Chapter 3
Mason
Glancing around the pool deck, my anxiety was getting the best of me.
It was only seventy degrees, and I was sweating in early April.
My uneasiness had nothing to do with Carson and Colin’s surprise party.
Being with my friends was the easy part.
Out of all of them, Thomas knew me best, and I needed to talk to him alone.
Over the last five days, I’d kept everything bottled up, waiting for him.
And now that he was back, I was ready to unleash it all.
Wiping my brow, it occurred to me I might be coming down with something. Pressing the bottle of lukewarm beer to my face, I couldn’t tell. Elbowing Drew, I leaned in. “Hey. Touch my forehead. Do I feel like I have a fever?”
Our rookie wide receiver took a step back. “I am not touching you, dude. If you’re sick, I don’t want it.” He looked me over before continuing. “Maybe you got bitten by some giant ass bug in Australia. Oh, maybe you got a parasite. That would be cool.”
I gaped at the idiot. “No, it wouldn’t, and we’ve been back for a month. Why would you say that?”
He shrugged as he rubbed his hand over his new fade. “I don’t know. I may have been watching too many Reels. Why do you think you’ve got a fever?”
I rolled my eyes. Rookies. “I just feel kinda warm. Not necessarily sick. That’s all.”
Drew appraised me again, nodding as his tone became more serious. “Oh. You do look a little flushed,” his eyes widened. “I know what you need. I’m gonna go get you another cold beer,” he said, using his speed to move away.
The twenty-two-year-old’s answer to life was one more beer.
It was the last thing I needed, but I didn’t try to stop him.
Instead, my eyes landed on Thomas as he escorted Colin’s biological father to the guest house.
Glancing back at me, he furrowed his brow.
He could read me like no friend I’d ever had, and I knew he was asking what was wrong.
But I shook him off. I attributed it to his FBI background.
I took a sip of my beer, then immediately wished I hadn’t.
Food. Maybe that’s what I needed. I wasn’t necessarily hungry, but eating would give me something to do until he was finished.
Even though he wasn’t on official duty, like with Hudson, I made sure to keep my distance when he was working.
All I wanted to do was talk to him, even if he was just sitting by the pool.
I’d missed him since he’d been gone, and I knew my feelings for him were moving beyond friendship.
That’s why I had to bolt when we were on the beach.
I was afraid I would blurt it out, and I knew I’d lose him if I did.
Weaving around groups of teammates and coaching staff, I took the long way around the pool deck to avoid Laura Langdon and her boyfriend. It was a small price to pay to avoid being asked questions I didn’t want to answer.
Picking up a plate, I looked down at Lennox and Dane’s contribution to the party.
Every grilled meat known to man was spread before us, along with side dishes and salads, fruit kebabs, and desserts.
My QB had also ordered another wedding cake.
“It’s not really for them. It’s for everyone who didn’t get to go. They just get to cut it.”
As I stood debating between the chicken breast and the steak kebabs, the hair on the back of my neck stood up, alerting me that I was no longer alone. Glancing to my right, I found Thomas surveying the spread. “Hey, stranger. Were they expecting an army with this much food?”
The tone of voice he used when he spoke just to me made me think he might share my feelings. “Uh, no. Just a football team. I’m glad you’re back.”
His gray eyes met mine as his familiar smile cracked his usually stoic face. “That’s almost the same thing, Champ.”
I grinned. “True.” I went about mindlessly putting strange combinations of food onto my plate. Maybe I’d have an appetite after I unloaded all this on him.
Thomas glanced at me. “What’s wrong with you? You’re fidgeting.”
Scanning the area, I assumed we were as alone as we would get. Clearing my throat, I leaned in conspiratorially and whispered, “I need to talk to you. About a professional job.”
Thomas stopped putting food on his plate and stared at me. “As opposed to an unprofessional one?”
“What?” I was confused.
He waved his hand. “Never mind. What kind of professional job do you need? And for the record, as you know, I’m not a hitman. I drive the getaway car.”
I jerked my head toward him, eyes wide and almost giving myself a muscle cramp. “Crap,” I moaned, rubbing my neck. “I didn’t mean that kind of job.”
Thomas’s smile met his eyes as he reached up to squeeze my taut muscle. Never breaking his gaze, he tried to put me out of my misery. “Okay. Now I’m worried. Are you okay?”
I went back to rub my neck, but he knocked my hand away. “Stop. I know what I’m doing. I’m a professional.”
I snorted. “Did you have to go undercover to work as a massage therapist or something?”
“Not even close,” he said, digging his thumb into my muscle. Like some muscle wizard, the pain eased off. “Better?” he asked in a tone that drew my stupid heart to him.
I tilted my head side to side, then nodded. “Yeah. That’s pretty cool.”
He gave me the smile that reached all the way to his beautiful eyes. It was the one that drew me to him in Sacramento. “What’s going on, Champ?”
God, I loved it when he called me that. He’d given me his own special nickname to remind me I was a Super Bowl champion too. “It’s a long story, but I need some information about someone.”
Seemingly unfazed, he went back to putting food on his plate. “Is that so? Who are we looking for?”
Here we go. He was either going to think I was crazy or pulling his chain. “Me. I think I was stolen.”
His jaw twitched as he looked at me. “Well, I’ve got good news. I found you. You’re right there.”
My eyes narrowed as he gave up the ruse and laughed out loud.
I tried unsuccessfully to keep from smiling, but it was impossible.
This entire thing sounded crazy, I knew that.
And after all the heavy feelings, it felt good to laugh with him again.
Just standing in his proximity was enough.
“I was being serious. A lot has happened since you’ve been gone. ”
Thomas got himself together. His eyes lost some of their humor as he looked at me. “I’m sorry I left you for so long. I should have called. I’ve never had someone ask me to find them, and it struck me as funny. It’s been a long week.”
He never had to apologize to me. “It’s okay. I understand. You were busy.”
His eyes swept the crowd of people. “Let’s go inside and talk. Then you can tell me what’s going on.”
A heavy breath left my chest as I followed him toward the back sliding door. The weight began to lift as we headed inside. Everything was going to be okay now that he was back. I just knew it.