When she reached the second landing, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. “And here I thought I was losing,” she said seductively. Running her fingers through his hair, she kissed him again. With her eyes still closed, she whispered, “You always make me feel like I’ve won.”
He leaned his forehead against hers. “One more flight.” He took her hand and they climbed the last flight together. As soon as she opened the door to her suite, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her while kicking the door closed.
As his lips left hers, she said, “I still can’t get over you being here. Um. What did you want to talk about?”
Still holding her waist, he looked around the apartment. “Which room is yours?”
Brittany smiled and bit her lip. “Come.” She grasped his hand and led him to her bedroom. She sat down on her bed and patted the spot next to her.
Before taking a seat, he reached into his jacket and slid a small white laminated box out of his pocket. “I got you something. I guess you could call it a Christmas present.” He sat down next to her. “Sorry it’s not wrapped. I’ll do better next Christmas.”
Brittany hesitantly took the box Matthew handed her. “But I don’t have anything for you, I thought we were broken up, and…and I didn’t get you anything.”
He lifted her chin. “Don’t you know? You’ve already given me everything.” He held her gaze for a minute. “Go ahead, open it.”
Brittany nodded and lifted the lid off the box. Inside was a sterling silver necklace. She gently pulled the chain out of the box and set the carton aside. With her other hand, she cradled the pendant. The silver was shaped into an angel’s head and halo, sitting atop a stylized heart that was meant to represent the angel’s body. Brittany put her hand to her chest. “I love it.” She choked up and turned to look at Matthew. “Thank you.”
He merely smiled. “Here, let me help you put it on.” She turned around and pulled her hair to the side as he dangled the pendant around her neck and fastened the clasp.
She got up off the bed and closed the door so she could look in the full-length mirror. “Beautiful.”
Matthew came up behind her and squeezed her shoulders. “My thoughts exactly.”
Looking at their reflection in the mirror, Brittany reached for Matthew’s hand on her shoulder and held it there. “I don’t know what to say.”
He leaned toward her ear. “There’s more.”
She whirled around. “There’s more?”
He stepped back and slid an envelope out of his jacket pocket. “This isn’t exactly a gift, not like the necklace, anyway. It’s something I want to share with you. Something important.” He held the envelope up, but before handing it to Brittany he said, “Before I show this to you, I should give you some background. See, I did a lot of soul searching while I was back home. I even went to see my old sports chaplain from high school.”
“Why?”
“I guess you could say I was having a crisis of conscience. Well, maybe not a crisis exactly. More like an epiphany.”
“I’m not following. Epiphany about what?”
“My vow.”
“Oh. Okay.”
“See, when I talked Father Morrissey—that’s the chaplain—he gave me back the letter I wrote when I made my vow nearly three years ago.”
“A letter,” she repeated, staring at the envelope Matthew was holding.
“It isn’t the kind of letter you send. It’s more like a letter of intent, having to do with the commitment I made, putting on paper my reasons for taking the vow. The letter was sealed right after I finished it, and placed in the chaplain’s file with the letters the other guys wrote.” Matthew handed the envelope to Brittany. Her expression was one of trepidation. “It’s okay. Go ahead, read it.”
He continued speaking as she looked it over. “See, when I made the vow, it was out of anger. My heart was broken and I felt betrayed.”
“By Michelle?”
“Yeah. I didn’t know it at the time, but I think I was trying to protect myself from getting hurt again. The vow let me keep women at arm’s length. You might say it gave me an excuse not to get close.” He reached out and touched her hair. When she looked up at him, he said, “Frankly, now it feels more like a chain than a choice. And, I’m ready to break the chain, because of you.”
Brittany swallowed hard. The school’s social network blamed her for corrupting Matthew, and now it felt like he was caving to pressure. She grasped his arm. “Matthew, no, I don’t want to be the cause of you breaking your vow. It’s too important to you.”
“It was important, past tense. But the reason I made the vow—it doesn’t exist anymore. I always wondered how I would know when I fulfilled my commitment and I know now. The time is right. I feel it through and through. And Brit, you would not be the cause of me breaking my vow. You’d be the reason. There’s a difference. Do you know what I mean?”
“Um. I’m not sure.”
“What I’m saying is, the vow allowed me to protect my heart. I don’t need to protect it anymore. I’m ready to open up again and I want to give my heart—to you. You’re the ‘why’ in my life, Brit.” He ran his thumb over his cheek. “I’m in love with you.”
Her breath caught and she tingled from the tender touch. It took a moment for Brittany to find her voice. “Really?”
Taking her face in his hands, he smiled. “Really.”
Her lips parted and she felt tears in her eyes. Holding the letter to her chest, she said, “This kind of thing never happens to me.” She placed her free hand on top of his on her cheek. “It always happens to other girls, so give me a minute to let it sink in.”
He smiled at her. “Take your time. It’s okay if you’re not ready to say it back,” he added. “I can wait—”
“What? No. You don’t have to wait, not even for a second.” Brushing his lips with her fingers, she said, “I thought you knew ages ago. I thought it was written all over me. I love you too, Matthew. I do. I think I’ve loved you from the very first time I ever saw you in the arena tunnel, standing there all sweaty and dirty.”
He kissed her fingers. “I guess it was me who was a little late to the game, huh?”
She looked into his eyes and sighed deeply. Cupping his face, she said, “No one ever loved me before.”
“Then let me be the first. And then, let me be the last. ’Cause you’re it for me, Brit. I’ve never been surer of anything. Because no matter what life throws at us, we find a way to get through it. And we’ll get even better at it with practice.”
A smile spread across Brittany’s face. “I think I’m going to enjoy practicing with you more than cheer practice.”
Matthew laughed loudly and quickly grew serious again. “I’m ready to start practicing right now if you are.”
It took a minute for her to realize what he meant, but she smiled as soon as she caught on. “Oh I’ve been ready for a long, long time.” She laced her fingers behind his neck and pulled him closer until their lips met. As the kiss intensified he pressed her onto her back and climbed on top of her.
∙•∙
Matthew slipped his hand under Brittany’s pullover. The feel of her silky skin nearly drove him to orgasm immediately. It had been years since he’d made love to a woman. He wasn’t sure how long he would last.
Brittany sat up and gently pushed him away so she could pull her jersey over her head. She pulled her hair aside and twisted her body so Matthew could unhook her bra. His breath quickened when she turned back around to reveal her naked breasts. She instantly laid back and pulled him on top of her. He kissed her lips over and over and let his fingers sink into her nipples, acquainting himself with the hardness and softness of her peaks and curves. Instinct took over and he took her breast in his mouth. His tongue needed to discover what his fingers already knew.
Brittany squirmed and played with the back of his ear. His body shivered from the sensation. He leaned away long enough to shed his jacket and shirt. He gr
ipped Brittany’s arms and kissed her again. He couldn’t get enough of her mouth, her neck, her breasts. He was impatient for more.
Breaking the kiss he breathlessly admitted, “I don’t know how long I can last.”
“Me either. Don’t worry, sweetheart. This is only the first time,” she told him, tears glistening in her eyes. “There’ll be many more.”
She was giving him permission to take her, right now. He got out of bed and dropped his pants. Before he climbed back on, he fished a condom out of his pocket. He’d purchased a package at the airport in Illinois, hoping for this moment.
He was afraid he’d be awkward, but the condom slipped over his erection easily. He throbbed with desire for the beautiful woman who appeared to want him as much as he wanted her.
Her legs fell open, inviting him in. He eased himself inside her, willing himself not to explode, not yet. Closing the gap between them, he pressed his body flush with hers and kissed her, plunging his tongue into her mouth as he pumped his length in and out of her opening. She held him to her, skating her fingernails up and down his back, making him shudder. Every one of his senses were on high alert. When he felt her bite his shoulder, he couldn’t hold back any longer and he released his passion.
∙•∙
He lightly kissed her lips before rolling off her. He got out of bed to dispose of the condom in the bathroom. She smiled as he climbed back into bed, positioning himself behind her and locking her in his arms. She knew he liked this position from all the times she’d stayed over at his place. Holding on to his arms that were wrapped across her stomach, she closed her eyes and settled into a very contented nap.
A short time later, she woke up with a start, blinking as she tried to figure out where she was. “You okay?” She nodded and took a deep breath when she remembered. She was lying naked in Matthew’s arms. “Did you have another nightmare?”
“Nope. I expect to have nothing but good dreams from now on.” He smiled against her cheek, his face warm on hers. The feel of his stubble tickling her skin made it all so real. This felt like home. She had finally made love to the man she always belonged with. She snuggled into him. “Are you…are you sorry you broke your vow?”
“No, not even a little,” he said without hesitation. “And just so we’re clear, I didn’t break it. I chose to let it go.” Leaning closer to her ear, he whispered, “I’m glad I did.”
“I’m glad you did, too.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Brittany had just finished changing into her cheer gear and was about to close her locker when her phone buzzed. A maintenance worker at Nashville University had found the phone in the gymnasium bleachers where she dropped it, and they mailed it to her about a week after she returned to campus.
She recognized the alert tone for her crossword puzzle game, so she took the phone out of her locker and perused the game board. Hmm. H.A.P.P.Y. She hit the play button on the twenty-five-point word and placed the phone in her locker again. Then she led her squad onto the field.
Today’s championship matchup turned out to be more exhilarating than any game Brittany could remember, including all those games Philip quarterbacked. Not only was Tony on top of his game, but so was Matthew. As the Barracudas’ de facto kicker, he’d successfully punted four times, kicked an extra point twice, and made two field goals. The score was twenty to fourteen, and the Barracudas got the ball with less than two minutes to go in the game. This possession was critical, because if the opponent got the ball back, they could win it with a touchdown. If the Barracudas scored at all, it would become a two possession game, essentially putting it out of reach of the visiting team and ensuring a win for the home team.
The squad was cheering madly, even though the fans were already going wild without any encouragement from the cheerleaders.
Third down and six. Now there were less than forty seconds on the game clock. Tony handed the ball to the running back who gained only five yards before getting tackled. Fourth down. Twenty six seconds. Brittany held her breath when Matthew jogged onto the field, taking his spot at the thirty-five yard line to set up a forty-five-yard field goal. The field goal was makeable for most seasoned kickers, but Matthew wasn’t seasoned and he hadn’t even been a kicker until a couple of weeks ago.
Brittany closed her eyes and said a silent prayer. She opened them in time to watch the football sail through the uprights. “Yes!” she screamed, along with every other cheerleader, player, coach, and fan in the stadium.
In the middle of the field, the players surrounded Matthew, hugging him and butting chests. Many of her squad mates left the cheer line to join the expanding circle midfield, while some stayed in formation and continued cheering. Brittany was one of those who joyfully waved her pom poms, taking in the scene as more of a bystander than a participant. She wanted to be part of the celebration, to rush over and hug Matthew and tell him how proud she was. But her boyfriend deserved to have this moment of glory to himself, really his first since enrolling at EFU. So she hung back and watched the guys bounce up and down with glee. She watched Coach Fairchild give a conciliatory hug to the opposing team’s coach before approaching his own team and embracing his players, starting with Tony and Matthew.
Sofia ran back from midfield and grabbed Brittany’s wrist. “Come on,” she urged. When Brittany resisted, Sofia said, “Matthew keeps asking, ‘Where’s Brittany, where’s Brittany?’”
Brittany’s lips parted. She looked toward the field and then at Sofia. Her squad mate didn’t need to ask twice. She dropped the pom poms and ran toward the crowd.
“Matthew,” she began calling as she got closer. The circle was so dense by now, she couldn’t see the guys in the middle. Still, she searched for number nine. “Matthew!”
A voice rose above the crowd. “Brit, where you at?”
“Back here! I’m back here.”
“Let her through,” Matthew shouted as he worked his way toward the outside of the circle while Brittany worked her way in, following the sound of her lover’s voice.
Finally he was standing in front of her. He appeared larger than life, looking down at her with his shoulder pads broadening his frame and his helmet making him appear half a foot taller than normal. He pulled on his chin strap and removed the helmet. His hair was matted down, but he looked beautiful, just like the first time she saw him in the tunnel using the hem of his jersey to wipe the sweat off his brow. She smiled broadly. “You did it! You won the game.”
“That’s because I had an angel on my shoulder.” He took her in his arms and kissed her. When the kiss broke, she reached up and pushed the hair off his forehead. “I kept looking for you,” he told her.
“I didn’t want to intrude.” She glanced at the reporters heading in their direction. “People want to interview you. You’re the man of the hour and you deserve every minute. I don’t want to take any attention off you.”
Matthew shook his head and tightened his hold on Brittany. “You,” he said as he touched her face, “could never be an intrusion. Any celebration is meaningless without you.”
Biting her lip, she laughed. “I’ll have to remember that.”
“Don’t worry, angel. I won’t ever let you forget.”
About the Author
Natalie Brock has had a lifelong passion for writing and storytelling. She’s worked in a variety of industries, including advertising, publishing, and business communications, but nothing is more satisfying than bringing fictional worlds to life through her novels. Her Quarterback Sneak series is published by Hartwood Publishing and combines her love for writing with her interest in sports.
Originally from New York City, Natalie currently lives in West Central Florida with her husband.
If you enjoyed this book, this author has other works available here:
Author's Web Site
Other Books by this Author on Amazon
Hartwood Publishing delights in introducing authors and stories that open eyes, encourage thought, and res
onate in the hearts of our readers.
Table of Contents
Pass Protection by Natalie Brock
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
About the Author
If you enjoyed this book, this author has other works available here:
Hartwood Publishing delights in introducing authors and stories that open eyes, encourage thought, and resonate in the hearts of our readers.
Pass Protection (Quarterback Sneak Book 3) Page 18
