hall. Violet suggested
that the four of them use Allie’s car to make an off-site run instead of
joining everyone in the line on campus.
“We might miss the next game,” Allie pointed out.
“We’ll make the third one.” Violet shrugged,
careless. “Come on, let’s go up to our room to get your keys.”
As she trailed the other three up the stairs to
their floor, Allie could see Violet whispering in Ivan’s ear. It made it even
less of a surprise once the plans changed as soon as they got to their room.
“Allie, you know, I don’t actually feel very
hungry.” Violet took a seat on her bed and flicked a glance towards Ivan.
Hungry was actually exactly how she looked. “I think I’ll stay here.”
“Yeah, me too,” said Ivan neatly on cue.
“Oh. Okay.” Allie felt like an idiot as she fought
her arms awkwardly into the sleeves of her jacket, her car keys jingling in its
pocket. She could sense Blake’s blue eyes on her but tried desperately to avoid
them. “I’ll just … We’ll just meet you back at the trivia room.”
If Blake and Ivan needed to come to some
understanding, they must have done it entirely through a silent bro code
because Allie didn’t hear a word more from either of them. She wasn’t exactly
sticking around, though. Allie snagged her purse off the desk and beat a hasty
retreat out the door.
Panic welled up in her stomach as she listened to
Blake’s steps following her down the stairs. Allie couldn’t imagine going into
town with him all by herself. She was still groping for something to say when
he caught up with her, his arm reaching past her shoulder to hold the door
closed.
“You know, we could just go back to my room. It’ll
be empty.”
Allie turned to the side, putting her back to the
wall so she could tilt a look up at Blake. She blinked in startled stupidity.
“W—what would we do there?”
That won a dimpled smile from Blake. He was
ridiculously handsome. He knew it. He prowled closer and corralled her in the
prop of his arms against the wall. “I’m sure we could figure something out.”
Something that started with him leaning down to kiss her.
Gasping, Allie pitched forward with a ducking
aversion of her face. Her forehead collided with his shoulder. Maybe it wasn’t
the nuzzling Blake was going for, but she burrowed against his chest and fisted
her hands in his shirt and groaned into the heat of his solidity. She supposed
she should be flattered by his attention, but it felt like even more of an
accident than when she found herself in a similar situation with Marc. “Oh my
gosh, what is happening.”
“You’re fucking up my shirt.” At least bemusement
was winning out over irritation. For now. It was a fine line in the low of
Blake’s voice. “Allie?” He reached for her shoulder to try and coax her back
where he could reach her.
Allie shook her head violently, stretching out his
shirt in her fists as she resisted. “I’m not … I can’t … Blake, it’s
against the rules.”
“Is that what’s worrying you?” Blake tilted in to
murmur closer to her ear. “We won’t get caught. And if we do, I’ll take care of
it. You don’t have to worry.” He was so confident.
She was worried about getting caught. But if she were going to take such a risk, he wasn’t the player that most tempted her. “I
don’t … I don’t date athletes.”
“Who said anything about dating?”
Allie snapped her gaze up and pushed him away hard.
“I’m not like that.”
“You mean like your friend?” Blake continued on
placidly as he found new balance a step away. “There’s something to be said for
someone who can drive directly to the goal. Don’t you think?”
Like Marc , is what Allie thought. Dominating
in the pool. How he held her that first night in his room after the airport. “I
have to go.”
It was a near thing, but Allie broke away from the
half-hearted catch Blake made at her arm. She rushed through the door and
didn’t look
that the four of them use Allie’s car to make an off-site run instead of
joining everyone in the line on campus.
“We might miss the next game,” Allie pointed out.
“We’ll make the third one.” Violet shrugged,
careless. “Come on, let’s go up to our room to get your keys.”
As she trailed the other three up the stairs to
their floor, Allie could see Violet whispering in Ivan’s ear. It made it even
less of a surprise once the plans changed as soon as they got to their room.
“Allie, you know, I don’t actually feel very
hungry.” Violet took a seat on her bed and flicked a glance towards Ivan.
Hungry was actually exactly how she looked. “I think I’ll stay here.”
“Yeah, me too,” said Ivan neatly on cue.
“Oh. Okay.” Allie felt like an idiot as she fought
her arms awkwardly into the sleeves of her jacket, her car keys jingling in its
pocket. She could sense Blake’s blue eyes on her but tried desperately to avoid
them. “I’ll just … We’ll just meet you back at the trivia room.”
If Blake and Ivan needed to come to some
understanding, they must have done it entirely through a silent bro code
because Allie didn’t hear a word more from either of them. She wasn’t exactly
sticking around, though. Allie snagged her purse off the desk and beat a hasty
retreat out the door.
Panic welled up in her stomach as she listened to
Blake’s steps following her down the stairs. Allie couldn’t imagine going into
town with him all by herself. She was still groping for something to say when
he caught up with her, his arm reaching past her shoulder to hold the door
closed.
“You know, we could just go back to my room. It’ll
be empty.”
Allie turned to the side, putting her back to the
wall so she could tilt a look up at Blake. She blinked in startled stupidity.
“W—what would we do there?”
That won a dimpled smile from Blake. He was
ridiculously handsome. He knew it. He prowled closer and corralled her in the
prop of his arms against the wall. “I’m sure we could figure something out.”
Something that started with him leaning down to kiss her.
Gasping, Allie pitched forward with a ducking
aversion of her face. Her forehead collided with his shoulder. Maybe it wasn’t
the nuzzling Blake was going for, but she burrowed against his chest and fisted
her hands in his shirt and groaned into the heat of his solidity. She supposed
she should be flattered by his attention, but it felt like even more of an
accident than when she found herself in a similar situation with Marc. “Oh my
gosh, what is happening.”
“You’re fucking up my shirt.” At least bemusement
was winning out over irritation. For now. It was a fine line in the low of
Blake’s voice. “Allie?” He reached for her shoulder to try and coax her back
where he could reach her.
Allie shook her head violently, stretching out his
shirt in her fists as she resisted. “I’m not … I can’t … Blake, it’s
against the rules.”
“Is that what’s worrying you?” Blake tilted in to
murmur closer to her ear. “We won’t get caught. And if we do, I’ll take care of
it. You don’t have to worry.” He was so confident.
She was worried about getting caught. But if she were going to take such a risk, he wasn’t the player that most tempted her. “I
don’t … I don’t date athletes.”
“Who said anything about dating?”
Allie snapped her gaze up and pushed him away hard.
“I’m not like that.”
“You mean like your friend?” Blake continued on
placidly as he found new balance a step away. “There’s something to be said for
someone who can drive directly to the goal. Don’t you think?”
Like Marc , is what Allie thought. Dominating
in the pool. How he held her that first night in his room after the airport. “I
have to go.”
It was a near thing, but Allie broke away from the
half-hearted catch Blake made at her arm. She rushed through the door and
didn’t look
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