I just shake my head, disbelieving. Kam may be many things, but a rapist is definitely not one of them.
I suddenly jump from a knock at the door and a simultaneous lightning strike that illuminates the whole room. I run to answer it, fully expecting Steven to be on the other side, gearing up for round two. Instead, I swing it open to a soaking wet, hooded figure.
“Kam?” I yank him inside. He’s drenched from head to toe.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t know where else to go.” He pulls off his hood and unzips his sweatshirt. His wet T-shirt is clinging to all the right places, most notably his chiseled chest and ripped abs. I look away so I don’t start salivating.
“It’s fine. Come in.” I walk him into the living room of my moderate-sized, off-campus apartment. “How did you get here?”
“I walked.”
“In the rain?” my voice elevates.
“I had to get away. There are reporters crawling all over my house. I snuck out the back.”
Kam shares a spacious colonial with three of his teammates. It’s a hub for parties and a hangout for almost every athlete on campus. “I’m sure you’ve heard by now.” He shivers, dripping wet in the middle of my living room.
“I just saw,” I reply as I grab a towel from the bathroom and hand it to him.
“Thanks.”
“No problem,” I respond sympathetically.
“Fucking, bullshit,” he mutters as he wipes his face, then sneezes. Not good.
“Um, not to sound like I’m coming on to you, but you should really get out of those wet clothes before you catch your death.” Kam’s grim expression lightens a little.
“Lemon, if you wanted to see me naked, all you had to do was ask.”
“Kam, please.” I stop him right there.
“Just sayin’.” He shrugs.
I roll my eyes. “I can put your clothes in the dryer, if you’d like. If not, don’t sit on my couch until you’re dry.” I walk over and plop down on the plush sofa.
“You’re tougher than nails, Lemon.” He shrugs off his sweatshirt, then peals his T-shirt off right in the middle of the room.
“What the hell are you doing?” My mouth actually goes dry.Holy Roll Tide.College footballdoes a body good.
“Talking my wet clothes off so I can sit down.”
“I didn’t ask for a strip show. Use the bathroom!” I point.
“Sorry. Didn’t think it would be a big deal. It’s nothing you haven’t seen before.” He turns toward the bathroom door, his back muscles rippling as he walks. I sink into the cushion. Good lord. I actually fan myself. It’s been nearly four years and the man still has a panty-melting effect.
Dangerous, emotional, heated door that warns Enter At Your Own Risk.
Kam comes out of the bathroom wearing nothing but the towel I gave him. “Where’s the dryer?”
I motion to a set of doors off the kitchen. I think I have lost the ability to speak. Kam, naked, in my apartment. How did we suddenly get here?
He pops his clothes into the dryer with a tight grip on the towel. Once they’re tumbling, he takes a quiet seat next to me on the couch. It isn’t very big, but it’s comfortable. With his head hanging low and elbows resting on his knees, he looks over at me. And that’s when I see it. The devastation. He may have been playing around before, but he can’t suppress what he’s truly feeling.
“You okay?” I ask considerately.
He shakes his head, and a few renegade droplets fall from the ends of his disheveled hair.
“Did you assault that girl?” I have to ask, even though I already know the answer. I just have to hear it from his own mouth.
