Rounding Third - Michelle Lynn Page 0,24

He slides his hand out of my hold and puts the truck in gear. “Anyway, I’d better get going.”

“Oh, okay.” I fumble to search for my purse and open the door. “I’ll meet you tomorrow morning?” I ask once I’m outside the door.

“Yeah.” His eyes don’t meet mine.

“Okay, see you then.”

“Yeah.”

I step back, and Crosby barely waits for me to shut the door before he starts backing up. As I watch his truck drive down the street, my throat constricts, and tears prick my eyes.

“Bye,” I whisper right before two arms wrap around my waist.

I don’t have to turn around to see who it is. Liam’s overuse of musky cologne signals his presence.

“What’s up, baby?” he whispers into my neck, pecking my skin with his lips.

There was a time when his lips on me would rush a path of goose bumps.

“Nothing. Where did you come from?”

I turn around and look around the parking lot, not seeing his car.

“I walked from the lab.”

“Walked? It’s, like, a mile.”

“I needed the air. Who was in the truck?” he asks.

My skin crawls from what I’m about to do.

“No one. Only a ride back from my job with the sports physician.”

“No one I need to worry about?”

I swallow the lump in my throat.

“Come on.” I put on my best act from high school drama club and he buys it. Not that he has reason not to.

“Nice. Glad my girl didn’t have to walk.” He leads me toward my apartment, securely holding my hand in his. There’s no surge of electricity in our linked hands.

“I’m used to walking miles, but you…” I glance down at his loafer shoes. “Your feet must be killing you in those.”

He looks down, like he doesn’t remember what he’s wearing. “I’d go through all the blisters and pain again for you.”

When he yanks me to him, I tumble into his chest.

“What a knight,” I comment. I open up my apartment door that was unlocked. “Jen!” I scream over her blaring music.

She stumbles in, buttoning up her shirt. It’s about to pop a button at the breast level.

“What?” She disregards Liam, like usual.

“You left the door unlocked. You have to be more careful.” I flick the lock behind us.

She shoots me a lazy salute. “Ten-four, Mom.”

“Hey, Jen,” Liam calls out.

She lifts her middle finger at him, disappearing down the hall.

“What did I ever do to her?” Liam shakes his head, taking a seat on the couch. He props his feet up on our coffee table, relaxing into our cushions with the remote in his hand.

I sit on the couch next to him, but he grabs my hand, pulling me into his lap.

Where did this sudden affection come from?

“What are you doing tonight?” He nuzzles his face into my neck.

I normally would be melting in his arms from his foreign attention, but it’s weird and very unlike Liam to shower me with more than a peck to the lips.

“Staying in.” I rise to my feet, but he yanks me back down.

“We’re having a party at the house.”

“On a Thursday?”

Normally, frat rules dictate parties are only allowed Friday and Saturday.

“It’s Hank’s birthday. House voted.” He shrugs his shoulder, and flips the channel to another reality television house improvement show.

“Oh. Let me ask Jen.” I move again to stand, but he slams his mouth to mine. My lips don’t open from the mere surprise of his actions, but he thrusts his tongue through my lips, and his hand gropes my breast.

“Gross.” Jen breezes in the room with an empty glass.

Liam pushes me back, leaving me lying across his lap with swollen red lips and my breast tingling with pain.

I push him away and stand. “What the hell has gotten into you?” I ask, ruder than I intended.

“Can’t I love on my girlfriend?”

“Love?” That’s a big word we’ve never mentioned before.

“You know what I mean.” He comes up behind me, sneaking his arms around my waist.

At this point, his affection is grating on my nerves. I’m ready to push him out the front door and flick the lock. I like affection, but this is sickening and rare and not us.

“Jen,” I call out, wiggling out of his hold, “you want to go to Kappa tonight?”

She eyes Liam, curling her lips in revulsion. “No. I’m going over to the baseball house.”

My eyes cast down because I would rather go to the baseball house, too. The Kappa guys are all so entitled.

“But, if you want me to, I’ll go with you.”

I shoot her my biggest thank you smile.