Chapter 29
Tessa
Thursday and Friday pass in a blur. I end up working both nights, so I can go to Slater’s game on Saturday.
I finally found someone who didn’t mind switching with me.
Much to my chagrin, Slater keeps me company both nights.
I hate it because I know he needs sleep, but I love getting hours to talk to him.
I’ve learned so much about shifters. I’ve asked hundreds of questions, and Slater has been so patient to answer every one of them.
It’s been so good, and I wouldn’t trade those hours for anything.
But I’m worried about Slater. I even went to Zane about it, who told me trying to convince Slater to do anything he doesn’t want to do is a waste of time.
I clock out and head outside. It’s still dark out, but I can see Slater waiting for me.
He waits just out of sight when I have to go into the guard shack.
“Are you ready for your game today?” We avoided talking about it the last two nights.
I didn’t want to make him nervous thinking about it, but now it’s here.
“Yes.”
He doesn’t say anything more, and I let it go. He’s been quiet the last few hours, and I have a feeling it’s because of his game today. We make the walk back to my dorm in silence. “Hey, can you do me a favor?” I ask when we’re almost back.
“Yeah.” His reply is instant.
I make sure he’s looking at me. “Can you get a few hours of sleep? Please, for me. If not for me, do it for your teammates and fans. Please,” I press.
He finally nods. “I’ll try.”
“Don’t try; just do it.”
He doesn’t smile. “Will I see you before the game?”
There’s an intensity to him that’s even greater than usual. “Do you want to?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Tell me when and where.”
“I’ll meet you outside the clubhouse at seven. Is that too early?”
“I’ll be there.”
He nods. “I’ll see you then.” I study him a moment; he’s so intense and drawn into himself. I don’t second guess my action. I step right into him and wrap my arms around his middle. His arms come around me a moment later, and I just hug him.
“You’re going to do great today.” He doesn’t say anything, and I pull back to look at him. “Hey.” He looks down at me. “You’re going to do great.”
He leans forward and kisses my forehead. “Get some sleep; I’ll see you later.” I watch him walk away and get a bad feeling about today’s game.
I make my way up to my room, ready to crash. Thankfully, the room is empty. I take a hot shower and am ready to collapse in bed. I braid my wet hair and plug my phone in so it can charge. I lay down on my bed and pull up my blanket. But before I let myself rest, I grab my phone and text Evie.
Me- hey, are you at the House of Stars?
She texts back almost immediately.
Evie- It always takes me a minute to remember that you call it that. No, I’m at the coffee shop. I’m currently on my ten-minute break.
I bite my lip and stare down at my phone.
Evie- why?
Me- I sent Slater to the house to sleep, and I wanted to know if he’s actually getting sleep. He's been up like every night, either doing security with me or watching the dorm. With his game tonight, I really wanted to make sure he actually gets sleep.
I stare down at my phone, waiting for her to text back. It comes a few minutes later.
Evie- yeah, he’s definitely not sleeping. Zane checked with Reid. Reid says he’s pumping iron in the basement.
Me- pumping iron?! He has a game today!
I’m on my feet throwing sweats on and Slater’s shirt, while simultaneously pulling up the Uber app. “What is wrong with him? Why can’t he just sleep like a normal person!” I grab my phone, my wallet, and my favorite pillow. “I’m going to go over there and sit on him and force him to sleep.”
By the time the Uber gets there and I make it over to the House of Stars, I am fit to be tied.
“Thank you,” I call out and jump out of the car and make my way to the front door.
Since it’s unlocked, I don’t bother knocking.
I just open it and head inside. I walk right to the basement door.
I need no guidance; I can hear and feel the music thumping from here.
I open the door to the basement and make my way down the stairs.
I reach the bottom step and round the corner and catch my breath.
“This is why I don’t come to this stupid house,” I mutter as I take in three shirtless guys working out.
But it’s not Quint or Reid that capture and hold my attention.
It’s the one over in the corner that I make a beeline for.
Reid and Quint both see me coming, and Quint grins like a Cheshire cat.
I don’t stop until I’m right behind the man who is pumping iron like he has something to prove.
I clear my throat, and he sets the weights down and turns.
“Oh, good grief. Why do I do this to myself?” The words spill out of my mouth as I take in the picture of masculine perfection in front of me.
He’s dripping with sweat, and that sweat is dripping over hard, firm, bronzed muscles.
His tattoos are all on display, and his short shorts are show-casing his powerful thighs and calves.
I remind myself that I should be sleeping right now, and that snaps me back to reality.
“You. With me.” I stride over to the stairs and wait for him.
“Busted,” Quint calls out in a sing-song voice.
I don’t watch Slater walk towards me; I need to focus on keeping a clear head right now. Taking him in as he is now will definitely not help me keep a clear head. Slater stops right in front of me. “Why are you here?” The words don’t sound accusatory; they sound worried.
I lift my eyes to meet his stormy gray ones. “I’m here to make sure you sleep. Now, let’s go. Shower first.”
“Wow, you’re already to the showering together stage? That was pretty fast,” Quint calls out.
“Hey, Quint,” I say patiently.
“Yes, Tessa?”
“Shut up.”
I hear his chuckle, and I motion Slater up the steps. He tugs his earbuds out of his ears, and motions me to go ahead of him. “Okay, but you’d better follow; or I’ll just come back down and drag you upstairs again.”
His lips tug up. “I’ll follow you.”
I head up the stairs and straight to his room and into his bathroom. I turn on the shower, and he follows me into the bathroom. “You are taking a shower.”
“Are you joining me?” he asks in a low voice.
I feel my face heat. “No. Definitely not. Don’t listen to Quint.”
“Don’t worry; I make that a life habit.”
“All right. Go. Sleep is calling my name, and you’re wasting time.” I put my hands on his stomach to give him a light shove towards the shower, but my hands hit his rock hard frame and just linger. I finally realize what I’m doing and drop them.
“Are you sure you don’t want to keep feeling me up?” he asks.
“Ugh, you are the worst. Hurry up.”
“I’ll be out in five.”
“Sure, you will,” I call out as I leave the bathroom.
Once I’m in his room, I pull back the blanket and sheet on his bed and get it all ready for him.
I grab the pink blanket and pillow and drop them off onto the floor for a makeshift bed for me.
Shockingly, I’ve only just finished when the bathroom door opens. I whirl around. “Did you even shower?”
“I told you I’d be fast.”
I shake my head and don’t respond partly because he has that stinkin’ towel wrapped around his middle again. “All right. Hurry up and get dressed; time’s wasting.”
“You’re sure impatient when you’re tired,” he says with a smirk. I give him a look I’ve perfected over the years. “Okay, I’ll get moving.” He disappears into his closet for a moment and then comes back out dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. “Better?”
I take in all of him—his dark, mostly shaved head, the bronzed skin, fit and toned athlete’s body, and those intense dark eyes, trained on me.
“Perfect,” I can’t help but say, but I don’t regret it.
His eyes meet mine. “Now,” I say before he can say something.
“My sole job here is to enforce that you get sleep. You have a game tonight.”
“I am aware,” he says in a low voice.
“Then why in the world are you doing weight-lifting on a game day? You know that’s a stupid idea.”
His eyes narrow. “It helps me relax.”
I arch a brow. “Weightlifting helps you relax?”
“It helps tire me out...when you’re not around,” he says with a small grin.
I gasp in mock outrage. “Are you telling me I tire you out?”
“Never.”
“Hmmm. Well, I don’t want the entire soccer team to hate me when they don’t have their Striker in good form for tonight’s game.”
“I’ll be fine,” he grumbles.
“Yes, you will be. That's what I’m here to do—make sure you sleep.”
He gives me a steady, intense look. “I’ll sleep if you sleep with me.” His words give me a visible reaction. He steps up to me and drops his hands on my hips. “Just you being nearby will help me be able to relax and hopefully sleep.”
“Okay then. That’s why I’m here. I’ll lay on the floor next to –”
He cuts me off. “I’m not sleeping on the bed while you sleep on the floor.”
“Well, you’re not sleeping on the floor; you have a game later,” I remind him.
“Fine. We’ll compromise. We’ll both sleep on the bed.”
I go still. “Slater.”
“Just to sleep, Tess. I promise.”
I eye the bed and then eye him. He really does need sleep, and I’m about to fall asleep just standing here. I finally nod. “Just to sleep.”
He nods, looking relieved. I sit on the edge of the bed, and he walks over and closes the bathroom door and the curtains. It’s soon mostly dark in the room. I can barely stifle a yawn. “I’ve got to warn you. There’s only one other male I’ve ever shared a bed with.”
It’s quiet a beat. “Is he still alive?”
“Is he still—what kind of a question is that? Of course, he’s still alive.”
“If you want him to stay that way, don’t tell me his name.”
I stare at him, flabbergasted. “I was teasing. It was my brother when I was like four! What in the world, Slater?” He shrugs as he walks around to the other side of the bed. “You can’t just shrug after saying something like that.”
He lays on his back on his side of the bed and turns his head to me. “You’ll find that’s just the way we are. Nobody touches our mates and lives to tell the tale. If you had any boyfriends before me, don’t tell me their names. And if you had sex—”
I reach over and throw my hand over his mouth. “Okay. First of all, no. No boyfriends, well, if you don’t count my elementary years.”
He pulls free of my hand. “Don’t tell me their names.”
“Oh, right, because you’re going to go after somebody that I liked when I was in like first grade.”
His eyes meet mine. “Exactly.”
I ignore him. “Second, I haven’t done any of that.” I stare down at him.
“Sex?” he asks. I nod, feeling my face heat. “Good.”
I shake my head, a wry smile on my face. I lay down on my back as well, keeping several inches between us. “I suppose you’re quite proficient at it.”
He props himself up on his elbow, so he’s looking down at me. “Never.”
I arch an eyebrow. “You expect me to believe that?”
“I was waiting for my mate. I was waiting for you.”