Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 94579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
“Gee, thanks.”
“No one has texted me back yet, by the way.”
Shocker. “Your friends haven’t texted you back?”
“Nope.” She pops the P, same way I did before. “Not yet, but I’m sure they will.”
“Nice friends,” I mumble, just loud enough for her to hear.
“They actually are,” she counters. “Give them a break, would you? They’re just excited to be here.”
They let her follow a strange dude outside and she wants me to cut them some slack? Uh, okay…
“They just friends or also roommates?”
“Just friends, from freshman dorm life.”
“Ahh.” I don’t point out the fact that only a cleat chaser would leave her friend hanging for the chance to snag some baseball cock. “What are the odds they’re going to cut the evening short and come looking for you?”
“On a scale of one to ten?”
“Sure.”
“Two?” Her laugh comes easy.
“Those are terrible odds.”
“Don’t I know it.” Her sigh isn’t loud, but it’s heavy. Conflicted. “I’m not going to fault them for staying inside. Would you? It’s not worth getting pissed about, so…”
“You don’t think they’re going to make bad choices without you guard-dogging them?”
“Oh, I know for a fact they’re going to make bad choices.” She laughs again, softly, emitting a little humming sound as I throw back my head and laugh too, the frigid weather racking my body harder than what’s normal.
I have goose bumps covering my arms and chest; my nipples could cut glass.
The simple fact that her friends haven’t come outside to check on this chick speaks volumes about their character, but that’s not something I’m going to voice out loud if she wants to turn a blind eye to it. It’s none of my business, and this girl sitting across from me has taken enough hits tonight without me pointing out how craptastic her friends actually are.
I mean, they’re leaving her outside for the chance to get banged by an athlete—who does that?
Let’s face it, whatever happens with Derek or Ben or anyone from the team, it won’t lead to anything but the morning-after walk of shame.
If this girl is waiting for her friends to reappear, she’d best be in it for the long haul, which means I’m stuck out here freezing my dick off.
“How long do you think you’ll last before giving up?”
“I guess when I start getting cold?”
That, too, has me laughing like a maniac.
The balls on this chick.
“You’re not cold? What are you, made of stone?” Because my nuts are shriveling inside my jeans like two raisins about to fall off the vine.
Her head cocks to one side. “I mean, this sweater is really warm, and I have this nifty scarf in my bag if you want to borrow it?”
“Hard pass.”
When I rub my bare biceps vigorously to warm them up, her eyes follow the motion up and down—and who would blame her? My guns are huge.
I flex once for good measure, and to get a reaction.
It works. Her eyes move along my torso, lingering on the front of my shirt. “You really should have planned better. It’s cold out—why are wearing short sleeves, anyway?”
“I knew it would be hot inside, and I wasn’t planning on squatting on the damn porch all night like a hobo.”
“Still,” she hedges, “it’s practically winter.”
“Thanks. I finally got the memo.”
“Layers, at least.”
My green eyes narrow at her, just the slightest bit. “Are you always like this?”
“Like what?”
“Such a pain in the ass?”
“Am I pain in the ass? Hmm.” There goes that damn dimple. “I guess it depends on who you ask. Tonight’s probably not a good night to take a poll.”
A ping fills the air, and she reaches for the cell lying next to her knees, lifts it, and taps the screen. Smiles, satisfied.
“They’ll be out in ten minutes.” The phone gets set back down after she taps out a reply. Rests her head back against the wall, smiling. “I knew they wouldn’t leave me out here all night.”
Liar. “You did not.”
This laugh is lilting. “You’re right—I was starting to get worried.”
She stands fifteen minutes later when her friends come stumbling out the door, brushing off her legs and ass. Stretches and holds out her hand to help me off the ground.
Which is so fucking ridiculous, because she’s tiny and petite and I tower over her by almost an entire foot. Nonetheless, I slide my hand into hers when she offers it, letting our palms sizzle from the contact.
Zap.
Standing on my own without her assistance, clasping her hand, I rise to my full height.
“Thank you.” She lingers a few seconds, glancing at her friends, now down in the yard, stumbling heels already clicking over the concrete of the sidewalk.
I release her hand, stuffing mine into the pocket of my jeans. Flex the fingers of my tingling flesh. “Don’t be such a pain in the ass next time.”
“I’ll try.”
She starts down the staircase, ponytail swinging in the breeze. Glances back once, over her shoulder.