Chapter 6

6

Rush

By the time my bedroom is filled with the sweet aroma of Adison’s hair or body wash — strawberries— I’m about ready to rip off my sweatpants and make her mine.

Adison flips her long ponytail behind her shoulder while she studies the math book. “You understood the formulas, right?” She bites her nail and doesn’t lift her eyes from the book.

“Yeah, I get it.” My stomach lets out a growl.

She looks at me and her eyebrows raise. “Hungry?”

I grin. “Math. Works up an appetite.”

Adison checks her watch. “I could go grab some sandwiches from Polly’s and bring ‘em back.”

“You’d do that?”

“Sure. I’m hungry too and it’s going on noon already.”

I point to my dresser. “Grab my wallet and I’ll get you some cash.”

She picks up the wallet and instead of handing it to me, she opens it.

“Hmmm.” She gives me a devious look and peeks through it. “Driver’s license. That’s good.”

I shake my head and smirk. “You better watch out. You don’t know what you’ll find in there.”

“School I.D.” She removes the card and peers at it. “Meh. Your picture isn’t your best.” She grins. “Obviously not your best side.”

“Is that so?”

“Oh, you’re a faithful customer at The Campus Cup.” She examines the card. “Two more punches and you get a free coffee.”

“Come on,” I urge with a wave of my hand. “Hand me the wallet.”

“Oh, is this a secret compartment?” She waggles her eyebrows. “Oh my. What have we here?” She pulls out a condom and holds it up. “As they say, no glove, no love, right?”

I smirk. “That mouth of yours,” I grit out. I ache to get my hands on her.

“Cover your stump before you?—”

“I’m warning you,” I tease. “You’re giving me ideas.” All this taunting about sex has my dick paying attention.

She tosses me the wallet and wanders over to my bookshelf which is full of my collection.

“A reader, huh?” She runs a finger along the spines and it’s almost erotic how reverent she is to them.

“Football players can read too, you know.”

She laughs. “Oh, and even some with words and not just pictures. Impressive."

“Smart ass,” I mumble.

She pulls a book from the shelf. “Oh, this is a good one.”

“Whatcha got?”

“ Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea . Your classic science fiction. Very intellectual. For a jock.”

I laugh. “Thanks. I like some of the older books.”

“I see that,” she says as she pulls another book from the shelf. “Mark Twain.”

“When you invite me to your dorm, will I find a bookshelf with your favorite novels?”

“When I invite you to my dorm? Really?” Her smile is infectious.

“Hey, a guy can dream.” I pull a twenty-dollar bill from my wallet. “What’s your favorite book?”

Her face lights up as she considers the possible answer to my question. “My favorite? The Velveteen Rabbit .”

“No hesitation. That is a good one. Why do you like it so much?”

Adison bites her bottom lip and her eyes fill with tears.

Is she crying?

“Oh, crap. Adison, what’s wrong?”

She takes a deep breath and forces a smile. “How about those sandwiches?”

I hand her a twenty-dollar bill. “Get whatever you want.”

“What are you having?” she asks, tucking the bill into her purse and sitting next to me on my side of the bed.

“Turkey on rye. Swiss cheese, mayo, tomato, pickle, black olive. Double meat and throw on a few banana peppers.”

She wrinkles her nose in disgust.

“What?”

“Banana peppers? Yuck.”

“What’s wrong with banana peppers? You don’t like them?”

She shrugs. “Not on my sandwich.”

I poke her lightly in the ribs and she giggles. The sound mixes with her intoxicating smile and I’m unsure how I’m going to get through the rest of the afternoon with her. My willpower is shaky, at best. I pull my math book across my lap. Hopefully, she won’t notice my dick’s interest in being inside her.

I hand her a pen and notebook. “Here, don’t you want to write down my order?”

She points to her temple and winks. “It’s a datacenter.”

“Do you need me to repeat it? I won’t eat anything but that exact sandwich,” I tease.

“Nope.” She pops the “p” and just as she’s about to close the door she asks what size sandwich.

“Make it a footlong.”

The door closes behind her and I let out a groan.

You’re killing me, Adison.

I lift the math book off my lap and my dick stands at attention. If I think about baseball stats, the periodic table of elements, and Kade’s overly friendly grandma, maybe I can get things under control before she comes back with the footlong.

I chuckle to myself.

Talk about a footlong. Damn. This girl.

Adison returns with the sandwiches, and I’ve got the TV on in my room with the college football game. She taps on the door and peeks in.

We eat our sandwiches and go over the final section of my math.

Whatever happened to her earlier when we talked about The Velveteen Rabbit book seems to be gone. She’s lively, with broad grins, and batting lashes— adorable. The girl makes my insides turn to mush. And we still manage to have a productive study session while we enjoy our lunch.

She closes the math book and tucks it into her backpack.

“Good work today.” She rises from my bed and my heart tiple times. I’m already thinking of how I’ll feel after she’s gone— missing her and alone.

She nods her head to the door. “I’m gonna head home. I have?—"

Please stay.

“You don’t have to go.”

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t attracted to her.

I struggle to find any reason to keep her here. I point to the TV as I turn it on and find a game. “Hang out and watch this game with me. It’s a good one.”

She wrinkles her nose. “Nah, I don’t think so. I’m not a big football fan.”

“Who would’ve ever guessed? Really?” I deadpan.

“Very funny.”

“Come on. I’ll teach you a few things.”

Her face is skeptical.

“About football.”

Adison

I’m all caught up on my homework. Although I have an exam on Monday, I only need to review a few of my notes, which I can do on Sunday. How many times do I get invited to watch a football game with a gorgeous player?

Never.

I settle into my spot on Rush’s bed and he puts his arm around me and pulls me toward him. I catch the scent of his soap and I’m flooded with heat that spreads through my body and settles deep in my belly.

I can’t deny I want him.

We watch the game in silence, and I melt into his embrace. I can barely focus on what’s happening on the television.

“So, what was that flag for,” I ask.

“I think we’re going to see roughing the kicker.”

The ref announces the penalty. Rush was right. Roughing the kicker.

As the game continues, I find myself more intrigued by the physicality of it all. The concentration, the power, the dedication it must take to make it look so effortless. The blue and gold team against the maroon and white. Rush wants the maroon and white team to win. Something about if the blue and gold team loses, it’s better for the Rebels— even if he’s not a big fan of the maroon team. Not sure I exactly understand, but the game is close, and I find myself riveted to the bed next to Rush and not wanting to miss a minute of the action. The game breaks away for a commercial break.

“It’s fourth down and one. What does that mean?” he quizzes.

I slide closer to Rush on the bed— so close that our thighs touch.

“Well, it means the team with the ball?—”

“Kansas.”

“Kansas only has one more chance to make a first down, right?”

“Exactly.” Rush squeezes me. “How many yards have they made on this down?”

“This down?”

“This down.”

“Well… it would have to be nine they’ve made so far because they only need one more yard.”

“Yes, and they have two choices. They can either punt?—”

“Which means they kick the ball to the other team because they couldn’t make their ten yards in four downs.” I sit up a little straighter on the bed.

This football business is sort of fun after all. Reminds me of a good math problem which appeals to the left parietal lobe of my brain.

“They have a second choice that we haven’t seen yet, but I think we might see it when the game comes back on. Do you know?”

I shrug. “I guess they do get four tries, right? Can they try a fourth time?”

He nods, his fingers cradling around my shoulder. “They can, but if they can’t make that last yard, the ball goes to Michigan.”

“They kick it to Michigan?”

“Nope.” Rush grins. “Michigan takes the ball right where it currently stands.”

When the game returns, it turns out that Kansas goes for the first down, and they push their way through the defense and make the first down.

After the Kansas and Michigan game is over, another game follows immediately after.

“I should probably get back to my dorm,” I tell Rush as the new game comes on.

“What? And leave me here alone? Come on, you can watch Texas and Arizona play. It’ll be a good game.” He slips his hand into mine and rests our joined hands on my thigh. My contact light causes those sparklers inside my stomach to ignite.

He wants me to stay? I’m practically vibrating inside— so giddy I could do a happy dance.

Although my heart is about to pound out of my chest, I manage to take a calming breath.

“Okay. I’ll stay.”