He climbed the staircase carefully with her in his arms, kisses never pausing. And from the feel of it, they were making up for lost time. For all those years that they’d been apart. All the kisses they’d missed because of it. Inside her bedroom, Mark flipped the light and then tossed her easily onto the bed. She bounced, watching him with hooded eyes.

  “Babe,” he started, unsure what he needed to say. His cock throbbed, trapped beneath his belt, but that was only half of what needed to be said.

  “Please,” she moaned, tugging at her dress. Her smeared lipstick was as sexy as it was endearing. “Mark, I need you. So fucking bad.”

  “I know.” He raked a hand through his hair as he stepped closer, his gaze darting up and down her body. Memorizing this moment, but also pumping the brakes a little. “I need you too. But—”

  “But?” she whispered, already looking heartbroken.

  He laughed softly, grabbing her chin between thumb and forefinger. “But I need you to tell me you’re serious about this. Because once I get you undressed, I’m going to fucking ravage you, babe. That’s not a maybe. That’s a promise.”

  Her chest heaved, desire glinting in her eyes. “It’s all I’ve been waiting for, Mark.”

  13

  Tessa squealed as Mark dipped down and buried his face in her cleavage. Hot kisses discovered the tops of her breasts as he gathered the material of her dress at her hips. He groped blindly for a zipper at her back, couldn’t find it, and then took to dragging his teeth back and forth over the peaks of her nipples visible through the fabric. She shivered as his hands traced the outsides of her thighs, dipping one hand between her legs to brush the damp fabric of her panties.

  “You are so fucking wet,” he murmured, drawing lazy circles around her clit. She jolted beneath him, so desperate for this she could hardly think straight. She hadn’t just wanted him inside her since they reunited. She’d been pining for this since the last time they made love senior year.

  “Take your clothes off,” she urged, tugging at the front of his shirt. He grunted and stood, fumbling to get his tie and buttons undone. Once he was shirtless but still in expensive designer pants, she made him stop.

  “Oh my god,” she whispered, looking him up and down several times. He looked like a god. Like an incredible, youthful, horny god, with that thick ridge of his erection making itself known in his pants, the bumps of his abs an endless wonderland. “You are perfect.”

  “Don’t even start,” he said, shucking his belt. “Or you’re gonna make me list all the ways you’re perfect.”

  She giggled as he pushed his pants down, the head of his cock escaping his boxer briefs. He didn’t seem to care—or notice—as he climbed back onto the bed. But it was all she could see. Her hands went straight for him, finding the slick, bulbous head immediately.

  “Ohhhh, babe,” he moaned as she reached inside his underwear and started stroking him, base to tip. His abs tightened as she fisted him, and then she pushed at him until he rolled onto his back. She tugged his boxer briefs down over his legs and tossed them aside, her gaze gobbling up his athletic physique. He’d always been hot—but now he was football star perfection. She fisted him, watching the emotions splay across his face. Desire hooded his eyes when she dipped down and took a long, purposeful pull at his cock.

  He groaned, gritty and long. Fingers knotted in her hair as she worked him, up and down, as deep as she could, loving the way he ground against her. Her name on his lips was a sexy prayer, both a plea and a command. How had she survived the past six years without this? Without him?

  It was as if he could sense her thoughts, because something shifted between them. The final snap that signaled their descent into oblivion. Mark grunted, hauling her up to his lips for a passionate kiss while he arranged her hips on top of him. Her legs folded at his sides, and his cock pressed into the damp fabric between her legs. She gasped through a kiss when his cockhead nudged at her opening.

  He broke the kiss only to growl, “Take your panties off.”

  She fell forward into another kiss, struggling to remove her underwear without breaking the seal. But eventually, she had to focus on something other than his tongue pressing into her mouth. She hurried to remove her dress and peel her panties off, and then Mark made quick work of her bra when she eased back on top of him.

  “I want to be inside you,” he said, jerking her by the hips so that her pussy covered the thick ridge of his cock. She gasped, relishing the jolt of pleasure. The man radiated heat and masculinity, so intensely that she wondered if she’d survive their passion. It could be her undoing—too beautiful and cataclysmic to bear.

  “I know,” she moaned, palming the wide expanse of his chest. He jerked at her hips again, his cock rubbing against the swollen folds of her pussy. A breath shuddered out of her. “I just want you to go easy on me. It’s been a long time.”

  He cupped her face in his hands, searing her with a meaningful look. “How long?”

  She almost didn’t want to admit it. “Six years.”

  Understanding shimmered in his gaze, and he held her by the hips as he expertly flipped them around, so that Tessa lay on her back. Her knees splayed open, and Mark fit himself between her legs. Like the spot had been made for him. Maybe it had been.

  She appreciated that he didn’t push further, or express any shock—or worse, pity—that he had been the only one for her, even after all this time. He’d taken her virginity and her heart and given her the world: her baby. What else did she need to know? There was no experimentation that could change what he meant to her.

  “I’ll go slow, babe,” he murmured, lining up his hips. His thick cockhead pressed for entrance, his gaze fastened on where their bodies aligned. “I’ll make us both feel really good.”

  She didn’t doubt that for a second. And as he eased himself inside of her, inch by glorious inch, pleasure started a slow, prickly unfurling. She dug her fingernails into his forearms, her hips opening more to allow him deeper access. And then she was moaning, moaning as he stretched and filled her. He still felt as familiar to her as ever, but now they were adults. His masculinity penetrated her in a way he never had before.

  “Oh my god, Mark,” she whimpered, after he’d pushed himself to the hilt. She rocked against him, wanting infinitely more of him.

  “You feel so amazing, babe.” He sounded drugged as he flexed his hips, finding just a little bit more space inside her. She wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing their lips crashing together. Their kisses became deeper, more passionate, as Mark began slow, deep thrusts. She arched up into him, welcoming every last bit of him, fuller than she’d ever been yet somehow still wanting more.

  He gripped her hips, fingertips digging into her flesh just above the bone. His brown gaze sizzled on her, drawing her deeper into their connection. She was lost in his eyes. Lost in the pleasure. Lost in how good it felt to finally be pressed against him, wrapped around him, fully diving into him.

  He pounded into her more forcefully, and she just whimpered and asked for more. His gaze on her was so intense she almost didn’t want to blink. His jaw flexed, and he suddenly dipped down for another kiss.

  When he plunged his tongue into her mouth, something unlocked inside of her, and the orgasm began to unravel. Heat traveled through her limbs, sinuous and lethargic. She clutched at his muscly shoulders and moaned.

  “Harder, Mark,” she cried out. “I’m so close.”

  “I know, babe.” His breath was wispy. Sweat beaded at his temples, and he scooped her up in his arms, bringing their bodies flush. And then he sat back so she fell onto his lap. With his powerful thighs he ground up into her from below, forceful yet tender.

  And then the light show began. All that prickling heat turned into bona fide fireworks, and her mouth parted, a long, gravelly moan floating past her lips. Pleasure assaulted her from every corner as Mark drilled up into her. All she could do was cling to him and come, riding the waves of pleasure so high it felt like she might never come down.

  Mark groaned, his arms around her tightening. And then he drilled up into her and stilled, burying his face in her cleavage. He rocked back and forth slowly, breathing heavily. Neither of them attempted to move for a while. All Tessa could do was revel in the satisfaction.

  It pervaded every corner of her body. The only thought on her mind was Oh my god.

  Mark finally tipped his head back and looked up at her. She covered his lips with a kiss, then again and again. And when their eyes met, his brown gaze shimmered with something that she felt down to her bones. Something she’d known for a long time with this man.

  Something that she knew he could feel just as much.

  14

  The next morning Tessa woke up with her pelvis aching. Natural consequences of having mind-blowing sex with an NFL player, she supposed. He’d never been able to be truly gentle with her, even in high school. And now? Well, it wasn’t like she could complain. She wanted it exactly how he gave it to her.

  She smiled as she opened her eyes, finding the room unnaturally bright. Realization washed over her in waves. First: Mark was gone. Second: voices from downstairs and then the front door shutting.

  The excited undertones of Angus’s voice reached her next, and she comprehended what was going on. Mark’s parents had brought Angus over, and he was coming home to find his parents at home together. Her heart swelled at the same time anxiety spiked through her. She didn’t want to give him false hope…but then again, all signs pointed to this being a reoccurring event.

  She slipped out of bed and dressed quickly. By the time she’d come downstairs, Angus was seated at the dining room table, humming to himself, and Mark was scrambling some eggs at the stove.

  “Morning sleepyhead,” Mark said, sending her a teasing smile. He wore mesh workout shorts and a plain gray T-shirt. Too delectable for words.

  “Morning, Mommy!” Angus chirped. She ruffled his hair and sat down beside him.

  “Did you sleep well last night with Gram and Granddad?” she asked.

  “Oh, yeah! We had so much fun. They even let me stay up late.”

  She sent a shrouded look at Mark, who only shrugged. “Well, you got enough sleep, right? You ready for school today?”

  “So ready!” Angus said, kicking his feet.

  “They had a blast,” Mark chimed in, coming to the table with three plates of toast and eggs.

  “What’s on your bread?” Angus asked, pointing at Mark’s plate. “Green eggs and ham?”

  Mark grinned. “No, that’s avocado on my toast. Your dad’s gotta be big and strong to play all this football, you know.” He slid into his seat and wasted no time crunching into his crispy toast. “And that requires healthy fats and the occasional yoga class.”

  Tessa’s brow lifted as she looked over at Mark. “Yoga too, huh?”

  “Oh, yeah. It’s Friday. So I’ve got my elective, and I chose yoga.” He sent her a devilish grin. “But I’ve gotta eat fast. I was supposed to leave”—he checked his phone—“right now.”

  “You go on,” Tessa said, shooing him. “I’ve got this. Angus and I don’t have to leave for another half hour.”

  “Thanks, babe.” He downed his toast, chugged some orange juice, and then pressed a kiss to Tessa’s and Angus’s foreheads. “You guys have a good day, okay? I’ll see you after work.”

  “Bye, Daddy!” Angus called out, twisting in his chair to watch Mark hurry out the door. Tessa smiled to herself as they ate. It was only once they’d finished and she was washing dishes that she realized she hadn’t looked at her phone once.

  But after cleaning up from breakfast, she realized she didn’t have much time to put herself together if she wanted to get them to school on time. So she hurried to the bathroom, took a quick shower without washing her hair, and slipped into jeans and a loose blouse for Casual Friday. After a quick base of makeup, she grabbed her phone and scooted out the door with Angus, right on time.

  Her phone chirped a time or two as she and Angus got settled into the car, but she ignored it. Whoever it was could wait. Only when she’d pulled out onto the road did her phone start buzzing with a phone call. It was the head of school, Robert. Frowning, she answered it quickly.

  “Hello?”

  “Tessa. Good morning.” There was an awkward pause from the other end. “Are you on your way in?”

  “Yes. I just left my house. Is everything okay?”

  “Once you get Angus settled in, I’d like you to stop by my office.” Another awkward pause, and this time, all Tessa could think was What in the hell is going on here?

  “Okay…” she prompted. “Again, is everything okay?”

  “We need to chat,” he said firmly. “And we need to go over some strategy.”

  She blinked a few times, struggling to piece together this information. “Have my lesson plans not been up to par? I—”

  “No, it’s not…” Robert sighed. “Listen, we’ll talk when you get here. My office, first thing, okay?”

  The line went dead, and Tessa couldn’t ignore the painful lurch in her gut. Nothing made sense. Robert didn’t make courtesy calls like this. Something was wrong. As she set her phone into the dash holder, the preview screen lit up.

  Twenty messages awaited her. Countless social media notifications. Three missed calls.

  She swallowed hard and pulled over onto the side of the road. This was too weird. She needed to figure out what was going on.

  “Mom, what are we doing?” Angus asked.

  “I just need to check my phone really quick,” she said, trying to keep her voice calm. Normal. Unlike the swirl of dread currently cycling through her. “And you know what I always say: no texting and driving.”

  “No texting and driving,” Angus parroted back. With shaky hands, she opened up the slew of waiting messages. Some were from her father, others from college friends. One was from a coworker with bulging emoji eyes and a link.

  She touched the link, nibbling at her upper lip as the page loaded.

  And then she found out what the fuss was about. Why Robert had called her into the office. Why her father was asking if she was okay.

  Her nearly naked picture had been splashed across the Internet, and the world was eating it up.

  Everything around her ground to a halt as she absorbed the new truth of her world. One online magazine asked: NFL Rookie’s GF—Hot Enough for Playboy? Another outlet had splashed the photo alongside other notorious NFL girlfriends, begging viewers to compare and choose their favorite, with the promise that whoever won would be contacted for a potential modeling gig. Yet another website decried Tessa for trying to steal the limelight from the Sharks, with an accompanying comment section ripping into every girlfriend of every NFL player ever.

  How had the photo gotten out?

  “Mom, we’re going to be late,” Angus reminded her, his sweet voice breaking through the haze of her horror.

  “Uh…you’re right.” She swallowed hard, trying to reorient herself. She looked at the car clock without digesting the information. “We’ll be heading out soon. Just a second.”

  She addressed the rest of her social media notifications—all friends trying to figure out why she was suddenly a mildly pornographic NFL girlfriend—and shut off her phone with a disgusted frown.

  None of this made sense.

  Especially because she’d sent that photo to Mark. Not to the media. Not to a journalist. Not to anyone other than her best friend and former boyfriend, Mark.

  So how the hell had the Internet gotten ahold of it?

  She wracked her brain as she drove, cranking up the music so that Angus might at least be distracted from her sour descent into her thoughts. Was it possible that Mark himself had leaked the photo? She squinted as she drove, unable to piece together these thoughts.

  He was still the same old Mark he’d always been…wasn’t he?

  She felt like she was walking on glass as she herded Angus toward the school building under the bright, hot sun. Inside, she quickly took him to his classroom, where he was always one of the first to show up, and then bypassed her own classroom in favor of going straight to Robert’s office. As she stepped inside the administration lobby, a few of the administrative assistants averted their eyes.

  “Is Robert here?” she asked the nearest employee.

  “Yeah, you can go on back.” She waved Tessa in. Nobody had looked her in the eye still. Humiliation returned to her, a swift punch in the gut, and unfortunately familiar.

  When she got to Robert’s office, the door was open. He gestured for her to join him, and she closed the door behind her.

  “Robert,” she started, “I just found out about what happened.”

  His brows shot up. “You did?”

  “The picture. The—” She paused, swallowing a thick knot. There was so much to unpack here, and she really needed a whole day to herself to do it. “I have no idea why my photo is floating around the Internet right now. I am shocked and outraged.” Her voice trembled as she went on. “I don’t even have words for what I’m feeling right now.”

  “Regretful, perhaps?” he asked, clicking the top of a pen as he leaned back in his chair. She opened her mouth to interject but he went on. “Willows Christian Academy has a long and rich history of producing students who not only excel academically, but possess a strong moral compass. You signed a code of conduct when you took this job, and that signifies your acceptance to uphold the values of this school. Values like modesty and correct behavior.” His blue gaze was stony as he looked her in the eye. “You can see why an incident like this affects your job performance. Because it is your job to teach. Not only in the classroom, but by example.”

  “I understand that, Robert. I understand that one hundred percent,” she rushed to say, already feeling the tears accumulating. “But you have to understand—this was shared without my consent. It was a breach of privacy, of trust—”

  “But you were able to be breached, which is part of the problem,” he interrupted. “Do you see what I’m saying? We work for our students. And by extension, our students’ parents. They don’t want their children to be guided into young adulthood by someone with questionable morals—”