Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 97882 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97882 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Blake nodded, like he was finally understanding. “I think I see what you’re saying.”
“Humor me next game and go with the first thing your gut tells you. I’ll run every lap Coach gives you for any mistakes that happen.”
He snorted. “Now that’s a deal I’ll take.”
I smiled, squeezing his shoulder before I took a drink and subtly turned to see if Julep was still playing quarters.
But she wasn’t.
I scanned the crowd idly, noting that Giana and Riley were with their boyfriends now on the dance floor, and I caught the tail-end of Mary’s blonde hair as she exited out the front door.
Then, I found Julep.
Squeezed between the arm of the couch and a smirking, wasted Kyle Robbins.
It was dark in the corner where they were, the couch shoved back against the wall to make room for the dance floor. Everything in my body reacted to that sight — fist tightening around the cup in my hands to the point of nearly crushing it, heart galloping so loud in my ears I barely heard the music, blood boiling and jaw clenching so hard I had an instant headache.
I didn’t allow myself the time to even formulate a plan before I was pushing through the crowd toward her.
I watched them through the gaps in the people as I shoved my way past, and when Kyle bent toward her, hand finding her thigh as he spoke something along her neck that made her laugh in a way I didn’t know was possible — a way I’d never seen her laugh before — I nearly passed out from red invading my vision.
And I didn’t care that I didn’t have a right to be pissed.
I didn’t care that I shouldn’t have been watching her, that I should have let it go.
I didn’t care that I didn’t know what the hell to say or do.
I just walked right up to them, towering over where they sat, breathing like a fucking dragon.
I startled them both, Kyle stopping mid-laugh and glaring up at me as if to say, I’m busy here, fuck off.
But my eyes were on Julep.
Her smile slowly waned, those dark irises growing even wider as she took me in. She was buzzed, maybe even drunk, which would explain the carefree way she’d just been laughing. But now, those glossy eyes were trained on me, and they slid the full length of my body before slowly crawling back up, a cat-like smirk painting her lips when she found my gaze once more.
“Hello, QB1,” she purred.
That one little greeting set my whole body blazing.
“Hello, Polerina,” I said back, and somehow, the corner of my mouth tilted despite how I was two seconds away from Hulk-smashing my teammate. In fact, I somehow embodied cocky indifference, one hand sliding into the pocket of my athletic shorts while the other held onto my cup.
I thought maybe Julep could sense it, the way her smile crept up even more.
“Having fun?” I asked, as if Kyle wasn’t there at all.
“Yes, we were,” he interrupted, trying to block my view of Julep. “So, if you could just—”
“I’m pretty bored, actually,” Julep cut in, something of a challenge in her eyes. “I thought you said parties at the Pit couldn’t be beat.”
I ignored the drop of Kyle’s jaw at her comment, though my smile was smug when I said, “Maybe you just haven’t had the right company.”
“Or maybe this party blows,” she countered.
“Maybe,” I conceded. I looked out back at the garden, at the folding table that had been abandoned out there with cups littered all over it. No one else was out there, so I looked back at Julep before nodding my head toward the door. “Want a change of scenery?”
She didn’t take her eyes off mine as she peeled Kyle’s hand off her thigh. “Desperately.”
And then she stood and led the way, and I winked at a furious Kyle over my shoulder before following her out.
Julep
“You’re drunk.”
The corner of Holden’s mouth lifted at the accusation, and he simply shrugged, drinking from his cup — which was in bad shape, like it had been partially crushed.
It wasn’t right, how tantalizing he looked in the warm glow of the Edison lights strung above us in the garden. We were the only ones out back, and I took advantage of my lowered inhibitions, letting my eyes rake over him. His hair was mussed, curling over the edges of the backward baseball cap he wore. I’d never seen him in a hat before that night, and I felt like a fucking high schooler for how I wanted to take it off him and put it on my own head, to see his smirk when I did.
Idiot, I chastised myself, but it didn’t stop me.
It didn’t stop me from noting how unfair it was to every other man in the world that he could look that good in black athletic shorts and a heather gray NBU pullover that zipped down to his chest, showing a white t-shirt underneath it. He’d shoved the sleeves up past his elbows, showcasing his ridiculous forearms that only a quarterback could have.