Page 36 of Until He Scores

I wanted to run the tip of my tongue over the hard point and hear the sound Thierry made when he got excited. He gazed at me expectantly. His lips parted while his pulse throbbed at his neck. I blinked, then said, “Yeah. You’re right.”

“Pope,” he groaned. “Don’t do this to me now.”

“Do what?” I asked, getting defensive.

“Stare at me like you’re about to eat me alive.”

The idea had promise. “I’m not. Besides, you’re drunk. You’re probably seeing three of me right now.”

“Yeah, but you’re the one in the middle.” He closed one eye and bit his tongue in concentration before laughing. Then, as if spotting the pillows on my couch, his demeanor changed. “You don’t have to sleep on the couch in your home, asshole.”

“But I wanted you to have the bed,” I replied. “I was being nice, dick.”

Thierry flipped me off, then held his hand out to me. “You can stay here in this bed. Come on, Pope.”

“Are you sure?” I question taking his hand in mine. His palm was calloused, rough from repetitive use. My hands had beenthe same way years ago while I played. No matter how thick of gloves I used or how much I taped up my stick, my palms stayed calloused.

“Of course, I’m sure.”

I should have declined. Not been a greedy bastard. Thierry wasn’t in the right state of mind for me to be asking questions. Nor climbing into bed beside him. He probably wouldn’t even remember how he got here in the morning. But, if this was our only night together, I’d take it. Just to be close to my best friend.

After grabbing my pillows and shucking my clothes, I climbed into bed. The most expensive thing I owned, besides my tattoo equipment, was this bed. Thierry rolled over facing me as I slipped beneath the covers. Again, the intimacy of the moment ratcheted up a few hundred degrees. Nervous energy replaced my exhaustion. I wasn’t sure where to lay or put my feet. I didn’t want to drag the blankets up too much and not leave him with any.

Fuck, I never worried this much about a woman’s comfort before, and that sentiment definitely made me an asshole.

“There’s one thing I do wish more than anything,” Thierry said, trying to keep his eyes open.

“Oh? What’s that?”

The corner of his mouth lifted and some of the tension bled from his features. “I wish I would have told you how much I loved you, Pope. I longed for you to say the same.”

Before I could react to his statements, a snore exited him, and he’d fallen asleep. I rolled over onto my back, staring up at the stained popcorn ceiling. My mind raced. My heart hammered. Thierry loved me? Maybe he said something that sounded like Pope or love. It’d be conceited of me to think he’d say my name or the L-word together. That was crazy.Doesn’t matter anyway. By morning he’ll have forgotten everything you talked about.

That thought sucked more than being able to ask questions.

I closed my eyes, praying sleep would come in short order so I’d have a reprieve from my restless thoughts. But every time I closed my eyes; I saw images of Thierry in my mind. Most of all I saw his smile and those few seconds took my breath away. I might not understand what was happening to me or why I felt this connection to Thierry, but here I was, unsure what I wanted to happen next.

At some point, I must have fallen asleep. I knew I’d be dragging ass in the morning. Tonight was worth it, as far as I was concerned. I’d do it all over again if I got the same results. However, when I woke again, narrow rays of pink filled the apartment as the sun rose over the Smokies, ending our time together.

By the time the sun came up fully, we’d retreat to our respective corners and continue with our lives. That sucked most of all. I didn’t want to return to my empty existence.

As I stared at the wall across from me, I was cocooned in a warmth that was draped across my body like a heavy, comforting blanket. I tucked closer into the sensation, snuggling down until I heard Thierry’s groan, and his arms slip around my middle. I stiffened, not sure what to do except wait to see how the moment played out.

“This is different,” he whispered, his voice thick and scratchy with sleep. “I always wake alone.”

I swallowed hard. “Oh?”

“Yeah.” He rolled us so I was facing him, inches from his face. Lying like this, it was as if we were sharing secrets, we didn’t want anyone else to know. “Tell me one thing. Did we do anything last night?”

Besides argue and piss each other off? “Nope. I’d never take advantage of you or the situation like that.”

“Didn’t think you would, but we could have both been drunk,” he said with a tiny smile hooking his lips.

“You have me there,” I replied. “Though I enjoyed being able to reconnect with you.”

“Good to know,” he stated. “Will you kiss me now?”

I drew back an inch not sure if he was serious or still wasted. “Uh?”

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