The Pass (Smart Jocks #5) - Rebecca Jenshak Page 0,10

pillow up off the floor and falls onto the bed. His big frame bouncing on the mattress makes me fall into the center beside him. We get comfortable laying together with our heads at the bottom of the bed.

“Did you have girlfriends in high school?” I ask.

“One.”

“Was it serious?”

“Eh, I guess. We were together for almost a year.”

“I’d say a year counts as serious. Why’d it end?”

“Over something stupid.” He adjusts the pillow under his head. “She and my sister were both running for student council president and Misty, my girlfriend at the time, lost. She was pissed, lashed out, demanded to know who I voted for and when I wouldn’t tell her, she ended it.”

“Did you vote for her?”

“A man’s vote is private and personal.” His eyes twinkle as his lips twitch with humor.

“So, you voted for your sister and your girlfriend got pissed and dumped you?”

“She assumed I voted for my sister, but yeah.”

“Rough.”

We lay there in silence for a few moments. I try to picture him in high school cheering on his sister like a good big brother.

“You’re close to your sister then?”

He smiles. “She’s a pain in the ass.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.”

He laughs. “Yeah, we’re close. She’s just a year younger than me, goes to college in Utah. Do you have any siblings?”

“No, only child. I used to wish for a sister.”

“Funny, I used to wish I was an only child. Especially when Tara was playing jokes on me or trying to tag along with my friends.”

“What’s she like? Is she into sports like you?”

“Yeah, we both played a bunch of different sports growing up. Our parents were big on getting us out of the house and active. She’s only playing soccer now, but she was pretty good at basketball too.”

“That’s cool.”

“She’d like you.”

I’m not sure what makes him think that, but it makes me smile. “I’m sure I’d like her too. Especially since it sounds like she enjoys picking on her big brother.”

He grins. “What about you? Any boyfriends?”

“A few in high school, none that lasted very long.”

“How come?” He touches a strand of my hair that’s splayed out near his hand, wrapping it around his index finger.

“I was a little bit fickle and I had a habit of jumping in before I got to know them, and once I did…”

With a smirk, he pulls my hair lightly. “You didn’t like what you found.”

“Something like that.”

“Is that why you threw up the block downstairs earlier when I kissed you?”

I feel the blush creep up my neck and my ears burn. “Let me explain—”

“Nah, it’s cool. I don’t usually jump into things so quickly either. I mean, I’ve hooked up with girls and done the one-night stand thing…” He stops and makes a face. “I’m doing a terrible job of explaining, but what I’m trying to say is that even though we don’t know each other very well yet, you seem like a cool chick. I feel so comfortable with you, like we’ve known each other a really long time.”

“Same.” I scoot closer to him, prepared to kiss him and make up for pulling away earlier. I may not be ready to have sex with him, but kissing… I want more of that.

He wraps his arms around me and pulls me into his chest. I breathe him in. He smells like laundry soap and chlorine and something that’s just him.

He pulls back and I tilt my head up and lean in. “I’m really glad I met you,” he says and bops me on the nose. “Ready to sleep?”

I pause and he climbs up the bed and pulls down the covers. I get underneath and he goes to turn off the light and then gets in on the other side. He pulls off his T-shirt and tosses it on the floor, then lays down.

My eyes have barely closed when he says, “Tell me about these times you allegedly saw me last year.”

“I thought you wanted to sleep.”

“Bedtime stories, babe.”

“What do you want to know?” I ask with a laugh.

“The usual stuff. Where were we, who were you with, how hot did I look, what were you wearing?”

I open my eyes to find his face not far from mine and a huge grin on it. “Let’s see, I saw you at The Hideout a few times, here…” If I thought long enough I could probably tell him every single time, in order. The details are harder to remember off hand, but that feeling of excitement and