Turning back to his own studying he knew she would be upset if he started talking to her and he knew he had to remain silent at least for a few hours. There was something about her that drew him in and he didn’t want her to leave, no matter how boring this might be. After several hours of studying, he had finished what he had brought with him and she was still working on the same project. Not once had she gotten up or said anything. He was just about to ask her what she was working on when she shut her laptop with a sigh. “Finally done. I’ll admit I’m impressed you’re still here and you haven’t tried to distract me in any way.”
“It feels odd to be done without it being last minute. What were you working on?”
“A paper for chemistry. I won’t bore you with the details.”
“What’s your major?”
“Pre-med. I want to be a pediatrician. What’s yours, management?”
Adam had the grace to look sheepish as he nodded. Most athletes on campus who were only there for the sport were business majors of sorts and he was no exception to that rule. “Sports Management actually. Once my professional career is over I want to coach so it will help in that. I might not be the most studious but sports is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
“Nobody will let you coach if you have a record. Everyone knows how the university keeps getting you guys out of trouble but one day that won’t be enough.”
“We’re not all bad you know.”
“You are the stereotypical bad boy. Don’t try to say otherwise. If that’s not what you’re going for you are doing something seriously wrong.”
“We just enjoy life to the fullest, there’s nothing wrong with that.”
“If you say so. Look, it’s lunch time so I’m heading to the cafeteria. If you feel like stalking me, I will be back here after lunch to study for an exam.” With those parting words Cassie packed up her things and took the stack of books to return to the front counter, leaving without another word. Adam looked after her, once again surprised by her easy dismissal of him and by the fact that he wanted to get to know this mysterious woman. Gathering his own things he made his way back to the dorm, knowing he would be back in the library that afternoon, this time more prepared to spend longer there before having to move.
Usually the team met for lunch so he wasn’t surprised that he didn’t encounter anyone on his way to his dorm, or to the cafeteria, and he found that he actually preferred it that way. There was no way he was going to explain to his team mates why he had spent all morning in the library, and they would never understand if he said he went there to meet some girl he had just met.
Chapter Two
Cassie had no idea what she was thinking when she told Adam where she usually went to study, and as she walked back to her dorm which was right next door she had this strange feeling that he would be there waiting for her. While he wasn’t the type of guy she had always gone for in the past, there was something about him that was intriguing. He had this bad boy exterior and appearance, while she had the feeling there was more to him that nobody really saw. Having always gone for the safe guys before, there was something exciting about being with a guy like Adam who wasn’t ‘safe’ in any way.
Once back in her dorm she texted her best friend that she was back in the dorms and going to the library before she grabbed her shower caddy and walked down the hall to take a shower. Taking off her clothes she knew she smelled like an ashtray, which was the part she always hated about going out, and quickly she got under the warm water to wash it all away. She briefly wondered if they had used protection the night before, and while she wasn’t worried about getting pregnant as she was on birth control, she knew the risk of a disease was fairly high with Adam. Hoping for the best she quickly finished her shower and, wrapped in a towel, she walked back to her room. Tossing her clothes in the hamper she put on comfortable jeans and a sweatshirt before gathering everything she’d need for her project and headed out for the library. It was only a five minute walk for which she was grateful as it was a slightly chilly day, and when she entered the library she greeted the girl at the front desk with a smile. They all knew her there as she found it to be the quietest place to study as the dorms were often noisy while there was something calming about being surrounded by books.
The first thing she noticed was that all the tables were taken and she cursed inwardly, knowing that she normally got there much earlier and didn’t have this problem. She needed space to spread out so when she saw that the table with the least amount of people at it happened to be the one with Adam, she knew she had to sit with him whether she wanted to or not. That didn’t mean they had to talk though and she hoped he would leave her to work in silence, which is why she came to the library to begin with.
When he did exactly that she couldn’t help but compliment him on it, as it was completely unexpected. When she teased him about stalking her she surprised herself and to prevent embarrassment she quickly made her escape. She didn’t want to be there when he decided she was strange or weird and left, so after quickly dropping her books off at the front desk she left the building. After a quick stop at her dorm she walked to the cafeteria to get something to eat. She had missed breakfast and her stomach was protesting fiercely. She normally had at least three cups of coffee while eating breakfast so she also had a distinct lack of caffeine running through her body at the present moment, which cinched the idea that she needed to get to the cafeteria for lunch.
Finding a quiet corner of the cafeteria she quietly ate a sandwich while sipping her coffee, watching all the other students going about their business. Her friend had texted back that she was still with her boyfriend and Cassie didn’t expect her back to the dorms until later that day, which is what usually happened on the weekends and that was fine by her. There were times she really enjoyed being around people and there were moments that she enjoyed the quiet times. When Adam came over to her table just as she finished eating she couldn’t quite control the eye roll. “You really are stalking me aren’t you?”
“I see it as getting to know a pretty young woman.”
“I see. What would your friends say if you were seen with a bookworm like me?”
“I don’t care about that.”
“Right. Keep telling yourself that. If you really want to make an impression on me you should go refill my coffee.”
Adam looked at her slightly sideways and for a second she thought he was going to get up and leave, which for some reason was the opposite of what she wanted before he got up and took her cup. When he came back he was carrying two cups and he sat both of them in front of her before returning to his own lunch. “I think you need both of those. You are clearly caffeine deprived.”
Cassie had no idea what to say in reply to that so she took one of the cups and started sipping her coffee again, her gaze returning to the other students in the cafeteria. She always made this into a game where she would try to guess what someone was going to eat and then see if they really did. She barely noticed when Adam shifted to sit next to her until he started talking to her. “The girl in the yellow shirt. Salad, no dressing and a water.”
“Guy in the green shirt. Lasagna, coke.”
They continued this for a while, occasionally laughing when they got a weird one right or wrong, and after she had finished both cups of coffee she realized she had actually enjoyed her time with Adam. It was the last thing she had expected and it threw her off balance. Her previous boyfriend had thought she was crazy for doing this and he had picked up on it without her saying a word. This guy was a complete mystery and she didn’t like mysteries, instead preferring when things were more straightforward. Not sure what to do she suddenly got up which received a strange look from Adam.
“I need to get back to studying. I enjoyed lunch, thank you.”
Once again making her escape before Adam could say anything else she left the cafeteria and once again went back to her dorm. Once there she sat on her bed and sighed deeply, unsure of whether to s
tay there and study or go to the library. The group of laughing girls who made their way down the hallway made up her mind for her and with another sigh she got her books together and started for the library again. She didn’t even bother to act surprised when Adam was already there, and she easily joined him at his table. “Definitely stalking.”
“I believe I was here first so I think you are stalking me young lady.”
“If you want to see it that way. Have you ever spent this much time in the library before?”
“Probably not in my entire college career combined, I’m ashamed to admit.”
“I suspected as much.”
Once again they worked in silence, and when Adam asked her to dinner several hours later, she shook her head, surprising both of them. “Sorry, but I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ll see you around.”
Cassie didn’t know why she had just turned him down, but he still had a reputation despite the fact that they had had a good day. She couldn’t just ignore that and she knew that as soon as his friends heard about her he would change his mind anyway. She wasn’t going to let him into her life just to have him walk right back out. It wasn’t hard for her to forget about him, or at least that’s what she kept telling herself, and spend time with her friends after they had all eaten in the cafeteria. This is what she should be doing in the last few months of her college career, not focusing on some guy that was just going to walk away at the end.
This was easier said than done as he appeared to be everywhere over the next couple of days and Cassie was convinced he was definitely stalking her. How else would he explain being everywhere when they didn’t have class in the same buildings, and she had never noticed him before? Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of talking to him and acknowledging that she had noticed him, she pretended to be oblivious to it.
What Cassie didn’t know, but Adam did, was that he initially hadn’t been following her until he noticed that someone else was. A guy he had seen around before, but never really paid attention to, appeared to be everywhere Cassie was and he didn’t think she had noticed. He was in her building constantly, and ate at the same times, but he didn’t actually attend the classes and at night he would leave for another dorm building. Adam suspected he lived in the other building but he never seemed to actually be doing anything in Cassie’s building. Adam wasn’t even certain he was a student, since he didn’t seem to be attending classes, but it was possible he had class when Adam was in class as well. It still didn’t sit well with him and he vowed to keep an eye on her to make sure the situation didn’t escalate. He knew his senses were highly attuned, and that always put him on high alert. Something was going to happen, he just hoped he was there when it did.
Chapter Three
Friday night came before Cassie knew it and she knew she had to confront Adam before it went too far. Something wasn’t right and she felt watched constantly, even though there were times she didn’t see him. It was driving her crazy so when her friends came into her room and demanded that she go out with them, she easily agreed in the hopes that it would make her feel a little less uncomfortable. She quickly got ready for the evening and followed her friends out the door. As a group of college girls it was fairly easy for them to get into the club and once inside it took mere minutes for them to get drinks. Cassie had her opinions on that but she knew it was best kept to herself so she just focused on having fun.
“Hi there pretty lady.”
Cassie looked up to see a well-dressed, blond man standing next to her. He had sparkling blue eyes that drew her in and she smiled at him. “Hi there handsome.”
“Can I buy you a drink?”
“Well you certainly may. So what brings you here?”
“I’m just out for a good time, some alcohol and maybe some dancing. Would you be up for that later?”
“Dancing? I’m terrible at it but I suppose after a few more drinks I’d be willing to give it a try.”
“Well then what are we waiting for? Bartender!”
“So what is your name?”
“Scott. What about yourself?”
“Cassie. Nice to meet you Scott.” Cassie smiled a genuine smile, feeling like this night might become fun. While watching her drink closely she enjoyed the easy conversation with Scott and after several drinks she joined him on the dance floor for the promised dancing. It had been a long time since she had done this and she found that she had missed it.
When the club was closing, she easily followed Scott out the door fully intending to continue the fun night she had been having. Her instincts should have been screaming when he guided her towards a dark alley, but for some reason they didn’t and if asked later she would say it was because she had been under the influence of one too many alcoholic drinks. When Scott pushed her against a wall she started struggling, not liking it one bit. “What are you doing?!”
“Hold still and this will be over soon.”
“Scott, let me go. I thought we were going to another bar or to get something to eat.”
“I’m not interested in that. Shut up.”
Scott pushed her further against the wall and despite Cassie’s struggles she could not get away. He started pushing up her dress and ripped her panties while undoing his belt with his other hand. She continued struggling, not caring about her state of undress, not wanting this. She screamed but knew that nobody would hear unless they came into the alley and she wasn’t strong enough to stop it.
Before Scott could get his zipper down, there was a bright flare of light and Cassie saw something she never thought she would see and something she knew nobody would believe if she told them the story. Right there in front of her, instead of Scott, was a bright green and purple dragon, spitting fire in the direction where Scott was now running away as fast as he could. The dragon flapped its wings twice, before calming down and turning towards Cassie. She swallowed hard, not sure what to think or do. As she started looking at the dragon more closely, the wings slowly started shrinking as did everything else about it. The wings fully disappeared and its head started transforming into a human head. As she watched, the entire dragon seemed to disappear and suddenly a man was standing in front of her instead. “Adam?”
“Look, let’s get back to my dorm and we can talk in private. I’d also like to be out of the way just in case he comes back and brings friends.”
“Yeah, sure,” Cassie said softly, unsure what was going on and not sure how to react to it. There was something about Adam she felt she could trust though and she quietly let him lead her to his dorm where she sat down on his bed, leaning back against the bed. “What just happened?”
“You were attacked, I saved you.”
“No shit Sherlock.”
Adam chuckled and sat cross legged on the bed in front of her, looking her in the eye to see where she was on the confusion scale. “Look, I know this is confusing and you’re probably wondering how I was able to do transform like that.”
Cassie shook her head. “No, I’m not. I’ve seen someone transform before, they didn’t know I saw. I thought I had dreamed it, but seeing you do it means it’s real.”
“It is. I’m a dragon shifter. I’ve felt danger looming all week and I’m sorry if I scared you by following you but I wasn’t following you. This guy you were with has been following you all week. He was everywhere you were, including your dorm, except at night when he went to his own dorm. When I saw him going into the club with you, I kept an eye out. I got stuck in a crowd and it took me longer to get out of the club but I heard your scream for help. Instinct kicked in and I transformed. Cassie, what the hell were you thinking going into an alley with him?”
Adam was glad Cassie was alright but furious with her for doing something so stupid, and when Cassie dropped her head to look at her knees it was clear she had heard the anger. “I expect an answer.”
“I don’t know. I knew I shouldn’t and I did anyway. My instincts were telling me something was wrong but I ignored them.”
>
“You could have gotten seriously hurt, and you are damn lucky I was there watching for you. Nobody else was even going near that alley. You are a senior, I would have hoped you had more sense than that by now.”
“Look, I’m sorry, alright? I don’t need you scolding me.”
“Is that what I’m doing? I can tell you now that if you were my girl and you did something so stupid you’d be getting a heck of a lot more than this mild scolding. You have to think about safety when you’re going out and drinking. I am aware I don’t always do so myself and last week was a prime example of that but you are a pretty girl and much more likely to get hurt.”
“I know. It was stupid,” Cassie said as a tear slid down her cheek. Adam shifted to sit next to her and pulled her into his arms, instinctively knowing she needed comfort more than she needed scolding.
Adam sat sitting there, holding Cassie, letting her take all the comfort she needed. He might have had a lot of girls and he might have done a lot of stupid things but he would never rape a girl or hurt a girl in any way. When he felt that she was much calmer, he pulled away slightly to look at her again. “Better?”
“Yes. I’m really sorry.”
“Hmm. Would it be alright if I kissed you?”
“Absolutely.”
Adam gently kissed Cassie, who easily returned the kiss. His hands wrapped around her back as he lowered her onto the bed while continuing to kiss her. She still wasn’t wearing panties, even if her skirt was now covering her fully, and she shivered slightly as his hand ran down her side and down her thigh. He ran his hand back up her side before pushing down the top of her dress and moving his mouth to cover her nipple, running his tongue over it almost teasingly.
Suddenly she didn’t want gentle and slow anymore and she started frantically taking off his shirt and undoing his pants. Apparently he took the hint and he helped her remove his clothes before pulling her dress off completely. “Are you sure?” Adam asked before letting it go any further.
Jocked Up: Sports Romance (A Secret Baby Second Chance Romance) Page 55
