Schooling the Jock (Nerds Vs Jocks #1) - - Eli Easton Page 0,53

the house pays for gas and hotel. Meals are on your own.”

“However, in the spirit of economy, we share rooms,” said Sai. “We usually get two.”

I glanced over my shoulder at Jesse, but he was still looking out the window. There were five of us in the car—the division one team. Me, Felix, Sai, and Jesse. Jax was our alternate. He didn’t always go to meets unless one of the other guys couldn’t make it. But he’d come this weekend since it was Jesse’s first meet. Just in case things went fubar.

“Oh. Okay. That’s cool. Thanks,” Jesse said.

He glanced at me, and our eyes met. I felt a flare of heat and butterflies explode in my stomach. But that was ridiculous. The guy had, maybe, only barely forgiven me for the last time I’d thrown myself at him. Besides, this weekend was about Quiz Bowl, and that was all. This was Jesse’s first meet with the team. It had to go well. And probably he was nervous too. Besides, whenever Jax went to a division one meet, he and I shared a room and Felix, Sai, and Hedgehog took the second one. Sai was a restless sleeper and impossible to share a bed with unless you wanted to be kicked all night, but Felix and Hedgehog didn’t mind sharing. They could both sleep anywhere. Felix especially—under a desk, on the kitchen table, in an alley, standing up. Anywhere at all. Felix claimed it was his super power. Uh, maybe one of his two super powers.

But since Jesse was replacing Hedgehog, that meant Jesse would share a bed with Felix? The idea made my hand grip tight on the passenger door handle. It was so wrong. Not that I didn’t trust Felix. He was as straight as they came. But Jesse didn’t know Felix well, and the idea of the gorgeous football god being made to share a bed with some random guy…it seemed weird.

Still. I wasn’t going to say anything or try to manipulate stuff around. How would that look? To Jesse? To everyone else? Jax and Felix had already accused me of having the hots for Jesse, which was totally fair but still. Nope. Lips zipped. I wouldn’t say a word.

Only when we reached the hotel, and Jax came back from the check-in desk, that wasn’t what happened. He handed me a keycard. “Dobbs and Jesse are in 301. Sai and Felix, you’re with me in 410.”

I blinked at him. “Um. Really?”

Jax leveled a shut-up-and-be-grateful hairy eyeball at me. “Yes, really, Dobbs. This is Jesse’s first meet. Thought you guys might want to put in some more practice tonight.”

“Oh. Yeah. Right,” I said lamely, not sure if I should kill Jax or thank him.

It was Jesse who spoke up. “Works for me.”

I raised my eyebrows at him in surprise.

“Anyway, Jesse shouldn’t have to share with Felix,” Sai put in, pushing up his glasses. “Felix farts in the bed.”

“I do not!” Felix gasped. “You asshole.”

“How do you know you don’t fart? You’re sleeping,” Sai said in his nasal duh voice.

Jax turned a little pale. “Great. Okay. Well. Guess we’ll see you guys in the morning.”

I almost laughed at Jax’s suddenly green complexion except he was doing me a solid, so I held it in. But I couldn’t resist a “Have a great night!”

Jax gave me a dirty look as he, Felix, and Sai took off for the elevators. Jesse and I lagged behind with our backpacks. We didn’t say another word until the door swung shut behind us in our room on the third floor. I turned the light on. It was a bland, anonymous, cheap hotel with coral-painted walls, a TV on a stand, and two queen beds with a nightstand and lamp between them.

“You wanna be closer to the window or the bathroom?” I asked.

“It doesn’t matter,” Jesse said.

I slung my backpack onto the bed by the window, took off my coat, tossed it on the only chair in the room, and kicked off my Keds.

Jesse did the same, looking stiff and awkward. I sat on the bed and checked my phone, wanting to give him a minute. He went into the bathroom and stayed in there for what seemed like a long time.

Meanwhile, I was starting to sweat and warm eddies washed through my gut. Tingles began in private places.

Fuck the tingles. Nothing was going to happen. But somehow, being in this hotel room alone with Jesse felt completely different than being in his room at the