He pulled me closer to his side so we were almost touching. “I have word of the day emails, babe. I’m not just a dumb jock that protects the net. I actually read quite a bit.”

  Thank God for horseshoe booths.

  “I just still can’t with you and your nerdy side. But I do have to agree—Myla does stick her nose into everyone’s business. Sometimes, like in this case, I am glad she is like that though.”

  “Why is that?”

  “Because I probably wouldn’t be sitting here right now if it wasn’t for her pushing me to talk to you after the game the other night.”

  “I am so glad you listened to her.”

  “As am I.”

  His lips landed on my cheek. “I’ve wanted this for so long.” His confession soaked into my heart.

  “I’m so glad these feelings aren’t just one-sided.”

  I let myself take in his features. I could tell he hadn’t shaved in a few days, and he had the beginnings of a gorgeous beard.

  “I feel like I know you so well, but not at all.” His fingers laced into mine as he shifted to look directly at me. “Tell me something I don’t know about you.”

  “Ummmm, let’s see.” I hated being put on the spot like that. “I don’t remember the last time I was on a date, as embarrassing as that sounds.”

  Crosby chuckled. “That makes two of us. It’s been fucking years for me.”

  “Now you tell me something,” I playfully demanded.

  He took a deep breath. “I feel like this is something that should be out in the open right away, but I don’t know how to say it.”

  I could tell he was trying to choose his words very carefully. “Just say it. I am the last person you should ever worry about being judged by.”

  He sighed. “Okay, here it is: I am a very aggressive lover…like, I am into a lot of kind of extreme stuff.”

  Excitement shot through me. “Wait, hold on.” My hand flew to his arm.

  “I knew it would scare you off. Fuck.” He ran his hand over his face.

  “That is actually the opposite of what I was going to say.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “Is that so?”

  I nodded. “I think we might be compatible in that regard, sir.”

  His voice was low and rough as he said, “Sir—I could get used to that.”

  I kissed his cheek. “That’s exhilarating.” I bit my lip. “Can I confess something?”

  “Please do.”

  I pulled my purse closer to me and grabbed the black silk bag from within it. “This may or may not be a vibrator.”

  He growled a little. “You’re quite intriguing, little girl.” A sly smile peeked through Crosby’s short beard.

  “Oh yeah? Why is that, sir?” I played with the red straw in the rocks glass in front of me, trying to calm my shaking hands. Just the sound of his voice did something to me that I could not control, and frankly, I didn’t want to.

  Crosby’s eyes narrowed, pulling me even closer to him in the booth. “Because I never knew this side of you existed. You always came across as sweet and wholesome to me. It’s almost like walking into the nerdy girl’s closet and finding a cavalcade of whips, chains, and handcuffs. It’s fucking hot as all hell.”

  I bit my lip, letting my mind play with the image of Crosby handcuffing me to his bed. “People are always shocked when they figure out how much of a freak I really am, but it is also a side of me that I rarely reveal to anyone.”

  “I am glad you’ve opened up this is side to me, sweetheart.” His voice was gravel soaked in honey as his green eyes flamed with passion.

  “As am I.”

  Will grabbed my hand, starting to draw circles on my palm with his thumb. “I've been looking for you for a long time.”

  I sighed, leaning back into the cushioned booth. “I’ve been right here this whole time.”

  His eyes met mine, and they were filled with sincerity as he spoke in a low voice. “Trust me, I know. I am finally seeing it, truly and completely seeing you.”

  Our serve came over to get our order. Right as Will was about to order for us, I stopped him. “Why don’t we blow this joint, grab some pizza, and head back to your apartment? This place is not either of our cup of tea.”

  Crosby threw his menu down and pulled out his credit card. “You heard the lady.”

  “I’ll be right back with this.”

  The server huffed off and Crosby grabbed my hand. “Are you trying to make me fall for you on night one?”

  I quickly pecked his cheek. “Maybe.”

  Chapter 10

  Crosby

  I couldn’t get Jordan back to my place fast enough. After grabbing a pepperoni pie from the pizzeria down the block from my building, we were finally walking out of the elevator into my apartment.

  “I’ve got wine in the kitchen. Red or white?” I asked, slipping my shoes off. It wasn’t the first time Jordan had been to my place, but it felt like it was because of how nervous I was to have her there. I was so thankful I’d had the maid come while I was in Boston—I would have been so embarrassed if Jordan had seen the pigsty my place usually was.

  “Surprise me,” she said, setting the pizza box down on the table.

  I quickly poured us two glasses of zinfandel and joined her again. “Why don’t we eat this in bed and find a good movie to watch?”

  “Yes!” She grabbed the food and a couple of napkins. “Best first date ever!”

  “I’m really glad you think so.”

  Jordan kicked off her heels and jumped into my plush king-sized bed. Right then all of my apprehension flew out the window. We were the same two friends we always had been, but now we were just kicking our relationship up a notch. I felt silly for how much I had let myself overthink the situation. It was turning out to be absolutely amazing, and I didn’t want to miss a second of it because I was worrying.

  We settled on watching A Walk to Remember, and it was so adorable how Jordan knew all the words. She even started laughing before the funny parts even happened. It would never have been my first choice in movies, but when her face lit the fuck up as I scrolled passed it, there was no way I wasn’t going to put it on. I wasn’t really interested in watching the movie anyway—I wanted to watch her.

  Jordan caught me staring at her. “What?” She narrowed her gaze at me.

  “I’m just admiring you.”

  She bounced closer to me, grabbing another slice. “Admiring my fat ass devouring this pizza.”

  “If you ever call yourself fat again in my presence, I will punish you.” My mind tripped to the thought of spanking her little bratty ass, making my dick twitch a little.

  “Is that so?” she teased, biting her lip.

  “A spanking a day keeps the brattiness away.” I winked at her, grabbing the top of her thigh. “I like you, little girl.”

  “Oh yeah? How much?” she asked with pizza still rolling around in her mouth.

  I grabbed the slice from her hand, tossed it back into the box, and threw the entire thing onto the floor. I let my fingers weave into her short, dark hair while I growled in her ear. “How about I show you.”

  She relaxed her shoulders, letting me drag her to the end of the bed.

  “You’re going to be a good girl and let Daddy have his way with you, okay?”

  She nodded.

  “I need to hear you say it, baby girl.”

  “You can do whatever you want to me, Daddy.”

  Hearing her call me that sent me into overdrive. I yanked her dress up over her head then tossed it onto the armchair in the corner of my room.

  She lay still on my bed in her black thong and matching lace bra, and I loved the sporadic ink that decorated her porcelain skin. She was the sheer picture of perfection to me, and I couldn’t believe she was lying in my bed.

  “I want you,” she whispered, her fingertip gliding over my chest as she started to play with the buttons on my dress shirt.

  “You’ll have me, babe. Let me take my time with you. I want to see you drip.” I moved her hand away from the top button. “I don’t want you to do anything. I’ll take care of this.”

  I slowly undressed, never letting my eyes drift from her, and I could see the anticipation building as she chewed on her lower lip.

  In only my boxers, I crawled on top of her, not letting any of my weight lean on her tiny body. “What are your limits, babe?”

  Her eyes locked on mine. “No knives, no hitting.”

  “Choking, toys, spanking, biting? All of those alright?”

  Her lips pulled together in a small smirk. “Mmmhmmm. All of those sound amazing.”

  “What about blindfolds and handcuffs?” I asked before kissing the nape of her neck.

  “Yes please, Daddy,” she begged.

  “What about birth control?” I felt weird asking, but it was the responsible thing to do.

  She propped herself up on one elbow to look at me. “I’m on the pill.”

  “Perfect. I just needed to check.” I hopped off my bed to grab a silk tie and a pair of handcuffs from my closet. “Close your eyes,” I commanded.

  She did as she was told and I placed the tie over her eyes, tying it as a blindfold. Pulling her hands onto her stomach, I clicked the cuffs around her dainty wrists. The sight of her in her underwear, bound on my bed, was one I never wanted to forget. I had an overwhelming urge to snap a quick picture, but I didn’t want to be that guy. Jordan meant too much to me to be treated like that—at least not without discussing it first.

  I let my index finger glide over her black lace panties, feeling how soaked they already were. “Are you excited, little girl?”

  “Yes Daddy.”

  “I can feel that. Where is your bag?” I asked, remembering that little black silk bag of hers.

  “By the front door.”

  I rushed through my apartment to retrieve her toy. I discarded my boxers before getting back down between Jordan’s legs. Pulling the little bullet out of its sheath, I let the vibrator gently roll over the thin fabric of her panties.

  “Oh, Will.” She cooed as her back arched a bit.

  Taking the delicate fabric into my teeth, I pulled them down to her knees. Kissing all the way back up her thigh, I could feel her knees already starting to shake. I set the vibrator to the side. It was time for me to play.

  Slowly, I lightly licked her sweet wetness, and a little moan cheered me on as her fingers rolled through my hair. Flattening my tongue, I traced over her sensitive skin and dug my fingers into her thighs as her legs wrapped a little tighter around my head. She was dripping with desire and I drank her nectar in, getting drunk off her passion.

  With two fingers, I explored her, never letting my tongue disconnect from her clit. Teasing her, I could feel I had her right on the edge.

  “Do you want to come, little girl?”

  She cried out, “Yes Daddy!”

  “You have to ask before you’re allowed to. That’s a rule.”

  “May I come, Daddy? Please?”

  I kissed her softly. “Not yet. You’re going to come on my dick. I need to feel it for the first time.”

  I pulled on her bound wrists, helping guide her to the edge of the bed. I stood at the foot, letting her legs dangle over the side. Spreading her legs apart, I grabbed her wrists with one hand and used my other to tease her soaked opening with the head of my dick.

  I thrust hard into her, as deep as I could go. She gasped, arching her back.

  “Take that cock like a good girl,” I snarled.

  “It feels amazing, Daddy.”

  I could feel her walls collapsing on me as she groaned. “Come for me, Jordan.” I whispered the demand. She cried out with passion and I felt the ecstasy as her pussy tightened around my dick.

  Her tits bounced under the thin fabric of her lace as I fucked her faster and faster. The gorgeous sight of her enjoying my dick overwhelmed me and before I knew it, I was fighting the urge to come.

  Her cooing my name was my undoing. I quickly pulled out of her and let hot come shower her stomach and milky breasts.

  She moaned, “I’m so close, Daddy. Please, let me come again.”

  I dropped to my knees, using my tongue to work her into a frenzy. Her hips bucked against my face as she rode out her climax, her legs trembling under me as she screamed out with pleasure.

  “You’re amazing.” She breathed heavily, letting her head fall to the side.

  “I think you’re the amazing one in this room, babe.”

  I quickly grabbed a towel and cleaned her up before releasing her hands and undoing the tie.

  “Can I take a shower?” she asked, sitting up a bit.

  “Of course.” I grabbed her hand, walked her into my sprawling master bathroom, and smiled when her jaw hung open. “Yeah, it’s pretty amazing.” I turned on the rain showerhead and the three body jets that were the perfect height for her. “Do you like super hot showers?”

  “Burn my skin, baby,” she teased.

  “I’ll leave you to it. All the soap is pretty manly stuff, I hope you don’t mind.”

  She shook her head. “I won’t be long.”

  I kissed the top of her head. “Take all the time you want. It is a wonderful shower.”

  Jordan

  Will’s shower was nothing short of shockingly amazing. After he left me to bathe in peace, I let myself enjoy the warm jets. There was even a seat in the perfect spot. Amazing sex followed by an incredible shower—was there anything better?

  Even though I didn’t want to leave the steam-filled awesomeness, the idea of Crosby still naked in his bed won out.

  I quickly toweled off, doing my best to dry my hair as much as possible. I made sure to fix the raccoon-looking makeup that had smudged around my eyes.

  Walking into Will’s room, I was struck by how adorable he was. Sitting on his bed with the covers pulled up over his lap, he sat chewing on some crust and watching the ending of my favorite movie. My eyes welled up with tears as the final speech came on.

  “Jamie saved my life. She taught me everything, about life, hope, and the long journey ahead. I’ll always miss her, but our love is like the wind: I can’t see it, but I can feel it."

  “Oh Landon.” I clutched my hand to my chest as Will’s wide eyes met mine.

  “It was on and I was too lazy to change the channel,” he muttered, wiping his mouth and hands with a napkin. “Do you want a shirt to sleep in?”

  “Yeah, sure it was. Admit it, you liked the movie. And yes, a shirt would be nice.”

  He shrugged. “For a mushy chick flick, it wasn’t half bad.”

  Crosby grabbed a t-shirt from a drawer and handed it to me. “Do you need anything? Water?”

  I hopped into bed. “Just you.”

  He climbed in after me, pulling me into his strong tattooed arms. “So, I think tonight was a success.” He kissed the top of my head.

  “I couldn’t agree with you more.”

  Thunder rolled outside the window as I wrapped the blanket a little tighter around me. I rolled over to find that Will wasn’t in bed next to me so I sat up, looking around the master bedroom. As I yawned and rubbed my eyes, he came back into the room.

  “Good morning, beautiful.” He smiled, looking drop-dead gorgeous standing in his doorway wearing nothing but boxers.

  “Morning,” I cooed.

  “Let’s have our coffee out on the balcony.” Crosby scooped me up into his arms and carried me through his large apartment, not setting me down until he was outside next to two cushion-covered chairs.

  I took a deep breath in. “I love that smell.”

  “Petrichor,” he stated before walking back in to grab two steaming mugs filled with hazelnut goodness.

  “What’s that?” I questioned as he took the seat next to me.

  He patted his lap and I happily climbed into his embrace. Pulling me to his chest, he whispered into my ear. “Petrichor is the distinct scent of rain in the air—or, to be more precise, it’s the name of an oil that’s released from the earth into the air before rain begins to fall.”

  “Fuck, I love when you talk nerdy to me. Do it again.” I nuzzled the nape of his neck before he kissed my forehead.

  “Ummm let’s see.” He tapped his foot for a second while racking his brain for another fun fact. “Do you know where we get the term in a nutshell?”

  I shook my head. “Do tell.”

  “The ancient Roman encyclopaedist Pliny the Elder claimed that a copy of Homer’s The Iliad existed that was small enough to fit inside a walnut shell. Almost two thousand years later, the Bishop of Avranches tested Pliny’s theory by writing out the entire thing in tiny handwriting on a walnut-sized piece of paper and lo and behold, he was able to do it.”

  “You’re killing me! Where do you get this stuff?”

  He pulled me closer to him. “I told you babe, I read a lot.”

  “You’re perfect,” I whispered.

  “I’ve honestly always had a crush on you. I just want you to know that I will always give you my respect and will cater to your needs and wants. You don’t deserve anything less, princess.”

  “Princess—I could get used to hearing that.”

  “And I could get used to saying it.”

  As we sat there, wrapped up in each other’s arms, I felt so much. I was scared, nervous, excited, lustful, eager – all rolled into me being the happiest I had been in as long as I could remember. The best part was, it was only the beginning.

  Chapter 11

  Jordan

  “I need every last damn detail.” Myla was sitting across from me in our favorite café, a weekly ritual we rarely missed. Over the years, Myla and I had gotten incredibly close, and I was so thankful Gavin had found such an awesome chick to marry.

  I could feel my cheeks blazing as I tried to fight the smile that was taking over my face while I answered her. “I hate myself for letting so many years pass without knowing how perfect we are for each other.”

  She gushed. “This is the fucking best ever.”

  “Yeah, it’s pretty damn great,” I agreed, taking another sip of my green tea latte. “The entire night was perfect.”