Chapter 27
Chapter
Twenty-Seven
Jasmine: Are you still good with me crashing in your room this weekend?
Natalie: Of course!
Natalie: Or. If you want, you and Cooper can take my room. I could stay with Hunter.
Jasmine: That would be amazing!
Taking a deep breath, I rub the light blue lace lingerie between my fingers. I can’t believe I spent so much money on underwear, but I bought two new ridiculously expensive sets. The thought of Hunter peeling it off my body sends a thrill of desire through me.
Because that’s what’s happening this weekend. I’ve decided. I put the silky bras and panties on the bottom of my luggage and then cover them with Hunter’s sweatshirt, a few t-shirts, my team polo and khakis, and a pair of leggings.
I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. I’m not a virgin, but it’s been a while. Looking at the lingerie makes me think of Javier, my high school boyfriend. We were young, just kids, really. But I thought he’d be the only guy for me.
We started dating when we were freshmen, and while we didn’t sleep together right away, we got there eventually. It was fine. Good, even. I loved the emotional intimacy it created between us.
But then my dad got worse, my mom got busy, and I took on more responsibility. Javier claimed I didn’t have time for him. In hindsight, that’s probably true. We dated into our freshman year, but he went to college in Bloomington. It’s only a few hours away, but I couldn’t go visit him on the weekends. He didn’t want to drive home constantly to see me, either. Things fizzled out after a few months.
And then I just… didn’t sleep with anyone else after that. Not on purpose, it just kinda happened. It’s not because I’m conservative like my parents. More that I don’t have time to date, and I live at home. Sex and relationships were not a priority for me.
But now? I can’t get Hunter off my mind.
Zipping my bag, I shoulder it and move out of my bedroom and into the living room.
“Hey, beautiful.” I stop short at the sound of my dad’s raspy voice. I thought he was asleep in his recliner, but his eyes are open. Waving me over, he pats the arm of the couch next to him, and I sit. “Getting ready to leave for the weekend?”
Nodding, I take his hand. “Yep. The team plays in South Bend.”
“Think they can win?”
“Absolutely.”
He gives me a tiny smile. “Because they’re good or because of that forward you’re dating?”
My cheeks heat at his teasing, and I can’t help grinning back at him. “Can it be both?”
“I love your optimism, Nattie. You see the best outcomes because you see the best in people.”
“I don’t just see it in Hunter. It’s there.”
“I know. He’s the kind of man who could take good care of you when—”
“None of that.” Standing, I drop a kiss to the top of his head. “Only positive thoughts, remember?”
Clearing my throat, I adjust my bag’s straps and ignore the tears shining in his eyes. Because I can’t stand hearing him talk about the possibility of him being gone. That’s what he was going to say, and no. Just no.
“I don’t need anyone to take care of me, Dad. I’ll take care of everyone else. But you’re going to get better.”
I won’t allow myself to entertain any other option. This is most likely why I let Hunter think my dad is older than his forty-seven years, why I didn’t correct him and tell him about polycystic kidney disease. Because if I admit it, talk about it, I have to face the truth. The statistics aren’t great. About fifty percent of people with PKD will have kidney failure by age sixty—but the risk increases a lot for my dad once he turns fifty. He has an aggressive type of the disorder, not a genetic strain. Sarah, Jace, and I have all been tested, and we’re not carriers. The doctors think it was a spontaneous genetic mutation for my dad. He used to joke that Dr. Xavier was going to recruit him to join the X-Men. But I haven’t heard him say that in a long time.
I don’t want Hunter to pity me, to treat me differently because my dad is sick. And I don’t want to talk about it constantly and have it dominate our time together. I want to be a normal girl around him.
A normal girl who’s going to sleep with him this weekend.
I keep my face impassive, so my dad doesn’t know what I was thinking about and give him one more hug. With a goodbye to Jace, I’m out the door and headed to the bus stop.
Biting my lip, I gather my confidence and knock on the hotel room door. Cooper gave me his key after the game, but I didn’t mention the swap to Hunter. It was too much pressure to ask, but now too presumptuous to just walk in.
Hunter’s eyes widen when he opens the door, surprised at first and then pleased. His hair is mused, and I want to touch it. Before I can say anything, he pulls me inside and wraps his arms around me.
“Did you come to hang out?” he says when he pulls back to study me. His eyes dart to the duffle bag slung over my shoulder, and his gaze turns hopeful.
“Not exactly.” I hold up the plastic key card between two fingers and wave it under his nose. I gulp. “Unless that’s a problem, and then Cooper and I can switch back. Unless he’s upset with that and wants to stay with Jasmine. In that case, I can—”
Hunter silences my babbling with a kiss, thank god, and it anchors me. My arms go around his neck as he presses my back against the door, and my knees get weak. I drop my bag at our feet and forget about anything other than Hunter.
Coming up for air, he clears his throat and gazes down at me.
“Obviously, I’d love to have you stay.” He grabs my hand and leads me over to the closest queen-sized bed. Sitting down on the covers, he pats the spot next to him and stares at me, his eyes serious. “But we need to talk first.”
Are there any more ominous words in the English language? My heart races and sweat breaks out along my hairline. I swallow, trying to dredge up moisture in my dry throat, and have a coughing fit.
Hopping up off the bed, Hunter disappears into the bathroom and returns with a glass of water. He places it into my hands, and I take a sip. The cool liquid soothes my throat and helps me calm down. Hunter sitting beside me and rubbing light circles on my back doesn’t hurt, either.
“Thanks,” I croak out. He still looks too solemn, but I don’t know how to lighten the mood. I wish I could think of something funny to say, but my brain is focused on the way the lingerie itches my skin under my clothes. I’ve only ever worn cotton underwear and bras before, and it feels foreign.
“I just want you to know, we can do whatever you want. We can spend the whole night cuddling. That would be amazing. We don’t have to—”
“But what if I want to?” Leaning into his chest, I place a soft kiss right above the collar of his t-shirt where his warm skin is visible. A shudder vibrates through his body. Yeah, he definitely wants this, too.
“You’re sure?” he says against the top of my head.
“I am.”
“That’s the best thing I’ve ever heard.” He whispers the words against my hair before tilting my chin up to kiss me.
Everything else fades away, and one thing’s for certain—I made the right choice.