Clarity Read online

  “Taylor,” I hear, his husky voice brings my attention back to him. “Are you okay?”

  My face must be three shades of crimson from the embarrassment of my reaction. Now biting my bottom lip, I’m calmly nodding at him. He brings one of my legs up towards him to remove my shoes.

  “As sexy as you are in these heels, the last thing I need is you clawing my back with them.”

  I’m completely baffled by his comment, not understanding exactly how that would happen as he removes my underwear. He lifts my legs up and over his shoulders. His head disappears between my legs and my earlier gasp is nothing compared to the shocking moan I let out when his mouth meets my heated center. The warmth of his mouth against my core makes me buck my hips up to meet the demands of his tongue, and I grab onto his head again, needing something to hold onto as he slowly starts to lick his way up and down my center lips. My feet are pushing into his shoulders, helping to leverage against his mouth. My whimpering has now turned into out of control moans as his mouth starts sending me into a spiraling vortex, pleasure rushing up and down my body.

  His mouth is wickedly torturing me, bringing me to the verge of climaxing. Seconds before I reach my completion, I just as slowly come back down from the pinnacle. My moaning has turned into a pleading whimper, nearing a cry of frustration. As I believe he’ll continue his torturous act, I am no longer able to resist and am propelled into a spiral of sensations I’ve never felt before, one of powerless desire as I begin to convulse.

  As I’m lying there exhausted and trying to get my breathing under control, I can feel my heart pounding against my chest. I open my eyes to find a smile on Nick’s face, clearly satisfied with himself. I watch him slowly remove the remainder of his clothing, his eyes entirely locked with mine. Taking in every inch of his naked body, eventually I find the bulge between his legs. Stunned and slightly frightened, I become hesitant of what will come next.

  Searching his pants for his wallet, he removes a condom from it, holding it in his hand as he comes back to join me on the bed. I’m shivering. Not from the desire I once had, but from anxiety.

  “Taylor,” he mutters, looking into my eyes. “I’d never do anything to hurt you, but if you don’t want to do this then I’ll understand.”

  Gazing back up at him, I admit, “I’m just scared.” I tremble as I hold back the tears threatening to emerge.

  Understanding, he nods before he crawls back into bed. “If you ever need me to stop, just say the word and I promise I will. Do you understand?” The tenderness in his voice pushes all fears from my mind as I nod my head.

  He reaches down to tenderly give me a kiss and I instantly forget what I was scared of as I pull him down on top of me. He reaches behind my back and unhooks my bra, pulling it off me, leaving my chest bare to him. Working his wicked mouth on my breasts, my hands grab onto his hair as I let out a moan. He leaves my breast, bringing his mouth back to mine, hungrily kissing me. I can feel his hand start to skim against my side down to my thigh as he wraps my leg around his hip, making me pull him tighter against my core, gliding himself back and forth against my center.

  “Nick, the condom. Now,” I demand against his mouth.

  He laughs, lifting his body to sheath himself, leaning back down seconds later. The anticipation rises within me, my breathing becoming labored from eagerness to have him inside of me. Tenderly, he kisses me, his lips sensually relaxing me before I start feeling him pushing between my thighs.

  My legs willfully fall open to allow him between my thighs. “You ready, baby?” he questions into my mouth, but instead of verbally relaying my response, I grab onto his waist with my hands and pull him forward, the tip of his penis right at my entrance conveying my answer. He places his hand underneath me, lifting my hips up while he slowly pushes himself forward and into my core.

  My eyes clamp closed and he suddenly stops. “Taylor . . .” I swallow hard, mentally and physically waiting for the pain to come. “Baby, look at me,” he gently demands.

  My eyes open to find him intensely staring down at me, a silent command to keep my gaze locked onto his. “I don’t want you closing your eyes this time. I want you to know who is making love to you.” His deep voice is full of control.

  He inches into me, my core giving him resistance with each inch. Bringing himself to a standstill, I’m fearful he’s changed his mind. “Relax, baby, I don’t want to hurt you,” he says, sinking further into me. The memory of the discomfort and pain emerges and regardless of how much I try to obey his command to relax, I can’t.

  As if sensing my discomfort, he bends down to fuse our mouths together, the distraction of his kiss pushing away any discomfort I feel. Pushing the final inches connecting us as one, I gasp and grab onto his shoulders, making his body go rigid.

  “Baby, you’re so tight. I’m afraid to hurt you,” he whispers, placing a kiss below my ear. “You need to tell me when you’re ready for me to move,” he says, his voice sounding strained.

  I lift my hips up and start rocking against him, my core starting to blaze with the eagerness for him to move. He pushes forward, rocking his hips and I throw my head back and moan from the pleasure he’s giving me. Wrapping my legs around his waist to pull him tighter to me, I begin to find a rhythm, matching him thrust for thrust.

  Pulling my hips tighter, he thrusts harder against my core, intensifying the pleasure coursing through my veins. The sensation rises higher and higher with each minute. Throwing my head back as I tightly close my eyes, the darkness is overtaken with a spark igniting throughout my entire body, spiraling me out of control.

  Screaming my name as he pumps his hips faster, he goes rigid above me once more. I can feel his labored breathing fanning against the bare skin of my neck. Slowly opening my eyes, I find him looking down at me with worry while I slowly recover from the earth-shattering universe Nick has sent me to.

  “You okay?” he breathlessly asks, smiling down at me.

  “I think I’ll live,” I laugh out.

  Gently kissing me before he rolls both our bodies, he drapes mine across his chest and tightens his arms protectively around my waist. Placing my head down onto his chest, the thumping of his heart drums into my ear, slowly sending me off into a peaceful slumber.

  THERE’S A BODY half draped across me. Normally I would push it off. I’ve had plenty of girls wake up at my side in the morning. I’m not ashamed to admit I allow them to stay the night. I consider it easier to request another round of sex with no questions asked in the morning, but my number one rule is “Do not cling.” The circumstances are different this time. It’s me who is pulling this girl closer to my side. The warmth of her body is nearly a necessity at this point. Her familiar smell is addictive and has me craving more.

  Taylor stirs in my arms, startling my breath to hitch. I’m fearful she’ll push me away. Instead, she lifts her chin to rest on my shoulder.

  “Good morning,” she rasps out, a contented smile following the words. Grasping her tighter in my embrace, I place a kiss upon her temple.

  “Good morning,” I reply.

  The sound of an alarm announcing itself at our side alerts me it’s time for Taylor to get up. The thought of knowing I will have to surrender my hold on her body is disappointing.

  “Will you hand me my phone?”

  Doing as she requests, she turns off the alarm, returning us to the silence we were laying in moments ago.

  “I don’t want to get up,” she protests. The laughter I let out shakes both our bodies. “You can call in sick,” I jokingly suggest.

  “I can’t do that,” she muffles into my chest. “I’ve already called in sick this month. I’d get fired if I do it again.”

  The statement leaves me once more in my disappointed state. Sighing along with her, I have to relinquish my hold to allow her up. Tugging at her comforter to wrap herself in it, she sits at the edge of the bed, slowly turning to face me as she nervously chews on her lip.

  “Are you going to act sh
y now, Ms. Taylor?” I tease.

  A faint glow of sunlight illuminates through her windows, allowing me to catch the slight blush of her cheeks. “You have nothing to be shy about,” I tell her. She continues with her silence, worrying me. With dread, I ask, “Do you regret last night?”

  Turning to face me, her eyes are wide. “No!”

  “Then what’s wrong?”

  Once more, she’s blushing as before. “I just don’t know how to act,” she conveys, shamefully looking at the floor. “I’ve never had sex with someone.”

  “I mean, last night . . . Last night was the first time I’ve ever willingly had sex with anyone,” she corrects.

  Reaching for her hand, I tug her to close the distance between us. Tucking her between my legs and wrapping my arms around her waist, her back is to my chest, allowing me to comfort her. She looked so vulnerable when she made her confession. Knowing I was partially to blame for her reaction is upsetting.

  “Thank you,” I sigh into her ear. “I know how hard it was for you to trust me, Taylor, and I swear I’ll continue to do whatever it takes to keep that trust.”

  She slightly turns her body to better face me. The sincerity in her eyes has now replaced her weakness. Her lips meet mine, tender at first, as if hesitant. I force myself to push away the hunger that she is awakening. I can feel her smile as she pulls away. “Have you always been this cavalier with every girl you meet?”

  “No,” I truthfully answer without a pause. “They weren’t worth my time.”

  She’s taken aback by my response. “What does that say about you?” Her head is cocked to the side as she waits for my response. Repeating my words in my head, I realize it would sound chauvinist if I respond in such a way. “It’s because they weren’t you.”

  She considers my answer for a moment. “And what exactly am I, Nick?”

  “You’re someone worth pursuing.”

  She gives me a deep sigh as if unsatisfied with my answer. “I better start getting ready for work before I’m late.” Standing to head over to her dresser, she rummages through it.

  She leaves me sitting and wondering for a moment what I have said wrong.

  “You sure you don’t want to reconsider that sick time?”

  With her back still facing me she heads to her closet next and grabs a set of scrubs off a hanger. “I can’t do that to my patients. Besides, it’s Monday, which means I’ll see you later today,” she reminds me.

  “You should be excited. It’s your last day today,” she adds over her shoulder as she walks out of the bedroom, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

  It’s killing me knowing we have to leave the bed today, but I need this last appointment to get me back onto the field. I never thought I’d be dreading the completion of my physical therapy when this all began. My last day is also a reminder I won’t be seeing Taylor anymore during my sessions. I’m no longer finding an excuse to avoid them, but the opposite; I’ve come to look forward to them. One final appointment and I’m back to doing what I love.

  Hearing the shower turn on makes me grow hard again, knowing that she’s going to be lathering her naked body soon. Shit, I’m surprised I’m not in there with her right now. But if I were to go in there, I’d make her late. I would end up making love to her again in the shower.

  I have to keep repeating her earlier statement.

  “I’m her first . . . The first man she’s ever made love to.”

  How time has changed. It was only a month ago when I couldn’t get Taylor to allow me to be near her, let alone touch her. Yet, she trusted me with her entire body last night.

  Letting out a deep breath, I stand from the bed to dress. My heavy heart lightens when an idea pops into my head. Hopefully, with enough pleading, I can make it happen.

  It isn’t long before she’s exiting her room, looking stunned when she finds me waiting for her.

  “I take it your giving me a ride?”

  “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

  Her brows arch high. “Lucky for me, you like coffee. So no complaints from me,” she says, making me smile at her. “I’m paying, though.”

  “No, you’re not,” I argue. From the narrowing of her eyes, I can tell this morning my little firecracker will soon return.

  My phone rings as I enter the therapy room ten minutes before my scheduled appointment time, another odd habit since I met Taylor. I’ve rarely ever shown up early to anything I have scheduled. Looking down at the phone, I sneer as I push ignore on the screen, not feeling the urge to speak with my mother at the moment. Knowing she’ll try calling again, I quickly turn off my phone so she doesn’t disturb me for the next hour.

  My eyes find the stability ball I remember seeing Taylor sitting on the very first day I laid eyes on her. It was the first of many times I’ve seen her bouncing on the ball. Wondering why she prefers sitting on the ball instead of the chairs provided in the room, I’d asked Katie about it on one of our most recent appointments.

  “It relaxes her,” she answered, adding a shrug of her shoulder, as if not fully understanding the reason herself.

  Since the day I met Taylor, I’ve never looked at a stability ball in the same way. Making a mental note to buy one for our own personal use, I look around the room to verify I’m alone before I head straight to see why she enjoys it so much. As my ass lands on it, I practically roll off the thing, forcing me to catch my balance. How the fuck does she find this thing comfortable if it moves all over the place? It takes a couple of seconds, but eventually I’m bouncing on it myself, fully understanding why it’s relaxing.

  “You better not pop my ball.” Taylor’s voice breaks my thoughts as she walks her way over to me. Her eyes find mine with a mischievous twinkle in them. “As you can see, Mr. Hunter, you’ve gotten your request. I’ll be your sports therapist for the completion of your therapy.” She smirks.

  “Lucky me.”

  This morning as I’d strenuously waited for Taylor to shower, I persuaded Katie to trade spots with Taylor for my appointment. It wasn’t an easy task convincing her. She’d pointed out how I’d be putting Taylor’s job in jeopardy now that we were seeing each other, but I was persistent and promised to be on my best behavior. I wanted to leave my therapy knowing her hands were the last ones on my ankle.

  Taylor’s presence in front of me has me returning my attention to her. Her eyes are gazing down at me, not doing a very good job of hiding the hunger in her eyes.

  “Baby, if you keep looking at me that way I’m not going to be able to keep myself from pulling you down on top of me,” I huskily growl up to her. “Trust me, I’m pretty sure this ball would make for a really challenging sex position, but I like challenges.”

  Her eyes narrow down into slits. “One night . . . I give you one night and you become all cocky,” she scolds.

  Holding my hands up in surrender, I say, “You win. No sex on the ball, then.”

  “Get your ass up on that table so I can check your ankle and get this over with,” she orders, returning to the stern Taylor I once knew her to be.

  Doing as she commands, I quickly glance around the room to make sure we’re alone. Reaching for her wrist, I tug her forward. “Can I get you to be this bossy next time we’re in bed?”

  She pulls herself away, expressionless as she looks at me. Swallowing, I’m afraid that I might have pushed our teasing too far.

  “You seem pretty confident there’ll be a next time.”

  Silently questioning whether she’s teasing or stating a fact, I’m panicking at this point. With Taylor, anything is possible. The smile creeping up on her lips allows me to breathe.

  She leans her body closer to mine. “If you’re a good boy and follow instructions today, then maybe you’ll get your reward,” she hums into my ear.

  Pulling her wrist from my grasp, she reaches down for my ankle, fully returning to her therapist demeanor.

  Before I can reply to her proposal, another therapist is entering the room with a pa
tient, depriving me of the chance to pursue the subject. The quick glance of Taylor’s eyes when she looks up accompanied by the slight tug of a smile informs me she knows exactly what she was doing. This girl has accomplished what no other girl has managed to do, have me strapped by the balls.

  What the hell is happening to me?

  Regardless of the reasons, it’s what I’ve been searching for; I just hadn’t known it and there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to keep it this way.

  Forty-five minutes later, she’s wishing me a professional goodbye due to the abundance of other patients and therapists around. Exiting the therapy room, I’m quickly following her back to her office.

  “Nick, what are you doing?” she asks, her voice hitching with hesitation as she turns around to face me. Walking in her direction, I can no longer resist keeping my hands off her.

  “Don’t worry, baby, I promised to be a good boy back here, but I do need to ask you something,” I say as I wrap my arms around her waist.

  “My parents are in town for a charity event this week and I have to meet them for dinner tomorrow night. I was hoping you would come with me.”

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea, Nick.”

  Pushing her away from me, my brows are drawn down in confusion. “Why wouldn’t it be a good idea?”

  “I’m not the type of girl you bring home to your parents, Nick,” she croaks out before her eyes find the floor.

  I force her head up with my finger so she will look at me. “Taylor, you’re the perfect kind of girl to bring home to my parents,” I tell her, hoping to push her doubt aside. “It’s not that big of a deal, Taylor. It’s just dinner,” I reassure her.

  She’s skeptically looking at me, her expression conveying denial to accept my request. Leaning down, I kiss her. The sweet taste of her kiss has become my weakness. I can’t get enough of them. Feeling her body relax against mine, I slowly end the kiss to plead this time. “Please, Taylor, it would really mean a lot to me.” She takes a heavy breath, giving me hope.