SWNOVELS Love to Hate You: Chapter 36
“Great game, Prescott!”
“Dude, you owned that field today!”
Hands pat me on the shoulder as I move through the crowd searching for Daisy. She hung around after the game to congratulate me and then took off with Olivia, saying they would meet up with us later.
It amazes me that I went this long without Daisy and now all I want is her by my side.
And her wearing my jersey this afternoon?
Yeah, that was sexy as fuck.
I’m sure she’s changed into something more party-friendly, but I’m fantasizing about seeing her in my jersey and nothing else. Thinking about it gives me a semi.
The plan for this evening is simple. I find her, we hang for an hour or so and make the rounds, then we head back home where I immediately strip her ass naked. Maybe have her throw on that jersey again.
I stop and survey the crowd, but don’t see her blond head anywhere. I’m just about to pull out my cell and track her down when a pair of female hands rove over my chest. My head snaps up, hoping that Daisy has materialized.
No such luck. The smile fades from my face as disappointment sets in.
“Hi, Carter. That was an awesome game this afternoon.”
Vanessa, a girl I know from around campus, gives me a coy smile all the while walking her fingers over my bicep. “And you in particular were,” she pauses, searching for a different adjective, but is apparently unable to come up with one on the fly. “Seriously awesome.”
“Ummm, thanks,” I say.
I know what Vanessa’s looking for.
And it’s not going to happen.
Hopefully she’s catching the vibe I’m putting out there that I’m not interested. I’ve been around long enough to know how this situation is going to play out.
“Don’t you think Carter was awesome today, Cassy?”
Alright…I wasn’t expecting that twist.
I blink as another girl who looks identical to Vanessa wraps herself around my other arm like a python. If the way she’s staring at me is any indication, she’s hungry and wants to devour me whole. The second chick presses her breasts against my bare arm. I shift at the feel of her stiff nipples poking me through her shirt.
Even though I’ve done nothing to invite their behavior, this whole situation feels wrong. The only nips I’m interested in, belong to someone else.
“So awesome,” she purrs and flutters her lashes.
I’m not going to lie, these girls are gorgeous. They look like blowup dolls with blond hair and pouty lips. Their breasts are so big and firm, they could smother a man within minutes. I hate to admit it, but before Daisy, I would have slipped an arm around each of them and we would have found somewhere private to enjoy ourselves for a couple of hours.
The boner I’ve been sporting just thinking about my girl shrivels as they stroke me in tandem.
Vanessa leans closer. It’s a little disconcerting the way her lips glisten with sparkly pink gloss.
“So,” she flicks a conspiratorial look at Cassy. “We were hoping to congratulate you privately for doing so—”
“Awesome?” I wince as the word slips from my mouth.
Yeah, go on and say it…I’m a dick.
Guess what?
I don’t give a shit. My sarcasm goes right over her head.
Instead of being offended, her smile widens as she presses her tits against me. I’m hemmed in on both sides by boobs. It’s not the first time this has happened, but it’s the first time I’m searching for an escape route.
“Absolutely! You’re always awesome on the field.” Vanessa gives me a sly look. “But I hear that you’re even more awesome in bed and we want to find out for ourselves.”
They continue to pet the hell out of my chest. And that needs to stop.
It’s gently that I pull their clinging hands from me. Neither of them look to weigh more than a buck twenty soaking wet, but I’ll tell you what, they’re stronger than they appear. It takes effort to pry them away.
“As much fun as that sounds,” I say with a grunt, holding their hands away from me. “I’m afraid that I have another commitment for the evening.”
Vanessa thrusts her bottom lip out. “Someone else got to you first?”
“We’d be happy to join you,” her friend chirps. “The more, the merrier, right?”
They press against me as if all that soft supple flesh will change my mind.
Jeez. What do these girls think?
That two sets of voluptuous tits can get a man to do whatever they want?
Alright, fine…Most of the time, that’s exactly what happens.
It goes without saying that most men love titties. End of story. Women know this and use it against us anytime they can.
“I don’t think so. It’s doubtful my girlfriend,” tasting the word on my lips feels good, “would appreciate that. But thanks for the offer,” I add, hoping there aren’t any hurt feelings.
Or outbursts.
I hold my breath waiting to see which way this will go.
Vanessa bats her lashes. “Are you sure she wouldn’t mind us joining in on the fun?”
Trying to imagine Daisy being anywhere near cool with this situation is hilarious. The corners of my lips tug upward. “Nah, she’s not the sharing type.”
They offer up more pouts. “That’s too bad.”
It’s more than time for me to extract myself from their hungry clutches. “Well, ladies, it was great running into you, but I’ve got to go.”
“Okay,” they say in unison.
I take a few steps away when one of them yells, “If anything changes, come find us. We’ll be around.”
I wave a hand over my shoulder not bothering to turn and meet their gazes.
That is so not going to happen.
I catch a glimpse of Noah across the room talking with a few of the guys from the team. Since there’s safety in numbers, I join them. The sharks are always circling after a win. The last thing I need is for Daisy to find me in a precarious situation. Not that she’s the jealous sort, but I know how I’d feel if there were guys hanging all over her.
Everyone is still talking about the play in the middle of the third quarter that turned the tide for us. As soon as we made that touchdown, the other team lost its steam and we were able to widen our lead. After about ten minutes, a few of the guys head to the kitchen for refills. Noah and I hang back.
“Where’s Ashley?” I ask.
Normally those two are joined at the hip. Although, now that I think about it, I haven’t seen her hanging around the apartment lately. I’ve been so wrapped up in Daisy that a bomb could go off and I wouldn’t notice.
He shrugs and takes a pull from his beer. An immediate answer doesn’t seem forthcoming. Which is odd. Obviously, he doesn’t want to discuss it. And I can respect that.
So, moving on…
“We’re taking a break,” he mumbles.
“Oh. Sorry to hear that.”
His gaze sharpens as he straightens. “Are you?”
Something tells me to proceed with caution and I’m wise enough to follow my instincts.
“Sure. I don’t have a problem with Ashley.” I glance around for Daisy. Where the hell is that girl? “If you’re bummed about it, then I’m sorry.”
His shoulders droop and he jerks his head into a tight nod before taking another drink. “Thanks,” he says. “I told her that we needed some space.” He pauses for a beat. “You might not have noticed but she can be kind of a pain in the ass.”
The beer goes down the wrong pipe and I sputter, thumping my chest a couple of times as my eyes water. There’s no way I’m touching that statement. Odds are they’ll get back together in a few days. “Nope, never noticed.”
He nods. “Yeah, Ashley definitely has her moments. I’m not saying that she’s a bad person or anything, but I’m just not sure if we’re good together.” His eyes narrow. “That whole thing with the salad…that was BS, right?”
Does he seriously need confirmation?
“Ummm, yeah.” It was complete crap.
Plus, I don’t like the way she treats Daisy.
Guess what, girl? Just because you sweeten some nasty words with a smile, doesn’t make them any less nasty.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought, too.”
We fall silent again until Noah clears his throat. “So, you and Daisy, huh?”
This conversation has just gone from bad to worse. We haven’t discussed the Daisy situation. I mean…what’s there to say?
We’re dudes. We’re not about to sit around and have a Dr. Phil moment where we open up and share our feelings using “I” statements.
When you screw my cousin, I feel…
The thought of that is enough to make me queasy. But the fact remains that Noah is a good friend. The best, actually. I don’t want my relationship with his cousin to sit between us. So, I guess if he needs to hash it out and come to a resolution, that’s what we’re gonna do.
Right here.
In the middle of this party.
My gaze flicks to his. “Yeah.” I shift from one foot to the other wishing I were anywhere but here. “You’re cool with it, right?”
He arches a brow and drawls, “Would it matter if I wasn’t?”
Ignoring the question, I say instead, “I never set out with any intention of this happening. I’ve always steered clear. You know that, right?”
“Yeah,” he grumbles, looking just as uncomfortable as I am. “I do.”
“But I like her.” Even though there’s a party raging around us and no one is paying us the least bit of attention, I lower my voice. “I would never do anything to hurt her.”
“I know that as well,” he sighs and looks away before his gaze arrows back to mine. “I’m not going to lie, it’s a little weird seeing you two together.” He scrunches his face and circles his hand a few times. “Like that.”
I grimace and think about it from his perspective. “Yeah, I guess it would be.”
Which is exactly why it shocks the hell out of me when he admits, “But if Daisy is going to be with anyone, I’m glad it’s you.”
“Thanks.” Something loosens in my chest. “That means a lot.”
Actually, it means everything.
Maybe we’re going to have that Dr. Phil moment after all.
Noah straightens to his full height and spears a finger at me. “If you break her heart, I’ll kick your fucking ass.”
Or maybe not. I can’t blame him for having her back. I would expect nothing less from Noah.
“I’ll take care with her,” I say.
He takes another pull from his bottle. “I guess that’s all I can ask for.”
I voice another truth even though it’s not something I want to think about. “You know she’s the one who will end up breaking my heart, right?”
“You knew that going in, man.” He shrugs and tips his bottle toward me. “Eyes wide open.”
He’s right. I did.
“Are we good?” Because I need us to be good. I need Noah on my side just like he’s always been.
His lips curl into a smile. “Yeah, we’re good.”
I nod, feeling like a huge weight has been lifted from my shoulders.
“Hey.” Noah cranes his head. “I just saw Daisy and her trusty sidekick.”
Following his line of sight, I scan the room. As soon as my gaze lands on her, everything else falls away. How’s it possible that this girl has come to mean so much to me in such a short amount of time?
It’s crazy. And yet, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
When it comes to Daisy, I have total tunnel vision which is why I don’t notice what’s going on until Noah makes a comment about the guy chatting her up.