The Game Changer

by Lana Ferguson

Whatever I’d been about to say dies on my tongue as a garbled moan tumbles past my lips, my pussy clenching hard around the throbbing weight of his cock that’s buried inside me. “Ian.” “Like that?” he says, echoing me. “You like that, sweet girl?”

“Do it again.” “Yeah?” Another loud crack rings through my bedroom as his palm lands against the rounded curve of my ass, making it tremble as I start to find an actual rhythm. “You want me to spank the brat out of you?”

“Need it,” I sigh. “Need you.” “You have me, sweetheart,” he coos, landing another smack. “You’ve got all of me.”

“It’s too much,” he groans. “You feel too fucking good.” “Don’t stop,” I plead in a low whine. “Please don’t stop.” “Not until I feel you come on this cock,” he grates. “Want to feel your sweet little pussy soaking me.”

For the love of all that’s holy—praise be to the dirty talk gods. “Then fuck me harder,” I tell him, sounding out of breath and much less teasing than I intend. “I can take it.”

Another smack to the ass for my efforts, and I actually tremble. “So fucking beautiful,” he mumbles, his thumb dipping between my legs again to circle the throbbing button of my clit. “Need to...

I feel that hot pressure building between my legs, hurtling toward the precipice of something earth-shattering. “You’re getting so tight,” he gasps. “So fucking tight. Are you close?” I nod quickly, eyes shut tight as I chase after the orgasm that is right there. “Yes, just—Don’t stop. Keep—Right there, I—Holy fucking shit, I—”

My entire body curls inward when I come, my forehead resting against Ian’s chest as I shiver and shake. His still-thrusting cock means that it goes on and on and on, so much so that it almost feels like dying, but in the very best way. Little death is right.

“Fuck. Fuck, Lila.” He gets so tense beneath me, when he comes undone, his fingers clutching me so tightly I imagine there might be bruises tomorrow, but I want that. I want the reminder of what we’ve done. I want the proof that this is fucking real.

“Lila,” he says in a tone that almost seems chiding. “This wasn’t—” He puffs out a breath, shaking his head. “This wasn’t just sex to me. I couldn’t do that. Not with you. I could never do that with you. This is…” His hand reaches until his palm covers my cheek, and my fingers drift there to hold it steady like they have a mind of their own. “This is so much more than that. Do you understand?”

“Okay,” I say quietly. “Me too.” He kisses me in that way of his—like he has all the time in the world, but he wants to use every second of it for me—slow, dirty, but with the promise of so much more.

I groan as I slump forward, ignoring the tiny oomph Ian lets out when I cover him with my weight, dropping my face to his shoulder. Definitely was not anticipating the buzzkill that is thoughts of my brother after having dream sex with my dream guy.

I can feel a smile etched onto my mouth as fresh images of her above me and beneath me flit through my thoughts, half tempted to go back the way I came and wake her up for more. Now that I’ve had her, it feels like I might never get enough, and sure, that’s a little scary, but it also feels…right, somehow.

Honestly, for the first time in a long time, I feel…settled. Happy, even. And I know it’s all because of the gorgeous woman snoring softly in her bed.

“I’m…” My mouth quirks on its own, thinking about the woman in the other room. “I’m great, actually.”

Mei clucks her tongue. “No, not even then. It wouldn’t be weird at all, because Ian would totally be honest about what we were to each other to anyone he cared about, right?” “Right,” I say immediately. I wince before adding, “If there was someone.”

Realizing that I do. I want everyone to know she’s mine. I want to make sure that there’s zero chance of anyone snatching her away. I’ve never been possessive before, but something about Lila fills me with an almost caveman-like feeling, one that has me wanting to wrap her up in my arms and stow her away somewhere.

“You see, that was actually—” “Ian,” she interrupts, holding up a hand. “You don’t owe me an explanation. Seriously. I trust you.”

She doesn’t stop until she reaches me, pressing up on her toes and leaving a kiss at my cheek. “Finish the food, and we’ll talk about it, okay?” I wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her tight against me and pressing my nose to her hair just to breathe her in. “Okay,” I murmur. “Sounds good.”

When we were kids, it was as simple as a cookie after a hard test, or maybe even a dumb joke after a bad day—I don’t think I ever fully realized the extent of how good she’s always been at reading people, most of all me. It just makes me appreciate her more.

She reaches across the table to place her hand over mine, and in that moment, I have a distant thought that it was inevitable that I end up here with her. How could I not, when she’s always been so sure in her blind faith in me? Has anyone in my life ever had that for me?

“Mei and I were already separated when those pictures came out. We had already figured out we didn’t love each other like that.”

Even now, when her voice wavers, I don’t see any hint in her eyes that she doesn’t trust me. It makes me feel…whole. It makes me want to give her every bit of trust in return.

“How can you know that?” Her smile is slow, sweet. “Because that’s who you are, Ian. That’s who you’ve always been. You make people feel safe.” Her hand lifts from mine to cup my face, her thumb stroking the skin just above my beard softly. “It’s how you always made me feel too.”

I can’t help but stare at her, at this woman who seems to see me as something better than I’ve ever seen myself—having to take a heavy inhale just to keep the emotions that threaten to overtake me at bay.

Absolutely not. There’s a villain in this story, Ian, but it isn’t fucking you.” “Wow,” I say thickly, emotion still clogging my throat. “I’m not sure I deserve the faith you have in me.”

“You came right up to me, this huge kid with flaming-red hair and freckles looking like some sort of giant, and you squatted right down to my level…and you smiled at me.” I feel myself smiling now as I remember. “I asked you why you were crying.”

You spend so much time making sure that everyone else is okay, you don’t take the time to make sure you’re okay. The world won’t end if you’re okay, Ian. You know that, right?”

I feel so many things, things that seem impossible, that seem too quick, and all of them begin and end with the overwhelming urge to hold her, so I give in to that feeling, I pull her from her chair and over into mine, letting her crawl into my lap as I wrap my arms around her like she’s tethering me—and in a way, it feels like she is.

“You can’t put that on yourself,” Lila soothes. “You love hard, Ian. You always have. Anyone who knows you will know that you would never hurt someone you care about on purpose. You have to try and give yourself the same care you give everyone else.”

I consider that, trying to remember a time in my life where I did what she’s saying. When I worried more about myself than those around me. I realize I can’t think of one.

“Not sure my kitchen chairs are built for me and an NHL player.” “I’ll get you stronger chairs,” I mumble into her hair.

“Wow, we had sex one time and he’s already trying to buy me chairs,” she tuts. “You’re smothering me.” “Two times,” I huff against her throat. “Mm. Two is the magic number for chair sugar daddies?” I laugh as I give her ass a light swat. “Brat.”

“I wanted to,” I assert. “I…I trust you too.” “I’m glad,” she whispers. I pull her in until her lips meet mine, feeling that same sensation of being settled, happy—swelling inside to the point of bursting.

“So what would you get me if there was a third time?” she teases, nipping at my lower lip. My lips curl, elation bubbling inside to have her here. That I finally saw her.

Too soon, my brain says, just as my heart whisper...

“I’m sure it’ll be totally not awkward at all to have dinner with your long-standing-crush-turned-maybe-boyfriend’s ex-wife,” Theo deadpans. “Stop being an ass,” Ava chides. “Ian told you that they weren’t ever really in love, though, right? That’s something.”

“And you’re a successful, young, hot baker with her own television show,” Ava reminds me. “There’s nothing for you to be intimidated about.”

“He won’t hurt me,” I say again, firmer this time. “That’s not who he is.” “For your sake,” Theo answers with sympathy in his gaze, “I hope you’re right.”

“What do you wear when you’re meeting your…Well, when you’re meeting the ex-wife?” “Something that accentuates your tits,” Theo says flippantly.

“Was it your intention to make sure I can’t focus on anything anyone is saying tonight when you put on that dress?” I can’t help the grin that forms on my lips, catching Ian’s disgruntled expression when I peek at him from the side while we’re walking up the driveway. “You don’t like it?” “I like it too much,” he mutters.

Ian squeezes my hand, pulling it up to his lips to brush them against the back of my knuckles. “While it is a very good feature, I wouldn’t say it’s your best.” “Oh?” My chest flutters. “What would you say my best feature is?” His lips quirk, his gray eyes playful. “I’ll be happy to show you later.”

“Are you trying to get me riled up before I meet your ex? Because that’s low.” He turns my hand to press a kiss against my palm. “I’d call that karma.”

“They’re terrible,” I tell Bella. “Just the worst.” Bella nods seriously, the slightest tilt to her mouth when she says, “I like her.”

“I bet dirty talk is great in French,” Bella sighs. I can’t help but laugh as I wind my arm around Ian’s waist. “It absolutely is. Right, Ian?” “That’s it,” Ian huffs, pointing between Bella and me. “You two aren’t allowed to be friends.”

I watch it all happen with a smile on my face, the nerves I’ve been carrying for tonight melting away when I realize that everything here is exactly as Ian said. That there’s nothing between him and Mei but deep friendship, one that I can sense just by watching the two of them together.

“I like her,” Mei whispers to me, watching Bella and Lila chat animatedly about some movie they both like. I peek over at her, noticing her warm smile as she eyes her wife with my…my Lila, and I feel my own mouth curling to match, a tightness spreading through my chest. I reach up to rub the spot through my shirt, nodding.

“Well, if the way she looked at you all through dinner is any indication, I would say it’s a conversation you should totally have.” “How did she look at me?” “Exactly like you looked at her,” Mei chuckles.

My grin widens. It’s been a lot more satisfying than I thought it would be, having Lila here. Seeing her blend so well with these people who are so important to me but whom she has every reason to be less accepting of, if she wanted to be. I mean, I can’t say that if she brought me to dinner with her ex I would be as cool as she’s being right now.

I know that I explained the history between Mei and me, but still, the fact that she’s settled so easily into outright pleasantness with Bella and Mei takes a weight off my shoulders I hadn...