From Now Until Infinity (2) (10 page)

Colin turns back to me. “Let’s get you back to the hotel because I’m not done with you yet.”

I take his hand and snicker as we walk very quickly toward our hotel. He shoots me his half smile, “Something funny, Doctor Collins?”

“We got in trouble for being too indecent in New Orleans. That must be a first,” I state.

He takes advantage of this opportunity to push me up against a plaster wall that's flaking away exposing the red, aged brick underneath. Colin demands my swollen, abused lips again. I gladly allow him access. When he’s finished kissing me, he looks into my lavender eyes with a fierceness that's reserved for football and me. He firmly states, making sure I hear every word, “I’ll add this to my list of things that I don’t care about. I don’t care what anyone thinks of our relationship. I don’t care who sees me making out with my girl. You’re mine, and you aren’t going anywhere.”

There’s a small part of me that would like to salute him because he’s so serious and determined. I choose to allow him to drag me back to our hotel room instead.

Chapter Five

I RELUCTANTLY pack my things to return to Houston. Even though this has been a very eye opening trip, I’m not ready to head back to reality. Colin hasn’t seen my home yet. I have to work tomorrow. We have to figure out how to live with each other. Neither one of us are used to having roommates. The last person that I lived with was Rachael. Even in medical school, I didn’t have a roommate.

I haven’t brought up our disagreement from last night, but it’s not over. I plan on trying to talk to him again about letting his teammates and friends know that he and Sasha are no longer seeing each other, and we’re together. Everyone will know in a few days when the article comes out, but it’d be nice if they heard the news from him first.

Colin went out to get my morning coffee (black) so I’m alone in our hotel suite. I take the opportunity to turn on Colin’s phone and plug it in the charger. When the phone dings indicating that it has power, I glance at the screen. There are four missed calls from Mark, two calls from Aiden, three calls from Sasha, and a text from Tyler that’s apologizing for last night and hoping that Colin’s happy. I, all of sudden, wish that I hadn’t been so “helpful” and left his phone turned off.

I do, however, decide to add my own ringtone to Colin’s phone. I’ve so enjoyed George Strait’s
I Just Want To Dance With You
, each time that he calls me. I decide that Colin needs to be reminded that I’ve let him into my heart so I choose
Halo
by Beyoncé.

I hear him enter the suite, and I guiltily put his phone down and get back to my packing. I want him to be surprised when I call him. Colin saunters into the bedroom looking like a model that just stepped off the runway. His light brown hair is deliciously tousled from our passionate night. Even though we didn’t technically have sex, we found multiple ways to pleasure each other until we both passed out from exhaustion.

He walks over to me handing me my coffee. I smile at him and thank him for his gesture of kindness. He’s so thoughtful, and that’s a huge turn on. I didn’t have to ask him to get me coffee this morning. He offered.

“I decided to be helpful and plugged your phone in,” I begin explaining.

“How bad is it?”

“Besides calls from Mark and Aiden, you have bonus calls from Sasha and an apology text from Tyler,” I explain as evenly as possible.

“Shit,” Colin says and runs his fingers through his hair. “I’ll deal with them at the airport.”

He does a deep sweep of our hotel room. I give him a hard time about being all dad like. He explains that leaving your favorite shorts or socks in a hotel room is a hazard of his chosen profession. He tells me a hilarious story about his favorite pillow getting left in a hotel room in New York, and two days later it was being sold on EBay. He said that it went for something like a thousand dollars. That’s really bizarre.

We ride in silence on the way to the airport. We’re sitting side by side without a molecule of air between us, but I feel like we’re both miles away. I’d love to know what he’s thinking, but I’m afraid to ask in front of the town car driver.

When we’re waiting comfortably in the first class lounge for our flight, Colin pulls out his phone. He looks at me with apologetic eyes. “I guess now is as good as time as any. I’m going to call Aiden first.”

I start a new book on my e-reader and attempt to distract myself from watching Colin. It’s hard. He’s standing at the window with his back to me. He’s rubbing his hands through his hair. I try to remember if he was this stressed his first year as a professional player. I’m not sure because he was working so hard to earn the starting quarterback job. That was his focus. He didn’t seem to have the outside football stressors that he has now. But, we were in such a different place back then. Could I’ve been too blind or maybe sick to notice?

Finally, after multiple phone calls and hair pulling, he sits down next to me. I never managed to finish the first page of the book that I started because I was too distracted by him.

“If you don’t stop with the hair pulling, you’re going to be bald by thirty-five,” I tease trying to lighten his obviously sour mood. I run my hand over his thigh hoping to soothe him.

“Is that so, Doctor Collins? Did you learn that at Harvard?”

I know that he is trying to play back with me, but it isn’t working. He looks miserable. Colin picks my hand up from his thigh and kisses my palm. It’s such an affectionate gesture that my hearts melts.

“Do I have to pry it out of you or are you going to tell me?” I ask.

He leans back in the velvet chair and starts telling me the soap opera that is his life. “Liza called Sasha last night and told her about meeting you. Even after the shitty interview that she gave, she still wants me back. Sasha called Aiden all hysterical to see if he could help her. I called Sasha and said that she’s lucky that I’m not suing her for libel. God, why do I have such shitty taste in women?” He glances my way flashing me his half smile, “Present company excluded, of course.”

I laugh and elbow him, “Of course.” I sigh and say, “It’s over. What’s done is done. I wish that we’d handled the Sasha situation differently. I love you. I want to be with you. I love being your muse and good luck charm. No more phone calls with any of them. I’m so excited and a little nervous to show you where I live.”

“You’re right. Today is the first day of the rest of our lives together. No more Sasha,” he confirms.

“I really like the first class lounge,” I reply as I get up and snuggle into his large lap. We are virtually alone. We don’t have to worry about someone snapping a picture of us or asking for Colin’s autograph. I like our privacy. He holds me to him until they call our flight.

* * *

By the time that our plane lands in Houston, I’m almost sick with worry. Our lives are about to get real. No more hotel suites and fantasies. Colin and I are entering a new phase of our relationship. We have to see if we can share a bathroom and closet. We have to talk about how we’re going to handle finances and chore duties. We’re about to experience the real life of a relationship. I’ve got to introduce Colin to my home, my friends, and my life. This is when we know just how compatible we really are. This is where the rubber meets the road.

I pick at my nails as we drive to my place. Each mile that we get closer to my home increases my dread. I laugh to myself, “I’m giving the man that I’m crazy in love with directions to my home. This’s surreal.” By the time that we pull into my driveway, I really think that I could have a panic attack.

My mind is racing with doubt.
What if he hates my place? What if leaves his dirty clothes on the floor? What if he leaves garbage on my kitchen island? What if he sets his sweaty water glass on my coffee table, and it leaves a ring?
The “
what ifs
” are back, and they’re killing me.

When Colin shuts off the maroon Escalade in my driveway, he takes my hand in his. “Calm down, baby. It’s okay. We’ll figure this out.”

I repeat his words to myself. “We’ll figure this out.” I let out a breath that I didn’t know that I was holding. This is such a huge step for me. I’m letting Colin not only into my heart but into my life. There’s no going back once we’re integrated together.

“Just leave our stuff here. I want to give you a tour first,” I instruct him. I need to see him in my space first before all of his stuff is brought in.

Colin obliges me as I knew that he would. His calm demeanor is helping to ease my nerves.

Once we’re out of the car, he takes my shoulders and squeezes them. He then turns me so I can look into his eyes. “Baby, it’s okay. I’ll love your home because you love it. We’ll make it work because this’s what we both want.”

His words soothe me. I nod my head and smile at him. “I’m okay,” I reassure him.

We walk up the steps to my front door. I unlock it and open the door to let him in. He walks inside standing in my open concept second floor which is my living room, kitchen, and dining room all in one huge space. There are no walls. There’re just pillars and beams that support the upstairs. I watch Colin look around tentatively. He stands in the center of the room seeming to take it all in. Then, he walks to my built-ins and looks at the pictures of my life. There are pictures of me and my sisters. Of course, there are pictures of Rachael and me. I’ve got some pictures framed of my medical school friends and I doing fun and goofy things. He picks up one picture that I’ve framed of me and couple of my friends from Harvard. Adam has his arm thrown around my neck and he’s kissing me on the cheek. I framed it because it’s a fun picture that captures a silly time before residency. I didn’t frame it because Adam’s in it.

Colin’s back is to me. I’ve quietly taken a seat at my huge island that doubles as a breakfast bar. I watch him studying the pictures. I can only see his back, and it’s not betraying what he’s thinking. I can hear the clock on my wall ticking. I sit very still and wait for him to speak.

“Why are there no pictures of you and me?” He asks with his back still to me.

I was prepared for this question, and I’ve thought about my answer already. “Pictures of us were too painful. They reminded me of what I let go, and I didn’t want that reminder.”

When Colin turns around, he’s holding the picture of my friends, Adam, and me. I see jealousy in his eyes. “This is the guy that you hugged at graduation, and you introduced to your family. Why’s he framed and in your house?”

Here’s that pesky reminder of Colin at my medical school graduation yet he didn’t say hello or congratulations. I don’t want to fight with him so I reply, “Adam was a friend and a guy I dated. That’s all. There’s no story there. He didn’t mean anything to me. That’s why he can be framed.”

“I don’t like pictures of him, Charlie. I don’t want to see evidence of others loving you. I saw him at your graduation. I saw the way he looked at you. He had his hand on your back. He cared about you.” Colin opens a drawer in my built-ins and shoves the picture in.

I stand up and walk to him, grabbing his hand and leading him to my linen sofa. I gently push him down. I straddle his lap and plant soft kisses along his chin. Colin’s rough stubble on his cheeks tickles my lips. I’ve got the urge to lick him so I do. He moans in pleasure. I take his gorgeous face in both of my hands. “You had my heart, even then. There’s not been anyone else but you, Colin.Fucking.McKinney. Don’t get upset about things that we can’t change.” I implore him to listen. I can see the turbulence in his green eyes.

There’s a part of me that also wants to say, “If you had said hello or congratulations at my graduation maybe we could’ve begun again. Instead, your jealousy chased you away for several more years. You stubborn man!” However, I don’t. One day, Colin and I’ll have the opportunity to discuss my graduation, but I know that now’s not the time.

After a few minutes, he says, “I love your home. It’s just how I imagined our home being. It smells like you.” Colin hugs me tightly, and all the tension of earlier today leaves me. He accepts my sanctuary and that means that he in turn accepts me.

I snuggle into him allowing Colin to hold me against his firm chest. I feel content in our silence. Slowly, I begin to feel his erection growing in his jeans. I can’t help myself. I begin to move against him.

He lets out a soft moan and grabs my head gently pulling my hair. He starts to trail kisses along my jaw and neck. I arch my neck back giving him better access. My movements against his erection become more frenzied.

“Colin…” I moan. “Let me finish the tour upstairs and show you my bedroom.”

He laughs while he plants kisses on my chest. “Baby, that’s the worst pick up line that I’ve ever heard. No wonder you were still single.” Before I can respond, he scoops me up and carries me up my stairs to the third floor of my town home which is my master suite. He gently tosses me on my queen size bed and begins to consume my mouth. His long, hard body falls on top of mine. I’m matching his passionate tongue stroke for tongue stroke. My lower stomach begins to ache for him. I want and need Colin now. Immediately. We’ve gone too long without being inside of each other.

I push him off of me. He looks at me in complete shock. “What’re you doing? I thought you wanted me to make love to you?”

“I do… I umm… Need to use the restroom first. Give me a second…” I stammer. I’ve almost finished my period, but I still have a tampon in. This is so embarrassing. I gently remind myself that bodily functions are part of living with someone.

I’m glad when Colin nods his head in understanding as I slip into my bathroom, and I don’t have to spell it out for him. As I’m finishing up, I hear, “Oh God. Tell me that’s the same red chair from college.”

I walk out of my bathroom with a huge smile on my face. “Yes. It would be the same chair that you enjoyed once or twice. I just recovered it. Why don’t you go have a seat for old times’ sake.”

My gorgeous statement is naked and sitting in our chair. The sight of him is such a turn on that I immediately begin massaging my nipples turning them into hard pearls as I stroll towards him. He’s watching me through a lustful haze. I watch his penis begin to pulse as my hand makes its way to my slick opening. I reach down and start to slowly massage my clit. I’m concentrating on our first time making love in this chair and how I teased him before I let him touch me.