Page 10 of Game On

When my vision returns, Blaze stares at me with a huge smile, but he looks to be lost in thought, too. He wipes his mouth on his discarded shirt that was lying around from last night and slowly climbs up my body, not breaking eye contact. When his face is close to mine, he leans and places the softest of kisses on my lips.

“Good morning, beautiful.” Blaze’s voice is husky, and a tingle shoots straight to my core.

“Good morning,” I whisper back, as he lays beside me.

I turn so he can encompass me in his arm and hold me tight. As if on command, my body relaxes, and I start to doze off.The sudden realization of Blaze attending Christmas lunch makes my eyes pop open a few seconds later. Panic sets in at the idea of my brother finding out that I just fucked his best friend. Luca left home when I was fifteen, so he really hasn’t seen me date. I’m scared his reaction will not be in favor of me being involved with Blaze.

I pat Blaze’s hand that’s placed on my belly to get his attention. “What are we going to do today? We should have thought about everything before we did... this.” When I pause, he tenses beside me.

“We weren’t thinking, that’s what made it great. But, yeah, we need to talk through what happened, and what this looks like.”

I cut him off with a squeeze of his hand. “Nothing can go further here, Blaze.” His sigh is a breath in my ear, and I’m not sure if it is meant to show he is disappointed or a relief. “Seriously, think about it,” I continue. “I have my shop and life here in Venice, and you have your career and life hours away in Milan. But, with as much as you travel for games, you really live all over the world. There isn’t much time for anything else.”

Another heavy sigh releases from his lips, but this time, he pulls me in tighter, as if he doesn’t want to let me go. Oh, how I wish that was the case. Last night was amazing, and I had the best time hanging out with him yesterday. I would love to see where this could go... if only our lives were not so different.

I wait for a minute, to see if he has any reply. His silence is my answer. “Look, let’s just call this a great night of sex and leave it be. We can go to my parents’ house separately and act like nothing happened. That way we won’t have to worry about any more awkwardness for the rest of the day, and when Christmas is over, we can go our separate ways.”

Blaze remains silent, but his hold on me is still firmly in place. Maybe he is struggling with letting me go, as much as I hope he is, but when his response finally comes, it’s so quiet that I almost miss it. “I guess you are right.”

After kissing me on the top of my head, Blaze gets out of bed and goes to the bathroom. When I hear the water turn on, I drag myself out reluctantly, put my clothes on, and walk out the door.

Chapter 8

Blaze

She’s gone.

Fuck!

I really didn’t think this through. I have never had a relationship past three dates. Yeah, I really don’t know what I am doing, but then again, I can’t have a relationship, just like Gaia pointed out. There is no time for anything other than soccer in my life.

Wiping my wet hair with a towel, I stare at my bed where the sheets are still messed up from the most amazing sex I have ever had, but I only feel alone. I miss Gaia already, and she hasn’t even been gone ten minutes.

I guess I will go along with this charade for Gaia’s family and act as if nothing happened between us, but it doesn’t set well with me. I have an incredible urge to have her on my arm and stand next to me proudly.

The next few hours seem to drag by as I pack, mope and wait around to see Gaia again. Only having two days off for Christmas sucks. Yesterday was a great day, and I’m sure today with Gaia will be as well, but I wish I could have a few more with her. Finally, when it’s time to go, it’s only a short walk to her parents’ house, hopefully the walk will calm my nerves. It’s going to be nearly impossible being right next to her and unable to reach out and touch her.

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