Back at his house, we went inside.

I frowned as I sat down on his couch, still feeling bad about what had happened to him.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m sad. Why won’t your coach let you back on the team? I feel like it’s all my fault, and there’s nothing I can do.”

“It’s complicated, but I’ll figure it out. I have options.”

“You want to play, though, right?”

He nodded.

“More than you know. You coming up to bed?”

“I’m going to look through some old photos for a bit. Do you mind?”

“Not at all. You’ve got me tuckered out.”

“You did not just say you were tuckered out.”

“Don’t tell anyone, okay?”

He winked at me. I kissed him, pressing my palms against his rock hard chest.

“You’re going to start the launch sequence if we’re not careful,” he said with a chuckle.

“Launch sequence?”

He glanced down, between my legs.

“Oh. Funny. I’ll crawl into bed soon and see if you’re still up. Get it?”

“I got it. Have fun.”

As I removed my laptop from my bag, he turned and went upstairs. The physical and emotional explosions from earlier that evening were affecting me in a big way.

In the bottom of my bag, I noticed a flash drive with the Kent State logo on the side. My eyes widened in joy as I reached in and snatched it out. Holding it up in front of my face, I smiled.

When I had told Toby I didn’t keep copies of all my files, I had forgotten the files had at one time been on my spare flash drive. They were deleted, but I might be able to get them back.

If I did, I would be able to prove Jessica had stolen them from me in order to make Toby look bad and ruin his career. Publishing the information, with proof, might sway public opinion.

And if that happened, his coach and the team owners might rethink letting him go when his contract ran out at the end of the season. They might even let him play again.

I set my laptop down on his dining room table and pulled out a chair. A moment later, the computer was reading the flash drive. The newspaper supplied all their employees with RecoverIT.

The software allowed the retrieval – most of the time – of deleted files. As the program loaded up, I took a deep breath. Should I wake Toby up? No, I’ll let him sleep.

When RecoverIT finally loaded, I pointed it to the flash drive. Magically, I saw a list of all the files Jessica had stolen from my computer. Immediately, I took a screenshot.

I felt bad for not thinking of it sooner, but if it helped Toby get back on the team, I’d learn to forgive myself. After a few clicks, the software began to recover the files.

While it worked in the background, I opened my email to compose a new message. Scott was the main recipient with the publisher as a CC. I breathed deeply then began typing.

I started the email with why and how I’d gotten a job at the newspaper. Five hundred words later, I got to the point. In the memo, I admitted making a mistake of leaving personal photos on my computer.

The next paragraph, I outlined why doing a story on Jessica stealing the photos and pressing charges against her would be a good thing for the newspaper. Well, the corporation that owned the local paper.

By the time I signed off with “Sincerely, Haley Harrison, Photographer,” I had myself convinced it would all work out. At least the first step of my plan to save Toby’s career. His coach had to get on board too.

While staring at the message on the screen, inspiration struck me. Toby had told me Coach Harris might be retiring. If I convinced the publisher to name the coach a local hero, he might change his mind.

I dove into the message, adding two paragraphs about tying the Jessica story to Coach Harris retiring at the end of the season. To make it even sweeter, I whipped up a spreadsheet full of revenue projections.

The stories on Jessica and the coach plus a dedicated website for all things Cleveland Browns would drive a lot of eyeballs and advertising revenue, the only real numbers corporate cared about.

Maybe it was the lack of sleep or the fact Toby had fucked me so damn good, but I felt inspired. My whole life had been leading up to this moment. If I succeeded, everything would be even better.

I heard birds chirping outside as I finished the massive message. After reading it through one more time, I hit send. Crap. Am I doing the right thing? Worst case scenario, they would fire me.

A new job wouldn’t be so bad, I thought as I crept upstairs. Toby slept on his stomach, his body only half-covered. I walked over, slipped out of my clothes, and cuddled up next to him.

He groaned and rolled over, putting his arm around me. I fell asleep almost instantly, so tired and full of joy and apprehension at the same time. No matter what happened, when I woke, Toby would be with me.

In some ways, that was all that mattered.

* * *

The next morning, I woke to the sound of my phone ringing. Toby groaned as I reached over to his nightstand and grabbed it. The number was from the newspaper. Uh oh.

“Hello?” I answered.

“Is this Haley Harrison?” a woman asked.

“Um, yes. May I ask who’s calling?”

“This is Ms. Nielson, assistant to the publisher at the Cleveland Press.”

“Yes,” I said, sitting up in bed. “Is everything okay?”

“Mr. Schmidt would like to see you in his office today before your shift. Can you come in early?”

“Sure. Is everything okay? What does he want to talk to me about?”

“You’ll find out when you get here. What time can you make it in?”

“An hour or two maybe? I work second shifts, so it’s early. What time is it?”

“Eight o’clock. Can you make it at nine-thirty?”

“Yes, ma’am. Is this about the email I sent?”

“I have you down, Ms. Harrison. See you at nine-thirty sharp. Goodbye.”

She ended the call before I could ask any other questions.

What the hell? Hazy memories of the crazy email I’d crafted just a few hours earlier flashed through my mind. Did them not saying anything mean it was bad news or good?

I shook Toby’s shoulder. He groaned again, pulling away.

“It’s early,” he mumbled.

“I think I fucked up again,” I said.

He rolled over and opened his eyes a crack.

“We’ll be fine. I promise. Can I sleep five more minutes?”

“My boss wants me to come in early today.”

“Scott? What’s he want with you?”

“No, my boss’ boss, the publisher.”

“Do you want me to go with you?”

“No, but I wanted to let you know.”

I crawled out of his massive bed.

“Love you,” he said, stretching. “Good luck.”

“Thanks. I’m going to need it, I think.”

He sat up in bed and stretched again.

“They didn’t tell you what they want?”

I shook my head.

“That’s never a good sign,” he said.

“Yeah, that’s why I’m kind of freaking out. I kind of sent them this email last night.”

“Sent them an email? I’m so confused right now. I need coffee.”

“You sleep, baby. I’ll talk to you when I get back. I may be jobless, so prepare yourself.”

“I’m here for you,” he said then laid back down and closed his eyes.

I smiled while staring at his sleeping body. Even if I lost my job, I would still have him in my life. And that was worth much more than some silly newspaper job.

As my lover and soul mate slept, I showered and got dressed before having breakfast downstairs. He wandered in, yawning, as I finished my toast and jam.

“Okay, did I dream all that upstairs, or?”

“Unfortunately, no. I’m on my way out the door now. I hope the car starts.”

He bent down and kissed me on the forehead.

“You go get them. How long is the meeting?”

“I have no idea. I’ll call you when it’s done, okay?”

“Sure. Maybe I’ll have a surprise for you.”

He grinned.

“I’m not sure if I’m ready for any more surprises in my life.”

I stood up and left his house.

My car started up, barely.

* * *

My knee bounced up and down nervously as I sat outside the publisher’s lavish office. A handful of journalists were culled from the staff every year, making all of our jobs more difficult, but he had a great salary and all the trappings of upper management for a huge corporation.

I stole a glance at Ms. Nielson. All the stories about her being cold and emotionless were true. She worked behind her desk outside the publisher’s office, head down and focused.

The door opened thirty minutes after I arrived. Mr. Schmidt stood in the doorway, his pants held halfway up his huge belly by a pair of suspenders. He stared at me.

“Haley?”

I nodded nervously, my heart racing.

“I’ll see you now. Come inside.”

His assistant gave me no comfort as I walked over and through the doors.

“Go ahead and shut them,” he said as he lumbered across the huge office to his desk.

I saw Scott sitting at a chair in front of it, staring at me, his face so serious.

Neither of the men were helping me read the situation as I wandered over after closing the door.

“Have a seat, Haley,” Mr. Schmidt said, waving his arm toward the empty chair next to Scott.

I sat down, hands neatly folded in my lap.

“We’ve been discussing this email you sent early this morning,” he said, glancing at his computer screen. “That was quite a memo.”

“If I could say something,” Scott started.

Mr. Schmidt held up his hand, silencing the photo editor.

Crap. This is not good.

“After much consideration…” Go on! Spill it! Tell me! “We absolutely love your idea for a website and series on the Cleveland Browns franchise. It has everything that draws traffic; scandal, sexy photos, football, and the American Dream.”

I found myself speechless.

“Scott here tells me you’ve been doing good work lately.”

“Thank you, sir. To be honest, Scott helped a lot with this idea of mine.”

I glanced over at him and saw a faint trace of thanks on his face.

“That’s all well and good, but I want you to spearhead this effort. Can you handle that?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Great. Send me the full plan by the end of the week. Scott can help you with the format.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Quit thanking me, and go get it done. You have a good idea, but those are a dime a dozen. I need people who can get things done.”

“That’s me,” I said, standing up.

Scott stood as well.

“Is there anything else?” I asked.

“That’s it,” Mr. Schmidt said, already staring at his computer screen.

“Let’s go,” Scott said quietly.

“No, you stay here, Scott. We have to talk more about this whole Jessica mess. The way I see it, you were the one who let her into the newsroom where she could steal the photos.”

“They were personal photos, sir. She shouldn’t have had them in the newsroom in the first place.”

The publisher looked up from his monitor to stare down his nose at Scott.

“I’ll see you later, Haley. Scott, take a seat.”

I shuffled toward the door.

Is this a dream? I can’t believe…

“Close the door behind you, please,” the publisher called out.

I did. Ms. Nielson didn’t bother to look up as I walked by her desk toward the stairs, but I didn’t care. My only thought was the big assignment directly from the publisher. If I proved myself, my career might really take off.

When I got downstairs and walked to the parking lot, I saw a brand new Lexus parked near the entrance. The horn honked. I put my hand over my eyes to shield them from the sun.

I still couldn’t see who was inside.

“Haley, it’s me,” Toby called from the driver’s side window.

“What’s this all about?” I asked as I got inside the passenger seat.

“It’s yours,” he said with a smile.

“How did you get it so fast? I mean, you were half-asleep when I left an hour ago.”

“You like it?” he asked.

“I feel like I’m in a spaceship cockpit.”

He chuckled.

“How did the meeting go?”

“So good!” I said excitedly. “I should really stay here and work, but I’m so excited.”

“Back to my house? Or do you need to get some fresh clothes?”

“Yes and yes,” I said, so full of joy. “Do you think we could go talk to your coach today before I go into work?”

“Why?”

“Well, I need his involvement with this big project at work.”

“We can go talk to him, but I’m not sure it’s going to help. I’ll give him a call.”

I leaned over and put my hand on his arm before stretching to kiss him.

He pulled back.

“You want to drive?”

“This is really my new car?”

“Yeah. I’m going to get a new one too, I think, but you need something reliable.”

“Um, this looks a bit beyond reliable.”

We switched seats, hugging as we passed each other in front of the luxury car.

* * *

Toby sat next to me at one end of the long conference table. Coach Harris sat at the opposite end looking as dour as usual. One of the four attorneys for the Cleveland Browns cleared his throat.

“In light of the changing circumstances in reference to the media, the franchise is ready to talk with you about your suspension, Mr. Jenkins.”

“Can I get back on the team?” he asked. “Playoffs are coming up.”

“At this point, that’s up to the head coach.”

Toby glanced down the table at Coach Harris.

“Well, Coach?”

I squeezed Toby’s hand under the table.

“Well, what? You think I don’t want to win the playoffs once more before I retire?”

Toby smiled, happier than I’d seen him in a while.

Things were finally going our way.

We went back to his house that afternoon, both of our spirits soaring high in the sky. Our lives were getting better, but I worried about what would happen after he started playing again.

The thought of him leaving me for someone younger, funnier, or prettier terrified me. We had been through so much together, and we’d both changed so much.

“Can we talk?” I asked after we got inside.

“Sure. What’s up?”

“Oh, I’m sure I’m being crazy, but now that you’re off suspension and will be playing again…”

My voice trailed off.

“Yeah?”

“Do you love me? I mean, really?”

He tilted his head to the side.

“Are you being serious right now?”

“Yeah, I caused you a lot of heartache and pain.”

“And you’ve also given me unimaginable joy.”

He slipped his arms around my waist.

I stared into his eyes, searching for the truth.

“You’re my everything, Haley. I’d go on without you around, but it would be hell. After Jessica, I never thought I’d be able to trust another woman again, but I trust you completely.”

His right hand slipped to my ass cheek, squeezing it as he grinned.

“Do you need me to prove how much I love you?”

I smiled. He had a way of putting me at ease – and making me melt.

“Let’s go upstairs.”

“Who has time for all that,” he said, kissing me gently.

He fumbled with my blouse while I worked on unbuttoning his pants. Our clothes fell away like a lazy summer rain. We stood in front of each other, naked but not vulnerable.

I took his cock in my hand, stroking it sensually as we stared at each other. His hand slipped between my legs, pressing into me. Shockwaves of pleasure jolted through me.

“You’re everything to me, Haley. Don’t ever forget that.”

His kiss made the rest of my doubts float away.

As his cock grew harder in my hand, I dropped to my knees in front of him right there in the living room. My pussy quivered as his cock slipped between my lips, swirling my tongue in the way he loved. He put his hand on the back of my head, resting it there gently.

The weight of it turned me on even more as I tickled his balls and bobbed my head up and down on his cock. It swelled deliciously in my mouth.

He stepped back and held out his hand while looking down at me. I took his hand and stood, wondering what he would do next.

As he laid down on the carpeted floor, I stared at his cock waving above me, wanting it inside me so bad. He had other ideas.

“Stay there,” he said in a commanding voice. He got up and crawled over to me, his beautiful cock hanging down between his legs.

I laid on my back, spreading my legs, anticipating rippling through me.

Our eyes met as he inched forward, cock in one hand, his eyes filled with hunger.

When he pressed forward slowly, I moaned in pleasure, wanting more.

He obliged, sliding the rest of that perfectly curved cock into me smoothly. I shuddered in pleasure.

Neither of us looked away as our minds and bodies connected.

We were one as he fucked me, increasing his speed gradually.

Tears of joy filled my eyes as I let myself go, allowing him to take me however he wanted. He did not change positions, but switched up his stroke every few thrusts, keeping it interesting.

“Toby,” I hissed, getting so close.

“Yes, baby. Come with me.”

His brow furrowed and his eyes squinted as I felt his cock throbbing deep inside my pussy. He groaned loudly, his body locking up momentarily as he came.

His swelling cock pushed me over the edge. I closed my eyes, holding on to his body so tight as waves of pleasure rocketed up and down my body.

Gradually, we both came down, the only sound our rapid breathing returning to normal. I opened my eyes and saw him looking into mine.

Love. This is a man I will love forever.

As the thought hit me like a warm blanket on a cool winter evening, I understood the meaning of true love for the first time in my life.

Orgasms were nice, but this was something different.

“I love you so much, Haley.”

He kissed me again and I wrapped my arms around him.

We belonged together.

I’d never been more sure of anything in my life.