“Professor Levine!” Zander calls from behind me, stopping me in my tracks.
I peel my eyes away from my innocent-looking TA and meet Zander’s gaze. “Mr. Braithe, didn’t we just speak?”
An easy grin crosses his face. “Yeah, sorry. That paper you gave us blew away in the damn breeze. Think you can draw it on my phone? That way I can send it to the cloud.”
“Sure,” I say.
“Perfect!” He hands me his phone and pulls up some program and we spend the next few minutes drawing it up. I also explain why I’m putting which defenders where, so he can replicate the play himself in case he’s unable to track me down.
I’m glad for the interruption. My thoughts should not be on how innocent and vulnerable my potential TA looks. How much I’d like to see tears leaking from those big brown eyes of his after I spank his ass red and have him beg for me to make him feel good.
He isnotmine. I don’t wantanyoneto be mine.
Fuck, Crista is right.
I need to get to Mask. Sooner rather than later.
Chapter
Three
LUCA
I can do this.
I candothis.
Maybe… probably. I think.
I’ve been standing in front of the door, listening to the sound of voices trickling in for nearly two minutes, and I spent the last half hour on my way here hyping myself up for this moment.
It’s just a door.
I just have to walk through the door.
I’m not even late. I’m actuallyearly. There’s nothing to worry about.
“You can do this, Luca.” Maybe if I say it out loud, my brain will believe me? Probably not, but I’ve spent a lot of my life living by the “psych myself up and worry about how unprepared I am later” motto. But I am prepared for this.
I’ve been researching.
The deep breath I take nearly strangles me as I step forward… and run straight into a broad chest. The books in my hands go flying, and I stumble backward.
Oh my God. How am I ever going to talk myself into going to a queer club if I can’t manage to walk into a classroom without falling down?
I’ve triedthreetimes to go to Mask. The first time, I drove past without even slowing down. The second, I actually parked my car and then had an anxiety attack in the parking lot.
The third time, I saw a group of really tall, broad men going through the door and panicked.
And now…
Now I have to look up.
And up.
Andupto the man who caught me before I fell flat on my back and embarrassed myself.
He’s…wow. He’s bigger than the guys who scared me away from the club. And he’s looking at me like he’s not sure if he wants to drop me to the ground or keep hold of me so I don’t fall again.
