“Sorry, babe. But what happened here this afternoon was important.” I dared her to contradict me.
A secret smile flickered over her lips. “Yes, it was.”
She stood and stretched. Looking at that gorgeous curve of her spine and her pretty rack in her tight sweater as it lifted to the ceiling left me half-hard again. Willing my dick to calm the fuck down, I stood beside her and clasped her hand in mine.
“Looks like you’re going to meet my roommates,” I said as I tugged her with me to the door.
“You don’t sound too happy about it.”
I opened the door and stepped out into the hall. “They’re a bunch of cocksure football players who like women,” I said in a tone that conveyed everything I didn’t think I needed to add.
“They sound like your kind of guys.”
The smirk in her voice had me narrowing my eyes at her.
“Finn will probably say something awkward. Bax will be wearing one of his signature T-shirts.” I grinned. “Callahan will be suave, but he’s got a girlfriend, so he’s safe.”
We dropped down to the living room and ran into Bax who walked out of the kitchen, gnawing on a slice of cold pizza. He swallowed and gave Taryn an appreciative once-over that had me involuntarily squeezing her hand—maybe too hard judging by the way she flinched and tugged at my hold.
“Helloo, Danny. Is this your friend?” he asked.
“This is Taryn. My girlfriend.” When I emphasized the second part, a warm glow radiated over my chest. “Taryn, this is Wyatt Baxter, but everyone calls him Bax.”
After wiping his hand down the side of his jeans, he stuck it out to her. They shook, and she grinned. “Nice shirt.”
He glanced down at his thought for the day and smirked.
Though I rolled my eyes, I couldn’t help but grin too at the bright white lettering across the chest of his black T-shirt that read “So when is this ‘old enough to know better’ supposed to kick in?”
“Good one, huh?” He chuckled and took another bite of pizza.
“What’s a good one?” Finn asked as he walked out of the kitchen and almost ran into Bax.
“Today’s T-shirt.”
Finn shook his head.
“Finn, this is my girlfriend, Taryn Hamilton.” Catching her wide-eyed blink, I added, “Finn’s a D-end, but off the field, he’s harmless.”
Bax chuckled at Finn’s snort of rejection. He clearly didn’t agree with my description of him.
Ignoring both Bax and me, Finn reached out to Taryn, shaking her hand. “Pleasure to meet you.” Returning his attention my way, his mouth turned down. “The pretty boys always get the hottest girls. It’s not fair.”
“All semester Callahan has been warning you about hanging out with the jersey chasers. Maybe if you listened, you’d have a better chance at finding your hot girl.” I shrugged. “Catch you guys at practice.”
As I turned to walk Taryn toward the foyer, Bax piped up. “Hey! This mean you’re gonna have your shit together tonight?” He not so subtly pointed between T and me.
I flipped him the bird and continued walking to the door.
“Nice to meet you guys,” Taryn said over her shoulder.
“Likewise.”
“Nice to meet you too.”
“What did Bax mean about practice?” Taryn asked as I backed my car out of the driveway.
“I might have had a bad one last night,” I mumbled as I wheeled us around the roundabout to head back to campus. “My fault, T.” Sliding my hand off the gearshift and onto her thigh, I added, “We have the advantage of our friendship, but I know I have some making up to do. I’ll get it right. I promise.”
