Page 7 of The Captain

And suddenly, I had Cassie pressed against a wall.

Fucking hell.

I’ve dreamed of this.

Our breaths were moving rapidly, her eyes scanning my face in shock and mine…well, I couldn’t decide what’s prettier, her eyes or her fucking gorgeous mouth.

I wanted to reach down so bad, take her lips with my own, and glue my body to hers, holding her to me while I explored every inch of her.

I wanted it so bad that I was about to say fuck it and do it when she ripped her hand out of mine and shoved at my chest.

I was nowhere near budging from her little shove, but I stepped back, trying not to overcrowd her and trying desperately to get a grip on myself before I embarrassed us both in this hallway.

“What do you want?” Her words were a hoarse whisper, and I watched as her throat bobbed in a thick swallow.

“I need your help,” I said, deciding to humble myself. Did I want someone else to help me? Someone who wouldn’t fucking take my shit seriously like my sister’s best friend would? Someone who was only in it for the money and not because they actually gave a shit?

No. I wanted Cassie to help me. Even if I do have a little place in my heart reserved just to hate her, I knew she was fucking smart. I knew she was going to be able to get me where I needed to be so I could keep playing again.

“I can’t focus in the library with all of those people around, with all the whispered words and shuffling of papers. It’s too distracting.”

“You zoned out as soon as I started talking.”

I shook my head again, gripping the back of my neck. “I promise, it’s just what happens when there’s too much going on around me.”

“So.” Cassie cleared her throat and crossed her arms over her chest. Even though she was wearing a hoodie, she still looked fucking amazing. Not that I would tell her that.

I didn’t want to lose my favorite appendage.

“We need a new place to study then. How about your house?”

“Not a chance,” I said immediately. I didn’t want her there and have Crew all over us while we were trying to study. That was my time with her, not his.

My time? What am I, five?

Not to mention the fact that all my fucking teammates would salivate over Cassie, and it was way too fucking loud for studying.

She bit her lip. “Well, we could try this diner, it’s off campus though, so we’d have to drive, but I don’t currently have a car.”

“I can drive us,” I said quickly, thinking a diner would be perfect. I could actually get a real meal in and get some studying done. “How loud is it?”

“It’s not so bad,” Cassie said, her eyes averted from my own. “We can sit in the back booths where no one really goes.”

I bit my tongue, wanting so badly to make a joke about it, wanting to push the boundaries that were pretty firmly in place, but I don’t.

“Okay. Let’s do it.”

FOUR

Cassie

Six Months Ago

This had been a terrible idea, and the moment the words had left my mouth, I’d regretted it.

This diner has been a second home to me for as long as I could remember, and not a lot of people knew that about me.

Lincoln parked the car, and I immediately got out, breathing in the cool night air around us. Being stuck in his car, surrounded by his scent, and listening to his incessant talking that had nothing to do with anything was overwhelming, and I couldn’t have done it for much longer.

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