couple of guys from the football team. They wave me over, and since I have nothing better to do, I join their small group, relieved to find a few friendly faces in the crowd. Nothing says loser more than standing around by yourself in the middle of a rager.
“Congrats on the win!” I shout to Brayden Kendricks before he pulls me in for a quick hug. I’ve known him since freshman year. He’s like a big brother to me. Even though he’s hot as hell, I’ve never felt anything more than friendship for him.
He glances around before his gaze returns to mine. “What? No roommate? I was under the impression you two were surgically attached at the hip.”
“She’s currently attached to someone else’s hip at the moment,” I joke.
The smile disappears, only to be replaced with a frown. “She still with that guy?”
I shrug, surprised he’s been following the whole Sydney-Ethan romantic rollercoaster.
Which is...kind of interesting.
“For the moment. Check back tomorrow. We could have a different answer.”
With his brows beetled together, his gaze coasts over the throng.
Almost as if he’s searching for her.
Even though that seems doubtful, I can’t resist teasing, “Hmmm, am I sensing a bit of interest on your part?”
He lifts a bottle of beer to his lips and takes a long swig. “The girl is seriously hot, but she’s way too much work.”
I snort and shake my head.
Here’s the thing about Brayden—he doesn’t chase girls, they chase him. With his dark hair and eyes, the guy is a real heartbreaker. He’s funny, has a great personality, and is intelligent. Not to mention muscular. In other words, he’s catnip for the females on campus. He’s been voted campus heartthrob three years running. And I have no doubt he’ll receive the distinction for his fourth and final year, a Western University first.
Before I can investigate the situation further, a leggy blonde with humongous breasts squeezes her way between us before pressing her double D’s against him. He grins, his attention homing in on the groupie.
I’ve watched this scene play out too many times not to know how it’ll end. He’ll flash his signature panty-dropping smile, and she’ll sigh, fall onto her back, and spread her legs wide.
Someone hand me a barf bag before I’m sick.
For a flicker of a moment, I’d actually thought he might be interested in Sydney. I glance at him again. The blonde is now clinging to him like a barnacle, and he’s certainly not fighting her off. I can all but guarantee that girl will be taking a ride on the Brayden express this evening.
I’m knocked out of those thoughts when one of the younger guys comes up behind me and grinds. Mitch Harrison is a sophomore. He’s a defensive tackle and a teddy bear of a guy, weighing in at three hundred pounds. We had a class together last year. As far as dudes go, he’s pretty harmless. I’m about to bust out a move when a muscular arm slides between our bodies and hauls me away. Air gets trapped in my throat as I’m pressed against a hard chest.
I don’t need to glance at the person holding me to realize who it is. My skin is abuzz with recognition. There’s only one guy capable of producing that kind of sensation within me.
Rowan.
As if to solidify my suspicions, he growls, “Knock it off, Harrison.” He pulls me so close that I’m able to feel every hard line of his body. Another punch of awareness hits me before settling in my core. “Leave her alone.”
The deep rumble of his voice ties my insides up into a series of complicated little knots. As much as I want to pretend I’m stone cold inside and feel nothing where Rowan is concerned, I can’t. The attraction is too explosive to ignore.
What the hell is wrong with me?
Why can’t I control my body’s reaction to him?
It’s frustrating to want someone you know you can’t have. Someone who isn’t good for you. And yet, that knowledge does nothing to stop the surge of hormones from flooding through me, lighting me up from the inside out. Since day one, when we were fourteen years old, I’ve been all too aware of Rowan Michaels. He’s ridiculously good looking. I can acknowledge that. At least privately to myself. And from the attention he garners, I’m certainly not the only one who thinks so.
Up to this point, I’ve been successful in pushing all thoughts of him to the back of my brain, where I