Page 69 of Yesterday I Cared
"We haven't even said anything!" Ronan protests. "If your mind is going somewhere dirty, that's on you and not us. Get your minds out of the gutters."
"Are you saying we're making too much out of this? That we're actually taking it somewhere dirty?"
Ronan grins at Carter. "Well, no, we never said that."
"Jesus Christ," Bryce mutters.
“If you act like this when Liam gets here, I’m going to kick all of your asses.” Kat points at each of us individually. “Not only is he my new employee, but he’s the guardian of one of the kids you coach. I know you guys—I know how welcoming you can be—so don’t screw this up. He’s feeling very much like a fish out of water and needs friends his own age he can talk to.”
“He’s twenty-seven,” I point out. “That’s practically a toddler to Ronan.”
“Oh, fuck you.” He laughs, leaning over to press a kiss to my head. I grin up at him.
After that, everything kind of goes to chaos. Liam arrives and Kat is making sure he knows everyone, which of course, he does. Apparently, when they both worked under her stepfather, she hadn’t been shy about telling him, or their friend Nadine, all about us. Including how annoying she initially found Bryce to be, which is probably my favorite part.
Liam blends into the group, not afraid to jump in on the teasing, and is a naturally relaxed person. We learn that he went to school in Virginia, mostly on scholarships, and working his ass off to get where he is now. If there’s one thing this group appreciates, it’s working hard to get the things you want. He tells us about how Emmie is settling in, that he feels like he’s not quite reaching her. We give him as much advice as a group of thirty-year-olds who are only children and all childless can give, but he’s grateful, nonetheless. He gives us all the drama about Dalton Enterprises and what happened after Katrina made her dramatic exit.
Overall, it’s a good night with the opportunity to meet someone new and see if they’re someone who will get folded into our tiny, tight-knit family. More than likely, the answer is yes, because it’s who we are. All of us are so far from our families, either physically or emotionally, but we recognize the need for that connection and believe in families that are found through life. Almost more than the ones we’re born into.
"I haven't had this much sex since I was in my twenties."
Mia laughs, rolling over to snuggle against my side. "I find that hard to believe. You're mister reformed playboy Olympian."
I graze my fingers down her bare back, tracing the tattoo of a crystal I'd already memorized. A citrine tower, she'd told me when I first asked about it, because it enhances mental clarity for manifesting dreams and goals.
"You know that's a lie. I got caught having fun a couple of times in my early twenties, and it became my whole identity." Her kiss to my pec tells me she knows this to be true and a reminder that she sees the real me. "Besides, having to learn how to walk again put a bit of a damper on my love life. Did you know Bryce is the worst wingman to ever exist in history?"
"Considering all the help he needed from literally everyone else, I'm not at all surprised."
We lie there in silence for a few more minutes, enjoying one another's company. Before too long, though, the stiffness that's been building in my leg for the last several days becomes unbearable. Groaning, I gently push her back so I can sit up and stretch out my leg. Her eyes arelocked on my back.
"Do you need me to get you anything?"
I shake my head, slowly standing. I turn to face her and nod toward my bathroom. Which I think might be the one place in the house she hasn't seen yet. "Come on, let's take a bath."
She balks at the suggestion. "You're joking, right? You must be joking."
"Why would I be joking? My leg is stiff as hell, and I want to soak in the tub with my gorgeous girlfriend, who I had another round of mind-blowing sex with."
"Your leg hurts because you keep insisting on having mind-blowing sex with your girlfriend on hard surfaces or insist on carrying her."
"I'm willing to deal with the consequences to my actions," I reply, holding out my hand. "Now come on, let's take a bath."
"It's not going to work, Ronan. You're a giant and I'm a size twenty or twenty-two. There is no way in hell the two of us are going to fit in a standard sized bathtub."
I bend forward to grab her wrist and tug her toward me. I may not be a professional athlete anymore, but I haven't let up on my strength training. "Good thing it's not a standard bathtub then. Come on, baby."
Reluctantly, she gets out of bed and follows me to the bathroom. As soon as I flick on the light, she lets out a surprised gasp, just as I expected she would. The bathtub was one of the selling points for this place, because I definitely cannot soak in a standard one. This one, however, is extra wide and long, practically the size of a small hot tub, with depth that allows a good soak. The two of us will be rather comfortable in there.
I lead her over to sit on the edge while I start the water, making it as warm as possible without burning on skin so we can stay in longer. Another selling point was the brand-new water heater. She watchesme with amusement as I get the Epsom salts from the shelf and add them to the water.
Before long, the two of us are sinking into the warmth of the bath with relieved sighs. She rests between my legs, leaning most of her weight against my chest.
Despite how intimate we've been the last four or so weeks, this takes it to a whole other level, and it might be one of my favorite moments. Silence fills the room, neither one of us feeling the need to break it. Mia's fingers mess with my hand, where it rests on her stomach, turning it over to trace her nails along the lines of my palms. Both of us are as content as could be.
"Don't tell me you know palmistry, too?" I keep my tone low and quiet, not willing to be the one who breaks the silence.
She lets out a breathy laugh, shaking her head. "No, but it's kind of fascinating, isn't it? The way these lines can tell a story—how they reflect your life?"
