Page 62 of Game Plan

He splayed his big, muscular hand across my upper thighs to hold me in place. “Sorry, Mel. I can’t. You need to be cleaned. Anyway, we have a dinner date before your shift, so you better get to it and not lose any valuable time.”

Once in the bathroom, he turned on the shower and slid me down his front in slow motion. I felt every plane and ridge of his toned abdomen and the thick bulge just below.

Time halted.

The Earth stopped its rotation.

I was suspended against his hard chest, his hands holding me still as we breathed the same air. Even though we said nothing, it felt as if our souls could talk.

My entire being fizzed with excitement. My lips tingled. My hands became aware of the warmth of his flesh bleeding through the cotton fabric of his T-shirt.

I closed my eyes, not sure if I could resist the pull between us this time around.

The door of the bedroom slammed open and broke the spell. Mason lowered me to my feet and twisted his body to hide me as a voice I didn’t recognize greeted him. “Hey, man. Wanna go out for dinner? Amber has an art class tonight, and I feel like going to Lola’s. You in?”

Mason scratched the back of his head. “I kinda already have plans for dinner. I could maybe join you afterward if you’re still there.”

“You’re painting your room?” the guy I supposed was one of his roommates asked. “Looks nice. Maybe you can do mine next.”

“In your dreams, man. I’ll shower and catch up with you later.”

“I’m leaving in five. Call me if you change your mind.”

“Will do.”

The door closed, and footsteps padded away.

Mason spun to face me again. “I’ll clean up while you shower.” He pointed to the bedroom behind him. “I’ll jump in quickly after.”

I nodded.

He grabbed a towel from under the sink and handed it to me. “Get that Smurf makeup off you, Officer.” He winked, and we both chuckled.

“Don’t get on my bad side because I’ll have to handcuff you, Mase.”

“That’s all I’ve ever dreamed of.” He shook his head, his smirk stretching his lips wider, and shut the door after him.

I gasped when I took in my reflection in the mirror. Okay, I really looked like a blue humanoid creature. Mason hadn’t exaggerated.

Under the hot stream of water, I closed my eyes, wondering how the hell I had ended up naked in his bathroom of all places.

Meghan exchanged a glance with her twin sister. “Our mom asked us to watch our calorie intake because we need to fly home to attend a charitable event next month. She said we better fit into the custom gowns she ordered, or else she would put us on a strict diet.”

Meghan and Victoria were both super skinny, having a hard time gaining weight after battling anorexia for almost a decade. Their parents were overachieving individuals, and the pressure they put on their kids while growing up became too much. They both put their work before their family, and the girls ended up struggling not only with eating habits, but with trichotillomania too, a disease where they pulled out their own hair in a compulsive manner. Victoria ended up with cardiac issues at some point, and only then had their parents noticed their daughters’ pain.

They rarely opened up about their struggles, but when they did, I couldn’t help feeling murderous toward their parents. They didn’t cause their daughters’ mental health issues, but they enabled them the moment they showed any progress.

Luciana helped them come up with strategies to talk about their feelings with their parents. She offered to see them in her office later this week, since it was kind of a big deal.

Melody informed us that she had eaten a meal while surrounded by three people, which was a huge achievement for her, and Samuel said he ate a chocolate bar yesterday and didn’t feel guilty.

“What about you, Melinda?” Luciana asked. “You’ve been silent a lot so far today. Any problem with your meal tracking or training?”

“No. I don’t struggle so much with calorie intake these days. I’m super busy, so I don’t have time to think about it too much.”

“You know, keeping yourself too busy is also a form of avoidance, right? It gives you the illusion that you’re imposing some kind of control on yourself.”

“I’m journaling every morning, and I’m really doing my best to let go as much as possible. I eat three meals a day and always try to make healthy choices as much as I can. It’s the other things that I struggle with.”