My phone pinged then with a text from Lily wondering where I was and if I was ready to go.
I texted her back saying I’d met a friend and would be right down.
“Lily’s ready to go,” I murmured, feeling incredibly disappointed to cut my time short with Mason. I’d never had so much fun with a man before. I felt like we’d known each other for years rather than an hour.
“Damn,” he replied with obvious disappointment.
“I guess you need to rejoin the living,” I replied, looking down at the party that was in full swing below.
“Maybe.” He shrugged without interest. “I’ve had way more fun hanging out with you.”
I rose to stand, moving back into the bedroom as he followed. I swore I could feel his heat at my back as my heart began to hammer in my chest.
Iwantedto see him again. The immediate revelation both terrified and electrified me.
“Listen, Ellie, I’d like to see you—”
His words were cut off by a sudden pounding at the bedroom door. “Jackson, things are going haywire downstairs. You better come handle it. I don’t want your shit getting broken,” the muffled voice hollered through the door.
My eyes opened wide in shock. What the hell?
He turned to me, his expression wary. “Be right out,” he hollered back without losing eye contact with me.
“This is your house?” I asked quietly. “You’rethe famous football player?”
“Guilty,” he admitted, looking sheepish.
My face flamed with humiliation. “Wow, I must seem like a big joke to you,” I muttered, completely embarrassed and really disappointed since I liked him so much. I’d really thought we’d hit it off.
“What? No! Not at all,” he argued as I walked purposefully toward the door.
“Just thought it’d be fun to see how long you could have me going, huh?” I demanded, throwing the door open.
God, I was such a sucker.
I raced down the large hallway and down the stairs into the living room, his footsteps close behind me.
“Goddammit, Ellie, wait!” he demanded as I stalked toward Lily, who was staring at me with a baffled expression on her face.
“Mason Jackson, quarterback for the Denver Broncos, is your newfriend?” she asked incredulously.
Of course he was the freaking quarterback.
“It’s a long story,” I muttered. “We’re outta here.”
She knew me well enough not to press and simply nodded, ready to follow me out to my car.
“Ellie,” his deep voice demanded. “Wait a minute.”
I turned to face him, my arms crossed expectantly.
He scrubbed a hand over his head in agitation. “I’m sorry, honestly, I wasn’t trying to be dishonest. I just… I liked that you didn’t know who I am,” he admitted.
“Ellie, seriously?” Lily demanded of me in her exasperated tone. “How do you not know who he is?”
I sighed and looked heavenward.
“Not helping me here, little lady,” Mason informed my friend before he continued, “I like that you’re not impressed by all this.” He gestured to the house. “I just like you, Ellie.”
