Promise Me

by Kristin Mayer

  “Not yet, Sam. I’ll give it to you but not yet. I won’t ever deny you. Let me pleasure you.”

  “Please…I want you inside me.”

  He spread my legs farther and positioned himself right at my entrance. His mouth came down and devoured each of my nipples, lapping up all the chocolate. This was going to be an off-the-charts orgasm. His dick played with my entrance, acting as if he was going to enter, but he didn’t. My body was strung so tight. I needed him. He pushed in all the way, stretching me. He knew I had reached my limit, and he was true to his word and didn’t deny me.

  I screamed, “Yes! Oh, yes! Finally.”

  He started moving, and I was meeting him, trying to get as much friction as humanly possible. He was keeping the strokes long and hard, soothing a deep ache that had been building since the last time we had sex. His hands held mine above my head, and we were both breathing hard. I was so close. He was right there with me as I could feel him getting harder inside me. On the next stroke, I erupted into a million pieces of pleasure, and I screamed incoherent words. He came and continued massaging both of our climaxes out until they had dissipated.

  As we both slowed our pulses, I murmured, “Holy hell.”

  “You were made for me, Sam.”

  He was gazing at me, and my heart was becoming his, but I wasn’t ready to admit that…yet.

  “Back atcha, Sport.”

  He pulled out of me, and I sat up on the counter. Looking down, I saw I was a mess with remnants of chocolate all over me. When I looked up, I saw it had also rubbed off on him.

  “Ah, Sport, looks like you are going to have to take a shower with me to clean up your mess.”

  Mark gave a devilish grin as he responded, “It’s a tough job, but someone’s got to do it.”

  He picked me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist. He kissed me the entire trip to the bathroom. I had a feeling it was going to be a while before I actually got clean.

  We were driving down to my parents’ house. We had flown into Atlanta around lunchtime. We were now only about an hour away from Homerville, and I was about to introduce my boyfriend to my parents. I was a nervous wreck with sweaty palms, a racing heart, and a ball in my stomach. My body was fidgeting in every way possible. This was hard since I wasn’t sure how my parents would take me having a boyfriend. I knew they would be nice to him.

  But what will they think of him?

  I hoped they didn’t delve too deeply into our relationship because in their minds, they believed in the days of Little House on the Prairie.

  Mark squeezed my knee, and I jumped.

  “Hey, Sam. Why don’t you go ahead and call your parents? I have that phone interview in just a few.”

  He let go of my knee, and it started bouncing on its own accord as if it had consumed twelve cups of coffee.

  His hand rested on it again as he said, “There’s nothing to be nervous about. We have each other, and that’s all that matters.”

  Mark seemed laid-back and at ease with all this, which lessened my nerves some.

  Why isn’t he nervous?

  Rummaging through my purse, my knee that wasn’t being held captive by Mark’s hand started to bounce. “You’re right. Good idea. I’ll call them to let them know where we are. It’ll be okay. We’ll be okay. It’ll all be fine.”

  Before I hit their preprogrammed number, Mark grabbed my hand. “Sam, I promise you, it’s going to be fine. Even if they have a hard time with us, it will be fine. I’ll be there for you, and nothing will change that. Regardless, they won’t change my feelings for you. That’s why I’m not nervous. We are in control of our relationship, and no one else.”

  I let out a deep breath and nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Anytime. You and me—that’s what matters.”

  “You and me.”

  I hit the speed dial and called home as I said a silent prayer for this weekend to go smoothly. I wanted my parents to approve of Mark.

  The phone rang, and then a frantic voice answered, “Hello?”

  “Hey, Mama.”

  There was a vacuum noise in the background.

  “Hey, honey. Where are you guys?” She sounded like she was running around crazy.

  “We’re about an hour away.”

  The phone made some noise, and then she was yelling at my dad, but her voice was muffled. “Dean, hurry up. They’re almost here.”

  I heard more shuffling.

  Then, her voice was clear again as she said to me, “Sounds good. Can’t wait to see you guys.”

  The tone alone of my mom’s voice signaled she was a nervous wreck. Part of me wanted to laugh and tell her, Welcome to the club, while the other part wanted me to call the whole thing off. Normally, going home was easy and not stressful. This time though, it felt like the real me was coming home for the first time. Since the night I’d been raped, I always wore my façade. To them, I was the perfect daughter, waiting for Mr. Right to sweep me off my feet.

  I was silent for too long as my thoughts infiltrated my mind when my mama said into the phone, “Sam?”

  “Sorry. Can’t wait to see you either. Don’t stress. It’s fine.” I was speaking so fast.

  She let out a breath. “I know. It’s not every day we get to meet our daughter’s boyfriend. Be safe.”

  “Will do. Love you.”

  “Love you, too.”

  She was hollering at my dad again before she hung up the phone. My poor, poor dad was going to have a hard time with this. The phone call to him had been interesting.

  While Mark was at training, I needed to call and talk to my dad. It had been two days since I had told Mama about my boyfriend. I wasn’t sure how me breaking the news of me having a boyfriend to my dad was going to go down, and I wanted to talk to him when Mark couldn’t hear me. I was afraid Mark might get the wrong impression of my parents. Digging deep, I marched over to my couch, sat down, and called home.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Mama. Is Dad there?”

  “He is. I’m glad you called to talk to him, Sam.”

  I took a deep breath and lied through my teeth, “Me, too.”

  “Let me go get him. He’s in his office.”

  Her voice was approving. I hated disappointing my parents, and I knew the way I had handled telling them was shitty. I wasn’t ready for questions they wouldn’t like the answers to, like if we were having sex or not. I knew I was a grown woman, but I hated confrontation with my parents. Anyone else, it was fine. With them, it felt like my fragile world was falling apart.

  “Here he is.”

  The phone made a rustling noise, and then my dad’s voice came through the phone. “Hey, Boo Bear. I heard you’re coming home.”

  I took another deep breath as my dad greeted me.

  “Hey, Dad.” I closed my eyes. “I am. I’m excited to see you guys. Did mama tell you that I’m bringing my boyfriend home?”

  Silence.

  More silence.

  Even more silence.

  I was starting to get nervous, and then my dad spoke again. “Just remember your morals, Sam. Don’t let him talk you into anything you don’t want to do. I know this boyfriend thing is new to you, but don’t jeopardize who you are for a guy.”

  This was the hard part with my parents. I loved them, and they loved me, but they weren’t approachable at all on certain subjects.

  “No worries, Dad. I’m about to go bake some cookies.”

  “Bye, Boo Bear. Love you.”

  “Love you, too, Dad.”

  I hung up the phone and immediately went to the deli to see Edna. I needed her advice and some cookie therapy.

  Mark brought me out of my daze as he asked, “Did it go okay?”

  “Yes, they can’t wait for us to get there.” I gave him a small smile.

  He looked over at me again. “I need to dial in to this conference call. Are you okay? Or do I need to cancel?”

  I squeezed his hand. “I’m fine. I’ll be okay. Just a l
ittle nervous.”

  He looked at me questioningly, and I worked on reassuring him.

  “I promise. Make your call. It’s a big PR moment for the team.”

  My phone pinged again as Mark called in to the conference call. Looking down, I internally sighed. It was Mark’s mom and sister again, doing the group-text thing with me. They never stopped. His mother and sister kept going like that damn rabbit on the battery commercial.

  Sabrina: When we get to North Carolina, I think we should get pedicures and manicures done prior to going out that evening.

  Annie: That sounds great. I’m also starting to plan our family vacation after the football season. So excited Sam will be with us this year.

  Sabrina: Oh, this is going to be so much fun. Maybe we should get a limo?

  Annie: I’m on it. Sam, where are you and Mark going to be for Christmas this year? We’ll need dates, so we can plan everything. I’ll also need the size of sweater you wear, so I can get you one that matches the family.

  Sabrina: At our afternoon tea we’ve booked, I think we should plan a girls’ weekend away.

  I quietly sighed and peeked over at Mark. He was focused on the phone call.

  Maybe we should have spaced out the family visits between mine and his?

  This was much more intense than I’d thought it would be. My parents were polar opposites from Mark’s family, and I felt like I was getting ping-ponged back and forth as I went from one extreme to another. Mark’s family had confirmed they were going to arrive midweek. At times, it had become a tad overwhelming with his mom and sister group-texting me nonstop like this. Mark’s description was becoming more and more accurate as the seconds ticked by. Before my phone continued to spasm in my hands, I typed out a quick response.

  Me: Not sure what we are doing for Christmas. I wear a small. Thanks. I won’t be on my phone much while I’m at my parents’. You guys have a great weekend, and we’ll see you both next week.

  Immediately, my phone pinged as if they were tigers waiting to pounce.

  Sabrina: Oh, we have to see you at Christmas! I can’t wait to meet your family.

  Annie: Me either! I can’t wait for next week!

  Sabrina: What are you wearing for our night out?

  Annie: I think we should all go shopping for new outfits. Sam, keep me posted if you need me to bring anything for our trip.

  I was beyond overwhelmed with Annie and Sabrina at this point. I was trying to catch my breath and adjust to it all. I only responded part of the time to their onslaught of texts, and I never shared my feelings with Mark on it because I knew they were only being friendly. His sister was extremely enthusiastic about everything, and I wanted his family to be more laid-back, like they had been in Colorado that afternoon. He was only letting his family stay for two days at his condo, which was a relief.

  Forty-eight hours—hopefully, my nerves would last.

  While Mark continued his phone interview, I thought about the conversation I’d had with Edna to calm my nerves earlier this week.

  The moment I walked through the door, she knew Mark and I were officially together, and my heart leaped at seeing her excitement and approval.

  We were in the kitchen, baking, like we always did, when I asked, “So, does every couple fight? Mark and I haven’t fought yet.”

  She continued kneading the dough as I sprayed the pans. I was covered in flour, and she was perfectly clean with her gray hair in its neat little bun.

  “Yep. You know that kudzu vine that grows in Georgia and covers everything in its path, swallowing it and keeping the plants from the light?”

  I nodded, smiling, as I wondered how she knew so much about where I was from.

  She continued, “You know it was brought over to help fight erosion, and over time, people stopped tending to it once the erosion problem had been fixed. Now, it covers anything in its path, and they can’t stay ahead of it. Same thing goes for relationships. When you stop tending to things, they tend to get obliterated by something unnecessary.”

  There’s so much that goes into relationships. “So, fighting is healthy? Is it bad that we haven’t?”

  “No, it’s not bad. When it needs to happen, it will. It clears the air and keeps it all clean. Plus, it’s a necessary part. Without fighting, you’d never be able to make up.”

  My cheeks reddened at the innuendo.

  “Take it day by day, Sam. Follow your heart.”

  I loved that woman. She kept it all in perspective, providing me with a solid base. Allison was wonderful, too, but I liked talking to someone who wasn’t one hundred percent loyal to me.

  Mark was still on the phone, doing his interview with the show, and I started listening to him. The national radio show was spotlighting several members of the team. He looked my way and gave me a half-cocked grin. There was no telling what the radio guy was asking him.

  I received my answer when he responded, “Yes, Sam and I will be traveling together some during the season. I’m looking forward to us being able to spend time together on the road.”

  He gave me that seductive look, and I knew exactly what he was referencing in regard to spending time together. I put my hand over my mouth, stifling a giggle, as I looked away. He was too damn adorable sometimes. They moved on to different topics regarding game plans and expected performance while I focused on the green foliage before the Georgia summer sun turned everything crispy.

  He was ending the call as we were pulling into the driveway. “Sorry about that. I didn’t know it was going to take so damn long, or I would have pushed up the time even more.”

  “Don’t sweat it. It’s part of building hype and getting ticket sales. You ready for this?” My head nodded to my house as I rubbed my hands on my legs while I took a deep breath.

  He was watching me closely, like he always did during tense situations for me.

  “Yes. I hope your dad doesn’t kill me on sight.” His brow was quirked, and he was smiling.

  Just like always, his calming voice relaxed me, quieting those terrifying voices that constantly circled in the back of my head.

  “Well, as long as you don’t tell him the things you’ve done to me, you should be safe. Don’t forget that they are very old-fashioned. Also, don’t forget about the sleeping arrangements. And—”

  He put his fingers to my mouth, stopping my rant of reminders. He glanced down at my mouth before his eyes darted to the door, and then he looked back at me. My parents were probably waiting outside. My mama had probably been camped out by the window for the last hour.

  “Sam, it’ll all be fine. It’s me and you.”

  “Me and you.”

  I knew he wanted to kiss me, but he reeled it in. Immediately, he got out of the truck and walked to my side. We were going to have to find a way to be alone this weekend. It was going to be hard with how my parents would probably be stuck by our sides, maximizing as much time as possible with us. He opened my car door, and I got out. I grabbed his hand, and he gave it a little squeeze. My heart felt like it was stuck in my throat as I anticipated what I was going to say.

  My mama was adorable. She was standing up on the porch, watching with a loving expression on her face. I had ended up looking like a combination of my parents. My mama was shorter and rounder around the middle while my dad was tall and lean. In the middle of the two of them, I was curvy. My mother and I had the same eye color while my dad and I both had dark hair. His was peppered with gray now. I could tell by her smile that she was so excited, and my dad looked like he was uncomfortable but trying to smile under my mom’s orders.

  They love me. They will love Mark. It will all be okay.

  “Hey, Dad. Hey, Mama.”

  Mom took that as her cue to come down and hug us both at the same time. “Oh, so glad you little darlings made it safely.”

  She pulled back as I introduced everyone. “This is Mark. Mark, this is my mama, Chandra, and my dad, Dean.”

  My dad joined us on the driveway.

/>   “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Mr. and Mrs. Matthews.”

  My mom gave him another hug as she said, “Oh, please, Mark, you call us Dean and Chandra. Welcome. We are so glad to finally meet you.”

  When she pulled away, Mark then shook my dad’s hand.

  My dad said, “You had a hell of a season last year, son.”

  “Thank you.”

  One of my favorite things about Mark was how humble he was regarding his incredible talent as a football player. He never gloated about different things he had done, and he seemed to be embarrassed when people would praise him too much.

  My mom took over the conversation again. “How was the flight from North Carolina?”

  “It was good, Mama. It’s good to be home.”

  She gave me a squeeze. “It’s good to have you both here. We’ve missed you. Let’s show you to your rooms once you guys get your bags.”

  As we climbed the stairs, I thought back to when I had warned Mark about the sleeping arrangements at my parents’ home.

  We were in my bedroom, and I was packing for our trip to my parents’ this weekend. Mark was working on his laptop. I was nervous about telling him how traditional my parents really were.

  “Hey, Mark?”

  He stopped working and looked up. “What’s up?”

  “So, I need to warn you about this week. My parents are more traditional than the average parents.”

  Mark sat his laptop to the side, stood up, and walked toward me. When he got to me, he put his hands on my hips. “What is it, Sam? Talk to me.”

  My leg started fidgeting. “My parents don’t believe in a couple sharing a room, living with each other, or sleeping together until marriage—like, at all. It’s just…they just…shit…”

  “Sam…”

  I was chewing on my lip and bouncing my leg. Finally, I looked up.

  Mark continued, “Are you okay with how our relationship is going?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s all I care about. It’s going to be a long couple of days, not having you in my arms at night, but we’ll be fine. I have you, and that’s all that matters.”