Page 35 of Secret Love (The Single Dad Playbook #2)

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

SHADOWS GATHERING

HENLEY

“Are you not hungry?” Tru asks, eyeing the massive Reuben sandwich I’ve hardly touched.

“It’s delicious, but yeah, can’t seem to eat much,” I say apologetically.

It’s a Sunday afternoon and Tru and I are watching the game from home. It’s a rare moment lately for us to have the house to ourselves. My parents and brother were here for a couple of weeks to help me with things, and my mom will be returning later this week. The girls left a little while ago for dress fittings. Bree’s wedding is in early December, and it will be here before we know it. Stephanie’s here a lot too, and I really love that woman.

When Tru’s not at work, she and Earl have been here with me, and it’s the only positive thing that’s happened over the past few weeks. I’m still treating it as something temporary though. Because as much as I want her to move in with me, I don’t want her to decide to do it just because I’m going through a hard time. But I love waking up with her by my side and going to sleep with her face being the last one I see.

It’s been three weeks since my accident and it’s been fucking hell. My knee hasn’t improved the way it needs to and I’ll be having surgery in a few days. The pain is rough but tolerable. I’m used to pain, but what I’m having the most trouble with are all the unknowns.

I didn’t want to go out this way.

That’s the thought that stays on a loop in my mind now. When I’m working with my physical therapist, when I’m unable to sleep in the middle of the night, when I watch my team on their way to losing their second game in a row…I want to know if I’ll be given another chance to get out there and play again.

I wanted to go out on top. End this phenomenal career I’ve had on my own terms.

“Fuck! ” I yell at the screen when Penn fumbles the ball.

Tru jumps next to me, and I put my arm around her, tugging her closer.

They call a time-out and I give up trying to make out what they’re saying.

“I’m sorry,” I say softly in her ear. “I need to chill the fuck out. It’s harder than I thought to be on this side of things.” I kiss her hair and she softens in my arms. “Mmm, you feel good, tiny dancer.” I cup her breast and my dick stands to attention when her nipple pebbles. “I don’t know how you’ve put up with me the past three weeks. I’ve been a bear.”

She turns to face me and puts her hand on my cheek. “Your version of being a bear is so tame, Henley Ward,” she says. “You haven’t yelled at anything but the TV screen, you haven’t thrown anything, you’ve put up with endless company and grueling appointments, all while being the sweetest man who ever lived. I don’t know how you’re not showing some meanness by now. My father would have ripped me and my mom to shreds every single day if he were going through something like this.”

From the things she’s told me about Allen, and the one-sided conversations I’ve heard her have with him on the phone since her mom left, it’s enough to make me hate the man.

“I hope I never remind you of your father.”

“There’s no possible way you ever could.”

I lean in and kiss her, groaning when she pulls away too soon.

“Don’t you want to watch the game?” she asks, laughing.

“No,” I mumble. “Yes. No .” I lean in for another kiss. “Okay, I guess I do. But I miss you,” I say against her mouth. “I don’t want you to keep holding back from me.”

We’ve messed around here and there, but we haven’t had sex since I hurt my knee. Her refusal to hurt me is sweet but unnecessary. The need to make her feel good, to lose myself in her and not be able to the way I want, is driving me crazy.

She moves back to look in my eyes. “I’d never forgive myself if I did something to make your pain worse. Or to keep you from healing the way you need to.”

“I feel no pain when you kiss me.”

She smiles, her eyes going all melty the way I love. “And I want to keep it that way.”

I groan again, but she points to the TV.

“They’re back on.”

I watch the game, but I slide my hand down the front of her leggings and my mouth waters when I find her wet. I tease her with my fingers, getting her close and then backing off, until she’s squirming underneath me.

When our team loses the game, I pull my fingers out of her and lick them clean. “Tru?”

“Yes?” she pants.

“I’m going to stretch out on this couch and I need you to come over here and ride my face. Okay?”

Her cheeks flush and she nods. My dick bobs in victory. She stands and tugs her shirt over her head. I grin when her tits bounce and she smirks as she turns her back to me and lowers her leggings. She bends over, the flexible goddess that she is, giving me the most exquisite view, and I adjust my dick, cursing.

“You can’t possibly know what you’re doing to me, tiny dancer.”

I tug her hand to face me and she shakes her head, surprising me by moving to sit with her back to me instead. Her ass is close enough to bite and so I do, and she looks at me over her shoulder, her full lips lifting in a seductive smile.

“This view is phenomenal, but my mouth is up here,” I say, squeezing her perfect peach-shaped ass.

She ignores me, lowering my shorts and pulling down my boxer briefs until I pop out, my dick slapping heavily onto my stomach, hard and long past ready. When she leans down and takes me in her mouth, I choke back a hiss and pull her sweet lips to my face. She hums her approval around me, and I lose myself in her taste and the way she works me over.

I don’t think about the pain or what comes next or anything but the way she flutters against my tongue and the way I want to get lost in her forever.

When she starts coming, her whimpers against me egging me on, my orgasm threatens to barrel through me. I spread her wide and lick her until she’s limp against me. It takes supernatural effort to not lose my shit before I’ve satisfied her, but when her contractions on my tongue finally slow down, she doubles her efforts, her mouth hollowing out around me. She devours me and it is fucking earth- shattering .

I try to warn her I’m coming, but she doesn’t pull back. It’s so intense when I spill into her, when I feel her swallowing…I see fucking stars. She makes a hungry sound and I shoot another stream into her.

“ Fuck , Tru,” I croak when I can finally speak coherently. “So fucking good.” I press my fingers to my eyes, my dick still twitching in her mouth. “I wish I could flip you over and fuck the sense out of both of us.”

Her mouth slides off of me with a pop and she laughs, turning to look back at me.

“I must’ve not gotten you good enough if you’re already thinking about more.”

“You got me so good, my vision still hasn’t fully returned. And I’m always thinking about more.” My fingers trail down her back as she carefully climbs off of me.

The pain in my leg screams out, as if to say, “How dare you forget about me, you filthy bastard?”

My hands and jaw reflexively fist, but I keep my face trained on her, determined not to let her see my pain. Not now when she already worries too much that she’s going to hurt me.

“We’re going to make up for lost time when you’re fully recovered,” she says, bending down to kiss me.

I grab onto her hair and tilt her head, deepening our kiss until we’re both breathless.

“I’m not waiting until I’m fully recovered to be inside you,” I tell her.

She lifts an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

She bites her bottom lip and I lean in and tug it from her teeth.

“That’s so,” I say, my hands cupping her tits. I lean in and swirl my tongue around those pretty tips and she inhales a shaky breath.

“Henley,” she whispers.

My dick jerks to life, ready for another round.

She pulls back. “Am I gonna have to go stay at my house?”

I pull my eyes away from her breasts and look at her in alarm. “You want to leave?”

She laughs and kisses me again. “No, you big oaf. I’m not leaving. But don’t think I didn’t see how you tried to mask how much you’re hurting just now.”

“Because we stopped .” I say it with a smirk and a playful tone because I don’t want her to know how fucking true it is.

But I don’t try to stop her again when she starts to put her clothes back on.

The last thing I want to do is guilt my girlfriend into having sex or staying here if she wants to go home.

“Maybe you should go home tonight,” I tell her after I’m tucked back into my shorts and sitting up. “Have a girls’ night with your mom or Sadie and Elle and Calista…I’m good here and the guys said they’d stop by later.”

Her lips part and she shakes her head. “I was teasing, Henley.”

“I know, but…you’ve been here for weeks and you don’t have to stay here every night. Take a break. Go have some fun.”

“Do you need a break from me?” Her forehead furrows in the center and I reach out to smooth it.

“Never. But go. Please. I’ll be fine here.” The more I say it, the more I’m convinced she needs to do this.

She frowns and looks around the room. She picks up a pillow that fell off the couch and puts it back in place.

“I guess I could use a trip to the house to grab a few sweaters now that it’s getting colder.”

“Okay, sounds good.” I pick up the remote and turn the sound up when I hear them talking about the Mustangs.

Tru clears her throat and when I look at her, she seems lost. “Do you need anything before I go?”

“Nope. Just…go already.”

She flinches as she’s bending to kiss me. “Wow. Okay, call or text if you need me.”

“I didn’t mean anything by that.” I shake my head. “I just don’t want you worrying about me,” I tell her.

She tries to hide it, but I can tell I’ve hurt her feelings. She leaves quickly and I feel like such an asshole. When I hear the front door close and her car start, my head falls back on the couch. And I’m not sure why now, but everything I’ve been holding inside for the past three weeks comes flooding out.

I message the guys.

Hey, guys. I’m sorry for the loss today. And sorry to ask if we can do a rain check on hanging out. I’m worn out and I think I need to crash.

Penn

We miss you! You sure you don’t need some company?

Bowie

Rest. We can come over tomorrow.

Rhodes

I hope you’re okay, man. It doesn’t feel right, not seeing you on game day.

I miss you guys too. Let’s catch up another day.

And then I message Tru.

Hey, tiny dancer. I’m sorry. You didn’t deserve my foul mood today. I’m gonna head to bed early tonight. I hope you’re out doing something fun for a change. Let’s talk tomorrow. I love you.

Tru

Sleep well. I love you.

I’ve been hovering over a dark place since the accident, but this is the first time I fully fall into it.

It’s best that I’m alone for a while. I don’t want Tru or anyone else to see me this way.