friends I pass until I come to a stop for a second time. I almost don’t notice the sleekness of the black wooden pool table—a match to the bar—with smoke gray felt or the modern geometric glass ball lights above it. No, my focus is consumed by the one person who has seemed to master the fantasy-inducing bad boy lean—my boyfriend.
My eyes bounce as I try to take in every detail at once: the slash of his ever-present black backward hat across his forehead, the sparkle of mischief in his seafoam green irises, the spot on his cheeks where those maddening dimples have popped out thanks to his devilish smirk.
My heart pounds and my breathing grows labored as my body goes molten at the dirty promises he’s projecting.
As if my panties weren’t already ruined from what was happening above the neck, what’s happening below it would clinch the deal.
A black Hawks Athletics t-shirt strains around his biceps, the red and white writing only highlighting the breadth of the chest it’s stretched across and the sinew of the forearms crossed under it.
His feet release from where they were hooked at the ankles, his stance widening as he reaches for the collar of my puffy coat to reel me into his body, my feet stepping between his in the space between his spread legs before his lips fall to cover mine.
Our height difference isn’t as drastic as it normally is with him leaning, but I still press up onto my toes and wind my arms around his thick neck. I’m not sure if he meant for the kiss to be brief, but as soon as I feel the scratch of his stubble on my lips, I can’t help but deepen our connection. When his hands shift to tangle themselves in my hair with a tug, angling my head better, his tongue stroking mine with a sigh, I know he approves.
It isn’t until the catcalls start that we finally break apart. Nimble fingers tug down my zipper as Mase helps me out of my coat, spinning me to face out to the room, my back pressed to his front, my ass cradled against his groin.
“Nice shirt, Short Stack.” Trav points to the stretchy long-sleeved Bad to the Bow tee I have on.
I clasp my hands in front of me, holding them near my heart, my knees bending dramatically. “So glad you approve, QB1. What ever would I have done if you didn’t?”
“Brat.” He flips me the bird and I blow him a kiss with a “You love me.”
“God.” Tessa facepalms with an exaggerated flourish. “You two sound just like you do when you’re with E.”
The beaming smile that overtakes Trav’s face speaks for itself. With one comment from Tessa, he has cemented his big brother status forever.
“How was it being back at work?” Mase buries his nose in my neck, placing kisses along the tattoo inked behind my ear.
“Amazing.” I struggle to get the word out as he lets his teeth scrape against the tendon connecting my neck and shoulder. “Who won the game?”
G scoffs, and when I look over at him, he’s miming being stabbed in the heart. “I see dating a football player has you doubting the skill of the stars of the school, Smalls.”
Mase chuckles against my skin, his amusement at the accusation clear. True, I only had a passing interest in basketball until I became friends with G. Now that I have a personal connection to the game, I no longer only watch pieces of the March Madness tournament; now I’m a total basketball junkie. My lack of knowing the outcome of the game the U of J played this afternoon doesn’t have anything to do with football being my first love.
In a room full of football players, G’s comment sets off endless ribbing and trash talk, which sets the tone for the rest of the evening.
G regales us with an animated retelling of how the Hawks beat the Michigan State Spartans by one with a three-pointer at the buzzer thanks to his truly.
CK wipes the floor—or more accurately, the pool felt—with anyone who challenges him to a game.
T and the twins debate with Em and Q about the chances of the Red and White Squads winning at nationals next month, occasionally pulling me in for what my thoughts are about the University of Kentucky Blue Squad’s routine for the season.
I do my best to relax and enjoy the day off from studying before getting back to the grind