Authors: Carly White
ROMANCE: SPORTS ROMANCE: Double Blindside (Bad Boy College Football Romance) (New Adult College Alpha Male Sports Romance) (5 page)
Speechless
Chapter 1
“Don’t look, but I think Axl is looking at you.”
I automatically look because well, I couldn’t help it. I didn’t believe Ashlea and it wouldn’t be the first time that she had messed with me about him. No one else knew but her. I have had a crush on him since I started college and now at the tail-end of my last year, I was starting to think more about the opposite sex and less about my grades.
Always wanting to graduate Magna Cum Laude, that had been my focus and I will admit, I let me love life kind of go down the drain. Ashlea gave me hell about it all the time, but I couldn’t tell her that I was waiting, saving myself for the right man, at the right time. I knew that it hadn’t been the right time when I was in high school, but now that I was only a couple of months away from my goal, love could be put back on the schedule if the right guy came along. In my wildest dreams, it would have been Axl.
“You know he would not look at me like that, besides, guys like him are only interested in one thing.”
“Well you would be too if you gave it a try.”
I gave her a dirty look that she just smiled to. She tossed her blonde hair back and giggled. Ashlea oozed sexuality, while me, I was the shy girl that didn’t say much. The only time men fought for me was as a science partner.
He was looking over at me from across the yard, his dark eyes met mine for a moment before I looked down. I know that I had to be blushing and it made me wonder what he wanted. I pulled my hair back up in a ponytail and shrugged on my cardigan. It was almost too hot for it, but I couldn’t stand the distraction if I didn’t. Getting up from the bench, I started off towards our next class. It was my worst class and of course, it was the only one that I had with Axl.
“See I told you I wasn’t lying this time.’
“So what? You know his reputation I am not trying to be one of those girls. He has been through enough of them.”
I wished that he was different. That somehow a guy that hot would not know it or that he would still be a decent guy at the end of the day. Axl was a pretty decent guy, as long as you weren’t a girl that he ‘dated’. That much was clear and although I wondered why he was even looking my way, I knew that it was not for what I wanted. I wanted more than just lust and an orgasm.
“You can’t believe everything that you hear Sue.”
She couldn’t even keep a straight face when she said it. We both knew that the rumors about him were true. I ran into him and another girl in the midst of it last week at a party at one of the frat houses. I couldn’t get his body out of my mind and ever since then, I had seen him looking from time to time.
“Anyways. Did you do the homework that he assigned? I couldn’t figure out the last couple questions, did you?”
Ashlea looked at me with that look. That ‘yeah right, did you forget who you are talking to’ look that she was best known for. I had never met someone who was so expressive. There was no need to wonder what Ashlea was thinking because she literally was an open book. Even when she did not want to be, she couldn’t help it. It was written on her face.
“Okay great, we are both screwed then. I don’t know why I have to have statistics for psychology, but I guess I do.” Ashlea was going for a business degree and neither one of them were math whizzes. The funny thing about it was that Axl apparently was doing better than both of us. I had always thought of him as kind of an idiot, but I was wrong. I wondered if there was more to Axl than what met the eye. Could he really be more than the rich star quarterback that I had been dreaming about for all those years? I doubted it, but it was fun to think of him that way. More available and more what I was actually looking for in a man.
Me and Ashlea sat down at our table. Everyone had chosen another person for a partner and of course, we had picked each other. It hadn’t helped us with much more than someone to talk to through the class, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way. One class could not possibly bring my GPA down enough for me to care. My honors were already locked in. If not, I may have gotten a tutor or something because my mind just did not work with numbers.
I saw that Mr. Reynolds was coming in and like always, he looked as unkempt as much of the students. There were several rumors about him helping girls with their grades for a price, but I thought the price was far too high and I just wasn’t interested. I couldn’t believe that anyone else was, but according to the local rumor mill, he banged many in each class. Ashlea and I would watch his interaction with the rest of the class. We tried to figure out who he was helping with grades. It usually wasn’t that hard since it was almost always the girls that he had stay over. He always had something to talk to them about and we all knew that there was a reason for all the extra ‘help’ they were receiving.
He wasn’t even good looking, not like Axl anyways. Mr. Reynolds was in his early forties and beyond trying to dress a lot younger, he wasn’t fooling anyone. The comb over he was trying to accomplish to hide the fact that he had a bald spot was not fooling anyone either. I felt bad for the girls that chose to go that route, way more than I pitied the lecherous man. He should know better.
“Class, it has come to my attention that the partners we have are not working. So we are going to change them, moreover I am. It doesn’t look good if half the class is failing, which half of you are.”
There was an audible groan from everyone in the room and I knew that it was going to be bad news. I picked Ashlea because that was who I wanted to sit next to all term.
“Really you guys all picked your friends, though if you both suck at it that is not really helping is it?”
He was looking right at me. “Why are you looking at me?”
“Mrs. Cline, do you really think that Ashlea was your best choice to partner up with in this class?”
My face turned red and I wanted to melt into the carpet, but was unable. “Probably not?”
“So now I am going to assign partners and seats, the democracy didn’t work people, sorry.”
I wanted to hide my face, hating when I was called or had to speak in public, just wasn’t my thing. The worse class of all time was my Public Speaking class. It is pretty much a slow hell for all introverts and I figured if I could make it through that, there was no why that statistics was going to get me. So I waited to hear him call my name. Since he had pointed me out, I knew that it was going to be bad.
“Sue, you are with Axl. I know he looks like a dumb jock, but he has the highest score of all my classes this year. Don’t worry Axl, I won’t tell anyone else.”
My heart pounded in my chest. I must have heard that wrong. Ashlea’s face told me that I hadn’t. I closed my eyes for a moment and then went to move to the new assigned table in the back. Where I had always been in the front to hear, I now was in the nose bleed sections with him.
Taking the seat I didn’t even look at him. I knew him, but I was sure that he did not know who I was. Even though we had had several classes together and I used to live two doors down when I stayed in dorms freshman year. He never noticed me then and I figured he wouldn’t notice me now. So sure of myself, I actually jumped when he said something.
“So you are Sue right?”
I nodded my head, still not looking at him. “Well good to meet you Sue, I am Axl.”
He stuck his hand out to me and I know I must have looked at it like it belonged to an alien or something. After a minute, it became clear to him that I wasn’t going to shake him hand. I have known him for four years for goodness sake.
“I know who you are Axl, everyone does. You are practically worshipped like a God around here.”
I saw him smirk, liking what I said. “Although you know how school is, not a precursor for the real world.”
“Well it will be for me. I already have four offers and all of them will make me even richer.”
“Good for you, really.”
The more he talked, the less enticing he became. It was like looking at what you thought was a unicorn, admiring it from afar for years and then all of a sudden you see that it is just a horse with a weird placed stick. I sighed and tried to pay attention to the teacher. This was going to be worse than I thought.
It was about ten minutes of quiet, before he turned back to me, obviously bothered that I wasn’t swooning. “Why don’t you like me? Everyone else does you know.”
“Well then what does it matter if one person doesn’t?”
“It just does.”
I couldn’t believe it, but he did seem upset. Who would have guessed that the star quarterback was so worried about what everyone else thought? It made me look at him a little differently for a moment. I was being rude and I silently chastised myself for it. “Look I am sorry okay. I just would rather be partners with my friend.”
He nodded and I tried to get back to what the teacher was talking about. It was only fifteen minutes into the lesson and I was already lost again. I sighed and flipped back through the book, trying to figure out what he was talking about. Why the hell did the problem turn into half of the blackboard and why are they splitting everything?
The teacher passed around a pop quiz, which he did every class and even though they were not much of a surprise, I dreaded them and hoped each day that he would change in up. He never did and soon I was looking at the paper and the numbers blurred in front of me.
I was about halfway through when Axl touched my arm. It felt strange and I looked over, trying to find out what he wanted. I tried to hide the gape I felt or the spot on my arm that was still warm from his touch.
“Three is B, not C.”
I looked down at the paper and changed the answer. I wasn’t really sure anyways, so I figured his guess would be more educated than mine anyways. The test time was over after fifteen minutes and I felt better than I had in weeks about the outcome. Axl had helped me with a couple more of the answers and I felt good about it. I tried hard not to notice how his blackish hair curled underneath his collar or how his brown eyes seemed to take over mine once our eyes met. When he smiled, my heart still went into my throat and I couldn’t swallow. It was going to be a long couple of months, but I still wasn’t sure if that was going to be a good thing, or a bad thing.
“Well thank you Axl, I appreciate it.”
I turned around to walk away and felt a hand on my arm. “Wait. I was hoping that we could go out sometime.”
Chapter 2
“Yeah, give me a call sometime.”
I can’t believe that I had said that, even more surprised when I had gave him my number. It was hard to tell him no, even if I had gotten a bit snarky with him. He had an overwhelming presence and he made me feel things that I did not feel very often. There was just something about him that drove me wild, even though I recognized him for what he was, it was tempting.
Then, we he actually did call me, I spent so much time looking at the phone, that it went to voice mail before I could answer. Finally I listened to it and his voice sounded even deeper and sexier on the phone than it did in person.
“Hey Sue, I was just wondering if you want to go out tonight? There is a party at Beta Phi…well call me and let me know. I will swing by and pick you up on the way.”
I listened to it three times before I put the phone back in my purse. I had homework to do and classes in the morning. The last thing I should be doing was going out partying, even though I wanted to. I mean, how many times would a guy like Axl ask me out? I didn’t see many of them in my future, so I finally dug my phone out and pushed the recall button before I could lose my cool.
“Hey.”
“Hey Axl, just returning your call. What time?”
“I don’t know. Whenever. Probably around 9 or 10.”
I paused for a minute, really wanting to ask which one, but I just instead agreed and said I had to go. Hanging up, my hands were shaking and I knew that I had to chill out. I was almost 22 and I shouldn’t be affected by him so much or any man for that matter.
I didn’t know what to wear so I called Ashlea over. Even though I knew she was going to be ridiculous about it, I had to get her opinion. She may be a pain in my ass, but she knew more about guys than I did and she never had trouble getting one as soon as she was done with the one she discarded when used.
“Oh my God Sue! I will be right over.”
She was. I mean literally two minutes later. I don’t even know how it is possible, but I will not deny how happy I was to see her. It was already eight o clock and all I had done to prepare was take a shower. My long red hair was curling and it had started to dry before I could mess with it. Instead of straightening it and putting up like I usually do, I decided to just let it go. I really didn’t have a choice, so I was trying to tell myself that it was going to be okay.
“I love your hair like this, it is so sexy. Why don’t you wear it like this more often?”
“Because I am here to get a degree and a good job so I am not poor bastards like my parents. Sexy doesn’t fit into that.”
“You really need to get laid Sue. It will help your disposition.”
“Doubt it. You have known me long enough to know that is not true.”
She laughed and tossed her blonde hair. “True. So what are you wearing?”
I looked at her lost, not sure what to wear. My default outfit was jeans and a shirt with some sort of overcoat. Not so sexy and for one night, I liked the idea of being looked at like a sex object. I know that it is silly, but every woman wants to feel desired once and a while, even me, the girl studying and going to bed at ten thirty to wake up refreshed. I had, I was sad to say, only had two hangovers my whole four year stay and that fact alone made me rethink the college experience.
“I don’t know. Pick something out for me.”
“Yeah right. You would not wear what I would pick out.”
“I will, I promise.”
I swallowed hard, unsure why I had just promised that. Looking at what she was wearing at the moment, I worried with what she was going to pick. She had a devious look in her eyes that did nothing to qualm my fears.
“I have just the thing.” She dove head first into my closet and after a few minutes emerged from the piled up mess with a slip. I looked at her like she was crazy. Surely she did not think that I was going to leave the house in that?
“You have got to be kidding me.”
“What? Seriously I have three just like it in different colors. The green is going to make your eyes pop. Wear it with those black heels you have with the strappy backs and no one will be able to resist you. Not even golden boy.”
I looked at the dress. It wasn’t really a slip, but it might as well have been. The material was so thin and flimsy under my fingers. After a second of debate, I huffed and took off the clothes I had on. When I started to pull it over my head with my bra and panties on, Ashlea stopped me.
“No honey. You need to wear it without a bra. You don’t want your strap showing do you?”
I looked at her incredulously. Surely my nipples not showing were more important, but she did not seem to agree. “Your tits are fabulous and huge. I don’t know why you don’t show them things off.”
“Because I have been worried about studies, not men.”
“I mean come on. It is not like you are a virgin or something.”
It was true, I wasn’t. I had had sex years ago after prom with a guy I thought I loved. Of course it turned out the love was just lust and once he had what he wanted, he was on to the next conquest. I of course was devastated and promised myself that I would not do that to myself again. Four years later, I hadn’t, though I started to really wonder what all the fuss was about. It didn’t feel all that good, even when it stopped hurting, so I decided that I wouldn’t waste my time being obsessed with the opposite sex, even though some guys were harder than others to forget about.
“I know Ashlea. But don’t you ever want it to be special with someone. Someone that you actually love or hell, even like?”
The blonde shook her head. She was not there yet. Ashlea was worried about getting off and she liked having a man around, whether she liked him or not. It was better than being alone, she always told me.
“Whatever Sue. I just want a nut most of the time. You look into it too much. It is just sex.
***
Her words swirled in my brain as I waited alone for him to pick me up. He had insisted on coming to get me instead of meeting him somewhere. I knew that he was trying to look like a sweet guy, but in reality, he just wanted to show off his sports car. It was a nice car, a red Charger, but it was not as impressive as he would like to think. Shaking my thoughts, I wondered why I had even agreed if I felt like his true intentions were so wrong. Was it because I really did like him or that I really wanted the naughty things that I had heard about in the rumors? Either way, I was out of time to mull the situation because I heard him knocking at the front door.
Taking a deep breath, I opened the door and smiled. “Hey Axl.”
Axl’s eyes widened and for that reaction, wearing that slip dress thing had been totally worth it. I had also let Ashlea do my makeup and I could tell her was stunned with the results. “Are you ready?”
His dark eyes met mine and he shook his head. I could see him swallow hard and I started to rethink the way I dressed all of the time. Maybe it was time to show more skin if Axl was looking at me in that way. The guy that every girl on campus wanted to be with was looking at me like I was his main course.
“Hold on, let me grab my keys.” Turning around, I grabbed the keys that were on the kitchen table and went back to Axl. He had not moved from where I had left him and I started to feel a bit more powerful than before.
“You look different Sue. I don’t think I have ever seen you like this before.”
I looked down at the dress. “Yeah Ashlea picked it out. I am glad you like it.”
“I think anyone would like that on you.”
There was a moment of silence. I did not know how to respond to him, so I just walked out of the door and locked it behind me. I felt him behind me, radiating heat and I brushed against him gently as I turned around. He still was in the same spot, his eyes the only part of him that had moved. I had a questioning look in my eyes and finally he seemed to snap out of it. Taking the lead, I followed him out to his car. He held the door open and waited till I was in to shut it. It was surprising, but not at all unwelcomed.
I waited for him to get in and then he started the engine. “Here you need this on. I drive a little fast.”
Before I could stop him, he leaned over and his arms went around me to grab the seat belt. I gasped as his palm brushed against my breasts momentarily before he put the slot in the lock. The click sounded louder than normal in my ears and then he was gone. I didn’t even realize my eyes had closed until I was pushing them open. Axl had pulled away from the curb and he did drive too fast.
The trip was…eventful to say the least. Axl drove like a maniac and I spent most of my time holding onto the small bar that seemed attached by far too small of a screw. He drove well, but very fast. I drove rarely and when I did, it was at the speed limit. To Axl, they seemed to be a mere suggestion for bad weather.
We finally stopped up on a bluff overlooking the city. The view was gorgeous and he had packed a cooler that we took up as we walked closer to the edge. I held his hand when he took mine into his. His swallowed mine and I could feel an electrical spark between us with the contact. We felt really alone in that moment and my mind went to what would happen next.