Page 24

Twenty-Three. Fumble

Vera

I n the week since his failure meltdown, Elias played two more games and I watched each one with bated breath. It’s not going to be easy, getting over his nerves, but I hope he starts trusting in himself. I floated the idea of therapy, but since I don’t go anymore, it’s a little hypocritical. The difference is, talking to a professional might help Elias deal with what he’s going through. Even if he hates talking about himself. Dragging his worries and fears out takes effort when it’s the two of us, but the conversations that follow are often the deepest and most meaningful.

It’s also helped that our relationship status has changed and he’s feeling more secure in what we are. I didn’t realise it was weighing on him so much until he got back from Hyderabad. I don’t think it was weighing on me much until that night either. We’re in a good place, which is why when I said I was meeting my girlfriends for drinks, he asked to come along. That turned into their partners being invited as well and Tamara bringing her Tinder date, a handsome guy with zero personality.

We’ve been at Bar None—one in a long list of new pubs opening in the last six months—for less than thirty minutes and everyone’s still staring at Elias. He’s squirming in his seat, hand wrapped around the back of my neck to steady himself. I warned him this would happen, because my friends haven’t been around famous people before and they clearly don’t know how to behave.

“Will you quit it?” Tamara growls and apologies fly our way between awkward chuckles. My cousin turns to my boyfriend and flashes him her winning smile. “I’m sorry on behalf of these plebeians. We’re usually better behaved than this.”

“You’re good,” he says, fake smile in place. To everyone else, he means it, but I know Elias. He’s tense—back straight, feet flat on the floor, jaw tight—and the grip around my neck pulses depending on how uncomfortable he is. Squeezing his thigh, I offer him a small smile he returns and his eyes clear up.

Dropping my voice to a whisper, I say, “We can leave whenever you want.”

“I want to stay,” he insists.

“I uh…want to say I’m a huge fan,” Venkat, Krystina’s husband, says. “I’m trying to be cool, but I can’t because you’re the reason I started watching the ICL.”

Whoa . My friends and their partners enjoy the sport, but that’s a huge compliment and I feel the effect of those words on Elias.

“Thank…you. I…nobody’s ever said that to me before.” He laughs nervously and glances at me, shock and awe in his eyes.

“He’s a pretty good reason to get back into it,” I reply with a grin and Elias blushes, eyes dropping to his lap. His shoulders loosen up and grip on my neck lightens, which is enough.

When I look up, Millie’s fiancé, Jonathan is bouncing nervously and I laugh. “Okay, okay. You can ask him your questions for the next five minutes and then we’re moving the fuck on.”

“Yeah, totally,” Jon says and clears his throat. He leans across the table and arches an eyebrow. “What do you think your chances are at the championship trophy? And uh…can we get tickets?”

“Jon!” Millie smacks his arm and flashes us an apologetic smile.

Elias laughs. “I don’t talk about the…first question. And yes to tickets. I’ve got some in the box for the next game, if you would like them.”

“I would be honoured to sit in your box,” Jon says, stars in his eyes and Millie yanks him back.

Venkat raises his hand like he’s in a classroom and Elias nods politely. “If you didn’t play for the Renegades, who would you want to play for? And uh, if it’s okay to ask, how’s your shoulder?”

“The Mavericks, maybe. I grew up in Bengaluru, so the city is special to me. The shoulder’s good. Lots of physiotherapy, being careful with my swings this time around and spending less time fielding to avoid further injury. And the right attention and care is helping.”

“I bet Vee’s been giving it aaaaaalllll the right attention,” Tamara says loudly and I roll my eyes. Elias grins, because he knows the truth. He leans over and kisses me, a sign he’s finally relaxing. I pinch his chin between my fingers and steal another kiss before he reaches for his drink.

“Speaking of Mavericks, what happened during the Bangalore match, man? That was one hell of a fumble.” All heads spin to my cousin’s date. Like I said, handsome and zero personality. Or tact, for that matter. He laughs, hands held up at our glares. “You didn’t say what questions were off limits.”

“Everyone has bad days and that was mine. I did fumble and fuck up and disappoint people, but I went out there and did my best,” Elias says calmly and my heart thunders with pride for this man. He picks up his drink and takes a sip as silence descends on our table. Tamara’s berating her date, but my attention stays on Elias and when he turns to me, he shrugs.

“I’m so proud of you,” I say softly and he smiles.

“That’s all that matters.”

He kisses me again, ardent and intense. My fingers curl into the front of his shirt, the world around us fading away. When he pulls back, everyone at the table clears their throat and I blush while he grins. He kisses the tip of my nose and settles into his chair. Tamara’s alone at one end of the table, frowning and poking at her phone.

“Tam, you okay?”

“I don’t know what I was thinking bringing a Tinder date to girl’s night. I’m really sorry, Elias. Not the best first impression,” she says, forehead wrinkled as she puts her phone away.

“Don’t worry about it, seriously. Besides, it wasn’t a bad question. I’m sensitive about it, that’s all.”

He’s come so far since the first time we met and I know it’s because he’s been playing well consistently. They’ve won the last few matches and Elias’s performance was exceptional. I also know it’s also his growing confidence in himself and like he said, that’s what matters.

Conversation picks up effortlessly around the table and they talk about everything from work Venkat’s doing on their apartment to Millie’s adoption progress. Elias asks questions and gets very involved in their lives. I sit back and watch. I didn’t expect our evening to go this way, but having two of the important parts of my life connect was inevitable. And it feels good.

By the time we get back to my flat, it’s two a.m. and we’re in the too-many-drinks-and-happy-mood phase of the night. We stumble into my bedroom, giggling and reaching for each other, clothes coming off one layer at a time. In my underclothes, I gather my hair into a messy bun and stand in front of the bathroom sink. Elias joins me after I’ve got all my makeup removed and face scrubbed clean, spreading toothpaste onto our brushes. He hands me mine and with drunken smiles, we brush our teeth. He sways slightly, eyes closed, one hand on my hip and I smile at how good we look together.

We’re really taking this together thing seriously.

My friends approve, judging by all the thumbs up emojis littering my group chat with the girls. Tamara mentioned family lunch and invited Elias, so he’s going to meet my parents and brothers in two days. Not to be left out, he invited everyone to his annual beach getaway with his siblings and friends. Krys and Millie said they couldn’t make it, much to the chagrin of their men, but my cousin hopped on board instantly.

In the past, I would have hesitated and berated Tamara for what she did. But I do want my parents to meet Elias. It can be slightly overwhelming, but he didn’t flinch at the invite so he wants this too. He’s not hiding his feelings from me and definitely not pressuring me to do the same. But knowing he wants this, wants me, is a good reminder everything’s going to be fine. This relationship might have been unexpected, but every little change—his clothes appearing in my cupboard to his toiletries in my bathroom—has felt right.

Like we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be.

“You okay?” He squeezes my hip and I nod.

“Happy,” I assure him, spit into the sink and rinse out my mouth, but when I move aside, he grips my hip to hold me in place.

“Stay,” he says and leans around me to wash out his mouth. When he straightens up and grabs the towel, his eyes find mine again. “Thanks for taking me tonight.”

“Didn’t know I had a choice.”

He laughs, pressing his mouth to my neck and nipping at the skin gently. “Are you okay with Tamara’s invite?”

I nod, leaning back against him. “My family might be more inquisitive than my friends, but I want them to meet you.”

Humming, he nuzzles into me more and then pulls back enough to turn me to face him. His dark gaze bores into me and a shiver runs up my spine at the intensity.

“I’m happy too,” he says and kisses me.

I moan as my lips part, welcoming his tongue inside. The fresh, minty taste of toothpaste and the wet slide of his tongue sends a pleasant buzz over my skin. I wind my arms around his neck, pulling him closer as the kiss deepens. In this position, our bodies are lined up perfectly and I can feel him hard against my stomach as a rumble builds in his chest. His hands settle on my hips, then move down to my ass, hoisting me onto the counter without breaking the kiss.

I drag my hands over his torso, teasing the skin at the waistband of his boxers before slipping in to wrap my fingers around his cock. He grunts and the kiss breaks for a split second before he’s capturing my mouth again. It’s possessive, the kind that leaves a mark, like he wants to brand me. I quiver at the hunger in the way his tongue sweeps into my mouth and the heaviness of his dick in my hand.

As I stroke him slowly from base to crown, he tugs at the elastic of my underwear and I lift my hips so he can slide it off. His palm teases my pussy, applying the perfect amount of pressure as I rock against him. He growls, the sound vibrating through my whole body before he rips his mouth away. Our soft panting fills the bathroom as we stare at each other, hands still stroking and rubbing.

“You good?” he asks, voice low as he slowly drags a finger through my slit.

I shiver, squeezing him in my hand. “More than. Fuck me , superstar.”

He opens the drawer under the sink and grabs a condom. I release him so he can take off his underwear and I do the same with my bra. I let my gaze travel over his body, taking in his muscles, the smattering of hair over his chest and down his stomach, the V that easily guides my attention to his dick. Elias rolls the condom on and I scoot to the edge of the counter and spread my legs. He stares at me a long moment before he grabs my thighs and thrusts into me hard. We moan, my head falling back as he fills me completely.

“So fucking good.”

He growls in response and rocks forward. I wrap a hand around the back of his neck as he pulls out and plunges back in harder. I tug on his hair as he does it again, sending sparks of pleasure through my body. He sinks into me, the head of his cock hitting me in the right spot and I gasp loudly. Elias drops his forehead to mine, his warm breath fanning across my face as he moves his hips in shallow thrusts. My walls tremble around him as my body does the same. I lean in and kiss his chin, then along his jaw before I latch my mouth onto his throat. He groans as my teeth scrape against his neck and then starts to fuck me in earnest, pushing deeper and harder into me with every thrust.

My ass slides to the lip of the counter as sweat settles between our bodies. Elias threads a hand through my hair, tugging hard. It’s the perfect combination of pain and pleasure. I moan at the sensation and his mouth descends on mine. The kiss is softer; it’s in contrast to the way we’re fucking. He caresses my lips gently and lazily sweeps his tongue into my mouth to tangle with mine. The whole time his cock fucks me punishingly, every thrust going deeper and pushing my orgasm to the edge. I drag a hand down his back until my fingers dig into his ass and squeeze hard.

The kiss continues, the hottest kiss we’ve ever shared. Hell, the hottest kiss of my entire life . Because it’s not about marking me or possessing me, it’s about savouring me and I’m doing the same to him. His thrusts slow and I clench around him, keeping him inside. Elias grunts as he pumps his hips gently, driving me absolutely insane. Just when I think he’s going to spend the rest of the time torturing me, he drives into me hard and my head falls back breaking the kiss.

His hand slips between us and he presses against my clit, every inch of me electric. I scream as I come hard, pussy clenching around him tight. He comes seconds later, a guttural groan echoing through the bathroom as he spills into the condom. He convulses and half-collapses onto me. We breathe together and loudly, the sound of our panting filling the space. I cling to him, not bothered by the sweat, because that was fantastic.

“Look what you did,” he mumbles.

“Made you come so hard?”

“Got us all messy.”

I laugh, squeezing his ass. “A good opportunity for you to put those callused paws all over me.” His mouth brushes up my collarbone and neck, before his tongue swipes along my jaw. “Ugh, gross !”

He laughs, burying his face in my neck. “Mhm peaches.”

“You’re a chaos demon.”

“Yeah, but I’m your chaos demon."

I hum, because he is mine.

Elias peels himself away, our bodies separating with an uncomfortable squelch thanks to the sweat and I make a face. It should not be hot with how sticky we are, but weirdly it is.

“Look at you, Vera,” he says reverently, eyes fixed on where he’s sliding out of me. I don’t know what I look like, but judging by his expression, it’s the best sight of his life.

“Don’t even think about it,” I reply, because even though we do have time, once he puts his mouth on me, we’ll never get any sleep.

I nudge him backwards and slide off the counter, knees wobbling. He pouts as I turn on the shower, dragging my fingers through my hair to undo the tangles before stepping under the water. He joins me, hands running over my body as water sluices down both of us.