by Lea Coll
Chapter Seventeen
CALLIE
The day was a success. The complex looked great, and the kids had fun. The best part of the day was Jonah pulling me into that locker room, telling me he wanted to tell Reid and everyone about us. I was still riding that high when Reid found me cleaning up one of the soccer fields. Someone got a hold of the confetti. It was a mess.
“You don’t need to clean up.”
Technically, cleaning wasn’t part of my job description. We’d hired a crew, but I needed something to busy myself with. I had leftover adrenaline coursing through me from the day.
“I know.”
Jonah was doing a more in-depth interview with a reporter in his office, but everyone else had gone home hours ago.
He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “Were you going to tell me?”
I dumped the dust bintrash in the garbage bag. “About Jonah?”
“Yeah.” He winced, as if thinking about us together was difficult for him.
“I thought it was his place to tell you, and he didn’t want to. Not at first anyway.”
“I would have hoped you’d come to me about something like this. He’s my teammate.” Hurt tinged his voice.
“I never talk to you about who I date.” That was never our relationship.
His face was pinched.
“I’m sorry if this makes things difficult for you.” I couldn’t promise to stay away from Jonah. I was in too deep at this point.
“It doesn’t. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”
“You can’t prevent that from happening.” It was inevitable from where I stood. I’d already fallen for Jonah, the football player, his vulnerable side underneath, and for every sweet gesture in between.
“Is it so bad that I want to?”
I smiled at his honesty. “No. I’m glad you care.”
“I promised Frank.”
I knew it was more than that. Reid really did think of me as someone to protect, like one of his sisters. He felt responsible for me, even if that was ridiculous. “Well, you’re off the hook because I’m an adult, and I make my own decisions.”
He scowled. “Just be careful with him.”
“Did you scare him away?” My heart pounded harder in my chest. I didn’t think Jonah would stick around for the long haul. It’s why I was so quick to offer up the summer as an option. I wouldn’t be disappointed when it ended.
“No. I warned him to be careful, that’s all. He seems sincere.”
I smiled. “I think so too.”
He’d been honest when he told me he’d was bound to screw things up, to give him time. It made me like him even more. I caught glimpses of the person underneath, and I wanted to dig deeper until I knew his very essence as a man.
“He doesn’t talk about his past.”
Something in his tone made me pause, made me think there was something he knew. “Is there something there?”
His expression looked guilty. “I shouldn’t have said anything. It’s none of my business.”
“You’re looking for things when there’s nothing.”
“Yeah, maybe I am.” He shoved his hands in his pockets.
“What are you two talking about?” Jonah crossed the room, his smile bright, his expression relaxed.
Would he stand apart from me, acting like nothing had changed?
Jonah wrapped an arm around me, pulling me close. “Great job today. It went well. Don’t ya think?”
He squeezed my shoulder then looked at Reid.
Joy surged through me, making me feel light, almost airy.
Reid had a pained expression on his face. “Yeah, it did. How was the interview?”
I guess our relationship would take some time for him to get used to.
“Good. I said I’m working hard. I hope to be back. That’s all I can say.”
Reid gestured around the room “Let the cleaning crew take care of this. You want to go out for a drink? Everyone’s meeting at Federal House if it’s not too busy.”
“You want to?” Jonah asked me.
“Yeah, that would be nice.” I was excited to go out as a couple.
We met Dylan and the rest of Reid’s friends, Avery and Griffin, Cade and Hadley, Cade’s brother, Nolan and Juliana, and Juliana’s sister, Ava, who’d built our website, at the Federal House.
I sat next to Dylan; she leaned over to whisper, “When were you going to tell us?”
“It just happened.” I’d talked to them about the kiss, but I hadn’t seen them since.
Jonah sat next to me, throwing an arm around the back of my chair. I was glad to see he was relaxed, that he didn’t regret telling Reid. I didn’t want this thing between us to affect their friendship.
I met his heated gaze. I thought I wanted to hang out with friends, but after being apart all day, and telling Reid about us, I wanted nothing more than to be alone with him.
“I can see things are going well.” Dylan leaned over with a conspiratorial smile.
Reid cleared his throat as if expressing his displeasure.
Dylan elbowed him. “Ignore him. He’s not a fan of things changing.”
So many things were evolving around me, a new job, my grandfather’s health, a new relationship. Was it too much at once?
“When will we get a chance to try out the facility?” Griffin asked. He’d invested in several small businesses and nonprofits in the area, but Reid hadn’t needed his help with Rebel.
“With the season picking up, I’m not sure. I was hoping to have an after-hours party, but with training starting next week, I don’t see how we’ll fit it in.”
“Maybe we can have a celebration after the season’s over.” My words rang hollow in my ears. Where would Jonah and I be in January? That was well past the deadline we’d set. Would I still be working with him, pretending he was nothing but a summer fling?
Dylan lightly bumped my shoulder with hers. “Let’s work on it together.”
“I won’t turn down help.” I was used to organizing Reid’s life, but Dylan had only added to it when they started dating. She was amazing at event planning.
Talk turned to the day, the money raised, what local coaches had said about the facility being a necessity, something they’d wanted for a while. It was good to be doing something, not only good for my career, but for providing a much-needed service for the community.
Jonah was a constant presence next to me. His thigh resting against mine, his fingers playing with my hair. His touch sent tingles racing across my skin.
Something niggled in my brain about what Reid had said. He’d acted like there was something in his past that should concern me, but he’d been reluctant to say exactly what. Was there something there? He’d mentioned not having many serious relationships, had he had any? Was that something I could even ask without sounding like I was digging into his past?
I looked over at Jonah who’d shifted away, moving his hands as he talked animatedly to the guys. Affection swelled in my heart for him.
If there was something concerning in his past, he’d tell me eventually. He knew everything about me, my parents, and Grandpa, but that was different. I wore those wounds on my sleeve. Jonah was more reserved about his family. The only thing I knew was that he’d said his mom and sister visited when he was first injured.
Jonah caught my eye, leaning closer to whisper in my ear, “Everything okay?”
I smiled to cover my worries. “Yeah.”
He kissed my cheek, taking my hand, placing it on his rock-hard thigh. The warmth radiated through my hand, zinging up my wrist to my elbow. I could get used to this. To being with him. I wouldn’t waste our time together worrying about the past or what would happen if he was cleared to play. I’d enjoy him while I could.
No one stayed in your life permanently. You only got them for a short time.
“How’s the bed-and-breakfast?” Dylan asked Juliana.
Juliana recently bought a bed-and-breakfast, hiring Cade and Nola
n’s contracting company to renovate it.
“It’s really picking up for the fall. Ava’s managing it for me.” Juliana gestured at her sister.
I’d heard Ava wanted a career change, and Juliana couldn’t live on site since she had young daughters.
Ava smiled. “My main job these days is managing the bed-and-breakfast. I do website design on the side.”
“Do you like managing the bed-and-breakfast?” I asked her. She was so skilled with website designing, I was surprised she wasn’t doing that as her full-time job.
“I’m single and young, so living at the bed-and-breakfast is perfect for me. I enjoy baking and cooking. I test out my creations on the guests.”
“You should sell your baked goods. People would buy them.” Juliana shot her a pointed look.
This sounded like something they’d discussed before.
“I’m happy doing what I am for now.” Ava took a sip of her beer, seemingly uncomfortable with her sister’s comment.
Jonah leaned over, kissing my cheek. “I’m going for a refill.”
He picked up the pitcher, taking it to the bar.
Dylan shifted closer. “I’m so glad you came.”
“Me too.” The beginnings of a friendship with these people warmed my chest, easing the ache of loneliness I’d felt the last few years.
“I’ve been meaning to text you. How’s Frank?” she asked, concern tinging her voice.
Dylan’s mother suffered from MS. I wondered if she’d be helpful with my grandfather’s situation. “I knew it was coming, but him forgetting things is upsetting.”
“I dread when my mom’s MS symptoms flare. It’s devastating each time because I don’t know if it’s temporary or permanent. It throws me for a loop.”
“With Alzheimer’s, the symptoms come and go, he has good days and bad, but it’s part of an inevitable progression.” Just talking about it out loud to someone who’d gone through something similar helped.
“If you need company, I can go with you.”
I’d wondered if she’d help me decide on a new home for him. “I actually need to choose a place for him to be moved to. I’ve narrowed it down to two. Will you go with me?”
“Of course.”
“I think I’ve been putting it off because once he goes there, he won’t be coming out. It’s so final.” I rested my head in my hand.
“You’re doing the right thing.”
“I can go with you.” Jonah eased onto the stool, placing the pitcher in the middle of the table.
Was he hurt I hadn’t asked him?
Avery asked Dylan a question, and she turned away from us to answer.
He shifted closer, resting his elbows on his knees. It was like we were the only two people in the room. “I thought you’d decided on one already.”
I bit my lip. “I think I’ll feel better about the decision if I see it in person.”
“It’s fine if you want to go with Dylan, but I can help out too.”
“Are you sure? I figured with training camp starting, you might be busy going back and forth between that, PT, and Rebel.”
He took my hands in both of his. “I’m positive. I’m in this with you.”
The warm glow I’d gotten in the locker room spread bigger and brighter. The only thing that dimmed my joy was the thought that he’d change his mind once he got to camp and saw the other guys playing. I knew how professional athletes were; in the end, football reigned supreme. No girlfriend could compete with that.
I want to push back on that idea. I wanted to have Jonah to myself.
“You ready to get out of here?” I asked. I felt bold. I wanted to take what I wanted.
“Yes.” He stood, pushing the stool under the table.
We said goodbye to our friends. The girls gave me knowing looks. I’m sure our desire to be alone was obvious.
When he pulled onto the highway, driving south instead of north, I was surprised. “Where are we going?”
“To my house.” His hand tightened on the wheel. The look he shot me was uncertain.
“I thought you lived in the city.”
Usually, only the family guys had a home outside the city.
“The condo is for in season. I bought a house on the water for the off-season. It’s nice to have a place to escape to.”
“I never knew.”
“I haven’t really talked about it with anyone. I liked having a place no one knows about. The media can’t find me.”
“Reid doesn’t know?”
“No one does.” His gaze was on the road.
“Have you ever brought anyone here?” I was trying to work out this new piece of information in my head.
“No.”
“Not even your parents?”
“No. When I was injured, it was easier to stay in the city. The doctors and PT were there.”
“That makes sense.” I rested my head on the seat, studying his profile. I liked being the only one who got to see the real Jonah, the one he kept from everyone.
“Thank you for showing it to me.” It might not have been a big deal for other people, but this was huge for him. I recognized the importance, even if he didn’t.
He smiled. “I want you to myself. Plus, it’s closer to Annapolis.”
Twenty minutes later, we pulled down a long lane that ended at an elevated home on stilts. He parked underneath.
Getting out, the wind blew my hair. I could smell the bay.
He held out his hand.
Taking it, I walked with him to the front of the house. A motion sensor light mounted on the side of the house turned on, making it easier to see.
We walked up the steps to a large deck off the back of the house. The water was inky black at night, the moon reflecting off the water.
We stood in silence for a minute, taking it in.
“It’s beautiful. I’d live here all the time if it were mine.” For the smell, the sound, the sense of peace I got standing here.
“But Frank lives north of the city.” Jonah lightly bumped my shoulder.
Living somewhere like this―a beautiful house on the water―wasn’t possible on my salary, especially with the cost of a specialized care home.
I shrugged. “I already planned to move him closer to Rebel Sports. Once I have him settled, I’ll look for a place for myself.”
I’d be looking for an apartment to rent. Not a house on the water. I’d never been to Jonah’s condo, and I wondered if that was on purpose. I wasn’t jealous of what he had, but seeing his home highlighted our differences.
He turned to face me, pulling me into his body. I flattened my hands on his chest, his heart beating a steady rhythm under my hand.
“I like you in my space.” His expression was intense.
I tipped my chin up to maintain his gaze. “I like being here.”
My hair blew across my face. He brushed it back. The movement was so tender my heart ached for more. My mind begged him to let me in.
He leaned down slowly, teasing my lips with light touches. Pressing my hips tight to his, he was hard everywhere. Jonah whispered across my lips, “I want to give you everything.”
The sincerity in his words pulsed in the air between us.
If I could let go of my fears, I knew I’d want more than sex. I’d want all of him. Not just the house he’d hid from everyone, but his past, his fears, his worries. “I want that too.”
It was the only promise I could make in the moment.
He kissed me, increasing the pressure until my lips parted, his tongue sweeping into my mouth, claiming me as his.
I wanted to enjoy this for as long as it lasted. I should hold myself back, wait for him to give me more, but I felt like I was falling through quicksand. I wanted to grab onto something to stop my fall, but there was nothing to hold on to.
My hands moved from the soft material of his shirt to the hair on his neck. I sifted the soft strands through my fingers as his tongue tangled with mine.
He
pulled back slightly, my weight supported entirely by him. “You always feel so good.”
That’s because we felt right together, but I didn’t voice it out loud. He’d shown me a piece of himself today, he’d opened up. There was so much more to him he hid.
He grabbed my hand, tugging me toward a couch against the wall. It was darker here, secluded. The only sound was the water lapping at the shore. He sat, pulling me onto his lap.
His voice was low, rumbling through my body. “My neighbors can’t see us here. I bought this lot for privacy.”
“Well, aren’t we lucky then?” I smiled mischievously, grinding down on his hardening cock.
He brushed a hair back from my forehead, holding it there. His touch was comforting. “I think I’m the lucky one.”
“I’m not going to argue with you.” I lowered my head, nipping his lip. I wanted to tease, not give him what he wanted. “You are.”
He surged up, his cock creating necessary friction between my legs. I closed my eyes, reveling in the feel. Leaning back slightly, I reached down to unbutton his pants. Then I slid off his lap to my knees. The bite of the wood beneath me grounded me in this moment. I tugged his pants and briefs down over his hips, his cock popping out. He spread his legs wide, his hands diving in my hair.
He kept his hold light as if he wasn’t sure he wanted this. I licked the head, keeping my gaze on him.
“Fuck, Callie. You don’t have to—”
I sucked him into my mouth.
His eyes glazed over as he groaned. He lifted his hips as if wanting to be deeper.
Letting him out of my mouth with an audible pop, I said, “But I want to.”
His eyes darkened, the moon reflecting off the water across his face. The fingers in my hair tightened. I rolled his balls with one hand, pumping him with the other. I drew on every trick I’d ever read about, wanting to make it good. I sucked him hard, basking in the desire I saw on his face.
“Your mouth feels so good.” His voice was guttural, as if he was barely hanging on to his control.
I hummed in thanks, the vibration making him jerk in my mouth.
I knew he was close when his hips lifted, pushing his cock deeper. I welcomed him inside as he stilled. “Fuck, sorry.”
I pulled off to say, “It’s okay.”