My stomach sinks. “You sound awful.”
He laughs, but it results in a coughing fit. “I’ve been better.”
The faculty head spoke to me before I left yesterday, and I agreed to cover as many of Andy’s classes as I could fit into my schedule over the next week. I should come clean to him, explain why I can’t help him out, but I can’t bring myself to do it.
With my own classes and training, it’ll be tight, but I agree to do his Thursday and Friday lectures. It’s not like it matters anyway, she won’t be in those, and keeping myself busy will stop me from seeking her out. I need to keep my distance until I leave Beckford.
After we hang up, I take a cold shower and try to think of unsexy things. It doesn’t feel right to get myself off to thoughtsof Leni. Prior to the little devil, I hadn’t had sex in almost three years, so you’d think going twelve hours wouldn’t be hard—pun intended—but apparently, that’s not the case.
I’m tired and snappy by the time I reach campus, and my mood only sours when I find Noah Bentley pacing outside my office.
“This better be good, Bentley,” I say, walking in and placing my bag on my desk. “I haven’t had my coffee yet.”
He runs a hand through his hair, looking nervous.
“What is it?” I press. “The longer you keep me waiting, the worse my mood gets.”
“I was wondering who you’ve got your eye on for captain now Luca’s gone?”
I arch a brow. “As far as I’m aware, he doesn’t fly out until Thursday.”
Noah swallows. “Right. I just thought?—”
“There are two more training sessions to get through before Sunday’s game. We’ll make the announcement in due course.”
He nods but makes no attempt to leave my office.
“Is there anything else?”
“How’s Peters?”
I cross my arms over my chest. “His collarbone’s cooked. He’s done.”
“So, Kincaid’s our new keeper?” If I wasn’t studying him so intently, I would have missed the tightening in his jaw.
“Is there a reason he shouldn’t be?”
“No.” His response is clipped.
“Now’s your chance to get it off your chest if you think there’s something I should know.”
He pauses too long, but instead of speaking up, he gives a sharp shake of his head. “No, Coach.”
“Right, well I have back-to-back classes, and I need to call past the coffee shop if I’m going to make it through the day.” I gesture to the door. “See you at training this afternoon.”
He hesitates before leaving, and I wonder what the hell is going down between him and Kincaid. Despite my caginess around the matter, Noah Bentley is top of our list to take over as captain—he’s hardworking, dedicated, and a good communicator on the pitch—but if there’s discourse between him and another player, I can’t have that messing with his head. I don’t expect all my players to be best mates twenty-four-seven, but I do expect them to leave any issues in the changing room. Once we step onto the pitch, we’re united. Otherwise, the team will just fall apart.
Not that it will be my problem next year, but I’ve been the head coach at Beckford for too long to leave the team in disarray for Andy.
The restof my day is uneventful but busy, and I can’t help but search for her face among the sea of students, even though I know how dangerous that is. She’s an addiction, and now I’ve had a second taste, I’m like a junkie seeking his next hit. I need to ignore my withdrawals and kick the habit—last night can’t happen again.
I don’t catch any glimpses of her around campus, and while I should be glad, I’m also worried. For all I know, she might be embarrassed or ashamed of what happened between us last night. The thought is sobering, and even though I know I shouldn’t, I log in to the university portal to check if she attended her classes today. While attendance isn’t monitored in lectures because they’re recorded and available online for students to access, it’s marked for the smaller tutorials.
Leni’s studying theatre, and a smile tugs on my lips as I imagine her onstage. It’s no wonder she’s such a natural in the voyeur hall. She has an unforgettable presence about her; it’s impossible to look away when she’s in a room. Even at her most vulnerable, she’s captivating.
Fuck.
I log out and run a hand over my face. What am I doing? I need to forget about this girl before I get us both into trouble. We’ve already overstepped the boundaries. I need to draw the line back in the sand.
