ve come to a truce, and they won’t be shocked when they find out we’re together.”

  She pulled her eyebrows together slightly. “You want to keep it a secret?”

  “It’s not that I’m ashamed, if that’s what you’re thinking. It’s nothing like that. I don’t want the guys thinking it was part of the contest. Or anyone else. I don’t want anyone to think either of us have impure motives, or that’s it’s all about sex. I want people to be happy when they hear about us, not disgusted. I don’t want this cloud of junk hanging over us when we’re trying to deal with everything else that’s going on. I want us to do it right.”

  As he explained, she pictured it, what people would say and think if they strolled into the locker room on Monday holding hands and kissing. It would seem a little strange, and people would have things to say. She imagined what it would feel like to have all those questions on top of all the questions about last night. Either one was enough to deal with.

  She nodded slowly. “I think you’re right. I’ve been really hard on my ladies about dating football players and losing focus. The last thing I want is for them to think I’m a hypocrite, or that I can’t do my job anymore with everything that’s happened. It’ll take the pressure off us.”

  “Exactly. And when we’re ready, we’ll tell the world and they’ll all be happy for us.”

  “So, we’re really doing this?” she said. “We’re really going to start a relationship?”

  “If you want to, yes.”

  “I want to.”

  “Then…” He leaned down to kiss her mouth, then her nose and forehead. “I guess that makes you officially my girlfriend.”

  “I guess so.” She giggled and wrapped her arms tight around his neck. “This is weird.”

  He laughed. “It is.”

  She gazed into his eyes, enjoying his happy expression. She kissed him and felt the same spark of desire from the night before return, even stronger. It wasn’t just her fear of being alone that made her stay with him. She wanted him. She wanted to be with him.

  She pressed her body against his, feeling him stiffen as they continued kissing. “Will you still refuse me?” she breathed into ear.

  “Not a chance,” he said and picked her up at the waist to carry her to the sofa.

  Chapter 34

  Dustin lay her down on the couch and climbed into place over her. Her head spun with the feeling of desire coursing through her. Their kissing was getting hot, but she found herself again waiting for him to do more, to make the next move. She had made it clear she wanted to sleep with him, right? And he had agreed that he wanted to, as well? So, what was he doing? His hands were still on either side of her head, and he occasionally ran his fingers through her hair. But he didn’t move to touch her anywhere else.

  She couldn’t reach much being on the bottom, and he was pressing his hardness into her. She ran her hands along his back, dragging her nails, squeezing his butt. He made soft moaning sounds but still didn’t move to slide under shirt or pants. Finally, she reached down and yanked on his shirt, pulling it over his head.

  “That’s better,” she said. Now she ran her fingertips ov
er his bare skin.

  She thought that would give him the signal to take things to the next level, but he didn’t. She was so hot, the sweat was already running down her body, and she could hardly take it any longer.

  Finally, frustrated, she said, “Is something wrong?”

  “What?” he asked breathlessly.

  “Is something wrong?”

  “No, why?”

  “What are you waiting for?” she asked.

  “Umm.” He pushed himself up to look at her fully. “I was just taking things slow.”

  “Slow? You haven’t taken things anywhere at all.”

  “I’m sorry. I tend to rush it. I wanted to take my time and go slow.”

  “Okay,” she said. “But can we just go a tiny bit faster? Like, can we actually have sex today?”

  He gave her a crooked smile. “Sorry.”

  He resumed kissing her, and finally, he reached up under her shirt to caress her breast. When he ran his thumb over her stiff nipple, she cried out at the sensation. Every part of her body was screaming for more.

  She took things into her own hands, pulling off her shirt and tossing it to the ground. Since her clothing had been destroyed the night before, she had no bra or panties to worry about. It was just these shorts she was wearing and his shorts between them. Those two pieces of fabric felt like an impassible barrier. He was so close, but not close enough.

  Though he was touching her more now, even slipping his hands under her shorts to rub her clit now and then, he was still taking too long. She wanted him inside her now, before she burst.

  She pushed down her shorts, and he did the same. She looked down at him appreciatively. He smirked at her glance and took a moment to appreciate her naked body, as well.

  “And you wonder why I like cheerleaders,” he said. “Look at you. You’re perfect.”

  “I was thinking the same about you.” From his hard muscles to his lean shape, he was every bit as sexy as she wanted him to be. She hadn’t really looked at him before. When she’d seen him naked, he was passed out. His muscles hadn’t shown, and he wasn’t fully hard like he was now. She hadn’t paid that much attention anyhow, since she was too busy drawing on him with a Sharpie. But now, the thought of his thick cock inside her and the feel of his hard muscles against her sent fresh waves over her skin.