Pure Will (3 page)

“Hey, you already get the papers?” I asked.

He shook his head. “Nope. Sorry. Was retaking my robotics test. But I aced it!” he shouted and lifted me by my underarms up and over his head.

“Excellent job!”  I giggled and wiggled my feet. “Put me down.”

“Hell no Biggs! 98%!  Did you hear me?”

“I hear you! Now put me down.” I tried to cover my booty because my denim mini skirt was hiking up too far.

“Then say it Biggs. Say ‘Eli is the smartest guy I know!’” he laughed and I figured his grotesquely large arms were fatigued at this point.

“Eli is the smartest guy I know,” I chuckled and heard voices coming down the hall. That’s when I saw him…Will…walking with another guy. He saw me too raised about 8 feet in the air by one of the biggest lugs of meat on campus.

Finally Eli lowered me and adjusted my skirt for me. Will never took his eyes off us and stopped talking to the guy he was with.

“Hey Will-i-am,” I greeted looking down at my feet.

“I’m outta here Biggs. God, I love you. You know if you marry me now, in another year, you’ll be married to a pro football player,” Eli joked and swatted my ass. 

“Ow. Goodbye Eli,” I said shaking my head. Eli and Ham…they were my boys. There wasn’t much else to say.

“I love you, huh?” Will asked with a crooked grin.

“What’s not to love? Do they by chance sell bigger shirts or do you buy them too small intentionally?” I asked, running my finger beneath the hem straining at his bicep.

“Stop looking for an excuse to touch me and stop staring at my muscles.”

“It’s hard not to Willie…Nelson. It’s kind of like when someone’s fat is hanging out around the top of their jeans…it’s just there, and you try not to look at it, but your eyes keep getting drawn back to it…especially when their clothes are too tight.”

His sexy ass swagger made my knees go weak, and as he swaggered toward me, I stepped backward until my back hit the cold, hard wall. He propped his hands up against the wall leaning inward. Holy crap.

“You mean kind of like your sexy, little ass looked when your boyfriend had you lifted up in the air. Your cute, red lace underwear inching up just enough so that I could see the curve of your ass. Is that what you mean?”

My heart pounded so hard, it echoed in my ears and I honestly wasn’t sure I heard him right. Get control of yourself Biggs. Get control!

I snickered and rolled my eyes. “Wow, Will. You just made three whole complete sentences. Is that a record?”   I risked touching him and knew it could be a mistake, but with both hands I shoved him…one hand in the chest and one in the abdomen and a thrill shot through me when I felt the hardness beneath my hands. Literally, I took a deep breath, and he noticed.

“Feels nice, doesn’t it? He raised the Polo t-shirt up exposing a mound full of rippling muscles. “That’s all I am is muscle though Cam. I’m like an idiot savant without the savant part.”

Clearly I’d offended him.  “Not surprising. Kate doesn’t attract brains. Oh wait…I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to use so many syllables.”

His mouth was literally inches from mine. It was clear I annoyed the hell out of him. I didn’t know how to flirt or be playful.  I knew how to be mean. That…kept me safe.

“What do
you
attract?” he whispered staring at my lips.

My insides were reeling with desire. This was so exciting to me on many different levels and I couldn’t control the impulse. That’s when I did it. My hands, which I would have argued were not attached to my body, touched his bare stomach. I’d seen pictures of guys who looked like this—like in magazines or on TV—but this one was right in front of me. And as I touched him, I pulled back the minute I heard his sharp intake of air. What did that mean?

“Ms. Biggs?”

Both our heads darted toward the voice.

“Dr. Walton,” Will said, his arms dropping to his sides and his shirt falling to its natural place on his waist.

“Cam. Will. I didn’t realize you two knew each other. Here are the papers for Eli. He’s doing great,” Dr. Walton said, then pointed at Will. “Now this guy…this is one guy you will never have to tutor. As smart as you are Cam. This is one who could give you a run for your money.” Dr. Walton patted my back. “See you tomorrow, Will.”

Shit! Will’s telling eyes met mine and I looked away.

“Dr. Walton,” I shouted and ran to catch up. “I’ll walk you out. So, Eli said he aced his test.”

Chapter 5—Will

I stood at the double doors watching her trot away with one of my most favorite instructors, and of all things, I had a boner. The sway of her hips. The way her hair curled. The 10 little barely noticeable freckles on her nose. The light sheen of whatever she wore on her perfectly rounded lips. Thinking of all of it…about her…collectively…I wasn’t sure if I wanted to punch the shit out of her or kiss her until she collapsed, passing out in my arms.  But I felt good that I had narrowed it down to those two. It was her touch that sealed the deal. She touched my stomach for Christ’s sake, and it stole my breath. How gay is that?

Out of sheer desperation to see her, I did the only thing a good guy would do. I texted her roommate.

What’s up beautiful?
Send

It took exactly 42 seconds to get a response.

You?

Oddly enough the part of me she wanted was up but not for a reason she would appreciate I didn’t think.

Yep
  Send

Well come hither!

And as easy as that, I was hoping to see Cam again.

An hour later I parked the truck out front of her apartment and wondered which car was Cam’s. Finally, I mustered up the courage to go knock, praying Cam was here.

“Come in,” I heard someone say.

My heart beat nervously as I opened the door. Cam’s little green eyes, still hidden by the black frames, met mine from the sofa where her feet draped over some guy’s lap. A different guy. Not Eli. What the hell? For a few moments, I saw red and thought I might spontaneously combust. Why you ask?  I don’t freaking know!! But I didn’t like it.

“What was the question?” the guy asked.

She glanced at the paper in her hand, clearly distracted by my presence. This made me happy.

“What is biomagnifications?” she asked.

The lardish looking guy closed his eyes. It wasn’t that hard and I wanted to shout the answer. What a dumbass! If you can’t pronounce it, don’t say it.

“Hey you sexy beast,” Kate said interrupting my thoughts.

Perfect and well put together as usual.

I missed the mammoth’s answer, but he must have gotten it wrong because Cam was explaining it to him.

“Thanks for texting,” Kate said giggling.

Cam’s eyes shot up to me on that. Maybe texting Kate wasn’t the best idea, but the girl I wanted to see didn’t seem to want to see me. She left with my professor instead of staying and talking.

“Let’s go to my bedroom, Ham,” she said and my stomach lurched.

“Need condoms?” Kate giggled.

Ham? His name is Ham?  Really Cam? Wow…Ham…Cam. You’ve got to be kidding me.

Ham suddenly lifted her over his shoulder. “Don’t be silly Kate. She likes to feel all of me.”

I understood now.  The name Ham was fitting because he was a fucking pig! Her glasses fell to the floor. As he turned around to close the door, Cam’s eyes flitted up to mine, and I swear to God she smiled.

Control yourself Denton! Take care of the girl behind you who wants you. Fuck the other girl out of your head.  I spun around and Kate stood there with a wicked smile.

“Looks like the roomies are both going to get it,” I said, jealousy driving me at this point as I took Kate’s hand and led her to the bedroom.

She started yanking my shirt over my head. “Trust me, Cam needs it but she ain’t getting it.”

I did the same to her unleashing her breasts because she was braless.

“I took that off before you got here,” she giggled.

“What’d you mean Cam needs it but ain’t getting it? You said that the other day.” I asked more interested in that than her hard nipples.

Straddling me, she said, “Ham has wanted to nail her for three years. She’s kept him in the friend zone.”

“Why’s that?” I asked, cupping her breasts.

“That’s not my story to tell. But if there is one thing that girl needs…it’s to get laid.”

I smiled as she pushed me back on the bed because I knew just the man for that job. Before I nailed the girl in front of me, I sent Ham a message by mental telepathy…man to man—
you lay one fucking hand on her and you will be laying in a fresh meat market—ham for sale!

An hour and a half later, I quietly walked out the bedroom door leaving Kate sawing logs and peeked around the corner. Cam’s door was still shut. I wasn’t sure what emotion flowed through me, but I didn’t like it. My jeans were unbuttoned and my shirt draped over my bare shoulder as I tiptoed over to her doorway and listened, putting my ear near the door. It was quiet.

“If you’re looking for Ham, he left,” she snickered from the dark kitchen. I spun around.

FUCK! “Oh hey.  There you are. I wanted to apologize about the ass comment earlier,” I lied and glanced at her just in time to see her staring at my unbuttoned jeans. She stopped stirring what ever it was she was stirring. I buttoned my jeans.

“So you
don’t
like my ass then?”

“No, that’s not what I said. I think your ass is spectacular, but the way I said it was less than…respectful. What are you stirring?” 

“Brownies. Well as long as we are apologizing, I’m sorry for thinking you were dumb, but I won’t agree that I couldn’t teach you a thing or two,” she said then lowered her gaze when she realized how that comment came out.

“I’ll go ahead and leave that comment alone,” I said, sliding my t-shirt over my head.

She laughed and it made my heart melt. “Yeah, thanks,” she whispered.

“I should probably go,” I said, but no part of me wanted to leave.

She held up the spoon, batter dripping back into the bowl. “You don’t want to stay for a brownie?” Her glasses-less green eyes held mine for a second then glanced away. There was no way I was leaving now when we were actually being nice to each other.

“I think I will stay lil’ Betty Crocker.”

She smiled and I felt ridiculously cheesy that my heart swelled.  What the hell was it about this girl?  Maybe that she didn’t fall over with her legs open? Maybe that Kate made reference to her needing sex? But…I felt it before I knew that. Whatever it was, I wasn’t sure I liked it. I needed to leave. I could buy freaking brownies.

The bedroom door opened and Kate walked into the kitchen.

“You’re still here?” she said, wrapping her arms around my neck from behind while Cam sprayed the pan with oil. “Ready for round 2?” Kate giggled and retrieved a bottle of water from the fridge. My eyes fell on Cam who was pouring the batter into the pan. She sat the mixing bowl on the table and slid the pan in the oven.

“You never answered,” Kate said dragging her finger through the batter left in the bottom of the bowl and holding it up to my mouth. I opened my mouth and she slid her finger in coating my mouth with the batter. Regret consumed me as Cam watched us. How did I get myself into this?

“Kate, get those out in 25 minutes. I need to go by the library, I forgot,” Cam said hurriedly grabbing her purse.

Kate sighed withdrawing her finger from my mouth.

“Cam. Come on. Maybe if you pulled your nose out of a book long enough. You could move past this. He can’t hurt you anymore.”

“Kate!” Cam hissed.

“Who?” I instinctively growled and clenched my fists.

Both Kate and Cam shot a look my way as if they’d forgotten I was there.

I cleared my throat. “No girl should be hurt,” I covered, but the thought of someone hurting this tiny, beautiful creature in front of me made my insides boil.

“Her brother,” Kate explained. And in that moment, when Cam gasped with a horror stricken look on her face and tears swelled in her eyes, I knew I’d protect her from any other harm. That’s when she slammed the door.

After leaving Kate, I drove from one end of campus to the other scouring the parking lot for her and having no a clue what I would say if I found her. Her brother had hurt her?  The only way I could come up with was sexually and I wanted to slam my fist into the windshield just thinking about that happening to her.

My dad’s words rung through my ears.
Protect your girl with your life.
That’s when I spotted her leaving Watson library, though she wasn’t my girl…yet. She walked alone down the lit path messing with her cell phone, of course not paying any attention to things around her.

Three tall guys approached her, two black and one white and my hand rested on the door handle ready to pounce. One must have said her name because she smiled and stopped to chat with them. When the light hit them just right, I realized they were three of the Jayhawk starting basketball players. On her tiptoes she would have maybe come to their ribcages.

They waved at her and watched her get to her car before they walked away—giving me a whole new respect for them. Now I knew what she drove, a little gray VW Passat. As she drove home, I followed, keeping my distance and my creeper factor to a minimum—at least to my standards.

As I drove home, I realized that her apartment was the only place I knew to find her. No clue of her classes, of her major, of any way to find her outside of talking to Kate. And well, Kate was a great lay but not who I wanted.  I might just have to endure sex with her again to see Cam…I wasn’t sure of another way.  Endure sex? What the hell was wrong with me??

Four long, slow, torturous days went by. Even though it was out of my way, I drove by Kate’s just to see if I could ‘run into’ Cam. I wanted to text Kate. But the thought of going to see Kate and possibly hurting Cam…if hurt is what it was…I don’t know. What I did know is I couldn’t get her off of my mind.  No part of her. And that had never happened before.

I rarely went out to the bars anymore. But it was game day and if by chance the little rock chalk dancer forced her quiet friend to leave the house, I wanted to be the guy who was there. So Noah and I took off and went first to The Wheel.  Being 24, I could barely tolerate some of the shit I saw when I was out now. Literally, I felt like an old judgmental man. Girls barely dressed, falling down drunk, taking pictures and documenting absolutely every moment. A guy was there ready and willing to take advantage of every moment. I wasn’t sure of the stats but girls outnumbered guys significantly.