by Unknown
"Mr. Connor, if you can't keep quiet for the next thirty seconds, I'll be forced to take your temperature somewhere else."
"The hell you will."
"Tisk, tisk."
He heard Jo giggle-snort and figured if the nurse amused Jo that much, he could put up with her.
After the nurse had left, Mase said, "Get over here." Jo got up and stood at his side. "No, I want you closer."
Jo laughed, "If I get any closer, I'll be in bed with you." Mase raised a brow, and her face turned serious. "I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't."
Jo went to his uninjured side and gingerly climbed on the bed. She pressed her body along his side and laid her head on his chest. Mase wrapped his arm around her with a contented sigh. Heaven. "You never told me what time it was."
"I'm not really sure. Late, I would imagine. A lot's happened while you were sleeping."
"Tell me."
"Well, while you were in the ER, Gage and Cassie came. Gage took Charlie to Cassie's aunt." She got up on an elbow and gave him a smirk. "By the way, I meet your ER doc. Pretty, blond, young. Ring any bells?"
That was a loaded question. He couldn't say, no I didn't notice her because she would know that was a lie, and he never wanted to lie to Jo. But if he told her the truth, that yeah, he noticed, but she didn't hold a candle to Jo's beauty, would she think that was a line?
He was saved from making a decision when Jo said, "She told me, you couldn't stop talking about me. Is that true, Mr. Conner?"
He gave her a smirk. "Guilty."
She gave him a light kiss before resting her head back on his chest. "Jack, Alexis, Sam, and Derek arrived soon after that but left once you were settled in you room and we discovered they'd drugged you. They'll be back in the morning." At his nod, she continued, "The police came."
That caught his attention. "What did they say?"
"They caught the guys who shot up the house. They took Chris and put him somewhere safe while they round up the rest of the gang members and await trial. They also said they'd be in contact in a few days to take your statement."
Mase grunted, happy it was over.
"I talked with Chris before he left. He blames himself for you getting shot."
Mase reared back, surprised. "What?"
Jo nodded. "He confessed. Apparently, he went home last night. He wanted the photo of his mom, from his room. He said he'd been careful, but they must have been watching the house and followed him back. That's how they knew where to find him." Jo angled her head to look at Mase. "He's worried you're never going to forgive him for putting me in danger and getting you shot."
"Do I wish he'd done things differently, asked us for help? Yes, but there's nothing to forgive, you can't blame a sixteen-year-old orphan for wanting to keep a picture of his mother close."
Jo nodded, silently agreeing. "I have one more thing to tell you. It's important."
She scooted her body, so their faces were level. With a finger, she lightly traced his eyebrow then made a slow pass down his cheek, over the short hairs at his jaw, stopping when she reached his chin.
He took the time to study her features, making sure she was truly okay with everything that had happened. Other than looking a bit tired, her eyes were bright and she seemed relaxed. Something he was grateful for.
She left her finger resting on his chin as she leaned in to softly kiss his lips. Mase's fingers tingled to bury themselves in her hair. He wanted to press her in closer and deepen the kiss but knew she had something to say so held himself in check. For the time being.
"I almost lost you today."
"Babe, you didn't almost lose me." She moved her finger from his chin and laid it against his lips. A clear sign she wanted him to not speak. His lips thinned, but he remained silent.
"You've become the most important person in my world, I love you, Mason Connor, and I don't know what I would do without you." She removed her finger, placed her hand on his chest, covering his heart, and rested her forehead against his. "I didn't want one more day to pass without telling you that. I don't know why I was so afraid to say it, but I'm not afraid anymore. Now, I'm afraid not to say it. I'm never wasting a single moment again."
"I love you, too, Angel. From the first moment I saw you, you were mine. I'm obsessed with you, and I'll never let you go." And then he did what he'd been itching to do. He grabbed the back of her head, pressed into her, and kissed her. A long, deep, claiming kiss that he hoped conveyed to her all the feelings he couldn't put into words.
*
Jo stood at the counter in Mase's kitchen, evenly spreading mustard on a slice of bread for a roast-beef sandwich His Highness had requested. She'd learned quite a few things over the last few days. The first of which, Mr. Happy-go-lucky, never-stops-smiling Mase is a terrible patient and after three days of forced bed rest, has slid past grumpy into grouchy. Luckily for him, Jo had the patience of a saint from working with kids for so many years.
His latest blow up, which sent her scurrying downstairs before she bashed him over the head with the closest large object, started when she opened the drapes to crack the bedroom window. Unfortunately, doing so, let in a beam of sunlight that hit the TV, giving it a nasty glare across the screen.
She topped the roast beef with provolone cheese, lettuce, and tomato. Another thing she learned was Mase had a lot of friends and teammates, who have all come to visit but thankfully, not all at the same time. The house was overrun with flowers and gifts, and although Mase acted put out, having so many visitors, Jo could tell he secretly liked the attention.
But the most important thing she learned was even at his grouchiest, Mase was still sweet. He arranged movers to pack up her stuff and have it delivered to his house, had her windows and front door boarded, awaiting the insurance adjuster's assessment, and held her close every night, whispering sweetly in her ear as if afraid to let her go.
Jo stuck her head in the fridge, sliding items on the bottom shelf, looking for the jar of pickles. She felt two strong hands grab her hips and something hard and thick rub against her ass.
"I'm sorry, baby. I didn't mean to snap at you."
Jo turned in Mase's arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. "What are you doing out of bed?"
"I need to move around. I'm starting to get stiff."
"Feels like you're not starting, but already are," Jo teased, rubbing herself against Mase's stiffness.
"Tell me you forgive me," Mase said, nuzzling behind her ear.
She tilted her head to give him better access. "There's nothing to forgive. I know you feel cooped up stuck in bed. I can handle a little snapping."
"No. You're perfect and sweet and don't deserve my bad temper. You were only trying to let some fresh air into the room. I feel like an ass."
His nuzzling turned into tiny kisses that tickled her neck. Jo giggled, "Okay, I'll forgive you if you get back in bed and eat your sandwich like a good boy."
"I'd rather eat something else." He gave her a sexy leer and a playful eyebrow wiggle.
"The doctor said no strenuous exercise. If you want to get better in time for the upcoming season, you need to listen."
"You're evil," he said, reaching for her, but she backed away, leaning across the counter to pick up his plate.
"I'll tell you what, Ace," she said, using the plate as a barrier. "You be a good boy and do as I say for the rest of the day, I'll give you a sponge bath tonight that I promise you'll enjoy." She gave him a wink and sauntered out of the kitchen, Mase hot on her heels ready to do her bidding.
Chapter Twenty-four
Jo and Mase walked out onto the Pursuers' practice field hand in hand. She no longer feared, letting their "romance" cat out of the bag, that had happened three weeks ago when Mase had been plastered all over the TV news, newspapers, and tabloids, and she was okay with that. Knowing Mase wasn't going anywhere, she was secure in their relationship now and knew it would last so didn't mind everyone knowing, even the people she w
orked with.
They walked slowly to the makeshift stage someone had temporarily erected for the award ceremony. A big banner held up by a set of poles and decorated with balloons announced, Fifth Annual Football Boot Camp Celebration.
Mase was almost healed. If he overdid things or wasn't careful, he would still feel twinges but it was a good bet, he'd be set to play this season. He wouldn't play any preseason games, but he would be ready for the season opener.
She still had to figure out what to do come team travel time. She needed to talk to her boss to work something out. No way in hell would she miss any of Mase's games. She no longer worried about Mase, far away, alone in a hotel room. Now she wanted to see her man play and have the added bonus of not having to sleep alone in a cold, lonely bed. She'd grown accustomed to Mase's strong heartbeat lulling her to sleep, and his strong arms wrapped around her as she slept. It was a standard she wasn't sure she wanted to give up.
"Mason!" A big, booming voice shouted.
Jo looked up and saw Rick Jensen up on the far side of the stage. He was dressed in his customary suit, looking as neat and polished as usual.
"So what I've read in the papers is true," he said, looking at their clasped hands. "You guys are dating?"
Mase reached an arm around Jo's waist and pulled her close to his side. He gave Rick a tight smile. "Only a fool sees something he wants and doesn't go after it, and I'm no fool." He cryptically answered Rick's question. He leaned over and gave her a kiss on her temple before looking back at Rick. "We ready to get this party started?"
Rick walked away, presumably, to get the party started, and Jo poked Mase in the ribs. "What was that all about?"
"What?" He looked down at her with raised brows.
"You weren't very nice to Rick."
"I didn't know I had to be. You got the hots for him or something? Is there something I need to be worried about?" He had a teasing tone, but his face was deadly serious.
Jo snorted. "No, I just didn't understand the hostility."
"The hostility," Mase said, putting his arms around her and turning her so she was plastered against his front. "Is Rick fucking Jensen had his hands on you the first time I saw you."
Jo stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him lightly under his chin. "Well, you can play nice now, you have nothing to worry about. Slicked and suited is clearly not my style. I like my men big, strong, and maybe just a little scruffy."
Mase reared back, looking offended. "Scruffy?"
Jo giggled. "Hey, don't look so offended," she said, tugging at the scruff on his chin. "Scruffy feels good," she purred.
Mase buried his face in her neck and growled. A microphone shrilled, gaining their attention. Time for the festivities.
Jo was more than proud of her kids. They all received participation awards with some receiving awards for excellence. But even being as proud as she was, after sitting in the sun for two hours, she was ready to go home.
Mase came down from the stage and directly to her. "You look hot." He leaned down and kissed the top of her head.
"Why, thank you," she said, with a coquettish smile.
"I meant, your cheeks are flushed and you're all sweaty."
Jo pouted. "Well, that complement went from one hundred to zero pretty damn fast."
Mase chuckled. "How about we go somewhere and cool off."
"What did you have in mind?"
"You'll see."
He took her home but parked at the side of the house. She gave him a questioning look, but he just got out of the car, came around to her side, and let her out. He grabbed her hand and walking fast ahead, pulled her along behind.
"Where's the fire?" Jo asked, having to jog to keep up.
"In my pants. I haven't fucked you in three weeks, Angel, and seeing you hot, flushed, and sweaty reminded me of that fact pretty fuckin' fast."
He stopped at the edge of the pool, and without even a chance to get her bearings, he had her top up and off. He reached around behind her and with a skilled flick of his fingers had her bra unclasped and sliding down and off her arms in seconds.
"Kick your shoes off, sweetheart."
He whipped his tee over his head, toeing off his shoes at the same time. He was frantic and she loved it. It made her feel hot (the good kind) and sexy. The angry, red scar on his side caught her eye. The stitches had been removed, and the wound had healed nicely with no signs of infection. She assumed the chlorinated pool water would have no ill effects at this stage.
She toed off her sneakers and took off her socks as he stuck his thumbs in the elastic waistband of his basketball shorts and slid them down his legs, kicking them off to the side. He reached for the button on her shorts, pulled down the zipper, and soon they and her panties were tossed in the pile with his clothes.
He took her by the hand and led her to the stairs. They were in the pool before she could blink. The cool water was a sharp contrast to the blazing heat of the sun. He pulled her against him, his mouth devouring hers, his tongue sweeping in and going to war with her own. She felt ravished, consumed. His hands traveled everywhere, touching her all over. She moaned into his mouth, and he answered with a growl down her throat, his hands gripping her ass, squeezing and releasing. His fingers slid through her folds and entered her, thrusting in and out, and she couldn't prevent the gyration of her hips as his thumb found and circled her clit.
Her head fell back as his mouth moved down her throat and sucked at her neck, tongue lapping and teeth scraping against the skin. Her breasts felt heavy, and her nipples ached for his touch. "Please." God, was that her voice, sounding so needy and desperate.
"Please what, baby?"
"Oh, God, I don't know. Please more." She was panting now, one big bundle of need. His fingers felt so good, but she needed more.
He lifted her in his arms and carried her out of the pool, snagging a lounge cushion on his way to a patch of lawn. He threw the cushion down in the shade and lay her down, parting her legs and dropping to his knees between them. He took her breasts in his hands and covered her nipple with his mouth, sucking it in deep. Yes, that's what she needed. She moaned again, thrashing her head from side to side. She dug her fingers into the grass, tearing out chunks as he made his way down her stomach. His hand gripped her inner thighs, spreading her legs wider as his warm breath hit her right before his tongue lapped through her folds. He stopped at her clit, sucking it between his teeth and circling it with his tongue. She tilted her hips up, grinding against his mouth. He showed no mercy, stopping right when she was on the edge about to go over, but before she could voice her outrage, he entered her with a single stroke, planting himself deep.
"Fuck!" He threw his head back before sliding out and slamming in again.
Yes, that's what she wanted. Him to fuck her. Hard. But she couldn't say that, not out loud, so she chanted it in her head while he did exactly that, pounding into her hard and deep until she yelled his name while splintering apart.
Jo cheered loudly, waving her arms in the air, totally enjoying her first live football game, ever. The Pursuers were up by fourteen, and the announcers just called the two-minute warning before halftime. Jo looked around at all the happy fans, thankful, she was able to persuade Mase to let her sit in the stands and not in the owner's box as he'd wanted. The experience just wouldn't have been the same. The weather was perfect, too. Low eighties with a light, cool breeze.
Jack looked uncomfortable, squirming in his seat, and Alexis kept giggling at him, telling him he needed to "toughen his tush" (her words). Jo guessed living in the lap of luxury did have some disadvantages.
Jo heard Cassie tell Gage she wanted him to get her a hot dog at halftime. She said this while rubbing her seven-month belly and batting her lashes. Gage stood. "I'll go now. Maybe beat the crowds. Anyone want anything?"
After a chorus of nos, Jo reached for her purse. "Maybe now would be a good time to take a potty break." She looked over at Cassie. "You want to come?"
She saw Cass
ie give wide eyes to Alexis before saying, "Uh... yeah... sure."
What was that all about? Cassie started to stand, and Jo took her elbow to help. "Ouch! Ouch!" Cassie exclaimed, plopping back down in her seat.
"What? What's wrong?" Jo asked, panicked.
Alexis and Jack stood from their seat.
"Cramp in my leg. Ow. Let me sit a minute."
Jo squatted in front of Cassie. "Which leg is it?"
"Um... right?"
Jo laughed. "Don't you know?"
"Yeah, I know. It's the right."
Jo rubbed at the muscle in Cassie's calf. It didn't feel tight. "Are you sure–" Her sentence was cut off by the announcer ending the first half of the game, and she could have sworn she heard Cassie exhale a sigh of relief.
She heard her name announced over the loudspeaker to go out on the field. At first, she thought she'd heard wrong, surely they didn't just say Joanna Welch, but then she heard her name again.
Jack took her arm. "Come on, I'll lift you onto the wall."
Their seats were close to the field, right behind the team benches. She looked at the wall. It was only about four feet high on their side, but the drop to the field was a lot farther.
Jack must have felt her hesitate because he chuckled and said, "Don't worry, someone's waiting for you on the other side."
Jack lifted her up and with her legs dangling over the side, she looked down. Sure enough, one of Mase's teammates stood beneath her, but it was a mighty far drop. Tom, she remembered his name from football camp, held up his arms and gave her a smile. "Jump, Jo. I'll catch you."
Jo kicked off with her foot and jumped. It wasn't as far a drop as it looked from the top of the wall, and Tom caught her, no problem. He extended an arm, indicating the field. "To the center of the field you go."
Jo shook her head. "I don't understand what's going on."
Tom laughed and gave her a little push between her shoulder blades. "You will."
As Jo made her way slowly to the center of the field, she looked around at the crowd. Were there always this many people? It hadn't seem like it from her seat. The large jumbotron screen at the end of the field tracked her progress. She heard the confused hum of voices from the stands, and she agreed, she didn't know what the heck was going on either. She knew it must have something to do with Mase, though. Maybe he was getting an award, best quarterback of the year. How cool would that be?