Page 19

Ellie

T he moment Colin kisses me again, I know it’s different.

Each movement of his mouth, no matter how small or deep, is deliberate. The swirl of his warm tongue against mine feels purposeful, each swipe electrifying my blood and spreading heat everywhere. Even the way he breathes as he carries me up to my room feels unique. It’s almost as if I’m experiencing some part of him that he’s kept locked away from me all this time. I cling to him like he’s the source of gravity keeping me grounded.

Maybe that’s what he is now.

My own personal gravitational pull.

I’d drift away without him.

I press as close as possible, matching the intensity of his kiss with everything I have in me. Because I want this. I want him more than anything I’ve ever wanted before. When we reach my bedroom door and he presses me against the surface roughly, our lips finally break apart and for a second all I can hear is the sound of my heart whooshing in my ears. We gasp softly, sucking in lungfuls of oxygen. I never want to breathe on my own again, not unless I’m sharing that air with him. Smoothing my hands over his broad shoulders, I clutch his shirt between my fingers impatiently, trying to tug him back to me, but he halts right before our mouths meet again.

My eyelids flutter open .

Has he changed his mind?

That momentary sliver of doubt vanishes, however, when I see the nearly unrestrained look burning in his eyes. He draws in a stabilizing breath, effortlessly holding up my weight with his hips as he raises his hands and cups my cheeks.

“Before we do this Ellie, I need you to understand something first. The moment we set foot inside this room. The very second, we cross over this threshold I’m going to take care of you. I don’t want you to doubt what I’m thinking or worry about whether it’ll be good or not. I don’t want you to hide anything. This will be a first for me as well,” He admits, working his throat, “I’ve never taken someone’s virginity before, but I swear to you, right here, right now, that you will love every single second of it and that the only thing on my mind will be making sure that you do. Is that in any way unclear, love?”

I shake my head, micro-bombs going off inside my brain.

I don’t know what to say.

“Words.” He demands in a whisper.

He wants my words and I want to give them to him, but the sudden, Sahara-level dryness in my mouth makes it impossible for me to respond. I didn’t think it would be possible for Colin Hunt to find new ways of leaving me speechless, but somehow, he manages to do it when I least expect him to. He needs to hear this though, because I know everything, he just said is true without needing to question it the way I would’ve with Marco.

I don’t feel anxious or scared.

There isn’t a single part of me that wonders if I’m making a mistake or not .

So, I cup his cheeks with my hands, drawing us closer so our foreheads touch.

“You’ll never hurt me or make me feel small,” I breathe, “I want you. I trust you.”

I barely finish saying the last part of the sentence before his lips are on mine again, devouring me as if his very existence depended on kissing me.

Maybe it does.

It certainly feels like that for me.

Somehow, he gets the door open without dropping me, carrying me over the threshold and inside my dimly lit bedroom. He sets me down, my feet touching the floor, and in a frenzied mess of deep, open-mouthed kisses, our eager hands grab at each other’s clothes, yanking and tugging them off. It’s only when Colin’s fingers reach for the hem of my shirt that I feel the first wave of self-consciousness hit me. No man has ever seen me completely naked before. Not even Marco. Not even last night when Colin came into my room.

Would my body stack up to the likes of Keira Blake’s?

I’ve never personally felt bad about my body, but a girl who looks like her can make even the most confident person feel extremely doubtful, and knowing that she and Colin probably slept together makes me uneasy.

Was her skin softer than mine?

Were her breasts bigger?

Her lips fuller?

Did she know what she was doing as opposed to me?

Then I remember what he said to me only moments ago.

I don’t want you to hide anything.

So, I don’t .

Holding his eyes, I take a few steps back and reach down, grabbing the hem of my henley and swiftly pulling it over my head. I drop it to the floor, completely bare in front of him now. Cool air caresses my overheated skin, causing my nipples to pebble and go taut. I want to cover myself, but I resist the urge, standing there for what feels like minutes when only seconds pass. My heart races wildly as I wait for him to say something. To move. To do anything, but he doesn’t. Instead, his dark eyes trail a path over my exposed body, drinking in every detail like he’s never seen anything like it before. Finally, he moves, slowly approaching me until he’s standing less than a millimetre away. His fingers burn when they touch my skin, stroking a path down my cheek and the curve of my throat. He follows the line of my collarbone, dipping down to my chest, only stopping when he reaches the swell of my breasts.

“Breathtaking.” He whispers hoarsely.

My thighs clench, pleasure sparking in the pit of my stomach.

Who would’ve thought a single word would have such an effect on me?

Our gazes meet, warm, and sincere, and I’m the one who moves this time, carefully gliding my fingers over the defined lines of his torso. I brush a hand over his wide chest. Trace the grooves of his hips. Feel the powerful muscles in his arms flex beneath my palms.

He’s smooth.

Perfect.

And mine .

I move down, his hard abdominal muscles bunching and shivering under my featherlight touch, but that’s nothing compared to what ignites inside me when I glance down further and see his cock. Thick and hard and bigger than it looked downstairs.

I swallow, my eyes widening.

Will it fit?

It felt so hot and silky in my hand earlier.

Will it feel like that inside me as well?

Will it hurt?

Colin smirks, shaking with silent laughter as he snakes an arm around me, pulling me flush against him. “Stop overthinking and kiss me, Ellie.”

So I do, crushing my mouth to his, a whimper escaping when his large hands grab my hips and lift me, spinning me around and laying me down on the mattress like I weigh absolutely nothing. His body blankets mine, hot and heavy as he settles his weight on top of me. Our tongues stroke and dance together. It’s heaven and like nothing else I’ve ever experienced before. He kisses me everywhere, behind my ear, down my neck and over my heaving chest. He closes his mouth over one of my nipples, swirling his tongue around it, biting and tugging gently with his teeth, using just the right amount of pressure that my back arches off the bed and I moan loudly, pressing into him, seeking more because… Oh my god .

“You like that?” He asks, his voice deep and husky.

I barely have enough presence of mind to answer him when he moves over to my other breast, paying equal attention to it.

“Yes.” I choke, out of breath and delirious already.

I writhe underneath him, clutching at the wideset of his shoulders like it will anchor me to reality somehow as he continues his lazy ministrations. He’s teasing me, drawing this out on purpose and as mu ch as I love it, I know what I want. What I’m aching for the most.

I don’t want to wait anymore.

“Colin… Please. ”

“What, love?”

He raises his head to look at me and whatever he sees on my face must convey how desperate I am because he nods like he understands. Leaning in, he kisses me gently before he leans over and pulls out a condom from his wallet, tearing open the foil packet and rolling it over his length with ease. My body tenses with nerves and butterflies swarm in my belly when the firm, slightly curved shape of his cock rests heavily against the apex of my thigh. He braces himself on his arms and moves over me again, positioning himself at my entrance. My chest constricts, feeling him there, hot blood galloping through my veins.

This is happening.

It’s finally happening.

In a desperate effort to remain calm, I keep my eyes closed, but Colin’s hand cradles my cheek.

“Eyes on me, Ellie.” He murmurs. “This is for you, love and I don’t want you to miss a single moment of it.”

I listen to his request, seeing adoration, warmth and something familiar swimming in his gorgeous blue orbs. My heart swells impossibly.

“Colin…” But he silences me with a kiss which I deepen, parting his lips and running my fingers through his soft hair.

The first press of his cock inside me feels odd. No matter how hard I try, I can’t stop myself from wincing at the sharp sting I feel when he slides in a little deeper. I gasp against his lips, feeling myself slowly stretch around his girth, inch by glorious inch until he ’s fully sheathed. We lay there for a moment, breathing unevenly and adjusting.

“You okay?” He asks, pressing his forehead to mine.

I manage a nod, digging the tips of my fingers into the muscles on his back. I feel oddly full and every tiny movement he makes brings another slight pinch of pain, but I can already feel it starting to fade, giving way to pleasure instead.

“You can move,” I whisper hoarsely, “Please. I want to feel you.”

“Fucking, please again. That pretty little mouth with be the death of me, Simpkins.”

Colin shudders above me, groaning and lowering his lips to mine. He rolls his hips, thrusting into me slowly at first, carefully, like he’s worried it still hurts too much, but it doesn’t. Not anymore. Every rock of his hips sends a shockwave racing through me. Pleasure awakens my senses. My eyes close and my lips part as I moan, relishing in the sparks and tingles that spread like wildfire over my skin. This is better than anything I’ve ever read and nothing like I imagined, but everything and more.

“Faster.” I plead, gasping when he hits a particularly sensitive spot. “God, Colin…Oh my god…Don’t stop!”

“Fuck, Ellie!” He growls.

I feel the moment he loses control and it doesn’t shock or scare me in the slightest. If anything, it turns me on even more. He kisses me feverishly, picking up the pace as his strong body thrusts harder and deeper into mine, letting me feel every inch of his cock stretch and fill me, driving me completely out of my mind. I moan into his mouth, rocking my hips to meet his, tentatively at first, and then with more confidence when he grips my hip with one ha nd, guiding me and allowing me to match his rhythm.

“Fuck, you’re so goddamn tight, Ellie.” He grits between clenched teeth. “I won’t last much longer, love.”

“I know. I w-won’t either.” I pant, gasping all over again when he hits that same spot inside me, nearly making that statement true.

I can’t hold on.

I can’t.

I’m right there with him.

Colin groans, the sound breaking up the silence as we both slip closer and closer to the edge, skin slapping and sweat beading on our brows. Wet and warm and tangled together, I feel him everywhere. I don’t know where I end and where he starts. He’s a part of me. I never want to let him go. Finally, that invisible band inside me snaps and I feel a blinding onrush of heat as pleasure floods my senses .

Oh, my fucking god!

My mouth falls open in a silent scream, eyes squeezing shut as my body quivers and my walls flutter around him, coming apart at the seams. He curses, feeling my pussy clench around him like a vice, but that doesn’t stop him from thrusting into me once, twice, three more times. His muscles turn rigid beneath my hands and he groans audibly against the shell of my ear, jerking as he spills inside the condom. His arms shake with exertion and he tries to hold himself up, but they give way a second later, his body collapsing on top of mine like a stone sinking in water.

If his weight was enough to actually crush me, it would be the best way to die.

“Wow,” I breathe after a moment, “That was… ”

“Incredible?” Colin supplies. “Amazing? Unbelievable?”

I giggle softly, pressing a series of quick kisses against the lazy, satisfied grin on his face. “All of the above.”

Smiling as well, I hug him to me and he kisses my hair, nuzzling the side of his head against mine. He exhales contently, slowly breathing in and out. Same as me.

I’m not sure how long we stay like that. I don’t care enough to find out.

There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.

T here have been moments in my life where I’ve often wondered; What did I do to deserve this?

Granted, they haven’t always been happy moments. Like the outcome of a big decision, I didn’t want to happen or a bad day that just keeps getting worse. Occasionally though, those ‘moments’ have ended up being some of the best memories I can recall.

Confessing my feelings to Colin thirteen days ago and losing my virginity to him are now my favourite ‘moments’ to date.

Christmas went off better than I could’ve hoped for. My mother and I cooked Christmas lunch together while Colin and Luke relaxed in the lounge, playing some new rugby video game, he’d unwrapped that morning. Judging by the teasing laughter I heard and the complaints that were being groaned, it sounded like my ten-year-old brother was kicking my boyfriend’s butt. When I teased Colin about that before bed later, I ended up on my back, squealing with delight while he tickled my sides, only to end up trying to hide my moans of pleasure when he proceed ed to drive me crazy with his head between my thighs.

My boyfriend.

I have a boyfriend.

It still doesn’t feel real to admit that to myself or to say it out loud even, but every time I open my eyes and find him sleeping beside me, with his strong arms wrapped around me and my very naked body tucked securely against his, I’m struck by that surreal, dizzying truth all over again.

Colin freaking Hunt is my boyfriend.

Months ago, I never would’ve believed that this is where we would end up, but here we are.

The rest of our time in Heathton was spent ice skating with Luke, watching movies in my bed, having game nights with my family, cooking together and hiking in the countryside. I loved every single second of it which is why when it came time for us to say goodbye, I absolutely did break down into tears, especially when I saw Colin hugging Luke, promising him that they’d talk again soon.

Back in Craigavon, things have been just as spectacular if not more so. As much as I loved spending the holidays with my family, having my boyfriend all to myself without having to hide or worry about someone accidentally walking in on us is nothing short of incredible.

We need to enjoy it while we can though.

With Colin still in the middle of his rugby season and me still writing the article on him, we decided it would be a good idea to keep our relationship under wraps which is why we’ve been staying at his cottage while his roommates are still away visiting their families. Currently, we’re both naked and he’s on top of me, kissing my lips in a lazy, unhurried fashion that makes my heart thud erra tically and with pure delight. We’ve been insatiable since we got home, only leaving his bed to either use the bathroom or to scrounge for food.

I never thought I’d be one of those girlfriends who can’t keep her hands off her man. Even when I was with Marco, I didn’t feel this overwhelming desire to always want to be near him. To constantly want to touch him. To need him.

With Colin, it feels borderline painful to be separated from him.

Holding my jaw in his hand, our mouths move together in a practised dance that steals both my breath and my sanity. He shifts slightly, his hardening cock brushing against me. I’d never admit it, but I’m exhausted. We should probably get some sleep, but I haven’t had the willpower to say ‘no’ to him yet. I reach down between us, sliding my hand over his abs and fisting his cock. He groans against my lips and shivers above me, swelling in my palm as I stroke him. Before I can go any further though, a loud grumble erupts deep from within my stomach.

I flush at once, embarrassed beyond words, but Colin merely laughs, smiling down at me.

“You hungry?” He asks, tucking some of my hair behind my ears.

“A little,” I admit shyly.

In my defence, it must be late in the afternoon by now and given that we didn’t have anything big for breakfast, I’m not surprised that I’m starving right now. He must be too.

“Okay,” He bends down, pecking the tip of my nose the way he knows I love, “I’ll feed you in a minute, but first – ”

I beat him to the punch, sealing my lips over his and sliding my tongue in, both of us getting so lost in the kiss that we don’t hear his bedroom door open until it’s too late.

“Hey Collie, I’m home – Holy shit!”

Within seconds, Colin’s mouth is gone and he shifts above me, shielding my face and body with his broad frame.

“Jesus fucking Christ Kai, don’t you knock?”

Colin pulls the blankets over us as he talks, hiding me from his friend even further. I’m completely naked under here and the last thing I need is Kai Hara seeing me like that.

“Jesus, I-I’m sorry, mate. Honestly, I thought your lazy ass was still sleeping or something. I didn’t think…I wasn’t expecting a girl to be with you.”

“Well, I do have one here so if you don’t fucking mind?”

“Right, yeah…Of course, sorry. I’ll make myself scarce.” I can hear Kai fumble around awkwardly and I can’t stop myself from snickering under my breath imagining what it must look like as he scrambles to get out of the room. “Oh, and tell Ellie, I say ‘hi’. I don’t know if she can hear me under there.”

Colin tenses above me and I freeze, feeling all the colour suddenly drain from my face.

Did he just –

Oh my god, he saw me.

Sheepishly, I stick my hand out from under the duvet, waving it in his general direction. “Hi, Kai.”

I can hear the suggestive smile in his voice. “Hey, Ellie.”

I press my overheated face into Colin’s chest, wanting to hide there forever. After Kai leaves and I hear the bedroom door close behind him, Colin repositions himself until we’re facing each other again. The second our eyes meet, instead of panicking like we probab ly should because we totally just got caught, we both burst out laughing instead, unable to ignore how funny that whole encounter was.

Oops.

So much for people not finding out about us.

We climb out of bed afterwards and Colin links our hands together, checking to make sure the coast is clear before leading me across the landing and into the bathroom, locking the door behind us. He stands me off to one side and I watch as he pulls open the shower door, turning on the taps.

My stomach flips and I smile at the floor.

I’ve never taken a shower with someone before, but I’ve always wanted to.

Colin holds his hand under the water, checking the temperature before we both step inside and he shuts the glass door. Steam bellows around us and water cascades soothingly over my skin. I sigh, enjoying the sensation. Then I remember what Liv once told me about showers and my body warms for an entirely different reason.

Taking a shower with someone is an intimate act.

Sometimes it can simply be about washing each other. The slow glide of hands and the firm press of a person's fingers on your skin or massaging your scalp while they wash your hair can be pleasurable all on its own. Other times though it morphs into something else. Into something more. The line between the two is very fine.

My core clenches at the thought.

Behind me Colin reaches around and grabs the bodywash off the shower rack, squeezing some into a sponge and lathering it up. It smells like him. Clean, fresh and citrusy. He starts washing my back, using just the right amount of pressure as he runs the sponge ac ross my shoulder blades and down lower. I close my eyes, moaning quietly under my breath.

That feels so good.

“Should we be worried about Kai?” I ask after a moment.

After all, he did just catch us together and as funny as it was, we weren’t exactly planning on telling anyone.

What if he tells someone else like Mace or the rest of the team?

What if it gets out and everything we’re afraid will happen comes true?

Colin turns me so that I’m facing him, grabbing one of my arms and running the sponge along it. I gaze up at him anxiously, but his expression is completely calm.

“Don’t worry, Kai won’t say anything, but I’ll speak to him anyway. Just in case.”

I nod, breathing a sigh of relief.

It’s not that I don’t want people to know about us. If I had it my way, everyone would know already, but we shouldn’t risk it either by being reckless like that again. Especially when it could affect both our futures in devastating ways. Not to mention potentially ruin what we’ve found together. I don’t want to lose either of those things. Colin moves the sponge to my chest and I grin crookedly, loving the little crease that forms between his eyebrows as he concentrates on his task.

He’s cute when he’s like this.

I pick up the bottle of body wash as well, squeezing some into my palm. There isn’t another sponge, but I still want to take care of him the same way he’s taking care of me. I lather up the soap in my hands before gliding them over his wide chest, rubbing and pressing as I go. I follow the shallow contours of his muscles down lower and then even lower. Colin’s movements slow and I hear his breathing shallow out. Hot water pours over our heads, the steam making the air wet and heavy now. The soap rinses away and I look up, holding his eyes and swallowing when they look near black with need. Slowly, I close my fingers around his cock, feeling it swell in my grasp as I lean forward, pressing my lips to his chest. I kiss him there, working my way across and then down, my tongue peeking out as I move over the length of his godly torso. Water spills into my mouth as I pinch the skin between my lips, sucking and tasting, feeling him twitch beneath my touch .

“Ellie.” He chokes, but I drop to my knees, taking him in my mouth before he can say another word.

He groans, tangling his fingers in my hair and pressing them into my scalp. I move over him slowly, but deliberately, taking him in deep until I can feel the tip of his cock just touch the back of my throat.

I’ve never done this before and I have no idea if I’m doing it correctly either, but when I open my eyes and see the look of pure ecstasy etched on Colin’s face, I get the feeling I must doing something right. My walls clench and the desire to reach down and relieve the ache between my legs tries to take over, but I don’t let it win.

This isn’t about me.

It’s about him.

“Fuck!” Colin curses, placing a hand on the tiled wall for balance when I try something and run my tongue along the underside of his dick. He jerks his hips, rolling them and hitting the back of my throat properly this time. I gag a little but keep going.

“Jesus, you’re my fucking fantasy right now, love.” He groans, clenching his teeth, his hold on my hair tightening. “So fucking perfect. Look at you taking my cock like such a good fucking girl.”

My pussy throbs hearing the praise, but I don’t let up. He’s close.

I work him faster, not slowing down until his muscles tense and I open my eyes, just in time to see his head tip back with a guttural moan as he falls apart, spilling his cum inside my mouth. I smile around him, moving over his length a few more times, taking everything he has to give. He exhales shakily afterwards, dropping his eyes to me and I make sure he watches as I swallow every last drop.

He smirks once I’m done, his eyes dancing with mirth as he hauls me up by the arms and kisses me hard.

“How did I get so lucky?” He murmurs against my lips.

I grin, sliding my arms around his neck and nestling myself against him. “I don’t know, stick around and find out.”

Our shower takes a lot longer than I expected seeing as my boyfriend insisted on returning the favour by going down on me first and then fucking me hard and fast against the tiles. We take our time getting dressed afterwards, with Colin opting for a pair of long dark grey joggers and me slipping on my underwear and stealing one of his Admirals hoodies from his closet. The material is thick and nearly swallows me whole, but it’s so warm and comfy and it smells like him as well.

I love it.

A look darkens Colin’s eyes when he sees me wearing it and he comes up behind me, grabbing me by the hips and tugging me closer.

“Are you sure you’re still hungry? Because I don’t think I can keep my hands off you while you’re dressed like this. ”

I giggle, turning around and reaching up on my tip-toes to peck his lips. “I’m famished I’m afraid, so you’ll have to exercise some restraint.”

He smiles warmly, kissing me again. “For you, anything.”

Kai must’ve either left or he’s hiding in his room because when we head downstairs there’s no sign of him anywhere. In a way, I’m grateful he’s not around. I wasn’t looking forward to an awkward conversation anyway. We walk into the kitchen and I hop up onto the granite counter, watching Colin pull out everything he needs to make Chicken Parmigiana from the fridge and pantry. I lean back on my hands, smiling and tilting my head to one side as he starts cracking the eggs into a bowl for the breading.

Nothing, and I do mean nothing, is sexier than watching this man cook.

“Hey, isn’t it New Year's Eve?” I muse out loud.

Colin pauses in the middle of beating the eggs, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Is it?”

Wow, have we really lost track of time that badly? I pull out my phone to check the date. Sure enough, it is the 31 st of December.

“It is.” I say, thinking and biting my lower lip, “Maybe we should do something tonight. Go out with our friends or something?”

To be honest, I’d rather stay exactly where I am right now, but I do feel guilty for not seeing Liv or Nat once since I came home from Heathton. Tonight would be as good of a time as any to see them and catch up.

“You want to go out with our friends? All of them? Together?” Wiping his hands on a cloth, Colin steps away from where he’s prepar ing our food, a question in his eyes. “Do you think that’s a good idea?”

He plants his hands on either side of me on the counter and ducks down so we’re at eye level, effectively caging me in. Not that I mind in the slightest.

“I mean, it could be fun.” I look at him, suddenly feeling unsure. “I don’t know, do you think it’s a bad idea?”

After what happened with Kai earlier, maybe being around all our friends wouldn’t be the most prudent thing to do especially while we’re trying to be discreet. Even if Kai doesn’t say anything, one of them is bound to pick up on something. Apart from that, our friends have never met before and that could be a disaster all on its own.

Colin shrugs though, smiling lightly. “I don’t see the harm in it. We’ll just have to be careful.”

Careful? Yeah, right.

“I know I can be careful. I’m not sure about you though.”

“Watch it, Simpkins.”

“Or what, Hunt?”

Colin smirks wolfishly and I don’t move an inch when he leans in even closer. “Or I’ll haul you back upstairs and dish out your punishment.” He whispers.

“Promises, promises.” I grin, sliding my arms around him when he chuckles and kisses me softly.

“So, you’re serious about tonight?” He asks once he pulls back.

I nod. “Let’s do it, though I should warn you, Liv can drink pretty much anyone under the table and she can be a handful when she gets like that.”

Colin laughs, his blue eyes shining. “Somehow that doesn’t surprise me. Don’t worry, I’ll look out for her. ”

Once again, my heart thuds out of rhythm. I’m certain it’ll never beat normally around him again, not when he keeps saying things like that.

Another one of Marco’s failings was his complete lack of interest in my friends. After one experience, he never wanted to hang out with them again, especially Liv, because she was too much of a hassle to deal with. Without even asking Colin though, he’s offered to do the one thing my ex never did.

Smiling, I drape my arms over his shoulders and my boyfriend leans in again, our mouths just millimetres apart when a knock on the door interrupts us.

“Hold that thought.” He kisses me quickly before sauntering over to the front door.

I watch from my seat on the counter as he unlocks it and pulls it open, revealing the last two people I think either of us expected to see.

His older brothers; Bryce and Graeme Hunt.

Oh shit!

So much for keeping this a secret.