Chapter Five

Tatum

Starting over in a new town wasn't my plan, but I knew it was for the best. Surprisingly, it hasn't been as bad as I feared it would be.

It was a bonus that I knew the girls, who eagerly took me under their wing and offered to show me around. It's what I needed to keep me from laying low too much. Although Hallyn and Ava have been busy between class, dance, and work. I couldn't blame them, and I knew they had a lot on their plate.

Everly and I hit it off as friends. We met when she joined Hayes at the Rixton vs. Avalanche game last spring. We quickly discovered we have a lot in common, and I have to admit, I love how straightforward and honest she is.

With Everly, there's no sugarcoating it. As someone who has dealt with two-faced friends and lying exes, it's refreshing to know what you see is what you get.

Everly: You know what you need? A good smutty book to get lost in.

She's not wrong. I've become an expert at disassociating as of late.

Everly: Or an orgasm. Either/or.

I burst out laughing and flop back on my bed. I've been slow getting out of bed this morning, but there's time before Reed returns and we leave for our friend date in town.

The house is on the outskirts of Braysen, close to campus but still a couple of miles out. I don't start class until tomorrow, so Reed's offer to give me a tour was perfect timing. Plus, I didn't want to miss submitting my application at the bakery in town.

With all the students arriving on campus recently, the job opportunities are few and far between. Tack on the fact that it's at a bakery, and I'm afraid it will go fast, and I'll miss my opportunity.

My mind drifts back to the present, to the text from Everly still sitting on my screen. I reply with You're not lyin' before dropping my phone onto the mattress next to me and flinging my arm over my face.

I can't remember the last time a man touched me.

Okay, that's a lie. I remember every detail because it was the night everything changed.

Although I debated tossing my vibrator in the garbage while packing, convinced I'd never use it again anyway while also fearing my brother would stumble upon it while helping me move, I ultimately decided to keep it.

I haven't touched it in months, though.

Maybe Everly has a point. Perhaps what I really need is to find a way to release all this built-up tension and anxiety.

I pushed myself up, climbed out of bed, and peeked out the window to check the driveway. The guys were still at practice, leaving me the house to myself.

Opening the top drawer of my dresser, I feel around under my panties for the velvet bag holding the prize. When my hand wraps around it and I pull it out like a magic wand, ready to make all my worries disappear, I check to make sure it's charged before I drop my shorts and underwear and settle on my bed.

I lie back and let my gaze drift to the ceiling, trying to imagine my hands as someone else's tracing a path from the swell of my breast over my stomach and between my legs.

When I squeeze my eyes shut and picture myself glancing down at the person exploring my body, Reed's face unexpectedly flashes into my mind, snapping me out of the moment.

"What the hell, Tate? You have one rule. Not to mention, he's your roommate. Not now, not ever," I mutter to myself, patting my hand around on the bed in search of my phone.

I guess if I'm going to do this, I'll have to resort to alternate methods. I ignore Everly's message when I unlock my phone, open a browser window, and type the website to the hub.

If I wasn't so convinced this would solve all my problems, I'd probably die of shame instead.

"Jesus! What is wrong with you, Tate?" I huff.

Who am I kidding? We all know what's wrong with me. It's been months since I've had an orgasm, and Everly's right. I need one, and I need one now.

Without wasting time browsing, I click on the first video that appears and fast-forward to when it gets to the good stuff. Turning up the volume, I drop it onto the pillow beside me and close my eyes.

There's no point in watching it. The sound of a man getting off is enough for me. As soon as I hear his loud throaty groan mutter, " Fuck ," I flick my vibrator on and adjust the suction over my clit and settle in.

" Open your mouth and suck on the tip ," he groans.

Lost in a haze of desire, I could swear the voice in the video sounds just like Reed's. Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but I'm not about to admit it out loud, even to myself.

In my mind, though, I'm on my knees for him, and he slides his fingers into my hair, guiding his hard dick into my mouth.

" Oh damn, that feels so good ," he murmurs, and I flick my tongue underneath his shaft, taking him as far as I can. " You look so good with my dick in your mouth, baby ."

Although I know it's not for me, I soak in every ounce of his praise like it is and adjust the position of my vibrator. My body trembles with need as a wave of pleasure surges through me.

" Let me taste your pussy ," he orders.

Those words heat my skin, causing my stomach to flutter with anticipation.

I press the button on the vibrator to increase the suction, and when a low hum escapes his lips, I'm unable to control myself or the words that come out of my mouth.

Like some sort of dream or nightmare, two hard knocks hit my door, snapping me out of my blissful moment. I sit up quickly, frantically searching for my phone in an attempt to stop the video.

"Tatum, is everything okay?" Reed echoes from the hallway, jarring me back to reality.

The real Reed, not the one who's a figment of my indecent imagination.

"Uhm, ye-yeah, what? What are you doing here?" I stammer, scrambling out of bed to grab my shorts, knocking my phone behind my pillow in the process. I hear the loud thud when it falls between my mattress and headboard.

"Hold on a second. I'm just, I need a minute."

"Okay," he says, the concern evident in his voice.

I pat my hand over my hair, practically holding my breath to avoid sounding too exerted while also silently hoping the video stopped playing.

The room is quiet now except for the steady pounding of my heartbeat in my ears.

Quickly checking my reflection in the mirror, I can't ignore the flush of my cheeks or the glazed look in my eyes. I'll just pretend I was asleep. How will he know any different?

I flip the lock and crack the door open, taking in the sight of Reed casually leaning against the wall. His gaze briefly sweeps over my shoulder like he's checking to see if I'm alone. I furrow my brows, trying to play it cool.

"What's up?" I ask, aiming for a light tone, although my voice comes out higher than I intended.

He studies my face for a moment, his gaze narrowing slightly before drifting down to take in the rest of me before meeting mine again.

"I'm just getting home from practice. I wanted to check, but are we still on for our date?"

" Friend date, Reed."

"You know what I mean, Tate. I have class in a few hours, but I thought we could go before. We can stop by the bakery to put in your application, grab your textbooks, and do a quick tour."

He fidgets, shuffling his foot from side to side. If I didn't know better, I'd think there was something more on his mind. His eyes flick to my room and back to me, hinting he's holding back something.

"Yeah, I would appreciate it. I don't want to miss the chance to apply for the position. I checked this morning, and the post was still up."

A muffled groan interrupts us, and for a second, I think it's one of the guys returning from practice.

"You hear that?" Reed breaks through my thoughts.

"Is that one of the guys?"

" Climb up here and ride my face, baby ." A gruff voice cuts through the tension.

My face heats, and I don't need to check the mirror to know I'm ten shades of red.

"Tatum?" Reed says.

His jaw tightens, nostrils flaring as his intense gaze pierces through me.

" Jesus, baby, you're so fuckin' wet for me ."

The shame is back, and I'm fucking mortified. I'm amazed I can get a word out when I say, "Um, can you give me a few minutes to get ready, and I'll meet you outside?"

Reed looks conflicted, and in my mind, I'm pleading with him to have mercy on me. He runs his hands through his damp hair, the strands falling on his forehead. With a short nod, he steps away.

"I'm gonna jump in the shower." His voice cracks. "Get cleaned up. I'll meet you outside in twenty minutes."

I don't bother pointing out that it looks like he showered after practice. I've seen him after practice before he's showered—his hair wet and the absence of his sweat-drenched T-shirt is usually a dead giveaway.

Which means he…

No, I won't let my mind go there. It's not my business, and it's definitely not a conversation I want to have with him.

"I'll be out in twenty," I say, my voice a little steadier now.

He turns to leave but pauses, glancing back at me like he's weighing his options, but I make it for us both when I slam my door shut.

Not before he adds, "Oh, and Tate, you left your vibrator on your bed."

***

I'm sitting on my bed, mentally running through a checklist of possible excuses to avoid Reed. Each one of them circles back to the same realization that if I bail, he'll be outside my door in no time.

This wasn't a conversation I wanted to have with him face-to-face. Not because I'm ashamed, though the more I think about it, the more I convince myself I shouldn't be. It's more out of fear of the topic veering too close to the fact I was picturing him touching me.

And honestly, I'm not sure my body wouldn't betray me all over again.

Reed: You comin'? ??

He's never going to let me live this down. Ever.

Me: I would be if you'd stop interrupting me.

I fire back at him, a smirk tugging at the corner of my mouth. Two can play this game, Reed Hendrix.

When I step out the door a few minutes later, Reed's leaning against the hood of his black Mustang. There was no missing the unmistakable sound of the shower turning on after he left my room, but I choose to ignore how he's wearing the same clothes he wore home from practice.

I'm not going to bring it up, though, knowing how easily the topic could get spun around on me.

"There she is," he says with a grin. I tuck my hair behind my ear and duck my head as I pass by him to the passenger door. "I was beginning to wonder if you might need a hand."

He reaches past me for the door handle, his chest grazing my shoulder, and I press my lips together to stifle my gasp.

"Not necessary. I think I got it covered."

He pulls his hand back, raising both in mock surrender as he steps away. I roll my eyes, ignoring the suggestive undertone of his words. We both know he's not talking about lending a hand the way he's insinuating.

With a huff, I toss my backpack onto the floor and climb into the car, feeling his eyes on me the entire time.

"The fact you throw a football immediately eliminates you from the position. Sorry."

Reed raises an eyebrow and smirks. I press my lips together, caught off guard by my own reaction while attempting to suppress the laughter trying to escape.

"Don't say things you don't mean. I didn't peg you as a liar." He lifts his chin slightly. "Watch your feet."

He doesn't say a word as he shuts the door. I watch him as he circles around the front of the car and climbs in beside me. In fact, we stay silent for the entire drive until we pull into the parking lot outside the campus bookstore.

Enrolling late into the school year put me in a bit of a bind with my classes. Usually, I would scout secondhand bookstores or online in hopes that a past student would be selling theirs. With me starting tomorrow, I had to bite the bullet and fork over what little cash I had left to buy them new.

I owe the guys a lot, especially Colter, for letting me stay at their house rent-free for the semester. The arrangement came with the understanding of me picking up the slack around the house so they could focus on football and school. Colter was onboard right away, but I might've sweetened the deal by offering to cook from time to time.

Normally, I would've been a bit more wary about moving into a house with four rowdy football players who love partying and having friends over. But Everly assured me it wasn't as wild as I imagined.

Not that it mattered much. I was desperate to get out of Rixton. I would've settled for crashing on their couch if they let me. While I hate dwelling on what led me to this point, I'm grateful Beckham understood why I needed to get away from his former teammate and offered their place without hesitation.

"You know what you need here?" Reed asks, shifting the car into park.

I unfold my class schedule. "I wrote them all down and already reserved the books online. I just need to pick them up."

Reed nods. We fall into a silence as we walk to the door, the air between us thick with unspoken tension. Thankfully, we're in and out quick. Reed takes my bag from me, now heavy with books, and leads the way out to his car.

"You want to drop your books off and walk around campus to find your classes, or did you want to head to Sweet Tooth now?"

I unzip my bag and pull out the résumé I put finishing touches on last night. Thankfully, I was able to print a copy off and pick it up from the bookstore as well.

"Let's head there now. I don't start my first class until tomorrow afternoon, so I still have some time."

Reed nods, and we both climb back into his car.

"Thank you for offering to take me. I appreciate it," I say, staring out the window at downtown Braysen.

"Anytime," he says, and I give in to the urge to finally glance his way.

Reed smiles at me, a sinful smirk curving the edge of his lips, making my stomach flip. He could flash that thing at any girl on campus, and there's no doubt in my mind she'd instantly be swooning over him.

"I meant it too. Anytime you need anything, you say the word."

I choose not to let myself think about what anything could be.

"You mind if I ask you a question?"

My face warms, already picturing the possibilities of what his question might be.

"I guess it depends."

"The reason you've sworn off football players… does that have anything to do with your dick of an ex?"

I'll be honest, it's refreshing to be around someone who dislikes Wells as much as I do. Back in Rixton, he practically runs that town—or at least he thinks he does.

I won't let my brother hear me say it, though. He'd go to war with Wells just to prove a point. Talon hates him for more reasons than what he did to me. It's just the icing on an already bitter cake.

"I've sworn off athletes entirely."

"Are you kidding?"

I smirk. "Honestly, I'm done with dating too. Too much of a headache, and life is too short to waste it with assholes who don't even know how to find your clit."

Reed inhales sharply, which immediately sends him into a coughing fit. I wish I could say I didn't relish the sight of him being on the receiving end of the awkwardness now.

He pulls into the empty parking spot outside of Sweet Tooth. Once stopped, he uncaps his water and takes a long gulp.

I lean forward in my seat and take in the small bakery. The first time I saw the place, I couldn't get over its charm. With its pink-and-purple awning and bistro tables outside, it looks like something straight out of a vintage candy store.

"You could've warned me on that one," Reed says, clearing his throat before finishing the rest of the bottle.

Reaching for the door handle, I turn back to him and smirk. "Where's the fun in that for me? Besides, something tells me you wouldn't have that problem." I flash him a wink, then push the door open and head inside.

We're dangerously toeing the line between flirting and fooling around. I'm starting to realize it's a lot harder to resist Reed Hendrix than I thought it would be.