Chapter 17
Cassy
It was like dark clouds had suddenly cast a shadow over my sunshine, but I refused to let it ruin the day.
In the afternoon, it was my turn to be exposed to Ivan’s world. This whole city trip was turning out to be a getting-to-know-you date for us.
As we slipped into the football field where his teammates were practicing, I peered into his face. His expression was unreadable.
“Sure you’re ready for this now?” I said, squeezing his hand. I knew he hadn’t contacted any of his friends and teammates for a long time. Apart from Alex, he’d actually avoided all of them and had not been watching the games too. It probably just hurt too much, not knowing whether he’d be able to play again or not.
He nodded with conviction. “With you, I feel like I’m ready for anything.”
I laughed. “Since when have you turned soft and mushy?”
He placed an arm around me and kissed me on the forehead. Chuckling, he shrugged. “Beats me.”
We both laughed as we approached the team.
When they saw him, all hell broke loose. The coach called for a break and went to talk to him. His friends were eager to ask how he was, many of them urging him to heal faster.
“We need you, man!” one of them said. “Let’s go play now!”
“Stop acting like a wounded animal!” another called out, slapping him good-naturedly. He responded with a friendly punch. It seemed like this was one of his closer buddies.
He eventually introduced me to everyone. Some of them were polite, but there were a few who were very outspoken. One of them gave a low whistle and shouted, “Now we know why Willard’s not coming back anytime soon!” The others laughed at the comment.
“Shut up!” Ivan said, laughing.
“If I had a woman like that, man, I’d hole up in my hometown too.”
We all laughed. At one point, I saw Ivan eyeing the field with intensity. I knew then how heartbroken he was about his condition. It must be very difficult for him. But at least he’d mustered the courage to finally face it and accept the truth. After all, there was renewed hope.
“So where to next?” I asked after we left the field.
He grinned. “My apartment.”
On the way to where he used to live, he told me he’d had to keep paying for it because it was on a one-year lease. Besides, he had not anticipated the length of his recovery. He thought he’d be back at the game sooner.
The apartment was a studio type, but minimally designed like a hotel room with a mini kitchen and dining table for two. It was small but cozy, and was surprisingly neat and clean.
“I had it cleaned recently,” he explained.
“You should consider having it rented in the meantime,” I said. “My mom rents out a lot of our properties. That can give you extra income.”
“Yeah, that’s not a bad idea,” he said thoughtfully. “However, it just makes me sad, you know, like I won’t be back for an even longer time.”
“Well, yeah, that sucks,” I said in agreement.
He gave me a small pretend tour, holding my hand the entire time. “Over here is my humble kitchen where I whip up instant meals and microwave a lot of takeout food,” he said, making me laugh. “Take a few steps back and you’re already at the foot of my bed! Ta-da!”
I giggled as he pulled me toward him playfully. “Now this is where the famous football star sleeps, collecting energy for the big game.”
We stumbled backwards onto the bed with me on top of him. Our laughter died on our lips as we found ourselves gazing into each other’s eyes. The events of the day seemed to have brought us even closer to one another. I felt like so many things in our past had been unlocked, connecting us at a much deeper level and lifting our relationship to a higher degree.
He wrapped his arms around me as I played with the strands of his hair. “So…” I said. “Is this also where the famous football star sleeps with his female groupies?”
He was caught in surprise. “Sometimes,” he admitted. “But that was before. Now the famous football star is dating a famous fashion designer. And rumors say it’s serious.”
I giggled then. “Ooh, the rumors must be true.”
He pressed me harder against his body, causing me to heat up. “It’s only you who counts, Cassy,” he whispered, making my heart pound hard against my chest.
Then he lifted his head to kiss my lips. I closed my eyes and savored the sweet taste of him.
We pressed against one another as we shared a fervent French kiss, our carnal desire escalating uncontrollably. With our bodies grinding together, I could feel his cock through our clothes, rubbing on my thigh and causing my dampness to grow.
In a rush, we took off each other’s clothes. Skin on skin, our hands got busy exploring and caressing, causing our body heat to rise, making me feel like I was about to explode in tremendous pleasure.
I took charge above him, my blood running and my heart pumping fast. I was oblivious to the effort as I moved my body on top of his, savoring every bit of his length filling me inside. Soon I was blown away, the intense pleasure spreading throughout my limbs.
Falling to his side, breathing heavily, he positioned me to face the other side as he entered me from the back in a spooning position. The pressure of his cock thrusting deep into me made me scream in a mixture of pain and pleasure. He pushed again and again, his hands wrapped around my body, stroking my burning skin and my heaving breasts.
Before I knew it, he’d already climaxed. Panting, we lay on the bed with my head on his shoulder. He kissed my forehead and smiled. I smiled back and then fell asleep.
More than an hour had passed when I opened my eyes again. Ivan was back in his jeans, quietly studying my face. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but as soon as our eyes met, he gave me a grin. “Hey, beautiful,” he whispered. “You better get dressed before I get tempted again.”
“Then get tempted again,” I whispered back naughtily.
He chuckled. “We need to hurry back so we can get to Burchnell before dark.”
“Oh, all right,” I said, feeling disappointed. I was so in the mood to just hang out with him the entire day without a care in the world, just cuddling and being couch potatoes together. But he was right. We had to get going.
On the road, we laughed and sang along to upbeat music with the windows down. The cool breeze blew on my face refreshingly, signaling the cloudy dusk approaching. The sun had hidden behind the clouds, but my heart was still shining just as radiantly.