Convenient Fall (Players of Marycliff University Book 2)
Read Convenient Fall (Players of Marycliff University Book 2) Online
Authors: Jerica MacMillan
Convenient Fall
Players of Marycliff University Book 2
Jerica MacMillan
Copyright © 2016 by Jerica MacMillan
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
To my parents and brother, without whom I would know even less about football.
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CHAPTER ONE
Megan spread the comforter over her bed in her new room and collapsed on top of it, one arm thrown over her eyes. She kicked off her shoes and let out a deep sigh. It was only three in the afternoon and she was already so tired. She and Abby had moved out of their shared apartment so Abby could move in with Lance.
Things had moved fast once Abby and Lance had decided to move in together. They found an available apartment a couple of days after Lance came back and moved in less than a week later. Matt, one of Lance's roommates, had suggested that Megan take Lance's room. It seemed like an easy and convenient solution for everyone, so she’d agreed.
It was definitely going to be an interesting year. She’d need to stop by the tutoring center to rearrange her work schedule now that she lived farther from campus. She had set up her class and work schedule so she had a break in the middle of the day, but she was too far to make the trip home worthwhile, so she’d work during that break and come home earlier in the evenings.
At least she’d gotten Abby's comforter out of the deal. Abby had given it to her right before they'd left their old apartment. She'd said it was the least she could do since she’d left Megan to scramble for a new place to live and forced her to move in with Chris and Matt. Plus, she knew how much Megan loved it and had used it most of the summer. Megan rolled over and snuggled into the comforter, smiling at the memory, too hot still to get underneath. It was so snuggly and cozy. Way better than the quilts she'd used before.
A knock on her open door had her lifting her head and looking over her shoulder. Chris stood in the doorway, letting his hands hang from the top of the door frame by his fingertips. His stance caused his t-shirt to raise a little, a strip of tanned skin on display above the waistband of his shorts that hung off his hips just right.
A frisson of arousal skittered down Megan's spine as her eyes wandered up Chris's form. She resisted the urge to lick her lips. They were roommates now, so she needed to tamp down her attraction. Giving in would be a sure fire way to mess up their living arrangements. She didn't want to do that, especially not the day she moved in. “What's up?”
Chris's hazel eyes finished their perusal of her sprawled body and came to rest on her face. She watched his Adam's apple bob while he swallowed and then his tongue came out to run along his lower lip. “Hmm?”
She raised her eyebrows and rolled over so she could sit up. That was an interesting reaction from him. “Did you need something?”
“What? Oh, yeah.” Chris dropped his arms and leaned against the doorjamb, his eyes on her face now. “One of our teammates is having a pool party at his parents’ house tonight. Matt and I are both going. Wanna come?”
“It's not just for the team?”
Chris lifted one shoulder. “The team and invited guests.”
“Sure. You know I'm always up for a party.” She shot him a cheeky grin.
He smiled back. “Great. We'll take my car since we won't all fit in Matt's truck. You hungry? We can order pizza or hit a drive-thru before we head to Bryant’s.”
Megan's stomach let out an audible growl. She laughed. Perfect timing. “Uh, yeah. I could eat. Pizza's fine or grabbing something on the way. Whatever you guys want to do. I'm easy.”
Chris's smile grew wider, and a mischievous glint entered his eyes. “You are, huh? That's good to know.”
Megan got off the bed. “Yup. I'm easy when it comes to food.” She walked over to Chris and patted his chest, stretching up on tiptoe so she could bring her mouth close to his ear, just to mess with him a little. He leaned his head down in response, one corner of his mouth curled up and his breath came faster. “Just food.”
She went back on flat feet and pushed at his chest. “If we're going to a party, I want to shower first. I'm all sticky and sweaty from moving.”
She stood close enough to see Chris's eyes darken, and his Adam's apple bob again. “Right. Well, I'll leave you to it then. Come out when you're done and we'll figure out food.” He straightened and stepped back out into the living room.
Megan closed the door behind him and paused a moment before heading for the shower. Huh. That whole exchange was unexpected.
Chris had started flirting with her when they’d met at the Fourth of July party, but it hadn't progressed beyond that. She would have to be careful about how things played out, though. When she'd decided to move in she hadn't thought it would be a big deal to live with the two football players. They were attractive, sure, but Matt reminded her of her older brothers. And her flirtation with Chris hadn't seemed like anything to take seriously. He flirted with everyone, and she'd seen how they treated Abby, whistling at her and doing everything they could to try to make her blush or make Lance act jealous. She had figured his flirting was just an extension of that.
But the way Chris had looked at her made her wonder if it wasn't more than that after all.
* * *
Megan threw on a t-shirt and cut-off denim shorts over the top of her favorite two-piece bathing suit. She figured the red halter-style top with little white polka dots in a vintage pin-up style would be perfect. It was cute and sexy, but wouldn’t have a wardrobe malfunction in a pool full of guys. She stuffed a change of clothes, a towel, and an extra pair of flip flops in a bag and was ready to go.
Matt looked up from his place on the couch when she opened the door and smiled at her, blue eyes twinkling. “Roomie!” Megan laughed and stepped closer to the couch. He took in her outfit and backpack. “Ready for the party?”
Megan nodded. “Thanks for letting me tag along.”
Matt stood. “Of course. What kind of roommates would we be if we abandoned you on your first night with us?” Megan couldn't help but admire the fit of his board shorts and the t-shirt that skimmed over his well-defined torso. He looked like a surfer with his longish, messy blond hair, Hawaiian print board shorts, and the tribal tattoo peeking out from under his shirt sleeve. He might act like he was her older brother, but that didn't mean she couldn't notice how attractive he was.
“You guys ready?” Chris's voice came from behind her. Megan turned around in time to see him pull on a t-shirt, hiding what looked very much like a six-pack. He wore a pair of blue board shorts with the Captain America shield on the left side. When Megan dragged her eyes back to his face, Chris gave her a knowing smirk. She rolled her eyes, covering her embarrassment at being caught checking him out with a show of disdain. His grin only grew wider.
Matt stood watching their interplay, his eyes bouncing back and forth between them. When Megan turned to face him, he raised an eyebrow at her.
“What?”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Nothing. Let's go.”
He turned and headed for the front door, and Megan followed behind him. When she got to the door she stopped and turned around to crash into Chris's chest. With her nose even with his sternum, the spicy scent of his cologne filled her senses. She fought back the urge to breathe deeper. She looked up at him. “Sorry. I forgot my keys.”
He smiled and Megan's eyes locked on his lips. They looked soft and kissable. Before she could think more about that he turned her around and ushered her through the door. “We're all going together. Matt and I both have keys. I promise we won't lock you out.”
Megan decided to cover her attraction and embarrassment with arrogance again. “Right. You better not, or you'll be sorry.”
Matt and Chris both laughed. Matt held the passenger door open for her to Chris's Chevy Impala. She moved some napkins and a couple of protein bar wrappers off the seat before she climbed in.
Matt took the trash out of her hand and rolled his eyes. “Dude, clean out your car,” he called to Chris before climbing in the back seat.
Chris just shrugged. “Oops.”
It took about twenty minutes to get to the house on the south side of town after stopping at a drive-thru to get some dinner on the way there. Megan passed most of the ride in silence, watching out the window, listening to Chris and Matt talk about the upcoming football season and what the fall semester was going to look like.
When they arrived at the party there were shirtless football players everywhere. Megan was mesmerized by the various shades of skin tones. It seemed like the full range of colors were laid out before her, from milky white on the guys with farmer's tans, various shades of golden brown and bronze, a couple people with sunburns, to several examples of darker browns.
Megan had always been fascinated by the different shades that existed, thinking how she would blend her oils or pastels to bring out the highlights and shadows on a particular person. The models for her figure drawing classes were almost always white girls. She considered it a treat when she got to see different shades and try to paint them. Maybe that should be her project for this semester's art class—a study of different skin tones in the same set of poses. Her excitement built as she thought about it more. Matt and Chris might even be able to help her convince some of their teammates to pose for her. A range of hot, shirtless football players posing for her wouldn't be a bad project for this semester from any angle she could see.
“Enjoying the view?” Chris's low voice rumbled in her ear and caught her off guard. She whipped her head around, her gaze colliding with his. His brows were pulled down in a scowl. Maybe scratch the idea of trying to get his help. She looked past him to see Matt watching them again, his face bland.
