Pass Interference (13 page)

The combination of sensations nearly brought her to orgasm. She’d never felt like this before. Philip was touching her in a way that no man ever had. The entire sex act with Kevin wasn’t anywhere near as arousing as these few minutes with Philip were.

Her soft moans were muffled by his kisses. Her fingers gripped his hair as she kissed him harder, pulling him closer still. He groaned when his erection made contact with her body through his pajama bottoms. He began to ease her nightshirt upward to expose her breasts. But when he started to roll on top of her, Sara forced herself to pull back. She pressed her hands on his chest and could feel his heart beating as fast as hers. “Wait,” she said, breathing hard. As much as she wanted him to make love to her right here and now, his parents were a few doors down and she just didn’t feel right about this.

Leaning away, he slid his hand out from under her shirt. “You’re right. You’re right. Sorry,” he said, catching his breath. “I’m sorry.”

Sara looked into his eyes, but wasn’t sure what to say. What was the appropriate response? That’s okay? No problem? Maybe some other time?

He ran his hand through his hair. “I’d better go,” he added, without taking his eyes off of her or making any move to leave. Sara nodded weakly.

Acknowledging that their sensual encounter was over, he murmured, “Okay.” With that, he threw his legs over the side of the bed, hesitating for a minute. Even without seeing his face, she could tell he was wincing.

She placed her hand on the center of his back. “Can I help?”

“I’m good,” he said without turning around. He rose to his feet. “See you tomorrow.”

She watched him limp out of the room and close the door behind him.

Plopping back down onto her pillow, she covered her mouth with both hands. She couldn’t believe what just happened. She couldn’t believe Philip came to her room. She couldn’t believe she just made out with him. Mostly, she couldn’t believe she let him leave.

She was probably the first girl who ever kicked Philip Mason out of her bed. It would have been so easy to just let things progress. In fact, she had wanted him so much in the moment that it would have been way easier to say yes than to say no. But again, they were in his parents’ home and it just didn’t seem right. Or maybe that was just an excuse and she wasn’t quite ready to make love. Could she trust her feelings for him? More importantly, could she trust his feelings for her?

She stared up at the ceiling, knowing that the chances of getting any sleep tonight were pretty slim.

As expected, Sara barely slept all night. Before getting out of bed the next morning, she waited to hear activity in other parts of the house. Then she took a shower and started to dress.

She looked in the mirror as she buttoned Kelly’s blouse. Ugh. Dark circles.
That’s attractive,
she thought. But the blouse was pretty and just a little lower-cut than she normally wore. It flattered her shape too. The pink and blue flowers melted into the fabric and looked like a Monet watercolor.

She stood in front of the mirror thinking, procrastinating. She was a little nervous about seeing Philip this morning. The last thing she wanted was for him to think she rejected him last night. That wasn’t her intention at all. She had fretted half the night, worried she gave Philip the wrong impression, so it was crucial to find some time alone with him this morning to make sure he understood.

She left the bedroom and headed toward the kitchen where Philip’s father was standing near the coffee maker. “Coffee,” Joe offered, holding up the pot.

Yes, and lots of it.
“I’d love some, thanks.” She scanned the surroundings.

“He’s not here,” Joe said, as if he was reading her mind. “He went to the gym for physical therapy and to work out some kinks.” He poured her coffee and handed her the mug.

Or some frustration, Sara decided. Closing her fingers around the warm mug, she stared into the dark brown liquid. She had a million questions—like when did he leave? What was his mood like? How far away is the gym? When will he be back? But she didn’t feel comfortable asking any of them. She set her cup down to add some milk when she heard a set of footsteps approaching.

“Good morning, dear,” Diane addressed her as she entered the room. “Sleep well?”

Sara nodded slowly.

Diane took Sara’s hands. “I feel terrible leaving you like this dear. We’re going to be heading for the airport in about an hour, but I want you to make yourself right at home. There’s cereal and yogurt and English muffins.”

Sara smiled. “That’s very nice, thank you. You’ve been such amazing hosts, both of you. I’m really glad I—” She was about to say she was glad she came, but the words that came out were, “—met you.”

“We feel the same way, so don’t be a stranger. We said goodbye to Philip before he left for the gym and I told him that you’re welcome here any time.” Diane hugged her, and this time, Sara was more prepared than the first time. She returned the affection.

“Do you need a ride to the airport?” Sara asked.

“No,” Joe answered. “We’re taking our own car and leaving it in long-term parking.”

And within an hour, they were gone. But Philip wasn’t back yet. Was he staying away because he was angry? Upset? Feeling rebuffed? Was he working off some steam? Or sexual tension? Was he afraid to face her?

If it were Kevin, she’d say maybe. But Philip knew his way around women. Sara wasn’t naïve. She knew Philip had girlfriends before, so she doubted he was avoiding her just because they almost had sex last night. Come to think of it, he didn’t seem upset when she pushed him away. Disappointed, sure, but he didn’t force the issue. He was a true gentleman.

After eating breakfast, Sara went into the backyard. There was a lovely in-ground swimming pool with a screened enclosure. It looked so inviting. She bent down to dip her fingers in the water. It was colder than she expected, considering this was Florida. She shrugged, figuring the pool wasn’t heated or that the heat wasn’t turned on.

With her nervous energy working overtime, she went back inside the house. She picked up her cell phone from the chest of drawers in Kelly’s room. Touching the screen, she tapped the contacts list and hovered her finger over Philip’s phone number. “No,” she said, putting the phone back down. She was not going to be one of those women who needed to know their boyfriend’s every move.

Boyfriend? Is that what Philip was to her? They had never even gone out on a real date yet. But a guy wouldn’t invite a girl to meet his parents and spend Christmas together without it meaning something deeper. The way he looked at her lately, the way he kissed her, the way he couldn’t keep his hands off her, and the fact they almost made love—even Sara couldn’t downplay it. This was big.

She left her room and walked into the room right next door—Philip’s room. This was her very first time setting foot in here, and it looked like his parents hadn’t touched the room since he left for college. There were trophies and pennants and framed pictures of a young Philip with his high school football team and another picture of him wearing a baseball uniform. Typical sports fanatic’s room, just as she suspected. Oh yeah, and there was also a desk in case the jock chose to sit down and do some schoolwork. And just like in his sister’s room, the full-size bed was pushed up against the wall opposite the window.

As she reached for one of the trophies on a shelf against the wall, a pair of arms encircled her waist from behind. She nearly jumped out of her skin until she realized what was happening.

She leaned her head backward against Philip’s shoulder. “I missed you,” she said, surprised to hear herself say the words out loud.

Pressing his lips to her neck, he mumbled, “Missed you too.”

Her eyes fluttered shut, enjoying the little shiver his kisses were triggering. His now-familiar citrus scent was so comforting. “
Mmm
. You always smell so good,” she told him.

“I showered at the gym.” He turned her around and softly kissed her lips. But the kiss was over too soon. She wanted more. “Did you sleep well?” he asked.

She shook her head. “No, I slept horribly.” She laced her fingers behind his neck. He started to lean in for a kiss, but there was something she needed to say first. “Philip, I want to explain about last night.”

“It’s okay, you don’t have to explain.”

“Maybe I don’t have to, but I want to. I just want you to know that I wasn’t rejecting you.”

“I know that.”

She looked into his eyes, a little puzzled. “You do?”

“Yeah, you just felt weird because we’re in my parents’ house.”

So he really did understand. She let out a sigh of relief. “Right. With them right down the hall and everything.”

“I get that.” He took a step closer to Sara, holding her waist and closing any gap between them. “They left. We’re alone now.”

Suddenly Sara felt flushed and clammy, like she was running a fever. She took a step backward, out of Philip’s embrace. She could see this wasn’t the response he was expecting. It wasn’t what she was expecting either. Normal girls didn’t back away from Philip Mason.

He was right, though. They were alone now. His parents were gone and so was any obstacle—except for her own insecurities. She turned away so he couldn’t see her face.

Stepping closer, he squeezed her shoulders from behind. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“Me.” She heard herself whine and she hated being pathetic.

“What does that mean?”

“It means I’m not a cheerleader,” she said with disdain. “It means I’m not pretty enough or thin enough. It means you’ve been with tons of gorgeous girls…”

“Well, not tons,” he said, shrugging.

“It means I haven’t been with many guys,” she continued undeterred. “Well, just one to be exact. It means I’m not your type.”

Philip walked around her so he could see her eyes. He took her face in his hands. “Now there you go again making assumptions about things you know nothing about,” he said gently. “I’m the only one who gets to say what my type is. If I wanted to be with a cheerleader, I’d be with a cheerleader, but I don’t. I want to be right where I am. With you, Sara. I’ve never known a girl like you before and I wish…I wish you could see yourself through my eyes because…I’m crazy about you.”

Sara’s eyes grew watery, and she felt a lump in her throat. But as sweet and sincere as his little speech sounded, her self-doubt wouldn’t let her believe him. “Why?” she whispered.

He rolled his eyes. “Why do you keep asking me why? Isn’t it obvious?” When she didn’t reply, he attempted to lighten the mood. “Because you’re not a cheerleader.”

Sara looked down, stifling a laugh. Joking aside, what Philip just said amazed her. He just told her he didn’t want a cheerleader. He said he’d rather be with her. When she was little, she used to dream that a man would look into her eyes and tell her how wonderful she was and sweep her off her feet and love her more than anything.

Then reality took hold. She went unnoticed and unloved, and her childhood fantasies died. Cynicism set in, and protective walls got built.

But now Philip, her dream man, was standing right in front her, reviving the fairy tale. He was sweeping her off her feet. Was he just a charmer who knew the right thing to say to get a girl to go to bed with him? Or was he exactly who he appeared to be?

“If you really want to know, I’ll tell you why.” He lifted her chin to look into her eyes. “I’m crazy about you because you’re unique. Because you’re genuine. Because you’re honest. I’m crazy about you because you don’t try to be someone you’re not. Because you’re smart and sassy and caring and because you don’t even know how pretty you are. You’re sexy as hell without even trying. And, Sara, I’m crazy about you because you know me.” He placed his hand on his chest. “The real me.” Then he moved his hand to her chest and said, “Let me know you.”

A wave of heat rushed through her body when he touched her. She felt herself melting under his loving gaze. She was now convinced that those were not the words of a man merely trying to charm the pants off of her. Those were the most beautiful words she’d ever heard.

She was well aware that this was a significant moment in their relationship. There’s only one first time for any couple and she could easily put it off, say she wasn’t ready, tell him it was too soon or she wanted to get to know him better first. She could play hard to get, play coy, play games, but that wasn’t Sara’s style. In fact, she wasn’t sure she even knew how to play those kinds of games. All that aside, looking into his hopeful eyes right now, there was only one possible choice. Even if this all disappeared tomorrow, in this moment, she wanted him. She wanted Philip more than anything, and she wanted to feel wanted by him.

Finally, Sara swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded.

Philip smiled at her with his eyes and exhaled. Then he took her hand and slowly walked backward until he reached the desk chair. He sat down and patted his lap. Sara looked over her shoulder at the bed and then back at Philip. This wasn’t what she was expecting.

“I’m at a bit of a disadvantage these days…because of my knee,” he admitted.

Ah, the light dawned. He couldn’t put pressure on his knee. He tugged her hand, urging her onto his lap. “It’s okay, you won’t hurt me if that’s what you’re worried about.” He spoke so softly, and she could tell he was concerned about what she was thinking.

“Listen, I know this isn’t the most romantic subject at the moment,” he said, “but I want you to know I was tested for everything before my surgery. I’m STD-free. And in case you’re wondering, I haven’t been with anyone since then. There’s only you.”

“Thank you for telling me,” she whispered in a voice that was choked with emotion. “I’ve only been with one other guy and we always used protection, so…” She felt like it should go without saying, but she told him, “That was a while ago, and now…now there’s no one else but you either.” She lightly stroked his scruff and sat down gently on his lap.

He touched her cheek and moved his fingers up into her hair, pulling her toward him until her lips met his. Without breaking the kiss, his fingers slid down to her blouse and he began to undo the buttons with one hand. He stopped when he reached the last button.