Page 6 of Swimming for Seduction

“Not if I see you first,” she shoots back before slamming the door between us.

Just like our first encounter, my dick turns to stone at her meanness, and I shift uncomfortably as I wait for my ride back to Ball Busters.

Chapter 5

Ricki

I thought it would be easy to get lost in a town with over two thousand college students, but I’ve realized over the past few weeks that Thorngrove is just a small town with a big university. Everyone knows everyone. Everyone is nosey. The locals and college students all frequent the same places.

So, avoiding my brother until I decide how I want our introduction to go has been a full-time job. Luckily, we don’t share any classes since I’m a freshman and he’s a senior. Not to mention our majors couldn’t be any more different with Brady studying computer programming while I’m working on a degree in physical education. The little time I have for a social life is when I have a hard time avoiding him and his group of friends.

TG’s Happy Hour and Chelsea’s Coffee House are definitely off limits since they practically live at those hot spots outside of school hours. And I can forget about attending any of those infamous parties since Tracey—the girl that owns the cabin—is dating Brady’s best friend, Devon. She’s also the cousin of the bane of my existence.

Tyler Sheppard seems to be everywhere. It’s like he’s placed a beacon on me, announcing every time I’m doing something that could be construed as breaking the law. He never writes me a ticket or takes me to jail, though. No, that would be too easy. Instead, he uses each offense to coerce me into spending time with him.

Driving five miles over the speed limit? Coffee date. Sneaking into the university pool after hours? A walk in the park. Trying to convince Cory to serve me a spiked drink at Ball Busters? Dinner and a movie.

“It’s extortion!” I tell Livvy before taking a sip of myveryvirgin cocktail. “I’d almost rather pay the fines.”

It’s become a weekly tradition for me to sit with her at the corner table at Ball Busters on Friday nights while Cory is too busy behind the bar to entertain her.

“No, you wouldn’t,” Livvy says with a grin. “It would jeopardize your scholarship, not to mention your swimming career.” Before I can argue, she says, “Plus, it’s not like it’s a hardship to spend time with him. Tyler is sweet, hot, and has that whole ‘protect and serve’ thing down to an art.”

“Well,youdate him, then,” I scoff.

Not that I’m actually dating Tyler. I don’t have time to dateanyonewith my swim and class schedule. And if I did, it definitely wouldn’t behim…even if my body burns with desire every time I’m around him.Maybe I just need to get laid.

“Oh, no,” Livvy giggles. “I prefer bad boys.” When she looks toward the bar, I glance over just in time to catch Cory wink at her.

“Yeah, I can see that,” I tell her. “Maybe that’s what I need, too. Where can I find my own bad boy tomorrow night?”

“OH!” Livvy’s eyes light up with excitement. “Well, there are a couple of Halloween parties tomorrow night. I know you won’t go to Tracey’s party, but Ten-Air has a wicked haunted house and festival,andit’s right across the street from Hangar 7.” She bounces her eyebrows suggestively.

“What’s in hangar seven?” I ask, confused by her excitement over an airport building.

“Hangar 7 is a bar that offers super cheap cocktails anytime Ten-Air has an event. It’s where everyone goes to drink since they can’t have alcohol on the airport property.” She bounces in her seat as her excitement ramps up with every sentence. “The owner, Ryan, is a friend of Cory’s and he hardly ever asks for ID since none of the college kids go out there.”

“That sounds perfect,” I say. “I can get me a drink…and a bad boy for the night.” I wink, making Livvy laugh.

Tyler

It’s a family tradition for all the kids in the Sheppard family to have the same initials as my great granddad, Theodore Randolph Sheppard. The only exception is my older brother, Dirk, because he isn’t my dad’s biological son. Although, that’s not common knowledge.

My full name is Tyler Robert Sheppard and my family has called me ‘Bobby’ since I was born. My grandad was Theodore Robert Sheppard and he went by Robert. He was the sheriff of Thorngrove for over twenty years before he retired and is still haled as the best sheriff the town has ever had. Not wanting his shadow over me when I attended the academy, I started insisting on going by my first name.

My family still slips up and calls me ‘Bobby’ on occasion. Like now, when my older cousin is disappointed by my refusal to attend her Halloween party tonight.

“Come on, Bobby. Please,” Tracey whines as she slides my latte across the counter.

“Sorry, Tray Tray,” I tell her. “I’m going to the haunted house at Ten-Air with some guys from the station, tonight.”

“You said you’d start comin’ to my parties when you’re old enough to drink.” She pouts. “You’ll be twenty-one in two weeks.”

“Leave the boy alone, Tracey,” my aunt, Chelsea, scolds her.

“Ugh!Fine.” Tracey points her finger at me. “But you’d better be there on New Year’s Eve.”

“Looks like you’ve got some competition in the diva department, Devon,” I say when her two boyfriends enter the shop as I’m leaving.

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