laughing. There’s a dog lying down in front of the bleachers. He’s on his back, using the ground to scratch his fur as he moves his body side to side, his big tongue hanging out of the side of his mouth. I’ve seen the hound around. He kind of belongs to the school and just showed up one day. Everyone sort of feeds him. He’s a scruffy beagle that’s older, because you can see the gray in some of his spots.
None of the girls I know from Black Mountain would look at that damn beagle instead of the men on the field, let alone laugh at it. Violet is different, and I’ve known that all along. I need to get closer to her to find out just how different.
I get up and walk through the dugout. Davis is still chattering, but I ignore him. My attention is completely on Violet. I walk with a sense of purpose, headed toward the fence that faces the bleachers. I can tell the minute Violet spots me, because her entire body goes rigid, stiffening before my eyes.
I smile.
She frowns.
When I stop at the edge of the fence, her frown narrows into a glare.
“You’re looking good, Violet.” Her eyes go round as I say her name, the look on her face priceless, and it makes me want to laugh. “Best looking girl in this whole damn school,” I add, and fuck, I think she just blushed. I put my arms on top of the chain link fence, my gaze still locked with hers. “Sexy as hell,” I add. Everyone around us is watching and I know it’s making her uncomfortable. The girls we call bat-bunnies, because they think it’s cool to be seen with one of us players—have all gathered around me and they’re whispering and watching Violet. Her gaze moves from me to look at the other girls, then comes back to me.
“Better watch it, your harem will get jealous.”
That does make me laugh. Apparently Violet Raines doesn’t care who she pisses off, because Lindy is on the squad, and she can be a vindictive little bitch when she wants to be.
“I’m just telling the truth, baby girl. You have the hottest body I’ve ever seen,” I add, and it’s true, but I only say it because I know it’s going to piss her off. I wonder if I can make her flip me off once more. I’m kind of hoping she will. If she does, I might just climb this fence so I can get over to her and spank her ass. I’ve watched that ass of hers. It’s nice and round, juicy as hell, and spanking it has been the subject of a lot of my fantasies.
“Gee thanks, that means so much, coming from you,” she sasses.
“Is that a fact?” I respond with a smirk.
“Yeah, because I know how high your standards are, Mikey,” she mocks, while rolling her eyes.
“Keep it up, baby girl, and I’m going to tame that smart mouth of yours and take you for a ride on the Big Mike train.”
“No thanks. I hear it stays too crowded for new passengers.”
“I’ll always have room to add you, Violet,” I purr.
“I think I just threw up in my mouth,” she replies with a fake shudder.
“Stick around after the game and we can work on that gag reflex of yours together, Vi.”
I give her a wink when her mouth falls open before I walk off.
Fuck, Violet Raines is going to be fun.
6
Violet
I’m not running away.
I repeat those words the entire time I’m sprinting away from the baseball field. There’s no reason for me to hurry. The game isn’t over, so there’s no way Mike Huntington will follow me. Camden got distracted talking to one of the teachers, so she’s not around to ask me more questions. And the bus won’t be at the stop for another twenty minutes, so I have plenty of time.
It doesn’t matter. I’m sprinting because I want out of there. I got mean, hateful looks from the cheerleaders all night – the worst coming from Lindy. I don’t give a damn, but it’s bad enough being on asshole’s radar. I didn’t really want to be brought to the attention of his harem – and according to Camden, he’s had every girl on the squad at least once. That fact alone makes him disgusting, even if I hadn’t seen him getting a public BJ from Lindy on my second day in this school.
My heart is beating erratically.