Campus Player - Jennifer Sucevic Page 0,132

doesn’t feel like it. Especially when my skin has been crispifying for hours beneath the sweltering sun.

A breath hisses from my lips as the frigid liquid rushes past my ankles. The first couple steps are the worst. As soon as numbness sets in, it gets better. Braving the water, I continue forward as the waves swirl around my calves. I do a little dance, bouncing up and down on my toes, trying to get used to the cold as it sinks into my bones.

I force myself to move deeper until the water reaches my hips.

It’s now or never.

With that brief pep talk, I suck in a breath and dive beneath a wave as it peaks and curls. Water rushes around me, instantly chilling my overheated flesh. After a moment, I break through to the surface and expel the lungful of air from my body.

It’s easier to submerge myself the second time as I dive to the bottom before trailing my fingers through the fine-grained sand in search of clamshells. When my lungs burn, I pop up again before floating on the surface so the sun can warm my skin. With my eyes closed, I stretch my hands and legs, allowing the waves to rock my body. My mind drifts as the rhythmic motion lulls me to a contented place. Every once in a while, I lift my head and search for our little blue one-story cottage to make sure I haven’t drifted to far down the shore.

My plan is to make the most of our little beach vaca before returning to Chicago next weekend. There’s so much that needs to be accomplished before senior year begins in the fall.

A couple of months ago, I registered for an introductory astronomy class at a local university about thirty minutes from the house. Next on the agenda are campus visits. I’ve scheduled tours for the University of Chicago, Northwestern, and the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Those three are my dream schools. All have impressive astronomy programs. To round out the summer, I’ve snagged a volunteer position at the Adler Planetarium. I’m scheduled to start next Monday at nine o’clock sharp.

Long after my fingers turn pruney, I drag myself from the water. As I trudge toward shore, a bleached clamshell glints in the sunlight from the bottom and catches my attention. Stilling my movements, I bend over to inspect it. A wave crashes over me, stirring up the sand and covering the shell. Once the debris settles, I turn, brushing my fingers across the bottom until they land on it again.

“Nice view.”

I yelp and swing around, straightening to my full height only to come face-to-face with the most gorgeous boy I’ve ever seen. My breath gets lodged at the back of my throat as his mahogany-colored eyes pierce mine with unwavering intensity. Rooted in place, it’s all I can do to take in the thick slashes of his eyebrows before my gaze slides to the slant of high cheekbones, and then on to a perfect cupid’s bow of a mouth.

Damn.

He’s seriously hot.

Like...way out of my league hot.

My heart riots painfully against my chest as I continue to stare. His brows rise as humor sparks to life in his eyes.

Is he waiting for a response?

Did he ask a question, and I wasn’t paying attention? I hit the mental rewind button and quickly sift through our limited conversation.

Nice view.

Nice view?

Wasn’t I bent over at the time with my ass in the air?

Heat slams into my cheeks with the force of a tsunami. That’s exactly the pose I’d been striking. When he had said nice view, he’d been commenting on my behind. The very same behind barely covered by a thin strip of fabric because the beach has been fairly empty since we arrived on Saturday. This guy is one of the few people I’ve seen.

“Ummm, thanks,” I force myself to respond.

His lips slide into a smirk as if I’ve amused him.

I need to pull it together before I humiliate myself any further. Although, let’s be honest, that ship has already set sail. Right now, I’m operating strictly in damage control mode.

Is it possible that he hasn’t noticed my awkwardness?

Any chance of clinging to that unlikely prospect is blown out of the water when he tilts his head. “Did you just thank me for admiring your ass?”

All right, so he noticed.

The heat radiating from my face intensifies a few hundred degrees until self-combustion seems likely. Not to mention, welcome.

“Yeah,” I mumble, attempting to rip my gaze from his, but that proves to be impossible. It’s as if I’ve become ensnared by the dark depths assessing me in such a forthright manner. “Apparently I did.”

The sound of his deep chuckle reverberates throughout my entire body before darting straight to my—

“I’m Kingsley.” He steps forward, closing some of the distance between us. His proximity makes my heart pound faster. “And you are?”

Humiliated?

Embarrassed?

Mortified?

It’s a dealer’s choice.

“Summer,” I mutter instead. When you daydream about talking with a really hot guy, this isn’t exactly how you picture it playing out.

Relief rushes from my lungs when his gaze flicks from me to the house I’m standing in front of. There’s something powerful about his stare. It leaves me feeling exposed as if he’s able to pick through all of my private thoughts. It’s a disconcerting sensation. I want to run and hide but my feet refuse to move. I’m frozen in place.

He points to the house on the dunes. “Is that yours?”

“Yes,” I clear my throat along with those disconcerting thoughts, “we’re renting for the week.”

He nods as his attention returns to me where it stays put. That same feeling of nervousness fills me. “Who knows, maybe I’ll see you around, Summer.”

A wave of heat wafts over me at the sound of my name sliding from his lips. I tamp down the response and shrug, trying to play it cool even though it’s much too late for that.

“Yeah, maybe.”

He flashes a wide grin as if not fooled by my nonchalance before taking off at a brisk pace down the beach.

Now that his attention is no longer focused on me, I’m free to look my fill as all those well-honed muscles shift and bunch as he jogs away. We’re talking broad shoulders with a wide, muscular back that tapers into a trim waist. Loose black athletic shorts cover his trunk and thighs. My gaze drops, wanting to commit every detail to memory. Damn, even his calves are well-defined.

There’s no way a guy built like that is in high school. He’s definitely in college. I’d like to know what university he attends so I can submit an application. As his figure grows more distant, I realize that I don’t even care if they offer astronomy as a major.

I chuckle and shake my head at the thought of planning my future around a boy I spoke with for all of two minutes.

Never.

Going.

To.

Happen.

I have plans. Lots of them. And I would never derail a single one for a guy.

No matter how good looking he is.

Once the boy fades from sight, I blink out of my thoughts and head back to the house. In all likelihood, I’ll never see him again.

About the Author

Jennifer Sucevic is a USA Today Bestselling author who has published seventeen New Adult novels. Her works have been translated into both German and Dutch. Her latest endeavor is King of Campus, which will be released by Scribd in audiobook format on 12/22/2020. Jen has a bachelor’s degree in History and a master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She spent five years working as a high school counselor before relocating with her family. Being a writer has always been the dream and Jen feels lucky to live out that dream every day.

If you want to receive updates regarding new releases, please contact Jennifer through email at Sucevicj[email protected] or visit her website!

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