Fumbled Love

by Lila Rose

  “She’s never been good with blood,” Elaine explained.

  I smiled. “It’s okay. She doesn’t need to see it then.”

  “Lunch is ready,” Herb called. Bradly and Michael came running. Elaine stood and gestured me into the seat next to Reagan. Since I wanted to make sure she was okay, I took it. Reagan stayed quiet for a while as we all sat around and talked while eating. I tried to get her to have a burger, but she refused, breathing deeply through her nose.

  We cleaned up after lunch, and I made sure there was a plate for when Reagan was feeling better later. I didn’t want to get back to unpacking and leave her, but I also wanted it all done so there wouldn’t be anything to do after everyone left and Reagan and I had our first night together. People filtered back inside, but I stayed put until they’d all left, wanting to make sure Reagan was fine.

  “Are you going to be okay?” I asked.

  She nodded.

  “Ree, I need a verbal answer,” I said. My lips twitched when her eyes widened after I used her nickname her close friends and family did.

  “I will.”

  “Promise?”

  “Yes. Sorry about that, but, um, blood and my stomach don’t mix. Is Wesley okay now?”

  “If you count the two hamburgers, four chicken sticks, and one hot dog he ate as okay, then yes.”

  She giggled. “I think he’ll be fine.”

  “Besides, it’ll give him something for him to brag about at school.”

  She grinned. “That’s true.” Then her grin faded. “Carter, I’m not sure….” I tensed, but she didn’t notice as she stared off into the backyard, biting her bottom lip. Then she sucked in a deep breath and turned to me. “Um, having you move in is fine, but… I worry for your sake.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t have a filter. I always say random crazy things. My family and friends are just as loco as I am. I’m sure people will come over more often knowing you’re living here. You won’t get to relax. You’ll be living in a funny farm instead of what you probably need, peace and quiet after training and games.”

  Wanting, no, needing to touch her, I reached out to take her hand in mine. Hers shook a little. “Reagan, none of anything you just said bothers me. In fact, I look forward to it all. I know I’ll also enjoy getting to know you. But I don’t want you to feel pressured to have me here. If it stresses you out, then I can stop everything and leave.”

  She shook her head. “No. I, um, I don’t mind. I just wanted you to be sure.”

  “I am.”

  She nodded, her gaze ran over my face, and I was sure they lingered on my lips before she brought them up to my eyes. “Okay then, and, ah, I’m looking forward to getting to know you as well, Carter.”

  “Good.” She seemed to relax a bit more, which I was glad about. “I better get back in there.” She nodded. I gave her hand a squeeze and stood, walking back inside, but of course I looked back to see if she was watching and caught her gaze on my butt. Smiling to myself, I pretended I didn’t see her and went through the door.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Reagan

  Everyone had gone. I was alone in the house with Carter, and where was I? In my bedroom being a chicken. I’d just had another shower as moving someone in was a dirty job. Admittedly, I couldn’t help but wish I was dirty for another reason. Best not go there, Reagan.

  It had been bad enough when Carter had touched me innocently the few times during the day. My body wanted to melt and drop to the floor from the intense reactions from just one touch.

  One touch and I was about to jump him.

  Thank God, I’d been rational enough to know it would be bad to do in front of everyone.

  Though I still couldn’t believe he was living with me.

  A knock sounded at my door. I jumped, then bounced up. “Yes?” I called, crossing my arms over my chest and then I thought that would look defensive, like I didn’t want him in my room, so I uncrossed them and placed them on my hips.

  My door opened, and Carter’s handsome face appeared. He took me in, his eyes widened a fraction before they went back to normal. “I was wondering if you’d be okay with pizza for dinner. I could call one through now.”

  “Oh, um, yes, or I could cook.”

  He shook his head. “We’ve had a busy day. Let’s just relax in front of the TV with a pizza. Sound good?”

  My heart warmed.

  “Yes.”

  “Great, anything you don’t like on it?”

  “Anchovies.”

  “Got it.” He winked and shut my door again. I then took stock and glanced down, my eyes widening. I was in a damn towel.

  Carter had seen me in a towel.

  Heck, I shrugged. I’d talked about naked yoga with him. This was nothing. I just had to roll with things. Treat Carter like I did Brooke and not care what he saw while living with me.

  I got dressed in my flannel pink pajama pants and a loose tee. Sucking in a deep breath, I opened my door and made my way down the hall. Coming into the living room, I saw Carter sitting on the couch thumbing through his phone.

  “Pizza’s ordered,” he announced.

  “Great,” I said with a smile and sat at the opposite end of the couch. “What do you want to watch? I’m sorry, but unless you want me asleep within seconds, it won’t be a documentary.”

  He laughed. “That’s okay. Can’t bore you to death. What about just a sitcom?”

  “I could do that.”

  “Or…”

  My pulse went crazy with that one word.

  Or we could make out?

  Or we could grope each other?

  Or we could look at his naked body?

  Or we could what?

  “Or?” I asked, and dang it for coming out all breathy.

  “Or we could play twenty questions.”

  “Oh,” slipped out before I could snap my lips together.

  Carter smirked. “You don’t sound happy with that idea.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “That sounds like fun.”

  “All right, I’ll go first. What day do you like best?”

  “Saturday.”

  “Same. Our morning trainings are usually more relaxed than the rest so we don’t injure ourselves before a game. Why for you?”

  Because he moved in on a Saturday.

  “Um, the same really. Saturday’s are just easier.” He nodded. “Okay, my turn. What’s your favorite food?”

  “Pasta.”

  “What type?”

  “Any kind and I’ll eat it. What about you?”

  “Chocolate croissants.” For some reason, I blushed, and for a split second, I wished I’d have said some type of fruit or a salad, something healthy. But screw it. I was glad I told him the truth.

  I am who I am, and I’m happy. That’s the most important thing in life. Happiness.

  “I’ll have to pick some up one morning after my run.”

  And I’d have to marry him if he did that.

  “What, um, what time do you run in the morning?”

  “Five.”

  My eyes widened. “As in 5:00 a.m.?”

  He chuckled. “Yes.”

  “Wow, that’s early, and then you go to the gym, right?”

  He nodded and lifted his leg up so his ankle rested on his knee. “After my run, I come back and have a protein shake, then head to the gym and work out for a few hours, have brunch, then catch up on things before I head to training. On game days, I get in a run before heading to the stadium, it warms me up.”

  “You never get tired of it?”

  “I do. It’s another reason why I’m looking at retiring. Still, when I do, I’ll work out, just not as much.”

  “Aren’t you young to be retiring?”

  He shrugged. “It can happen at any age really. Depends on what injuries we have to deal with. My knee’s not as strong as it used to be, so I’d rather get out before I do more damage.” He rocked his leg my way, his bare foot knocking into my l
eg. “Why did you want to become a teacher? And why English?”

  It was my turn to shrug. “My dad I guess. He’s a teacher too, but a substitute, so casual. When I was younger, I used to love it when he came home from school and told me all these stories about what happened during the day. It always sounded like so much fun. One day I got to go to his high school with him. I think I was about eight and at the time he was teaching a sophomore class. I got to see the way the students listened with rapt attention to him. They respected him and how he taught. I wanted that.”

  “You’ve got it. Even in the short time I got to see it, I could tell that class loved you teaching them.”

  Another blush hit my cheeks. “I’m glad.”

  “You should be, you help shape young minds… even when threatening them.”

  My mouth lifted in a big smile. “They enjoy me being my strange self.”

  “I can understand why. Though you’re not strange. You haven’t met my family yet.”

  “I’ve met your dad and brothers, and they seemed normal to me.”

  “Just wait and see when they’re all together.”

  “Do you have more siblings?” I couldn’t remember more at high school. However, I hadn’t stalked him back then. Not that I did now either. I didn’t have to; he was living with me.

  “I have a sister.”

  “Wait, let me guess her name. Cameron?”

  He chuckled. “No.”

  “Carmen?”

  He shook his head, smiling.

  “Clarissa?”

  “Nope.”

  “Does it start with a c?”

  “Yes.”

  “Claire?”

  “No.”

  “Courtney?”

  “Yes.”

  “Yay. What about your mom. Does she start with a C also?”

  “No, her name is Beth. But as you can tell, she’s always liked names starting with it. Even the family cat had one. Clara.”

  There was a knock at the front door. Carter stood as I did. “I’ll just grab my purse,” I said.

  “I’ve got it.” He walked toward the door.

  “But—”

  “It’s fine. You grab the next one.”

  “Deal.” I nodded, and then went into the kitchen for some plates and soft drinks. I was amazed at how easy it was to talk with Carter. Doing so, made me smile a lot. Getting to know him, know the man he’d grown into was exciting too. Never would I ever have thought the boy I used to crush on would come back into my life and want to be friends. Then be willing to move in with me because of my parents’ conniving ways. Carter could have said no, though.

  When I entered the living room, Carter was just shutting the front door. “Hope you like passionfruit soft drink.”

  “I’ll drink anything,” he replied. We sat back down on the couch. He placed the pizza on the coffee table, and I passed him a plate. He opened the box, put two slices on and then handed it back over to me and grabbed the other plate for himself.

  That was sweet, serving me first.

  After a bite, and swallowing, since I didn’t want to share with him my chewed-up pizza, I mentioned, “We kind of got off track before. Did you still want to do twenty questions?”

  “Sounds good.”

  “Not sure who’s turn it is, but I’ll go.” I grinned, which he returned and nodded. “Okay, favorite movie?”

  “Transformers. And before you ask, the first one is the best. Can’t beat the Autobots.”

  “True. I love all of those, but mine, at the moment anyway, is Baywatch.”

  He snorted. “Zac Efron or The Rock fan?”

  “The Rock, of course.”

  He rolled his eyes and grinned. “Of course.”

  While we ate, we talked, and it just got better and better. My nerves were held at bay. It made chatting easy, natural even. I was honest with my answers, and as far as I knew, Carter was too. We got to know one another. While it wasn’t intimate, it was friendly and I enjoyed my time with him. Heck, we hadn’t even turned on the TV, only shared each other’s company with random questions.

  By the time eleven rolled around, I picked up my plate and his and stood. “I have to head to bed. Every fourth weekend, I run a study group for the kids who want it at the local library bright and early. If I’m not on my game with them tomorrow, they’ll stomp all over me.”

  “I can’t believe that.”

  I smiled. “All right, if I’m too tired, I tend to blurt out more than I should.”

  He laughed, standing. “Now that I believe.” He grabbed our empty drink cans and followed me into the kitchen. We paused, standing near the sink.

  Did I hug him goodnight?

  Kiss his cheek?

  Slap his butt?

  What did I do?

  What would I usually do with Brooke? Probably say goodnight and that was it.

  Easy enough.

  “I better get some sleep too, with the game tomorrow,” he said. “But, Ree.”

  Ree. Sigh. I loved hearing him call me Ree.

  “Yes?”

  “Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  He smirked. “I’m not just talking about having me here. I wanted to thank you for trusting me, for accepting me into your life.”

  My belly and heart did a shimmy; it was the only way I could describe the way his words affected me.

  “Then, you’re welcome again.”

  His eyes softened. Slowly, while my pulse took off, he leaned in. His hand gripped my elbow and he pressed his lips to my cheek… lingering. The whole time I stared ahead wide-eyed.

  Friends, friends, friends.

  I was sure it was a chant I would have to use every day while Carter lived with me.

  “Goodnight,” he whispered against my cheek. I made a sound in the back of my throat, but it was all I could manage as a goodnight because the sensation of his warmth against me was overriding my senses.

  His breath whooshed across my face as he chuckled. He pulled back, smiled, and then walked out of the kitchen. I stood there for a few moments more, unsure of how long exactly, but eventually, I made my way down to my room. Sneaking past Carter’s closed door, I talked myself down from leaning my head against it to listen to his breathing like some creeper.

  I wasn’t sure if I would find sleep. Carter was just on the other side of the wall. Sleeping in my spare double bed, under some spare sheets of my own.

  Man, oh, man.

  Carter Anthony was sleeping under my roof.

  Would I ever get used to it?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Reagan

  Someone shook my shoulder. I slapped the hand away and curled up on my side. Only I then registered the sound of my alarm blaring. I shot up, only to hit something on the way up, slamming my head against something hard.

  “Ouch,” I cried, and pried my eyes open to see Carter standing over me holding his chin. His mouth moved to shape words, but I couldn’t hear any of it. “What?” I yelled. Reaching over, I then pressed the button to stop my alarm. My ears rang in the silence.

  Rubbing my eyes, then my forehead, I blinked a few times before my eyes sprang wide.

  Carter was standing beside my bed.

  Carter was standing beside my bed in nothing but running shorts.

  Had my wet dream come true?

  I rubbed at my eyes again.

  He was still there.

  I popped my mouth closed in case I started drooling over his body. It was like he’d been carved out of stone. A rock-hard chest and stomach of muscles galore.

  “You okay?” he asked.

  I blinked slowly as I watched his stomach muscles work.

  “Reagan?”

  “So pretty,” I mumbled to myself, and started to reach out for just one touch.

  Just one.

  His chuckle was what brought me back. I quickly slapped my hands on the bed, and under my thighs so I wouldn’t be tempted to grope him.

  “Is your head o
kay?” he asked.

  I nodded, my gaze not wavering from his body.

  “Is your alarm usually that loud?”

  I nodded.

  “You’re sweaty,” I commented, watching a droplet slide down his pec to his stomach and disappear beneath his shorts. I wanted to pull his shorts out so I could see where that droplet stopped.

  “Yeah, I’ve just come back from a run when I heard your alarm. Was worried when it didn’t switch off. Had to check.”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Jesus, you’re cute.”

  That had my head snapping up to meet his amused gaze. “What?”

  He smiled, small crinkles appearing next to his eyes; then he shook his head. “Nothing. So, you’re not a morning person.”

  I stretched. “Nope, sorry. I should have warned you about the alarm.”

  “It’s all right, now I know. If I hear it still going when I come in from my morning runs, I’ll help wake you.”

  It was on the tip of my tongue to ask how he’d wake me—with his hands, his body, his mouth—but I stopped myself. I was learning.

  “Um, okay, ah, thanks.”

  “Cute.”

  “Sorry?” I asked again, because I wasn’t sure if I’d heard him right. Had he really called me cute?

  “Nothing.” He smirked. “I’ll get coffee on. You want the first shower?”

  “Yes?”

  His smirk morphed into a full-blown grin, teeth showing and all.

  Wow. What a nice way to wake up.

  “All right, I’ll leave you to it.” He started for the door before I called him. He turned.

  “Is your chin okay?”

  His eyes warmed. “Yeah, I’ll be sure to move faster next time.” He tapped the doorway twice before leaving.

  I could so get used to waking up to sweaty Carter each morning. At least I wouldn’t have to fake deep sleeping. Though, even if I didn’t have to, I probably still would so I could see that body again and again.

  As I walked into the kitchen after my shower and getting ready for study group, I paused in the doorway. I should have looked through the window from the kitchen into the living room to prepare myself. But I didn’t. And seeing Carter’s half-naked body again did things to my belly and below.

  “Shower. You can have one and get dressed. You’ve got your game to get to.” Not that I wanted him to, but I hoped my brain would work more without the distraction.