Overprotected

by Lulu Pratt

  What had I just agreed to?

  “No, you want to have fun while you’re in college. I imagine that Jackson does well and if he’s willing to take care of you, live there forever,” Bella suggested with a wink.

  “I don’t know about that. I’m pretty sure it’s just temporary.”

  We talked about the school and Nashville, and traded phone numbers at the end of the meal. Bella sounded fun. She went out a lot and I needed someone light and fun in my life to hang around. She gave me a hug and ran off to see a guy for coffee.

  When I got home, Bella sent me a text telling me to be at the Trojans stadium the following day at one.

  Jackson wasn’t home, or at least, his truck wasn’t there, and I assumed that he was at practice. They were doing a lot of that right now.

  I put my purse on the table and got some water. I looked at the contents of the fridge and pulled out some beef. I went to the pantry and got out a few cans of tomato sauce and pasta. I didn’t know when Jackson would be home but having some dinner ready might be nice.

  As the sauce simmered I thought again about dating Jackson, or any of the players. Was it that hard? I knew some of the guys were married with kids. It was possible, but it was not even worth talking about since Jackson and I were never going to be anything more than roommates.

  I fixed myself a plate of spaghetti and called Willow after I ate.

  “So, I met someone today.”

  “What’s his name? Will Jackson be jealous?”

  “Don’t be silly, she’s a girl and her name is Bella.”

  “Do I need to be jealous instead?” Willow said with a laugh.

  “I wish. She’s roped me into going to the Trojans stadium with her tomorrow.”

  “Jeez, I miss you so much. But I am proud that you are striking out on your own. I’m going to have to find new friends myself.”

  “I’ll be back soon, once I get a grip on my classes.”

  “By the way, I ran into your parents and your mom almost cried when she saw me.”

  “I wonder if my mom ever cried when she saw Jackson around town?”

  “Gosh, you’ve got Jackson on the mind. Speaking of him, I also saw your brother.”

  “Let me guess…” I started to say.

  “He asked if you’d gone on any dates,” Willow replied.

  “He’s always been overprotective. I need to start living my life.”

  I missed Willow so much, and we talked late into the night.

  I realized that it was eleven and that Jackson was still not home. I started to worry that something happened. I put the leftovers in the fridge and decided to have a glass of wine and read in bed.

  Jackson had no reason to tell me that he was going to be home late or not at all. It was ridiculous to even consider but I sighed heavily as I let the idea of him spending the night with a woman cross my mind. I wanted him so badly but there was no way it could work out. He deserved to be with someone who he could be out and open about. I knew that if family ever visited us, I’d be too worried about them finding out about us and ruin everything.

  I should just stop thinking about it, but I wanted him. I wanted Jackson to kiss me the way I’d always imagined. I longed for slow, deep kisses that led to the hungry kind that I read about in books. I dreamed of his mouth on my body, claiming places that even my ex hadn’t. My skin burned at the thought of his touch and I dropped against my pillow as I breathed out.

  Back in high school, I’d heard things about Jackson. Girls who slept with him said that he was great in bed. They bragged about being a notch on his bedpost and I wondered what he’d feel like inside me.

  I sighed and slid my hand down my body as the desire hit me. I didn’t touch myself often but tonight I was horny and a little buzzed from the wine. I made a point of listening for the front door as I slipped my hand into my underwear, finding my folds wet and slick. I moaned as I stroked myself, finding my swollen clit and pressing down on it as pleasure burst through me.

  In my imagination, it was Jackson’s hands exploring me.

  My hands moved faster as the heat rushed to my thighs, needing the release that had been a constant ache since moving in here. I thought it was bad when I was in high school when I thought about Jackson but now it was near unbearable. I closed my eyes and rocked against my hand as I searched for the orgasm that was buried inside me.

  I played the fantasy of his mouth on me as I kept going, longing for Jackson to be the one pleasuring me. I wanted his face buried between my legs, licking and tasting me. I wanted his mouth on my nipples, sucking and biting. I wanted everything that no man had given me before and I felt the shift in my body. I was very wet now, and my hand slid easily inside myself as I pressed my palm against my clit.

  If it had been Jackson touching me, he might have already managed to get me off by now. I kept thrusting with two fingers as I rocked with the movement. I cried out as I came, forgetting all about listening for the door as my heat washed over my hand. It was powerful, and I dropped my head back as I rode through the aftershocks.

  If that was good with just my hand, I couldn’t imagine how good it would be with Jackson. I breathed deep as I felt my body relax for the night. Reaching for my wine, I drank that last long sip and set the glass on the dresser beside the bed.

  I listened to the quiet of the apartment as I closed my eyes, continuing to dream about Jackson.

  I woke up to the sound of the front door. I glanced at the clock to see that it was past two. I wondered where he had been as he closed and locked the door, continuing to listen as he walked down the hall. I swore he paused for a moment outside my door and I stared at it longing to tell him to come in. Perhaps he didn’t know if I was home and was wondering where I was.

  Or was he on the other side wanting me as I wanted him. I just wanted to give myself to him without the fear that I’d been dealing with. I remained quiet as he walked away, closing his own door as I sighed in my empty room.

  In the morning, I woke up early and got a text from Bella about our plans. I had agreed to meet up with her without really being aware of what I had agreed to do. I sat up with a gasp as I looked at the Trojans web page and read that they were hiring a new cannon girl for the team to add to the three that they already had. The cannon girls were the ones who shot the shirts into the air throughout the games while the cheerleaders did their thing. Those auditions were today. My mouth dropped open as I realized what I was doing and just how much I was not meant for that kind of job.

  CHAPTER 8

  JACKSON

  I woke up late, unable to take my usual run. I’d been out drinking the night before with Nick at a small pub talking about Emma. With a ball cap pulled over my head, I could go unrecognized and just be a normal guy.

  I knew I should have had a few less beers than I did, but it was too late. I’d make it through practice later, but I didn’t have my car because we both got an Uber home. I walked out of my room to grab a water before taking a shower, checking to see if Emma around. She’d been asleep when I got in and I stopped by her door for a second, wanting to tell her everything that I’d confessed to Nick.

  I knew that it was useless as I thought again about Greg and kept walking.

  The apartment was quiet and I wondered where she’d gone.

  I was looking forward to seeing her today. I wanted to spend a little time with her, with no intention of telling her about my growing feelings. I needed to find a way to make this between us work sooner rather than later. I supposed as I got into the shower that it wasn’t going to happen today. I closed my eyes as the nausea passed. I needed to make something for breakfast to even myself out.

  It was times like this I wondered what it would be like to just be a normal twenty-three-year-old guy. I could be finishing school and just hanging with friends. I went right from my second year in college to the pro league and barely lived a life without a football schedule. I wondered what it would be like to date a girl without her knowing ab
out my salary or that I could get her in anywhere in Nashville with just my name.

  I shook my head as I stepped out of the shower and dried off. I dressed in some black shorts and a practice T-shirt before I ran my hand through my hair.

  I got another Uber to the bar to pick up my truck and headed to practice. The parking lot seemed to have more cars than usual. There were a few people in the hallway as I headed to the locker room.

  One of them was Emma, pacing back and forth with a bottle of water in her hand.

  “Em? What are you doing here?”

  She glanced up at me with wide eyes.

  “I unknowingly agreed to try out for the new cannon girl position yesterday.”

  I frowned and she shrugged.

  “I met a girl, Bella, at school and we got to talking. Before I knew it, I agreed to come to this, not aware of what this was. I was so caught up… in school stuff.” She looked around and sighed. “I’m nervous.”

  “We’ll both be playing b-string,” I joked. She just stared at me. I heard they were increasing the number of people on that team but never expected to see Emma here.

  “Hey, are you okay?”

  “I’m so nervous. The stands are so full of people!” Her eyes were as big as saucers again. I grinned and took her arm, leading her to a quieter area of the stadium just outside.

  “You don’t strike me as the cheerleader type,” I said.

  “Thank God, I’m not going to be a cheerleader. This sounds hard enough,” Emma murmured. “I just liked Bella a lot and once I thought about it, I felt like it might be fun. I can have a job and meet some people this way. It should be fun, right?”

  “I think I know Bella. She dated one of the guys for a bit,” I said, not mentioning that it was more than one of them. Bella was a huge flirt, though I never touched her. “I think it will be good for you. You’ll be safe with all the security around and the fans get into the games.”

  The more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea of keeping an eye on her. I could talk to the team and tell them that she was off limits personally this way.

  She smiled and I pulled her to me for a quick loose hug, wanting to reassure her, but only smelled her addictive citrus scent.

  I felt her push harder against me and choked on my own feelings as I felt her heat. I’d been with women in every position before but there was more intimacy in this hug than any of that. I felt lightheaded as she pressed her face into my shirt.

  “I will?” Emma asked as she pulled away and looked into my face. I knew this was getting to be too much and stumbled back against the wall as she frowned.

  “Yeah. I’ll put in a good word and help you get the job. It’s going to be great,” I forced a smile as she dropped her hands to the side and nodded. “You should probably get in there. I think it’s going to start soon.”

  Emma stared at me for a long moment as she nodded slowly. She looked at the building and took a deep breath before leading the way back inside. I pointed her to the area where they’d be taking care of hiring before we started practice and then walked to the locker room.

  I was hard as a rock and dreaded going in to see the guys, not wanting anyone to know about Emma. It wasn’t that they didn’t know I could be a horny bastard, but I didn’t want this connected to her, even though the only one who would know anything would be Nick.

  I was calm when I walked into the locker room to get my gear on, talking to the players since we had a few minutes. I couldn’t stop thinking about Emma working here and how much more I’d see her.

  Coach came out after a few minutes, letting us know that we could head in. I wondered how many girls showed up for this as we headed out as a group.

  We gathered at the edge of the field and watched the commotion.

  Emma was standing there with some of the other girls with an overwhelmed expression. Bella slipped an arm around her. It looked like Emma got hired and was part of the group who wandered the stadium and interacted with the crowd, shooting shirts at them from a team-color painted cannon.

  “Check out the blonde,” I heard someone say. It was our quarterback. I knew that there were three blondes on the team, but they worked the job last season and Emma was the newest cannon girl. He was the shining star of the team and got all the women, but he wasn’t going to touch Emma.

  “Hell, yes. We’re going to have to hit that,” one of the other guys agreed.

  I set my jaw and took a deep breath.

  “I’d suggest leaving her alone,” I said and some of the guys looked at me. “Her brother is my best friend from back home. She’s like my kid sister.”

  “Is he here in Nashville?” the quarterback asked with a smirk. Jesus, he was a fucking asshole sometimes. I narrowed my eyes at him.

  “No, but I am and she’s off limits. She’s too good for you animals.”

  Nick gave me a look.

  “Maybe you already have her for yourself,” another hinted.

  I shrugged. “Nah. Just overprotective since I’ve known her forever.”

  A few of the guys gave me a curious look and then back at the girls.

  Emma met my gaze and gave me a thumbs up with a nervous smile as she walked in with the rest of them.

  If she was any other girl, I’d make some comment about how we hooked up. I was an ass that way when it came to the groupies who were always around, but so were the other guys. I wouldn’t let Emma fall into that category.

  We went out to practice, and I glanced over to see some of the girls had come back out and were watching us. I grinned. Emma looked at me and I nodded as I turned back at Coach to see what he wanted us to do.

  Emma went home afterwards as we prepared for our first pre-season game.

  I was one of the last ones in the locker room. I met up with the staff who took care of the cheerleaders and cannon girls and asked about Emma. Sara said that she was adorable and came highly recommended by Bella. I grinned and told her how I knew her. Sara giggled as she tossed her pink hair back, giving me a knowing look.

  “It’s not like that. She’s like a little sister to me,” I assured Sara.

  Things were happening quickly this year, and I knew that it was going to be different than ever before. Having Emma living with me was giving me feelings that I’d never felt about anyone and I worried about life at the apartment and now where we were both going to be working. Between my feelings for Emma and the way the other guys were going to be talking about her, I might go fucking insane.

  That wasn’t a great thought. I gritted my teeth and reminded myself to make this work. I was doing a favor for my best friend and that was that. I had to see this through and keep her safe.

  CHAPTER 9

  EMMA

  I got ready for the first game in the hallway bathroom, looking nervously in the mirror. Bella said that make-up was a must today, and I nibbled on my lip as I looked down at my small bag. I still had time to go to her place and get ready if I hurried. Willow had done my make-up sometimes back home and I tried to remember her tricks as I fumbled with the cosmetics that were spread out on the counter.

  I sighed and pulled my hair into a high ponytail. That was a start. After that I did my eyes with liner and added some mascara, taking a quick look before adding some shimmery powder to my brow area. I watched some videos about make-up and learned a few things, and I tilted my head to see how I looked.

  I would have asked Jackson, but he had already left for the game. He got there early to get some practicing in before it started.

  My stomach was flipping as I brushed some powder on my pale skin and added more powder to my brows.

  I gave up and sent Bella a picture to ask her what she thought. We’d been talking a lot over the last few days and she trained me how to use the cannon yesterday. I knew that Sara was going to help me as much as she could as well, overseeing us. The other girls were nice, and I was optimistic that this would work out.

  It might even be fun.

  My phone beeped
a few moments later.

  You look great!

  Can we go to Sephora for some make-up later?

  We get paid next week, so let’s make a day of it.

  Thanx!

  Gotta go. Meet me at the stadium!

  I’m on my way.

  I pulled on some leggings and a long-sleeved Henley before finding my newest Converse. I knew that I could wear them today with the shorts and tank top that I’d be wearing. I grabbed my purse and ran to my car, driving nervously to the stadium’s parking underground.

  I was working for the Tennessee Trojans!

  I walked to the smaller locker room that was set up for us and the cheerleaders. I greeted Bella with a hug and admired her flawless face. She was going to work by me tonight so I could shadow her for the first few games.

  We changed into the fitted outfits and I blushed as I looked in the mirror. This outfit left little to the imagination, and I could picture the reactions of people back home when they came to see a game. It would be awful.

  I told myself that I was an adult as I glossed my lips and fixed my hair one more time.

  Bella led the way to a small room just off the main stadium where we met Sara. She explained what I was doing today and assured me that nobody would notice if little things happened.

  “Yeah, because half of the fans are drunk, anyway. You just have to make sure they don’t try to grab your ass.” Bella laughed softly under her breath.

  “We spend most of the time in front of them, right?” I asked.

  “Yes, you are. I’d worry less about the fans and more about the players.” She gave us all a long look. “They will hit on you nonstop. Stand your ground and just don’t give in. They are a great team but some of them are total man whores.”

  All the girls laughed, and I wondered if Jackson was that bad. I knew that he was back in high school, but he’d been home every night since I got here. There was no sign of him sleeping around. What did I care? I had to stop think of Jackson every time something happened.