Wanted By You

by Steph Nuss

  "Just fine?" he asked with a gleam in his eyes and a cocky smile.

  Rolling my eyes, I sighed. "You're a pain in the ass, you know that? What did you want me to say? 'Ohmigawd, Carter! I'd love to hang out with you!'" I sang in my best ditzy voice, batting my eyelashes at him and playfully latching onto one of his biceps with both hands. My hands tingled at the feel of his smooth, bulky muscles. I was mimicking most of the girls we'd passed on our way back to the dorms and I couldn't suppress my laughter.

  Finding amusement in my acting skills, a loud laugh poured out of him, sending shivers through me. He had a great, deep laugh too, which made me want to make him laugh more often just so my ears could rejoice in hearing it again. He pulled me into his side and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "I like you, Elly. You're funny."

  "Yeah, well, like I said, you're a pain," I laughed, elbowing his side as we made our way into the building and out of the heat. This friendship thing wouldn't be too bad if it meant him touching me and me getting to touch him from time to time. Before class, all I cared about was making sure I got a seat by the wall, and now all I cared about was the friendship I formed with the hottie who sat down beside me. It was an extremely pleasant way to start college.

  "Come to my room later. Number nine, third floor," he demanded seductively, completely confusing my brain and my heart. Friends didn't use seductive tones with one another.

  "Okay, friend," I humored him, trying to reiterate the fact that we were just friends.

  "See ya then," he said.

  I stared at his breathtaking backside as he walked toward the steps. God, he was one hot specimen. And he was my new friend. I shuddered at the thought of being his friend, being around him all the time, sharing classes together. I could be his friend. I would have to suppress a lot of feelings—feelings that were already terrifyingly strong and butterfly-inducing—but I could do it.

  Then he turned and caught me staring. Ohmigawd, how embarrassing!

  "Ellyson!" he shouted, wearing a sexy grin. "Stop checking me out!"

  Quick, think of something clever! "I can't help it!" I shouted back, sending him into another fit of laughter even though I was completely serious.

  That was ten different shades of pathetic, not clever!

  But he did have a great backside, along with long, amazing legs and what I guessed was a remarkably ripped, six-pack with that glorious V that sent me into a frenzy. I could daydream about his appearance all day long, but I had to stop it; friends didn't do that. Friends definitely did not daydream about one another sexually.

  Finally reaching the steps, he shot me a charismatic smile with that familiar nod of his, and without a thought, I reciprocated.

  Welcome to college, Elly. You and your heart are totally screwed.

  Chapter One

  August, present time

  Carter

  Packing and moving during the summer sucked. It was hot and humid and every inch of my body was covered in sweat, but it had to be done. I had a new job waiting for me back in New York, and after moving home after graduation, I was eager to leave Texas—and for good this time.

  I moved home to help the family business while Dad underwent numerous back surgeries and physical therapy sessions after rolling his truck in an accident a few days prior to graduation. I will never forget the day my mom called and told me I had to come home after graduation because Dad was going to need a lot of surgeries and was going to be laid up for months. I couldn't have told her no even if I wanted to. My parents didn't give choices or care about their children's happiness. They cared about themselves and what they wanted for us. They knew I didn't want to work for the family business and, while they had no way of knowing that months would turn into years, I sometimes think my mom hoped that once I was there I'd just stay. The last thing I wanted to do was move back home, away from the woman who had changed my life and didn’t even know it. But that's exactly what I did because I was the Jennings son and the only person Dad would trust to run his company when he couldn't. I spent the last five years as interim CEO of Jennings Oil Operations, but now with Dad all healed, I was more than ready to get out of the position because I had a better offer waiting at NYU.

  I'd finished my doctorate degree in English while caring for the business and teaching online classes as a grad assistant through my alma mater. Just a few days ago, I received a call from the dean asking if I wanted an on-campus position since one of the professors in the English department had recently passed away. The job was my ticket out of Texas and back to the city I fell in love with during college.

  So, I spent the last two days packing everything I owned. I wasn't about to leave an ounce of my soul here in the lone star state. By the time I had the last box loaded into the U-Haul, my younger sister was ready to go. Bayler had offered to take turns driving to New York if I paid for her flight back to Dallas.

  "Come on, Carter!" she called, hanging out the window. "We're losing precious daylight."

  "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm coming! Just hold your horses," I said.

  I pulled down the truck door and locked it, double-checking to make sure it wouldn't come undone on the drive. I prayed that Bayler wanted to drive the first part of the trip, because God knows how much road rage she'd have by the time we hit the heavier traffic of the East. If we made it to New York without a scratch on the truck, I'd be thankful.

  "You're really leaving your Range Rover here?" she asked, as I hopped into the passenger seat. She was referring to the brand new SUV I'd bought a few months ago. New York City didn't warrant a lot of driving, so the Rover was the only thing I was keeping at my parents' place.

  "Yes, and, no, you are not allowed to drive it," I said, shooting a glare in her direction as she smirked and rolled her green eyes at me. "Seriously, you're not. I don't even know why I agreed to let you drive with me to New York."

  "Because I'm not that bad of a driver and you can't drive twenty-four hours by yourself," she commented, trying to find a radio station she liked. "And we have to get you there ASAP, so quit your bitchin'."

  She was right. I needed to get there as soon as possible. Classes had already started for the semester and I had a ton of work to do before Monday. It was Wednesday evening and the dean had a meeting scheduled for Friday night that all the professors were required to attend. I had the weekend to get moved in and settled before my life turned into putting lectures together and grading papers.

  As Bayler pulled out of the driveway, I attempted to nap before it became my turn to drive. I shut my eyes and began picturing New York as I'd seen it last.

  I finished loading the last box from my apartment and Elly was leaning against the U-Haul.

  "It's gonna be weird not seeing you every day," she said, staring up at me with those beautiful brown eyes.

  "I know."

  "Are you sure you don't want me to come with you?" she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

  No. I wanted her to come with me. I wanted her to be more than just my friend. But I couldn't do that to her. Her life. Her family. Her friends. The career she'd always dreamed of. Everything for her was here in New York. I couldn't tell her how I really felt and then ask her to come with me and leave it all behind. That wasn't fair to her.

  So I smiled and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear and reassured her. "Yeah, I'm sure. Once my dad is all healed up, I'll be back. I promise. Plus, you can't pass up that summer internship at the psych clinic."

  "I know," she sighed, pushing off the side of the truck. She wrapped her arms around my waist and laid her head on my shoulder. "I'm gonna miss you."

  I soaked in the feel of her as long as I could before I sighed. "I'm going to miss you, too," I said, placing a light kiss on her forehead. All I really wanted to do was haul her up against the truck and kiss her like she'd never been kissed before. I leaned back and smiled down at her. "I'll be back before you even realize I'm gone."

  "Oh, whatever!" she laughed, pushing away from me.
/>   I hopped into the cab of the truck and leaned out the window. "I'll see you later, Ellyson Evans."

  She quickly wiped away tears and smiled. "Goodbye, Carter Jennings."

  I put the truck in drive and pulled away from the curb as I hung my arm out the window and waved back at her until I could no longer see her waving back at me in the rearview mirror.

  She was the reason I'd turned down all the women my mom threw at me over the years and all the dates Bayler set up for me. I wasn't interested in any of them. None of them ever made me feel the way she had on our first day of college.

  Pulling onto the freeway, Bayler turned the music up louder as I stared out the window. I wouldn't be able to sleep. I hadn't slept well since moving back home. The sleepless nights and the fact that I didn't want a life in Texas were just two more reasons to take the new teaching job. I wouldn't sleep well again until I saw her. I had no idea what she was up to now. We tried keeping in touch throughout the years, but life got in the way for both of us. I was teaching and taking classes on top of managing Jennings Operations and, last I knew, she was still pursuing her dream of becoming a psychologist. But there was a huge part of me that feared Elly had a new life now, a life with her dream job and maybe even a boyfriend—or, even worse, a husband. Thoughts of what her life was like and who was in it now were what kept me awake at night, but just thinking about her was better than any sort of REM cycle the human body required.

  * * *

  When Friday afternoon rolled around, Bayler and I were finally able to return the U-Haul. We unloaded every box and piece of furniture the minute we got to my apartment on Thursday evening, since the weather was more bearable at night. Running on little to no sleep, we spent most of the morning and into the afternoon arranging furniture and unpacking necessities. By the time I was ready to leave for my meeting, Bayler was fast asleep on my couch, covered in packing peanuts, and exhausted from the trip and the workout unpacking offered. I immediately wished I could crash for a little while but knew better. This meeting was mandatory. So, I left a note letting her know where I'd be and left my credit card for her to book a flight home.

  A thirty-minute cab ride later and I was walking into building 194M, the first building I’d ever set foot in on campus. In the nine years since wandering around this campus on my own, a nostalgic feeling washed through me as I realized I still knew my way around the place because nothing had changed. This felt more like home than Dallas ever had.

  Walking into room 104, where I first met Elly, I took in the lecture hall filled with a diverse staff and grabbed an open seat next to a guy who looked to be around my age but seemed completely out of place. He had shaggy hair that hung down to his shoulders and his build was much leaner than mine, but I'd spent the last few years doing nothing but working, studying, teaching, and building more muscle. I guessed he was around my height, judging by how cramped he was sitting in the little desk. He wore khaki cargo shorts, a plain white tee, and brown sandals. He looked out of place among the rest of us male professors in our dress shirts and ties.

  As we waited for the dean to arrive, the guy introduced himself. "Hey, I thought I was the youngest person in the bunch. I'm Justin Jameson. I teach Psych."

  I glanced around the room again, really taking in everybody this time, and he was right. We were the youngest people in the room. Shaking his hand, I introduced myself. "Carter Jennings, English professor. I'm taking over the open spot in the English department."

  "Yeah, Professor Collins was a little odd. Have you ever seen the movie Spaceballs? He reminded me of Barf. He was pretty much a walking heart attack waiting to happen, and he whimpered whenever you wouldn't share food with him. Then, he actually had a heart attack."

  "Great movie," I said, nodding with his explanation. "Not so great about Collins though."

  "Mel Brooks is a movie genius."

  Finally, a co-worker who had similar interests to mine.

  An hour later, after the dean finished going over the codes of conduct and the school's handbook, we were all dismissed. However, when you're dismissed at a staff meeting, the code of conduct consisted of hanging around afterward until someone was brave enough to leave first. As Justin and I talked more about movies and sports, a tall, elderly lady with dark gray hair walked over to us.

  "Are you Carter Jennings?" she asked, raising her brows at me in question.

  I nodded and shook her extended hand. "Yes, that's me."

  "My name is Mary Willard. I'm the head of the English Department," she said, smiling pleasantly at both us. "It's a pleasure to meet you. I look forward to working with you further throughout the semester. I wanted to let you know that everything you need for your classes should be in your office, room 405 in the Silver Center."

  "It's nice to meet you too, Mary," I said, smiling back at her. "I look forward to a great semester, and I'll be sure to check out my office before I leave here tonight."

  "Excellent," she cheered, clasping her hands together. "If you have any questions, let me know. Have a good evening, gentlemen."

  Justin and I waved goodbye to Mary as others around us began to filter out of the room. This room held a special place in my heart. I glanced up at row ten and zeroed in on the seat I used to occupy. Memories flashed before my eyes as I pictured a younger version of myself flirting for the attention of a beautiful redhead. I'd take seeing a ghost of her on campus over not seeing her at all.

  Justin cleared his throat, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Hey, you wanna go see your office? It's only a few doors down from mine."

  "Yeah, let's go," I replied, leaving old, familiar memories behind as I followed him out the door.

  * * *

  Justin grabbed a few things he needed from his own office as I took in mine. It was a pretty good size, and lined with empty bookshelves, but it reeked of moth balls. In the center sat a dark brown L-shaped oak desk. It showed a little wear and tear from years of use, but not as much as the maroon cushioned chairs across from the desk and the black chair behind it, which definitely needed to be replaced. I shook my head in annoyance as I realized I'd have to redo my office on top of writing my lectures. I made a mental note to install a mini-bar.

  Sitting down at the desk, I opened the folder Mary told me about earlier. It contained my course schedules and rosters. I thumbed through all the pages to see where on campus I'd have to teach. Room 104, building 194M. Perfect.

  The thought of having to teach in that room every weekday excited me. It felt like my first day of college all over again: the excitement, the hype of having class with her. I'd have to figure out some tactics to use so that memories of her stayed away while I lectured, otherwise whoever sat in her old desk would think I was constantly staring at them, which would be more than a little awkward.

  "Is everything okay?"

  I looked up and found Justin standing in my doorway. Suspicion creased his brows as he looked back at me. There was no way I was telling him about her. He probably wouldn't get it, or he'd just tell me to get over her, which wasn't even an option. In the past five years, I tried not to think about her every day, tried not to envision her whenever another woman flirted with me. But there was no getting over Elly.

  "Yeah, I'm fine," I finally replied, pushing away from my desk and peering around the room. "The office just needs a ton of work."

  "Yeah, and an air freshener."

  * * *

  Saturday flew by in an exhausted blur of unpacking and ordering items for my office. With my lectures for the coming week planned and my clothes unpacked and put away, Sunday was turning out to be much more relaxing. It was noon and I was taking another break from unpacking as I lounged on the couch to watch some TV. I clicked through the channels, silently thanking Bayler for getting the cable and internet hooked up for me before she left. When I landed on Bull Durham starting on TBS, I settled in for one of my favorite sports movies of all time. With Susan Sarandon preaching about the church of baseball, I grabbed my laptop and deci
ded to check my email.

  When I pulled up my browser, Google taunted me, daring me to type in Elly's name just to see if she was still in the city. I wished I had stayed in touch with her.

  Just as I was getting ready to type in her name, fate intervened in the form of my cell phone ringing.

  It was Justin.

  "Hello."

  "Hey, man. What are you doing?"

  I cleared my throat and closed my laptop. You're not stalking her. "Just taking a break from unpacking and watching Bull Durham. What's up?"

  "I was gonna see if you wanted to shoot some hoops today at the gym I go to. It's called Jones Jym; gym is spelled with a J. We're given monthly passes we can use for guests. I figured since you just moved here, you probably didn't have a gym membership yet."

  The gym I went to back in college was closed now, but this Jones Jym didn't sound familiar. It must've been built since my move, but it made me wonder if Elly still worked out as much as she used to during college. I hadn't worked out since my new job offer, and I'd need to run and lift daily if I wanted to stay sane living in the same city as Elly. Not knowing what she was up to was driving me fucking crazy. Now that I was back in New York I couldn't even fathom the idea of her being with someone else. Negative thinking wouldn't get me any closer to finding her, and I needed to find her. I needed her in my life.

  "Sure. What time do you wanna meet?"

  "I'll meet you there around two. I'll text you the address."

  "Sounds good."

  Chapter Two

  Ellyson

  It was noon on Sunday and I was preparing for the impending workweek by doing laundry and selecting my outfits. Since graduating, I widened my fashion sense. My career as a clinical psychologist necessitated that I dress professionally and that meant wearing dresses and learning how to walk in a variety of heels. It was a lifestyle I never lived while growing up with a widowed, sports-commentating dad, but with the help of my friends, Paige and Tessa, I was kept dressed to impress. Unfortunately, I had to delicately wash a lot of my nice clothing, so Sunday had turned into laundry day, a fact that I despised.