A Different Side (University Park #4) (7 page)

“Crap,” I muttered under my breath. I had totally forgotten about the assignments. I was so screwed. Now I really needed Lexi’s help. Pulling out the syllabus, I reviewed the assignment for our mid-term. I hadn’t read any of the required material and it was thirty percent of my grade. I glanced at my watch. I had ten minutes until my appointment with Lexi. Shit, I was going to be late again.

“Can we turn it in today?” Kyle, the second string quarterback, asked, holding his paper for everyone to see.

“Yes, I can take them today,” the professor said as she gathered her things, “but that doesn’t excuse you from class on Thursday.”

Several people complained, but that didn’t stop Kyle from prancing to the front of the class.

Show off.

I made a note to give him a hard time at practice. He might have worked hard to get that paper done ahead of time, but I’d make him work twice as hard on the field.

With a huff, I stuffed my books in my backpack and grabbed the syllabus. As I stood, a girl brushed past me and then turned around. “Hey.” She gave me a seductive smile and batted her eyelashes at me.

Taking a side step, I said, “Hi,” before rushing out the door. I didn’t have time for chitchat, even though she was cute. The library was across campus and I needed to get a few books for the paper. Damn. Why hadn’t I read the syllabus on Sunday when I was doing homework? I’d never make it to my tutoring session on time.

“Excuse me,” I said repeatedly as I rushed across the lawn, dodging people left and right, just like I did on the football field. I sprinted across the street, cars honking as I violated the crosswalk. “Sorry!” I held up my hands when a car nearly slammed into me. Shit. The school seriously needed a crossover bridge for students.

I swung the door open and trekked to the front desk. Slightly out of breath, I rested against the counter, vying for someone’s attention. It didn’t take long for a girl to make eye contact with me. She was short with brown hair brushing the top of her shoulders. Her aqua-framed glasses made her blue eyes brighter, and they had that familiar sparkle in them.

“Can I help you?” She adjusted her glasses, totally checking me out. It wouldn’t have been a problem, but right now, I didn’t have time.

Flattening the crinkled syllabus on the counter, I pointed to the assignment. “Yeah, I need to check out any books you have on the Civil War…” I flipped the paper in my direction, “that influenced American literature.”

The girl eased the paper from my hand and scanned the assignment. “Professor Callahan?” The presumptuous look on her face told me she was familiar with the class.

“Yes. How’d you know?”

“I had her two semesters ago,” she turned the paper so it faced me, “and it says right here.” She pointed to the top of the page and then slid off her glasses. Crap. This girl was beautiful.

Glancing at my watch, I said, “Can you help? I don’t have much time. I, um…I have to meet a group in five minutes.”

Her eyes traveled up and down, appraising me carefully. “You’re Raven, right?”

“Yeah.” I smiled, and then glanced at her name badge. “Nice to meet you, Beth,” I said, hoping it would earn me some bonus points. Girls always liked it when I called them by their names, especially the correct one.

“You, too.” She leaned forward, becoming more comfortable by the minute. “You’re in luck, Raven, because I know exactly what you need.”

“Perfect.” I winked at her and she gasped. For several seconds, she remained frozen, her eyes glued to my lips. “Can you please show me where I can find these books?” I cocked a brow, hoping my charm made it worth her while. “Like I said, I don’t have much time.” I eased the paper from her hand and she immediately snapped to attention.

“Of course.” Her lips spread into an easy smile. “Hey, I have to help him find a few books. I’ll be back,” she informed the guy next to her, and he nodded. Lifting part of the counter, she slipped from behind the desk. “This way.”

I followed her through the main area and then down a narrow stairwell. The wooden stairs creaked from my weight and I had to duck my head as we turned the corner. “Is this the basement?” Pale green pipes ran along the ceiling and a low humming noise filled the air. I looked around, getting the vibe Beth wasn’t taking me to the literature section, but her own history section instead. I glanced at my watch. Normally, I wouldn’t mind the detour, but I honestly wanted to get to my tutoring appointment with Lexi.

“Yes,” she looked over her shoulder, “it’s a short cut.” After we passed through the boiler room, we entered an older part of the library. For a petite girl, she walked quickly, zipping around the aisles of books as though she knew the area like the back of her hand. The smell of worn leather and old paper filled the room. Dim lights with green fixtures hung low and the tall bookcases made the space seem confined and isolated. This was one part of the library I’d never been to before.

She hooked a left and began searching through the wall of books. “Fuller, Fuller,” she repeated as her small hands skimmed over the spines. I opened up my syllabus, trying to see what book she was looking for, but had no idea. Before I could ask, she said, “Here we go,” and handed me the book. I glanced at it.

“
From Battlefields Rising: How the Civil War Transformed American Literature
?” I said, looking at the cover and then flipping through the pages.

“Yes, it’s one of the best books.” She continued on her path, rounding the corner to the next aisle. “It has all your major American authors — from Dickinson to Whitman. But there’s one more you’ll need.” We moved to the next row as she continued her search.

“What book are you looking for?” I glanced at my watch one more time, noting my session with Lexi was starting. “Maybe I can help?”

“Brownlee and Greene.” She pressed her index finger to her lips as she hummed.

I began searching through the titles, feeling the pressure of the clock tick and my chance for tutoring slip further away. The letters jumbled together as my eyes struggled to read one book after another. Not being able to sleep last night was taking a toll on me.

“Here it is,” we said in unison as our hands collided into one another. The softness of her fingers rubbed against mine as we removed the book from the shelf. A chill ran up my arm and I couldn’t help but wonder if the rest of her body felt that soft. I let out a breath, disappointed I didn’t have time to find out.

“I’ve got it,” I assured her. Her hand lingered on mine for another moment before she removed it. “Can you help me check these out?” I asked, stacking the books together.

“Sure. But you need one more.”

“Okay, let’s get it.”

Beth hesitated for a moment before pulling a pen from her back pocket and small pad. “Um, we don’t have it here at the library.” She scribbled a title across the paper and then tore it from the pad. “You can download this article for free.”

I looked at the paper, noting the title and author along with her phone number. She looked at me briefly before taking a step back. Her chest moved rapidly as she took in quick breaths. “If you need any help, I’m available. I get off at five and I don’t work tomorrow.” Beth obviously wanted to tutor me, too.

With my most charming smile, I said, “I appreciate that, Beth.” I took a step closer, narrowing the space between us. Her back hit the bookcase and a look of delight, along with nervousness, danced across her face. I pressed my hand against the books, trapping her. “How is that a pretty girl like you knows so much about the Civil War?”

With trembling fingers, she ran her hand through her hair. “History happens to be my major.” She took the books from my hand, and clenched them tightly against her chest as she shifted from one foot to the other.

Reaching up, I tucked the stray strands behind her ear. “How lucky can I get?”

A soft whimper escaped her lips and her shoulders relaxed. “I think it’s the other way around.”

Noticing the time, I shook my head. I was about to turn down another girl. Two girls in two weeks. Clearly, I was making some exceptions for Lexi. “Unfortunately, I have a group to meet.”

“We don’t need much time.” Her eyes bore into mine and I gritted my teeth together.

Using the tip of my finger, I traced the square line of her jaw, lifting her chin. “How about I give you a little something…” I reached up and flipped my ball cap backwards, “until we can hook up later?”

“Sure. Why not?” Beth dropped the books, and neither of us bothered to pick them up. Lowering my head, I drew my mouth to hers, inch by inch until our lips touched. The scent of strawberries lingered on her breath. Beth’s mouth opened in anticipation and I willingly satisfied her need…and mine.

∑

Chapter 5

A little more persistence, a little more effort,

and what seemed hopeless failure may turn to glorious success.

~Elbert Hubbard

I rushed into Ramsey, checking my watch. I was seriously late.

Damn it!

What the hell was wrong with me? Beth could’ve waited. For whatever reason, I couldn’t stop myself from coming on to her. I shook my head, knowing she really wasn’t worth the risk of not being able to receive tutoring. Part of me wanted to punch myself and the other part just told me to forget about it. What’s done was done. Besides, I’d only kissed and felt her up enough to know she was dying for me.

I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to get the thoughts of her breasts out of my head. The fullness of them, the hardness of her nipples — shit, that wasn’t helping. I quickly diverted my attention to Lexi. I owed her an apology. Not only for last week, but also for today. If I were lucky, she’d be waiting for me. Over and over, I rehearsed my apology. It sounded so pathetic. Hopefully, I didn’t have to beg. That’s where I drew the line.

Grabbing the door handle, I flung it open. Lexi was talking to Dr. Phillips. My stomach clenched. I was totally screwed. Maybe a little begging wouldn’t hurt.

Dr. Phillips turned in my direction. “Good to see you, son.” I shook his hand, relieved to see the satisfaction on his face. “That was one heck of a game last week. You showed the Jayhawks we belong in the South Central Conference.”

“What can I say? It was a close game, but we got in there and showed them we meant business.” I adjusted my cap, feeling the sweat trickle down the side of my face. Shit. I sniffed, hoping I didn’t stink.

“True, but in the end, we won the game. That’s what matters.” Thank God the professor supported me. Maybe everything was okay. Noticing the expression on Lexi’s face, I knew she wasn’t a fan like Dr. Phillips. I’d have to change that.

“Exactly.” I crossed my arms, contemplating on what approach to use. Lexi’s eyes zeroed in on me. This girl was hard to read. She looked pissed one minute and the next, she was checking me out. What the fuck?

I figured I do the right thing and ask for forgiveness. I really did need her on my side. “Sorry I’m late. I had to go to the library and pick up some books I needed for a paper.” I held up my evidence and saw Beth’s phone number scribbled on the paper. I quickly lowered my hand. “I thought you might be able to help me with it.”

The professor patted me on the back. “Good call. Good call.”

Whew. One down, one more to go.

He walked to his office and shut the door, leaving me to work on changing Lexi’s mind. Normally, I didn’t care whether girls liked me, because nine times out of ten, they did. Lexi didn’t have to like me; she only had to agree to tutor me. But for some reason, I wanted her to. Maybe it was because I knew she was trying hard not to like me, even though I could tell she wanted to. Whatever it was, it only made me more determined to win her over. I just hoped I didn’t do anything stupid — my mind was quickly entering dangerous territory.

“What do you want to work on today?” She arranged some papers in the folder with my name written on the tab.

I sucked in a breath and prayed for the best. “First of all, I want to apologize about last week.” I sat next to her and pulled off my hat. I ran my fingers through my hair, hoping I looked somewhat decent.

“Um, you want to apologize?”

The surprise in her voice told me I had better make it a good one. Indeed, I had screwed up. With my hands clasped, I leaned against the table, ready to beg if necessary. “Yeah, ya know…the phone.” Her eyes narrowed and I took a hard swallow. Heat rushed up my body and my face burned. Why the hell was I so nervous? How did she have that kind of effect on me? That was a first.

“It’s alright. Let’s just forget about it and move on.” She waved off my apology like it was no big deal. Her eyes darted to my folder and I wondered what I said or did to make her flip her switch. Obviously something good.

Score
.

“Thanks.” I tried to get her to look at me, but she kept her head lowered. She seemed a little uncomfortable so I backed off. She was my tutor and I honestly had no business flirting with her. I needed to prove to her that I was serious about learning and not about seeing the color of her panties. Even though I’d love to find out. She was a beauty.

With timid eyes, she finally looked at me and smiled. “Sure.”

I relaxed against the chair, satisfied I had her on my side. Or…at least I hoped I did. I smiled internally — she wasn’t that tough, after all. Why girls put on a front was beyond me, but whatever. I needed her help and I honestly didn’t mind her teaching me. If there was anyone who could help me earn a passing grade, I was positive it would be Lexi. I removed my journal and showed her my assignment, making sure I kept Beth’s phone number tucked away in my backpack. Lexi squared her shoulders and we got down to business.

We had been working on an outline when my phone buzzed.

“My bad.” I reached into my pocket and flipped it to silent mode. Catching a quick glimpse of the text message, I stopped to read it.

Shannon: I’m lying in bed thinking of you.