SCORE (A Stepbrother Sports Romance)(5)

I raised my eyebrows, surprised at the offer. “Sure,” I said with a shrug, “Sure as hell beats driving.”

Mom pulled up, and we hopped in the back. She asked us how school was and other things on the ride back, but I mostly focused on Alyssa—the way she scrunched her face at her papers, the kind smiles she offered my mom, the tinkling sounds her voice made when she laughed. She was completely intoxicating, and the harder I tried to pull away, the more I wanted to get closer.





Alyssa



School had started three weeks ago, and I was adjusting well to my classes. They were difficult, but I welcomed the challenge, pleased whenever I got an A on a paper or aced a test. Maggie and I had both been crazy busy with schoolwork, so we were going out for lunch, relieved to catch a break.

After ordering our food, I took a big gulp of my iced tea and asked, “So how close are you to being done with that ten-page paper for bio?”

Maggie huffed. “I haven’t even started it.”

“Maggie!” I spoiled the protest with a giggle.

She shrugged. “It’s not my fault. I have so much other work to do. Let me guess, you’re almost done?”

I smiled and said, “Kind of. I still have to edit it and stuff.”

Maggie laughed and stared at me knowingly. I had always been the more dedicated student. Maggie would rather cram everything in the day before and get a B than work like I did. I went a little overboard at times, but my education was important to me.

Maggie interrupted my thoughts. “So how is everything with Blake?”

“It’s fine, I guess. I mean, he gets on my nerves, but whatever.” I did my best to sound dismissive because I didn’t want to talk about Blake, even though he was rapidly becoming all I thought about.

Maggie often gushed about how hot he was, but I always pretended indifference, which was not true at all. Every time I spoke of Blake, an onslaught of conflicting feelings hit me. I held a lot of resentment towards Blake from high school. He had been a part of a group that often bullied not only me but a lot of other students. Blake had always been egotistical and walked around with an air of superiority. Now, these old emotions were mixed with a stronger attraction and a newfound liking for his indulgent humor.

***

After lunch, Maggie and I drove back to campus and headed to class. I heard my name called and turned to see Blake walking towards us. Maggie walked away, calling over her shoulder, “Catch you later.”

“What?” I asked as he approached me looking incredibly handsome in his green shirt that perfectly matched his eyes.

“I have a late practice tonight, and my mom can’t get me. Will you stay late and take me home?” Blake asked.

I bit my lip, indecisive. I needed to get home and do homework, but I didn’t want to leave him in a lurch. “Okay,” I finally agreed because it wasn’t important where I studied. I could do the homework while I waited.

“Awesome. Thanks, kid, I appreciate it.” He grinned brightly at me.

I scrunched my nose and said, “Don’t call me that.”

He winked at me, and my heart skipped a beat. “See ya later, kid,” he called as he jogged off.

I shook my head at his behavior, a small smile on my face, and headed to class, sighing as I thought about what a long day it would be. I managed to get through my last two classes and walked to the practice field. I sat on a set of bleachers and pulled out my laptop to work on a paper.

The practice lasted a little over two hours, and the sun set just as the players left the field. I had finished some work but ended up watching Blake more than I worked. I had to admit, he had some justification for his cocky behavior because he was extremely talented. I had never been interested in sports, but I could barely tear my eyes away from his lean body practically gliding past on the field. He was fast and strong in his movements, dodging tackles with graceful agility. I had never seen Blake so focused on anything before. He was so in the moment, playing with a fierce intent and glowing passion. When practice finally ended, my muscles were tightly wound. I took a few deep breaths to calm myself before I gathered my stuff and climbed down the bleachers, waiting for Blake to grab his gear. We walked to the car in silence, and I tossed my bag in the backseat when we got to the car, feeling a bit awkward.

My own body was tense after watching him play. The way his body moved was compelling, and I felt uncomfortable being so close. Images of the way he moved reappeared in my head, intensifying the building attraction I felt for Blake. We made small talk on the ride home, but I was grateful to have the road in front of me to focus on. When we arrived, we headed inside to find that our parents had gone out and that we were completely alone.

I threw my backpack on the living room couch and headed for the kitchen to grab something to eat. Blake ran upstairs, mentioning a shower. Opening the fridge, I pulled out some veggies for a salad along with some chicken. I hummed to myself as I cooked, letting the stress and tension of the day melt away.

I was in the middle of cutting up vegetables for the salad when a voice behind me said, “Want some help?”

Blake was standing directly behind me. He wore a smirk on his face as he looked down at me. I stepped away from him. “You scared me.” His hair was wet, and he wasn’t wearing a shirt, indicating that he had just stepped out of the shower. He caught me looking at him, and I blushed furiously. “Go put some clothes on.”