Playing Hard to Get(58)

“When was the last time?”

He frowns, thinking. “Last week?”

Relief floods me. “Okay. Good.” Last week isn’t ideal, but it’s better than most guys I know.

“Are you a neat freak, Jo Jo?”

“Nat dated a guy for a brief period our freshman year. They’d always hang out in his dorm room. One night, she shows up, and the comforter is flipped back from the sheets. She could see a grimy brown outline on the sheets and she asked him if he ever washed them. Of course, he said no. She walked out of his room right after he said that.” I make a face. “It’s become a complete dealbreaker for us.”

“That’s disgusting.” The look on his face tells me he’s just as horrified.

“Right?” I laugh. So does he.

He grabs hold of my hand unexpectedly, yanking me to him, his other hand resting low on my back. “I like your laugh,” he murmurs.

Just before he kisses me.





TWENTY-TWO





KNOX





I probably shouldn’t kiss her while we’re standing out in front of Logan’s, waiting for an Uber, but fuck it.

She’s so pretty. And I like it when she laughs. The sound, how her whole face lights up and her eyes sparkle. When I’m with her, I feel pretty fucking great. Like nothing can get me down. All I want to do is make her smile.

Scratch that. All I currently want to do is pull her in close to me, feel her wrap her arms around my neck and hold her. That’s what I want.

Glancing down, I check out the outfit she’s wearing yet again. The deep V of her neckline that shows off the tops of her tits. The cropped white shirt that flashes a glimpse of her flat stomach every once in a while. It’s like she’s all covered up yet also exposed and it’s hot.

She’s hot.

And interesting. I want to know more. I want to learn about her. What she likes and hates. Her favorite colors and movies and food. What she looks like in the morning when she first wakes up.

That’s what I want to know most of all.

I touch her face and cup her cheek as I drink from her lips. It’s a simple kiss. No tongue, just our mouths connecting, pulling away, reconnecting. There’s something hot about that. The restraint we’re showing. The control. I’m pent-up with need, ready to unleash it all over her, and she acts like it’s just another night where she kisses some guy in front of a bar while waiting for a car to come pick them up.

I know that’s not the case. Well, I hope it’s not…

She pulls away first, glancing toward the street. “What kind of car is picking us up?’

“A white Camry.” I lean in, ready to press my lips to hers again, when she stops me, resting her hand on my chest.

“It’s here.”

Reluctantly, I pull away from her and approach the car. The passenger side window rolls down, revealing an older woman, who’s eyeing me up and down. “Who are you here for?”

“Knox?” When I nod, she asks, “Are you that football player, kid?”

“Yeah.” This isn’t the first time I’ve been recognized by someone off campus, and it’s always kind of wild.

She grins. “I loved your daddy back in the day. Hop on in.”

What the hell? That’s a new one.

I open the back door and let Joanna slide in first before I get in after her. The moment I slam the door, the driver is pulling away from the curb, her tires squealing. Joanna falls back against me with a soft giggle and I right her in her seat.

“Better buckle up,” I murmur.

She grabs her seat belt, her gaze finding mine when she pulls it across the front of her. I take over, clicking the belt into place, my hand brushing her hip. Lingering there. Our gazes never straying.

“Thank you,” she whispers.

“You ready for this weekend’s game?” the driver calls from the front seat.

Irritation flits through my blood as I glance in her direction. While I appreciate the woman’s enthusiasm, she interrupted the moment Joanna and I were sharing. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Good to hear.” Her gaze finds mine in the rearview mirror. “Get your seat belt on, son. We need to protect you at all costs.”

I’m rolling my eyes as I pull the seat belt over me, Joanna stifling laughter behind her hand. When I glance over at her, her eyes dance with amusement, and I’m about to ask her if she gets off on my pain when the driver continues talking.

And keeps talking throughout the rest of the ride. I was hoping to kiss Joanna all the way home, but instead, I’m talking stats, both ours and other teams’, our chances for a championship and my NFL possibilities.

“If you’re anything like your daddy, you’ve got a sure shot,” the woman reassures me as she pulls into the apartment parking lot, stopping directly in front of my building. Like she’s been here before. Is she some kind of stalker?

Doubtful. She’s following her directions via Maps.

“Well, that was interesting,” Joanna says as we stand on the sidewalk side by side, watching the Camry leave.

“Sorry about that.” I scratch the back of my head. Some girls get off on the so-called fame I have. I feel like I’ve barely scratched the surface popularity-wise, but whatever. Other girls don’t like all the attention I get, but I always tell them I can’t help it. It’s not like I ask for it.