Assets.
It goes without saying that I shouldn’t think about or watch Carter’s backside. Especially during a football game. I’m there to support Noah. And I genuinely enjoy football. I grew up watching Noah play. I’m not like Olivia, who sits in the stands and has no clue what’s going on.
But still, I couldn’t take my eyes off Carter.
I need to shake these thoughts loose. With excessive force, if need be. I can’t allow myself to trip down this path. Carter and I are in a good place, and I don’t want to rock the boat.
The plan for this evening is to have a few drinks and make out with a cute guy. And it doesn’t necessarily have to be in that order, either. I need someone to take my mind off a certain dark-haired football player.
That shouldn’t be too difficult, right?
BU has its fair share of hot guys. It’s one of the perks of attending a school that has roughly ten thousand students. The hunting grounds are always plentiful.
As Olivia and I make our way to the door, we’re greeted by a hulking guy who appears to be missing a neck. I bet he could easily bench press a VW Beetle. Most girls would be intimidated by the sheer size of him. I’m not. Owen’s a big, squishy teddy bear inside. Added bonus, he knows his way around a kitchen and makes the best lasagna I’ve ever tasted. And that’s saying something because Aunt Marnie is a phenomenal cook.
“Hey, Owen!” I greet with a wave.
He plays the part of bouncer well. As soon as he sees me, his face lights up. “Hey, sweet cheeks. How ya doing?”
Owen’s on the football team and he’s extremely effective at his job. I’ve heard rumors that he’s skipping his senior year and entering the NFL draft this spring. If that happens, there will be a massive hole in the defensive lineup.
“Pretty good. Although not as amazing as you. That was an awesome sack you had in the first quarter. That guy didn’t know what hit him.” I laugh. “He probably still doesn’t know what hit him.”
Owen grins and wraps his arms around my body, giving me a monster hug. “Damn straight, he didn’t. Gotta shut that shit down right from the get-go. Know what I’m talking about?”
“Yup.”
Owen leads the conference in sacks. He’s one of the best linemen Division I football has to offer which is probably why he’s looking to turn pro early instead of sticking around for another year. Can’t blame him for that.
Once he releases me, Owen glances around. “Where’s your cuz? Haven’t seen him since the game.”
“He headed out of town for the weekend.” I shrug. “Some family party for Ashley.”
I’m still pissed at her for the plus-sized modeling comment. That girl can kiss my plus-sized ass for all I care.
With exaggerated movements, the linebacker moves his considerable bulk from side to side, waving his arms in the air. “Gonna miss an epic celebration tonight. We gonna get wild!”
He may be an amazing football player, and a decent cook, but his dance moves leave something to be desired.
I laugh. “Tell you what, I’ll have a few drinks for Noah and we’ll call it even.”
Owen shakes his head and chuckles, spearing a thick finger in my direction. “You do that, sweet cheeks, but don’t have too many. Walker will have my ass on a platter if anything happens to you.”
I roll my eyes because we both know that what he said isn’t an idle threat. I might be twenty-one years old, but Noah treats me like I’m in kindergarten and as helpless as a baby bird. It’s frustrating.
“Well, what he doesn’t know…” I let my voice trail off, hoping that Owen agrees. Then I point to Olivia, who’s standing at my side.
I really need to loosen her up. She needs a man as bad as I do. Maybe more so.
“And I’m not alone. My bestie is here with me. We’re using the buddy system tonight.” I wave a hand in the air. “So, no worries. It’s all good.”
He arches a dark brow and gives Olivia a thorough perusal. “Yeah, looks like I’ll be keeping an eye on both of you lightweights.” He jerks his thumb toward the party raging inside. “Get in there, ladies, before I change my mind.” As we scuttle by, he shouts, “Two drinks each, max!”
I wave a hand over my shoulder. “Sure, sure,” I agree, having no intention of following his directive
Noah is gone for the night, and I’m a free woman. I can do whatever I want.
The possibilities are endless as I glance around at the ensuing madness. Music vibrates off the walls as the bass reverberates deep in my bones. A strobe light flickers overhead. People dance with their arms raised. Laughter and chatter surround us. The mood is festive and exuberant. Red plastic cups are the standard accessory this evening because everyone has one.
I nod, satisfied with my surroundings. I haven’t seen it this crazy since the start of fall semester. I need a distraction, and this will do the job nicely. I grab Olivia’s hand and drag her to the kitchen in search of liquid refreshment.
I’ve been here a ton of times with Noah. A bunch of football players rent this house, and I know all of them.
Once we zigzag our way to the kitchen, I catch a glimpse of a freshman football player manning the keg. I push my way to the front of the line, giving him a bright smile. “Hey, Dylan, can we get two cups?”
He looks up from the glass he’s filling and flashes me a grin.
Dylan is handsome, with clear green eyes, light brown hair, and an easy smile that lights up his face. He’s a player and a shameless flirt. Every time I see him, he has his arm around a different female.
“You got it, beautiful.” He fills two plastic cups and hands them over.
“Thanks, Dylan!”
And then we’re off, navigating through the thick crowd.
I take a thirsty swig and end up draining half the glass. Olivia sips daintily from her red Solo cup as if she’s attending high tea with the Queen of England. I doubt she’ll have more than half a glass. But it’s good to see her out and loosening up.
She needs this.
And so do I.
I have to put a stop to whatever’s going on in my head regarding Carter and move on.
Chapter Eighteen
Carter
I take a long pull from my beer bottle as a brunette with purple talons runs her hands up and down my chest. She’s gorgeous and obviously interested, but she’s not doing a damn thing for me.
Nothing stirs south of the border.
I came here with the intention of finding a hookup. I need to dip my wick and evict Daisy from my head, where she’s renting space, otherwise I’m going to crack.
Know what the real kicker is?
Daisy doesn’t have a flipping clue what she does to me or how I feel about her. The girl is oblivious, thank fuck. And that’s the way it needs to stay.
I catch Owen’s eye and give him a chin lift in greeting. “What’s up, man.”
Owen’s a good guy. If I were sticking around for another season, I’d be worried about him entering the draft. He’s a difference-maker and a team player. He’ll be missed.
“Not much.” He glances around, searching for someone.
The guy might be a brick shithouse, but he gets his fair share of ass. He has two championships under his belt, and he’ll turn pro at the end of the year. The pussy turns out for a guy in that position. Everyone wants a piece of him. Even if it’s just for the night.
“Have you seen Walker’s little cousin around here?” he asks.
It’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him that Daisy isn’t Noah’s younger cousin, but that’s beside the point.
“No.” Everything in me stills as I bark, “Why?”
“She showed up about an hour ago, and I haven’t seen her since. I’m trying to do Walker a solid by keeping an eye on her.” He grimaces. “You know how protective that guy is when it comes to her.”
Well, fuck me sideways.
I had no idea that Daisy was planning to show up here tonight. Maybe I should have since it looks l
ike the entire damn university has turned out to help celebrate. It’s complete mayhem here with all the dancing, drinking, and games which involve the shedding of one’s clothing. Tonight, all bets are off.
I drag a hand over my face as a girl wearing nothing more than a skimpy bra and thong saunters past with a shot in each hand.
I don’t like the idea of Daisy flying solo. These parties tend to turn into total shitshows as the night wears on and I’d rather her not get caught up in that. Especially if Noah isn’t here to crack a few skulls together. Sure, the guys know not to mess with his cousin, but there’s more than just the team partying here tonight.
I glance around, not recognizing half these people. It’s the reason I didn’t mention it to her in the first place. My plan was to find someone to take home and forget all about Daisy Thompson.
Guess that plan has been shot to shit.
Figures.
I glance at the chick wrapped around me like a python.
As much as I want to be into her, I’m not.
Christ, I can’t catch a break where Daisy is concerned.
“Is she here alone?” I ask.
Owen shakes his head. “Nah. She showed up with a friend.” He flashes me a grin. “A real cutie.”
He must be talking about Olivia. Those two are usually glued together at the hip. Thank God for Olivia. She tends to be the voice of reason while Daisy drags her from one bad idea to the next. I don’t want to contemplate the trouble Daisy could get into if she had a more likeminded friend.
“I’ll find her,” I say. “And make sure she’s okay.”
Owen eyes the female clinging to me and scratches his jaw as a smirk settles over his features. “Nah, I’ll handle the situation. It’s all good. You seem to have your hands full. Enjoy yourself.” He lifts his chin and flashes another grin. “You earned it.”
The girl—I can’t remember what the hell her name is—chooses that moment to reach up and whisper in my ear all the inventive ways she can suck a dick.
Any other night, the last one would have caught my interest, but not tonight. Not with Daisy here, milling around and more than likely getting her ass in trouble. A hot girl on her own and a bunch of horny drunk dudes looking to celebrate a W are never a good combination.
The more I think about it, the antsier I get to unwrap this chick from around me and find Daisy. Then I’m going to hustle her out of here even if I have to throw her over my shoulder again to do it. The memory of what my hand felt like when it connected with her ass spears through me like a lightning bolt.
I’m not going to lie, smacking that firm bottom made me pop some major wood.
Yeah, I need to steer clear of Daisy’s ass from now on.
I glance at the girl molded against me. “I don’t think it’s going to happen tonight.”
She’s oblivious to the fact that I’ve lost interest. Even those creative incentives aren’t enough to reel me back in.
She thrusts out her lower lip in a pout and gives me puppy dog eyes, purring in a sexy voice, “Are you sure? I wanted to help you celebrate tonight.”
“And I appreciate that,” I say with more patience than I currently feel. “But not tonight. There’s some stuff I need to take care of.”
“Maybe later?” She twirls a few strands of hair around her finger. “I can wait around if you want.”
Sheesh. This girl is relentless. For all she knows, I’m off to fuck a different chick. But you know what? I don’t think she cares. Just like I racked up a W this afternoon on the field, she’s looking to rack up a W between the sheets.
I shake my head. “Sorry, not tonight.”
Or any other night.
Honestly, there wasn’t much interest from the get-go when she glommed on to me. I was looking for someone—anyone—to take my mind off Daisy.
Her face falls at the dismissal.
I jerk my head at the mountain of muscle next to me. “You know Owen Banks, right? Number thirty-three?”
The way her eyes light up with interest leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It shouldn’t surprise me that she was using me the same way I was using her. And it sure as hell shouldn’t piss me off, either. When did screwing a random chick at a party or taking them back to my place for a couple of hours of mindless fun stop being enough? It used to take the edge off. But that’s no longer the case.
Daisy has burrowed her way into my head, and there doesn’t seem to be a damn thing I can do about it. The more I try to dislodge her, the more tangled up in her I get.
The female who had been plastered against me gives the defensive lineman a coy look from beneath her lashes along with a little wave. “Hi, Owen.” She nips her plump bottom lip and flutters her lashes. “You were great today.”
I’m tempted to roll my eyes. He’s doing me a favor by taking this chick off my hands.
Owen grins. He doesn’t care if she’s feeding him a line. He’s used to this bullshit. He knows the score and is willing to play the game. More power to him. Once upon a time, that used to be me. I’m not sure what happened to change it.
Or maybe I do, but I’m nowhere near ready to acknowledge it.
Already, the girl I’d been considering a hookup with is sinking her purple talons into Owen’s chest. I’m almost impressed by how quickly this girl works. I’d say goodbye, but I doubt either of them would give a damn. Which is fine by me. I’ll take this as my cue to exit stage left.
As I move through the thick crowd, people pat me on the shoulder, call out a greeting, or tell me what a good game I had. A few beckon me over to join their groups, but I wave and keep moving. There’s only one thing on my mind, and that’s Daisy.
I search the first floor of the house. The longer she remains elusive, the more agitated I get. I talk with a few people, asking questions, and they tell me they saw her in this room or that one. A guy shrugs and suggests she might be upstairs.
She better fucking not be.
The idea that she might be getting jiggy with some random dude is enough to make me blow a gasket.
I’m on the verge of storming the staircase when I catch sight of her. Air rushes from my lungs as I swing in her direction. The relief flooding through me doesn’t last long because a guy is standing way too damn close to her. He strokes a lock of her hair in his fingers.
I know who this guy is. He’s a douchey frat boy.
Please. Get the fuck out of here.
I glance around.
Where the hell is Olivia? She’s supposed to be keeping an eye on Daisy. Doesn’t she know that’s her job?
But she’s nowhere to be seen.
Great.
Daisy’s eyes are focused on the douchebag frat boy. A smile hovers around the edges of her lips. And there’s a look in her eye…
I straighten to my full height.
Are you fucking kidding me?
I’m a few feet away and coming in hot when Daisy glances over, and our gazes collide.
Chapter Nineteen
Daisy
Oh my God, what is keeping Olivia?
She’s been gone for at least fifteen minutes. When she took off to use the bathroom, I should have gone with her. Instead, I’d decided to chat up this guy. He’s good-looking in a preppy sort of way. He kind of reminds me of Logan. The only problem is that he opened his mouth and it’s been downhill ever since. He won’t stop yammering about the fraternity he belongs to and how they throw the most epic parties at BU.
Yawn.
If this continues, I’m going to need a Red Bull transfusion to make it through the night.
I need to find a way to extract myself from this situation. Slowly backing away isn’t an option because he’s toying with my hair. It’s like he has me on a leash and is intent on holding me captive.
Just as I get ready to tug my hair free, I catch sight of Carter.
He’s heading this way at a brisk pace. The sea of people parts as he moves through them. He’s wearing a maroon T-shirt that stretches across his ches
t and hugs his biceps.
My mouth dries at the sight of him.
He’s frowning like he’s pissed off about something. Any attraction that had been humming through my body dissipates because he’s probably mad that I’m out partying and now feels obligated to babysit me.
Not necessary, dude.
I’m a big girl. I can handle myself. Haven’t I already proven that?
Kevin, the frat boy wearing a pale pink polo and navy shorts with little embroidered palm trees on them, has switched topics and is now yapping about the business degree he’s working on and how his uncle owns the hedge fund company he’ll be employed at after graduation. He’s so intent on talking about the six-figure salary he’ll rake in that he’s oblivious that we’re no longer alone.
Normally, I’m never happy to see Carter at a party.
But it’s a relief when he slides an arm around my body and tugs me close. The scent of his aftershave assaults me, tempting me to close my eyes and inhale a big breath of him. It takes everything I have inside to suppress the urge.
Neither of us say a word until Kevin realizes that we’re no longer alone. The Logan look-alike blinks in confusion.
“Ahhh…” he drawls.
Carter gives Frat Boy a chin lift in greeting. “Hey, what’s up?”
I’m acutely aware of how close Carter’s thumb is to the curve of my breast. The heat of his fingers sears my flesh through the shirt I’m wearing.
“Um, I was just having a conversation with…” Kevin trails off as his eyes slide to mine looking for assistance.
Yeah, I don’t think so.
If he can’t remember my name, I’m not going to jump in and save him from looking like an even bigger asshat than I originally assumed.
Not one to let a pesky detail stand in his way, Kevin clears his throat and barrels onward. “Well, anyway, if you don’t mind, we were just getting to know one another.”
Except he can’t remember my name.
Carter reaches up and tugs my hair from Kevin’s fingers. “You’re going to need to wrap that up and move it along.”
Love to Hate You Page 12
