The End Zone (Atlanta Lightning 2)

“Holy fuck, that’s hot,” he said, then, “let me try.”

“Are you sure? I can get myself off.”

“I want to. This isn’t going to be one-sided just because I haven’t been with a man before. Let me have all of you.”

I’d hoped for that so fucking much.

Darren swatted my hand away, then took its place. He was slow, tentative, but it didn’t matter. Darren Edwards’s fingers were wrapped around my dick. There was nothing better than that.

“Is this good?” he asked, jerking me.

“Yeah, Christ, yeah. You can squeeze a little tighter, though.”

He did, picking up speed too. My eyes rolled back, then closed until he said, “Look at me.” And I did.

The heat in his gaze was all it took to have me emptying my balls all over myself and his hand, in a burst of pleasure.

We lay there together for a moment, neither of us speaking. Don’t change your mind. Don’t let it be too much.

“Come on. Let’s get cleaned up,” I said.

We went to the bathroom. Darren washed my orgasm off his hand, and I wiped up with a wet washcloth.

“My knees are fucking killing me tonight.”

I remembered what he’d said about the arthritis and thought about the physical effect the game had on his body. “Lie down. I’ll be right back.”

I tugged clothes on and went to get some ice. I filled two small trash bags with it, tied them. When I got back to the room, I sat beside him, holding one to each knee. He was quiet, pensive in a way he wasn’t usually. “Is this right? You said you ice them.”

“This is perfect. You don’t gotta spoil me this way.”

“I want to.”

His gaze changed, his stare more intense and unreadable.

“Are you okay?” I asked. “If you can’t do this…if you change your mind, just tell me. I need you to be honest with me, Dare. Don’t leave me guessing.”

“Hey, no. I didn’t change my mind. I won’t ever lie to you or keep you in the dark. I just… For the first time in my life, I don’t wanna go afterward. I just wanna stay with you.”

I tried not to let those words make me float away, but it was damn hard. “So, you like my blowjob skills?”

“I like you,” he answered. I liked him too.

We lay there, me icing his knees while his fingers stroked back and forth over my thigh. He rarely looked away from me. Darren didn’t get uncomfortable by things like that. He just…took me in, and I soaked it all up.

After a while, he said, “I have to get back.”

I nodded, stood, and got rid of the ice. When he was fully dressed, I walked him to the door. Darren grabbed me, pulled me close, and kissed me. “Night, Angel.”

“Good night, Troublemaker.” I made sure to stand out of the way as his hand went for the knob. “Wait. How am I a bad boyfriend?”

He grinned. “I wanted to see my name and number on you. West always wears Anson’s jersey.”

“So fucking cocky,” I teased, not telling him I’d worn his name proudly but had tucked it away before he saw me.

After Darren slipped out, I watched the closed door like he would somehow come back. “Get it together,” I whispered to myself, and got ready for bed.

Chapter Eighteen

Darren

“What’s up with you, D? Why you so quiet?” Mia asked, nudging me with her hip. We were both at Momma’s house, a week before Thanksgiving, and as always lately, I seemed to have Jeremy-brain. That’s what I was calling it.

“Nothing much. Just thinking about the rest of the season.” Which was partly true, so maybe I had Jeremy/football-brain? Those two things seemed to be all I thought about.

“You guys are killin’ it. You’re killin’ it. Going into free agency at the end of the season, the timing couldn’t be better to secure a new contract.”

Nothing could stop us. This was our year. I felt it in my bones, and she was right. The timing couldn’t be better to secure a contract with the Lightning. I’d played well for them my entire career, but I knew that didn’t always matter. Football was funny that way, and sometimes other things came into play.

“Where’s the cocky comment?”

“Huh?”

“Where’s your typical boast about how good you are and all that? Are you sure you’re not sick? Momma! I think something’s wrong with Darren!” she called out, and I rolled my eyes.

“Be quiet before I hold you down and tickle you.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Do you know me?”

Momma came into the room. “What are the two of you yelling about?”

“Hey, I didn’t yell. That was Mia.”

“Darren threatened to tickle me.”

“She called me cocky.”

Momma smiled. “I love when I have both my babies in my house at the same time.” She turned to me. “And you are cocky. Do you know you?” We all laughed, and she added, “But with good reason.”