Page 32 of Hard Count (Newhouse University #4)

DREW

I’ve tried sitting. I’ve tried standing. I’ve now resorted to pacing the small aisleway at the end of my bed. Nash is out there watching a video I swore I would never show anyone. But he looked right through me with those brown eyes of his and I had to come clean.

I have been holding back. I am scared. I’ve been hurt time and time again by the people who should love me regardless of my flaws. This makes me shutdown. It makes me cautious. It makes me wonder if I’m being fair to Nash because I may never be able to give him all of me.

I may not be able to tell him how I feel but I can show him. I can give him that video. He can see that I have always had faith in him. He’s always been someone that caught my eye and not just because he’s a good football player.

“Oh god what have I done?” I drop my face into my hands and groan.

The door to my room opens and Nash stands silently in the doorway. His chest heaves as he stares at me with dilated eyes and his mouth a thin line .

“Let me explain,” I say. “You’re upset with me. You probably wanted to play somewhere else and I…I shouldn’t have intervened like that. I’m sorry.” I drop my head and start twisting my bracelet around my wrist.

He steps inside but doesn’t remove his hand from the door knob. “You have five seconds to walk out this door. If you choose to stay, you aren’t leaving until I’m done with you. One…”

My pulse quickens with each second that passes. There’s no part of me that wants to leave the room. You will have to take me out of here in a body bag before I go anywhere without seeing what Nash has planned for me.

“Five,” he says, slamming the door and locking it.

“Do you want to talk about the video?”

Shaking his head, he says, “Can’t.” He walks toward me, removing his shirt as he goes.

Breathe, Drew. Deep breaths . He steps out of his gym shorts and peels his socks off his feet.

Do not look at his dick. Do not look at his dick.

Too late. My eyes flutter closed and I swallow down the pool of saliva in my mouth.

He puts a shaky hand on my arm when I begin to take my shirt off. “No. I want to do it.” His fingers skim my rib cage as he lifts my shirt over my head causing me to shiver."You're beautiful, baby," he says, grazing his fingers over my breasts.

My stomach spins as his lips meet mine. The kiss is so passionate I have no choice but to hold on to him.

I grip his shoulders while his tongue tangles with mine.

He breaks our kiss and slowly starts working his way down my body.

A moan escapes me when he plays with one of my breasts with his hand and the other with his mouth.

He slips his fingers into the elastic band of my pajama shorts I threw on when I got home from the game. Slow hands move down my thighs as he strips me of my shorts and underwear. Kissing me again, he picks me up around my waist and lays me down on the bed.

He brushes my hair off my face and then rests his forearms on either side of my head. The silence in the room adds to the jitters I feel beneath my skin. He’s staring at me like it’s the first time he’s seen me. Maybe that’s true. Now he understands why I was so angry at him when we met at the bar.

It wasn’t because I didn’t think he was good enough. It’s because I know he’s the best.

He drops his head on mine. “What you did…I can’t put into words what I’m feeling right now but I'm going to do my best to show you.”

“Okay,” I whisper. He kisses me again. This time, he presses the full weight of his body against mine.

The heat of his skin warms me from the outside in.

His erection glides through my center making me moan against his lips.

There’s nothing that separates us but the thin cotton of his boxers and it still feels like too much. I want to feel everything.

Shifting down my body, he hums in appreciation. There isn’t a spot on my skin that isn't worshipped by his lips, teeth, and tongue. His hands caress my breasts and I try my best to stay still but I squirm with desire and my need for him.

Nash smirks before swirling his tongue around my nipple and sliding his fingers through my wet slit. He drags his teeth over my breast while pushing two fingers inside me. It feels so good I can’t stop from digging my nails into his back and shoulder.

“That’s it, baby. Mark me. Tell everyone who I belong to,” he says, playing with my clit and pumping his fingers faster.

“Nash,” I moan, rocking my hips when he hits me in the perfect spot. "Please don't stop." He holds my gaze as my back bows off the bed and my toes curl from the start of my orgasm.

Whimpering, my eyes close as my pussy strangles and pulses around his fingers. He doesn't stop moving them until my legs go limp.

"I love watching you come and hearing you say my name while you do it." Nash stands and removes his underwear before crawling back between my legs. While on his knees, he glides his dick through my release, rubbing the head against my sensitive clit.

His muscles ripple with every thrust. It’s very erotic to watch him watch us. He tightens his grip on my thighs and increases his speed. Occasionally, dipping the tip of his cock inside, teasing me. “Are you going to come for me again? I know you can figure out how, little fox.”

The ridges of his cock slide against my clit in a sawing motion but I need more. “I want you.” My words are barely audible.

“You have me, baby. Come for me and I’ll give you what you need. There you go,” he says, his jaw tightens as my legs begin to shake. “I wish you could see how pretty your pussy is when it’s begging for my cock.”

He bites down on his lip and the veins in neck strain as he holds off his own orgasm. The thought that I’m the one who’s making him struggle for control pushes me over the edge. Groaning, I strangle my comforter in my hands as I ride out another orgasm.

“Fuck, baby. I need to be inside you now. I’m clean. Condom, yes or no?” he asks, his cock sitting at the entrance of my pussy.

I shake my head. “I’m on birth control and I’m—” I inhale a sharp breath when Nash pushes into me with one slow thrust. Even after two orgasms, I’m not sure I could ever be prepared for him.

He hooks my legs over his forearms and his hands hold tight to my hips as he thrusts into me in a steady motion. Sweat glistens on his chest and I want to feel him closer. “Come here.” I move my legs off his arms.

Slowing his pace, he leans over me. His gold chain skims my chest, making my skin prickle.

I kiss his pec and run my tongue up his neck until I get to his ear where I give him a little nibble, making him growl.

He does the same thing to me but I whimper and tighten my grip on his back. “You like that, huh?” he asks.

“I like every way you touch me. ”

“That’s good because I love touching you.” He kisses me and runs his hand down the length of my body. Hitching my leg over his hip, he pumps into me faster. “I need you to come again, baby. Get there with me.”

Lifting my hips, I find an angle that also hits my clit. Our eyes lock together and I clamp down on his cock as another orgasm wrecks my body. He dips his head into the crook of my neck and groans out his release.

He holds me in his arms and kisses the top of my shoulder and chest while we catch our breaths.

He sighs, then slowly slides out of me. “I’ll be right back.

” Hopping off the bed, I get a nice view of his ass.

My tongue glides over my lips, wetting them.

“Don’t look at me like that right now,” he warns.

“Why not?”

“Because we need to eat and hydrate before we do that again.”

“Fine,” I say, rolling off the bed. I grab my shirt off the floor and walk toward the door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He stops me with a hand on my hip.

“To get food and water.”

“I don’t think so. You don’t get to leave this room until I say so. That’s what we agreed on. You can use the bathroom and then come right back.”

“Seriously?” I can’t believe I’m arguing with him while we're both naked.

“Deadly. Do you need the bathroom? ”

I nod with a roll of my eyes. He snags my shirt out of my hand and guides me out the door. “I can’t even get dressed?” I ask.

“Nope.”

I go to the bathroom and clean myself up with Nash waiting naked in my hallway. “You’re being ridiculous,” I say when I pass him.

He taps my ass playfully. “Back to bed.” He looks at me with a promise of what’s to come the rest of the night.

I climb back in bed and get cozy under the covers. I yawn and stretch, enjoying the way my body feels after just having sex with Nash. While my muscles feel fatigued and sore, I also feel hollow. It feels like there’s a part of me that’s missing now because I’ve unknowingly given it to him.

“You did have a few Lunchables in the fridge. Did you buy these or Frankie?” he asks, with three Lunchables and four water bottles in his arms.

“I did. How are you so comfortable walking around my apartment naked?” I pin the sheet tighter against my chest with my arms.

He shrugs. “I’ve spent most of my life getting dressed in locker rooms. Being naked feels normal.” He slips under the sheet and covers his dick. “I’m only covering up my cock because you can’t stop looking at it.”

“Pfft. I do not.” I snatch a Lunchables from his lap.

“I’m not complaining. You can look and touch my cock as much as you want. In fact, it’s encouraged,” he says, making me laugh .

“I’ll keep that in mind.” I stack a piece of cheddar cheese and ham on a cracker and pop it in my mouth.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let you forget.” He wraps an arm around me and pulls me into his chest, kissing the side of my face.

“These are awful by the way. I don’t think this is real meat.

” He chews with his nose scrunched up and immediately washes it down with water.

“I can’t believe you think this tastes good. ”

“They’re so disgusting you’re eating another one.” I raise an eyebrow.

“I’m starving! As much as I want to believe I can survive off you, I’m afraid I’ll actually burn more calories than I consume during that meal.”

I clench my thighs at the thought of him trying.

We lapse into silence as we devour our cheese and crackers.

He finishes first—plowing through two packets—while I take my time with one.

As soon as I stack my last cracker, he clears the trash and places it on the floor to throw away later.

I finish chewing and drink some water before placing the bottle on my nightstand.

Nash holds the sheet up as an invitation to lay in his arms. I don’t hesitate to crawl into his lap. “How do you do it?” he asks. His palm tugs my thigh higher, pulling me closer to him.

“What?”

“Give me exactly what I need without even trying.”

“I don’t know.”

“Newhouse was my dream school,” he says into the quiet room.

“My friends and I grew up watching games on television. When I was thirteen I went to my first Newhouse football game. It was also your dad’s first year as their coach.

I watched him bring the team back from a thirty point deficit.

I told my dad I was going to play for him some day. ”

He runs his hand through my hair and wipes a tear from my cheek.

“I worked hard. In high school I gave up baseball and shifted all my focus to football. My sophomore year Hart, Koa, and Wyatt got their offers to play baseball here. I was happy for them but I was worried my offer wouldn’t come and it wouldn’t have if it wasn’t for you. Why did you do it?”

I lift my head and rest my chin on his chest. Tracing my fingers over his skin, I tell him the only truth I know.

“I saw something in you the first time you played against Westfield. Our team didn’t give you much of a challenge but you would have lit up the field anyway.

You had over three hundred passing yards in the game. ”

“It’s hot as fuck that you know all my stats.” He shuffles us around so we’re lying parallel to each other with our legs tangled together.

“I’m glad you think that instead of me being some crazy fan girl or something.”

“I think I might like it if you went crazy over me.” He lightly pats my ass.

“I did. I became obsessed. I went to all of your games, gathered footage of you playing, and tracked all your stats for almost two years. I knew my dad would need a new quarterback at some point. After I saw you once, I knew you were who we needed. I just…I…” My throat tightens and all the words I want to say get stuck.

“What is it, baby?” He holds the side of my neck with his hand.

“I didn’t know I would need you this much too.”

He pulls me into his arms. “I think we’re exactly what both of us needed.”