He pulled her down on the floor and wrapped his arms around her as they sat with their backs leaning against his bed. Brittany thought this was an interesting compromise. She didn’t expect to go to bed with him, but the proximity of the bed and being in his arms gave this moment an intimacy she hadn’t expected, even more so because she was wearing his bathrobe with nothing on underneath.
Kissing the top of her head, he said, “The salon you work at isn’t what I expected.”
Brittany’s stomach turned and she pulled out of his embrace. She had completely forgotten her white lie about the salon and her job there. Suddenly she feared he thought less of her, both for not being what she said she was, and for lying about it.
He slowly shook his head from side to side as he looked back at her. “It’s okay, angel. I don’t care what you do. Don’t you know that?”
Tears sprang to Brittany’s eyes, but she didn’t respond. She was too choked up.
“None of that matters.” He ran his hand through her damp hair, pushing it away from her face. “What matters is who you are, Brit, not what you are. But honesty is important too, and I want you to know you can be honest with me.”
Looking downward, she fought back tears. “I feel awful for lying to you of all people. I guess I didn’t want you to know I’m just the girl who sweeps the floor, does the laundry, washes hair, and sanitizes the combs.”
“Why not? It’s good honest work, work that’s important to the operation of a salon.”
Looking up again, she said, “I don’t want you to think less of me.”
“Maybe I’d think more of you.”
“I don’t know about that,” she uttered weakly. “But I’m sorry I lied to you. At the time, it seemed like it was just a little white lie that wasn’t hurting anyone.”
“Except you.”
Brittany nodded her understanding.
Matthew reached for his phone on the nightstand. “Want to order a pizza?” When Brittany smiled, he pressed the power key on his phone.
Brittany craned her neck and snatched the phone out of his hand. “Ooh. Is this you and your parents?”
“Yup. That picture was taken at my high school graduation.”
Brittany laughed as she scrolled through his pictures. “Look at you with that short haircut.” She reached up and ruffled his hair. “You look so young in this picture.”
“Two years makes a big difference sometimes.”
Turning her attention back to his photos app, she scrolled to the next picture. It was a pretty, brown-eyed, brown-haired girl who looked to be fifteen or sixteen. “Who’s this?” He surprised her by grabbing the phone out of her hand. “What’s the matter? Who is she?”
“Um. High school girlfriend,” he mumbled.
“Aw. You had a high school sweetheart.”
His thumb hovered over the little x in the corner of the photo. “I’ve been meaning to delete this picture.” He clicked the delete key.
Noting his serious expression, she said, “Um. I’m sorry, Matthew. I didn’t mean to bring up a sore subject. What happened?”
He scratched his temple and stared at the blank phone screen. “I really don’t want to talk about my old girlfriend with my new girlfriend, not yet anyway.” Setting the phone on the floor, he lifted his head to look at her and ran his knuckles along her cheek. “I’ll tell you, I promise, just not now. Right now, I just want to enjoy your company.”
She sighed and marveled at how beautiful he was, inside and out. He didn’t want to talk about his old girlfriend with his new girlfriend. Wow. She’d been raised to girlfriend status without hardly trying. Just when she thought today couldn’t possibly get any better, it did.
He leaned closer until his lips met hers. Folding his arms around her, he pulled her to his chest. She ran her hands through his still-damp hair as he deepened the kiss. She played with his ear and he rolled his leg on top of hers. She felt his hand slip through the opening in her robe and slide over her breast, massaging it gently under in the palm of his hand. When she moaned involuntarily, he pulled away. She looked into his eyes, not sure what to say.
His face was red and he blew some air between his lips. “Sorry, I got carried away.”
“You don’t need to be sorry, and you don’t need to stop.” She stroked his arm and focused on his biceps. For the first time in her life, she liked being touched. His fingers were warm and gentle on her skin and from that brief encounter, she could tell he had feelings for her. Being with him wouldn’t be just sex, it would be making love. “I mean, not unless you think you should, but,” she said, looking back into his eyes, “I was enjoying it, so don’t stop on my account.” Even though it sounded like she was joking, she couldn’t have been more serious.
He smiled the sexiest smile ever and quickly captured her lips again. The kiss instantly caught fire and before she knew it, he pulled away. When she looked at him with a mixture of confusion and hurt, he said, “It’s not that I want to stop. I really don’t, but I have to.”
Brittany felt herself blush. She clutched the lapels of her robe, not sure what to say or do. He lifted her chin. “You’re so amazing and I want you so bad, but I can’t break my vow no matter how much I want you. You understand, right?” Brittany smiled and shrugged slightly. Even when he was rejecting her, he was so sweet and sexy. “I guess this is what I meant when I said we’d have to play it by ear. Are you okay with that?”
“Oh yeah,” she answered instantly. When Matthew laughed, she pulled him into a slow kiss. She let her wrists dangle behind his neck. “I’m very okay with it,” she murmured against his lips. Leaning away, she stared at his mouth. “You’re an incredible kisser.”
Laughing, he said, “As are you. I could kiss you all day if I didn’t think I’d hurt myself. You know, I thought being around you was tough before.” He stroked her cheek with his knuckle. “It’s gonna be a whole lot harder now.” He gave her a quick kiss. She smiled as she watched him get up off the floor. He grabbed his phone as he got up. “Want a drink?”
“Uh. Alcoholic or non?” She fanned herself when he turned his back, wondering how he could turn himself off so quickly while she was still recovering.
“Non. Water? Energy drink? Tomato juice?”
“Oh. Okay. Water, then.”
“How about I order that pizza now?”
“Okay.” As soon as he mentioned pizza, her stomach growled. She wasn’t even aware she was hungry until that minute. When she got up, she adjusted the bathrobe and cinched the sash. She joined Matthew in the kitchenette area and watched him texting a pizza order on his cell phone. “How do you do it?”
He set his phone on the kitchen counter. “Do what?”
“Turn your emotions off so fast.”
“I don’t turn my emotions off, Brittany,” he said, sounding a little testy.
Trying to lighten his mood, she pointed at him. “I guess not. Your face is still red.”
“So is yours,” he said with a brief touch of her chin. “See? That’s what I’m saying. I’m a normal guy, no matter what people think.” Brittany looked down and pressed her lips together. Reaching for her hand, he said, “I can’t turn it off the way you think. I just try to channel my emotions, recite Bible verses in my head, imagine what it was like in the olden days when people dated without automatically jumping into bed.” Smiling at her, he stepped closer and took her in his arms. “I know not every girl wants to be with a guy like me. I just hope you’re not one of those girls.”
She tilted her head back and looked up into his eyes, astounded by the idea there could be anyone who wouldn’t want to be with this man. “Who you are is more important to me than what you are,” she said sincerely, echoing the words he said to her earlier. Holding the back of his neck, she pulled him closer, kissing him hard, hoping the kiss would tell him what mere words couldn’t say.
He took her face in his hands. “You’re making me feel things I haven’t felt in years.”
She’d been thinking the ex
act same thing. “I hope that’s a good thing.”
“Oh yeah.” He kissed her again as his phone buzzed. He picked it up and looked at the display. “Pizza’s here already. I’ll go down and get it. Be right back.”
»»•««
They sat on the floor, eating their pizza. Matthew seemed surprised that Brittany actually ate two pieces. “Last time we had pizza together you hardly ate any.”
“I was depressed that day.” She’d just seen Philip Mason, her former heartthrob, for the first time in months and found out he was engaged to be married. “I’m not depressed anymore,” she said with a squeeze of Matthew’s hand.
He brought her hand to his lips and kissed it. “That’s good to know.”
“Your parents look like nice people from their picture. You guys close?”
Matthew nodded. “Yeah. It was a hard decision for me to move so far away from them. But in spite of everything, I think it’s been a good move.”
“It’s been good for me too,” she said as she smiled. “Your folks raised a special guy.”
He looked down at his lap. “You shouldn’t put me on a pedestal, Brit. I’m not a saint.”
“I should hope not. Saints are no fun.” Cocking her head, she asked, “Do you go to church every week?”
“Yeah. Church was a big part of my life growing up. Both my parents were active in our church and so were me and my younger brother.”
“Do you go to the church here on campus?”
“Yup. Went this morning. And when I got back, like a miracle from heaven, I found an angel at my door.” He pointed to a spot on the wall across from the bed where he’d hung the shell angel on a nail. Brittany smiled and bit her lip. He turned his attention back to her. “That was the best surprise maybe ever.” He looked at her for a long minute before adding, “Just like you.”
Brittany sighed. If it were socially acceptable to swoon, she’d have done that too. She wanted to blurt out she loved him, but this moment felt so special, too consequential to be interrupted by words. The best she could do was to blink back tears and place her hand on his cheek. This man sitting beside her knew just about everything there was to know about her at this point, and he cared about her in spite of it all. Suddenly, she realized she didn’t know a whole lot about him, except he was exceedingly private. He never told her why he took the vow because he didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t tell her what happened with his high school girlfriend because he didn’t want to talk about it. What was he hiding? What was he so afraid of? She dropped her hand into her lap.
He must have noticed her expression change. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s just…it’s starting to get late.” She bit her lip. “I think I should go.”
“Because?”
“Um.” She twirled a strand of her hair. “You probably have things to do tonight. I mean, what would you be doing if I wasn’t here?”
“It’s Sunday night. I’d be watching a game.”
“See. You do have things to do.”
“Well, we could watch together,” he suggested, “but to be honest, I’d rather just concentrate on you.”
He held her gaze for a long moment, and she felt that gaze down to her toes. “Are you sure?” she asked weakly, not even sure why she was hesitating. It was almost a role reversal after she’d been the aggressor for so long. She wasn’t quite sure how to handle it. “Because, um, you probably have early classes in the morning. I know I do. That’s why I’ve always hated Sunday nights. My least favorite night of all. It means the weekend’s over and—” He cut her off with a kiss.
“Stay,” he whispered, resting his forehead on hers.
She closed her eyes and felt him take her hands. A warmth washed over her. Just go with it, Brittany. “I guess I can stay a little longer.”
He slowly rubbed his nose against hers. “I meant all night.”
Brittany’s eyes snapped open and she leaned away to look at Matthew. He’d just stunned her. She wasn’t prepared for that and didn’t know what he meant or what to expect. If it wasn’t for that darned vow, she’d know. His intentions would be clear. Still, the idea of spending the night with Matthew—whatever that meant—was too appealing to turn down. “Okay,” she said, with a little less enthusiasm than she really felt.
She wanted to brush her teeth first, so he gave her a fresh toothbrush. She brought her phone with her into the bathroom and texted Jamie. “@ Matthew’s. Won’t b hom 2nite c u tmw.”
She took a look in the mirror. Her hair was all over the place. She smoothed it down with her hands, but it was still a frizzy blonde mess. She wasn’t used to letting it air-dry. She hadn’t even run a comb through it like she normally would after washing it. Oh well. Matthew had seen her au naturel before and it hadn’t turned him off. If anything, it seemed to turn him on. She smiled slyly when she remembered how his hands felt exploring her body. It was like nothing she’d ever experienced before.
When she came out of the bathroom, she wasn’t quite sure what to do. What would the sleeping arrangements be, she wondered. Then she saw Matthew. He was still wearing his sweat pants, but he was shirtless again and he was fluffing the pillows and adjusting the covers on his bed.
He turned around to face her and a wide smile spread over his face. “Ready?”
“Yes.” She glanced at the bed and then back at Matthew. “You’re, um, not gonna sleep on the floor, are you?”
Smiling, he shook his head from side to side. “And give up the chance to hold you in my arms all night long? Not a chance.” Her breath caught hearing those words. He wanted the same thing she wanted.
He gestured toward the bed, silently inviting her to get in. Brittany bit her lip and climbed into bed. He switched off the light and slid in next to her, pulling the light sheet cover over the two of them. When the day began, she never imagined that this would be where she’d end up tonight. They weren’t even speaking to each other this morning and she’d thought there was a good chance they were over. What a difference twelve hours made.
Lying on her back, she looked up at him. He leaned closer and kissed her lips softly as she held the back of his neck. Even in the darkness, there was enough light filtering through the window to see his eyes glowing. She thought he looked like he wanted to tell her something, but she didn’t wait to find out what. She pulled him closer and kissed him again, parting her lips to invite him in. He instantly deepened the kiss as he raked his fingers through her hair.
She fantasized that he unknotted the sash of her robe. He spread the robe open and studied her body. She began breathing harder in anticipation. He laid his palm on her stomach and inched up toward her breast. He trapped her nipple between his index and middle finger and wiggled it, watching it grow taller. He leaned over and flicked his tongue over the tip of her nipple. Mmm. “Yes,” she whispered when he gave her other breast the same treatment. “Mmmm,” she moaned softly, letting him know she approved of his moves. He lifted his eyes and lunged for her mouth, kissing her deeply.
Her fantasy ended when he broke the kiss and quietly told her, “Roll over,” gently pushing her away from him. So she rolled toward the wall and he wrapped his arms around her from behind. Slipping one arm under her, he pressed his body against hers and applied kisses along on the back and side of her neck. His warm, wet lips sent shivers through her body.
She stroked his arm and took his hand, bringing it to her lips and kissing his fingers. He brushed her cheek with the back of his fingers and whispered, “Good night, Brittany.”
They fell asleep spooning and when she woke up the next morning, she was stunned that Matthew’s side of the bed was empty. She sat up quickly. “Matthew?”
He came out of the bathroom wearing a towel and a smile. “Hey, you’re up.” He sat down on the bed and brushed her hair behind her ear with his fingertips. “I was going to wake you before I left.”
“Left? Where are you going?”
“I have class too. I wasn’t
sure what time you needed to be up, so I let you sleep a little longer.”
She closed her eyes and smiled, enjoying the feel of Matthew’s fingers in her hair. “Time please.”
“It’s seven forty-five.”
“Day please.”
Laughing, he said, “You’re kidding, right?”
She opened her eyes and stroked his smooth cheek. He must have just shaved. “Oh darn. I was looking forward to see you all scruffy.”
“Next time,” he said, capturing her hand against his cheek and kissing the inside of her palm. “Do you really not know what day it is?”
Threading their fingers together, she stared at his beautiful face. “I lose track of time when I’m with you, but yes. I know it’s Monday. My first class is at nine.”
“Want to get together later? I have practice this afternoon, but we should be done by four.”
“I have practice too, so I guess I’ll see you on the field.”
“And after?”
Smiling, she said, “Definitely after.”
He released her hand and gripped the back of her neck. He pulled her closer and slowly kissed her lips. The sun was barely up and it was already the best day of her life. “See you later, angel.”
Chapter Eighteen
As soon as Brittany entered her dorm room, she called out, “Jamie, Jamie, you here?”
She started toward her roommate’s bedroom when Jamie sleepily padded into the suite’s living room, still wearing a tank top and pajama bottoms. “I’m here. I’m here.”
Jamie may have been half asleep, but Brittany was uncharacteristically wide awake. Her heart was pounding and she was running on adrenaline. She grasped her friend’s hands. “I’m in love!”
Her roommate blinked sleepily. “For real?”
“Yes! This time it’s for real. And he’s real this time,” Brittany gushed. “It’s not just a crush on some guy who doesn’t like me back.”
“Oh my God. Matt! I forgot you texted me you were spending the night with him. Tell me! Did you—”
“No. He doesn’t, um—” She was having a hard time explaining what happened. Jamie plopped on the sofa and tugged Brittany’s hand. Brittany looked over at the stove clock in the kitchen as she took a seat on the couch. “What time is it? I have to shower and flat-iron my hair.”
Pass Protection (Quarterback Sneak Book 3) Page 11
