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I scrape my teeth across my lower lip. The last thing I want is for him to feel pressured into going public. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, I am.”
His hand snakes out to nab my fingers. Before I’m able to suck in a full breath, he pulls me closer, and I find myself locked tight against the solid strength of his chest. “You know what I’ve discovered in the time we’ve spent apart?”
When I shake my head, he says, “That you’re more important than anything else.”
“How can you say that when we haven’t been together very long?”
His warm breath feathers across my lips. “Because it feels like forever since anything has felt right in my life, but with you, it does. What we’ve found is special, and I don’t want to let that go. I don’t want to letyougo.” He searches my eyes. “I need to know you feel the same and that this isn’t all one sided.”
“I do. I feel it, too.”
As soon as the words escape, his lips crash onto mine. That’s all it takes for me to open so our tongues can tangle. Relief sweeps through me as my arms twine around his neck. If I have my way, I’ll never let him go.
It’s only when someone clears their throat from behind me that we jump apart. Still wrapped up in Mason’s arms, I swing around to find Dad and Anne standing in the living room. My father raises a brow and Mason pulls me even closer, as if he’s afraid they might try to steal me away.
“Dad,” I say nervously. I’ve introduced a number of guys to my family, but none of them have mattered the way Mason does. Even though this relationship is new, I need them to be okay with it.
“Is there something you’d like to tell us?” Dad asks, a serious expression marring his face.
I straighten my shoulders and inch my chin upward before digging deep to find my courage. “Mason and I have been seeing each other.”
Dad glances at his assistant coach. “Can I assume this is the guy you broke up with because the situation was,” he raises his fingers before making air quotes, “complicated.”
My gaze flickers to Anne.
“Sorry, sweetie. He was worried about you.”
I huff out a breath. Maybe I should be mad at her for sharing our private conversation with my father, but I’m not. Above all else, I know she had my best interests in mind.
“Yes, it is.”
He cocks his head. “What exactly made it complicated?”
I blink.
That’s not the question I was expecting.
“Well…Mason is seven years older than me.” There’s a pause before I tack on, “He’s also your assistant coach.”
“Both of those things are certainly true,” Dad says carefully.
“And I didn’t want him to get fired.”
“Fired?” His eyes widen as his brows snap together. “Why would anyone fire Mason?”
“I—”
Both his voice and expression soften. “You have to know I’d never do that, honey. Mason is a great coach, just like I knew he would be. And if I have my way, he’ll take over the Clairemont program at some point in the future.”
“Really?” My mouth falls open, and it takes a second or two for my brain to start working again. “So…you don’t mind if we date?”
“Mason is a good man.” He smirks at the younger guy who continues to stand with his arms wrapped protectively around my body. “You could do a hell of a lot worse than him.”
The rush of relief that whips through me is enough to weaken my knees.
Now that we’re all on the same page, Anne takes hold of my father’s hand. “How about you start the grill and these two can talk in private.” She glances at Mason. “I assume you’ll be staying for dinner?”
