Jamie’s brother, Mike, and his sister, Grace, flew in for the occasion. They’re older than Jamie by a few years, both of them living in different parts of the country and world. Grace runs the European division of his father’s technology company, and Mike is head of operations in Silicon Valley. Everyone in the O’Connor family is a genius. A bunch of tech nerds.
Drake’s sister didn’t bother to show with his parents. Like my sister, she’s always fashionably late. My dad and Uncle Donovan are talking to Aunt Charlotte about the game, complaining about how the old NBA rules were so much better and how the new ones have ruined the game. She goes into a lengthy discussion, one I don’t want to be part of.
Almost none of the people in this room are related to me, but we’re still one big, happy, somewhat dysfunctional family.
Trent hooks his arm around my back and pulls me into a hug. “Merry Christmas, Tuck.”
I smile and hug him back. “Merry Christmas.”
I’m so glad we’re on good terms now. Not until the Thanksgiving game did we stop hating each over a girl, of all things. I never saw Jemma coming. But neither did Trent. If I’m being honest with myself, I liked her, but not enough to lose Trent over. In the end, I made the right choice. He’s happy. I wasn’t even looking for a girlfriend, and now everything has fallen back into place.
“I like our odds for regionals,” Trent says.
“Yeah, me, too. As long as none of us get hurt or nothing happens in the meantime, we should win another championship.”
“You surprised me,” Trent admits. “I expected you to take the easy way out.”
I have to think over what he’s saying for a second until it hits me. “It’s not that hard to study on my own.”
He laughs. “True, but you never bothered to do it before.”
“I’m just lazy when it comes to school. It doesn’t interest me.”
Trent taps me on the back, smirking. “Let’s hope you never need to use your degree.”
“The world is fucked if that ever happens,” I joke. “Can you see me working in an office?”
Seriously, though, I have no plan B if my hockey career doesn’t pan out. Because, in my mind, there’s no need for an alternate plan not when I can execute the first one. If you go after something you want and work hard enough to get it, most of the time you end up making your dream a reality. I know my dreams are bigger than others. The chance of making it into the NHL is slim. But I have natural athleticism, the Kane name, and my skills backing me. I have no doubt I will go pro.
Trent snorts. “Fuck no. You would drive everyone crazy. You’d be running around hooking up with all of the secretaries in the office.”
“Isn’t that why they’re there?” I quip.
Sometimes, I really am an asshole.
Drake comes up on my right and hands me another beer, which I gladly accept. “You guys want in on the pool?”
I cock my head at him. “What pool?”
“Aunt Charlotte is running one for the Christmas games.”
“But the first game’s already started.”
“So. Winner takes home five grand at the end of the night. You want in?”
I look at Trent who shrugs, and we both say yes, pulling out our wallets to give Drake money.
Christmas as usual.
Chapter Thirteen
Sam
Christmas break passes by in a frosty blur, the city now blanketed with snow. A chill rolls through me as I walk the halls closing my jacket over myself. Today is my first official day as Professor Frazier’s teaching assistant. The door on last year has closed, a new one opening, propelling me closer to my ultimate goal. One step closer to graduation.
I’m happy the holidays are over. I hate anything to do with them. All of the family times and cheer are a reminder of what I don’t have, what my heart aches for. And then I return to Strick U where the students have everything.
When I open the double doors to the lecture hall on Monday morning, students are crowded in the aisles chatting among themselves. They assume I am one of them. Not this time.
I stroll down the center aisle toward Professor Frazier, who smiles when he sees me. “Good morning, Samantha. I hope you’re well rested and ready to work.”
“Yes, sir,” I say, shifting the bag on my shoulder to adjust the weight. “I’ve already prepped the first three assignments for you.”
He flashes another smile, his gaze moving from my face and down my body.
Ugh, why does he have to be such a creeper? For such a well-respected attorney and chair of the law department, I would have expected someone more… professional. Ever since our first encounter, I’ve been weirded out by him. But I need this job. Regardless of his behavior, I have to ignore him. He’s not doing anything different than other men on campus.
They’re all pigs, I tell myself. It’s part of their nature.
I have to remind myself that working with Professor Frazier is a stepping stone to my next endeavor. This job will look good on my resume.
“Pass those around the room,” Professor Frazier says, holding his hand out to a long table on the opposite side of the podium. A stack of papers sits at the edge. “Then, take a seat so we can begin.”
I grip the stack in my hand about to walk up the aisle when the door slams. As I look up, I’m shocked to see Tucker Kane standing in front of the double doors. He looks like a blond, broad-shouldered sex god accompanied by another gorgeous guy who’s tall and muscular with shaggy brown hair. They’re both built like athletes, disgustingly handsome, and capturing the attention of everyone around them.
Tucker’s eyes find mine. He appraises my body and rolls his tongue over his bottom lip. A shiver runs through me and this time not because of the chill in the cold building. Tucker winks at me and begins to walk toward me, staring me down.
Dressed in a leather jacket paired with a fitted navy tee and low-slung jeans that hang from his hips, he reminds me of a male model. Now, I’m the one licking my lips. I suck in a deep breath, frozen in place, my feet unable to carry me.
Tucker whispers something to his friend, both of their eyes on me, talking about me. I want to run away. This can’t be happening.
He stops in front of me, his hand outstretched, a strange expression crossing his adorable face. “So, we meet again, Sam.” My mouth falls open slightly before I realign my jaw again. He continues, his hand still waiting for me to place a paper in it, “Is that for me?”
Without a word, I give Tucker and his cute friend a syllabus which earns me a cocky smirk from each of them. Stunned stupid, I force myself to snap out of it. Tucker cannot throw me off my game, not when I need the money. A letter of recommendation from Professor Frazier will also go a long way.
Tucker and his friend find their places in the last row of the room. He leans back in his chair, crossing his arms over his thick chest and kicks his feet up on the top of the wooden chair in front of him. He flashes an evil grin in my direction, but it’s sexy as hell. There’s no way I’ll make it through an entire semester with Tucker staring at me this way.
After everyone has a syllabus, Professor Frazier slips behind the podium. He gives his spiel about what he expects over the next twelve weeks, instructing the class to contact me. Only in my absence, or in an emergency, are they to contact him. Which means Tucker, of all people, will have direct access to me.
I clear the lump forming at the back of my throat. What I wouldn’t do right now for a coffee. I’m parched, desperate for a drink. I might need something stronger than coffee with Tucker in my class. He makes it impossible for me to focus on anything other than him. His presence commands attention, and he seems to be well aware of this fact.
I’m so damn screwed.
Chapter Fourteen
Tucker
Samantha is in my class. No, wait... she’s my teaching assistant. I smile like an idiot when Professor Frazier tells the class to contact Sam. My mind is reeling, full of unanswered questions I wa
nt her to answer. Now that she’s my TA, she can’t avoid me.
Sitting at the desk next to the podium dressed in a tight skirt and blouse that hugs her big, perky tits, she moves her hand through her long brown hair. She looks good, really fucking good, actually. So much so that I want to bend her over that desk and fuck the sexy grin off her face.
With one look in my direction, she makes my dick hard as if she willed it to happen.
Jamie elbows me to gain my attention, and I turn to look at him. “Do you know the TA?”
Uncrossing my arms from my chest, I set my legs on the floor and sit up straight. “Yeah, she’s the girl who wouldn’t tutor me last semester.”
He laughs. “You fucked your teacher.”
“Teaching assistant,” I correct.
“Same difference. She’s the one who’s grading our tests and assignments. You better hope she doesn’t take out her anger on you.”
My nose scrunches in disgust. “I doubt she’ll do that.” Would she? I have no idea.
“I hope not,” Jamie says, typing out a message on his cell phone.
And then a few of the phones in the room sound at the same time.
We all know what that means.
The timing isn’t lost on any of us.
Removing my phone from my pocket, I suck in a deep breath, hoping I’m not the target of The Queen again.
Last month, Drake took the focus off me. But who knows what January brings.
I lean forward and place my forearms on my thighs, hunched over to read the latest post.
Dethroned
January Edition
New Year’s resolutions… everyone makes them, and few people stick to them. Take Jamie O’Connor’s promise to be faithful, for example. He’s been playing house with his Kappa Delta sorostitute for the last two months, and yet he was spotted with another girl. The newspapers don’t lie, Jamie. Fess up and tell her what you did, you dirty boy. A picture is worth a thousand words…
You, Jamie O’Connor, have been dethroned.
XO,
The Queen
My eyes and mouth widen with surprise. No one ever messes with Jamie. He always stays out of the spotlight, never does anything worth reporting. And now The Queen has just called his ass out. Shannon was over at our house after the break, flipping out over some picture of Jamie and his ex-girlfriend in the newspaper from a gaming event. He swears nothing happened, and I believe him. But he’s been kissing Shannon’s ass ever since, pleading with her to chill out.
“Wow,” I mutter studying the post once more and then hand Jamie my phone for him to read. “You need to see this.”
A pained expression crosses his face. He reads the post several times before handing the phone back to me. “I have to narrow her location down.” His tone is filled with anger. “The signal is somewhere in the city, but that doesn’t help. She could be anyone working from anywhere.”
“You’ll find her,” I say, hoping we all get some justice for what she’s done to us. “Or maybe we need to give her a new target.”
He shakes his head. “We need to shut her down, not feed her ego. She wants power over us. We have to take it away from her.”
“How do you suggest we do that?”
“I will find out who she is, and once I do, we’re taking her down.”
I smirk, and Jamie’s expression mirrors mine. “I like the way you think.”
He winks and then goes back to texting Shannon.
I go back to staring at Sam and her long legs stretched out beneath the desk.
After the class ends and everyone leaves, I stay behind to confront Sam. She knows I’m here, yet she sits behind the desk as if it can shield her from me. She glances at the book in front of her, scribbling notes. Professor Frazier has already left through the side entrance door reserved for staff.
I stroll down the aisle and place my palms flat on the desk, leaning over so our faces are only a few inches apart. “Don’t take the past out on me.”
She glances up at me, annoyed, with those icy-blue eyes that send chills down my spine. “I would never.” Her brown hair covers the side of her face as she tilts her head down and continues to write in her book. “I’m a professional. This is my job. You’re now my student.”
As I reach across her desk to touch her hand, she freezes, and her entire body tenses up. Sucking in a deep breath, she holds it for far too long before letting it out. “Tucker…” she warns, “… think long and hard before you touch me again.”
“Why are you so angry with me?”
She scoffs, blowing a strand of her hair in her face. “Why are you such an ass?”
We stare at each other for a few seconds, the tension between us thick, until Sam breaks the silence. “If you’re trying to charm your way to an A, you have another thing coming, Tucker. No amount of money or smirks can win me over. I suggest you study, for once, and earn your grades the old- fashioned way through hard work and effort.”
“Look, Sam, you obviously have something against me.”
“You’re a user, Tucker. Just like you used me in freshman year.”
“I thought we had a good time that night.”
She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, until you tossed me aside and moved on to the next girl.”
So, that’s why she’s mad…
I want to defend myself, but what do I say? We hooked up. She said she was okay with just sex when she apparently wanted more. They always want more. I never promise women anything other than an orgasm. She knew the deal. We had an agreement. And now, I’m paying the price for my honesty.
The following Monday, Jamie tells me to leave for class without him. He’s over at the Kappa Delta house apologizing to Shannon again. For what, I have no idea. It seems like all he does is kiss her ass. His relationship with her serves as a constant reminder of why I don’t want anything serious.
On my way through Franklin Hall, I round the corner near my classroom and almost run into a group of Kappa girls. The sorority girls’ faces light up, and a few smile in my direction. I’ve seen them at the Delta Sig parties over the years, even hooked up with a few of them.
I nod in acknowledgment.
One of the girls locks eyes with me before cutting across the corridor, heading toward me, and latches on to my biceps. I attempt to shake her loose, but she just holds on tighter forcing me to drag her along with me to class. We have about one minute before the door closes. Professor Frazier is known for his strict lateness policy. No one is admitted after nine o’clock. No exceptions.
“Hey, Tuck.” She looks up at me with puppy-dog eyes and pouty lips that are hard to forget.
“Riley,” I say, still focusing on her mouth, hoping I have the right girl.
“So, Romeo said you like date parties.”
I cough to cover my laughter. I’m gonna kill that motherfucker. “I don’t know about all that.”
I attempt to peel her fingers from my arm, but she holds on tighter. Damn, can you say clinger?
“I was hoping you would come with me to the Valentine’s Day party next month.”
Is she really asking me out on a date? Romeo’s dead when I see him.
“Sorry, Riley, but that’s not my scene. It’s not you…”
“It’s me,” she finishes, even though I wasn’t going to say that. “Okay, I get it.” Her smile quickly turns into a frown. “I thought we had a good time. Figured we could have some more fun.” She says the last part with a sparkle in her eye.
Girls always look at me this way, and every time they do, it sets off an impulse inside me to run. I don’t want to be tied down. It’s nothing personal. Riley’s gorgeous and built like a beauty queen. It really isn’t her. It’s me. Because I’m not ready for this level of responsibility, so I avoid it like the plague.
Her eyes travel to the floor for a few seconds before she meets my gaze. “Maybe another time.”
Like never? No fucking way am I going to a date party at a sorority house.
&nbs
p; I shrug. “Yeah, maybe.”
We both know it’s a lie.
She bites her bottom lip, nervous. “Right. Well, I guess I’ll see you around.”
I nod. “Sounds good. I gotta go.”
Turning away from her, I glance over at the door to the classroom, one minute away from being late. Sam stands in the entryway clutching the door handle about to close it while glaring at me with pure hatred in her eyes. She drives me fucking wild when she looks at me this way. I don’t know why, but it turns me on. I like that it challenges me.
Giving me a hard look, Sam focuses her attention on Riley, frowning in disapproval by the time her eyes find mine again. “You’re late, Tucker.”
In a tight red top that hugs her tits perfectly, Sam’s showing enough cleavage to make my dick grow hard. I have to think of something else, anything else. She looks good today even better than last week. It’s like she’s turned up her hotness factor to drive me insane. One week she’s the girl next door, and each time I see her, she looks better and better.
This girl does things to me I can’t explain. She’s hot without even trying. And I’m hoping she doesn’t notice how turned on I am right now.
“You know the rules. Professor Frazier doesn’t tolerate tardiness.” The word slips from her lips in a cruel and mocking tone.
Fuck me, I’m dead.
I want to bend her over and spank her for talking to me this way.
Is she doing this on purpose? Is the universe punishing me for whatever she thinks I did to her in the past?
Then, she does something I didn’t see coming and slams the door in my face. Grabbing hold of the handle, I tug, but nothing happens. I try a few more times before I give up. She’s locked me out on the day we’re supposed to have a quiz. And I actually studied for it for a change.
I wait on a bench outside of the classroom until the double doors open, and a crowd storms out just to prove her wrong. To prove a point to Sam and to myself. I can pass this class on my own as long as I make it here on time for the rest of the semester.
Teaching Tucker (Face-Off Legacy Book 3) Page 7
