“Don’t think I’m unaware that he spent the night last week, too!” We both hear her hoot of laughter before she closes the door to her own room.
Covering my eyes with my hand, I sigh. “Aw, crap.”
He’s quiet for a moment, before asking, “Does it really matter if she knows that I’m here?”
My hand slowly lowers to my side as my eyes arrow to his. Silently I contemplate the question.
Does it matter if Lexie knows?
Probably not...
But… this is new and I’m not even sure if I can slap a proper label on it right now. I don’t know if I even want to. Maybe I just want to enjoy what’s happening between us and take it one day at a time. Not think too much about it. Which isn’t my usual style at all.
Just as I say, “I guess not,” he suddenly strips off his shirt.
And yeah… my mind goes a little- oh who am I kidding? It goes a lot fuzzy seeing his big beautiful bare chest come into view. I swear I go a little bit stupid every time I see him without a shirt on.
Not that I’m complaining...
Without waiting for an invitation, he climbs onto my bed before settling in. Kind of like he’s been there a hundred times before and it’s no big deal. Holding up the covers, he silently gestures for me to join him. He doesn’t even make me scoot in against the wall this time but backs up so there’s enough space for me to nestle in front of him. Not saying a word, I climb in next to him. As I do, he curls his massive body loosely around mine making me feel completely protected.
I can’t help the contented sigh that falls from my lips. How is it possible for this to feel so damn right when I don’t even know if anything is going to come out of this? I don’t have an answer. I just know it does.
“I’m glad you were with me tonight.” Rather lightly he kisses the side of my face and I can’t help but snuggle in deeper against him feeling utterly satisfied. As if this is exactly where I belong. Where I’ve always belonged.
“It was nice.” I think about Linc and his laser focus on all things Roan and football. “Linc sure is…” My voice trails off because I’m not sure what the right word to use is. I don’t want to offend him by sounding critical of someone who’s part of his family.
Without skipping a beat, he says, “Intense?”
I turn my head so I’m able to meet his eyes in the darkness. “Yeah. Intense. A lot more than your dad.”
He shrugs. “Linc played college football. So he knows exactly what I need to do to make it to the next level. My dad never played. I think that’s why Linc has really involved himself in the process. He researched all the colleges that were making offers and set me up with an agent.”
“Wow.”
Quickly he adds, “I appreciate everything he’s done for me. I wouldn’t be in such a good position without him.”
I can see how helpful that would be but still… It just seems like a lot of pressure to be heaping on a twenty-two year old.
His arms are wrapped around me, holding me close. His warm breath feathers against my skin. “Other than all the football talk, did you enjoy yourself?”
Closing my eyes, I revel in the feeling of him pressed up against me. “I did. They’re both nice. And I like how laid back your dad is. It seems like you two have a really close relationship.”
“We do. It took a while to get to that point but I can finally accept and appreciate that my dad isn’t like everybody else’s. And football is what Linc and I bonded over. Having that in common gave us something to talk about.”
Needing to see his face, I turn in his arms. My eyes hold his. “I’m glad you have people in your life who see you for the person you are,” I whisper before pressing my lips softly against his.
After a few more gentle caresses, Roan pulls away before tugging me against his chest. “I like being here with you, Ivy.” His lips flutter against my forehead. “I like it a lot.”
“Me, too,” I admit.
For a long time we just lay there, tangled up in each other’s arms, exploring one another with soft slow strokes. When we finally fall asleep, my head is nestled against the solid wall of his chest and I feel more happy than I can ever remember being.
Chapter Twenty-Five
There’s a huge game coming up this weekend and everyone is expecting Roan King to lead the team to another amazing victory! Tons of people are caravanning to UMass for the game. If you’re a true RK fan, you’re not going to want to miss this one! KingOfCampus.com
Shaking off the last remnants of sleep, I roll towards Roan who is still snoring soundly besides me. Sometime during the night, the sheet slid down so that it only covers the top of his low slung shorts. The edges of the thin tan cotton are crumpled across his lean hips. Much to my delight, there’s nothing but hot naked chest as far as the eye can see. To say that he’s merely gorgeous is a complete understatement.