Page 42 of Infinity Chronicles 2
Ollie chuckles with my foot still help captive. “It’s okay, I’d get crabby too if someone deprived me of my awesomeness all day.”
Peering up at his cheekiness I can’t helpbutgrin. “You got me,” I confess. His handswarm up as he circles the bottom of my foot with his thumbs. Ollie bites the corner of his lip, the silly banter evaporating as the atmosphere shifts.
“If this is too much,tell us.”
I look away, feeling guilty about leaving them. “I’m just not used to being around somany people, well people who are focused on me, anyway. I’m used to blending in, disappearing.”
Ollie’s handsbegin tomove higher up my foot until he’s circling my ankle. “Honey, I don’t think you ever disappeared. You might have wanted to, but people always notice you, even if you don’t realize it.”
Ignoring his comment, I fold my arm over my eyes and sigh, letting his magic hands and fingers knead away my worries. Ollie lifts my leg higher and I feel the bed dip as he kneels on the end. My calf lands on his shoulder as he continues his heated massage up my leg. If I was sittingup, my mouth wouldbe hanging open and I wouldbe drooling, it feels that good.
When he squeezes just above my knee, I moan. I hadn’t realized holding my thighs together in the car couldmake me sore. “Feel good?” Ollie asks, his voice low.
“God yes,” I answer before realizing how dirty it sounds. Ollieflattens his palm on the back of my leg and slides it down to the mattress. He digs his fingers in a little and slides back up behind my knee. When his palm shifts a little, going to the insideofmy thigh, I open my eyes slowly and pull my arm away so I can see him. His lips are parted as he watches his hand move over my leg. He stops again, right before his fingers touch me, and I think the little sound I let out is disappointment.
Ollie’s eyes jump to mine, his hand moves down again, and this time his eyes are locked on mine. Instead of pulling back when he almost reaches the apex of my les, his hand stills there, all warm and filled with so many possibilities. I feel the pressure of his palm lighten as one finger traces up the center seam of my jeans.
The door bursts open and Milo is standing there, his eyes jumping from my leg up on Ollie's shoulder to his hand, which is now back to massaging right above my knee. He swallows thickly. “Hey guys, Ares sent me, dinner is here, and so are your parents.” For a second, I lie there frozen, unsure of what Milo is thinking.
Ollie gives my leg one last pat. “All right princess, time to put your game face on.”
I sit up straight, reaching back to swat him across his stomach. “Don’t call me princess either.”
“Okayswoppsies.”
I groan out a long-suffering sigh, although I appreciate Ollie trying to lighten up the situation. Chancing a look over at Milo, I find him giving Ollie a little elbow jab in a playfulsort ofway. My relief is swift.
“Are we really doing this whole pet name thing? Cause I can do without it,” I tell Ollie as I rise from Ares’s low bed.
Ollie wraps one arm over Milo’s head and comesto mewith an open arm. I fall in beside him while he walks between us. “Of course, I need a special name for youdumpling, you’re my little pooh bear.”
Miloactuallygroans at that one. “Jesus, let’s go.” I wrap my hand around Ollie’s waist but grab onto Milo’s shirt at his side. He looks over at me, like it might have been an accident, and his face flushes pink when I don’t let go. I could really get to like this.
* * *
Not toosurprisingly,meeting Ollie’s parents turned out being relatively easy. When they noticed Milo, Ollie, and I walk into the dining room none of them batted an eye at our group. One of his dads, Adam, sent a wink in our direction. While Scott gave Ollie a hug with me and Milo still at his side. None of them questioned what I was doing with the group, and from the look on Ollie’s mom’s face when he told herthatI was their Synergist, I don’t think it even crossed her mindI could be more than a casual girlfriend or acquaintance.
Ittooka bit ofconvincing for her to believeI was, in fact, who he’d said. “Oliver, if you’re lyingabout this…” His mother, Carolyn, warned. I don’t think she even knew what to threaten him with, he doesn’t even live at home at this point.
“Seriously Mom, do you really think I would lie about this?” Ollie drops into the chair shaking his head. “I mean, this,” he waves his hand around, encompassing the entire room, “iskind of big deal.”
“It’s not like it would be the first time. Remember Hawaii?” Carolyn crosses her arms over her chest and looks down at Ollie.
His cheeks flush bright pink. “I didn’t tell you I found our Synergist, Ijusttold you I thought I would find her if we moved to Hawaii. Did you ever live in Hawaii Laura?”
I can’t hide my grin. “No, can’t sayI have.”
“Well look at that, your motherly wisdom was right all along,” Ollie deflects, sucking up to his mother at the same time.
“It’sreallynice to meet you Laura.” I turn to see one of Ollie’s fathers behind me. “Scott,” he introduces himself while Ollie and his mom share a little banter. I glance between Scott and Adam, there’s no way for me to know which on is his biological father.
“Hello.” Crossing one arm over my stomach, I wrap my fingers over my elbow. I don’t know if I should shake his hand or what. At least with Milo’s mom Linda, allthe guesswork was taken away, but it seems like Ollie’s family might be better at giving me some space to adjust.
“I’m assuming there’s a reason we’ve never met before, and howit’s possible that you seem to be the same age as the boys, yet I’ve seen nothing about you in the directory?” Scott’s keen eyes assess me. There’s nothing but curiosity there, no mistrust. But he’s looking at me like I’m a puzzlehe has to figure out.
“I think Ares and the guys could explain it better than I could. I didn’t even know about any of this until I met them at school.”
Scott’s head tilts. “How peculiar.” Straightening, a smile stretches over his face as he adds, “I can’t wait to get to know you.”
