Goal Line (Madison Howlers #4) Read online

  If Devon didn’t want to go, then Annie didn’t have to. There would be other parties. But she was tired of studying, and she deserved a night off. “Why don’t you want to?”

  Devon gave another small shrug. “I’ve got training in the morning and I went out with the guys on Wednesday after the game. Honestly, I’m a bit socialized out.” Annie knew that, unlike her, Devon was a lot more of an introvert. Still, she hadn’t gone out on Wednesday.

  “I mean, it though, you should go,” Devon said. “You clearly want to. Don’t let me not wanting to go stop you.” It did make Annie frown. Devon didn’t sound like he was secretly hoping that Annie would say she’d rather stay home with him. That was something Annie felt like she might do (if she didn’t like going out as much as she did).

  She shifted, moving closer so she could slide a hand across Devon’s stomach. Even through his shirt, she could feel the warmth that radiated off him. “I don’t want you to think that I like going out more than I like spending time with you,” she said softly. Annie didn’t feel it was as simple as liking one more than the other. She wanted to go out and see her friends, she knew she’d have a good time.

  Staying home with Devon would be a different kind of good time. One that Annie liked just as much. But it was also one she’d had a lot of this week. The change would be good - exciting. “You’re sure you won’t feel like I’m abandoning you?” she asked.

  “I’m sure,” Devon said with a nod. “I just don’t want to go out. I don’t think that should mean you lose out any more than it should mean you insist I come anyway.” That did make sense. Annie would’ve liked it if Devon came with her, but only if he wanted to come. She didn't mind him staying home. She supposed it didn’t lead her to think that Devon didn’t want to spend time with her.

  His hands came to rest over hers where it was on his stomach and Devon gave Annie’s hand a squeeze. “You want to come back here after? Will that make you feel less like you’re abandoning me?”

  The thought of returning after her night out was one that Annie hadn’t even considered. She’d assumed she would go home, like she usually did. “Won’t it wake you up?” Annie asked. She didn’t have a key, so Devon would have to come to the door to let her in.

  “I do like the sound of it, though,” Annie added, fingers tracing idle patterns through Devon’s shirt. “Your bed will be a lot warmer than mine.” And it wasn’t as if Annie would be drunk, or even like she’d come back all that late.

  That made Devon chuckle. He leaned in to press a quick kiss against Annie’s cheek. “Just take my key,” Devon shrugged. “I’m not going out, so you can let yourself in. I like the thought of you crawling into bed with me,” he told her, that grin still playing on his lips. “And if that wakes me up... well, I don’t think I’m going to object too much.”

  “But seriously,” he added. “I want you to come back here. To me. If you want to, of course. I wouldn’t offer if I didn’t mean it, you know that.” And Annie did know that. Devon didn’t say things he didn’t mean.

  The idea of crawling into bed with Devon was definitely appealing. “I do want to,” Annie confirmed, grinning up at Devon. “Thank you, for offering.” Annie knew it wasn’t as if she was moving in with him, or even anything close. But the thought of taking his key and coming home to Devon was enough to make her heart turn cartwheels inside her chest.

  She pressed a soft kiss against Devon’s lips, giving a sigh as his tongue sought out a deeper connection. It was with reluctance that she pulled away. “And thank you for being honest,” Annie added. She’d been with men who’d come to things they didn’t really want to, ruining events for her with their long faces. She appreciated that Devon could tell her the truth: that he didn’t want to come, but didn’t mind that she did.

  “You’re welcome,” he said easily. “I hope that you have a great time,” he added, giving her hand another squeeze. “And then come home to me.” That was said with a much wider smile. Annie loved that Devon was clearly excited about having her come home to him.

  It felt nice. More than nice, even. It made Annie feel domestic. In the best sort of way. Her heart kept leaping in excitement over having met someone like Devon.

  Someone she could come home to.

  The party was noisy and crowded - exactly the kind of atmosphere Annie loved. She chatted happily to her friends, was introduced to their friends, and was able to clear her mind of all the Spanish verbs she’d been cramming into it all day. It felt amazing to be able to let her hair down and relax. While Annie missed Devon, she could see how he wouldn’t have enjoyed himself. As much as Annie wanted to introduce her boyfriend to her friends, and vice versa, that would be much better done in smaller groups.

  When Annie told the story of how she and Devon had met, Jodie teased her about being the reason for the two of them getting together. It was strange, now, to think about how it really had been pure chance. If Jodie had known the day of the public skate, or if Annie had turned down her invitation, or if Devon had left twenty minutes later than he had, they would never have run into each other.

  Annie liked to think that the universe had a little something to do with it. Maybe it was still too early to say, but in her heart she thought of Devon as her soulmate.

  Which made coming home to him after the party that much more exciting. His house was quiet, lit only by the living room lamp that he’d left on for her. After kicking off her heels, Annie snuck down the corridor in bare feet. The way to the bedroom was familiar. Annie breathed in deeply. She loved how much the room smelled of Devon.

  Since she had no pajamas at Devon’s, Annie stripped down to her panties. Devon’s sheets stroked across her bare skin, making liquid heat pool between Annie’s legs. She pressed against his back, her lips finding the curve of his shoulder. “Are you awake?” she asked, her voice soft but her tone hopeful.

  There was a small grumble before a very sleepy, “I am,” followed it. Annie grinned at that, her hand sneaking around Devon to find the hem of his shirt so she could slip under it. His body felt so warm. Annie’s breath caught at how good his stomach felt under her touch.

  Devon rolled over, pulling her in closer against him. He hitched her leg up, draping it over his own before nuzzling his nose against Annie’s neck. “Did you have fun?” Devon asked. “Are you drunk?”

  She wound her fingers through Devon’s hair, rocking her body slowly against his. His hands against her were so strong. Annie’s nipples pebbled at the memory of just how good Devon could be with his fingers. “I had a lot of fun,” she answered, breathing the words softly against the shell of his ear. Here, in the dark, every action felt more intimate.

  Annie found Devon’s mouth by feel alone, pulling him in for a slow, lingering kiss. He tasted like mint, cool against the heat of Annie’s tongue. She pulled back, giving a quiet moan as Devon’s hand dropped to her hip. “I’m not drunk,” she promised. She’d had a few drinks, but those had been hours ago now. “I think I might need tiring out before I can go to sleep,” she teased.

  “Oh, yeah?” he asked. But Devon’s hand had already slid down to her ass, squeezing it. His tongue licked a trail over Annie’s neck and Devon ground his hips forward. Annie moaned softly, feeling his already half-hard cock. He would definitely be good at tiring her out.

  In an easy movement that only briefly knocked Annie’s breath out of her, Devon flipped her on her back. He didn’t give her much time to say anything before kissing his way down to Annie’s bare chest. Her hands tugged against Devon’s shirt until he pulled back enough to let her take it off.

  But then, just as quickly, Devon’s mouth returned to Annie’s breasts, tongue circling around one of her nipples until it was rock hard against his mouth. Puckering his lips, Devon sucked against it, making Annie moan. Taking this as the encouragement it was, Devon moved over to do the same thing to her other nipple.

  Desire flooded Annie’s body, pounding through her so hard that she struggled to catch her breath
. “Devon!” Her cry was soft, but no less urgent for that. In the dark, under the covers, she could barely see him. But Annie could certainly feel. Her legs wrapped around Devon’s waist, heels digging into the firm muscles of his ass.

  Arching her back, Annie lifted her chest, seeking more of that sweet suction. Devon’s mouth was hot against her skin, making her tingle as he teased over her nipple. The hard line of his erection rocked against Annie’s core. Reaching her arms around him, Annie pressed her palms flat under the waistband of his sleep pants. She urged him against her, enjoying the deep groan that rumbled through his chest.

  Devon rocked his cock against her again, the material between them stopping him just short. He also reached to push the blanket off them. In the half-light that every so often came through the window, Annie could see the beautiful outline of Devon’s shoulders. Her nails scratched over them, making Devon give a soft groan that then vibrated through Annie’s whole body.

  Letting go of her breasts, Devon kissed lower, until he reached the waistband on her panties, thumbs hooking under the material. Sliding it down, Devon moved lower, pressing a kiss against Annie’s inner thigh as she parted her legs.

  She expected him to put his mouth on her. When Devon didn’t, Annie gave a whine. “Shh,” he said. She could tell his tone was amused. Devon kissed back up, rocking his hips against her again. His lips found hers and Annie eagerly licked her way into Devon’s mouth. When they broke apart, both were breathless.

  He leaned in, his breath hot against Annie’s ear. “Sit on my face?” He asked in a way that sent heat straight between Annie’s legs.

  Before she could even muster a response, Devon had rolled them over, lifting Annie above him as if she weighed nothing. She crawled up his body, running her hands over his sculpted chest, then following the same trail with her tongue. Annie loved Devon’s muscles. But the ache between her legs gave her no time to stop and enjoy. Quickly, she scooted up, straddling Devon’s neck and head.

  She was so ready for him! The first touch of his tongue sent sparks of electricity rushing through her. It was as if the nerve-endings he so skillfully stimulated were connected to every other point in Annie’s body. She could feel him everywhere.

  Leaning forward, she gripped the headboard of Devon’s bed. Her muscles quaked as she fought to stay still, to let him decide where and how to touch her. She loved not knowing whether his tongue would tease over her sensitive spots, or drive straight inside her.

  “Devon!” Pleasure unspooled from Annie’s stomach, spreading through her in a wave.

  His strong hands came to settle against Annie’s hips. Devon’s tongue urged her to move against him. She rocked her hips as the amazing feelings exploded through her. With her hands against the headboard, Annie felt so in control. Devon’s tongue felt fantastic as it licked against her faster and faster, circling around to bring her even more pleasure.

  Annie’s orgasm rushed through her so suddenly, her whole body tensed up as she cried out. Devon didn’t stop, making sure to tease every last bit of pleasure from her, until she had to move.

  Sliding back down his body, Annie found Devon’s lips, bringing them together with hers into a crushing kiss. Her body tingled at how good it felt. If this was what coming home to Devon was like, she never wanted to go home to anyone else.

  “Are you more tired now?” he asked jokingly when she finally pulled away from the kiss, breath coming in short gasps.

  Annie laughed. If anything, she felt more awake than she had when she’d slipped into Devon’s bed. “No,” she answered, shaking her head as she slid further down Devon’s chest. His erection was hard against her thigh, almost peeking out from over the top of Devon’s sleep pants. “But I think you might be.”

  That was okay. What Annie had in mind would let her do all the work. Reaching to the bedside table, she grabbed a condom, giving Devon a grin as her fingers found it in the dark. She dragged Devon’s pants down, giving a soft moan as his cock sprang free. She paused, just long enough to stroke him from root to tip. After months of dating, Annie knew just what Devon liked.

  Once she sid the condom on, Annie gripped Devon carefully. Sitting up, she was able to guide the tip of Devon’s erection towards her core. She was more than ready. All Annie needed to do was sink down, letting Devon fill her up. Leaning forward, she pressed her hands against his chest as she started rolling her hips.

  “Fuck,” he groaned. Devon’s hands instinctively came grip Annie’s hips. She loved how strong his touch was. But never so strong that it would hurt. Devon was always so careful with her. Not in a way that implied he thought she was fragile, though. Annie loved that. He was so good at knowing how to touch her just right.

  He rocked up a little bit, not too much, mostly letting Annie decide the rhythm. He felt so good inside her! Devon sat up a bit more, one of his hands sliding up to Annie’s back. “You’re so hot,” Devon breathed, before his mouth found its way back to Annie’s breasts again, tongue like fire against Annie’s nipple.

  Then, Devon teased his teeth over it, sending a light but definitely a pleasant feeling of pain through Annie’s body.

  She rocked faster, one hand gripping the solid muscle of Devon’s shoulders for leverage. Raising herself up and dropping herself down, Annie could hardly believe how good this felt. Devon’s tongue soothed away the slight sting of pain, the wet heat of his tongue against her nipple making Annie gasp.

  Devon’s muscles tensed under her hand. Annie lifted herself up higher, dropping down harder. She wanted to make Devon feel good, too. The little sounds he made, muffled by Annie’s breast, told her she was doing well.

  “Come on,” she urged. “Let go for me, Devon. You can. I want you to.”

  The groan he gave at her words was loud. Annie felt it rumbling up from low in his chest. Devon’s hands gripped harder against her and then, without any warning, he flipped them over. There was such strength in his arms as he held her, his hips pressing forward hard. It made Annie cry out in pleasure. She did her best to rock back up to meet Devon.

  He thrust so fast, the bed shaking under them. She wanted to swear and scream his name in equal measure. The overwhelming pleasure that cruised through her made both difficult. Devon didn’t seem to need the encouragement, though, because his body slammed against Annie’s most pleasurably.

  Then, Devon’s hips pushed forward hard. He gave a loud groan before his body shook. Even in the dark, Annie loved seeing him come. The way he pressed his face against her neck, breath coming in harsh bursts, made her feel great. Her hand brushed over his back until Devon was ready to get off her.

  It took him very little time to dispose of the condom and return to Annie. “How’s that tiredness now?” Devon asked.

  Annie stretched her body luxuriously, letting Devon turn her on her side so that he could cuddle in behind her. “Oh,” she sighed, her breath still coming a little too fast. “I feel good now. And sleepy.” Right at that moment, there was nothing Annie wanted as much as she wanted to fall asleep with Devon’s arms around her.

  Even though he couldn’t see her, Annie beamed. “And tomorrow, I get to wake up in your bed,” she added. Maybe, if their energy had returned, they’d even have a repeat performance. For now, Annie was more than happy to drift off listening to the sound of Devon’s breathing in the dark, feeling his broad chest against her back.

  Chapter Fourteen

  WHILE DEVON HAD had quite a few girlfriends in the past - and yes, all of them sharing Annie’s name - he’d never bothered to introduce them to his mom and sister. He told his mom about them. Devon liked her knowing what was going on in his life. None of them had ever felt right to introduce to his mom. So tonight, Devon was pretty excited.

  He had no doubt that Annie would get on well with both Susie and Serena. It felt special to have someone to introduce to them. The more time he spent with Annie, the more convinced Devon was that she was it for him. It was a pretty great feeling to have! His mom had heard enough abo
ut it by now that she had been quite insistent about meeting Annie.

  Not that Devon had any intention to keep them apart. He’d organized a dinner, picking Serena’s favorite restaurant. His mom and Serena were meeting them there, so Devon only had Annie to pick up.

  When she got in his car, he leaned across to kiss her. “Hey, you,” Devon greeted. “Are you nervous?” he asked, certain that if the tables were reversed he’d be nervous.

  She looked beautiful. Of course, Devon always thought Annie looked beautiful. But he could tell she’d made a special effort. That thought fluttered warm and gentle inside him. It mattered that Annie wanted to make that effort, even if Devon didn’t think it was necessary.

  “I am,” Annie admitted, without a hint of shame. “Mostly about meeting your mom.” She reached across to give Devon’s arm a brief squeeze before she let him return his attention to driving. “Not that Serena isn’t important! I just think I can handle impressing a twelve-year-old girl. I used to be one, after all. I’ve never been a mom.”

  There was a moment of silence. Annie’s voice was a little softer when she continued. “I’ve never had a mom, really. I’ve met my friends’ moms, obviously, especially when I was little. I don’t think that’s quite the same.”

  “I think it’s kind of the same,” Devon promised. He reached to give Annie’s hand a squeeze and then started the car. “You are my friend. You’re just also more than my friend.” Annie was good for Devon. He had absolutely no doubt that his mom got that. Not least because Devon had told her as much.

  Maybe that would make her feel better. “I know me telling you that you don’t need to worry isn’t going to make you worry less,” Devon said fairly. “But you don’t need to worry. I’ve told my mom you’re great. And luckily for you, it’s true.”