Page 34 of Trick Play

I lean into my bedroom door and set my things on the desk, then prop my shoulder against the wall and wait for Simon to figure out what he’s trying to say. But instead, he just shakes his head. “Just be careful, man. That’s all I’m saying.”

I give him a mocking salute. “Sir, yes, sir.”

He flips me off.

Laughing, I head into my room and close the door.

But my space feels different now, which is why I was studying in the living room. The scent of sex lingers in the air, and all I can think about is the way Piper looked spread on my bed, the way she felt all tight and clenching around my cock, the way she cried out my name as she came again and again.

Yeah, maybe I did go after her to get to her brother. But no amount of warning from Simon could keep me away now.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Piper

I force myself not to text Cal until after I turn my paper in on Wednesday afternoon.

But his patience runs out before mine. When I get out of class, there’s a text from him waiting on my phone.

Cal: Told you I’d text if you didn’t text me first. Do I need to come find you?

An irresistible smile pulls at my lips and a lick of heat races down my spine as I walk out of the classroom, stepping out of the flow of traffic to text him back.

Me: Maybe. What would you do if you did?

“Bring you hot chocolate,” says a familiar voice behind me.

Whipping around, there’s Cal sitting in a cluster of chairs in an alcove, a cup from the campus coffee shop in each hand. He stands, that self-satisfied smirk on his face that drives me crazy. How does a guy manage to look so arrogant and so sexy at the same time? I can never decide if I want to slap him or kiss him when he smirks at me like that. He steps away from the chairs, his dark gray joggers clinging to his thighs, and I have to swallow not to picture him naked. I know what he looks like naked now, so it isn’t hard to imagine the way his muscles move beneath his skin with such athletic grace.

This is why I made myself wait. I knew that if I made any sort of contact, he’d try to see me. And if he tried to see me, he’d succeed, and we’d end up naked and sweaty somewhere. Which would mean scrambling to finish my paper. And I needed to finish my paper.

This boy is dangerous for my grades, and therefore dangerous for my sanity.

If I let him distract me, I’ll be lucky to catch up and graduate on time, much less graduate early like I’m planning. I’m still trying to convince my parents to let me take summer classes. My scholarships only cover the two main terms. And I was lucky enough to get those, given how I left SCU. But since my parents managed to smooth everything over and the university allowed me to withdraw and transfer instead of officially disciplining and expelling me, I was able to get the scholarships I would’ve qualified for had I gone to Marycliff as a freshman. We just said that I’d had to withdraw due to “personal issues,” which is code for anything from severe mental health problems to being the victim of a crime.

The latter case is true. Even if that crime wasn’t prosecuted.

Much as I’d like to forget any of that ever happened, the reality of where I am now makes that impossible. And no matter how much fun sex with Cal might be, I need to stay focused so I can eventually move away (again) and move on.

I accept the hot chocolate with a smile, trying to seem as normal as possible. “The hot chocolate you offered to buy me.”

He taps his cup against mine. “I’m nothing if not persistent.”

“That you are,” I say with a chuckle before sipping the rich beverage. The coffee shop here does make good hot chocolate.

He steps back to his chair and lifts his backpack, easily tossing it over one shoulder. “Where are you off to now?”

“The library.”

“What an exciting life you lead, Piper.” Smiling, he gestures for me to lead the way, falling in step next to me, his hand brushing mine for a second before he hooks his pinky in mine.

When I glance up at him, he gives my little finger a squeeze.

“What about you?” I ask, wondering if he intends to just sit in the library and watch me study. “What do you have next?”

“Practice in an hour. So I’m all yours for the next forty-five minutes.”

Another wave of heat washes over me. “All mine, huh?”

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