Page 66 of The Assist
Blair lets out a little groan as her eyes flutter open. I drop a kiss to her lips and pull her against me. Damn, I’d do anything for this girl. If I had any question about that before tonight, they are gone. I’m in love with her.
“Is everything okay?” Her voice is tentative.
“Everything is perfect. I’m sorry I left you alone while you were upset. You doing okay?”
“I’m so embarrassed,” she says as she buries her face against my chest.
“What are you embarrassed about?”
“For all of it. Sending him the pictures to begin with, being too mortified to stand up to him, letting him use me, getting you involved. I’m especially sorry about that. Are you going to get into trouble because of this?”
“Nah, he’s too much of a coward to tell anyone. Besides, it was worth it. You’re worth it.”
Because I freaking love you. I love you.
“The stupidest part is I didn’t even want to send him the pictures. I know lots of girls do it, and that’s cool. I totally respect a woman’s right to sexy pictures without labeling her a slut, but I did it for all the wrong reasons. He was really possessive, and I was trying to prove that I cared for him and that there was no reason for him to play the jealous boyfriend card all the time. We were fighting a lot, and I thought, ‘hey maybe this will show him.’ Sounds really dumb now.”
“Not dumb at all.” I squeeze her a little tighter. “You were fighting for something you believed in.”
“Yeah, like I said, incredibly dumb.”
“Stop talking about my girl like that. She’s smart, gorgeous, caring, and she didn’t deserve what he did to her.”
“I know.”
“Do you?” I lift her chin so I can see her eyes. “You didn’t deserve what he did. Even if you’d been the worst girlfriend on the planet, which we both know you weren’t, you didn’t deserve to be exploited and blackmailed.”
The war in her eyes tugs at my emotions, which are bouncing around like a ball in a pinball machine. I want so badly to tell her how I feel about her and make her promises I have no business making. Promises to protect and love.
Tonight isn’t about my feelings, though. It’s about hers.
As I roll over on top of her, I kiss her tenderly, taking my time and expressing everything I can’t say with gentle caresses and strokes. When I’m finally inside her, I look deep into her eyes and wonder if she can feel the shift between us or if it’s just me who’s careening into the unknown.
25
Blair
I slideinto my seat after having pushed and clawed my way through the crowd at Ray Fieldhouse. Vanessa scoots down, making room for me, and Mario gives me a small wave from the other side of my friend.
“What took you so long? The game is about to start.”
You’d think it was her boyfriend who was getting ready to play instead of mine. I’m not worried about the game. Wes has been on fire all season. He’s playing amazing, the team is winning, and he’s even helped bring Shaw into the group; although, he still doesn’t seem thrilled about that last part.
Tonight is the last home game before Christmas break. Wes and the guys only get a week off. I’m heading to Succulent Hill to spend my break binge watching holiday movies, eating too many sugar cookies, and sleeping with no fear of missing class and no grueling study sessions keeping me up to all hours.
To be fair, the grueling study sessions usually ended with me naked in Wes’s bed, so I can’t really complain too much about that. And since I’ve been managing only my own course load, the semester had flowed along nicely.
“I was waiting for my final stat grade to be posted.”
Vanessa pries her eyes away from the court where both teams are taking the floor. “Well? Did your private tutor make it worth your while?”
My face warms. Did he ever. “Grades aren’t up yet.”
“I’m sure you pulled an A. Even if you only studied a quarter of the time you two were together you should have been able to ace the final.”
He’s been insatiable this week, and I’ve been happy to provide stress relief in the form of letting him use my body as a distraction. It isn’t as if I’m not getting mine as well. If I’m honest, it’s been a good distraction for both of us. I’ve not seen or heard from David, but I’m still looking over my shoulder expecting him to pop up out of nowhere.
Arizona State wins the tip off and the game begins. The energy in the room is bursting. The pep band works through their material, the cheerleaders are dancing along, and the fans are on their feet. The student section, enthusiastic as ever, is overflowing with students who are burned out on classes and ready to see our team win one before we head off to see family and visit hometown friends. But the game is a back and forth, both teams playing hard and not giving an inch. As we go to halftime, the score is tied and my nerves are shot.
