Page 137 of Their Greatest Strength

“Jamie,” I whimper, wanting him to open his eyes and look at me again. “I need you . . . I need you to move.”

He gives me a crooked grin before his breath hitches, and it falls. “If I move, I’m going to come.”

“Then come. Just please. Please move,” I plead.

My other thigh finds a home around his hip, and I grip onto the smooth wooden slats on the headboard. His stare is hot enough to set me on fire as he drags it from my head to rest between my legs, taking in the sight of me stuffed full of him.

“I’m going to need you to come for me first, Blakely. Don’t let go of that headboard, and remember that I love you. It won’t feel like it in five seconds.”

I shiver and nod. He grips both of my hips and keeps my ass off the bed before thrusting hard. My breath flies out of my lungsat the impact. Another thrust has the headboard smacking into the wall, but my grip stays firm.

His jaw pulses as he fucks into me with a strength that doesn’t surprise me. It’s always buried beneath his skin, only coming out on the field and now, in bed with me.

“Keep going,” I moan, my breasts shaking with every jerk of my body.

“You’re my match, Blakely. The half of me I didn’t know was missing,” he rasps, filling me with a ferocity that could bring the ceiling down on top of us. “Mywife.”

Another climax is riding toward me on a wave that I fear will take me under. Maybe I’d like if it did. It’s not like Jamie would let me drown.

He lifts me higher off the bed, his balls slapping my ass as my vision narrows, the edges growing black. Fuzz fills my ears, and a throat-scraping cry trips free of my chest as I come.

“I’m right here, baby. Right fucking here. Filling your pussy so full—JesusChrist.”

A low, dominating growl follows, and Jamie’s hips stutter as warmth fills me. I stay in the air for what feels like minutes until slowly, I’m falling back, now bundled in strong, familiar arms.

“You did so good. I love you,” Jamie whispers, stroking my neck and chest and cheeks.

I close my eyes and smile, blindly reaching for his face. “I don’t know what you were talking about. You could never treat me like you felt anything but love for me.”

“I’ll have to try harder next time.” He chuckles and pushes my sweaty hair from my forehead. “Come shower with me.”

“I don’t want to. I’m tired.”

“Just hold on to my neck, and I’ll take care of you.”

I wrap my arms around him and cling like a koala as he carries me out of bed. The sheen of sweat on his chest doesn’t bother me, so I rest my cheek against him and keep my eyes shut.

“You always take care of me, Jamie.”

“’Course I do. If I don’t, someone else will.”

Even half-asleep and sex drunk, I can’t stop asking stupid questions. “What about at the end of our contract?”

His hold on me tightens, becoming ironclad.

“I’ll offer you another one. A contract that keeps you with me forever. For real this time.”

40

BLAKELY

It’sodd being in the Pythons stadium without Jamie. The cleaning staff is here, waxing the floors and disinfecting all of the bathrooms. I offer the few of them smiles on my way out.

I’m hot and sweaty from a Monday afternoon spent prepping for tomorrow, but I feel good. Really, really good.

I’ve never been so excited to see calluses and tiny nicks on my hands and have sore shoulders and feet. Every change to my body over the past couple of weeks I’ve spent working in the kitchen again has made me confident in a way I haven’t been in a long time. I’m excited for every shift, and even though I know it’s not smart of me to get my hopes up, I’ve started looking into university classes again.

Going back to finish my degree is a far-fetched dream, yet I can’t get myself to dismiss it completely.

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