by Unknown
She was quiet for a moment. He saw something working behind her eyes. "I guess I never thought of it that way." She raised one of her hands and ran it through his hair. He closed his eyes, savoring the feel of her fingers moving across his scalp. "I was looking at this from a me point of view, but if you feel for me the way I feel for you, you stand to lose just as much." She shook her head as if upset with herself. "I'm sorry, how small-minded of me, but in my defense, you are the sexy, star athlete, and I'm just a nobody social worker. I'm sure the list of women wanting to be with you is one hundred times larger than the list of men that would want to be with me."
"Not true," he scoffed at her reasoning. "If you were as famous as me, you'd have just as many men lining up at your door. You're sexy-as-fuck gorgeous, Angel, and I'm damn lucky you're mine."
She gave a slight nod. "I understand what you're saying, but I still can't promise I won't slip at times, feel insecure about us, and maybe even question your motives."
"Fair enough. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make you feel more comfortable." He leaned down and nuzzled his nose with hers. "I'm in this for the long haul, Angel, and I promise I won't give you any reason to doubt me."
He heard her sigh as she wrapped her arms around him. "Okay, no more doubts, but just remember, I gave you an out. Now you're stuck with me."
He chuckled, kissing her on the lips. He loved her lips, soft and sweet and so damn kissable. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather be stuck to."
She yawned. It was late, and she'd worked all day. She needed her sleep. He gave her one last kiss on her forehead. "Time for all good little girls to go to sleep." He rolled turning out the light, then gathered her back into his arms.
She lay, partly on his chest, her leg draped across his, and her arm hugging his middle. "I'm glad we talked. I feel better now."
"Good." He gave her a squeeze then kissed the top of her head. "Sleep, Angel." A few minutes later her breathing evened out, and he knew she slept. Only then did he close his own eyes to find sleep, too.
Chapter Sixteen
Jo pulled into the parking lot of the Pursuer's practice field not knowing that her new resolve from the night before was about to be sorely tested. Everyone was out on the field, warm-up exercises already started. She was late, due to a last-minute phone call at the office before heading out.
They'd had their first disagreement as a couple that morning. It happened in the kitchen while eating breakfast (well the boys were eating, Jo was sipping coffee). Jo tactfully (she thought) brought up the subject that they needed to keep things professional at the field. She didn't want the directors nor her kids to know they were an item. She took her job seriously and wanted others to take her seriously, as well, and feared if it got out she was dating Mase, it would compromise her credibility.
Mase saw the situation a little differently and wasn't opposed to voicing his opinions. Jo forcefully countered her opinions back. Sadly, it took a five-year-old, covering his ears and shouting, "It's too loud," for them to stop. It ended with Mase grudgingly conceding to Jo's opinions and her smirking into her coffee cup.
Thankfully, she didn't have to worry about Kyle letting the (relationship) cat out of the bag. Mase had taken him to Gage and Cassie's for the morning to play with Logan, fearing he would find football camp a little boring for someone so young. She didn't want Kyle to slip and say something inappropriate. Not that he knew much, but Mase was a touchy-feely kind of guy and hadn't hesitated to touch her in front of Kyle the last few days.
Jo reluctantly got out of the air-conditioned car and beeped the locks before sliding the fob in the back pocket of her jeans. She started the trek across the field, her eyes finding and locking onto Mase like a beacon. He stood on the sidelines, arms folded across his chest, feet planted wide, watching the kids as they did their stretching exercises.
His eyes were shaded by a pair of dark sunglasses, but she knew the exact moment he noticed her by the tingle she felt tickle down her spine. He was too far away for her to read his expression, but knew he tracked her movements from the slight tilting of his head.
She sat on the bench behind Mase, thankful for the jeans that covered her thighs as the sun beat its rays from above and the bench permeated heat from below. She felt a bead of sweat slide between her breasts and knew she would be miserable for the next two hours.
True to his word, Mase didn't approach her after she sat and didn't acknowledge her in any way other than a slight chin lift as she passed by. She was so accustomed to Mase's attention, she missed it acutely now that it was gone and it left her feeling a bit dejected. She quickly admonished herself, keeping their relationship a secret was her bright idea, and she would just have to bear the consequences.
Mase blew his whistle. "Take five, everyone."
The kids scattered, making their way to the water coolers. Jo was about to get up and head there herself when she saw a women approach Mase, causing her to freeze her actions. She was a petite, perky, gorgeous blonde and had cheerleader written all over her. Her outfit of a navy tank with the Pursuers logo and silver short-shorts added with the whistle around her neck helped to confirm that theory.
They were too far away for her to hear what was said, but Miss Cheerleader was throwing off the universal come take me, I'm yours body language signs, playing with the end of her ponytail, puffing up her chest, and popping out a hip, causing Jo's barely below the surface insecurity traits to rear their ugly head. She took a deep breath, taking solace in the fact that it didn't look as if Mase had any interest in the woman. His posture remained the same, aloof and rigid. She only wished she had a view of his face to feel certain.
After three, long, agonizing minutes, he seemed to end the discussion. Miss Perky placed her hand on Mase's arm with a familiarity that didn't escape Jo's notice, and while Jo ground her teeth in annoyance, Mase took a large step back, dislodging her hand, blew his whistle, and shouted to the kids to form their groups. He said one last thing to her, gave her a curt nod, then headed onto the field.
With Mase's nonchalant disregard of the situation, Jo would have chalked the incident up as her overactive imagination making a mountain out of a molehill, forced her jealousies back under the surface, and try to forget the whole thing, but for the fact of one thing. The look of longing and determination on Miss Perky's face as she watched Mase walk away.
Jo stood by her car, waving to her kids as they departed on the bus. Sensing movement, she turned her head to see Mase walking toward her. He stopped next to her, leaning his butt against the fender. They watched in silence as the bus drove away, disappearing as it took a right out of the parking lot.
"You want to tell me what's bothering you?"
His words were spoken quietly and without a hint of anger, but when she turned to look at him, she knew he was upset. Even though she couldn't see his eyes through the dark shades he wore, his jaw was tense, and that gave her a clear indication he was not happy.
"Why do you think something's bothering me?"
She heard him sigh and stand from the car. He took the step that separated them, looked down at her, and cupped her face. "We may not have known each other a long time, but I can tell when something is bothering you. Now, we talked about this last night. We need to keep communication flowing between us. I'm not a mind reader and can't fix what's bothering you unless you share."
His hold on her was soft with his fingers lightly brushing her cheeks, but his words were hard and clipped. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. He was right. She was making a muck of things, and she wasn't even trying. Even she was getting sick of her insecurities. She needed to learn, and damn fast, how to get over her shit. "You're right. We need to talk. Something is worrying me, and I can't seem to get it out of my head." She took another deep breath before exclaiming, "God, I'm such a pain in the ass. I don't know why you even bother."
"I bother," he said, leaning his head down to kiss her lightly on the forehead, "because I love you."
Jo snorted. She wasn't exactly sure what there was to love about her at the moment but refused to share those thoughts, fearing she'd sound as if she were fishing for compliments. She was feeling sorry for herself, and she knew that had everything to do with Little Miss Perky. Mase was right, she needed to talk to him and share her fears. It made her feel better last night, and she was totally down with feeling better right now.
"I need you to tell me something. It's important for my own peace of mind."
"I'll tell you anything you want to know."
Gosh, where to start? She knew exactly how she was feeling, she just wasn't sure if she could articulate it correctly. "I saw you talking with one of your cheerleaders, and she seemed rather... um... friendly." She saw Mase open his mouth to speak, but she held up a hand, stopping him. "Wait, it's not what you're thinking. Let me finish before you talk." At his nod, she continued. "I don't object to you talking to women. I don't want you to think I'm a psycho-jealous girlfriend. I'm not that insecure in our relationship. But I am uncomfortable with the idea of interacting with women you may have slept with in the past, and I'm sure cheerleaders fall into that category. It's one thing knowing about them, but another having to mingle."
He waited a few beats, and when she didn't say anything further, he said, "Don't shit where I eat, Angel."
"What?"
"I don't sleep with cheerleaders. Never have, never will. I've seen some of the guys hook up with them and it never ends well. There's always that awkwardness or resentment, especially if it was a one-time fuck, and I never wanted that hassle. I've never met anyone I've wanted to be in a relationship with before you so any involvement would have ended just like that."
She was happy when he removed his glasses, so she could see his eyes. He tucked the stem into the collar of his shirt then placed his hand on the back of her neck. "I take football very seriously. It's not just a game for me, but my life and the Pursuers, my bread and butter, so I take my team just as seriously. So in order not to screw that up, like I said, I don't shit where I eat.
"I can't promise we'll never run into someone from my past. I haven't slept with a groupie in years, but I have, back when I was younger and not as smart. I'm not proud of that and right now, if I could go back and change my old self, I would. Back then, I didn't know you were my future."
Jo placed her fingers over his lips to prevent him from speaking further. "I don't begrudge you your past. We all have one. I just didn't want to converse with yours. It's good to know I won't have to. That's all I need to know."
He wrapped his arms around her and drew her in close. She rested her head against his chest and felt him rest his head on hers. The steady beat of his heart pounded in her ear, and his unique scent drifted through her nose.
She heard him chuckle. "Are you sniffing me again?"
She smiled at having been caught, yet again. "I love the way you smell."
He kissed the top of her head. "I love you."
Jo popped her head out of the water and looked around wildly for Mase. She'd swum the width of the pool and back with no cheating and not one dog paddle in sight. He stood by the steps, his arms crossed, with a big smile on his face.
She gave him an equally big smile in return. "Did you see that?" It was a dumb question. Of course, he saw, but she was so darn excited.
"I did." His face lost its smile. "Come here."
A tingling formed at the base of her neck from his gravelly order and goose bumps sprouted down her arms. She pushed off the bottom of the pool with her foot and drifted across the water, stopping before him.
*
Mase tracked Jo as she glided across the water. She couldn't get to him fast enough. He reached out and took her hand, pressing it firmly against his rock-hard cock. "This is what your smile does to me." Her fingers wrapped around him as much as the fabric of his shorts would allow, and he nearly groaned at the pleasure. "Turn around."
She didn't hesitate to obey. God, he loved that. He fisted the length of her hair and placed it over her shoulder, exposing the long line of her back and the thin strings of her bathing suit top. He tugged, first the bow at her neck, then the bow at her back and watched her top fall into the water.
"What if Kyle comes out here?" She asked, but made no move to put her top back on.
"Checked on him before we came down. He's dead to the world."
He ran a finger down her spine, feeling her slight tremor before wrapping his arms around her and cupping her breasts, their fullness overflowing his hands. He gave them a squeeze and felt the hardened points of her nipples press into his palms as he pulled her back, flush against his front. "Lift your arms and wrap them around my neck. Don't move them until I tell you."
She raised her arms, tangling her fingers at the back of his head. The new position thrust her tits further into his palms, and he couldn't help but give them another squeeze.
He planted his lips on the bare side of her neck, nibbling the skin just below her ear, before tracing a gentle path to her shoulder with his tongue as his finger traced a path down her stomach to the edge of her bikini bottoms. He swiped his finger back and forth along its edge until he felt her squirm, pushing her ass into the swell of his dick.
He smiled against her shoulder and teased her further, dipping his finger under the waistband and playing with the sensitive skin of her lower abdomen. "Mase," she moaned, digging her fingers into his scalp.
"Yes, Angel?" He murmured, against her shoulder before nipping the smooth skin with his teeth.
He let his finger travel lower and chuckled when she raised herself on her tiptoes, trying to position his finger where she wanted it most. "You're evil," she groaned, dropping her head to his shoulder and arching her body, desperately trying to make contact with his finger.
His eyes raked down the front of her body. So fucking sexy. He growled, dislodged his hand from her bikini bottoms, caught her under the knees, and swept her into his arms.
She made a startled shriek as she repositioned her arms around his neck. He took the stairs two at a time out of the pool and made his way to the closest lounger, depositing her on her back. Kissing her, he took her bottom lip in his mouth and traced it with his tongue before straightening and walking to the foot of the lounger.
He stared down at her a moment, taking in the view. Her face had a dreamy expression, eyes at half mast, and her lips slightly parted and glistening in the moonlight. His eyes raked over the swells of her breasts with their rosy peaks puckered and begging for his mouth, to the smooth line of her stomach, and soft swells of her hips. She had sexy fucking legs. Not overly long but perfectly formed and he'd had many fantasies of them wrapped around his waist. Grabbing her ankles, he placed her feet on the ground on either side of the chaise, leaving her wide open to his view.
His eyes traveled back to the two little bows at her hips, holding together her skimpy-as-fuck bikini bottoms. He gave them a wicked grin as he knelt on the ground, draping his torso along the foot of the lounger between her legs.
Starting at her right knee, he nibbled his way up her inner thigh, stopping to suck in the skin at its crease before moving up to her hip and that enticing little bow. Catching the end of the string with his tongue, he held it between his teeth and gave it a tug.
Hearing her breathing increase, he looked up and gave her a slow, sexy grin. "I'm going to lick and suck every inch of your pussy, inside and out until you're begging me to fuck you."
"Oh, God," he heard her whisper and that made him smile, too, before he set about making his words a reality.
*
He tugged at the second bow and Jo felt his warm breath hit her as he ripped the fabric away. Her stomach tightened and her hands gripped the edges of the lounger as he slowly licked through her folds. He sucked and nibbled on her outer lips, driving her insane as she squirmed and writhed against his mouth. Needing some relief, she raised her hips, silently begging him for more and moaned when she felt his tongue land on her cl
it. He slowly twirled it with his tongue as he entered her with his fingers, magically finding and rubbing at just the right spot.
Her breaths came in pants, and she whispered Mase's name. He looked up, his eyes capturing hers, his expression intense, penetrating her soul.
"Beg me to fuck you now, Angel."
Oh, God. Why was that so hot? She felt herself grow wetter, and Mase growled low in his throat obviously feeling what his words did to her. "P...Please," she stuttered, almost incoherently.
"Please what, Angel?" He removed his fingers, and she wanted to scream. She was so close.
He stood to remove his shorts. He looked like a Greek god, standing before her in the moonlight with its glow playing across the well-defined slopes of his muscles. His cock stood at attention, long, thick, and proud. She'd never seen anything more beautiful.
She trailed her fingers lightly up her stomach, catching Mase's eye. "Please," she whispered, as her fingers traced along the swell of her breast. His eyes were locked on her fingers as he took himself in his hand. Jo licked her lips and stared fascinated as his eyes darkened when she lightly scraped the tip of her hardened nipple with her fingernail. "Please fuck me."
She didn't need to ask twice. He was on her in a flash. His mouth latching onto her nipple, sucking it in deep. She arched into his mouth, her legs automatically wrapping around his waist. His mouth left her breast to claim her lips, kissing her long and deep.
He cradled her face in his hands. "I changed my mind. I don't want to fuck you."
"What?" She asked, trying to make sense of his words. Surely, she didn't hear him correctly.
"I don't want to fuck you. I want to make love to you." His expression was still intense, but his eyes held a tenderness she'd never seen before.
She felt him slowly enter her as his fingers, just as slowly, scraped along her scalp to entangle themselves in her hair. He whispered words of love in her ear, telling her how beautiful she was and how much he loved her as he slowly slid in and out.
