Page 118 of Trust Me Always

“Want to get out of here?” I ask him.

He stares a moment, then nods, hopping off the table and tugging me to my feet.

We’re headed for the exit when a few squeals catch our attention, and we look over to see a different guy dragging an ice-cream-covered finger down another girl’s neck.

“Don’t you miss that?” I tease.

“Nah.” Brady shakes his head.

“Not even a little?”

He glances my way, his eyes on mine. “Not even a little.”

“You sure? We can go somewhere off campus where no one knows about us, take home a couple strangers from a bar?” I tease, but the moment it leaves my mouth, images of the other night flash, Brady’s words rolling through my mind with a heavy dose of desire.

His eyes flare as if he knows exactly what I’m thinking about, and he sinks his teeth into that bottom lip of his.

Fucking hot.

“I have been cockblocking you for nearly the entire season so far,” I say suddenly. “Do you want a hall pass?”

His brows snap together. “I should whoop your ass for suggesting that.” He lunges for me, drawing a scream from my lips as his arms circle my thighs and he throws me over his shoulder. “Now shut it.” He smacks my booty nice and hard. “’Cause what I want is all of them to watch me carrymy womanout of here like a caveman.”

I laugh, sliding my hands in his jean pockets, and let him carry my ass out while pretending I’m not enjoying the firmness of his own against my palms.

Shoes come into view as we pass the threshold of the building, and I look up, eyes locking onto a familiar pair for a split second before the door slams closed behind us.

Alister standing on the other side.

Alister

I crack my neck, then crack it again, shaking my limbs out as I pace back and forth in front of the training center doors.

With each passing minute, the sun gets higher in the sky, and every part of me grows even antsier. I couldn’t sleep last night, and I knew this was where I would end up in the morning.

I’ve been out here, freezing my ass off since six a.m.

I look to my phone, my back muscles clenching—six thirty on the dot.

I blow out a long breath, rolling my shoulders. I’ve been patient, sat back and let her have even more space than I’d already given her, figuring that was all she needed—distance from the jerk who treated her like anything less than the prize she is.

Being it was me who screwed up, I knew I had to play by her rules. I was the one in the doghouse and she held the key to the collar that would set me free.

To be honest, after I sat back and forced myself to truly hear what she was saying when she told me she wasn’t ready to talk, I understood. I was thankful she wasn’t pushing me away completely. Staying away wasn’t so bad; doing so didn’t change much.

She and I had conflicting schedules from the day we started hooking up as it was—early mornings, late nights, and an occasional Sunday.

Of course, I did weasel my way into her class this semester so I could be close to her. That was sort of a dick move, but I just wanted to spend time with her like a normal guy instead of as someone she wished she never met.

Guess you didn’t really give her much of that space after all, did you?

Shaking my head, I look to my watch and start pacing some more.

When she first put on her little show at that party, kissing Brady like that, I was pissed off—until I thought about it. Shockingly, I found myself relieved. Happy even.

She was “dating” one of the guys she had introduced to me in conversation as one of her “band of overprotective brothers”?

Perfect.

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