"In the middle of it, I remember kind of sobering up. You know how that happens? It's like you have a rush of sobriety? Well I had that right in the middle of it. I looked around the room, knowing I should be mortified by what I was doing, but I realized… it was turning me on even more."My head snaps up at this comment."I know. I was just as shocked as you are. I had never realized how much I enjoyed the voyeuristic part of sex until that moment. I liked it. So I just started trying different things. Being more free. No one was judging the things that were going on because everyone was doing them. Things just sort of spiraled from there."I take a deep breath, trying to process what she's telling me."What?" she asks quietly. "Tell me what you're thinking. Do you think I'm filthy now?""No." I shake my head but don't make eye contact. "I've spent a lot of time thinking about you this last week. I've thought about the things I've seen. I've thought about the things I know. And I reali
I didn't ask him any questions on the car ride home. I was worn out from the emotions of the night. And in all truthfulness, maybe I was too stunned by his admission as well.He held my hand the whole ride home. When we got there, he walked me to my door where he kissed me passionately before leaving me on my doorstep wanting more.The fact that he has never been with a woman is intriguing. I also find it really sexy, which is a big surprise. The idea that no woman knows what he feels like, that no other woman knows the faces he makes and the noises he makes… I find it very, very exciting. Now I want to know more about why he's still a virgin, but it's taken me a couple of days to come up with questions. "Have you ever had a blow job?"He turns to glare at me. "Geez, can you say that a little louder as we walk in public?"I give him a flirty smile. "No one heard me. This place is practically empty. Although I'm sure if they knew about how virtuous you are they would be trying to eaves
There are rows and rows of colorful books. And I am so overwhelmed by what we're trying to find. Whose bright idea was it come to a book store to find a birthday present for toddler?Oh, right. Mine.But Quincy seems like the kind of mom who would appreciate the idea of an educational present for her son. And then there's the ice water at the coffee shop here, which you can't get anywhere else. So I'll just push through my frustration.A colorful book with a bright picture of a baby in a swing catches my eye. I pick it up and begin thumbing through it."Hey, babe, what do you think of this?" I show the front to Tiffany as she rounds the corner."What is it?""It's called Peanut's Wish." I flip through some of the pages. "It looks it's about a baby who can't wait to be born, or… I don't know. It sounds weird when I say that. It looks cute though.""Let me see." She takes it out of my hand and begins reading through it. "Aw. This is really cute. Wait." She starts giggling and reading o
"When are you going to visit your parents?" I ask for the second time as we drive toward Quincy's apartment for a barbecue a few days later. I'm so nervous that I keep asking the same questions over and over because I can't seem to retain the answers.Rowen glances over at me and takes my hand. "Next week. And would you stop being so nervous? It's gonna be fun."I try to take a deep breath but I don't feel like I'm getting enough air. "That's easy for you to say. You're not about to put yourself in a room with a few dozen women that want to rip your hair out."He snickers. "Another plus for the beanie." I shoot him a death glare. He squeezes my hand in response. "Tiff, we were invited.""No, you were invited.""And they all know we're together so they know you're coming, too." He pulls my hand up and kisses my palm. The feeling shoots goose pimples up and down my arm. "Besides, Quincy is always nice to you, right?"I shrug. "Quincy is not who I'm worried about. I never slept with her b
"I just don't see how they'll keep him," Sammy says, so I turn my attention back to the conversation in front of me. "They keep getting knocked out of the play offs and his years before retirement are limited. He wants that Super Bowl ring bad.""No way," Christian says. "Do you know how much they pay him? He can buy his own damn ring.""He'll never leave Dallas," I say as Daniel and a man that looks an awfully lot like him come back outside. "He's married with two kids now. His mom is here. I interviewed him last year and there's no way he's leaving.""No shit?" Christian says. "You interviewed Jason Hart? What's he like?"I smile. "He's huge. I mean, humongous. But he is just the nicest guy. Exactly like he was when he was drafted.""Wait," Rowen says. "How do you know what he was like when he was drafted? Weren't you like fifteen when that happened?"I smile with a nod. "Yep. For my birthday that year my mom got us tickets to go see the draft." I look around and see the wide-eyed ex
"Mo boyo!" My dad grabs me in a tight hug as soon as I step through the front door, causing me to drop my bag on the floor. He's never been shy with his affection for me. He offered to pick me up at the airport but I got a rental car instead. Its always a hassle because of my age, but I like the idea of not being dependent on my parents for anything. Call it lingering insecurities from trying to be my own person for so long.I pound him on the back a few times as we embrace. "Good to see you, Da.""I missed you, mac," he says and kisses me on the cheek, pulling away as my mom comes racing over."Rowen! I'm so glad you're here. Take off that darn cap and give me a hug." She snatches my beanie off my head and throws it across the room, then wraps her arms around my waist and I hug her back tightly. My habit of covering up my hair always irritates my mother. I expect I won't see that beanie again until I head back to Houston in four days."Me, too, Mam." I lift my head and take a deep br
"What do you want to know?""So you aren't going to deny that you're seeing her?""Why would I? I like her." He releases me and we move into another stretch. He's helped me do this so many times for so many years, it just comes second nature."I just know ye had some concerns in the beginning because of her lifestyle. I'm curious what's changed.""I'm not sure anything's changed," I say with a strained voice as I deepen my stretch. "I don't like how much she parties. I think she thinks she just has friends with benefits. And I think they treat her like shit and she doesn't even realize it.""But can you handle knowing she does it?""Not does, Da. Did. We had a long discussion about where I stand and how I can't share someone with my teammates. She agrees with me, one hundred percent. When she's single, she likes to go out and have fun. I mean, I guess that's her idea of fun. It's not mine. But when she's in a relationship, she's faithful."I stretch my arms up and lean forward, my dad
Compared to other sports, the off-season for soccer is very, very short. Only a couple months long, depending on a team's playoff schedule. But this past couple of months have been some of the most fun I can remember in a long time.On the party front, things died down a lot. The players who are married with families tend to go on a lot of vacations during the off-season and spend a lot of time at home while they can. And most of the single players head to their home town during that time. It's easier to save money when they're living with their parents and doing their off-season training at a local gym.Rowen, however, stuck around. And I suspect it had to do with me.We spent those months really getting to know each other. We explored tourist spots all over the city. We went to Galveston for a day trip. We did a lot of people watching.We went to almost every museum in Houston including my favorite, the John C. Freeman Weather Museum. There's so much to see and do there, including a
"Oh my fucking… uuuggghhh… You are never allowed to give me a blow job again this is so much better…" My words are practically incoherent. There's nothing I could possibly say that could even describe how it feels to make love to my wife."Rowen," she whispers and her breath catches. I realize she has tears in her eyes. I immediately still."What's wrong, baby," I ask as I kiss the tears that begin sliding down the sides of her face. "Why are you crying?"She tries hard to hold in a sob, but she can't hide the emotion from me. "Nothing's wrong. Don't stop," she says and I start moving slowly again. "I just never knew it could be like this. This… connection.""Oh baby." I smile at her. "This is what it's supposed to be like."A laugh bursts out of her and I kiss her again. I kiss her while I thrust in and out of her, feeling her hands touch me everywhere. I kiss her while I feel my orgasm building, and building quickly."Tiff…" I groan. "I want you to come with me. But I don't think… o
I groan deep in my throat and wrap my hand around the back of her neck, pulling her closer to me. After several minutes of a lewd make out session that we'll see pictures of later, courtesy of our photographer, we break way and catch our breath."Are you ready for me to de-flower you?" she asks with a grin. I smile back."I've been waiting for it my entire life."We say our goodnights to the photographer and make our way back to our bungalow. She gives us a knowing smile as we walk away. Normally, I might be embarrassed by someone knowing what Tiffany and I are up to. But not tonight. Tonight, I'm going to make love to my wife.As we walk through the doors, I turn to close them. And if I'm honest, I'm trying to keep my hands from shaking with nerves. I want this to be good for her. Will she compare me to the others?No. There is no place for them here. She is my wife. She is mine. I turn around and see her standing next to the bed. Her long dark hair flowing over one shoulder. She lo
"This… " I say pulling it out of the box. "…was my grandmother's engagement ring. She wore it for fifty-seven years, until she passed away. And now, I'm hoping you'll wear it for fifty-seven more."She slowly moves her sunglasses to the top of her head, like she doesn't want to make any quick movements. "Tiffany, I love you. So much," I continue. "I love your brain. I love your beauty. I love your resting bitch face." A giggle bursts out of her and she quickly slaps a hand over her mouth. "I love your strength and your wit and your love of sports. I love that you work so hard at your job because you love it so much. I love your loyalty. I love your heart.""I… how did you get this ring?"I smirk. "My mam sent it te me a few weeks ago. When I told her I wanted to marry ye. My Maimeó gave it to her a few months ago, before she passed away, so I could give it ye."She looks up at me. "Your accent is coming out.""I'm a little nervous.""Why are you nervous?""Because I don't want ye to t
8 months later…The warm breeze blows through the open balcony doors, making the sheer white curtains billow out. It looks like a picture you would see in a magazine. But I barely notice. My focus is on the beautiful, naked creature in my bed.Tiffany is sound asleep on her stomach facing me. Her beautiful brown hair fanned across the pillow her head is on. I can't stop staring at her, listening to the puffs of breath coming from her as she sleeps peacefully. This is what we needed. To get away from everyone and everything. The season had been stressful. Not just on me, but on Tiffany as well. After the picture scandal broke, she couldn't sit in the stands anymore. Anytime she did, people would surround her, taking pictures and making comments. It'll eventually die down, we hope. But soccer fans never forget anything. It'll take some time before she will feel comfortable in Section 100 again.In the meantime, she sits in the box with Quincy and the other WAGS. She says it was a little
"I promise, Mom, I'm doing great," I say into the phone as I grab my last minute script changes off the printer to take downstairs. "It was rough at first and I still have my moments. But I feel stronger every day."She sighs. "I just wish you had come home instead of gone to Detroit. I would have taken care of you.""I wouldn't have even gone to Detroit if Rowen hadn't practically man-handled me into the car." Grabbing my head seat, I make my way to the stairs and the newsroom. "Besides, I didn't want you to see me like that. I was too ashamed.""Honey, you should never be ashamed around me.""That's easier said than done and you know it. I never wanted you to find out those things, Mom. I know you and I have a good relationship. But some things your mother never needs to know.""I know, I know. Just promise me you'll come home soon to visit. It's been too long.""I promise. But hey, I have to go. I've got about five minutes until my show starts.""Okay dear. I love you.""Love you, t
We spent four more days in Detroit. Tiffany rested and relaxed. I, on the other hand, got my ass kicked by my Da on a regular basis. I was grateful, though. I had royally fucked up and let down my team. I wanted to be in tip-top shape when I got back on that field to make up for it.I discreetly monitored the sports news while we were there. I didn't want Tiffany to see anything that would throw her back into a tailspin but I needed to know the worst was over. Things got very quiet, very quick. It actually surprised me who fast it was over. The biggest news after Daniel's interview was Shivel's suspension and subsequent demotion to the practice team.I wanted to laugh at the mess he's created for himself. His skills were already declining. If he'd wanted to stay on top, he needed to spend less time worrying about sabotaging others and more time working on his game. But he didn't. And it caught up with him.We finally made it home about a week ago. A rode out my last days on suspension
"Absolutely not. And neither did Ryan. We would never violate Rowen's trust like that. Or yours. Actually," she says as she throws some butter into the potatoes, "I never look at those pictures when they are leaked. If I'm going to subscribe to the belief that it's a violation of someone's privacy, I need to give anyone in this situation the same kind of respect."I clasp my hands together in my lap and look up at her, tears in my eyes. "Thank you," I say quietly. She smiles.Suddenly the back door opens and the guys walk in, faces flushed from the cold."Hey! Close that door! You're getting my food cold," Denise scolds.Ryan slams the door behind him, stalks over to her and wraps his arms around her. "Bangers and mash," he says as he kisses her on the neck, making her squeal from the chill. "I knew there was a reason I kept you around, Mo grá."She smacks him on the arm. "I didn't do it for you, I did it for your son.""Then he needs to come home more often.""How was your work out?"
I stretch my arms over my head and realize I've been asleep. Really asleep. No nightmares, no interruptions. I feel a lot better.I reach my arm to the other side of the bed and find it empty. I wonder how long I've been out.I rifle around in my bag until I find a light jacket and pull my pants back on. Padding down the stairs and to the kitchen, I find Rowen's mother cooking again."Good morning," Denise says brightly as she drains some potatoes in the sink. "Did you sleep well?""Yeah, I really did. How long was I out?""Uh, I'd say about four hours.""Really? I haven't slept that well in a few days.""That means you feel safe here. That's good."She sets the pot on the stove and begins mashing the potatoes. There's a sauce simmering and I can smell some sort of meat cooking as well. "Can I help you with anything? It looks like you've got your hands full.""Oh I'm doing just fine, but thank you. Why don't you have a seat? Do you want something to drink?""I really could use some wa
Da lets out a deep belly laugh. "Yer mam is right. Yer getting' married."I throw a napkin at him as my mom laughs."What did I miss?" Tiffany asks as she walks back into the room."Nothing. My dad just thinks he's a funny guy." I push back my chair and stand up. "Come on. It's only five thirty our time. Let's go take a nap."We trudge up the stairs and I take her to the guest room because my old room still has a single bed in it and this one has a queen."Your parents are okay with us sharing a room?" she asks."This time, yes." She furrows her brows at me in question. "Normally my mam would object because she wants to make sure we don't 'have any temptations we can't control'." I use my fingers to make the quotations marks and Tiffany begins to giggle. "But they're making an exception under the circumstances. Come here."She steps over to me as I sit on the bed. I put her hands on my shoulders to steady herself while I undo her shoes and take them off. Her socks and pants go next. Fi