King of Campus (35 page)

But there’s something about Ivy.  Right from the start she was different from almost everyone else I’d ever met before.  I like the way she makes me feel when I’m with her.

“I will, thanks again.”

Taking the bag from her, I sling it over my shoulder before grabbing her fingers with my own.  She gives me another smile as we walk through the echoing corridor.

“You have a good day?”

Something flickers in her gaze before her smile brightens. “Yep.  How about you?”

“Better now.”  Unable to resist, I pull her towards me, hugging her lithe body close to mine.  I realize my day has actually improved now that I’m finally seeing her beautiful face.  And being able to watch her in that leotard certainly doesn’t hurt either.

As we leave the fine arts building, even though I’m not necessarily jealous, I can’t help but ask, “So, that guy back there, he’s gay… right?”

She laughs and the deep throaty sound of it has the edges of my lips tipping upward in response.

With a sly look in her eyes, she asks, “Will it make you feel better if I say
yes
?”

She’s kidding, right?  Of course it will.  “Definitely.”

“Then yes, he’s
totally
gay.”  Her shoulders shake with silent laughter.

My eyes narrow as I continue watching her.  “So what you’re really telling me is that he’s not gay at all.”

“Nope.”  She pops the P at the end of the word.  A huge grin lights up her face.

As we continue walking through campus towards the lot where my truck is parked, I nod to a few people we pass.  My hand tightens around hers because I know the attention we draw bothers her.

But tough shit.

To those people, not Ivy.

I’m starting to realize that she’s the only one whose opinion actually matters.  Being with Ivy is so different than being with just about anyone else.  Sometimes I get the feeling that people agree with me simply because of who I am.  And I don’t want that.  Hell, half the time, I think she disagrees with me just to be obstinate.

That probably shouldn’t be such a turn on.  But it is…

I use the key fob before opening the door for her.  Then I jog around to my side, sliding in besides her.  For just a moment, I glance over at her as she snaps her seat belt into place across her chest.

No, Ivy Kaster is definitely not my usual type, but I’m starting to realize that’s exactly what makes her so special.  Her eyes settle on mine and there must be a look on my face that gives my thoughts away, because I hear the slight catch in her breath as our gazes lock.

She breaks the silence with a whisper.  “Do you want to stay over tonight?”

Hell yeah, I do.

Christ, I sleep so well when I’m in her bed which is crazy because it’s a tight fit.  There’s definitely no room to spread out but I love having her wrapped up in my arms.  And I like shooting the shit with her right before we fall asleep, too.

I’ve never felt this way about a woman before.

I used to look at guys like Dylan, and even Sam when he’s had girlfriends, and think they were crazy for wanting to be tied down to one specific female.  I couldn’t understand what the point of that was when there was so much pussy out there for the taking.

But I think I get it now.

Hell, we haven’t even had sex yet and I’m totally fucking crazy about her.

It’s making me seriously consider possibilities I’ve never bothered contemplating before.  Possibilities that have to do with my future and wanting Ivy to be a permanent fixture in it.  But even I, who has absolutely no dating experience what so ever, know that it’s a little too early to be talking about this kind of thing with her.  So, I’ll just keep those thoughts to myself for the time being.

Finally I shake my head.  If I spend the night with the way I’m currently feeling, I know
exactly
what will happen and I’m not quite ready for that yet.  Believe it or not, I’m actually kind of enjoying all the anticipation we’ve got going on here.

I’ve never experienced that before.  In the past, if I felt like getting laid, I went out, found a willing chick (or two) and had sex.  Or, at the very least, got a blow job to take the edge off.  There was no waiting.  No anticipation.  It was more or less like scratching an itch.  I never gave it too much thought.

The sex meant absolutely nothing to me.

And the girls meant even less.

What I’m feeling now is the complete and total opposite of that.

Her brow lifts.  “No?”  She leans towards me but can only go so far because of the safety belt harnessing her in place.  I’m thinking that’s probably for the best.  That belt is my new best friend right now because I am seriously hanging on by a thread over here.

“I want to have sex with you, Roan.”  There is so much vulnerability filling her words.  As if she’s really putting herself out there by admitting this to me.  “Don’t you want that, too?”

Oh god.

Is she fucking serious right now?

It takes everything I have not to plow my fingers through my hair in agitation.  There is so much pent up sexual frustration brewing within me, it’s almost overwhelming.

Umm, yeah… of course I want to have sex with Ivy.  And it’s in the worst possible way.  If I didn’t care about her, I’d be tearing her clothes off and yanking her onto my lap right here in the middle of the damn parking lot before screwing her brains out, giving us both what we want.  That thought has me remembering just how good it felt to grind myself against her this morning.  My cock twitches in agreement.

Down, boy, down…

Again something flickers in her eyes as if she’s actually bothered by the fact that I’m
not
trying to get in her pants.  Can’t she see that I want to do this the right way?  That what’s happening between us actually matters and I don’t want to fuck it up with meaningless sex?

Ivy is the only person I can actually be myself with.  The last thing I want is to ruin that.

Reaching out, I stroke the side of her cheek softly with my fingers.  Her eyes cling to mine.  “I want one date.”  Her mouth opens and I know she’s going to bring up the dinner with my dad and Linc.  Yeah… that wasn’t a date.  So I cut her off.  “A real date.  Just you and me.”

Her lips lift at the edges and I wonder if she’ll argue.  The thing she needs to realize is that this is going to happen between us.  It’s just not going to happen tonight.

“Okay.  When?  Right now?”

I can’t help the low chuckle that escapes.  “No.  Not tonight.”  Blowing out a long slow breath, I think about my school and football schedule.  I’m leaving tomorrow for the UMass game and won’t be back until late Saturday night.

I love how much she wants
this
.

How much she wants
me
.

Just because I’m holding off, doesn’t mean I want her any less, because trust me, I’d like nothing more than to take her back to her apartment and have my wicked way with her.  But it’s important to do this right.  And despite the blue balls I’m currently sporting, that means waiting a few more days.

“How about Sunday afternoon?”

“I teach until one, so as long as it’s after that, it works.”

I can’t help the big grin that tips the corners of my mouth up.  “Great.  I’ll pick you up and we’ll have our date.”

Looking satisfied, she nods.  Because I’m not harnessed in by my belt, I cup her cheek with my hand before leaning over and sliding my lips across hers.  As I kiss her, I find myself experiencing yet another first- planning a date with someone I have feelings for.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Roan King just played the best freaking game of his life yesterday.  He caught three passes before plowing his way into the end zone. The last of which won a tied up game for the Barnett Bulldogs in the final seconds of the fourth quarter.  RK is on fire this season and it’s almost a sure bet he’ll be turning pro when the draft rolls around.  All hail the King of Campus!  KingOfCampus.com

Roan

I’m not going to lie, I’m nervous as hell right now.  My palms are actually a little sweaty.  It’s totally ridiculous.  Up until this point, I’ve pretty much screwed my way through high school and the first couple years of college.  This will be the first time I’ve ever made love to a woman.

Shit…  That really makes me sound like a pussy, doesn’t it?  Even in my own damn head, I sound like pussy whipped little bitch.  Even so… it’s the truth.  Ivy is the first girl I’ve slept in a bed with and she’ll be the first girl I don’t just fuck so I can blow my load without thinking twice about it.

What happens today, it matters.  A whole hell of a lot.

So, you know, no pressure there at all…

Hence the sweaty palms.

In planning this date, I tried thinking up something that would be romantic yet wouldn’t come across as cheesy.  I’m hoping I’ve come up with a winner.  Cutting the engine, I watch Ivy check out her surroundings with interest before her eyes finally swing to mine.

“What is this place?”

I point to the small cabin about fifty yards from us.  There’s a private five acre lake to the right that’s surrounded on all sides by dense forest.  “This is my dad’s cabin.  He just finished remodeling it a couple of months ago.”

Her gaze settles on the one story log cabin.  “Wow.”

I nod towards it.  “Come on, I’ll give you a quick tour.”

Exiting the vehicle, I take her hand as our boots crunch the gravel of the drive.  Unlocking the front door, I hold it open as she walks inside.  I watch her take everything in, absorbing it silently. I have to admit, my dad did a kickass job with the place.  I love spending time here.  Just tromping around in the woods.  Doing a little fishing, some swimming, hiking. It’s the great outdoors with all the modern conveniences of home.  And then some.

Big screen TV, state of the art kitchen with stainless steel appliances, and two bedrooms with king sized pillow topped mattresses.  Hell, if this place were closer to school, I’d have no problem living here.  It’s way better than my apartment.

“This place is really amazing.”  Her voice fills with awe as her eyes continue flitting around the space.

I can’t help but grin with pride.  “I know, right?”

Since the cabin is really just a kitchen, a living room, a kick ass bathroom with a waterfall shower, and two bedrooms, the grand tour doesn’t take more than a few minutes.  Once we’re back in the main living area, I tell her what the plan for the day is and hope she’s into it.

Since I haven’t come up with any alternatives, I’m pretty much screwed if she’s not.

“There are a few trails in the woods we can hike and then I thought I’d take you out in a canoe so we could eat lunch in the middle of the lake.”

Her eyes widen as she cocks her head just a bit to the side.  For a long heartbeat, maybe two or three, she doesn’t say one damn word.  Nothing.  She just continues to hold my eyes with a wealth of speculation in hers.  Everything within me stills.  I don’t even realize I’m holding my breath until the next words quietly leave her mouth.

“You put a lot of thought into this.”

I blow out a long steady breath before giving her a little wink.  “Nah, just threw some stuff together.”  You’re damn right I put a lot of thought into this date.  I don’t think I’ve ever wanted anything to be more perfect than the day I’m going to spend with Ivy.

She glances down at her Timberland clad feet.  “Well, I now understand why you asked me to wear these.”  When her eyes slice back up to mine, there’s just a hint of a mischievous sparkle held within them.  “I was thinking maybe you had some kink to you.”

Unable to help myself, I start laughing before tilting my head as if I’m assessing just how hot Ivy would look in hiking boots and nothing else.

I have to admit it’s actually kind of a turn on.

Instead of responding to that, I merely say, “Don’t want those dancing feet of yours to get blistered.”  If I start imagining Ivy without any clothes on, the rest of the day isn’t going to go well for me.  Needing a distraction, I head into the kitchen before grabbing two bottles of water from the fridge.  Handing one to her, I snag her fingers. I love the way they fit perfectly within mine. “Ready?”

“Yep, lead the way.”

For the next hour and a half, we tromp around on the trails that run through the twenty acre property my dad has owned for the last ten years.  I have fond memories of coming out here as a kid.  When my parents divorced, this is where my dad came to live until he bought the house near Barnett.

I never really imagined sharing this place with a girl before.  But being here with Ivy, enjoying the woods and the sunshine that is spearing down through the leafy canopy above us, just feels right.  I’ve always liked being outdoors.  Hunting, fishing, swimming, hiking, playing football...

And being with her is so damn easy.  I never imagined it could be this way.

We just shoot the shit as we hike our way over the trails.  We talk about our childhoods.  Our hopes and dreams for the future.  Surprising me, Ivy opens up about her mother.  She’s never done that before.  I just listen quietly, holding her hand as we go.  I hate the thin tremor that runs through her voice as she tells me how much she still misses her.  Like a hole in her heart that refuses to fuse together again.