King of Campus (12 page)

It’s completely mesmerizing.

Even though the party surrounding us is loud, his voice is pitched low.  “What exactly are you apologizing for?”

With my mouth suddenly feeling as if it’s been stuffed full of cotton, I gulp somewhat painfully before answering.  How does he do that?  How does he twist me up into these tiny little knots every single time?

“I…I didn’t think you were interested in pulling your weight on the project.”

Something flashes in his eyes but it’s there and gone so quickly I’m not able to identify the emotion that caused it.

Sounding deceptively flip, he comments, “You just thought I’d leave you hanging, so you could do all the work by yourself, huh?”

Feeling distinctly uncomfortable for being put on the spot, I shift from one foot to the other before glancing guiltily away.  “Yeah.  I did.”

He moves closer, invading my personal space right before his strong fingers settle under my jaw.  Then he slowly turns my face towards him until my eyes are ensnared within his brightly burning gaze once again.

“You just figured I was some dumbass jock who got passed along because of football.” It’s not a question.  We both know that’s exactly what I assumed.

The force of his gaze feels relentless.  I can’t tell if it’s anger propelling all that churning emotion within them or not.

“Yes,” I finally whisper when I can’t stand the intensity a moment longer, “that’s what I thought.”  When I try ripping my eyes away, he jerks my chin until they slide right back to where he wants them.

On him.

Leaning towards my left ear, he finally murmurs, “I’m more than just football, Ivy.”  As those words whisper against my ear, his fingers finally fall away from my chin.  As they do, I inhale a huge gulp of air.  Needing to put some physical distance between us, I scramble back a step.  For some reason my heart feels as if it’s going to explode right out of my chest.

Whatever this is between us… I don’t like it.

I know damn well this is just a game he’s running on me.  For goodness sake, he has this effect on everyone.  I bet if he asked every single girl in this room to drop their panties right here, right now, the majority of them would actually do it.  I’m nothing special to him and the last thing I want is to fall under the spell he’s able to cast over me so easily.

In my haste to distance myself from him, I end up stumbling backwards.  Just as my arms start to pinwheel, Roan grasps my upper arms before jerking me towards him.

Neither of us say a word as his arms snake easily around me.  It takes a moment for me to realize that I’m being all but crushed against that massive chest of his.  Oh god, it’s seriously just as hard and granite-like as I’d suspected.  This sends my pulse skyrocketing as I quickly untangle myself from him before stepping neatly out of his embrace.

“Sorry,” I mumble.  Yep, I really need to get out of here before I become any more of a bumbling idiot and embarrass myself even further than I already have.  For some reason I’m acting exactly like one of the silly little twits that are constantly pawing at him.

And I’m not even going to bother lying to myself by saying that I’m not attracted to Roan because clearly I am.  I was from the very moment I spilled my coffee all over him.  You would have to be blind not to think he’s one of the most attractive men you’ve ever seen in your life.  The problem is that he’s aware of just how good looking he is.  And he’s used to girls hanging all over him.  He uses them for his own selfish pleasure without any thought to their feelings at all.

Not that I’m feeling too much in the way of sympathy for any of these women, because I don’t.  They know exactly what they’re getting into when they hook up with him and that’s nothing more than bragging rights.

And yeah, he’s telling me he’ll do his share of the work load for this project but does that necessarily mean it’s going to happen?  Or that it’ll be quality work?

Nope.

So… as much as I want to believe him, I don’t.  Not yet.  All he’s done up to this point is surprise me.  Time will tell if he actually changes my opinion of him.

Holding out his palm, he says, “Give me your phone.”

Now that my sexual haze has finally cleared enough for my brain cells to start functioning again, my brows snap together because there is absolutely no way in hell I want him adding my number to his contact list of conquered co-eds.

Umm… no thanks.

I shake my head.  “I don’t think so.”

Quirking a brow, a smirk tips the edges of his lips upward.  “I want your number so we can figure out times to get together and work on our ethics project.  That’s it.”

My face instantly heats because it never occurred to me that he would want my number for that purpose.  Now who looks like a total jackass?  Feeling irritated, both with him as well as myself, I hand over my phone and watch as he programs his name and number into my contacts.  Then he calls his phone before handing it back to me.

“There.  How does meeting on Sunday afternoon work for you?  We need a few hours to sit down and generate some ideas about the case study we’re going to consider for the project.”

I stare down at my phone for just a moment before glancing back up at him.  “Sunday afternoon is fine.”

My breath hitches as he steps towards me until we’re so close again that I have to tip my face up just to hold his gaze. 

“I’ll text you with a time and place.”

Nodding, I take another careful step away.  As I do, two girls slide between us before wrapping themselves around him.  With his eyes still focused on me, he drapes an arm around each of them.

“I’ll be seeing you, Ivy.”

There’s a slightly mocking tone to his words that immediately has my eyes narrowing.  Without another word, I spin around, pushing my way roughly towards the door of the apartment.  I need to get out of here and away from him.

Roan King is nothing more than a player.

I realized it way before Finn ever tried warning me off.  I’m never going to be a card carrying member of the I-want-to-sleep-with-all-the-campus-athletes club.  That’s not who I am.  And whatever happened between us back there, I don’t want it happening again.  I’m not interested in playing these ridiculous cat and mouse games with him.

I just want to work on this project and be done with it.

Be done with him.

Chapter Ten

It’s been said that Roan King kisses and fucks just like he plays football- with an amazing amount of skill, finesse, and single minded determination.  *big sigh* Oh, how I’d love to find that out firsthand…  KingOfCampus.com

“Are you being serious with me right now?”

Lexie is lying on her stomach in the middle of my bed flipping through the latest issue of Vogue.  Vogue is her fashion bible and she treats everything written within there as if it were gospel.  And since I get a free stylist out of it, I’m not really going to complain.  Lexie is as passionate about fashion as I am about dance.  So we have a pretty good understanding of each other.

Trying to be sneaky, I offhandedly mentioned my date with Finn while she was immersed in her magazine.  I was hoping she wouldn’t be paying too much attention to what I was saying.  Unfortunately that didn’t happen.  As soon as I mentioned the
F-word
, she bolted up into a sitting position before skewering me with a hard edged glare.

So I ended up telling her about him waiting outside the studio last Saturday and us sitting down over smoothies and hashing things out.  The bottom line is that he wants another chance and after a fifteen month separation, maybe we’ve both grown up enough to try again.

I liked Finn.

I was attracted to him.

I still am.

So why shouldn’t I give our relationship another shot?

Looking determined, she starts climbing off the bed.  “Well, I guess you leave me no choice but to pull up all the pictures I sent you.”

“Let’s not go there.”  Turning towards her, I hold her eyes before continuing, “I appreciate you trying to look out for me.  I really do.  But it’s just dinner.  We’re not getting back together.  We’re just talking things out.”

Her lips sink into a frown.  With eyebrows practically meshed together, she mutters, “I don’t like Finn.  He’s arrogant and a real douche for hooking up with those other girls behind your back as soon as you left.  How can you just forget about all that?”

Well… I can’t exactly disagree with what she’s saying.  He
is
a douche for doing that.

But like I said before, maybe he’s changed.  I know I have.  And it’s just dinner.  Nothing more.  “I don’t even know if I’ll see him again after this.  So just chill out.”

In answer, she rolls her eyes at me.

Turning and twisting, I take a good look at myself in the mirror.  “Do you like this shirt with these shorts?”  Even though it’s the beginning of September, it’s still warm out.  At least eighty degrees.  So I’m wearing a little white halter and pale blue shorts along with a pair of silver sandals that have a small heel.

Taking my question seriously, her eyes travel slowly over me and then back up again.  “Yeah, but I would pull your hair up into a messy bun and add some chunky earrings.”  She purses her lips before squinting her eyes thoughtfully.  “Maybe your big silver hoops.”

Grinning, I rummage through my jewelry box before finding the earrings she’s talking about.  Once I gather my hair up into a bun, I turn to her with my hands outstretched in silent question.

“Yep.  Totally hot.”  Then she grunts, “Not than Finn deserves any of the effort.”

“Yes, yes… you’ve made your feelings on the Finn subject perfectly clear.  You don’t have to say another word about it, okay?”

Shrugging, she says quietly, “I just don’t want to see you get hurt again.  Even though you were all the way in Paris and I wasn’t there to help you through it, I remember how devastated you were when he ended things.”

Exhaling a big breath, my shoulders fall before I say with equal softness, “I know.  And I appreciate you looking out for me, I really do.  You’re a good friend, Lex, the best.  But it’s just dinner.  That’s it.”

Still looking skeptical, she finally nods her head begrudgingly in acceptance.  “Okay.”  Then she asks, “So where are you two going?”

“I’m not sure.”

Looking unimpressed, she grunts again.

Not a moment later my phone dings with an incoming text.  It’s Finn telling me that he’s waiting downstairs in his Jeep.  I must mumble the words under my breath because Lexie suddenly says, “What, Mr. Romantic can’t even be bothered to walk his ass up here and pick you up?”

I shoot her another look before gathering up my purse and heading for the door.  “It’s not a big deal.  I’ll see you later.”

“Okay.  Text me when you get back if I’m not here,” she calls out after me.

Opening the door, I yell back, “Will do.  Have fun tonight.”

Stopping right outside my door, I smooth down my shorts and straighten my top.  Just as I’m about to start down the hall, the apartment door next to us opens and out walks Roan.  For a long moment neither one of us say a word as our eyes catch.

Not sure what to do, I hold up my hand in silent greeting as he starts towards me.  His gaze, just like last night, ensnares mine, refusing to let it go.  When he finally stops about two feet from me, his eyes take a leisure tour down my body before coming back up to meet mine.  I feel the heat of a blush stain my cheeks at his perusal.

Why does this guy have such an effect on me?

I don’t even like him.

Well, in all fairness, I don’t know him well enough to make that kind of statement, but what I do know of him, I don’t particularly care for.  And yet, he tangles my insides up every single time I see him.  It’s maddening.

“Looking sexy, Ivy.”

“Thanks,” I mumble under my breath.  “I’ve got to get going.”  With that, I try making a hasty get away but he’s right there besides me.  His long legged strides shortening to match mine.  Apparently I’m not going to be able to shake him loose so easily.

“Hot date tonight?”

It’s so much better when we’re both facing forward and his eyes aren’t able to capture mine.  Even though I can feel him watching me, it’s nowhere near the full effect and therefore I’m still able to keep my wits about me.

“Ummm,” well...  “Just getting together with a friend.”

He nods as we continue walking.  As silence settles over us, I find myself asking, “What are you up to?”  Not that I care…

“Going to work out at the gym, then I’ll probably head out with Sam.”

I finally allow my eyes to slide over him.  He’s wearing long athletic shorts and a black tank top that does incredible things for his arms.  I know I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating- those arms of his are literally amazing.  Huge.  They have to be at least seventeen inches around.  I’m not kidding.  Roan has massive biceps.  I can’t help but remember what it felt like last night to have them wrapped around me.

And…. I definitely shouldn’t be thinking about that right now.