Players of Marycliff University Box Set, Books 1–3

by Jerica MacMillan

  “He says he likes this place.” Abby crossed her arms over her chest, trying not to sound as defensive as she felt. “It’s cozy.”

  Megan looked around. “Cozy. Yup.” She leveled her gaze back on Abby. “You realize that means tiny, right?”

  With her own glance around, Abby conceded the point. “Fine. It’s tiny. But the clubhouse is nice and has a good workout room, which is important to Lance, and it’s just the two of us. We don’t need a lot of space.” She waved the topic away with her hand. “And that’s all beside the point. We’re talking about you moving in with two guys.”

  Megan laughed again. “I’ll be fine, Abby. I like Chris and Matt. They’re good guys. I’ll be able to go to parties with them when they’re not gone with the team, and we can even host parties at our house. I already know them, so I won’t have to break in some random stranger as a roommate, and they already let me boss them around.” She clapped her hands together with glee. “It’s going to be a blast. You’ll see.”

  “Alright.” Abby wasn’t quite as convinced, guilt still niggling at her for abandoning Megan as fast as she had. But if Megan said she was fine with it … “If you say so.”

  With a laugh at the doubt Abby knew she was projecting, Megan gave Abby a quick hug. “I do. I grew up with two older brothers. It’s not like I’ve never lived with guys before.”

  “Yeah, but Chris and Matt aren’t your brothers.”

  “I know.” She shrugged. “But I feel safe with them. It’s going to be fine.” Megan pulled her keys out of her pocket. “We should head over to the house so we can meet the guys. You ready?”

  Abby drained the last of her water. “Yeah. Let’s go.” She followed Megan out of the apartment, casting one last look around before she left. She was starting to imagine how she wanted to decorate it and what things they still needed to buy to complete their first home.

  It was definitely not what she expected from her summer fling—falling for and then moving in with Lance. Not that she’d admit it to Megan, but she was glad that her friend had dragged her to the party back in June. Otherwise she’d never have met Lance, and she wouldn’t feel as happy or be as loved as she was now.

  She locked the door and pulled it closed behind her, smiling to herself, looking forward to a future of living with and loving Lance.

  * * *

  CLOSE QUARTERS

  CHAPTER ONE

  Moving was a bitch.

  Exhausted at only three in the afternoon, Megan collapsed on her bed with a groan, throwing one arm over her eyes. Sweet relief. Kicking off her shoes, she curled up and let out a deep sigh. At least she’d had three built football players—or former football players in Lance’s case—to help move her stuff. She’d been up since seven, and the guys had shown up at eight to move her and Abby out of their shared apartment. Abby into the new apartment with Lance, and Megan to take over the spot in Lance’s old house.

  Megan still reeled with how quickly things had happened once Abby and Lance had decided to move in together. They found an available apartment a couple of days after Lance came back from Texas and got the keys less than a week later. Matt, one of Lance's roommates, had suggested that Megan take Lance's room. With no time to interview potential roommates, she’d agreed. She already knew Matt and Chris and liked them, plus, they had an actual three-bedroom house. Even if it was farther away from campus than her old apartment, the allure of a house, the savings of splitting rent and utilities three ways, and the convenience of having a room already available outweighed the minor downside of having to drive to school.

  Living with two guys—hot and in-demand football players no less—would make the coming year very interesting. Megan smiled to herself, thinking of the fun they could have. She’d already partied with the two of them over the summer, and they’d planned Lance’s going-away party here. This was an awesome party house. They should have fun together at the very least.

  But throwing a party might have to wait for a while. The guys had already started football practice, for one thing, and their schedules were packed. Hers wouldn’t be much more relaxed between classes, homework, and her job at the tutoring center. She’d need to stop by on Monday to rearrange her work schedule now that she lived farther from campus. She had set up her class and work schedule so she had a break in the middle of the day for lunch and a nap at home, but she was too far now to make the trip home worthwhile, so she’d work during that break and come home earlier in the evenings.

  And because Abby had felt guilty for abandoning Megan as soon as Lance returned from Texas, Megan had gotten Abby's comforter out of the deal. Right before they'd taken the last load to Abby’s new place, Abby had handed her the comforter. “Here,” she’d said. “Take it. I know how much you love this thing, so it’s yours. It’s the least I can do since I’m forcing you to live with Chris and Matt.”

  “Thanks,” Megan had said, working hard to keep the sarcasm from her voice. “And it has nothing to do with the fact that you won’t be able to use your twin comforter in your queen-sized bed, right?”

  Abby had widened her eyes in feigned innocence. “Whaaa? I can’t?” And they’d both cracked up, Megan taking the comforter and giving Abby a hug.

  Rolling over, Megan snuggled into the comforter and smiled at the memory, still too hot to climb under the covers. This was the best comforter she’d ever come across—snuggly and cozy and way better than the quilts she'd used before.

  A knock on her open door had her lifting her head and looking over her shoulder. Chris stood in the doorway, letting his hands hang from the top of the doorframe by his fingertips. His stance caused his T-shirt to raise a little, a strip of tanned skin on display above the waistband of shorts that hung off his hips just right.

  A frisson of arousal skittered down Megan's spine as her eyes wandered up Chris's form. She resisted the urge to lick her lips. They were roommates now, so she needed to tamp down the attraction that had started over the summer. Even though he’d flirted with her, he hadn’t made a move. And giving in to their mutual attraction now would be a sure fire way to mess up their living arrangements. She wasn’t about to risk that, especially not the day she moved in. “What's up?”

  Chris's hazel eyes traveled the length of her sprawled body, making her wonder if he might be interested after all. It doesn’t matter, she reminded herself firmly. Roommates before, uh … fuck buddies.

  Finishing his perusal, his eyes came to rest on her face, his Adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed, and his tongue running along his lower lip. “Hmm?”

  She raised her eyebrows and rolled over so she could sit up. That was an interesting reaction from him. Should she encourage it? No. No, she shouldn’t. “Did you need something?” She kept her voice neutral but friendly.

  “What? Oh, yeah.” Chris dropped his arms and leaned against the doorjamb. “One of our teammates is having a pool party at his parents’ house tonight. Matt and I are both going. Wanna come?”

  “It's not just for the team?” A football party? A pool party, no less. Half naked football players everywhere … yes, please.

  Chris lifted one shoulder. “The team and invited guests.”

  “Sure,” she responded flippantly. “You know I'm always up for a party.” She shot him a cheeky grin.

  He smiled back. “Great. We'll take my car since we won't all fit in Matt's truck. You hungry? We can order pizza or hit a drive-thru before we head to Bryant’s.”

  Megan's stomach let out an audible growl. She laughed. Perfect timing. “Uh, yeah. I could eat. Pizza's fine or grabbing something on the way. Whatever you guys want to do. I'm easy.”

  Chris's smile grew wider, and a mischievous glint entered his eyes. “You are, huh? That's good to know.”

  Megan got off the bed. “Yup. I'm easy when it comes to food.” Walking over to Chris, she patted his chest, stretching up on tiptoe so she could bring her mouth close to his ear, just to mess with him a little. She’d already decided she couldn’t purs
ue anything here. Don’t shit where you eat, and all that. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t have some fun.

  He leaned his head down in response, one corner of his mouth curled up, his breath coming faster.

  “Just food,” she whispered in his ear. She went back on flat feet and pushed at his chest. “If we're going to a party, I want to shower first. I'm all sticky and sweaty from moving.”

  Chris's eyes darkened, and his Adam's apple bobbed again. “Right. I'll leave you to it then. Come out when you're done, and we'll figure out food.” He straightened and stepped back out into the living room.

  Closing the door behind him, Megan paused a moment before heading for the shower, a smile pulling at her lips over their exchange.

  Maybe she shouldn’t mess with him like that and get him all wound up—she hadn’t missed the way his breath hitched or the growing bulge in his shorts when she sashayed closer to him and whispered in his ear.

  Flirtation when they lived apart was one thing. But as housemates? It could spell disaster. She would have to be careful. When she'd decided to move in, she hadn't thought it would be a big deal to live with the two football players. They were attractive, sure, but Matt reminded her of her older brothers. And her flirtation with Chris hadn't seemed like anything to worry about. He flirted with everyone, and she'd seen how they treated Abby, whistling at her and doing everything they could to make her blush or make Lance act jealous. She’d figured his flirting was just an extension of that.

  But the way Chris looked at her just now made her wonder if it wasn't more than that after all.

  * * *

  Megan threw on a T-shirt and cut-off denim shorts over her favorite two-piece bathing suit. She figured the red halter top with little white polka dots in a vintage pin-up style would be perfect. It was cute and sexy, but wouldn’t have a wardrobe malfunction in a pool full of guys. She stuffed a change of clothes, a towel, and an extra pair of sandals in a bag and was ready to go.

  Matt looked up from his place on the couch when she opened the door and smiled at her, blue eyes twinkling. “Roomie!” Megan laughed and stepped closer to the couch. He took in her outfit and backpack. “Ready for the party?”

  Megan nodded. “Thanks for letting me tag along.”

  Matt stood. “Of course. What kind of roommates would we be if we abandoned you on your first night with us?” Megan couldn't help but admire the fit of his board shorts and the T-shirt that skimmed over his well-defined torso. He looked like a surfer with his longish, messy blond hair, Hawaiian print board shorts, and the tribal tattoo peeking out from under his shirt sleeve. He might act like he was her older brother, but that didn't mean she couldn't notice how attractive he was.

  “You guys ready?” Chris's voice came from behind her. Megan turned around in time to see him pull on a T-shirt, hiding what looked very much like a six-pack. He wore a pair of blue board shorts with the Captain America shield on the left side. When Megan dragged her eyes back to his face, Chris gave her a knowing smirk. She rolled her eyes, covering her embarrassment at being caught checking him out with a show of disdain. His grin only grew wider.

  Matt stood watching their interplay, his eyes bouncing back and forth between them. When Megan turned to face him, he raised an eyebrow at her.

  “What?”

  He chuckled, shaking his head. “Nothing. Let's go.”

  Turning, he headed for the front door, and Megan followed behind him. “My keys!” she exclaimed, pivoting to head back to her room and grab them. But she was stopped by a wall of muscle—Chris’s chest. With her nose against his sternum, the spicy scent of his cologne filled her senses, and she fought back the urge to breathe deeper. “Sorry,” she muttered.

  He smiled, and Megan's eyes locked on his lips. They looked soft and kissable. Before she could dwell on that thought, his hands went to her shoulders, spinning her back around and ushering her through the door. “We're all going together. Matt and I both have keys. I promise we won't lock you out.”

  His hands on her body affected her more than she liked to admit—especially in the face of her recent decision. So she opted to cover her attraction and embarrassment with arrogance again. “Right. You better not, or you'll be sorry.”

  Matt and Chris both laughed. Matt held the passenger door open for her to Chris's Chevy Impala. She moved some napkins and a couple of protein bar wrappers off the seat before climbing in.

  Matt took the trash out of her hand and rolled his eyes. “Dude, clean out your car,” he called to Chris before climbing in the back seat.

  Chris just shrugged. “Oops.”

  It took about twenty minutes to get to the house on the south side of town after stopping at a drive-thru to get some dinner on the way there. Megan passed most of the ride in silence, watching out the window, listening to Chris and Matt talk about the upcoming football season and what the fall semester was going to look like.

  When they arrived at the party, shirtless football players crowded the space, moving around in a kaleidoscope of mesmerizing colors. The full range of human skin tones were laid out before her like a feast for the eyes, from milky white on the guys with farmer's tans, various shades of golden brown and bronze, a few people with sunburns, and several examples of darker browns.

  Megan had always been fascinated by the wide range of different skin tones, thinking how she would blend her oils or pastels to bring out the highlights and shadows on a particular person. The models for her figure drawing classes were almost always white girls. She considered it a treat when she got to see different shades and try to paint them. Maybe that should be her project for this semester's art class—a study of different skin tones in the same set of poses. Her excitement built as she thought about it more. Matt and Chris might even be able to help her convince some of their teammates to pose for her. A range of hot, shirtless football players posing for her wouldn't be a bad project for this semester from any angle she could see.

  “Enjoying the view?” Chris's low voice rumbled in her ear and caught her off guard. She whipped her head around, her gaze colliding with his. His brows were pulled down in a scowl. Was he angry? Why?

  Her own brows drawing together in confusion, she reconsidered trying to get his help. She looked past him to see Matt watching them, his face bland.

  Moving her attention back to Chris, she cleared her throat. “What are you talking about?”

  One corner of his mouth turned up, but it wasn't a nice smile. “You're staring, Megan. Are you going to start drooling next?”

  Now Megan scowled, compressing her lips and lowering her brows to match his. Not wanting to explain her real thoughts, she went with a secondary truth. “I was just seeing if I knew anyone. You're not the only football players I've ever met, you know.”

  Chris didn't say anything, his gaze still dark, and Megan took a step back to put a little more space between them. Matt angled himself between them, one hand going behind her to guide her away from their angry roommate. “Come on. I'll show you where we're stashing our stuff and give you a tour before we get in the pool. There'll be food later, but we usually start off in the water.” He cast an unreadable look back at Chris as he ushered her inside.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Chris stood off to one side of the pool deck, drinking a beer and watching the crowd mill around. It was a cheap brand, but that was what you got at a big party. No keg today, just a bunch of cans in coolers full of ice. You don't want glass around the pool, after all.

  “Watkins!”

  Chris turned his head at the sound of his last name and lifted his chin in greeting to Sullivan, one of his teammates. “Hey.”

  Sullivan made his way through the crowd, a couple of bikini-clad girls close behind him. “Have you met Brianna and Sarah?” He wrapped his arm around the blonde named Sarah, while Brianna, the redhead, stood off to one side. Both girls had drinks in their hands and smiled at him over the tops of their cups. Brianna's eyes roamed over Chris’s naked torso with appreciati
on, and he couldn't help looking her over in return. Her bright bikini top almost couldn’t contain her large breasts. The bottoms tied on the sides, meaning it was designed for easy removal.

  He nodded at the girls. “I’m Chris.” Brianna smiled and stepped closer to him while Sullivan started talking about something. Chris inadvertently tuned him out, though, distracted by the sight of Megan walking out of the house with Matt. Matt had his arm around her shoulders, and they were laughing together. Chris's mouth went dry when she turned in his direction and he got his first view of her in a bikini.

  Chris interrupted whatever conversation was going on around him, needing to get to Megan right away. “I’ll catch you guys later. I gotta go do something.”

  He stepped past Sullivan and the girls, on a course to intercept Megan and Matt, not even bothering to try to play it cool by meandering around the party to get to them. Jealousy bubbled up inside him at the easy way Matt and Megan got along, and he forced himself to suppress the growl trying to come out at Matt’s arm around her. He knew he was being ridiculous. He had no claim on Megan. He shouldn't feel jealous, but there it was.

  The laughter died on Megan's face when she saw him approach, which pissed him off even more. She could laugh and joke with Matt, but not with him? Just a few weeks ago, they’d flirted endlessly before she got distracted by some other guy at a party. He’d covered his displeasure by pounding some shots and finding another willing chick to fuck in the bathroom. It was one thing to lose out on her to some random dude at a party, though, and another thing entirely to watch his friend and roommate with his hands all over her.

  Matt eyed him the same way he had been since they were getting ready to go, and, smart man that he was, let his arm slide off Megan's shoulders. “Hey, Chris. What's up?”

  “Nothin’.” He cleared his throat to get rid of the growl in his voice. “You guys get drinks?”