was the perfect plan for me as it allowed for downtime and gave Em and Q time to join us too.
I debated changing, not at all sure what type of party we would be walking into, but when Mase showed up wearing the I got this shirt from someone who thinks I’m pretty AMAZING shirt I gave him for Christmas, I knew there would be no update to my wardrobe.
A wave of doubt hits me when we step inside the already lavish penthouse suite, entering a party that seems more fitting for a cocktail hour at a wedding than a low-key football game celebration.
I lose count of the number of buffet tables draped in fine white linens set up around the room; the amount of food on display couldn’t possibly be consumed in one evening.
Two bartenders dressed in white Oxford shirts and black vests man the large oak bar that is a feature of the suite, and as we make our way around, saying hello to people I mostly don’t recognize, I think I see a carving station set up in one of the corners.
Not long after we’ve arrived, Brantley commandeers Mase, pulling him into a conversation with another group of men whose identities are completely unknown to me. I opt to remain in the wingback chair we were sharing prior to his stepdad’s interruption.
The only saving grace—okay, not only because the food is bomb—is that all the televisions scattered throughout the suite are tuned to the Orange Bowl. The winner of this game will be playing the Hawks in the national championship in two and a half weeks.
Unlike our game earlier, the battle between Alabama and Oklahoma is much closer.
“This brisket may be the tits,” Trav mumbles around said brisket in his mouth as he squeezes his butt onto the armrest of my chair, “but I much prefer a post-game brew in the bar.”
“Truth,” Noah and Alex agree.
Periodically, I glance over to check on Mase, and any time I do, he’s already looking my way. The tension at his jaw tells me how much he’s not enjoying himself, and I hate that for him. This should be his night, not Brantley’s and whatever agenda he’s pushing.
The one bright side to attending this shindig is the twins seem to be the happiest I’ve seen them these last few days, with T and Savvy rounding out their happy foursome. Grace even commented about the change in her younger children when she and Nana joined our crew, taking a break from the festivities in the other room.
“Wanna get out of here?” Mase leans down to whisper in my ear when he returns. Everything from his hot breath to the soft brush of his lips as he does has all my girl parts shaking their nonexistent spirit fingers.
“More than anything.”
My hand is clasped in his and I have to double-time it to keep up with his long-legged strides as he serpentines through the partygoers, doing his best not to get stopped by the numerous people still vying for his attention.
By the time we make it out the door and into the elevator, I’m breathless. “Where are we going?” I ask, sucking in air.
Mase moves, the cool wall of the elevator jolting me as he cages me against it. In my peripheral, his forearms ripple as his hands spread out on either side of my head. He’s so manly it's overwhelming at times.
“My room.” He nips at the tendon running down the side of my neck. Whatever breath I was able to find hitches at the bite left from his teeth.
“Wh-what about Trav?”
The elevator dings, announcing our arrival on his floor, the doors sliding open before he can answer. Instead, my hand disappears in his and once again I’m being tugged, my feet tripping over themselves to keep up.
I couldn’t tell you if any of Mase’s teammates are around; the entire hallway is a blur then I’m inside the room Mase shares with Trav, lifted off my feet and pressed against the now closed door with my shirt off before I have any time to process what’s happening.
“I told him to sleep in your suite tonight.” The words rumble through my bloodstream as Mase speaks against my skin. Like he did with my shirt, he David-Copperfields my bra, making it disappear in a blink.
“He agreed to that?” I wonder if he knows he has to sleep on the couch.
Mase trails a path of kisses down the length of my neck and I moan, my