Chapter 11

Magnus

I had almost caved last night when I dropped Jennie off. Without directly saying the words, she asked me to go inside and make love to her half a dozen ways. By the time I got home, I was aching, but I had a plan to end both our suffering.

I knew how much Jennie loved Christmas. Thanksgiving was more than a day to give thanks for her. It was the official kick-off of the Christmas season.

My mother went nuts for the holiday too. Our house boasted not one, not two, but three decorated trees each year—all inside. The love of all things red and green had not trickled down to me. I didn’t not like the holiday; I simply couldn’t get into all the decorating. But this year was going to be different.

I spent the morning hours shopping for ornaments and other Christmas-type things. Now all I had to do was set the scene.

I made the bed with new, freshly laundered red sheets. They’d cost me a small fortune, but I wanted the softest sheets I could get for Jennie to lie on. The air smelled of pine, courtesy of the Yankee Candle Company, and the curtains had delicate silver and gold ornaments hanging from them. I’d even strung up twinkling white lights.

Last, but certainly not least, I’d downloaded a few traditional Christmas CDs onto my tablet to play softly in the background. Now all I had to do was wait until Jennie arrived. Unfortunately, that wasn’t going to be for hours since she was busy putting up her own decorations at her place.

“Come on, Eight Ball. Let’s go for a walk.” I grabbed my cat’s leash and she came running. Sometimes she acted more like a dog than a cat, but even so, I knew we wouldn’t be out long. Eight Ball loved to get outdoors, but this time of year it was a bit cold for her, and I drew the line at buying one of those kitty sweaters. It would be a short walk.

The wind hit us hard as soon as I opened the door. Sunlight had greeted me when I’d gone out earlier, but the bright sky I’d enjoyed before was now replaced with dark storm clouds and buffeting winds. “Maybe no walk today.”

She agreed wholeheartedly and hightailed it back inside, making me laugh. Time for plan B.

“Come here, cat.” Eight Ball took her time walking back over to me with the leash dragging behind her. I took it off, and she immediately ran for the comfort of her bed in the living room. I followed her and flipped on the switch to the fireplace. Plan B was looking better all the time.

Still having at least two hours to kill, I popped in one of my favorite movies, Gran Torino. I’d watch Clint Eastwood read the phone book. His westerns were my number one choice, but there was something so very entertaining about the character’s political incorrectness in Torino and the way his neighbors gave it right back to him.

After an hour and a half, I gave up on my movie. I couldn’t concentrate. My hand rested on my phone to make sure I felt it vibrate when the doorbell rang. Anticipation for the night to come filled me to the point of bursting.

My phone finally vibrated as I did a final check of my bedroom. Everything was in place. All I needed was a naked Jennie beneath me. Or above me—I wasn’t about to be picky.

My footsteps were hurried as I hastened to the door. If I didn’t see it for myself, I wouldn’t have believed how my hands shook when I reached for the handle. I needed to get ahold of my lustful thoughts, or it wasn’t going to be much of a memorable experience. All hopes of that died with my first glimpse of Jennie. She was obviously not going to take no for an answer any longer.

“Hi, Mags.”

Hi, Mags? She looked like that and greeted me with a simple “Hi, Mags”? No words would come to my lips, so I simply gestured her inside.

I would have taken her coat if she were wearing one. By the looks of the diamond points on her breasts, she was one, not wearing a bra and two, very cold.

Her racy, red dress was dangerously low cut in the front and looked to be painted on her. The hem ended about three inches above her knees and did great things for her hips and ass. “Jesus, Jennie. You’re not taking any prisoners, are you?”

Her whole being was filled with wanting. The raw desire was right there in her heated gaze. There would be no denying her tonight—not that I had any wish to. “You look incredible.”

Her hands came up to land on her hips. “Thank you. Now are you ready to take me to bed?”

I didn’t bother answering her. The bag she was carrying hit the floor when I picked her up and kicked the door closed. I took the small flight of stairs two at a time while Jennie laughed in delight.

A picture crashed off the wall when her heel caught it as I took the corner into my bedroom too fast. I didn’t care. I’d caught a glimpse of a black garter belt with red flowers on it when her dress rode up from the hold I had on her. That was all my scrambled brain could process.

Jennie’s tongue and lips on my neck were maddening in the best possible way. I squeezed her tight before I set her down. “I want to make this good for you, Jennie. You have to slow down. I want you too much. If you keep touching me, it’s going to be over before it gets started, and I don’t want that for you.”

I ambled over to my tablet, giving myself a minute to slow my erratic heartbeat, and turned on the Christmas music I’d downloaded for her. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jennie’s hands fly up to her ears. She was laughing as she signed to me. The volume is ear splitting, Mags. Turn it down, please?”

I laughed at myself. Sound not being a consideration for me, I never thought to look at the amplification level. It was a good moment. A tension breaker. I gestured for her to come tune it to a soothing volume. She did so and then turned to me after she took in the ambience of the room. Her finger caressed my brow and then ran down to the slight dimple in my chin. “You did all of this for me?”

“I did. Jennie, I’ve wanted you from the very first time I saw you in our locker room. I didn’t want to want you—that chip on my shoulder when it came to reporters kept me away—but I was so wrong about you. And then I made myself wait, because I wanted to know you better. You deserve my undivided attention and my every thought to your pleasure.”

Her eyes shone. “I didn’t know what to think. I knew you were attracted to me, but you kept leaving.” She put her head down to avoid my eyes, but I wouldn’t have it. With my finger under her chin, I met her stare.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I just wanted this night to be special.”

“Thank you. And I know it will be, but for this very first time, could you just fuck me? Hard and fast, because I can’t wait another second for you to be inside me. I’m mad with wanting you.”

Jesus. What did a man say to that? He said nothing.

My lips crashed onto hers with a fury I didn’t know I possessed. Our teeth smacked together as her hands ripped at my shirt, scattering buttons in their wake. My chest was bare to her touch. She wasted no time in running her hands down my chest and right over my cock. I rocked into her touch, begging her silently to free me.

Her urgent hands undid the button and zipper on my jeans, giving me second thoughts. I pulled away from her before she got her hands on my cock. I needed a minute. “God, Jennie. Stop. Please.”

Her look was more angry than surprised. “What? Why?”

I held my hands up with my eyes cast downward. I just need a minute. You’re too…everything. God, you are everything. I was seconds away from messing up our first time. Please. Let me take the lead here.

Okay, but don’t you think you’re getting out of this. Oh, but I liked Jennie when she was demanding.

Take off your dress. Please. I didn’t trust her to keep her hands to herself to get closer in order to undress her myself. She’d touch me again and my resolve would flee.

Knowing the effect she had on me, her hands skimmed over her belly and up to her breasts, pausing to tweak her ridged nipples. Stop teasing me and take it off.

Through all of Jennie’s bluster, her hands shook as she peeled the dress away from her glorious skin. She wore no bra, and I watched with parted lips as the silky material dropped, stopping at her hips.

I took a deep breath and looked up at the ceiling, running goalie save percentages through my head to gain some semblance of control back. Push it down. All the way off.

Don’t you want to help me? She asked this as she put her foot on the end rail of the bed, running her hand all the way down to the pointed four-inch heels.

You know what you do to me, don’t you? I cupped myself over my low-rise briefs and ran the palm of my hand over my erection.

I have an inkling. She stood up straight and shimmied her hips as she pushed the tight, red fabric over them. Is this what you want? One more shake of her hips and the whole dress pooled at her feet.

“Fuck, yes.” She stood there, a vision like no other, in black stockings, a garter belt, and red high heels. And…no…panties. I couldn’t breathe.

She was clean shaven, not that I really gave a shit. I had no preference, but everything about her turned me on. When she moved to release the snaps that connected her thigh-highs to the garter belt, I stopped her. “Leave them on.”

Her eyes raked boldly over me, stopping at the blatant bulge in my pants. Take yours off.

She climbed up on the bed like a willing sacrifice. I spied her watching me while I threw my shirt to the floor and stripped off my jeans and briefs, leaving me completely naked. Her eyes flared with heat.

Magnus. I need you. She opened her arms to me, and I gratefully went into them.

Her flushed skin felt like the finest satin. My lips trailed over the softness of her neck, her throat, continuing a downward journey to pause briefly at her luscious nipples, biting them gently only to soothe them with slow, wet laps of my tongue seconds later. Not taking my mind off the grand prize, I advanced to my next objective.

She was every bit as sweet as I’d imagined she would be. Her taste invaded my senses while her actions further fueled my fire. The minute my tongue hit her clit, her hips shot upward. My arm clamped over her feminine, rounded belly to hold her in place. It briefly hit me that I’d do anything to be able to hear her at that moment. To hear my name tumble from her lips in ecstasy. Instead of dwelling on what couldn’t be, I concentrated on what her body told me, and it told me she was enjoying my attention, to put it mildly.

As I continued to lick and nibble her most intimate places, her hands gripped the sheets—especially, I noted, when I gave her a particularly long, leisurely stroke of my tongue through her wet heat. When my teeth gently grazed her swollen clit, her hips bucked. And when her hands finally gripped my head, holding me in place as her thighs pressed together, surrounding me in her glorious scent, I knew she was coming hard. Jennie held nothing back. Fortune rained down on me.

As her shudders began to subside, I became painfully aware of my own needs. Jennie’s insistent tugging on my hair broke through my rampant lust and brought me all the way up to her lips. I kissed her deeply, making her taste the nectar of herself on my tongue. I felt her moans.

She pulled my head far enough away from her for me to read her lips. “Please, Magnus. Inside me.”

I sat up, reaching over to the nightstand to rip open a condom. Her hand stopped me. “Let me.”

Her hands felt remarkable as they smoothed the latex down my shaft. My head snapped back as I reveled in the sensation. When she stroked me again, I reached down and lifted her hand away. Capturing both of her wrists with my left hand, I held them above her head as my right hand gripped my cock and guided it inside her. Deep inside. Oh fuck, so deep.

Her head titled back on the pillow even as a smile split her face, and her lips formed the word Yes!

When I regained a modicum of self-restraint, I began to thrust within her. Slowly, ever so slowly, to draw out the feelings. I freed Jennie’s hands, and the more I moved within her, the tighter her grip became on my arms. It was as if she was hanging on for her very life.

I was at the end of my rope. When I started to move faster, her muscles clamped down on my cock, bringing another level of pleasure. The faster I moved, the more she tightened around me.

Her hands gripped my head, forcing my eyes to hers. “Fuck me hard, Magnus. Now!”

I did as she requested. The harder my thrusts, the deeper I went until I was ready to burst. When I felt the prolonged pressure of her squeezing me, I let myself go. Shouting, I was sure, to the rafters as I came. Fuck, she was worth every agonizing minute I made us both wait.

Jennie

I was never going to be the same. Magnus was still inside me, and I wanted him to stay there for the foreseeable future. His hands lazily stroked my hair while his lips pressed repeatedly against my neck. “Lovely, Jennie.” His words tumbled from him in short pants.

I ran my fingers up and down his back in soothing circles. This. Great moments like this were what made life worth living. I’d known Magnus for a while, but only in the last few weeks had I thought of him as a potential lover.

Magnus raised himself up on his elbows and wrinkled his nose, wincing at the pain from his bruise. “You’re giving me chills.” I stilled my hands, but he groaned again and wiggled his hips. “Eight Ball, get off me.”

It was the first time I’d seen his cat. She was standing on his back, peering over his shoulder at me as she offered me a greeting. “Meow.” I reached up and rubbed her behind the ears, earning me rumbling purrs. Her claws kneaded Magnus’ back.

“Should have shut the door.” He pulled out of me and twisted around. Before she could hit the floor, Mags grabbed Eight Ball and placed her on the bed between us. “Jennie, this is the other girl in my life. Eight Ball, this is Jennie. Be nice to her.”

The cat gave me one last look and then dismissed us both, jumping off the bed. I turned onto my side and pulled up the covers, getting chilled without the warmth of Magnus’ body covering me.

“I’ll be right back.” Magnus disappeared into the master bathroom, and then came back and burrowed under the covers facing me. His cold feet made me jump.

“Your feet are freezing!”

“I know. They usually are. You’ll get used to it.”

Heck no. “I don’t think so. Put some socks on.”

“Pushy woman. Are you already trying to tell me what to do?” His teasing smile took away the sting of his words.

“If it means that you won’t put those ice-cold feet of yours on me, then yes.” He propped himself up on his elbow with his face in his hand. The warmth of his smile echoed in his voice as he traced circles on my exposed shoulder. “I really like you, Jennie Fields.”

“I really like you too, Magnus Eriksson.” I could only imagine what my smile looked like to him, because I felt like it lit me up from within. “I like you a whole lot.”

He leaned over me and pressed his lips to mine in what started out as an innocent kiss. Our bodies quickly ignited into a sexual frenzy once more.

After that round, Magnus fell asleep, but I was wide awake. My stomach growled, reminding me that I’d skipped lunch and we’d never gotten around to discussing dinner plans. Not wanting to wake Magnus, I crept out of bed and softly closed the bedroom door behind me. I dashed around his condo in nothing but my birthday suit to grab my bag that I’d dropped by the door.

I made myself at home in one of the guest bedrooms and dressed in a pair of green leggings and an oversized, long-sleeved, white cotton shirt. It sported a large, sparkling Christmas tree on the front, of course.

While I waited for Magnus to wake up, I took the liberty of ordering a pizza and cheese fries, and then I went exploring. My first stop was the living room, where I turned on the fireplace.

Magnus’ décor was a bit of a shocker. I’d had him pegged as a typical bachelor—black leather couches, overstuffed recliner, and a coffee table with nicks and coffee rings marring its surface. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

His kitchen, living room, and eating area were open to each other while maintaining their own identities. The walls in each were varying shades of beige, with all of the trim painted white. His couch was something I’d buy myself: denim blue in color and a size that fit the room well. There was no overstuffed recliner either, just two accent chairs in a pattern of blue and beige swirls. It was a nice, homey place.

I had just snagged a glass of wine and sat down on the floor in front of the fireplace with my back leaning up against the couch when Magnus walked into the room rubbing his eyes. Jesus, he was gorgeous. He’d thrown on a pair of red sweats and a tight black T-shirt. Yummy. “You should have woken me up.”

Why?

He shrugged. I don’t know, actually.

The doorbell rang, and I sprang up off the floor. Mags’ face registered his concern at my quick movement. What’s wrong?

Of course. He didn’t know someone was at the door. Sorry, didn’t mean to alarm you. Pizza’s here. Hope you don’t mind. I was hungry.

He ran a hand over his face and grinned. I could eat.

We took the pizza and fries into the living room, sitting back down on the floor with the food on top of the pine coffee table between us. My first bite was heaven. “Oh, my God, this is good.”

“Yeah, now that I didn’t catch. I’m not good at reading lips when you talk while you’re eating.”

I licked my lips in answer before I swallowed. “Yum.”

He pointed his pizza at me. “Keep licking those lips and you’re going to wind up right back in my bed.”

I licked them again. We were going to wind up back in bed anyway. We both knew it, but I was going to satisfy my literal hunger first.

The cheese fries were just about gone, as were five slices of pizza, before I cried uncle. I couldn’t eat another bite. Using the last of the napkins, I wiped my hands down and pushed my plate away. With a hand on my belly, I leaned back against the couch, groaning. “I ate too much. I shouldn’t have had that second slice of pizza.”

“I shouldn’t have had any of it.”

“Oh, crap. I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about that. I guess you need to eat a little better than this, huh?”

He moved his head side to side. “I should, but we don’t have a game tomorrow. I do go off diet now and then. It’s not something I’ll share with Coach, though.”

“Can I ask you something personal, Mags? I’m just curious about something.”

“You can ask me anything, Jennie.”

“Have you ever looked into cochlear implants or some kind of other procedure to get your hearing back?” A muscle ticked in his jaw at my question, making me regret asking it.

“Of course I’ve thought about it. It could work or it might not. I don’t want that false hope. I’m not sure I could handle losing my hearing a second time.” He put his hands in his lap and hunched his shoulders. “Is that a problem for you?”

“What? No! Oh, no, Magnus. Not at all. I just wondered.” I hoped my sincerity resonated with him. After what we had just shared, how could he think his hearing loss mattered to me? I crawled over to him and climbed into his lap.

He held me like that for almost an hour. It was the most comfortable silence I’d endured to date. Needing to take a bathroom break, I left the luxury of his arms. When I returned, he was playing with Eight Ball.

I sat on the couch and watched them. When he looked up at me, I smiled. This is nice.

What, watching me play with my cat?

Yeah. All of it. Just being here with you. The sex was okay too.

Only okay, huh?

I was on the verge of cracking up, and he knew it. Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll get better at it with practice.

He made a choking sound deep in his throat. I knew he was coming for me. I squealed and jumped off the couch. He caught me in seconds, although I didn’t try very hard to get away. One arm locked around me like a vise, pulling me back against his chest. “I’m going to show you right now how much better I get with practice, honey.”

His whispered words shot scorching tingles to all the right places. He loosened his hold just enough to slip his hand under my shirt to cup my breast, pinching the nipple until I writhed against him. I reached up and back to grab his neck and pull him down to my parted lips, rejoicing in the immediate piercing of his tongue.

“Let’s go get a shower. I want to lather you up.”

His shower was big enough to have a party in there. A wide bench seat sat at one end, and jets were strategically placed along all of the walls, in addition to the rain shower above us. He turned on the water and gestured me in. “I’ll be right back.”

He returned with a fresh bar of masculine-smelling soap. Before I knew it, I was in a lip-lock with him again. I could kiss that man all night long, but I pulled away from him and began running the soap over his taut body.

Magnus naked was a thing of beauty. I’d never been with someone so physically fit. I ran my fingers over each rippled muscle as I washed him, taking extra time to outline his six-pack and the happy trail that led down to his impressive hard-on.

When I took him in my hand and stroked him, his cock jumped and he inhaled sharply. I ran the soap around his heavy balls, letting the weight of them fill my hands. I dropped the soap and let the clean water run over him, my mouth almost watering at what I was about to do.

Down on my knees I went, running my hands down his powerful thighs. My tongue darted out to lick the head of his cock. His hands flattened against the wall behind him with a loud smack. “Fuck.”

I looked up to look into his eyes, but they were closed, his head leaning back. His stomach muscles danced as I slowly sucked the length of him all the way to the base, where I swirled my tongue until he grew restless.

I’d initially thought sucking on Magnus would be a prelude to the main event, but seeing the pleasure he took with each advance and retreat of my lips and tongue changed my mind. I wanted to make him come with my mouth.

The more he moaned, the more effort I put forth. My insides were throbbing as well. For both our enjoyment, I alternated between quick, hard sucking and soft tongue twirling. He loved both, but when his cock went so deep he met the resistance of my throat, his back bowed. “You have to stop, Jennie.”

Not a chance. I wanted him to lose control. I wanted to feel him come in my mouth, over my tongue. I wanted to taste his essence. His hands reached down to pull me back, but I slapped them away and grabbed his ass, pulling him in harder, deeper.

He didn’t fight me. The next time his hands came to my head, he buried his fingers in my hair. “Oh, yeah. Do it. Make me come.” His balls tightened up and his breath grew uneven.

I was having trouble getting my own breath. My fingers were doing their own magic to my clit. I knew I’d orgasm with him as soon as I felt his hot cum. My own muffled cries filled the room. Magnus’ hands tightened in my hair, and I knew he could feel the vibrations of my sounds. “I’m going to come, Jennie. Oh, Christ!”

His hips bucked against me, and I felt that first spurt leave his body. My own orgasm hit as more cum shot into my mouth. I didn’t let him go. Instead I sucked harder, milking him, humming through my release.

When Magnus couldn’t take any more of my attention, he pulled away from me, laughing. “Stop that.” I leaned forward and gave him one last lick and stood up, looking at the tile pattern outlined on my knees.

Mags took my hands in his. “Thank you. That was most excellent.”

I leaned in to give him a kiss, but he flattened his hand right between my breasts and stopped my forward movement. “You’re not kissing me with that mouth.”

I laughed easily. As much as I enjoyed giving him a blow job in the shower, I couldn’t blame him for not wanting to taste himself on my lips. “You kissed me after, you know.”

“That’s different. You taste incredible. As a matter of fact…” He moved me back to the bench, placing one leg up on it, and then went in for the kill.

Ten minutes later, I was a bag of bones. His tongue was quickly becoming one of my favorite parts of him.