Page 75 of Blitz

She chews the inside of her cheek. “You’re important to me, too.”

“I said we should keep our clothes on, and I meant it,” I tell her gently. I brush a strand of hair out of her face. “Sex complicates things. We need to be on the same page for this to work.”

She swallows thickly. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s nothing to apologize for.”

“I’m ruining this. I’m making you wait—”

“That’s what you’re not getting, sunshine. You’re worth waiting for.”

She sniffs. “Will you...”

“What?”

“Will you hold me?”

I sigh. “Of course, baby.” I collapse beside her on the bed and pull her into my arms. She rests her head on my chest and curls into me.

“I want to get my head on straight,” she says quietly. “I’m trying.”

“I know you are. I’m not pushing you. You’ll be ready in your own time.”

“I really do want to suck your cock. I like having you in my mouth.”

My traitorous cock twitches against her, and I know she can feel it. “I like that, too. Maybe another time.”

She swallows. “Will you stay with me?”

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

Chapter thirty-one

Mason

Micah looks disgustingly good for having flown on a plane and taken two bus rides to get to me.

“Come here, sunshine,” my brother says, before he wraps me in a hug.

I haven’t seen him since last August, when he and my dad helped me move into Athlete’s Village. He spent his winter break on campus, preparing for his bowl game, and then I had a cold for the main event and stayed home babysitting my dad’s kids instead of infecting everyone.

When I was at Georgetown, I tried to go down to South Carolina for at least one or two football games a year, and he always came home for a track meet or two. I always have a meet over spring break, so it’s not like I have a surplus of time to spend with him. We both train for most of the summer. College athletics are year-round regardless of when the sport is actually played.

“Missed you,” I say to the crook of his neck.

“Missed you more.” He tugs my ponytail like he’s done since we were in diapers.

Micah is my other half, my twin. We have a mess of half siblings and step siblings, but nobody else grew up in those houses with us. Nobody else lived that life with me. He knows me as well as I know myself.

“Let me see you,” he says. He makes a twirling motion with his finger, and obediently, I twirl. “Damn, girl, you look good. Have you gained weight?”

“Three whole pounds.” It’s hard to maintain weight during the season. It’s even harder to add muscle.

“It’s paying off. You’re going to smoke them tomorrow.”

“You know it.”

He offers his hand for a high-five. We do it, and then he grabs me by the wrist and forces me into a headlock, giving me a noogie.