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CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

CHARLIE

There are so many people rushing the field, and I’m afraid I’ll get trampled if I try to go down there right now.

My dad tugs at my arm and leans over to speak in my ear. “We need to wait a few minutes until they can clear some of these fans off the field. It’s too crazy right now.”

Ryan leans forward against the bar in front of us. The look of pride on his face is unforgettable. I can only imagine what he must be feeling right now. They’ve been through so much, and to see his son achieve an accomplishment of this magnitude has to feel incredible.

“The security guard is waiting for us at the end of the row. He’s going to lead us down to the field. They’re keeping the family in the tunnel until they get the stage set up and some of the fans cleared off.”

My dad pulls me in front of him, putting me in between him and Mom. Brooke is in front of me with Ryan leading. I grab Brooke’s hand, and she turns back to look at me and smiles.

“Can you believe this, Brooke? They did it!”

“I’m so excited for Beck and Casey! I just want to get down there and hug them!”

We reach the tunnel and see Archie’s family, and it looks like some of his brothers are here too. They all look alike. Liam’s parents are talking to Coach’s wife near the front.

Ryan turns to say something, but we can’t hear him over the noise of the crowd. Brooke shakes her head at him and points to her ear. He just laughs and turns back around.

The crowd on the field is starting to thin out a little, and we can now see the platform for the awards. There are two security guards in the front, and we see them raise their hands, signaling for us to head onto the field. I’m still holding Brooke’s hand, but I start to jog and pull her with me to find Beck.

I see the guys standing in front of the stage. Beck isn’t on the stage this time, but he’s with Casey and Liam. Archie is, of course, on the stage. He’s eating this up.

As we get closer, Beck turns and tilts his head up, searching the crowd. When he spots me and Brooke, she lets go of my hand, and I run to Beck. His arms are open, and I leap into his arms and wrap my legs around his waist. We’re both laughing while we kiss.

I pull back from our kiss and search his face. He looks so happy and tired, and he’s still dripping in sweat, but he’s never looked more handsome.

“You did it, baby!” Tears prick my eyes, and I see his eyes turning glossy too.

He tucks his head into my neck, and I can feel his chest heaving against mine.

“I love you so much!” His head is still in my neck, and I can hear the tears in his voice.

“I love you so much, Beck. That was absolutely incredible. I’m so, so proud of you!”

He pulls back and kisses me again. This kiss is wet from both of our tears, and it’s a moment I will never forget.

He sets me on my feet and wipes his eyes with his gloves. Brooke and Ryan come over, and he wraps his arms around them both. I want to give them this moment together, so I turn and look for my parents and Casey.

They’re a little closer to the stage, so I make my way through the families and congratulate the guys as I pass them. Mom is still wrapped around Casey, and the tears are falling down her face. I look at Dad and see he’s wiping his eyes with the palm of his hand. Casey looks up and spots me and smiles. He had a great game today and caught one pass for a touchdown.

“I’m so proud of you, little brother!”

I wrap my arms around him, laughing. He lifts me up, squeezes me, then puts me down.

“Char, can you fucking believe this? We did it!”

I hug him again, and then the announcer starts to speak. Beck and his family have moved in close to us, and Beck stands behind me and wraps his arms around my waist. I turn my head and look up at him, and he leans in for a kiss.

We stay like that as the announcer issues congratulations and awards for MVP of the game. Archie is still standing on the stage with some of the other guys and the coach. He sees us in the crowd and points at us and nods. Beck straightens one of his arms and points back at Archie.

I turn my head again and kiss his jaw. “I love you, Beck. Watching you out there today was amazing. You deserve all of this and more.”

“We do, baby. We all do. I still can’t believe it. Is this for real?”

He rests his chin on my head and wraps both arms around my chest. I grasp his arms with my hands and lightly squeeze.

The rest of the ceremony goes by in a blur, and then we are all being led off the field. When we reach the hallway to the locker room, we all hug each other again. The guys will be a while—between the coach’s speech, showers, and interviews—so we decided to head back to the hotel to wait for them there.

As I turn to walk away, Beck grabs my arm to stop me. “I need you tonight. After we’re done with the family, you’re coming to my room.” He kisses me and turns to walk away.

My face flushes with heat as I think about being with him again. It’s been weeks since we’ve had sex. I need him just as much as he needs me.

* * *

There are tables set up in one of the conference rooms at the hotel. There have been more toasts and speeches than I can count, and all I can think about is getting upstairs with Beck. His hands haven’t left me since he got here, and while he’s never been shy about giving me attention, he’s definitely not caring at all about anyone seeing him rub up on me. I should feel a little embarrassed, considering our parents are with us, but I don’t.

And I can’t lie—all the touches and kisses have me seriously turned on. I’ll be ready to explode by the time we get to the room. I know Beck is feeling the same because I let my hand travel up his thigh, and I can feel the tip of his erection. I look at him and smirk, but pull my hand away. He doesn’t say anything, just leans toward me and kisses my neck.

My mom and dad stand from our table to leave, giving us all hugs.

My mom leans down and whispers in my ear, “I assume you’ll be staying with Beck tonight?”

Again, I should be embarrassed, but I’m not. “Uh, yeah. Sorry if this is awkward for you,” I say with a laugh.

She just shrugs. “If you think I don’t know you’ve been having sex since you were sixteen, you don’t give me enough credit.” Her lips touch the top of my head. “Good night, sweet girl.”

I tilt my head up to look at my parents. “Night. Night, Dad. See you guys in the morning. I’ll be back in the room by six to leave for the airport.”

Dad looks at my mom, then me, then back at Mom. I guess he hasn’t caught on that I’m not staying with them tonight. Awkward.

Mom ushers him away, and she turns and waves. Ryan and Brooke are saying their goodbyes to Beck, then hug me too.

When they walk away, Beck grabs my hands. “Can we leave now?”

He’s got a heated look in his eyes that tells me my answer had better be yes.

When I nod, he lets go of one of my hands, and we head to the elevators.

“Wait, don’t we need to tell Casey? I don’t want him trying to get in the room tonight.”

Beck looks at me. “Boss, if you thought I didn’t have a plan in place, you don’t know me at all. Casey is going to stay with some guys in another room. It’s all good.”

He’s all but dragging me to the elevator. He nods and waves at people we pass, all of whom congratulate him. And when we reach the elevator, he notices it closing and holds a foot out to stop the doors.

He pulls me into the elevator and into his chest. He reaches behind me to push the button to our floor. I can’t help the bubble of laughter that comes out. I’ve seen him anxious to get me naked before, but this is a whole new level.

My laughter stops when he leans his head down to mine and kisses me. It’s the kind of kiss that I feel from my lips to my toes. It’s desperate and wet. His tongue invades my mouth, and I meet it with mine. His hands move to the bottom of my jersey, and he lifts it up until he can touch the skin on my back. It tickles and has me squirming just a little. But he doesn’t stop. His hands travel up to my bra, and he unhooks it.

“Babe, we’re in the elevator.”

“Uh-huh.” Then he covers my mouth again.

The elevator stops at our floor, and as the doors open, he releases my mouth and pulls his hands from under my jersey. Taking my hand, he steps out, and we practically race down the hallway. I’m grateful we don’t see anyone. With the way we’re rushing, there’s no mistaking what we’re going to do.

Beck taps his key to the door lock and opens it. I’m barely inside before he’s got me up against the door and reaching for my jersey to pull it off. He dives back in and kisses me, a little slower this time. This kiss is teasing. His mouth opens, and he touches his tongue to the center of my upper lip.

“Have I ever told you that I love your mouth? You have the most perfect lips. The way you kiss me. The way they wrap around my cock and suck me in. Your mouth was made for me, baby.” He pulls away and walks backward toward one of the beds.

Before he sits, he pulls his shirt off and slides his pants and boxers down his solid thighs. He kicks them off to the side. “Come here, baby.” He holds his hand out to me, and as I reach him, he pulls me between his legs.

He unbuttons and unzips my shorts and slides them, along with my panties, down my legs in one swoop. Leaving me completely bare to him. Beck leans forward and licks me from my center to my lower belly. His eyes are watching mine as he licks, nips, and sucks his way back and forth.

His hands are moving up and down the back of my thighs and up to my ass. Then he brings them to the front and smooths them over my breasts, waist, and finally down to the front of my thighs. He pulls my legs apart. “Open for me. I need to taste your sweetness. It’s been too fucking long, and I want dessert.”

I widen my stance as his hands travel to my center, spreading me open with his thumbs. He leans in, eyes on mine, and with a flat tongue, he licks me from my opening to my clit. I moan and reach out to run my hands through his hair. I start guiding his movements and thrust my center into his face.

“Beck, oh God. Don’t stop.”

In response, he grabs my right leg and sets my foot on the bed. He rubs his hand back up my leg to my ass and squeezes as he pulls me into his face. His other hand moves to my opening, and he slips in one finger as his tongue twirls around my clit.

When he groans against my clit, the vibration from it shoots right through me, and I feel the first pulse of an orgasm. I’m so close.

“You taste so fucking good. I’ll never get enough of this.” He adds another finger and sucks on my clit.

My hips are rocking against his face, and I pull his head into me even more, like I can’t get him close enough. “Keep doing that. Right there. Don’t stop.” I feel like I’m starting to lose control, and for all I know, the whole hallway can hear me panting.

White-hot heat spreads through me as I start to pulse around his fingers. He doesn’t stop sucking until I pull on his hair to push him away. My orgasm is still rippling through me as he brings his fingers out, and he starts kissing the inside of my thigh.

“Beck, that was …” I don’t think I can form words yet. But I do know that I need to taste him as much as he needed to taste me.

I drop my leg from the bed and bring my hands to cup his jaw. I lift his face to mine and kiss him. I slip my tongue into his mouth, and I can taste myself. I deepen the kiss and suck on his tongue, making him groan. His mouth opens as I pull back, my lips still wrapped around his tongue, sucking. I release his tongue with a pop. I straighten my body and look down at him. He’s watching me, but also telling me so much in the heat of his stare.

This man loves me. I don’t know how I could have ever questioned that.

His hands smooth up my body to my breasts. He palms them and squeezes. Then he leans forward and takes one of my nipples into his mouth and sucks. When he pulls away, he scrapes his teeth and bites the tip. It makes another ripple roll through my body.

When he releases my nipple, I pull back slightly and go to my knees in front of him. He moves his hands from my body, bracing his arms with his hands at his sides. I look up at his face as I slide my hand up and down his erection. As I reach the head of his cock, I twist my fist slightly and pull. Beck’s eyes close, and his head drops back between his shoulders.

He looks back down at me as I bring my tongue to his tip, licking the pre-cum.

“You look so good on your knees for me, baby. Open that pretty little mouth and take what you want.” His right hand comes to my face, and he traces his thumb from my cheekbone to my lips.

Leaning into him, I open my mouth and take him all the way in until I gag. He loves it when I gag, so I don’t feel self-conscious about it.

“Beautiful, baby. You’re so fucking beautiful.”

I pull my mouth back to the tip and wrap my hand around him. I slide my hand up and down in sync with my pulls on the head of his cock. His hand drifts from my face into my hair, and he tugs on it lightly. I move my hand to the base of his cock as I slide my mouth all the way down. He starts to thrust into me when my mouth reaches my hand, and it makes me gag again. When I pull back up, saliva is dripping from my mouth, and my eyes are watering. But I don’t stop.

When I reach between his legs and grab his balls, Beck thrusts up into my mouth. He pulls on my hair again in warning. “Baby, I’m about to come.”

I don’t stop.

“Baby, please. I need to be inside of you. I’ll let you suck my cock again later if you’re a good girl,” he says with a smirk.

Then he puts his hands under my arms and starts to lift me up. His cock falls out of my mouth with a pop, and I stand.

Beck scoots back to the headboard, and I crawl onto the bed in between his spread legs. Stopping at his erection, I flatten my tongue and give him one more long lick and then kiss the top of his cock.

I spread my legs to straddle him, but I don’t put him inside me yet. I lean forward, hands running up his chest, over his tattoos, stopping on the four-leaf clover.

“Beck, I have missed you so much. I hope you know that me staying at Arbor’s wasn’t to punish you. It killed me to do it, but you’d asked for some time, and I guess after I got over the hurt of thinking you meant you wanted a break from me, I realized that you did need some time. You needed time to focus and prepare for what you did out on that field today. And I’m so glad I did it. Because you won the motherfucking national championship, baby!”

I lean in and kiss him. He deepens the kiss, and we just sit there, kissing for what seems like hours. When he pulls back from the kiss, his gaze travels down my body to where his cock rests in my crease. I start to slide back and forth on his erection, making him groan.

“You have about two seconds to put my dick inside of that pussy before I flip you over and take what I want.”

I lean forward and kiss him as I lift my hips and grab his erection, positioning the head at my entrance. Placing my hands on his chest, I ease my body down his cock. We both moan at the feeling of coming together. When I look up at his face, he’s watching his cock slide into me.

“Don’t move, baby. Give me a minute to catch my breath, or I might come with you just sitting on me like this.” He closes his eyes for a second and squeezes my thighs with his hands.

I start to move because I have to. He’s still sitting with his eyes closed, but his hands are rubbing up and down my thighs now. I lean forward and kiss him while I rock back and forth. He tells me he loves me each time our lips part.

Sitting up again, I continue to move up and down on him. He grabs my hips and starts driving his cock in as deep as he can.

“Baby, you need to get there. I can’t hold this much longer. FUCK! Baby, come!” Beck demands.

I place my hands behind me and grab his thighs. It makes my chest push out, and Beck runs his hands up and down my body. I feel sexy and loved and worshipped. When he grasps one breast with one hand and brings his other to my center and starts circling my clit, I lose control. He thrusts up into me, and I let him take over while I chase my orgasm.

The pulsing starts at the base of my spine and shoots through me, right to my clit. I can’t hold it back, and I can’t wait for him to meet me. I look at his face to see him watching where we’re coming together. But I know he feels my eyes on him, and he looks up. Our eyes lock, and I feel the first jump of his cock inside me as my orgasm cascades through my body. Beck’s mouth drops open a little as he continues to release into me. I stop moving altogether, coming down from the high. Beck moves his hands to my hips, and he squeezes me playfully as his breathing also starts to return to normal.

I lean down and kiss him again, whispering, “I love you,” across his lips.

Then I pull back up to a sitting position and sit by his side. He scoots down on the bed so his head now rests on a pillow. And I lie down next to him. He lays his arm out, and I rest my head on his shoulder.

Between Beck’s muscles and his tattoos, his body is truly a work of art. I bring one hand to his chest and trace the planes of his abs and chest. Then I trace each of his tattoos on his chest. Goose bumps pop as I do it, but he doesn’t stop me. We lie there like that for a few minutes, lost in our afterglow.

“Do you know that I’ve fallen in love with you three times?”

I look at his face. “What do you mean?”

“The first time I fell for you was when you came hopping over to my house the day we moved to Troy. You were so happy, and I was so sad at the time. Not because we’d moved, but because I was still dealing with so much. I saw how happy you were, and I wanted to soak it up. When you walked away, I watched you until you went inside your house. Of course, I didn’t really know what falling in love felt like at that age, but that was what I felt. I loved you already.”

“Beck …”

“The second time I fell in love with you was the day you almost beat me at the tree. I watched your braids flying behind you, and I couldn’t help but smile. You were so focused and so determined to beat me. And when we reached the tree, I knew I had to kiss you. By then, I had an idea what love was, and I knew when I was with you, I could feel you, soul deep.”

Tears are forming in my eyes. It’s not like this is the first time he’s told me he loves me, but he’s telling me how he felt while falling in love with me. I’m not taking this time for granted with my words, so I sit and listen.

“And the third time? I know you might laugh at this, but it was when I walked out my front door and saw you standing near Casey’s truck when we moved you to Walker.” He laughs. “The look on your face was priceless. Of course, I knew it was my fault. I put that look on your face, but I was also going to be the one to take it off. I’d had plans to win you back, even before you decided to come to Walker, but when you figured out you couldn’t live without me either, well, that just played right into my plan.”

“I did not decide to come to Walker for you, Beckham Linson, I assure you.”

“Oh, baby, but you did. You can’t stay away from me, just like I can’t stay away from you. And when I got in the truck after you and looked at you in the mirror … our eyes met, and I knew I hadn’t lost you. That’s when I fell in love with you again.”

“So, you’re saying you stopped loving me between those times?”

He sighs. “Charlene, don’t ruin it. I’ve heard that there are three loves of your life. I don’t know all the reasons for it, but I know that you’re all three of mine. You were always meant to be mine. And, baby, this is it. We’re forever.”

I’m watching his face while he speaks, and I feel a tear run down my face. This gorgeous man, inside and out … is mine. And he always has been. The first time I saw his blue-gray eyes, I knew he was the one meant for me. And I get what he’s saying about falling in love with me three times because we never stopped loving each other, but there were key moments that made that love deeper.