Page 225 of Off the Pitch

We collapsed onto the mattress together, wrapped in each other’s arms and still exchanging kisses between panting breaths.

“You need to get fit,” I said, a playful smile curling across my lips. “Because we’re definitely doing that again.”

“Oh, are we?”

“Yeah, we definitely are.” I kissed him again. “Do I get a butt massage now? To soothe my skin.”

“If you want,” he said, smiling indulgently at me.

“Amazing. I want some snacks too and a bath. And a full body massage,” I said, wondering how much he’d let me get away with.

“You’re demanding, aren’t you?” Félix rolled his eyes but gave me another kiss as I threw my legs across his lap.

“And yet you still wanna be with me.”

“It’s just for the sex,” Félix said.

“I’m that good then?” Félix rolled his eyes again, and I did a little victory fist-pump. “Ah-ha, I win. You think I’m fucking awesome in bed and never want anyone else.” It was meant to sound teasing, just a stupid line to prove my point, but my heart caught in my throat as I spoke, and Félix’s eyes met mine, soft and warm and full of something I didn’t recognise but could feel deep in my chest.

“No, I don’t.” He reached out his hand to take mine, pulling me closer and into a deep, sweet kiss. It made my insides melt like ice cream in the summer sun. “I’m so proud of you, you know that?”

“Yeah… I do.” I felt the emotion radiating from him, leaving no doubt to his words. Félix believed in me as much as I believed in myself, if not more. His confidence lifted me up, and I knew without a shadow of a doubt I was better because of him. We were a team now, whether we’d realised it or not. We’d stumbled into something far bigger than either of us had even imagined.

“What are your plans for the summer?” I asked tentatively, resting my head on his chest.

“Well, I hear Italy is very nice,” he said. “Perhaps I should go there?”

“Perhaps you should. Gonna be a lotta football there this year though.”

“Hmm, I’m sure I can avoid it if I need to. Although I haven’t seen Portugal play in a while.”

“I mean, you could always go and see England. I hear they’re pretty good.”

“God, no. Why would I want to do that?”

“Yeah, you’re right. I mean, you totally don’t wanna watch this ass in tight, white shorts running about on a pitch for ninety minutes.”

“On second thought, I’ve changed my mind,” Félix said. “I should book some tickets.” I snorted. It was funny, even though we were a similar size, I was always the one who ended up being held. I didn’t mind though.

“I think we’ve got a group stage match in Rome. That seems like your scene.”

“Rome is fabulous. Remind me to take you there when you’re not playing. I think you’d love it.”

“Sounds good,” I said, my limbs and eyes heavy with sleep. Now that we’d fucked and the reality of everything was starting to sink in, all I wanted was to sleep for a week. Preferably next to Félix, even if he did snore. There were still things I needed to ask him before I fell asleep though because I knew I wouldn’t remember to ask them in the morning. “Do you wanna stay here until I leave?”

“I have to go back to LA next week,” Félix said softly. “I have some business meetings, and then I have to go to Costa Rica to check on the turtle sanctuary. But I should be back for the start of the World Cup. That’s the middle of June, right?”

“Yeah. I think it starts on the fourteenth. Something like that,” I said, turning his words over in my head. “What turtle sanctuary?”

“Oh, it’s part of my new environmental project. I’ll show you the designs when I find my phone again.” Félix’s fingers stroked up and down my skin soothingly. “Lara told me I should start using my money to actually do things with my life, like saving turtles.”

“Tell me,” I said, leaning deeper into his chest as he began to talk. His voice was rich and smooth but infused with a passion I hadn’t heard before. Was it weird to say I loved his voice? Félix could probably talk to me about anything, and I’d listen. But hearing him talk about something he was passionate about made something settle deeper into my chest, burying itself in for the long haul. It had been there for a while. I just wasn’t ready to say what it was out loud yet.

Chapter Twenty-Two

June

#italianadventure #worldcup2020

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