Tell Me You Want Me

by Amelia James

  "No." There. She finally said it.

  "I'm sorry, what did you say?" He leaned back to look at her.

  She couldn't help but laugh. "I figured you wouldn't understand that word." She pushed him away.

  He stood with his hands on his hips, his eyes intent on her. "Oh, I understand plenty. You think you can resist me."

  "Yes, I can." But do I want to?

  "You think you're immune to my charms."

  "I am." For now.

  A slow, practiced smile curved his lips, and something dangerous danced in his eyes. "We'll see how long that lasts."

  She had a feeling it wouldn't last long at all. "Are we done now?" She held her bag tighter and headed for the door.

  He followed her. "Not by a long shot, darlin'."

  She stopped and fixed her eyes on him.

  "Julia."

  "Still wrong." When she reached the locker room door, he held it open for her. Nice move, but she could practically see his ulterior motive taunting her in his eyes.

  "The next time we meet, I won't be so nice." Austin winked at her and disappeared down the hallway.

  Jane leaned back against the wall and caught her breath. Darn it. She'd said no. No next time. So why am I thinking about a next time?

  ***

  Austin jumped in his Jeep and drove home , still thinking about the girl he'd met in the locker room—not the cheerleader, but the soccer babe. He couldn't believe she'd said no to an innocent drink. Okay—not so innocent. Dirty thoughts had run through his calculating mind. A drink might have loosened her up a little and then.... He didn't hear "no" often, if at all. Still, he was no quitter. He wouldn't take no for an answer until she said it, and meant it.

  He opened the door to his apartment, and a football bounced off his head. "What the hell?"

  "That's why you're a quarterback instead of a receiver." Jack Wheeler laughed.

  "Remind me to trade you in for a prettier roommate," Austin grumbled, his head throbbing. "One who doesn't throw like a girl."

  "Carrie was looking for you. Man, was she ever pissed." Jack tossed the football into his bedroom and sat down on the couch. "What did you do to her?"

  Austin dropped his backpack on the coffee table and sat down in the recliner next to the couch. He remembered doing some very interesting things to Carrie, but nothing that would— "Oh yeah." He chuckled. "We kinda got interrupted."

  "Busted again? You're gonna get kicked out of school if you're not careful."

  "Nah. Dean Francis will never boot me." Austin had a lot of practice talking himself out of trouble.

  "Yeah, you're lucky the dean is an understanding woman."

  "Luck has nothing to do with it."

  "So who caught you this time?"

  "Another girl."

  "Oh man, no wonder Carrie was so mad. Did one of your exes catch you?"

  "Nope. I've never met this girl before. I've seen her around, but for the life of me, I can't remember her name."

  "I'm not surprised. What does she look like?"

  She looked a little bit like... someone else. She'd worn glasses too. Damn it, why did I have to remember that? "Pretty brunette, green eyes. She wears those sexy librarian glasses."

  The soccer babe had looked familiar, but he'd never notice her in a crowd. She blended in and disappeared, but now that Austin had taken a good look at her, he'd noticed a beauty he'd never seen before. She hadn't worn her glasses at practice, so he'd admired her gorgeous green eyes. The rich brown hair she usually kept pinned up flowed over her shoulders, curling a bit where sweat made it damp.

  Jack nodded. "Nice."

  She had a toned and athletic body—the kind made for full contact sports. "Not a lot of curves, but she looks like the type who has stamina. I'll bet she could keep up with me in bed." That thought raised him to full attention. Natalie was slender and delicate. The soccer babe could easily kick her ass.

  "I'll bet you'd like to find out."

  "Oh yeah. Sweet apple-sized breasts with fat nipples I could see under her shirt." Natalie had grapefruit-sized.... Stop comparing!

  Jack laughed. "Okay, you noticed her body. So what's she like?"

  "Stubborn. She refused to go out with me, and she wouldn't tell me her name."

  "Did you ask her?"

  "Uh...." Austin relived their conversation in his head. "No, I didn't think of that."

  "Dumbass. You'd have forgotten it by now, anyway."

  "Probably. Too many women in my life. I get them all confused." Not that he complained. He knew all the in-demand girls, the easy girls, and the girls who played hard to get.

  But he didn't know her.

  "Wait... you asked her out and she said no?"

  "Yeah. Surprised me too, but she'll have a different answer next time."

  "It might help if you knew her name. Some girls like that."

  "It might help if you weren't such a smartass. She plays soccer. Any idea who she is?"

  Jack smiled and his eyes danced. "Nope."

  "Damn it." Austin jumped off the couch and wrenched open the fridge. He grabbed a beer and popped the top off, hoping it would wash away the sudden flood of bad memories swirling around him. "She reminds me of Nat."

  Jack raised an eyebrow and joined him in the kitchen. "How?"

  "They're the same type: book nerd, top of the honor roll, math club president or some bullshit like that."

  "How do you know your soccer girl was president of the math club?"

  "I don't." He snarled and polished off his beer, slapping the empty bottle on the table. "She has that look... like a dumb jock isn't good enough for her."

  "She's a jock too."

  Austin snorted. "I swore I'd never fall for a girl again. I can't."

  "So she looks like Nat?"

  Austin shook his head. "Not exactly like her. Just the glasses." He searched the fridge for another beer, but the case was empty.

  "That doesn't mean she's gonna...." Jack put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "She's not gonna do what Nat did to you."

  The one time he'd ignored his father's advice; the one time he decided to take a risk and give his heart to a girl, she'd rejected him. "Damn right. I will not fall for this girl. Keepin' it casual. Just fun. No promises."

  "There ya go." Jack grinned. "What are you gonna do about Carrie?"

  "Huh? Oh yeah. Carrie." He'd already decided to be done with Carrie. "I'll make it up to her." Okay, not quite done.

  "And then?"

  "Then I'll find out who this soccer babe is and make her say yes." Over and over.

  Jack shook his head. "I've known you since the third grade, and I can't think of a single girl who's said no to you and meant it."

  Austin smiled. "She will not be the first."

  "Wanna bet on it?"

  "Loser buys me a six-pack."

  "Loser buys me a case of Coke."

  "Nope." Austin smiled. "I will not lose."

  Chapter 2

  Ugh. Why can't I get him out of my head? Jane shoved the refrigerator door shut and tossed the mushrooms on the counter next to the green pepper. A twisted thought tickled her brain as she picked up the knife... but no, she didn't want to hurt Austin. She inspected the knife, catching her reflection in the shiny blade. Frustration, excitement, nervousness—but no anger—showed on her face. Something else too. Aroused? What does that look like?

  Jane chopped the mushrooms like a skilled chef. Cooking was her favorite escape. When she created a recipe, everything else melted away—the pressures of school, her mother's strict rules, and a yummy young man who had no business interrupting her life to begin with.

  Why did she find him so appealing? He was not the kind of man she normally looked for. Okay, she hadn't been looking, but if she decided to, she definitely wouldn't want a guy who loved sex, loved pleasure, loved freedom....

  Actually, that did sound pretty appealing.

  Cooking may have given her the escape she craved, but real freedom eluded her. She'
d left her mother's house, but still wrestled with the guilt her mother had heaped on her all her life. Did she feel guilty for wanting Austin? Jane smiled. Her mother definitely would not approve.

  No, she couldn't go out with Austin just to spite her mother. In fact, she'd never tell her. Still, the idea of going out with him lingered and nagged at her. He would be a good time, for sure. Everyone on campus knew that. He was the perfect guy just to have fun with, because he wouldn't stick around—a minor diversion, not a major distraction.

  But it would be wrong to treat Austin that way. She couldn't play the way he did.

  On the other hand... he would be a lot of fun to fool around with, and as he'd pointed out, she needed to have a little fun. A tiny shiver ran down her spine at the thought of the kind of fun she could have with that man.

  Stop it, stop it, stop it! Do not think about him anymore! Where is that green pepper? Jane stabbed it with the butcher knife and dropped it on the cutting board.

  The front door opened and closed, and she knew without looking that her roommate, Sara Jensen, was home.

  "Mmm... what's for dinner?"

  Jane so focused on the green pepper she was chopping that she didn't fully register Sara's question—like the vague aftereffect of a dream.

  "Hey Jane...."

  The knife flew out of Jane's hand and landed in the sink. "Oh, it's you."

  "What are you making?" Sara stepped back, away from the knives.

  "Huh? Oh, just something I threw together."

  Sara stood over the stove and inhaled while Jane stirred chicken, mushrooms, and olives in a thick, bubbling sauce. "I wish I could just throw something together like you do."

  Jane tossed the peppers in the sauce and tasted it. Did she need to add garlic or shallots? She'd made this sauce a hundred times. Why couldn't she remember it?

  "Taste this. Something's missing." She held up a spoonful.

  "Mmm...." Sara licked her lips. "Don't you put basil in this?"

  "Basil. That's it." She stirred in a pinch of the pungent herb. "Nope, still not right."

  "What's the matter with you?"

  She would not start thinking about him again. "Nothing." She wouldn't think about that devilish smile, those dangerous eyes....

  Sara smiled. "Nothing makes you blush?"

  "Hot stove."

  "Yeah right." Sara leaned against the counter. "You met a guy."

  The spoon in her hand hit the stove. "How did you know?"

  "I didn't." Sara grinned and sat down at the table. "Tell me everything. Is he cute? Is he nice? Does he like you? Did he ask you out?"

  Jane laughed. "One question at a time. Yes, he's very cute." More like sinfully delicious—yeah that's it. Oh, good Lord, Jane! Food and sex? I need to have a lot of fun.

  "So how did you meet him?"

  She decided not to tell Sara that story. "Um... I saw him at the gym. He's a football player."

  "Mmm... I don't like football, but I like football players." Sara's eyes sparkled. "Is he interested in you or is this a one-sided crush?"

  "Oh, he's interested."

  Austin had made no effort to hide his desire. Jane, on the other hand, nearly chopped off her fingers trying to figure out what she wanted.

  "What's his major? Is he a senior too?"

  "I don't know. We didn't talk about that."

  Sara looked unusually excited about this. "What did you talk about?"

  "Nothing important." Just her name. "He flirted with me a lot."

  "Flirting is good, especially when it's directed at you. Did he ask you out?"

  "Yes."

  "And? Don't keep me in suspense!" Sara practically bounced off the chair.

  "And I said no." Is that regret I'm feeling?

  "Why? You need to get out and have some fun. When was the last time you had a date?"

  "It's been a while."

  "I don't think you've been out with a guy since last year. You shouldn't be turning down dates. It's not like you get a lot of offers."

  "Thanks for reminding me."

  "Sorry. I just meant you need to take advantage of your opportunities."

  "I'm not really interested in dating right now. This is my senior year of college, and it's going to be tough. I need to focus on school." That came out like a rehearsed excuse.

  "I know, believe me, but you need to take a break once in a while and just have a good time."

  Austin could definitely show a girl a good time. She needed a break, and he would only be a temporary distraction—and a fun one.

  Jane could think of a lot of reasons why she should, and only one reason why she shouldn't. "He's not the right guy."

  "He doesn't have to be the 'right' guy. Just enjoy it and see what happens." Sara grinned.

  "Maybe." Take the risk. Enjoy it while it lasts.

  "No maybes. I hate maybes. If he's a nice guy, give him a chance."

  Jane shivered when she remembered Austin's parting words. "He's not a nice guy."

  She suddenly realized that was why she liked him. Austin was a bad boy, and that bad boy brought out the bad girl inside her—way deep down inside her.

  "What does that mean?"

  "He's Austin Sinclair."

  Sara's excited smile disappeared. "Are you serious?"

  "Yeah."

  "Ugh. Forget everything I just said. Austin is not the guy you take a chance with."

  Oh, but Jane wanted to. If they met again—or when, if Austin had his way—she wouldn't be able to say no and mean it. "It could be fun."

  "No. He's not worth the trouble. Trust me." Sara looked at the stove and her stomach growled. "I'm not hungry." She went to her room and shut the door.

  Jane's wonderful sauce splattered all over the stove, but she hardly noticed. As soon as she'd said Austin Sinclair, Sara had gone from an enthusiastic supporter to a doomsday prophet.

  What does she know that I don't?

  ***

  For the first time in three years, Austin noticed the soccer field located right next to the football field. Silver metal soccer bleachers, placed back-to-back with the solid wood football grandstands, separated the two fields.

  He searched the soccer field for the girl he'd met in the locker room yesterday, and when he found her, he immediately started staring. Watching her fight off one defender after another, sprinting down the field toward the goal, took his breath away. The girl looked tough and fast, something he admired and respected. Why hadn't he ever noticed her before? He knew her name. He had to know her name. What is it?

  As he stared across the empty field, searching his brain for the elusive name, another memory accosted him. He'd met Nat on a football field in high school. She'd stood on the sideline, screaming and cheering with everyone else after he'd won the first of three state championships. Maybe the excitement of the unexpected comeback had drawn them together. But it couldn't keep them together.

  Walk it off, man. Austin paced beside the stands, testing his strength and riding out the pain until his determination returned. Soccer babe would fall for him—not the other way around.

  He waited for her in the gap between the grandstands and the bleachers, whistling at her when she walked by. "Hey baby!"

  She looked up and smiled, but when he whistled again, she scowled and kept walking. "Don't expect me to come running like a lovesick puppy."

  He hadn't meant to summon her like a dog. He ran after her. "I was just trying to get your attention."

  "Have you figured out my name yet?"

  Shit. He'd hoped he could avoid that a while longer. "Jenny."

  "You already tried that one."

  "Damn it."

  She choked back a laugh. "If you won't bother to try, then I won't bother with you."

  Ouch. She had him there. Austin turned on the charm, knowing he could talk himself out of this. "You have me so hot and bothered, I can't think straight."

  This time she did laugh. "Do girls really fall for that?"

  Damn it
! His flirting skill had never failed him before. "Yeah, they do. It's amazing how far a little bit of truth and a lot of charm will get me."

  She stopped and looked at him. "So where's the truth?" Her eyes had softened a bit, and she'd lost the sarcastic tone.

  Austin stepped close and slid his hands in her hair, looking straight into those doubting green eyes. He abandoned his smooth words and clever lines, and let her see a flash of honesty. "I am very attracted to you."

  She smiled at him, her resistance starting to crumble. "I thought it was the 'I can't think straight' part."

  He grinned. "Mm... my girl likes to tease."

  "Your girl?" Her mouth fell open.

  He laughed as she did her best to look shocked and offended. Girls claimed they didn't like possessive guys, but in his experience they really did, especially when he was the guy. Some of the tension left her body. Maybe that stubborn wall had started to crack.

  He chipped away at it. "You like me. Come on, admit it."

  "I do not."

  "Yes you do. I can tell."

  "How?" She trembled.

  "You haven't stopped smiling since I said I was attracted to you—"

  Her lips formed a hard line.

  "—and you're still letting me touch you."

  She gasped and stepped back.

  He laughed. "Give in, sweetheart. Tell me you want me."

  "No way."

  He'd had a lot of practice reading women, and could spot faked denial every time. Her lips said no, but her hot pink cheeks and sparkling emerald eyes said yes. She wanted him. Only a matter of time until she admitted it.

  He shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, I can be patient."

  "That's not what I heard."

  "You know more about me than I know about you. That's hardly fair."

  She raised her chin and looked down her nose at him. "You know how to fix that."

  "Yes I do." He pulled her close, his gaze on her full red lips.

  She tried to push him back. "That's not what I meant."

  "Come have a drink with me, and we'll get to know each other real well." The smile he gave her made most women melt in his arms.