“I’m gaun to help get the lassies tae bed. Are ye aboot ready tae go? We have tae be on campus early tomorrow,” Alex asks, scooping the sleeping girl off my lap. I nod before watching him follow Lewis down the hall carrying the youngest daughter.
“We will get together before you go back at the end of the week,” Antônia says before pulling me into a hug. I follow her to the door to wait for Alex. “Please promise me if you don’t feel the same, you’ll leave him now. He’s a really good man, he doesn’t deserve to get his heart broken. I don’t want to see him hurt.” With one more hug, I follow Alex out the door.
The camps over the next three days go off without a hitch. After the video of Alex playing soccer on the beach with the middle school kids went viral, we have a massive turn out. Fortunately, we have plenty of volunteers to help.
We had to laugh when a picture of Alex holding me in the ocean surfaces with the headline, “Soccer’s pretty boy spotted canoodling with an unknown woman in Miami.”
It’s late by the time we return to the room on the last night we’ll be in Miami. I’m lying on Alex’s shoulder while he draws lazy circles on my back when I finally decide to find out what has him so quiet.
“Is everything okay? You’ve been very...intense this week. Like you want to say something but then you never do.”
“Have I? I’m sorry, I dinnae mean tae be,” he answers me lazily. I pick my head up so I can see his face. His eyes are closed but there is the same crease between his eyebrows that has been there for part of the week.
“Alex, look at me.” I sit up so I can look down at his face. “Tell me what’s going on in there. Are you having second thoughts about us? It's okay if you are.” His eyes suddenly spring open with an intensity I’ve never seen.
“Naw, that’s never okay. I’m naw having second thoughts aboot us being together. That’s the one thing I dinnae have tae think aboot. I’ll always want tae be with ye.” Wrapping an arm around my waist, he pulls me down onto the bed, rolling on top of me until I’m trapped under him. His eyes have turned a dark blue as he looks down at me.
“Ye’re naw thinking of breaking up with me, are ye? Because I have naw problem spending all night convincing ye otherwise.” He kisses me on my collarbone before nipping into my skin.
“Alex! I want to know what’s going on in your brain. It’s been worrying me.” He palms one of my breasts in his hand, rolling my nipple into a hard point. Grabbing his wrist, I pull his hand away. “No, not until we talk about whatever is bothering you!” Wiggling, I work myself toward the headboard until he is forced to rock up on his knees between my legs.
“Boireannach! I’m trying tae remind ye how good ye’ll feel riding my cock,” he says with a scowl on his face. I cross my arms, sitting against the headboard as his eyes bore into mine.
“Fine,” he finally growls. “There is a rumor that’s started aboot trading me before the end of my contract, but they’re naw telling me aboot it. I dinnae know how this is gaun tae work with us naw living anywhere near each other. My schedule is so busy with training and games, I worry aboot finding time tae fly oot. The youth program I started is daein so much good, but I dinnae know if I can juggle it with everything else.
“I’m sorry I’ve been a dick, usually I just figure shite oot on my own.” When he finishes, I watch as his breath heaves in and out in short bursts while his eyes plead with me.
“Wow, I’m sorry. I had no idea you were under this much pressure.”
“I’m sorry, I didnae realize I was being such an arse. I hope it didnae ruin the trip. Ye dinnae have tae worry, I’ll get it figured oot.” We watch each other for a moment before he flops onto his back, laying between my legs with his head on my lap.
“Antônia told me you’ve fallen in love with me,” I whisper. “Is that true?”
He looks up at me for a moment before speaking again. “Will it scare ye away if I say aye? I didnae mean tae this fast, but I’ve never wanted anyone so completely like I want ye. I dunno how tae naw fall in love with ye.”
This is the moment when everything changes. It will never be the same between Alex and me again. We can’t be just two impulsive ships that met up in a library. At this moment, I have to decide if I push him away forever or if I follow him into the unknown. I’m not brave, but I want to follow him more than I’ve ever wanted anything.
“Claire?” he asks quietly. Taking his face in both my hands, I look into his troubled eyes.
“I’m still here. I’m scared, but not of being with you, whatever that brings.” Bending over, I pull his face to mine, placing a soft kiss on the corner of his mouth. Rolling onto his knees, he pulls me to him in a tight hug, sliding his hand into my hair to pull my mouth to his.
Suddenly he’s desperately pulling my pajamas off while trying to slide his boxers down his legs. Wrapping both hands around my ass, he slides me up his thighs as he rests back on his knees. With a quick thrust, he’s fully seated in me. Pushing up on his knees, he crawls forward until my back hits the pillows I propped against the headboard.
“Ye’re mine, Claire. I dinnae want anyone else touching ye ever again. Okay?” he growls as he thrusts up, his thighs pushing me against the headboard. Decades of playing soccer has made his thighs like steel pistons. With each thrust, my clit rubs against his hard lower abs until I feel myself starting to shake.
“I’m yours, Alex. I don’t want to be anyone else’s. Just yours,” I moan as he thrusts harder than I knew any man could.
“Fucking come for me,mo ghaol.” It’s all he has to say to send me crashing over. I scream his name as I vaguely hear him say something I don’t understand before roaring into his own orgasm. He pumps into me until his seed starts to run back out. In some move I still don’t understand, he sits back, pushing his legs in front of him without ever pulling out of me.
He is panting when he pulls me against his chest. I listen to his heart hammer for a second before I hear him whisper, “I love ye, Claire.” I pull back, looking into his eyes as they cloud over with concern. “Please dinnae let it scare ye away from me.”
“Alex?” I ask.
“Aye.”
“Please tell me next time you’re worried about something. Promise me. You can’t say you love me, then keep things from me. Okay?”
“Aye, I’ll try.”
