The Toughest Play

18. Rogan

CHAPTER 18

ROGAN

I ’m lying on my back, enjoying the first light of morning and the peace this time of day brings. Birds are chirping, the air is cool, and the sun is shining. Best of all, I feel the warmth of Autumn beside me. I turn my head to look at her. She looks so peaceful as she breathes slowly and steadily. Her pink lips are slightly parted, and her red hair is in a haphazard knot on top of her head.

Turning onto my side, I draw her into my arms. Leaning down, I press a soft kiss to her lips. She gives a contented hum, snuggling closer.

“Good morning, sleeping beauty.”

Eyes remaining closed, her smile is sleepy. “What time is it?” she murmurs.

“It’s still early. Plenty of time to go back to sleep.” I lower my face to the top of her head, breathing in the fresh scent of her shampoo. Her arm hooks around my back and she wiggles closer to me. Her stomach makes contact with my dick that’s been hard pretty much since last night when I laid down next to her.

Oh shit.

“I’m awake now,” she says. I pull my hips backward, placing some space between us. She makes a sound of protest and scoots closer until her pelvis is pressed against me.

“Autumn, I’m trying to behave,” I husk.

She slings her leg over my hip and grinds into me. “Since when are you concerned with behaving?”

“Since you.”

“Maybe I want to see the dirty side of you.”

“I want more than sex from you.”

“Who said anything about sex? We can fool around, can’t we?”

Autumn has only been with one person, which means she’s not someone who has sex without a commitment. She and I are still in the getting-to-know-each-other stage, and I think she’d regret doing more with me so soon. But fooling around and making her feel good? That’s something I can do.

I roll her to her back and stare down into her clear, green eyes. “I’m all for fooling around with you but I have some rules. If you’re uncomfortable at all, tell me to stop and I will. Okay?” She nods. “I’m going to strip you naked and make you come with my fingers and mouth. Any objections?”

“Do I have to take all my clothes off? It’s too sunny for nakedness.”

I laugh. “I want to see every fucking inch of your body. But if you’re not comfortable, I might have a solution.” Sitting up, I yank my shirt over my head. “You can put this on and take your pj’s off. It’s loose so I can touch everything I want to but you’ll still be somewhat covered.”

“Okay.” I pull her up to a seated position, and she tugs my shirt over her head. She drags it down her torso and I see her arms moving underneath the material. Next thing I know, she’s drawing her tank top over her head and slipping her arms into the sleeves of my t-shirt.

“How’s that?” I ask.

She glances down at the baggy material and nods. “It’s good.”

“Lie down for me,” I say. She lowers to her back and stares up at me with such a trusting expression on her face. It stirs something deep inside my chest. She’s wiggling her little self right into my heart, and I’m here for it all. “Tell me to stop and I will—immediately.”

She nods, her lips curving into a soft smile. “I know you will. I trust you.” Hearing those words from her is all the reassurance I need.

I move over to kneel between her legs. “Time to remove your grumpy pants.”

“Good one.” She laughs and raises her hips, allowing me to pull down the boxers. I toss them to the floor and raise the t-shirt hem, leaving her exposed from the waist down. “Look at you. You’re so fucking beautiful.”

She shakes her head. “You must need glasses.”

“My vision is 20/20. I see you perfectly.” I place a hand on each of her thighs, skimming my palms and fingertips up and down her legs. I keep my touch as light as possible.

“That feels nice,” she whispers.

“It does. Your skin is so soft.” My caresses venture higher, and she spreads her legs for me. “Good girl.” I stroke her inner thighs.

“Don’t stop.”

“No way. I’m just getting started.” I move my hands inward, mapping out every inch of her pussy.

She moans. “Stop teasing me.”

“I’m exploring my new toy. Patience gets rewarded.” Bracing one hand on the bed, I use the other to slip between her slick lips, delving two fingers inside her entrance. “Fuck. You feel amazing. Such a tight little pussy.” I pump my fingers in and out. She’s so wet, I hear the sound of her pussy sucking my fingers back in. “So fucking hot.” I groan. “I can’t wait to bury my face between your legs.”

“Why are you waiting?” She moans. “Do it… please.”

I pull my fingers from her and back up on the air mattress. Lowering to my stomach, I push her knees to her chest and spread her wide open. “Your pussy looks amazing. I bet it tastes even better.” Her hips twitch as my mouth hovers over her entrance. I slide my tongue from back to front, circling her clit until she cries out.

“Yes! Right there.”

I know what she wants. I slip my fingers back inside her and rub them against her G-spot. At the same time, I suck her clit between my lips and pulse the tip of my tongue against it in an even cadence like a drumbeat.

Autumn gasps. “Yes. God yes.”

I keep it up, slowly increasing the tempo until her hips are rocking against my mouth in a maddening rhythm. It’s all I can do not to yank down my shorts and slam my cock inside her. I want to be buried deep between those thighs more than anything right now. The desire is an all-consuming ache. My dick is throbbing and my head is spinning from the taste of her.

It’s only the thought of seeing this through, and watching her unravel from my touch, that keeps my control tethered.

Autumn grips my hair, yanking and tugging as she does her best to ride my face from below me. My tongue rapid-fire flicks that swollen bundle of nerves and I don’t let up. Her legs start to shake and then the trembling moves up her body. She cries out, jerking her torso up from the mattress. My mouth stays on her until every wave of her orgasm has been coaxed forth.

Drawing my fingers from her, I slip them into my mouth and hum as I suck her cum from them. “Goddamn, you taste good,” I say, studying her sated form. The rapid rise and fall of her chest, her flushed cheeks, and the satisfied smile on her pink lips.

I move up to lie beside her on the mattress, and pull her into my arms. She nuzzles her cheek into my chest as she gets comfortable. Her skin is smooth and warm beneath my fingertips as I stroke the curve of her hip.

“That was incredible,” she says.

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

She tips her head back to look up at me. “Can I tell you something without you teasing me about it?”

My brow furrows. “Yeah, of course. I’m sorry you felt it was necessary to ask me that before you told me.”

“I don’t really think you’d be insensitive about this. It’s more that it’s an embarrassing topic for me.”

“Come here.” I grip her upper arms and prop her up on my chest. She studies my face for a few beats, then clears her throat.

“You might not like this conversation very much.”

“That’s okay.”

“Brett and I had an unsatisfactory sex life. At least on my end it was. If you know what I mean.” She pauses, as if she’s waiting for me to reply.

“You’re saying he didn’t make sure you came.”

“Yes. He never did.”

“Never?”

“Never ever.”

“Did he at least try to?”

“A little. But he liked to get right to it.”

“So not a lot of foreplay.”

Why am I not surprised?

He’s a selfish dick in general, so why would he be any different with a woman?

“Right. Hardly any.”

“You know it’s not your fault that you weren’t being satisfied, right?”

“I do, but he tried to make me feel like there was something wrong with me. Like I had some physical problem and that’s why he couldn’t please me.”

“You’re fucking perfect. Don’t you dare let what that asshole said make you doubt yourself.” I’m starting to get angry. If Brett were nearby, I’d go beat his ass right now.

“Don’t get fired up about it. I just wanted you to know this was the first time someone made me come. I feel like I should be thanking you.” She laughs.

“No, I should be thanking you . You’re too good for me, and every other man too. I can’t believe you’re even here with me.”

“I can’t believe I’m here either. How did this happen?” she asks, laughing. “So much for staying away from football players.”

“Hey, face it, we’re just meant to be. You need me to make you smile, and I need you to keep me grounded.”

“Maybe.”

“Doesn’t the orgasm I gave you count toward convincing you I’m right?”

She grins. “It doesn’t hurt your chances, that’s for sure.”

“Yes.” I pump my fist. “I’m at your disposal anytime you need me to help convince you.”

“I’m not against that. But I think we should remember how we agreed we were going to hang out as friends.”

An incredulous laugh slips from me. “And I was doing that until you rubbed against my dick and said we could fool around.”

“I know.” She groans. “I haven’t had sex in over two years, and it felt so good to be pressed against you. I just lost control.”

“Jesus, Autumn. You telling me that is such a turn on.” My dick is like a steel pipe right now as a result. “I loved waking up with you. And the fact that you let me explore your beautiful body? I’m so grateful and honored.”

“If you could have a relationship with me, would you want to?” she asks.

“Yes. That’s one hundred percent what I want. Will you be my girlfriend even though you’re way too good for me?”

She rests her forearms on my chest and stares into my eyes. “I’m nervous as hell about this, but there’s only one answer I can give you.” I hold still, not even breathing, as I wait for her to either make my world or destroy it. “Yes. I’ll be your girlfriend.”

I let out a whoop and yank her up my body until her lips are on mine. When we part, she’s smiling wide, and I can tell this is something she wants. Even though she may never be willing to admit it to me.

“You just made me so fucking happy, Autumn.” I squeeze her so tightly she squeals. When my arms loosen, she slides to the mattress beside me.

“Can we go back to sleep now? I’m still exhausted.”

I smile at her. “It’s still early. I’ve got another hour or two of sleep in me.”

She turns onto her left side, facing away from me, then peers over her shoulder. “You can cuddle up to me if you want.”

I turn on my side and reach out to drag her back into me. “Done.” I press a kiss to the top of her head. “Sweet dreams.”

She’s standing in my kitchen, looking much more comfortable than I imagined she’d be after this morning. Wearing one of my t-shirts that’s way too big for her, she’s looking good enough to eat. And somehow it looks better on her than it ever did on me. Her hair is tousled from sleep, and she’s frowning at the stove like it personally insulted her.

“What the hell?” She glances at me. “Are you sure this thing works?” She jabs at the touchscreen like it’s a video game controller and she’s rapidly firing at an opponent.

I lean back against the counter, watching her. “Pretty sure. I made eggs two days ago.”

She growls. “Then why does it take so long to heat up?”

“Is someone a little impatient? I told you I’d make breakfast.”

“I know, but I wanted to do something nice for you.”

“You already did,” I say, smirking. “And I can’t wait to be right back there again.”

She tosses a look over her shoulder. “You know what I meant.”

I smile. “I do. Can I interest you in a cup of coffee?”

“Yes. Fucking please. I can barely function until after the first cup.” She puts a frying pan on the burner.

“Really? I couldn’t tell.”

She holds her middle finger up behind her head, leaving it there long enough to make sure I’ve seen it. I watch as she reaches up into the cabinet to get a bowl. The t-shirt rides up, exposing the bottom of her biteable ass cheeks. Goddamn, she’s sexy.

Moving across the kitchen, I insert a coffee pod into the machine. Grabbing a mug, I place it underneath the spout. “Do you like cream and sugar or do you want it black?”

“Cream and sugar, please. Actually, do you have any low-calorie sweetener? I try to avoid using sugar.”

“I don’t, but I’ll grab some for next time.”

“Next time, huh? Aren’t you getting ahead of yourself, O’Rourke?”

“I hope you’ll want to stay over again. Everything about last night was amazing. And this morning was… I don’t think words exist to define what this morning was.” I add cream and three sugars to her mug and deliver it to her at the stove where she’s frying up some bacon.

“Ooh, thank you.” She snatches the cup from me, taking a sip of the steaming brew. Her eyes briefly close. “So good.”

“Would you like me to take over cooking?”

“Nope. Did you know you can learn a lot about a man from his kitchen?”

“Oh yeah? What have you learned about me?”

“You only have one frying pan.”

“You’re right.”

“What the hell, Rogan? How do you survive with only one? What if you need to fry more than one thing at a time?”

“I don’t ever do that.”

She rolls her eyes. “I guess I know what to get you for Christmas.”

I move forward, placing my hands on the counter, caging her in. Nuzzling my nose into the curve of her neck, I breathe in her soft scent. “Does that mean you’re planning to stick around?”

“I am your girlfriend… at least for now.”

For now. It’ll be a lot longer than that if I have my way.

“You are my girlfriend, and I’m extremely happy about that.” I remove the carton of eggs from the fridge. “How do you want your eggs?”

“The bacon’s all done, so I’ll just fry them up.”

I deliver the carton and watch as she cracks two eggs right into the pan. “I’m gonna make a bagel. Would you like one?”

“No, thanks.”

“But how will you make a sandwich out of your bacon and eggs?”

“I won’t. I try to avoid eating bread as much as possible. I love carbs but they don’t love me.”

“Your body is gorgeous, and I’m making you one anyway.”

She groans. “You’re a bad influence.”

I laugh. “I’ll take that as a compliment.”

When the bagels are done toasting and I’ve buttered them, I carry the plates over to Autumn. She adds two eggs to each and gestures toward the bacon. “Take whatever you want.”

“I think you should go first because I’ll eat that entire pile.”

She smiles and adds three slices on top of her eggs. I add two more to her pile before I dump the remainder onto my plate. “It’s too bad you don’t like bacon,” she drolls.

“Right?” I pluck a bottle of water from the fridge and two forks from the drawer. “Want to eat on the back patio or in here?”

She glances down at herself. “I think we better stay inside.”

“That works.” I take a seat at the table and she joins me. I pass a fork to her.

“Thanks.”

I take a bite of bacon and eggs. “No, thank you. This is delicious.” And it really is, and not just because she made it. For as much of a rush as she appeared to be in, she cooked everything to perfection. I don’t say another word until my plate is clear.

“I see now. The way to get you to be quiet is to feed you good food,” she says.

“I don’t know if that’s a secret. I think that includes just about every man. The way to our hearts is through our stomachs.”

“Ha. I’d always heard it’s through your dicks.”

“Not for me, but I’ve never had a problem with compartmentalizing sex. At least not until now.”

“But we haven’t had sex yet. You said oral doesn’t count toward our body count.”

I shake my head. “How like a woman to throw a man’s own words back at him.”

She laughs. “How like a man who only wants his rule to apply when it works in his favor.”

“So when am I going to see you again?” I ask.

She bumps her shoulder into mine. “Typical man, changing the subject when he can’t think of a reply.”

“You got me. But I really want to make plans with you again. When can I see you?”

“I’m sure you’ll see me tomorrow at some point. You guys have practice and I’ll have to cover some of it.”

Is she being deliberately obtuse?

“Fuck work, that’s not what I meant and you know it. When can I see you alone?”

“When do you want to?”

“Tonight.”

“I’ve been with you for most of the weekend, and I need to work today.”

“You’re going into the office? But we don’t practice today.”

“No, I’m working from home on some special projects. And I have a Zoom meeting with some influencers.”

“You still haven’t answered my question. When can I see you again?”

“Tomorrow night?”

“That works. Anything special you’d like to do?”

She shakes her head. “I can’t think of anything.”

“I’ll come up with something.”