Chapter 18
Ohmygod, I stripped naked. Almost
“Maybe you should have repainted your room turf green. It would have made the comforter seem completely in its element.”
Mason elbowed me in the ribs. “Ha. Ha. Very funny.”
“What? It would have looked like a four-wall football field. Very chic.”
“Yeah, in your dreams.”
We settled in the same way we had the other day, with him sitting on his desk chair and me sitting on his bed, digging into the pizza.
“Did you see the guy swinging from a rope earlier at the party?” I asked.
“He was high as a kite. It’s surprising he didn’t break his neck. It reminded me of Rusty.”
“Yes. Same I don’t care about the consequences because I’m having fun attitude. Who knew college kids were as stupid as high school kids? I thought they would make smarter choices.”
He snorted. “Sorry to disappoint. My friends back home would have a blast here. Not for the college part but the parties. Sheldon and Chase would be hungover all the time.”
“Any news from Chase?” I asked.
“He’s working as a carpenter for a small construction business in Traverse City. He appears to really enjoy it. He’s renting an apartment above a pub with three other guys. As long as he’s away from his deadbeat dad, it’s all good.”
“True. I can see him building houses and using power tools. It fits.”
“Yeah. I hope moving around all day helps him burn off all that extra energy and eases his restless leg syndrome.”
“I’m sure it does. Not everyone is meant to sit in a classroom for hours every day.” A loud yawn left my mouth before I had time to silence it with a hand. “Sorry.”
“Tired?”
“Exhausted. I was just hungrier than tired before, and that’s why I chose food over sleep.
My feet are killing me, though.” Done with my second slice of pizza, I licked my fingers and lay back against the cushions, stretching my legs on the bed.
“That was good. Do you mind if I close my eyes for just a second? I need to recharge my batteries, or I won’t be able to go home. ”
Mason rolled the chair closer to the bed and started massaging my feet.
Another yawn passed my lips. “You don’t have to do that, but…
oh God, yes. There. Whoa. Just like that.
” I was having feet orgasms. I had no clue if it was even a thing, but it felt amazing.
He kneaded the flesh around my ankles, my shin, my calves with his expert hands.
“You’re hired. Why haven’t you ever told me how good you are at this? Oh yes. Harder. Please, never stop.”
“You’re lucky the guys are downstairs, or they would think highly of my skills.”
“Shut up and keep going. I’ll keep moaning if it helps your rep. Just don’t stop.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll never leave you unsatisfied.”
“Mase, that ego.” I giggled. “You’re like a pro at this, so I’ll let it slide this time. If you ever get tired of football, you should totally become a massage therapist.”
“Never. I would be too much in demand. I prefer keeping it as a sideline gig I reserve for you—only you.”
My body relaxed as the mattress engulfed me.
I felt lighter than I had in hours. My thoughts stopped spinning.
My breaths evened. Before I could move to my feet and ask Mason to drive me home, it felt as if stones had replaced my inner organs.
My eyelids felt heavier with every passing second.
Mason massaged my toes, the soles of my feet, my heels.
I abandoned myself to sleep, feeling safe and way too comfortable as my brain just shut off.
I woke up with a start. My mouth tasted like last night’s pizza, and my eyelids weighed tons, so I chose to keep them closed.
For a moment, I tried to figure out where I was.
The softness of the mattress beneath me felt foreign.
The subtle scent of driftwood and pine filled my nostrils in the most delicious way.
This was all part of a dream, it had to be—it usually was.
I rolled onto my side, a large weight holding me down at the waist. It felt oddly familiar.
Something warm pressed against me. I relaxed a little bit more.
Yeah, this dream was too good to let go.
I pushed my back against the warm mass and fell back into a deep slumber.
One where I was dreaming that Mason and I were cuddling in bed like we used to, and where, for now, it felt right.
The pounding on the door dragged me out of my dreams. I pressed a pillow over my head to block the noise, but it was useless.
“Mase? Are you in there? I thought we were supposed to watch game tapes like two hours ago. You called the morning meeting yourself. The team has been waiting for you, but they decided they had better things to do after we watched a few, so they left. I tried to call you a dozen times, but it went straight to voicemail.”
Mase?
Team?
Game tapes?
A low groan vibrated through me, and two strong arms fastened around my body from behind, pulling me back, warm breath fanning across my neck.
My eyes sprang open. What did we do? Last night was a bit hazy in the morning light. I remembered how tired I was, Mason massaging my feet, then nothing.
I tried to turn around, but his grip on me tightened. “Mel, don’t move yet. I’m so comfy right now. I wanna stay like this forever.”
I broke free and flipped onto my other side to face him anyway, but gasped halfway through, his very firm erection pressing against my side.
“Sorry. I told you not to turn just yet.”
“I…huh… We… Did… Can…”
He traced the contours of my face with his fingertips. “Calm down. We just slept.”
“Nothing happened?”
“No. You fell asleep. I tried to wake you up many times, but in vain. You kept saying you wanted to stay because, and I quote, ‘the bed felt like a cloud compared to your mattress.’”
“I said that?”
He nodded.
“It’s true your bed is really really comfy. I have no clue how you do this, but I’ve always preferred your mattresses to mine. What time is it?”
Mason craned his neck and looked at the alarm clock set on the bedside table. “Fuck, it’s twenty past nine. I’m really late for everything I had planned to do today.”
I facepalmed. “I told Don I’d meet him at the gym at eight. I so overslept.”
“Don?”
“Donovan. He’s on the swim team with me. One of my best friends on campus. We usually train together. He’s gonna kill me.”
“Don’t do that to yourself. You always spread yourself too thin. We both deserved a late morning.”
“But…”
“No but. Anything else than snuggle with me you gotta do today?”
He lowered his hand and trailed his fingertips over my bare arm. Goose bumps blossomed under the feather-like caress. Despite myself, I leaned into his touch, wanting more. No, scratch that. Needing more.
“Huh.” I closed my eyes for a split second, steadying my breathing and trying to regain some control over my body and detangle my thoughts. “Oh yes. A reading for one of my classes and a bit of grocery shopping. That’s about it.”
His gaze captured mine, and I felt very weak as I lost myself in the pools of his blue irises.
“I guess we should spend the day in bed then. Get as much rest as we can.”
“We can’t… It’s not… We shouldn’t…”
“Fine.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead, and I melted a little more inside. “We can get breakfast, and then I’ll drive you to your dorm. Sounds like a plan?”
“One problem, though. I’m still dressed like a cop.”
“Huh…not really.”
“What do you mean, not really?” I lifted the covers to check the state of my clothes. “How did I end up wearing your sweatpants and T-shirt? Did you undress me?”
His lips curled up. “No. You fell asleep all dressed up, but in the middle of the night, you stated you were burning up and started kicking the sheets. You undressed and tossed your clothes across the room.”
“Ohmygod, I stripped naked. Almost. I’m so mortified.”
“Mel. Stop. I gave you a T-shirt and a pair of sweatpants to change into. You were out cold seconds later. For the record, I’ve missed this—us.”
I didn’t want to admit out loud I indeed missed this too.
I tried to change the subject to avoid answering and giving him false hope.
“Hey, quick question. Do I look like a raccoon? My mascara must be smudged all around my eyes.” I wiped under one eye with my finger and took in the black residue on the tip.
“A little bit, but you are a very pretty raccoon.”
“There’s no such thing.”
“I beg to differ. Anyway, I can check if Amber has left some makeup remover in the downstairs bathroom.”
“Amber?”
“Rutherford’s girl. The one I told you about. She keeps a basket full of her things for when she stays over.”
“Thanks.”
He leaped to his feet, adjusting the tent in his pants with a palm, trying to be subtle about it but failing.
I pinched my lips together, wanting to look away, but unable to stop ogling him.
He caught me staring and shrugged. “I can’t help it, even the raccoon version of you does it for me.
” He pulled a T-shirt over his head, putting a stop to my staring. “Breakfast?”
“Can I shower first? I swear it’s the last time.”
“Mel, you don’t even have to ask. Grab clothes from the dresser and make yourself at home.”
“Can I keep the ones I slept in?” They smelled like him, and I wasn’t ready to give them back.
“Sure. Whatever suits you. Check the closet for a sweater.”
He stepped closer and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. “I’m happy you’re here.” His lips found my forehead once again.
My cheeks felt hotter by the second. I offered him a tiny smile, not sure what to reply. Yes, I was happy to be here too, but I wasn’t ready to be honest about it in case he read too much into my admission.
“Can I tell you something?” he asked.
“Sure.”
“Lately, I’ve been feeling restless and off my game, on and off the field.
I have a lot on my mind these days. I just wanted to say I’m only truly myself when we’re together.
It’s nice to have nothing to prove to someone because the other person—you—makes you feel safe.
The guys on the team expect things from me.
My coaches expect things from me. Even my professors and the crowd filling the bleachers expect stuff from me.
” He scratched his forehead. “Anyway, without sounding stupid, I wanna tell you I’ve missed us.
I’ve realized that not a lot of people have the power to soothe me, and you’re one of them.
I’m grateful for it. Thank you for being here. ”
I watched him leave the room, and for a moment, I felt like Mason and I had never grown apart last December, and we’d just picked up right where we left off, as if no time had passed.
And this was bad—so bad—for my heart.