I couldn’t imagine what it would be like once I was facing off against the tanks in the NFL.
As I finally got re-dressed in my sweats and made my way out of the locker room, I promised the guys I’d see them at the party later tonight. I needed a nap before then, and maybe a few drinks to pre-game.
When I rounded out of the locker room and into the hall, a familiar laugh made me freeze in place.
Maliyah’s sing-song giggle floated down the hallway, wrapping itself around me like a warm, esophagus-crushing hug. I followed the sound of it like she was a siren, and I was a helpless sailor on tumultuous seas, only to find her leaning up against the wall a mere twenty yards away.
Kyle Robbins stood in front of her, his arm propped against the wall next to her head as his eyes ran the length of her. He edged in even closer, whispering something in her ear that made her blush and laugh again.
And I saw red.
My fists curled at my sides, jaw clenching so hard I nearly broke a tooth. I dropped my duffle bag to the floor, took two steps toward them with the intent to march right down there and break that motherfucker’s nose.
But two steps was as far as I got before Giana sprang into view.
She startled Kyle and Maliyah both when she sprinted past them, her curls bouncing, glasses sliding down the bridge of her nose with every step. But her turquoise eyes were trained on me, and I bent, ready to catch her before she even launched herself off the ground and into my arms.
Just like in the cafeteria, she wrapped her legs around my waist, breath whooshing out of her at the contact. Her arms threaded around my neck and my hands caught her ass — her bare ass under the skirt she wore. It was apparently something she hadn’t thought about before jumping, because shock washed over her, face paling at the feel of my warmth against her.
It lasted only a second, though, because in the next? She was kissing me.
Her mouth collided with mine almost hard enough to draw blood, and she fisted her hands in my hair still damp from the shower, writhing against me. A soft whimper vibrated through her as I held her tighter, and she was breathless when she finally pressed her hand into my chest and broke the kiss.
I heaved a breath, and her chest rose and fell in tandem with mine as I stared at her red, swollen lips. Slowly, my gaze lifted to hers, and those bright eyes shot wider.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered, fixing her glasses. “I just, I saw them, and I saw you, and I thought—”
I cut off the rest of her words with my hand behind her head, guiding her into me for another bruising kiss. This time, I pinned her against the wall, and she gasped when my abdomen rubbed along her center.
Pressing my forehead to hers, I pulled back, rolling my lips together. “You’re picking up on this game quickly, Kitten.”
She flushed against a smile. “I’ve got a good coach.”
Someone cleared their throat, and Giana and I turned to find Zeke and Riley walking out of the locker room holding hands. Zeke hiked an eyebrow at where we were locked together, my waist between Giana’s thighs, and Riley blushed so hard she had to look down at the ground and away from us.
“See you at the pit?” Zeke asked, a shit-eating grin on his face.
I didn’t have to answer. Giana buried her face in my chest and I kissed her hair as Zeke and Riley walked by. Following them allowed my gaze to drift down to Kyle and Maliyah, who were both staring right back at me.
Kyle looked suspicious.
Maliyah looked… challenged.
I didn’t allow my gaze to linger, pulling it back to Giana and tilting her chin up with my thumb and forefinger. “You’re coming, too.”
“Coming where?”
“The Snake Pit.”
“The do what now?”
I barked out a laugh, carefully dropping her feet to the ground and tucking a stray curl behind her ear. “It’s a party house where some of the upperclassmen guys on the team live. When someone who lives there graduates, a new teammate moves in, and it’s where we celebrate after every home win.” I made a face. “It’s kind of disgusting, honestly, but just don’t look too closely at the floors or crevices and you’ll be fine.”
“I don’t know,” she said, wrinkling her nose. “I was kind of looking forward to a night in after being out so late last night.”
“Oh, that’s too bad,” I said, bending to retrieve my duffle bag and walking toward the exit. “Because someone you want to see will be there.”
Giana scrambled to catch up to me, tugging on my sleeve. “Wait, really? Shawn?” She shook her head. “Why the hell would he be at a football party?”
“Because I’ll invite him,” I said. “And he’ll shit himself before saying he’s in. Probably show up with a bottle of wine as a gift or some shit, too.”
Giana rolled her eyes, but an excited smile spread on her lips, a little bounce in her step as we walked.
And right as we passed Maliyah and Kyle, I reached down, threading Giana’s small hand in mine.
Giana
“Chug! Chug! Chug! Chug!”
I ducked out of the way just in time to dodge a beer funnel being lifted up over my head, but didn’t move in enough time to escape the driblets that slopped over the edge of it. Beer spritzed into my hair and on my shoulders, and Clay laughed at my expression of horror before grabbing my shoulders and guiding me off to the side.
The Snake Pit, as Clay had called it, was a large house in a surprisingly nice neighborhood that was currently dark, loud, and crawling with NBU students. A DJ spun popular tracks in the main living room, the old couches with torn cushions pushed off to the sides to make way for a giant dance floor. Lights flared and flashed all colors of the rainbow around the scene, girls dancing and guys trying to find a way to join them.
“I love her outfit!” I yelled over the music to Clay, pointing toward a girl in the middle of the dance floor. She wore a white top that criss-crossed over her slight cleavage, accentuating her toned stomach and paired with shorts that did her already lean legs a favor. Her hair was long and curled down her back, makeup like that of a movie star.
“That’s Olivia Bradford,” Clay yelled back.
“Bradford?” My eyes shot open. “As in the university president?”
“That’s his daughter.”
I assessed her again, even more impressed with her outfit knowing she had a stern father who ran one of the top universities in New England.
My eyes continued scanning the party, taking in the various games of beer pong and flip cup happening all around the house. There were pods of students laughing and talking, drinking and making out, and — to my surprise — even doing drugs. Though none of the football players were in those specific circles. They’d lose their scholarships and position on the team if they were.
“This is kind of overwhelming,” I admitted, but it wasn’t anxiety simmering in my gut. It was… excitement.
I was at a college football team party.
It felt like something that would happen to a character in one of my favorite new-adult books, and I found myself eager to get into trouble, to try something new, to dance or play beer pong or—
My thoughts were interrupted when Shawn Stetson slipped into my view, a calm, confident smile on his face as he weaved through the crowd. He couldn’t make it more than a few steps before a girl was grabbing him by the arm or belt loop. I didn’t have to read lips to know they were telling him how much they loved his music, how much they loved him. It was all written in the fake-blush he wore, and the way he mouthed thank you over and over again.