Crowding me a little, he forced me to look at him. “And they didn’t stay. We thanked them for their cookies and called an Uber to pick them up. If you don’t believe me, ask Bax.”
“Whatever. It seems wherever you are the jersey chasers will be there too.”
“I don’t seek them out. They find me.” He followed me down the stairs and outside as I headed to the science building.
“Do they have a tracker on you or something?” I chuckled even though my comment wasn’t actually funny.
Blowing out a breath, he said, “The next best thing. The college publishes our schedules.”
I shot him a side-eye.
“It’s true. Something about making sure people know we’re student-athletes. Damn invasion of privacy if you ask me,” he grumbled.
“Wow. Is that only for the football team or for all athletes?”
“Everyone on an athletic scholarship. If not for the fact that scholarship athletes get more playing time, I’d have taken the full academic one the university offered and walked on the team instead.” He sipped his coffee as he ambled down the sidewalk beside me. “Where are we going?”
“I’mgoing to the science building,” I said, trying to drop a hint. Then I stopped dead center in the sidewalk. “Wait. You were offered a full academic scholarship?”
The tips of his ears turned red, and I didn’t think it was from the icy January air. “Uh, I did okay on the ACT, maybe graduated with a 4.0.” He rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “Are you headed to class right now?”
“No. I like to study in the science building.” I resumed walking in the direction of Hillman Hall. “No wonder you’re bio-chem,” I said under my breath.
“Mind if I study with you?” The hope in his words left me no choice but to acquiesce. Saying no to those puppy-dog eyes he gave me would have felt like kicking a puppy. Besides, he bought me a coffee.
My acquiescence had nothing whatsoever to do with how hot he was or that he played my favorite sport or that I’d just discovered he was super-smart. It certainly had nothing to do with the weird connection that had passed between us in the Union—the one that had left phantom tingles skittering over my skin to center in my core like a gathering storm even as I merely walked along beside him.
Definitely not.
Chapter Fourteen
Finn
Running into Chesslyin the Union was a gift I’d almost squandered when those freshmen surrounded me like a school of sharks. After my conversations with Bax during finals, and Tarvi and Fitz over break, I’d reached the conclusion I needed to back away from a certain group of girls no matter how willing they were to take care of me. Especially with how willing they were to take care of me.
Wanting to know Chessly better also might have had something to do with my change of heart.
Even bundled up in a bright pink puffy coat with the hood tied down tight to her head, she dazzled me. Skinny jeans emphasized her long legs. I remembered all too well how sweet those legs had felt wrapped around my hips on our way to dry-humping on the couch before the jersey chasers’ untimely interruption. As we walked along, I reached down and discreetly adjusted the semi that had sprung up at the memory of that night.
When we reached Hillman Hall, I hustled ahead of Chessly to open the door. A tiny smile ghosted over her lips as she gazed up at me when she stepped inside. Stomping snow off our boots on the rug inside the door, both of us gave a little shiver at the change in temperature, from frigid January air outside to the toasty warmth of the building. Then with a purpose, Chessly headed off in the direction of the wide staircase bisecting the lobby and half-jogged up the stairs. I followed, unapologetically admiring the sway of her tight little ass. Probably a dick move and more than a little stupid if she glanced back and caught me, but damn, it was at eye level.
At the top of the stairs, she veered left, and I figured out our destination was the study carrels at the end of the hall outside the physics department.
“That’s a miracle,” she said as she zeroed in on a table near the floor-to-ceiling windows.
Walking half a step behind her, I asked, “What’s a miracle?”
“My favorite table being open at this time of day. Usually, this nerdy grad student snags it. He always shoots me this smug smirk when he’s there too, like—”
Out of nowhere, an Ichabod Crane lookalike materialized in front of the carrel right as Chessly let her backpack slide down off her shoulder.
“Hey! We were going to sit here,” she protested with an indignant sniff.
If I hadn’t been with her already, I would have played with her for that response alone. Apparently, Ichabod had the same idea.
“You should be quicker then.” He smirked.
“Or you could be polite,” I said, deepening my voice in my best Jeremiah Fitzgerald imitation.
