Palm South University: Season 1 Box Set (Palm South University #1)

by Kandi Steiner

  “Yeah, well, it was.”

  Jarrett blinks. “Is that all you wanted?”

  No.

  “Obviously. You knew that when you took me in the back of your truck.” Saying the words out loud, even though we’re alone, makes me blush. And I never blush.

  Jarrett’s mouth thins out into a flat line. “Don’t act like you’re not still attracted to me. Don’t act like you don’t watch me every class. Don’t act like you don’t have the same things going through your mind that I do right now.” He steps closer to me, reaching his hand up to grasp behind my neck. My eyelids flutter at the contact but I keep my cool. “You want me. And I want you.”

  Fuck.

  Like seriously, FUCK.

  Pulling away, my eyes fall to the floor and I notice his bag is packed with a change of clothes – board shorts included. I need to kill this – whatever this is – between us, and I think I know exactly how to do it.

  “You’re my professor’s assistant,” I state firmly, though my voice sounds shaky. “The only thing I want from you is the answer key to our next test.”

  With that, I turn on my heel and push through the heavy wooden door of the classroom.

  Then, I set my plan into motion.

  MY VAGINA is trying to talk me out of my plan the entire drive to the beach.

  What is wrong with you? Fuck him, you idiot!

  But it’s not that simple. Do I want to keep hooking up with Jarrett? Obviously. The way he pulled my hair and grabbed my neck in the back of that truck has me more than curious about what he could do with an entire bed at his disposal. The sad truth is that he is my professor’s assistant. He could get fired, I could get expelled, we could both damage our reputations – both professionally and socially.

  So tonight, I’ll get my point across.

  My light cotton spaghetti strap dress sticks to my skin as I walk through the sand to the beach bar. I could blame the still-hot-even-though-it’s-October Florida air, but the truth is that I’m nervous. I don’t know if what I’m doing is even what I really want. All I know is that it has to happen.

  Jarrett’s eyes find mine as soon as I walk through the entryway. His hand that was just wiping down the left end of the bar halts and he stares. Swallowing, I walk purposefully up to him and order a beer. As soon as he slides it into my hand, I drop cash on the bar and strut over to a group of guys I recognize from school.

  Game time.

  One of the guys is Josh, Clinton’s little, and he just so happens to be the easiest guy I’ve ever known. I’m pretty sure he’d hit on a plastic bag if the wind blew it in a way that made it resemble tits. As soon as he sees me, he jumps out of his chair.

  “Oh shit! J-Love has graced us with her presence!”

  “And you’re damn lucky, too.”

  He swoops me up into a hug and I giggle, though only for show. I am not into Josh in any way, shape, or form. Josh has an amazing upper body, but he’s missed one too many leg days and his skin is constantly a burnt orange from the self-tanner he applies daily. His hair is a light brown, but I swear he dyes it. There is no way this kid isn’t a ginger. If his freckles aren’t a dead giveaway, the brownish-red beard he’s sporting right now certainly is.

  Josh’s brothers order the first round of shots and I make sure to lean into Josh more than necessary, letting his hands rest on my hips and ass. I don’t even have to look Jarrett’s way to know he’s watching. I can practically feel my skin burning.

  “Where’s Bear tonight?”

  “No idea. Probably changing his tampon.” My brows shoot up. Josh has always been very respectful to Bear. “He’s been a pussy lately. He keeps raggin’ on us for partying, saying shit about how we’re going to get us in trouble. Plus he’s been moody as hell for no damn reason. Don’t you remember him freaking out on Skyler at our party a few weeks ago?”

  “Oh yeah. That was awkward.”

  “Yeah. Whatever.” He grins with a smile too big for his face and pulls me in closer. “The real question is, what do you want to drink next?”

  Ick. Typical Josh. He always has to get a girl wasted before he can get laid, which only makes my skin crawl more at the fact that I have to use him of all guys to get Jarrett off my ass. But he’s easy, and he’s working. I saunter up to the bar pretending like I’m still giggling about something Josh said and order another round of shots.

  Jarrett fills the order silently, slamming glasses around more than necessary. After he pours the blue liquid in a straight line over the shot glasses, he snatches the cash from my hand but holds my gaze.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Paying for shots,” I deadpan. “Should I be doing something else?”

  With that, I gather up the shots and make my way back to the table, casting a glance back at Jarrett just to confirm that he’s watching my ass.

  And he so is.

  As the night progresses, Josh pushes his luck more and Jarrett watches every minute of it. I feel kind of shitty using Josh, but I need to piss Jarrett off. I need him to see that I’m not interested, he was just a one night stand, nothing more and nothing less.

  Even if it is a lie.

  The truth is, I would love nothing more than to take him in his truck again and feel his strong hands splayed on my lower back as I ride his massive cock. But he’s my teacher – or, pretty close to it – and he could get fired. For some reason, I care about him enough to not want that.

  Which is also weird.

  “You’re so damn sexy,” Josh whispers into the nape of my neck before kissing his way up to my earlobe. He bites it seductively, but I don’t feel the slightest bit turned on.

  “Can you walk me to my car?” I flirt, biting my lip. I made sure to stop after the first two shots, fake drinking my beer and refilling the guys’ drinks as necessary. I fully intend to drive my happy ass home tonight.

  Josh groans. “Gladly.”

  As we stumble toward the door, Josh cups my ass in his hands and I swat at him playfully, letting him kiss up and down my neck. When we reach the entryway, I cast one last glance at Jarrett. His dark eyes are haunting, his jaw tense beneath the skin stretched over it. His nose flares with every breath as he watches Josh push me the last bit out the door, and then he’s out of view.

  And I’m off the hook.

  I keep Josh occupied for a half hour, kissing him feverishly in the back of my BMW. When I think it’s been long enough for him to walk back into the bar and raise eyebrows, I peel him off me and open the door.

  “Thanks, Josh. See you around.”

  “Wait, what?” The look on his face almost makes me feel bad.

  Almost.

  “Yeah, not happening, Josh,” I say, crawling into the front seat. The engine purrs to life and Josh slowly crawls out of the back seat, his face still twisted in confusion.

  “What the fuck was all that?”

  I shrug. “Just having a little fun. Like I said, see you around.” I flash him a smile and then pull away, leaving him stroking his ego and maybe something else in the parking lot.

  The farther I get away from the bar, the more I feel like I can breathe. I blast Eric Church as loud as I can to drown out whatever thoughts of Jarrett are still stuck in my head, but it only helps momentarily.

  It was luck running into Josh tonight. I figured I’d have to work hard for some business suit to walk out the door with me, but I lucked into him and his brothers breaking away from the normal college bars. Jarrett saw everything, he saw that he wasn’t anything special, and now I don’t have to worry about him trying to seduce me.

  Mission accomplished.

  A HARD KNOCK on my bedroom door wakes me from my nap and I groan. “Go away.”

  “Sky? It’s me…”

  My eyes fly open at the sound of Clinton’s voice. Snatching my phone from the table, I sigh when I see I haven’t even been asleep for twenty minutes. With the news I got from my parents last week coupled with practicing for my upcoming tournament, I haven�
�t been sleeping at night. Afternoon naps are my only savior, and this one just got interrupted.

  But Clinton hasn’t talked to me since the O Chi party when he blew up on me. I’ve tried texting him, calling him, showing up at his room – but he’s avoided me every time. So, as much as I really want to hit snooze and tell him to go away again, I refrain.

  “Come in.”

  I sit up in my tiny bed and attempt to fix my disheveled hair as he peeks in. Seeing that I’m decent, he lets the door close behind him and stands awkwardly in front if it with his hands in his pockets. “Hey.”

  “Hi.”

  I don’t know what else to say. Clinton and I have never been in an argument, but I pushed him too hard at the party and he let me know that I needed to back off. It’s hard for me to do. Clinton is one of my best friends and I don’t know how to help him if he won’t tell me what’s going on.

  Of course, the past week and a half I’ve been more occupied with my own shit. Dad didn’t get the promotion he’d been promised, which means the money he and Mom spent on fixing up the house thinking he’d have the paycheck to pay it off set them back. By a lot. I have a gut feeling there’s more they aren’t telling me because they don’t want me to worry, but it just makes me even more anxious.

  I’m entered in a fairly large tournament at the casino downtown on Tuesday. If I win, I could pay off the credit card debt they racked up and finish paying off my tuition from this semester. It’s the biggest tournament I’ve played in a long time. With stakes this high, I’ve been practicing every night – and it’s definitely catching up to me.

  Clinton lets out a heavy exhale, breaking me from my thoughts. It’s then that I notice how rough he looks. His dark skin is even darker under his eyes and his shoes don’t match his hat, which is saying a lot for Clinton. “Look, Skyler. I’m sorry. I’m bad at this shit but I’m sorry I blew up on you. You didn’t deserve it, you were just trying to help and I was a dick.”

  I shrug, trying not to make a big deal about it. He hurt my feelings, but at the same time I meant what I said to the girls when I said he’d come around when he was ready. That’s the way Clinton works. “It’s all good, Bear. I’m just worried about you.”

  “I know you are.” His eyebrows knit together as he assesses my appearance. “Shit, by the looks of you maybe it’s me who should be worried.”

  I run my fingers through my tangled hair. “Yeah. Tournament this week.”

  “Yeah? Been at the casino every night getting in some practice?”

  I nod, yawning. “Exactly.”

  Clinton sits down on the bed next to me and pulls me into his big chest, his arms enveloping me in a warm hug that almost puts me back to sleep. “You stress yourself out too much with this.”

  “Well, I have a lot to lose. And a lot to gain.”

  “Family stuff again?”

  Clinton doesn’t know the whole story with my family. He gets the gist of it – I grew up piss poor and I have to work for everything I want and need – but he doesn’t know that I also have to provide for my family. Or, rather, I choose to.

  “Dad didn’t get the promotion like he thought he would. Mom said they racked up some credit card debt, but I think it might be more than that, Bear.” I lean up to look at him. “I think there’s something they’re not telling me.”

  “So you’re going to kick everyone’s ass at this tournament and then send some money home?” I nod and Clinton smiles. “’Attagirl. Are you going to Ralph’s for the annual Halloween rager?”

  “I doubt it. That’s the day after the tournament. I’ll probably sleep through it.”

  “What?” Bear jumps up, making me instantly miss his warm embrace. “Oh hell no. You need to have some fun, Sky. You’re prepared enough. Get some rest and enjoy your college experience.”

  “It’s just one party.”

  “But it’s the Halloween party,” he points out.

  I chuckle, but concede. “Well, when you put it like that.” Clinton winks and sits back down on the bed. Without even asking, I lean into him again and let my eyes close.

  “We have an intramural football game tomorrow. You should come.”

  I nod against his chest, but don’t have the energy to say anything else. He chuckles and leans us back, holding me until I succumb to sleep.

  I’VE NEVER REALLY BEEN A SPORTS PERSON, other than poker – which is still kind of tough for me to see as a sport. In high school, I was too unpopular to be involved in any sporting events and in college I only go to support the guys. I can’t name one professional team of any variety and I have no idea what the penalties mean, but I’m still geared up in green and black – Omega Chi Beta colors – with Cassie as we cheer on Clinton and his brothers against Alpha Sigma.

  “I’m glad you came out tonight, Big,” Cassie says, smiling. “I feel like you’ve been hidden away the past two weeks.”

  “I know, I’m sorry. It’s just –”

  “The tournament,” she interrupts, still smiling. “I know, I know. I’m just glad you’re finally hanging out with me.”

  I frown a little at that, but decide not to think too much about it. I’m here now. That’s what matters.

  Cassie and I jump off the bench every time O Chi scores, cheering like we should be carrying pompoms. Even though the leaves don’t really turn colors in South Florida, being outside cheering on a football game gets me in the fall spirit. When the last whistle is blown, the score is twenty-one to seven – Omega Chi Beta.

  Clinton throws me up and over his shoulder when he rushes off the field, spinning me around and cheering. I beat my tiny fists against his back to no avail and end up just giving in, celebrating with him. When he finally puts me down, the grin I’m so accustomed to seeing is plastered on his face. This is the Clinton I know, the Clinton I’ve missed.

  “Fuck yeah! You saw me sack that wimpy ass Alpha Sig, right?” Clinton holds up his hand for a high five and I slap mine against it.

  “You were awesome, Bear.”

  “Fuck yeah he was,” Josh chimes in. I fight against the urge to roll my eyes as he throws his arm around my shoulder. “You coming out to celebrate with us, Sky?”

  “She has to practice for her poker tournament,” Cassie chimes in.

  “Boo,” Josh says, but I’m thankful that he pulls his arm off me and rushes toward his brothers. Clinton gives me one last hug and then joins them.

  “Uh oh, I smell trouble,” a voice says behind us. Cassie and I turn around at the same time to see Adam.

  Shirtless.

  “Are you sure that’s trouble? Might be defeat.”

  Adam clutches his bare chest and stumbles back a bit, tossing his drenched red shirt over his shoulder. The view of his insanely cut arms and chest is definitely a nice sight. “Ouch, Skyler. Why don’t you just kick a guy while he’s down?”

  I giggle and bite my lip. Adam is cute. No, he’s hot – and seeing his dark hair mussed on top of his head right now only makes me think of the last time I saw him that way, after rolling around in my bed for half the afternoon.

  “What’d you think of the game?” he asks Cassie. She blushes and I shake my head. My Little is so damn innocent. Just talking to a boy makes her nervous. How the hell did she end up with me as a Big?

  “It was good. You were good.”

  He grins. “Does that mean you’ll give me a loser hug?”

  Cassie’s eyes bulge as she takes in his sweaty body, but he doesn’t give her a chance to run before he wraps her in his arms and spins her around. She squeals and flails her legs until he finally puts her down.

  “Thanks for the help, Big!”

  “Hey, I’m not trying to get up in that sweaty mess.”

  Adam turns his attention to me. “Oh yeah?” I take off sprinting in the opposite direction but he catches me easily and smothers me against his slick chest. I have to say, I don’t really mind it.

  “You going to Ralph’s Wednesday?” he asks, finally letting me free.
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  “I’m thinking about it.”

  “You should go.”

  “Oh yeah? Why’s that?”

  “Because I’ll be there.”

  I bite my lower lip and assess him. I can’t say for sure, but I think I just might like Adam Brooks. “Well I have a tournament tomorrow night, so I might be too tired to go.”

  “Oh yeah,” he muses. “I heard about you and your kick ass poker skills. Can I come watch?”

  “Um, absolutely not.”

  He blanches. “Why not?”

  “I don’t really mix business with… pleasure,” I say, quirking a brow on the last word. Adam smiles at me devilishly, but doesn’t press the subject. Suddenly, his eyes flick behind me and his face hardens. When I turn to see what he’s staring at, Cassie is blushing talking to one of Adam’s brothers.

  “Isn’t that your president?”

  “Yeah.”

  Adam is still focused on the scene behind me when I turn back around, his mouth flattened into a thin line. “I take it you don’t exactly care for him?”

  “That’s putting it lightly,” he scoffs. “The guy’s a dick.” He shakes his head and turns his attention back to me. “Let me come to the tournament with you.”

  “Not a chance.”

  Adam narrows his eyes. “Fine. Well, at least tell me what you’ll be dressed as at Ralph’s so I can find you. Because let’s be honest, you’ll be there. Everyone will be there.”

  I roll my eyes, but can’t really argue with him. “Are you going to dress as the other half of my costume if I tell you what it is?”

  “Maybe.”

  “Well then, I’ll either be Sandy from Grease, the black swan, or a princess. Choose your costume wisely.”

  With that, I throw him a wink and saunter back over to Cassie before linking my arm in hers and pulling her away from Adam’s president, who she informs me is named Clay. When I cast a glance back, Adam is still staring, shaking his head with his arms crossed over his chest.

  Maybe this party won’t be so bad after all.