Saving Mattie (nh)

Stolen Kiss: Number Two

(This is an alternate version of the last chapter, I hope you like it '~' )

"Football?" I asked doubtfully, eyeing the field wearily. I was shit at football, and really didn't want to embarrass myself in front of James.

"Yeah! Isn't it great! Fresh air, cut grass. It's a nice change of scenery from the flat, we'd been cooped up there for weeks." He turned back to me, the wind nearly blowing the green snapback from his head. His eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses, and I squinted, desperate to make eye contact with him.

The field he had brought me to was deserted on the outskirts of the city. It was surrounded in trees except for the road behind us, but even the old gravel road wasn't busy. It looked like a field for little tykes footy practice.

"Yeah, it's nice, but I can't play footy for shit." I said, biting my lip. My eyes darted to the ground, and I felt my cheeks burn.

"Hey, that's alright," he grinned, bumping shoulders with me. "I can teach you."

"Teach me?" I asked doubtfully, raising an eyebrow.

James didn't seem too fazed by my tone, and instead grabbed the spotted ball from the bonnet of the car. "Yeah. I mean," he turned back to me, the ball rolling from hand to hand. He smirked lightly, before tossing a hard chest pass to me. It flew into my boobs, and the air flew out of my lungs, making me gasp.

"How hard can it be?" he said quietly, his voice rough. My heart raced, and I felt a red flush speckle my cheeks. My breathing was heavy, and my chest heaved, but my eyes never left James'. The slight lilt on his lips made my whole world spin, but I felt so secure and sheltered with him around. He stepped closer to me, making my breathing stop altogether. The small smile was gone, replaced by a nearly non-existent tilt of the lips. he was standing right in from of me, and he towered over my small frame.

"Let's get started." he grinned wickedly, and my heart lost the flutter an instead dropped like a stone.

He skipped around me and started off into the middle of the field. I watched his retreating (and attractive) back strut across the grass like a high fashion model.

"But I don't even know the rules!" I said, following his footsteps.

"I'll teach you them."

"I have two left feet, I can hardly sneeze without my clumsiness getting in the way."

"As long as you can run, you will play."

"And what if I can't run?"

"I'll teach you."

"Ugh!" I protested, throwing my hands in the air. "James, don't make the fat kid do exercise!"

James halted, and spun around to face me. His hands slid his sunglasses up and onto his head, letting his green eyes flash down me. I could feel his eyes take down my body, from the frizzy hair sticking out of my ponytail to the untied paces on the sneakers he bought me. We were so close, our breathing met between us, making a cloud of fog in the cool morning air. His eyes raked down my body, leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. I could see the intensity glowing in the emerald depths.

His head snapped up to face me, and I felt my cheeks glow crimson. He had just taken in my every appendage, my every scar, one by one. He now knew exactly how my body looked.

I'm still not sure if that calmed me to terrified me.

"Mattie."

I was yanked from my daydream, and snapped into the present. During my zone out, James had lessened the distance between us. There was less than an inch between our heaving chests, and each bated breath created a mix of fog between our bodies. It was soothing.