Making the Most of It

Graham looks amazing tonight, absolutely gorgeous in faded jeans and a cream-colored cotton sweater.

I watch him as he walks up the stairs in front of me, resisting the urge to grab his hard-as-steel ass.

Gah, we need to get to his bedroom as soon as possible. I can’t wait any longer to get him out of those clothes.

I hope he likes what I wore and feels the same way.

When Jock called to let me know he could pick me up for a few stolen hours with Graham, I was naturally all in. After showering in record time, I threw on a red velvet mini-dress and tall black boots. It’s an outfit I bought last month, thinking it’d be cute to wear to a holiday party with Graham. That’s clearly out, but it doesn’t mean he shouldn’t get to see me in it.

Plus, get to take it off me.

When we enter his bedroom, he turns to face me. He’s already eyeing me hungrily, so I think the short red velvet dress is a hit.

“Jesus, Eden, you look so good tonight. I could eat you up.”

“Is that so?” I raise a brow. “For the record, I have no objections to that.”

Graham laughs. “I’m sure you don’t.”

I blow out a breath. “All joking aside, Graham, I miss you so much. It’s weird not seeing you every day. And it’s hard.”

“Aw, babe, come here.” He takes a step toward me, and I meet him halfway. “I miss you every single minute we’re not together. I hate that you’re not living here.”

“God, I know. It sucks.” I sigh.

“I also hate that we had to cancel our movie night.”

“Yes, for your date”—I cough, pull back—“with Bunny.”

Graham winces. “Please don’t remind me. It was painful enough just getting through it. Did you know she wasn’t even a real fan?”

“Let me guess,” I snort. “Bunny is a model.”

“An aspiring actress, actually.”

I shake my head. “This team, huh?”

“They’re pushing me to my limits, Eden. I swear.” Graham’s fists clench. He’s not kidding.

Shit, I should calm him down.

Graham can’t mess things up now. I don’t care about me; I just want him to continue with his second chance at playing football. He’s doing so well. Finishing this season on a high note—not to mention making the playoffs—would really set him up to dictate his own contract terms next year.

And we both need that.

I relay all that to him, and he says, “I know, babe. You’re right. It’s just hard.”

“I know, Graham. But it’s not for forever.”

Wrapping my arms around him, I lean my head against his chest, and he murmurs, “I know, Eden.”

His steady, strong heartbeat soothes me.

Sighing, I say, “We just have to be patient for a little while longer.”

We hold each other for a while, but then it’s like we both realize we don’t have much time. So, suggestively, I start caressing my hand down his back, lifting his sweater.

Graham gets the hint and slides his hands up the backs of my thighs, where he discovers I don’t have any underwear on beneath my dress.

“Damn, woman,” he rasps, “I hope you didn’t accidentally flash poor Jock. I’m about to have a coronary myself, and I’m only feeling, not looking.”

“Hmm…” I lean back. “Does that mean you’d like to see?”

This man makes me brave enough to take chances and say provocative things like that. No man has ever made me so comfortable and confident about myself, never before Graham.

It’s yet another reason why I love him so completely.

“Yes, show me,” he says hoarsely.

Backing away, I step back toward the bed. When my legs hit the mattress edge, I lie down.

Flipping up the red velvet hem of my dress, I spread my legs and ask Graham huskily, “Do you like what you see?”

He kneels before me, his warm breaths a light, sexy caress.

Roughly, he states, “Jesus. I love what I see. You want me a lot, don’t you, sweetheart?”

“Uh…”

“Don’t lie to me, love, I see that you do.”

“I do,” I admit, groaning and rolling my hips as excitement builds. “I so very much do.”

Graham is quiet, though I still can feel his breaths.

When he touches my clit with the tip of his tongue, I just about lose it.

“Oh, Graham, that feels so…”

“Good?” Another touch, followed by a full-on lick, then, “Tell me you want more.”

“I want more.”

Graham devours me then, his hands lifting me to his mouth, his lips and tongue playing and plying until I come undone.

“Yes, sweetheart, let go.”

I do.

And then I beg for more, for all of him.

“Hurry, hurry,” I say as he undresses.

By the time he’s naked and rolling a condom down his long length, I’m shimmying out of my dress, wanting to be as bare as he.

“Take me. Please, Graham. I need you so much.”

I fall back and he crawls on top of me. One quick adjustment and our bodies are joined.

Once we’re moving, everything else in the world is shut out.

There’s just Graham and me, and our love.

And for that brief slice of time, the world is perfect once more.