by Anthology
****
The rest of the weekend and tournament go by quickly, and by the time my parents leave Sunday afternoon, I am relieved to have a little quiet time with my girl. We’ve had dinner in the cafeteria with our friends, and are now on our way to the lake. Turns out, my girl loves to watch the stars.
We’re sitting on the blanket she brought, near the same place we were last weekend, listening to the wave’s crash onto the shore. I’m leaning up against a tree with her in between my legs so she can recline back on my chest. The night air is warm, but the breeze flowing from the water makes a light blanket necessary.
“Are you comfortable? Warm enough?” I pull the quilt I wrapped around her a little tighter and adjust her head back onto my shoulder.
“I’m perfect. This is perfect. Thanks for bringing me out here. I know you must be exhausted after such a busy weekend.”
“I’m where I want to be.” She smiles and looks back at the lake and sky.
“It’s so clear out here tonight. You can see so many stars...Look! A falling star,” she tells me while pointing at it with her finger. “Did you see it?”
“Yeah, did you make a wish,” I ask, sliding her a little to the side so I can see her face more clearly.
“Yep. You?”
“Didn’t need to, I have my wish right here.” I lean forward and run my nose along her cheek before taking her lips with mine.
She holds my face in her hands and I draw her body closer to mine, my legs trapping her between them. The intensity of our kiss slowly builds as we take the time to explore each other freely, our hands gripping and pulling softly as we allow the chemistry we’ve been denying make itself known.
Twisting my body around, I lay her down on the blanket that surrounds us, and lean over her body. My mouth kisses its way along her jaw, down her neck, and finds itself tasting every inch between her firm breasts. Her hands slide under my shirt, exposing my back to the breeze, but I barely notice, my focus drawn to the delicious skin of her chest. Her hands explore my back and make their way to the waistband of my shorts, where her fingers slip beneath the band and press my hips into hers.
A moan escapes her and she says, “Oh, Gavin. I want…” I end her sentence with a thorough kiss that leaves her even more breathless than before.
“I know, baby, but not here. Just relax and let me get my fill of you, make you feel how much I need you.”
My hands slide down her stomach to her shorts and unbutton them to make room for my hand while my tongue slides against hers in a slow, determined pace. My fingers find their way underneath her panties and to the smooth skin underneath, where they explore every inch of her, except where she wants it most. Her moans become more frequent the closer I get to her slick folds, and I find myself unable to draw this out any longer.
Dragging my mouth away from hers, I whisper into her neck, “I’ve waited so long to be able to touch you like this, to have you feel me.” I trail open mouthed kisses up her neck and stop just behind her ear when she lifts her hips into my hand.
“I need that, too,” she whispers as her legs begin to tremble.
Hearing the need in her voice, I let it urge me on in my exploration of her warm, slick core. Taking my time to listen to what her body wants and desires from me, I let my fingers take her higher and higher until she can no longer withstand the pleasure I’m giving her. She falls over the edge around my fingers, and I take the extra time to drag every pulse of her orgasm out until she lies still underneath me.
Removing my hand from her shorts, I lick my fingers clean, savoring the taste of her on my tongue. Looking down at her relaxed face, she smiles and says, “Kiss me.”
Obeying her command, I settle down on my side along her body and do as I’m told, content just to have her in my arms.
Chapter 13
“Good morning, Slugger,” her throaty morning voice tells me when she answers the phone. “Are you downstairs?” I let myself smile at hearing her talk to me like that.
“Just waiting on you, M&M.”
“I’ll be there in a minute,” she laughs and hangs up. She’s never one to draw out our conversations, knowing I don’t need all the extra fluff that comes with it. I’m waiting and she’s ready, so why waste time with a phone conversation.
It’s Wednesday after the charity tournament, which we won, and Mal and I have our first official date Friday night. The team has a rare Friday night off and I’m taking full advantage of it. She’s been begging me to tell her where we’re going, but I can’t let her off that easily. I had to wait forever for her to be mine, and she’ll just have to wait, too.
“I’m ready,” she sings as she walks to my side and takes my hand. Leaning down I kiss her on the nose and smile back at her.
“Someone’s chipper this morning,” I note, walking us out of the dorm and across the street.
“Maybe someone had a really good dream last night,” she teases back, giggling in the process. She has no idea about dreams.
“Maybe, but I’m pretty sure I had the best dream last night, and I’m still in it.” Let her think about that one. Her face is taken over with a light shade of red as she smiles bigger and looks at me from the corner of her eye.
“And where would we be going on our date in this great dream of yours?” She tries once again to pry the details of our date out of me. Good thing I’ve already had a run and workout this morning to wake me up completely so I don’t fall for her tricks.
“Wouldn’t you like to know,” I tease her as we reach the dining hall. “After you,” I say as I hold the door open for her. Shaking her head at my lack of cooperation, she enters the cafeteria and waves at Stacy and Cade who are in line farther ahead of us.
“Not even a little hint,” she asks in the most pathetic voice I’ve heard from her. Nice try.
“Nope.” She finally gives up and we make our way through the check in and food lines and then reach our table. Dillon is sitting with Cade and Stacy, but Noel and Xana haven’t made it here yet.
“Well,” Stacy asks Mal when she sits beside her. Mallory shakes her head and sighs, which makes Stacy laugh. What is all that about?
“You’re good, McKnight, real good. I didn’t think you could keep from telling her about your date for this long.” Stacy gives me double thumbs up to show her approval, but my girl doesn’t think it’s as humorous as we do.
“All in good time, M&M, all in good time.” Winking at her, I dig into my breakfast and talk to Cade and Dillon about ball, leaving the girls to their own conversation.
Noel and Xana never show up for breakfast while we are in the cafeteria, so none of us wait around when our breakfast is finished. Mallory and I have classes in the same building, so we walk as far as we can before we have to split up and go our own way to class.
Turning to give her a quick kiss on the cheek I whisper, “Wear a dress,” and leave her standing there as I continue on to class. She wanted a hint, and that’s all she’s going to get out of me.
****
“I hope I’m not overdressed. You didn’t give much to work with, ya know.” Mallory fidgets with the bracelet on her wrist, and I take her hand to pull her to me.
“You’re perfect. Let’s go.”
Not familiar with the area since she’s from south Texas, it takes Mallory awhile to figure out where we are going. “Texarkana? We’re going all the way there for our date?” She turns to look at me in what little light there is coming from outside.
“Yes. Now enjoy the ride and hold my hand.” I knew this would make her giggle, and she does. We talk about our week and what we plan on doing this summer when school is out, and by the time we reach the restaurant, I can hear her stomach growling.
“Hungry are we,” I ask, helping her out of the car and locking it up behind us.
“Yeah, I kinda missed lunch today.” Placing her hand in mine, I guide us inside Verona, a fine Italian restaurant that I had been hearing about from some of the guys in the dorm who are fr
om Texarkana.
We are greeted by the hostess who grabs two menus and shows us to our seats and tells us the name of our server. For a Friday night, I am glad to find that we don’t have to wait for a long time to get a table. After the server, John, arrives and takes our drink order, he leaves us to peruse our options for dinner.
“Still think you’re overdressed,” I ask in a teasing voice, looking over the top of my menu.
“You’re so bad. This place is amazing. New and old-feeling all at the same time.” She lowers her menu to the table and smiles, a blush appearing on her cheeks. “I love it.”
“Good. Figure out what you’d like to eat, because we have somewhere else to be,” I tell her, and look over the menu selections again.
“You’re not going to tell me, are you,” she states, before shaking her head and returning to the menu.
“Nope.”
John comes back several minutes later with our beverages, and asks for our orders. “I’ll have the Spaghetti Vongole, and she’ll have the Sausage and Peppers,” I tell him, looking at her to see if she wants anything else. She shakes her head and we hand our menus to the server, who then leaves to place our order.
“Ordering for me, are you?” Her raised eyebrows want me to think she’s irritated by my ordering, but I know she doesn’t really have a problem with it. I nod and grin. “That’s a little presumptuous, don’t you think?”
“Not when I know that it’s your favorite and you’re going to order it anyway.” Yeah, I know what her favorite things are. I pay attention.
“You really are something. Wanna tell me where we’re going after dinner?” She leans forward, her arms on the table and says, “Please?” Taking her hands in mine, I can’t resist that pouty mouth of hers any longer, and give in to kissing her briefly.
“We’re going to a movie after we leave here. It’s the only one you’ve talked about seeing more than a few times.”
“Really? You’re willing to sit through it with me?” She seems surprised that I would do something like that for her. Did Keaton never watch what she wanted to watch?
“Of course, that’s what real boyfriends do. I don’t care what the movie is, as long as I’m watching it with you.”
“You’re really laying it on thick, Mr. McKnight.” She laughs and squeezes my hand.
“No, I’m just telling the truth. I’ve wanted to have you since I met you that day at lunch. There was just something about you that I really can’t put into words. The more I got to know you, the more you seemed to just fit with me. I hated that you had a boyfriend who didn’t seem to be worth your time, but I wasn’t going to interfere until I had to, and I don’t regret one bit of it.”
“Gavin,” she says softly. “I don’t regret it either.”
The server interrupts to deliver our plates to the table, and we start eating. The food is as good as everyone said it would be, and Mallory seems to be in agreement from the sounds I can hear her making. “This is sooo good. Here, try a bite,” she says, and extends her fork across the table with a bite for me to try.
Not one to turn her down, I take the bite she offers and savor it. “Mmm, it really is good. Now I see why you keep making all those noises while you eat.” Her mouth drops open and I laugh. “Here, now you try a bite of mine.”
She takes the bite I hold out for her, and smiles. When she licks the sauce from her lips, I have to adjust my seating to accommodate for the tightness that’s formed in my pants. When John comes by our table to check on our drinks, I take the opportunity to order the Cappuccino Semifreddo for our dessert. It’s a dessert similar to one my Nonna Giovanna makes.
“Yours tastes really good, too. Never knew I’d be a fan of clams, even though my mom always told me I’d love them.”
“I’d never steer you wrong.”
Chapter 14
It’s well past midnight when we arrive back on campus, and instead of taking Mallory to her dorm, I drive to mine. “Come to my room,” I ask before turning the car off. I want her to have the final say of what happens. I’d never take what she wants for granted.
“Yeah, but do you think it’s safe enough to go now?”
“Of course, I’ve parked far enough back along the building that it won’t be a problem. I’ll meet you at the window, alright?” She nods, and I walk over to her door and help her out of the seat. We walk towards the front of the dorm, and I give her a kiss when we are just to the side of the front steps. “I’ll be right there,” I say before we separate and I walk into the dorm and to my room.
Mallory is waiting by the window when I open it to help her climb inside. Shutting the window and closing the blinds the rest of the way, I lead her over to my side of the room where I make sure the door is locked.
“Steven is gone for the weekend so we’re all alone.”
I curl my arms around her hips to land on her ass and pull her closer to me. Her arms move up my chest and twine in my hair. “I had a great time tonight. Thank you,” she says, and unable to wait a moment longer, I crush my lips to hers and slide my tongue into her open mouth. She moans and I hold her hips more firmly to my own, letting her feel just how much she affects me.
Our tongues tangle together in a slow, steady dance that shows promise of what is to come. I take my time in tasting her lips and tongue, memorizing every part of her delectable mouth. My hands on her firm behind, I slide her dress up so they can run along the smooth, bare skin of her toned legs. Slowly, I begin to walk her backwards to the bed, never breaking our kiss. We stop moving when the backs of her legs hit the mattress and I gently lift her up and motion for her to wrap those toned legs around my waist.
She weighs nothing, so holding her against me as I place open mouthed kisses along her jaw and neck isn’t a problem. We remain like that until she begins to press her heated core to me in hopes to get some relief from the tension she feels between her legs. Carefully, I lay her down on my bed, hovering over her on my palms. Looking into her eyes, I search to see how much farther she wants to go before I devour her without any further hesitation.
Mallory smiles at me and her hands in my hair pull my face until I’m nose to nose with her. She nods, and that’s all the permission I need.
Quickly we remove our clothing, piece by piece, until she lies beneath me in only her pink satin bra and panties. Slowly looking at her body from head to toe, the need to touch her becomes too great. I slide my hands up her legs from her ankles to her hips, letting my thumbs brush over her damp, satin covered core along the way. Her hips buck towards my hands in reflex and she inhales sharply at my touch.
“I could touch you every minute for the rest of my life. This isn’t just another relationship. There’s no turning back for me once I make you mine. I’m just not wired that way. Can you handle that?” I look into her eyes and move my hand further up her body.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m yours.” Her eyes flutter and I lean in to claim her mouth with mine.
We let our feelings and emotions emerge without any further obstacles getting in the way. No relationships, doubts, or second guessing, just the two of us finally able to be with one another freely and honestly.
THE END!
Xana Jordan is the author of Loving Noel, and the upcoming Claiming Xana, the first two books in the Wildcat Graduates Series. She is an Arkansas girl who loves to cook, read, and watch her Razorbacks when she can. When she's not doing those things, you can find her writing the voices that constantly talk to her. She has a husband and two wonderful children that keep her busy and loved, and many wonderful friends she is proud to call family.
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The Ball in My Court
A short story novella
by
T. H. Snyder
Prologue
Have you ever wondered if you’re able to sense things that others possibly can’t?
Hold up, hang on. Don’t go ranting and raving here thinking I’m crazy, stay with me and hear me out. I know this may sound absurd and if I were to actually admit this out loud, some may think I’ve lost my God damn mind or at the least fallen off my rocker. I’m not talking about ghosts, spirits and that kinda shit. Nah, I’m talking about something much worse. I’m talking about hearing, seeing and feeling the inner dialogue and emotional connection one person may share with another.
Ya see, it all started on my wedding day. It was the day I should have been the happiest man on the planet, yet it was the first time I saw and felt the fall of my future.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we?
Things were going according to plan. I proposed to the love of my life, we set a date and her parents shelled out a shit ton of plastic to make our girl feel like the princess she deserved to be. Nothing could go wrong, or so I thought.
The weeks leading up to the big day moved at warp speed. I was swamped and life in general had me gasping for air, I felt like I was drowning. Mergers and excessive meetings at work were keeping me away from home more than I would have liked, but I had a job to do. This was my career and if I wanted to become successful enough to take care of a family, I needed to put in the time even if it meant I saw less and less of my future bride. My gut told me I needed to cut back, but at the time it seemed logical. I thought I was doing what was right. I had no idea of the stress and strain it was putting on Savannah both at work and at home. Having a fancy wedding planner and all, I figured there wasn’t too much we needed to do. I mean come on, that woman was bringing in the Benjamins like they were falling from the sky. What was seriously left for me or Savannah to do?
