A Different Side (University Park #4) (10 page)

How the hell did I almost miss that?

My head jerked back and I took a hard stare. “Lexi?”

“Yes?” She was breathing hard, completely out of breath. I knew one way to give her some air in her lungs. I internally smiled at that idea.

“Sorry, I didn’t recognize you.” I gave her a once over. Sheer material covered her long, slender legs and my fingers tensed, eager to find out what was underneath. “You didn’t have to get all dressed up for me.”

Her head tilted to the side and she giggled. “Oh, I went to church this morning. I didn’t have a chance to change.”

She could dress up for me any day. As long as she looked that beautiful. “Oh, darn. I was hoping you were trying to impress me, you know, since you think I’m sexy.” I shot her a wink and then wanted to punch myself. Why did I keep flirting with her? She was my tutor. I had some serious issues. I needed to chill — just get to know her.

Her cheeks reddened and she shifted from one foot to the other. “Who doesn’t think you’re sexy?” She tucked the strands flying around her face behind her ear and then bit her lip.

Everything around me came to a halt as I focused on Lexi Thompson. She was totally sizing me up. I rubbed the side of my temple, feeling the beads of sweat collect. She knew how to get to me, that was for sure.

“Okay, now you’re embarrassing me.” I couldn’t help but smile at her.

“Me?” She pressed a hand to her chest, claiming disbelief. “I didn’t think that was possible.”

“Oh, it is, believe me.” I stood and took a step closer toward her, reclaiming my courage. “Well, you’re thirty minutes late, so you owe me.”

Her eyes widened and she released the grip from her lip. Damn. She was sexy from her head to her toes. I barely knew her and she already knew how to undo me.

“Sorry. We’ll work until we get the paper finished, even if it takes until midnight.”

Neither of us said a word. Just held our gazes on one another, without even flinching. Her beautiful, light brown eyes bore into me, touching the very center of my chest. It was like nothing I’d ever felt before. If she was tugging on my strings, I was totally in the game now. And once I got started, I knew I wouldn’t be able to stop. I’d reel her in slowly, making it impossible for her to resist me, until I had her in my net. She was about to find out what
The Raven’s trap
was all about.

“Great, but first, let’s grab a bite to eat. I’m starving and since we’re going to be up late, I need some food,” I said, determined to get to know her.

“Sure.” She smiled and I knew I had to pace my steps or I could really eff this up.

We walked across campus to a taco shop, chatting along the way. I made sure to take small steps so I didn’t walk ahead of her. Josh might have thought I didn’t know shit when it came to relationships, but I did know some things. Girls liked to feel important. They craved attention and wanted someone other than their girlfriends to listen to them. And if Lexi gave me a shot, I’d gladly hold her basket and let her talk all she wanted.

We entered the restaurant and I did a quick check, making sure there were no “distractions” there. An older couple and two girls were seated at the back. No one I knew.

“What would you like?” I stepped aside, allowing her to order. She reached into her purse and started to pull out her wallet. Even though this wasn’t a date, I wasn’t going to let her pay. What kind of guy would I be? Besides, I called her to help me. The least I could do was buy her something to eat.

I reached in my pocket. “I’ll get it this time. Next time, you pay.”

“Okay, thanks.”

I thumbed through my bills as I placed my order. I tossed some money on the counter and told the guy behind the register to keep the change. He handed me two plastic cups and we went to the soda fountain. After filling our cups, I followed Lexi. To my disappointment, she sat at a table instead of a booth, but it didn’t matter. I’d still get to look at her while we talked. I couldn’t ask for more. I stopped at that thought. There was a lot I wanted and I could only imagine what it would be like to date a girl like her.

Lexi shifted in her chair as she took several gulps of water. “So, what’s your major?”

“Business.” I watched her lick the water off her lips and then quickly focused on her eyes — the lips were too dangerous for me.

“What year are you?” She pounded out one question after another, but that was fine by me. We were getting to know each other like Josh suggested.

“Sophomore, but I’ll be a junior after this semester.”

“Oh.” She narrowed her eyes, as if deep in thought. I knew I needed to explain. It was no secret what had happened, but by the expression on her face, I guessed she hadn’t heard.

“I had to sit out a semester,” I confessed.

“It happens.” She waved off my remark, like it was no big deal, putting me at ease. She wasn’t judging me like everyone else did, which was actually nice for once.

“Hey, you want a beer?” I straightened my leg and dug into my pocket, retrieving my ID. Before I got up, Lexi took it from my fingers. Her eyes scanned the plastic card and then my face.

“Twenty-one.” Her lips turned up in a perfect smile. “You just celebrated your birthday on September twenty-ninth?” She handed the ID back to me.

“Yeah.” I peeled off my jacket and immediately caught her checking out my tattoo. I thought about asking her if she wanted to see the rest of it, but decided there was a better place for that. She continued to squirm in her chair and I could tell she was nervous, but hell, so was I, for whatever reason. “Hey, you want a beer or a margarita?” I began to stand.

“No, that’s okay. I drank enough earlier.” She ran her hands through her hair, and it made me want to reach out and feel her soft strands.

“Seriously?”

“Yes.” Her head dropped and she refused to look at me. She was clearly embarrassed about something. Then it all made sense.

“That’s not why you were late, is it?” I leaned against the table, determined to know the truth. She played with the Corona saltshaker, totally avoiding eye contact. “Yes.”

A chuckle escaped my mouth. “I gotta hear this.” I sat down, deciding the beer could wait for later.

“You don’t want to know.” She shook her head and her cheeks flushed that familiar redness.

“I love to hear drunk stories,” I clasped my hands together, “especially when they effect me.” She laughed, but I held a straight face. I was serious. I really wanted to know. She didn’t seem like the irresponsible type. “Waiting.”

She finally looked at me. “You really want to know?”

I nodded. If she was willing to tell me, then that was a sign that she wanted to be friends. Only friends shared that type of info.

“After church, I went with my family to Blue Mesa for brunch and—”

“The one off of University Drive?” I picked up my cup and took a gulp.

“No, the one off of Northwest Highway in Dallas.”

“Oh.” I set the cup back on the table.

“Anyway, I had too many Mimosas and had to sleep it off at my brother’s apartment.”

A laughed launched from deep in my belly. “You got drunk off of Mimosas?”

She lowered in her chair and I felt bad for making fun of her.

I’m such an idiot!

“Yes. They were really strong,” she tried to explain, but I knew the truth.

“So you’re a light weight?” I called it what it was, hoping to put her at ease. It was nothing to be embarrassed about.

“Forty-three.”

I turned when I heard our ticket number.

“A light weight?” she asked, questioning my label. But if she got drunk off OJ and a splash of champagne, she wasn’t a drinker. And I liked that. It made her different from all the girls I knew.

“Yeah, you know…someone who gets drunk easily.” I got up to get our food.

“Well, I—”

“Hold that thought, I’ll be right back.” I pointed a finger at her while walking backwards toward the pick-up counter. I honestly couldn’t take my eyes off her. Not only was she a dime, but she was nothing like the girls I’d met. She seemed so naïve, yet so together at the same time. If only I had my shit together like she did.

“Shit!” I yelled as my elbow collided with the back of a booth. I rubbed it and tried not to say every cuss word I knew.

She laughed and then shot me puppy dog eyes that had me ready to get down on all fours and bark and howl. I really liked this girl.

I carried the tray back to the table and gave Lexi her food. One thing mom taught me: ladies first. I’d gladly put Lexi first any day.

“Thanks. They look delicious.” She unrolled her napkin and placed it on her lap. This girl was definitely brought up with manners.

“Sure.” I sat and began eating. “So, if you get drunk off drinking Mimosas, what does beer or tequila do to you?”

She shrugged and then wiped her mouth carefully. “I don’t know. Never tried them.”

I nearly spit out my soda. “You’ve never drank a beer or taken a shot of tequila?”

“Nope. Never have. I’ve only had wine and the champagne that’s in a Mimosa.”

Either this girl was ultra-sheltered or a nerd — a really hot nerd. Giving her another once over, I squashed that thought. Maybe she hadn’t experienced all that college had to offer. I could definitely help with that. “What year are you?”

“Senior,” she said sheepishly.

I coughed, nearly choking on a chip. “You’re a senior?” I pounded on my chest and took another drink.

“Uh huh,” she said, continuing to eat.

She didn’t seem too upset about it. Then again, you don’t know what you’re missing until you get a taste of it. Maybe she was just bullshitting me. But what if she wasn’t?

“Have you been at PHU all four years?”

“Yes.” She smiled and then took several gulps of water. Either she was embarrassed or what she said about getting a buzz earlier was true. This girl really was living a sheltered life.
Poor thing.

“So, you mean to tell me, you’ve been here for four years and you’ve never had a beer or a shot of tequila?”

She nodded as she chewed her food carefully. The innocence in her eyes told me she was being one-hundred percent honest. It was almost unbelievable.

“Wow. Do you live with your parents or something?”

“Nope. I live in Charter Hall with my friend, Delaney. My parents are really strict. They preached endlessly to me and my brother about never drinking, partying, having…” she trailed off and looked away. I could tell she was holding back, and if it weren’t for that ring on her finger, I’d have to guess she was a virgin, too. Something told me she had a boyfriend or fiancé, but she wasn’t offering up that information. I’d make it my mission to find out.

“Sounds like you were homeschooled.”

“I was.”

My stomach dropped and it felt like someone had kicked a ball and hit me square in the chest. Why in the hell did I keep saying the wrong shit? I thought about telling her I had to leave and write the paper on my own, but that would be the worst thing I could do. “My bad.” Without even thinking, I placed my hand on top of hers. “I didn’t mean to offend you.”

The warmth of her skin made my hand go limp and my palm collapsed against hers, nearly melting our hands together. My fingers brushed against her delicate, soft skin and it reminded me of a baby. I wanted to run my fingers up her arm and find out if the rest of her body was as silky smooth.

“It’s okay. No offense taken.” She must have liked my touch. She kept her hand perfectly still. “It sucked. Believe me. And my parents still try to run my life.”

It took everything in me to remove my hand. I wanted to hold on and never let go. It was like fighting an invisible force, but Lexi was a good girl and I definitely wasn’t her type. No, girls like her didn’t hook up with guys like me. “I see. Well, Lexi, sounds like you’re a good person who’s been brought up the right way.” I shoved the last of my food in my mouth.

“Maybe. But I’m dying to experience life. I’ll be graduating in May and I don’t want to leave with all these regrets. It’d be nice to attend one party before I…” Her head dropped and her words trailed off into a mutter.

What was she about to say? Before she got married? Before she…what? Damn! I wanted to know and now was my chance to find out what Lexi wanted to experience. I wiped my hands and tossed the paper towel on the table. “You’ve never been to a party either?”

She shook her head, as if ashamed to admit the truth.

I dropped my hand to the table. This girl had definitely been living a sheltered life. “Damn, you are a good girl.”

Crossing her arms, she leaned back. “But I’m tired of being a good girl. I want to have some fun. I’ll be twenty-one in March and I haven’t experienced anything.”

She had just called my jersey number. Lexi wanted the true college experience and I knew how to give her that. I shot her a big smile. “That’s spring break, baby. I may be—”

“The Raven’s in the house!” Calvin ‘Cage’ Rutherford, who played as a defensive lineman, hollered as he stomped in with Kyle, Quinton, and a few of the players from special teams.

“Hey, man, what’s up?” I clasped hands with the guys.

“Ready to grab some grub.” Calvin rubbed his fat belly. “Practice left me hongry.”

I wanted to laugh. Cage never needed a reason to chow down. In fact, the trainers had been after him about eating better. He was like a walking time bomb for a heart attack and was always passing out in practice from overheating.

Kyle checked out our empty baskets. “Looks like you already ate.”

A burp escaped and I quickly held a fist to my mouth, trying to cover it. “Yeah, and it was good.”

Quinton gave Lexi a thorough once over and then looked away when I cleared my throat. I was never territorial over girls — most of them made their way around the team — but Lexi wasn’t one of them. No way would I let these guys get a hold of her.

“Do you want anything else to eat?” Quinton asked, clearly trying to make it up to me. “Another taco?”

“Thanks, but I’m full.” I cracked my knuckles and stretched. I had to fight back the yawn dying to escape. A nap sounded so damn good right now. I seriously thought about telling Lexi we should go back to my apartment, but remembered I left my car at the stadium.