My 5 Bosses

by Penny Wylder

  “There’s a lot you don’t know about me yet, Cassidy,” he replies smoothly, winking as he pulls a notebook from his bag, then assumes a jaunty lean in his seat, eyes on the board.

  Even with his gaze directed elsewhere though, it still somehow feels like he’s staring at me. The space between us feels almost physical with weight.

  As I figured, it’s difficult to focus on the professor, when all I can concentrate on is the feeling of him beside me. Wondering what he’s thinking. Why he’s taking this class, too. Is he also planning to be a Bio major, or is he just filling a science requirement? What does he want to do with his life, besides playing lacrosse?

  There’s a break in the lecture as the professor tries to make his slideshow keep advancing, and Vin scribbles something on the corner of his notebook. Slides it sideways so I can see, and I have to stifle a laugh when I read it.

  Might be a Bio pro, but he’s no techie, huh?

  Vin offers me his pen, and with a reluctant glance at the professor—still lost in his laptop—I accept it and lean over his notebook.

  Got to admit, I expected a little more from this class than just a PowerPoint presentation.

  Don’t worry, he writes back, his letters long and looping. Prof. PowerPoint here is just the main lecture. The bio labs themselves are supposed to be pretty epic, and we have a better prof who runs those. So I’ve heard.

  I cast another long sideways glance at Vin, again reappraising everything I thought I knew about him. If I had to guess, I’d have taken him for your standard jock, here on an athletic scholarship, willing to blow off classes, not actually interested in learning much aside from how to win at his chosen sport.

  Clearly, I was way off the mark.

  Something about the way I’m staring at him must tip him off that I’m surprised, because Vin leans across the desk between us to whisper in my ear, his breath hot against my cheek.

  “What’s the matter, surprised that a jock actually gives a damn about class?”

  He’s so close to the mark that my cheeks, bright red, answer enough for him. But I lean back over to whisper a reply all the same. “It’s a pleasant surprise, don’t worry. I’ll stop pre-judging you now, promise.”

  Now it’s his turn to smile in surprise, eyes widening. “I knew I’d grow on you,” he replies, smirking. “It’s inevitable. Side-effect of the jock super-powers.”

  I punch his arm lightly, but he catches my hand and squeezes my fist once, fingers curled around mine for a breath of a second, before he lets go and turns to face the front of the classroom.

  The professor is talking again. Crap. I didn’t even notice.

  “You should take your classes more seriously, Cass,” Vin joke-scolds me, even as he plucks his pen from my fingers and goes back to taking diligent notes.

  For my part, it takes me a few breaths to recover before I can hold the pen again without shivering, a telltale sign of just how much he affects me.

  Dammit. This is exactly what I’d been hoping to avoid.

  And yet, Vin is so much more than I pegged him for when we first met. He’s quietly serious, watching the professor with a steadfast gaze that’s almost as distracting as the warmth radiating off his skin or the faint whiff of his cologne that I keep catching when I turn my head to steal glances at him.

  Toward the end of the lecture, our professor takes a break to fiddle with the PowerPoint again, and the class fills with chatter. I steal a sideways glance at Vin, feeling bad for pre-judging him. “Are you interested in this as a major?” I ask, genuinely curious.

  “I’m considering it,” he says, leaning toward me easily, so fluid in his movements. “I want to study sports medicine. Too many people get injured playing sports; if I can help people avoid that, keep them on the path to their dreams…” His eyes catch mine, and my breath hitches in my chest. “I think that sounds like a pretty good career choice.”

  “It does,” I admit, my cheeks flaring red from his attention. “I was thinking about going into medicine too. Not like, directly, but research in the lab. Working on developing new medications. Discovering cures.”

  “You want to heal people too,” he guesses.

  I nod, unable to tear my eyes from his.

  “That sounds like a pretty good choice too, Cassidy,” he replies, and the sound of my name on his lips is hotter than I can explain.

  Just then, the bell rings, and we both startle. A ping of regret sinks in my chest—I wish we had longer to linger here, stealing glances at each other, talking about our future dreams…

  Then again, you’ll see him in no time at all, I remind myself, and then I’m blushing all over again at the thought of sharing a room with this sexy as hell guy—a guy with more depth than I imagined—all semester.

  As I stuff my books into my backpack, pulling out my schedule and heading out the door, preparing to navigate to my next class, Vin rests a hand on my shoulder. I glance up at him, flushed again for no reason other than that his dark eyes are boring into mine, and he’s got that damn smirk on again. The one I can never resist.

  “We should grab a drink sometime,” he says, grinning. “We can talk bio and career plans.” His smirk deepens. “If you need to borrow my notes, I don’t mind sharing.”

  Dammit. Did he notice me staring at him for half of class? If I was blushing before, I’m a red-hot beacon now. But somewhere in the back of my mind, my brain is replaying the advice Nita gave me before I left home. Guys like it when you play hard to get. Be a little coyer. “Drinks would be nice…” I say, slowly, dragging it out. Then I let myself smile a little, imitating his grin. “But wouldn’t Anthony be jealous?”

  To my surprise, Vin only laughs at that. “Of course not. He’d be coming along.”

  I feel my smile drop away as I think about that. Crap. Did I just imagine him asking me out? Maybe he just meant friendly roommate drinks after all. Get ahold of yourself, Cassidy. “Oh…” I say, still trying to figure out what to think. That’s when I cast a sideways glance up the hallway and realize everyone else from our class has already filed past. We’re alone in here, the lights in the classroom flicking off behind us. It’s dark, secluded… And Vin seems to realize it at the same moment I do. He leans in, one hand resting on the wall behind me, towering over me. I try to take a step back, hit the wall, and find myself resting against the cool tile, gazing up at him. His eyes make it impossible to look away. I definitely did not imagine him hitting on me. He looks positively hungry, the way he’s eying me now.

  “We told you, Anthony and I have known each other since we were kids,” he murmurs, and the line of confusion between my eyebrows deepens as I wonder what on earth that means. Why he’s leaning over me all sexily, smelling fucking amazing, gazing at me like he wants to devour me, and talking about his childhood best friend. He seems to enjoy my confusion, smiling wider. More dangerously. “We never fight. We always share, everything.” He tilts his head closer to mine, his lips just inches away. So close that I can feel his breath ghosting across my lips when he adds, “That includes women.”

  Before I can help it, the image flashes in my mind. All three of us in our dorm room. Anthony and Vin both naked, me caught between them, light and dark, the all-American hunk and the smirking bad boy. What would it feel like to kiss both of them? To let Vin’s lips find mine now, taste me, and then Anthony’s next, softer, lighter, but every bit as hot…

  I picture their hands on me, their naked bodies pressed against mine, hard cocks pinning me between them, and I can’t hide the hitch in my breath, the flush in my cheeks.

  “I…” Snap out of it, Cassidy. Remember what you came here for. I shake my head and push away from the wall, breathing fast. “I can’t. I’d never—I couldn’t…” It’s hard to get words out with him still watching me the way he is.

  Vin laughs softly, a low, dangerous sound. And that smile never leaves his perfectly curved lips. “You have no clue what you would do in the heat of the moment, Cassidy.”

 
; Before I can reply, before I can deny it, he’s gone, vanishing up the dark hallway and leaving me alone, heart racing, in the empty space.

  As I watch him round the corner, I realize, deep down, in a place that scares me to even admit it: he’s right. I don’t know what I would do, given the chance.

  That scares me more than anything else that’s happened today.

  Three

  By the time the bell rings for the end of my last class of the day, I can’t take this anymore. I’ve been texting Nita on and off, hinting at something going on. But text isn’t enough. I need to talk to her face-to-face, at least as much as that’s possible to do over a computer. I need her to talk me down, to tell me I’m being crazy, and not to lose my head over a boy on day one of college.

  Well. Not a boy. Two boys.

  Even worse.

  So when I shoulder my way into the dorm room, I’m more than a little annoyed when I find it already occupied. Anthony is sprawled across the top bunk, half naked of course, and reading a book I can’t see from this angle. I freeze for a moment, flashing back to last night, watching him jerk off. I’m able to picture that dim scene all the better now that he’s lying in the same spot, and still with his bare chest on full display. Fucking hell, those abs…

  I drop my bag on my bed, debating leaving and heading down the hall to try and find a quiet spot where I can call Nita. That’s when he seems to realize I’m there, and looks up from the book, laying the paperback down on his chest to smile at me.

  “We have to stop meeting like this,” he says, with a pointed glance down at his naked chest. “I mean… Or not.” With that, he swings his legs over the bunk and jumps down, even though it’s the top bunk. He lands gracefully, already reaching up to put the book away. But not before I catch a glimpse of the cover, and feel my mouth drop even further.

  I recognize the book. It’s one of my favorites, in fact. Jeanette Winterson, one of the best feminist authors of all time, not to mention a delicious poet with words.

  Anthony follows my gaze and grins. “A bit nerdy, I know, but I just love her writing. Reading her books is like eating dark chocolate. Rich, bittersweet…”

  “I know what you mean,” I blurt before I can help myself. “The way she talks about lost love makes you physically ache too, but in the best way.”

  “Exactly.” He steps closer to me, being friendly probably. But I can’t help tilting my head to look up at him and remembering what just happened with Vin when we stood in the hallway at this same angle a few hours ago. Anthony looks completely different, blond and blue-eyed and all thick corded muscle. His scent is lighter than Vin’s, more cinnamon and spice, yet it makes me just as hungry to reach out and touch his warm skin, inches from mine. “Do you read a lot, Cass?” he asks, but his eyes are devouring me and I can feel that gaze on my skin, almost tangible with lust.

  “I guess so,” I mumble, then shake my head, trying to clear it. “I mean, yeah. Yes. I love books.”

  He grins and passes me, reaching for something over my head, on one of the shelves above his bed. “Have you read this one?”

  I glance at the cover and shake my head. It’s an author I’ve never heard of, which is pretty rare considering how big a nerd I am.

  “Trust me, you’ll like it.” He presses it into my hands with a grin and a wink.

  I shiver and drop my gaze, unable to meet his eye. Not after what Vin suggested. Not after watching Anthony last night from my own bed, spying on him in that moment.

  I duck my head and take a seat on my bed, trying to get some space. Unfortunately, Anthony drops onto the bed beside me, his blue eyes turned serious and searching. “Is everything okay?”

  “Long first day,” I stammer, reaching around him for my bag. He catches my wrist, gently cupping his fingers around my hand. His hand is so much larger than mine, it swallows mine whole. I force myself to lift my eyes, meet his gaze.

  He looks genuinely concerned, a frown creasing his otherwise perfectly sculpted brow. “You sure nothing’s wrong?”

  “Very sure,” I say, holding his eyes this time. Willing him to believe me.

  After a moment, he cracks a smile, allowing the moment to pass. “Let me guess, Vin did something awful, didn’t he? Only he can get a girl worked up this quickly.”

  My mouth drops open before I can help myself. “How did you know?” I ask.

  He blinks, eyebrows lifting. Oh, crap. “I was joking, actually…” he says, and I could kick myself. But he shakes his head, smirking. “I do know Vin pretty well by now, though. He has a tendency to… unsettle things. Girls especially.” He winks at me.

  “I could imagine, if you guys share…” I stop myself dead, face flushing again. Damn. I wasn’t going to mention that. What if Vin was joking? He had to have been, right?

  My stomach flutters with nerves, especially when Anthony leans in closer. “Ah. I see. So he mentioned our little fantasy.”

  I swallow hard, mouth going dry. It’s hard to think with him this close. My pulse pounds in my ears, distracting me. “Not… in so many words,” I admit.

  “He didn’t say that we’d like to have some fun together?” Anthony trails his hand up my arm to brush a strand of hair off my shoulder. A shiver runs through me, unstoppable. “More than fun,” he murmurs, his voice going low and serious as he leans closer. Closer, closer, until his lips are barely an inch from mine, and I can practically taste the mint on his breath. “We want you, Cassidy.”

  My belly tightens with desire, and I feel a sharp pulse in my pussy, my thighs tightening as I try to control myself. But it’s impossible with Anthony this close, so focused on me. Especially when I think of Vin, too. Having both of them at once… I shake my head and lean away from Anthony, trying to catch my breath.

  He leans back with another laugh, not an unkind one. “I’m surprised you’re so shy, Cass. You’re gorgeous, after all. Guys must flirt with you all the time.” His gaze drops over my body in a long, slow sweep. Savoring every inch of what he sees. It does make me feel hot as hell. Knowing that this gorgeous hunk of a man is as turned on by me as I am him.

  But then his smile widens. “I bet you’re a real naughty girl in bed, too, aren’t you?”

  Finally, something snaps inside me. He thinks he knows me—the same way I thought I knew him and Vin, admittedly. But still. It sets me on fire, thankfully pushing away the lust to make room for anger instead.

  “Of course not!” I snap, jumping off the bed. “Nothing like that.”

  Anthony’s eyes widen and his mouth parts, surprised by my sudden shift in attitude. “I wasn’t judging—there’s nothing wrong with enjoying your sexuality,” he protests, guessing that’s why I’m upset.

  But I’m already grabbing my bag and heading for the door. “I know there isn’t,” I add over my shoulder, hoping it sounds convincing. Judging by the searching look on Anthony’s face, he doesn’t believe me. He’s starting to put the pieces together, trying to figure me out…

  And I’m worried I just revealed way too much. He’ll figure out why I freaked out soon enough.

  He’ll realize I’m still a virgin.

  A fact I’m proud of, actually. So why does it feel so terrible to me that he might guess it?

  I don’t stick around to find out. I shove open the door and run.

  “I have boy trouble,” I announce to the camera.

  On my screen, Nita positively lights up with a grin.

  “You don’t have to look so smug about it,” I add, scowling.

  She snorts. “I told you you’d finally find a guy to crush on this year!”

  My face flushes. I’ve been blushing so much over the past couple days I’m surprised I don’t permanently turn red. I can only hope Nita thinks this blush is because I’m embarrassed to be harboring a crush already and not because she’s wrong. I haven’t found a guy. I’ve found two.

  “I just don’t know if this is a good idea, y’know? So early in the school year… And I have classes to focu
s on…”

  “So what? You don’t have to go from zero to serious, Cass. You can have a little fun.” Nita frowns at the screen, studying my expression. “I mean, you think he’s into you too, right?”

  Anthony’s words race through my mind. We want you, Cassidy. “Um, yeah. He’s been pretty open about that.”

  Nita grins. “So then, what’s the problem? Just try him out. Enjoy college life!”

  I heave a sigh. Wrong response, apparently. Nita’s gaze zeroes in on me, razor-sharp. Like it or not, the girl knows me too well by now. Being best friends attached at the hip for our entire high school lives will do that, after all.

  “What aren’t you saying?” She raises an eyebrow, adopting her stern Mom-voice. “Cassidy. Are you crushing on a professor or something?”

  “What?!” I blurt, laughing. “No. God, no.”

  She narrows her eyes. “Okay. Then why all the weird? He’s into you, you’re into him. Let him seduce you,” she adds, a smirk in her tone.

  “It’s not that simple,” I reply. Then I wince, trying to figure out how to word this without going into too much detail. I love Nita, and normally I share everything with her. But something about this situation makes me wonder if even Nita would find it just too weird. I can’t make myself say it out loud. Not all of it. “There are two guys,” I add, in a mumble.

  Nita snorts, her expression positively gleeful. “You slut, oh my god, I love it.” She practically squeals into the mic. “Tell me everything. What are they like?”

  I describe Anthony first, his boy-next-door good looks and his sports career, not to mention his great taste in novels. Then I talk about Vin, the bad-boy counterpart, and his interest in bio. Not to mention his tendency to flirt with me, hardcore.