Hail Mary: A Quick Snap Novella Read online

  My heart melts while my body overheats. We’ve been taking our relationship slow. PG kisses are as far as we have gotten, and my lady parts are begging me to get a move on. “I’d love to see you,” I tell him.

  I’m sitting on my sofa in my silky bathrobe staring at the clock. It’s after eleven, and I’m about to give up on Barrett and turn in for the night when my doorbell rings. Barney glares at me and hops off the sofa to find someplace to hide.

  I glance at myself in the hall mirror and run my hand through my hair. Once I’m satisfied with the result, I take a deep breath and throw the door open. Barrett is standing on my front porch staring at the Halloween decorations I put out yesterday. “God, where is this year going?” As he leans over and kisses my lips, I grab the front of his sweater and pull him into my house.

  “Who cares?” I bite his bottom lip and plaster myself against his hard body. Lust roars through my blood, and I groan, “I missed you,” as I run my fingers through his damp hair. Knowing he must have taken a shower before heading over means the extra wait was definitely worth it.

  He pulls back and slowly runs his eyes over my scantily clad body. I watch him as lust darkens his gaze. “Don’t tease a starving man.”

  I step away from him and slowly untie the belt on my robe before letting it slither down my body and fall at my feet. “Come and get some sugar.”

  “If I’m dreaming, don’t wake me up.” He steps closer and runs a finger lightly over my collarbone. “You’re even more beautiful than I ever imagined.” Goosebumps break out all over my body. “And I’ve thought about you a fucking lot.” He picks me up and smiles down at me. “I’m one lucky man.”

  “Not yet, but you’re about to be.” After wrapping my arms around his neck, I point to my bedroom. “Don’t make me wait any longer.”

  He carries me into my bedroom and slams the door shut with his foot, then lays me on the bed and steps back to undress. My heart thumps against my ribs as he slowly pulls his shirt over his head and tosses it aside. I swallow and stare at his perfect, masculine chest and six-pack abs. My eyes move further down, and I watch while he unbuttons his pants and drags them past his hips.

  After tearing everything off, he stalks over to me and sets something on my nightstand, but I’m too busy watching his erection bouncing against his toned abdomen to take notice. “This is where I worry about us making this work.” I bite my lip and reach out a finger to smear the cum around the velvety tip of his dick. When Barrett straddles me, his masculine scent surrounds me. I run my hands up his back while his large erection lays heavily on my stomach, leaving wetness on my skin. Reaching between our bodies, I wrap my hand around his cock and squeeze. “Fuck,” he hisses in my ear. “Your touch is going to cause me to come too soon.”

  “Be a big boy,” I tease and pump my hand.

  “Anything for you.” He kisses me, and I forget about everything but Barrett. His mouth dominates mine, and I let him have complete control of me. My body turns limp as his tongue tangles with mine. After a while, he pulls back, and we both fight to drag air into our oxygen-deprived lungs.

  He pinches my nipple before leaning down to wrap his lips around it. Arching my back, I cry out from the sensation. He kisses his way across my chest and gives the other side the same attention. Barrett lays his forehead under my breasts and whispers, “Before we go any further, this is your last chance to change your mind.”

  “Please,” I beg him, and his passion-filled eyes stare into mine as he slides his hand down my body and runs a finger slowly around my lower lips. Arching my back, I beg for more. He rubs circles on my clit with his thumb while slipping a finger into my pussy. My inner muscles tighten as he thrusts through my wetness, and I’m almost embarrassed by the wet slurping sounds filling the room. Out of nowhere, an orgasm slams into me, and I cry out his name.

  He moves down my body and slows his pumps as I ride out the pleasure. When my climax is ending, he wraps his lips around my clit and sucks hard, causing me to come again. Bright lights burst behind my closed eyes, and I wonder how much more pleasure my body can take.

  “We’re going to find out,” he answers, and I realize I asked out loud. He runs his tongue up the center of my slit before crawling up my body.

  I taste myself on his lips as he kisses me. It’s a new sensation but not unpleasant. Barrett lifts his head and looks down into my eyes, “I’m falling for you.”

  Swallowing, I lean up and kiss the dimple in his chin. “I’m falling for you, too.” He smiles at me before reaching into his wallet on the bedside table for a condom. I bite my lip as he runs his sheathed cock through my wetness. Once he’s satisfied, he nudges my opening with his erection. I hold my breath as my lady parts stretch to accommodate his huge dick. He thrusts forward until I’m stuffed full of him.

  “You okay?” He kisses the side of my neck while his muscular arms shake next to my shoulders. The strain of holding still has his neck veins popping out, and I want to reassure him.

  As I lift my hips, pleasure shoots through every nerve ending in my body, and I moan, “Couldn’t be better. Now, fuck me.” It’s all the encouragement he needs. I dig my fingernails into his shoulder and hold on. I feel another climax approaching and warn Barrett, “I’m about to come again.”

  His eyes darken as he slams into me harder. “I can’t get deep enough.” He groans and places little kisses under my ear before lifting my leg over his arm. His cock slides deeper and hits something inside of me that sets off my orgasm. My pussy tightens around his dick, and he shouts my name against the side of my throat as his warmth fills the condom.

  Barrett rolls over and pulls my sated body with him. I flop onto his chest and sigh. “I might need help walking tonight.”

  He leans up and kisses my forehead. “I’ll take care of you.”

  While he’s in the bathroom, I stare at the ceiling and smile. I’m falling in love with Barrett. He comes back and lays down next to me. “I wish I could spend the night, but I can’t leave Nana alone.”

  I run my hand over his muscular chest and feel it ripple under my touch. “Can you stay a little longer?”

  He looks at his watch, “I have a little time,” then pulls me close and kisses me. I feel my body begin to awaken again, but the throbbing in my lady parts warns me that I might regret overusing them tonight.

  He runs his fingers through my hair before placing a soft kiss on my nose. “Hey, sleepyhead. It’s getting late, and I need to get home to Nana.”

  I hate to see him go but understand. “Okay. We still on for tomorrow night?”

  After pulling on his pants, he looks over his shoulder and stares at me for a moment. “Why don’t you come home with me tonight? Sleep in my bed and let me hold you all night long?”

  It sounds heavenly, but there are questions running through my mind. “What about Nana? And Barney? Both of them?”

  He stands at the side of my bed and looks down at me. “You stay at my house with Nana all the time, and she loves you. Barney One and Barney Two get along the rest of the time. I can’t see them having a problem when we’re sleeping in the same bed.” His arguments do make sense.

  An hour later, we’re unpacking my SUV and settling my grumpy puss into her spot in Barrett’s house. Nana comes down and smiles at me. “Oh, a sleepover.” Then she turns around and heads right back to her room.

  “See.” Barrett looks up the stairs at Nana’s closed door and smiles. “I told you she wouldn’t mind.”

  Breakfast the next morning is surreal. I’m eating eggs and bacon with my boyfriend and his grandmother while my cat and his dog chase each other around the living room. After we finish breakfast, Barrett runs upstairs to shower and get ready. He rushes back down and kisses me. “I’ll pick you up on my way home from work.”

  “Sounds good,” I agree, but Nana interrupts behind us.

  “I’ll get her a key made today, and she can meet you here.” We both turn to stare at her, and she shrugs. “That way her car i
s already here if she wants to spend the night.”

  Barrett winks at me before replying, “Thanks, I appreciate you doing that.” Then he kisses me one more time. “I’ll see you here after work.”

  Wow. That progressed quickly.

  A few weeks later, my head is still reeling at how fast our relationship is moving. And I’m cautiously happy. The downside is missing Barrett when he travels. I hire more help to give me extra time. I keep hoping Barrett will ask me to accompany him to some of the out-of-town games.

  I close All the Steam for the entire week of Thanksgiving. My parents are flying in from Phoenix, and Nana is planning a huge family meal. We invite George and the ladies from Tuesday night book club, but all ladies have their own family gatherings to attend.

  The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, I pick my parents up from the airport and take them back to my house to get settled in. Mom walks in the door and calls for my stubborn cat. Barney comes running and rubs her body around my mom’s legs while I shake my head. “How do you get her to that?”

  “It’s all in the wrist,” she answers, and I roll my eyes.

  My dad comes into the house carrying two suitcases and smirks. “Are we in the same room as last time?” I smile and nod.

  While my parents are unpacking, I check my phone for messages and wonder what’s keeping Barrett. “Where’s your new man?” My dad walks into the kitchen and sits on one of the barstools. “I investigated him.”

  “Dad,” I start, but he holds up his hand.

  “I’m a retired homicide detective. There's no way my only daughter is going to seriously date someone without me looking into it.”

  “Ugh.” I throw my hands up in the air. “Be nice,” I demand, and he walks around the counter and kisses the top of my head.

  “As long as he treats my little girl right, nothing will happen to him.”

  Before I’m able to reply, the doorbell rings, and I rush off to let Barrett in. He kisses me gently and apologizes, “I’m sorry. I had to deal with team issues.”

  “You’re forgiven.” I kiss the dimple in his chin, then grab his hand and drag him toward the kitchen. “Come meet my dad. My mom should be out soon.”

  Barrett introduces himself to my dad, who I glare at around Barrett’s shoulder, daring him to be nice. When my mom walks into the kitchen, I see her eyes take in my gorgeous man’s chocolate brown hair and piercing blue eyes. She melts like every other female, and Barrett instantly wins her over. Both of my parents fall in love with Nana as she charms them over dinner.

  My mom glances over at Barney One and Barney Two and frowns. “Sweetheart, do they realize they’re two different species?”

  I look over at the two animals as they cuddle on the one bed and shrug. “They’re happy. Who are we to complain?”

  Chapter 6

  Barrett

  My girl’s parents have come to visit for Thanksgiving. Her dad doesn't hide his distrust of me, and I realize I have my work cut out if I want to win him over.

  We’re sitting in my theater room watching the Thanksgiving game. I’d rather do anything else, but I hated to tell him no. This is too much like work, yet here I sit. “What are your intentions toward my daughter?” He takes a sip of his beer and raises an eyebrow. His dark blond hair is turning gray, but I can see where my girl gets her blonde hair and stunning blue eyes.

  The retired homicide detective keeps a poker face the entire time, and I resist the urge to squirm under his scrutiny. Feeling like a teenager, I set my beer on the coffee table and look him in the eye. “I love her.” He stares into my eyes, looking for signs of deception, and waits for me to continue. “As soon as the season is over, I’d like to ask her to marry me, but I want to take my time.”

  He seems satisfied with my answer and turns back to the game. When a commercial comes on, he asks. “What kind of tickets can you get if you guys go all the way to the championship game?”

  I rub the back of my neck. “I have access to box seats,” I reply.

  “No, I don’t sit in pussy seats. Can you get me on the field, sweat hitting you in the face, action seats?” He looks appalled I’d even suggest box seats.

  “Yeah, I can do that.” I’ll have to call in some favors and promise my firstborn but impressing my girl’s dad is worth the effort.

  We travel to Tampa to spend Christmas with my family. My parents and brother fall in love with my girl, and we promise to come to visit again when we have longer to stay. It’s a quick three-day trip, and Molly ends up flying home without me while I fly to Chicago to meet the team for our game the day after Christmas.

  We have a small belated Christmas celebration with George and Nana a few days later when I get home from Chicago. Watching my Afghan Hound and Molly’s grumpy cat stare at a pile of brightly wrapped presents is the highlight of my year.

  “Uh, Nana, you really shouldn’t have bought all those gifts for the pets.” My girl looks over at me and bites her lip.

  Shrugging, I mouth, “Oh well.”

  We end up opening the gifts for the two animals and thanking Nana and George. As Molly holds a hot pink sparkly collar with rhinestone accents up in front of Barney Two, I wonder how many scratches she’ll receive while trying to hook it around the cat’s neck.

  Barney One sighs in resignation as I snap the blue plaid collar around his neck. He’s been through the Nana Christmas gift-giving several times in his lifetime. Both pets also receive new beds and toys.

  “Wow. Nana goes all out for Christmas.” Molly is wearing the pearl bracelet and cashmere sweater my grandmother gave her.

  “She does,” I agree. Molly and I exchanged presents in Florida, and she gave me the new phone case I’d been eyeing and a sports band for my watch.

  The gifts I wrapped for her included her new e-book reader and a gift card to load it up. The present that’s burning a hole in my pocket is a diamond necklace. In my heart, I’m ready to ask Molly to marry me, but I know she isn’t ready.

  Sitting on the sofa on New Year's Eve night, I reach into my pocket and pull out the necklace that’s been taunting me. I kiss my girl’s forehead and smile down at her. “I wanted to give this to you at Christmas, but it never seemed like the right time.”

  As I hold up the pendant, her eyes widen. “I can’t accept that. It’s way too much.”

  Laying my forehead against hers, I look into her eyes. “I love you.” After hooking the necklace around her neck, I admit, “I really wanted to buy you a different diamond, but I know you aren’t ready.” I watch as tears form in her gorgeous eyes and hastily brush them away. “Hey, don’t cry.”

  “I love you, too,” she whispers, and happiness roars through me. “Thank you.” She lays her head on my shoulder, and I relax for the first time in several weeks.

  I hate leaving Molly in Seattle while I travel with the team. The trips seem to last forever, and calls and texts don’t really alleviate the loneliness I feel the entire time I’m away from her. She recently hired a couple of new high school girls to help out at All the Steam. Now, she’s able to take more time off, and I’m hoping to ask her to come to our playoff game in Dallas next weekend. We’ve been on a three-week in a row away game stretch, and I’ve about hit my limit. Missing Molly is slowly causing me to lose my temper. The players and other coaches are beginning to avoid me.

  After dinner, I head back to my room and call her. She answers on the first ring. “Hey,”

  “Hi, Baby.” I relax on the lumpy hotel bed and picture her sitting on my navy-blue comforter back at home. “How was your day?”

  “Great. Tina is doing a good job learning the ropes.” I listen while she tells me about everything that’s happening back at home. Her voice sends longing shooting through me, and I bring up the trip next weekend. She shocks me when she agrees to meet me in Dallas without any argument.

  I’m waiting outside the airport for Molly’s plane to arrive, and each time I look down at my watch, I swear the hands haven’t moved. It’s been a
long week without her, and I’m dying to see my girl. I finally receive a text notification from the airline that her plane has landed and head in to meet her.

  “Hey there, handsome.” Soft arms wrap around me from behind, and my cock turns rock-hard in my pants. I need to get her the fuck out of this crowded airport before I give all these people the show of their lives.

  Spinning around, I crush her to me and cover her soft lips with mine. Her curvy body melts against me, and I groan. “Fuck.” She stiffens when she feels my hardness pressed into her stomach. “I missed you.”

  “I can feel that.” She winks and glances down. “You might want to untuck your shirt from your pants to hide the evidence.” Taking her advice, I pull my shirt out and pull it over my wood like a fucking schoolboy before lacing my fingers with hers.

  While we wait for her luggage, I ask, “Are you hungry?”

  Molly looks up at me and smiles. I’m happy the shirt is hiding my reaction when she leans over and glances down at the front of my pants before whispering, “I’m starving but not for food.”

  Fuck. Where is that luggage?

  I drive like a maniac to get us back to the hotel. I’m sure I’d end up behind bars if a cop caught me driving this fast, but I don’t care. My cock is in control at this point. Molly runs her soft hand up and down my denim-covered thigh, and I feel the heat from her palm through the thick material. “You’re torturing me,” I groan and push the accelerator down harder.

  When she reaches over and unzips my jeans, I realize I might not make it the entire way back to the hotel. After her soft hand pushes my underwear out of the way, she pulls my dick free. My breathing increases as she wraps her hand around my cock and squeezes. “Are you planning to torture me the whole way back to the hotel?”

  “Not torture. Encourage you.” She runs her finger lightly over the sensitive head, and a grunt slips past my lips as she begins to pump her fist. I’ve missed her too much. I’m going to fucking come in my rental car like a sixteen-year-old kid. My hips lift off the seat in rhythm with her movements as my heartbeat pounds in my chest. “I’m about to come,” I warn her, and she shocks the hell out of me by leaning over and closing her juicy lips around my sensitive cock. It’s a miracle I don’t wreck as my balls empty down her throat.