He looked at me in surprise. “You been reading up on football?”
I blushed. “A bit. I mean, it’s something you love, so I wanted to invest in understanding it.”
“Christ, I love you,” he groaned, gripping the back of my head and pulling me in for a kiss.
I allowed him to distract me for a moment before pushing back from him. “Don’t change the subject, Jackson,” I scolded.
“My family just left, I know we have the security detail, but I don’t feel comfortable leaving you here alone.”
“Mason, who knows how long this is going to take to get sorted?” I sighed. “We can’t stay locked up here forever. Your season is going to start soon—and you’re not missing it.” I glared when he looked as though ready to protest. “And my boss let me work from home this week, but that won’t last forever. We’re going to have to figure out how to live while he’s still out there,” I rationalized. “And at least for now, it seems like he’s… where? California, according to Gunner?”
Mason nodded warily. “It seems that way. For now.”
“The team needs you; you should go,” I pressed.
He appeared to consider my stance, his hands rubbing up and down my back in a familiar gesture. It seemed to soothe him as much as it did me. “I’ll think about it, but, Ellie—I want, no, I need you to know, I’ve loved football for most of my life, but it doesn’t remotely compare to how I feel about you or how important you are.”
“I never doubted it,” I replied resolutely. “How you feel about me doesn’t mean you don’t have loyalty to the team. I get the difference, and I respect it.”
“Did I mention I love you?” he growled, biting gently at my neck.
“A time or two.” I smiled as I stood up from his lap. “I’m going to go paint—just think about it, babe.”
“I will,” he agreed as I kissed him in parting before heading toward the makeshift art studio he’d set up for me in one of the spare bedrooms.
I had to admit, the more we talked about finding a home together, the more I’d begun to fantasize about the art studio we’d stayed up late talking about building, about the land and maybe some horses, about a cozier house, big enough for a family but not so big that we couldn’t find each other in it. It felt almost too good to be true. And until the threat of Brian was resolved, in my mind it was.
If only I knew that threat was about to become all too real.
Chapter 17
MASON
Iemerged from the office several hours later and promptly went in search of my girl. The art studio was empty, though a new landscape sat there, bright with color and life—fitting, based on who’d painted it. I headed for our room finding that empty as well, and went downstairs.
It took way too fucking long to find her in this damn house.
Delicious smells coming from the kitchen had my stomach rumbling as I wandered in, smiling as I caught Ellie shaking her amazing ass to the music she’d put on while she stirred something on the stove.
“That smells amazing. I’m starving,” I announced, grinning when she jumped in surprise. I secretly enjoyed sneaking up on her, especially when it made her tits bounce as they had just now.
“You scared me,” she accused. “I should set Kodi on you,” she added as Kodi stared up at me, head cocked to the side, tongue lolling.
“Don’t think you’d have much luck with that at this point, babe.” I noted, scratching him behind the ears.
“You’re probably right,” she admitted as I walked up behind her and wrapped my arms around her waist.
“What have you got going on here?” I asked, eyeing the pot of sauce simmering on the stove.
“Ragu,” she replied, holding the spoon up so I could have a taste.
“Delicious,” I rumbled, tasting the sauce before taking a lick of her neck. I swore every part of her tasted like candy.
“So I assume you have a plan?” She cocked a brow as I went to the fridge to refill her wineglass.
“What gives you that idea?” I wanted to know, genuinely curious.
“Because I know you, and you don’t leave anything half done—I knew you wouldn’t be down here until you had a plan.”
