Chapter 24

Erik

My house is quiet when I enter through the garage, straight into the mudroom. Of course it’s quiet because I’m the only one here which is par for the course. Except now the quiet bothers me because I’d rather hear Blue’s voice greeting me.

I juggle the shopping bags in my hands as I put my keys on the small rack by the door. I find solace in the fact that Blue will be here soon. While I was at an afternoon practice, she went to see Billy for a bit then she had plans to do her laundry before coming back to my house where we’d made loose plans to cook dinner and just hang here for the night. Tomorrow we leave for a game in Calgary, which is the team I had been drafted into when I was eighteen. I played two years there for the Wild and then three years for the Atlanta Sting before I went to the Demons.

Now that I’m in Phoenix with my fourth professional team, and I have Blue, I’m kind of hoping this is where I’ll stay.

I had wanted to offer up to Blue my washer and dryer for her laundry but I was afraid that would be weird in a moving-too-fast kind of way.

Like the way I want to go trade my truck in for a van with an electric lift in the back so we don’t have to rent one every time we want to transport Billy and his motorized chair.

Or weird like I’d love for Blue just to move in with me since she stays every night that we’re in town. Get rid of that crappy little rental house in a bad section of the city and move to the burbs with me so we can make like a family.

I don’t offer her any of that because I’m afraid it’s too fast and too soon. Although technically, that’s just an assumption on my part as I have nothing to compare this experience to. Having these types of feelings for a woman is completely new and scary as fuck.

Maybe I should talk to Bishop. He and Brooke fell for each other really fast. He probably has some advice on how fast is too fast to move in together or buy a handicapped access van together.

Surely, some of these things are the next logical progression in our relationship. We’ve admitted we’re crazy about each other. We’ve done familial things together which have felt utterly natural even though it’s the first time I’m experiencing it. Like hosting Thanksgiving last week here at my house. Sure, I provided the venue but Blue was the true hostess. She coordinated the food, cooked a turkey and ham, and made sure everyone had a good time. She even babied the young, single rookies who were probably missing home a lot.

I mean…just yesterday we made the most of my day off. I’d rented a van and Blue and I picked Billy up. We then went shopping and bought a tree and decorations.

In my ten years of being an adult, I’ve never put up a Christmas tree. It just seemed like a lot of effort for not a lot of reward. But when Blue had mentioned she had a small tree to put up in Billy’s room, something overtook me. Next thing I know, I told her I wanted to do a tree at my house and I wanted her and Billy to help me. There was nothing weird about that if I went by the smile on Blue’s face when I told her what I wanted to do. Her eyes brightened and she jumped into my arms to kiss the fuck out of me.

Nothing weird about that at all.

Yesterday was great. Billy was in charge of the ornaments on the bottom third of the tree, Blue had the middle and I had the top since I’m the tallest. We had Christmas music playing in the background, bringing back some fond memories for me of Christmas at my mom’s house. Even James was a lot nicer and less Grinchlike during the holidays. My dad always put up a tree too but I expect that’s because my mom made him so that I’d have consistency in tradition.

Caught up in my memories of the past, I move through the kitchen and into the great room where we had put up the tree. Setting the bags down on the floor, I pull out the presents. While Blue was visiting Billy and doing her laundry, I ran to the mall after practice. Having taken advantage of the free gift wrapping in each store, I’m able to put shiny box after shiny box under the tree. Jewelry and some lingerie for Blue so far, and for Billy a Nintendo game system with several different games, each individually wrapped.

I had pondered for a very brief moment buying a new car for Blue because her car is old and could break down at any time on her. But I thought better of it. That goes in the weird category.

It’s way too soon.

I think.

Actually, not sure.

She did get a little wigged-out over the diamond bracelet I bought her but I don’t get that. Why should I be penalized for expensive presents when I make millions each year in salary and endorsement deals?

I jolt when I hear the front door open and Blue calls out, “Erik…I’m here.”

My pulse skyrockets just from her voice and I step away from the tree and into her line of sight from the foyer. She’s kicking the front door shut because she’s holding a big laundry basket full of clothes.

Blue sees me and grins. “I hope you don’t mind. I decided to do my laundry here.”

It takes every ounce of willpower not to smile in satisfaction that I’m getting what I want without even asking for it. So instead, I shrug casually as I walk to her, “Sure. Whatever.”

Taking the basket from her hands, I head toward the laundry room which sits between the kitchen and three-car garage. I set it on top of the front-loading washer, and she scoots past me with a hand on my back. Her light, innocent touch goes straight to my dick.

“Do you have any laundry you want me to do for you?” she asks pleasantly as she starts to reach into the basket.

I move behind her, sliding my arms around her stomach to pull her into my body. I push my hips forward so she can feel the hard length of me against her. Blue drops the clothes and lets her head fall back onto my chest.

“I have something I want to do for you,” I murmur into her ear before giving it a bite. Dropping my hand to the button of her jeans, I flick it open and yank the zipper down.

Blue sucks in a sharp breath as my fingers dip beneath the waistband of her panties. There’s nothing but velvety smooth skin as I push a finger through the lips of her pussy, past her hard little clit and into the wet depths below.

And she is fucking wet. I crouch a bit, slide a finger deep into her and use the leverage of my hand connected to her pussy to pull her tighter against me. I can’t help but rub my cock against her, which both hurts and feels good against the zipper of my jeans at the same time.

With my finger lubricated by her juices, I bring the tip to her clit and I hit it hard. I know I can get Blue off really fast with my mouth and I wonder if I can do the same with my finger.

Blue’s hips rotate, urging me to deepen the friction against her. I draw in a harsh breath through my nose when Blue whispers, “I’m going to come.”

Fuck, she ignites fast and I love it. It means she gets more than one orgasm by the time I’m through with her.

“Give it to me,” I urge as I rub the tiny bundle of sensitive nerves. I tip my head and put my teeth against her neck where I scrape the tender skin.

Blue bucks in my arms, groaning out an incredibly long and powerful release that vibrates from her body into mine.

Just goddamn perfect and beautiful and all fucking mine to have.

When Blue’s legs give way and she sags against me, I remove my hand from between her legs. I pick her up, cradling her in my arms with the intent to move somewhere more comfortable.

I decide the bedroom’s too far away and opt instead for the huge sofa in the great room. It faces the Christmas tree we’d put up in one corner and a massive set of windows that look out over the backyard. The pool water is orange and pink from the setting sun and it makes a romantic view.

I put Blue on her feet and she seems revived enough to help in the shedding of clothes. They come off with a lot of kissing and laughing in between, especially during the awkward phases of needing to sit down to take off our shoes and socks.

Then she’s naked and on the couch beneath me and I’ve got a foil-wrapped condom on the coffee table ready for use.

But first, more kissing.

And touching.

Blue’s hands are all over me, tracing lines and muscles and nipples. She runs the palm of her hand across my cock, fluttering her fingers across the tip. They’ll come away wet, I know.

I maneuver us so we’re lying on our sides, the fronts of our bodies pressed together so we can lazily kiss. I move my mouth from hers to her jawline, feathering kisses there to her neck. She’s forced to release her grip on my cock when I move down to her collarbone, the center of her chest and then over to a perfectly full and rounded breast with a hard nipple begging for my mouth. Blue’s arms wrap around my head, and she cradles me as I lave at the hard nub.

I’m so fucking hard my dick throbs unpleasantly, and yet I’m not in any hurry. In fact, I want to take my time with her. No frenzied fucking but gentle exploration. It could take hours as far as I’m concerned.

Just as I’m trailing my tongue underneath the bottom swell of her breast, Blue’s phone rings. It’s the ringtone from the Cresson and I’ve come to recognize it because I hear it almost daily. Most often it’s one of the aide’s calling because Billy wants to talk to Blue as best he can over the phone. Sometimes he’ll use a speech generating device or other times he’ll use a combination of words or signs over FaceTime to communicate. Not a lot is said during those times, but it’s usually because Billy just wants to see his sister, even if over the phone screen.

Blue tenses up underneath me and I raise my head to look at her. She stares back at me, eyes wide and fevered and begging me to move further down. But her expression is torn, as I see the automatic need to accept her brother’s call. She tilts her head and looks at her purse on the floor which contains her phone.

She looks back to me, indecision etched on every inch of her beautiful face.

I decide to help her make a decision. “Ignore it, baby.”

Tipping my face down, I press a kiss to her belly before I give her my eyes again. “Take a night off. You’re allowed to, you know. Let’s ignore the rest of the world tonight. Just be mine tonight.”

Blue’s eyes soften and she licks at her bottom lip. Then she smiles at me as her hands go to the top of my head and she pushes at me to continue my odyssey down her body.

The phone goes ignored and my mouth goes to her pussy. I eat Blue out slowly, driving her bonkers in the process. She’s writhing and begging and cursing by the time I let her come. Her legs are over my shoulders, her inner thighs squeezing my head as she rocks lewdly against my tongue, riding the waves of pleasure until they disappear.

Then I push off her, snag the condom and have it on in mere seconds. I lay my body on top of hers, relishing my length pressed against hers. Chest to chest, stomach to stomach, cock to pussy.

Her legs spread and I enter her slowly at the same time we go mouth to mouth. A deep, rich kiss causing rumbling groans. My cock hits deep with every slow thrust I give Blue.

I had thought to draw this out, thinking the slow pace would extend our pleasure. But when I make the mistake of pulling my mouth from Blue’s so I can look at her face, there’s no holding back. Her eyes…deep pools reflecting something so beautiful back at me that it robs me of my breath.

And my ability to hold out.

My hips tilt to withdraw and I can’t help but punching back in hard.

“Yes,” she whispers, refusing to drop her gaze. Her eyes challenge me to give all I’ve got.

I slide a hand in between our bodies. My fingertips find her clit. I don’t consider it to be moving from lovemaking to fucking as I move faster within her. Just faster lovemaking, is all.

“That’s it,” Blue moans as I thrust, and thrust, and thrust into this woman who has completely taken my heart.

I give her my fingers and my cock and I hope she understands, my heart along with it.

“I’m coming,” she cries out as her hips buck upward and she digs her head back into the couch cushions.

“Fuck, yeah,” I growl as I drive in one last, beautifully deep time and start to orgasm with her. Strong, pulsing waves that rob me of my strength and cause me to collapse onto her body when I finish.

Rolling us to our sides, I wrap myself around her, both arms and legs. Her chin rests on my shoulder and she embraces me back. We just lie like that, not needing to mar the perfect and reflective silence with mere words of wonder and awe over what we both just experienced.