Behind the Count: Cessna U Wildcats Book Two

by Readnour, Kimberly

  By the time Braxton finishes telling Cara, my anger has reached its boiling point, and my tone comes across harsher than intended. “You know, Shannon’s a grown woman. You can protect her all you want, but she’s not a fragile child anymore. She’s strong and determined.”

  He shoots me a look that tells me I couldn’t be more wrong. “One day, she’ll meet a decent guy who can step in. Until then, I’ll continue to watch over her.”

  My back stiffens. “Who says she can’t protect herself? She doesn’t need a guy.”

  “Noah has a point. Women can protect themselves.”

  He shakes his head. “You two are twisting my words. I didn’t mean that the way it came out. All I’m saying is she’ll meet someone decent, and I won’t have to worry so much.”

  “Fine, but how does one qualify as decent?” I’m actually looking forward to this answer. No guy has been good enough for her, yet. I would like to see who fits the bill.

  “I’m thinking of a nerdy engineer.”

  “What the fuck?” I bark.

  “Really?” Cara asks.

  “What’s wrong with an engineer?”

  “Nothing, but not all engineers are nerdy,” Cara says through a laugh. “But what made you even think of that?”

  “Whatever, you know what I mean. You don’t find them at the mixers hooking up with random girls.” Braxton shoots me a pointed look.

  “Don’t look at me. I haven’t slept with a random person in a long time.”

  “You were out all night.”

  The tic in my jaw is back. Shit. How am I going to get out of this? “Right, but that’s the first time in a while.”

  Cara sighs. “I’m sure there are mansluts in every field, Braxton. You don’t make any sense. But let’s leave Shannon’s love life alone, shall we?”

  Dalton picks that particular time to waltz through the door. He runs his hand through his hair, taking in the three of us. “Interesting topic of choice. Does your sister know you’re talking about her?”

  “My sister isn’t your concern. Like I said, no teammate hits on another teammate’s sibling. Period.”

  The hard lines etched into Braxton’s face are all directed toward Dalton. He still doesn’t trust him. Cara suddenly finds the floor interesting while Dalton’s gaze shifts to me.

  “Christ,” I murmur under my breath. “I’m grabbing a shower.”

  Braxton will never approve of me dating his sister, which causes one hell of a big problem. Because there’s no way I can walk away from her now.

  Chapter Thirty

  Shannon

  The sun shines bright on this cloudless day as Noah and I walk across the quad. Before studying, Noah insisted on taking me out for a celebratory cone.

  “I can’t believe you’d turn down a double scoop of unicorn ice cream.” I lick the edge of my cone before it drips. Noah eyes my every move.

  “I’m back on my diet regime. Nothing but lean protein, veggies, and healthy fats for this body.”

  “Whatever, you’re like the only player on the team with that much willpower. I guarantee no other teammate would turn down ice cream unless they’re lactose intolerant.”

  “Yeah, well, I need to stay fit.” He shoves a jerky hand through his hair and flashes me a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “Besides, it’s more fun watching you eat.”

  “You just wish I was licking something else.”

  “I’ll agree to that.”

  I go to grab his hand, but the slight shake causes me to stop. “Your hands are shaking.”

  He snatches his hand back while opening and closing his fist. He wiggles his fingers in between. “That’s weird.” He’s smiling, but his voice sounds off. “It must’ve been the position.”

  He gets a faraway look in his eyes. Then, he blinks, and it’s gone, making me question what I saw. His mouth lifts to a half-smirk, and he points to my mouth. “You’re wearing some of it.”

  I lick the corner of my mouth. Those eyes smolder as he watches my tongue. Stepping closer, he places his hands on my waist and shakes his head. “Other side, babe.”

  He reaches up to help me wipe the sprinkles off, but he leans down. For a moment, I think he’s going to lick it off of me right here in the open. My heart pounds in my chest as he brings his mouth closer.

  “Wow, I can’t fucking believe it.”

  Noah jerks back, and we turn our heads to the owner of the annoying shrilly voice I know all too well—Marla.

  “You really went for it, didn’t you?” Marla’s voice cuts through me, but her icy glare is for no other person but Noah.

  “Marla.” Her name is a warning. She answers by narrowing her eyes. There seems to be a hidden message behind their silent standoff that I’m not privy to. It’s like they’ve discussed Noah and me before. Which makes zero sense. The last I knew, they weren’t talking.

  “So, what does Braxton have to say about you banging his sister?”

  My mouth drops open as Noah clenches his hands by his side.

  Marla barks out a laugh. “Oh, I see, he doesn’t know.” Her lips curve into a wicked grin. “This is going to be fun when I tell him.”

  “Marla, that’s enough. Stay out of it.”

  My heart races at her scoff. She wouldn’t dare go blab to my brother, would she? She surely isn’t that shallow and catty. That’s like typical scorned ex-lover cliché shit.

  “Or what? You’ll dump me again?”

  “We weren’t dating. You knew that.”

  Her face hardens. If it wasn’t for the fact that Noah outweighed her by a hundred pounds, I’d be afraid. She turns those beady eyes toward me and smirks.

  “You just wait, honey. You’ll be on the losing end of both contests.” She spins to walk away, and I let her. She isn’t worth the effort to fight back.

  “Wow, what a vile person. What the hell did you ever see in her?”

  He runs his hand through his hair again and grimaces. “I wasn’t paying much attention to her personality.”

  I should be mad, but he looks so damn guilty all I can do is laugh. “At least you’re honest.”

  “That’s a guarantee.” We stare at each for a moment before walking to the dorm.

  “What are we going to do? Do you think she’ll make good on her threat?” I ask, tossing the remaining cone in the trash can. The significance of the gesture is no longer festive.

  “My guess would be no, but I do think we need to tell Braxton.”

  I blow out a breath. “Yeah, you’re right. This sneaking around lost its glamour a while ago. I hate going over to your house and having to pretend we’re not together.”

  Pretending we’re nothing more than friends is the worst part. I’ve always talked and sat by him—that role hasn’t changed—but the hard part comes with keeping my hands to myself.

  “I hate it. I want to show everyone you’re mine.”

  “Going all caveman on me?”

  “For you, yeah.” He shoots me a wide grin and opens the dormitory door for me.

  The redheaded girl from Braxton’s class who wanted me to pledge the sorority with her waits for the elevator with us. Noah gives me a side-eyed glance as the corner of his mouth lifts. I know that look. He gets it right before doing something totally out of character. What are you thinking?

  He motions for the girl to enter first and then me. He stands right beside me, and it takes all my strength to not grab his hand. But the combination of the small space, his citrusy cologne, and the forbidden aspect make me want him that much more.

  The elevator comes to a stop, and I take a deep breath as we exit. My body tingles with want. We’re supposed to be preparing for the last assignments, but I have a better grasp of the equations. The only thing I want to prepare for is his onslaught of kisses.

  As soon as I unlock the door, Noah wraps his arms around my waist and pushes me through the entrance. After the door clicks shut, my wish is granted. He places kisses along my neck.

  “I didn
’t think we’d ever be alone.”

  “It was your idea to go get ice cream.”

  “I never said I was smart.” He picks me up in his arms, and I wrap my legs around his waist. “God, I could kiss you all day.”

  “I wouldn’t object.”

  He slams my back against the door as I grind against him. I run my hands through his hair and hang on as his lips leave open-mouthed kisses along my jaw.

  “How many more problems do you have to work on?”

  “I already finished the assignment.”

  “Mmm, good. It won’t take long to go over it then.” He forces himself to back away, and he places me down. “Let’s check them really quick.”

  “Fine, but the assignment came easier this time. I think I finally have it down.” There are only a few more weeks left before finals, and I’m feeling confident. I should pass and have no problems taking my 3-D design class. I can practically taste victory. Glamour Project is mine.

  Noah kisses me on the nose. “Work first. Play later.”

  “Always the sensible one,” I tease. The guys razz him from time to time for being levelheaded, but I wouldn’t change him.

  We’re sitting on the bed as he reads over the assignment. “This is good. There’s one mistake here, but I think you just miscalculated.” He points out the mistake, and I see exactly where the error occurred. I correct it on my own and toss the paper aside.

  “All done.” I bite my lip. I hate to kill the mood from earlier, but I am curious how he thinks Braxton will take the news. “Can I ask you something?”

  “You can ask me anything.”

  “How do you think Braxton will take the news?”

  He lets out a long, steady breath. “I don’t know. He made it abundantly clear the other day he doesn’t want any teammate dating you.”

  “But you’re his best friend.”

  He tips his head back and stares up toward the ceiling.

  “He was directing his words to me, so I think we’re up against one hell of a fight tomorrow. Are you having second thoughts about telling him?”

  “No, I definitely want to tell him. It should come from us first, but I don’t understand why he’s against you dating me. You’re his best friend.”

  “Because he knows me,” Noah deadpans.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I haven’t exactly been a saint the past three years.”

  A pang of jealousy squeezes my chest. I hate knowing Noah has been with other girls, especially Marla, but he’s in his senior year, an athlete, and hot as fuck. Of course, girls have flocked to him. Who wouldn’t? But hearing about them is excruciating. I bite back the bitterness clawing up my spine and try to rationalize.

  “But that was before. Doesn’t he think you can change?”

  He grabs my hand and absentmindedly rubs circles on my palms. “He knows my pattern. I never stick with anyone. He’s heard me say multiple times growing up that I never want to settle down. That I’m not the marrying type. That there’s no family in my future.”

  I raise my gaze to meet his.

  “And now?” I’ll admit his admission is rather alarming. I’m almost afraid to hear the answer. Especially when a pained expression crosses his strong features.

  “I can’t promise you a future, Shannon.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Please don’t ever think I’m using you, because I’m not. Can I see us spending the rest of our lives together? Yes, you make it so damn easy, but my future isn’t set. There’re too many variables.”

  “Like where you’ll be going when you graduate?”

  “Yeah.” He drags the word out, and I understand where he’s coming from. He acts like he’s trying to protect me. From what, I don’t know, but whether he realizes or not, I’m here for the duration. I don’t know any other way. I’ve been infatuated with Noah since I was a little girl, but these past few weeks have proved this to be more. I love him more than I realized, and I’m not going anywhere. If that makes me stupid and weak, so be it. I’ll fight for him.

  “We’ll deal with that when the time comes. How about we concentrate on now instead?”

  He nods. “I like the sound of that.”

  It isn’t the ideal situation, but us dating is new. It may feel like we’ve been dating longer since we’ve known each other forever, but it’s only been a few weeks. Wanting to lighten the mood, I switch topics. “How’s practice going?”

  “It’s going well. I’m finally cleared to be on the field, and that’s a relief. No problems so far.”

  “That’s great. How’s the new guy adjusting?”

  “Harry? He’s good, but he makes some bad calls at times. I mean, they’re just practice games. He may improve by the time the season starts, but I can’t help him with that. You need to know what pitch works best in certain situations, along with knowing your pitcher’s abilities. I think, in time, he’ll get better.”

  “I still think it’s noble of you to help him.” Harry isn’t in direct competition with Noah, that I’m sure of, but I know Noah doesn’t want to share the spotlight with anyone. Not this year. Not when scouts will be in the stands watching and the draft is hanging over his head.

  “There’s still the lingering doubt that he may take over my spot, but I’m feeling secure about it. I just hope I’ll get noticed this year by the scouts.”

  I climb on top of his lap and straddle him.

  “You know who notices you?”

  His mouth stretches to a grin. “Who?”

  “Me. You’re talented and smart. I don’t know why you didn’t get drafted last year, but I have faith you will, this year.”

  “You do, do you?” His hands sneak around my ass. He keeps them in place.

  “Yes, I have total faith. You know what else?”

  “What?”

  I want to tell him I love him, but it’s way too soon. I cop out and say, “I believe in you.”

  “Well, I believe”—he lifts me up and whips me over to where I’m lying flat on my back with him hovering over me—“you’re just as talented.”

  I let out a surprised laugh that dies on my lips when his green eyes bore into me. His cell buzzes in his pocket.

  “Are you going to check that?”

  “Nope.” He brushes his fingers across my forehead, moving loose strands of hair away from my eyes. “I’m too busy staring at the most beautiful girl alive.”

  “You better watch yourself. I just may believe you mean that.” And think you mean other things.

  “I do.”

  He leans in to kiss me right as the door swings open.

  Oh, fuck.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Noah

  “What the fuck are you doing with my sister?”

  I scramble off Shannon and shove to my feet to face my best friend. My heart pounds as if I’m seven years old and being reprimanded, but it’s so much worse because this is Braxton. The one person who has been with me through every pitfall in my life. And I let him down.

  Anger flashes in his eyes. He balls his hands into fists and steps closer. I don’t have time to react as he grabs hold of my shirt and slams me against the side closet wall. “I asked what the fuck you’re doing with my sister?”

  “Braxton, let go of him.” Cara tries to break us apart, but there’s no use trying. Braxton’s livid. Shannon scrambles back to her feet and adjusts her top. Thank God, we’re fully dressed. I can’t imagine if he caught us about fifteen minutes later.

  Increased chatter fills the air as curious onlookers congregate in the hall. No doubt, they’re wondering what two baseball players could be fighting about. I’m sure the redhead will guess and fill them in.

  “I’m sorry, but it’s not what you think,” I say as Cara slams their door shut. The last thing we need is someone taking a damn video and uploading it to CU-Pal—Cessna U’s own social media site. Coach would go ballistic if he knew.

  “Really? Because it looked like you were
groping her.” He pushes into me harder, but I don’t fight back. I deserve every bit of his anger after the way I disrespected him. Hell, if he throws a punch, I won’t duck.

  “Okay, yes, we were fooling around, but I care for her. She’s my girlfriend.”

  “What?” He releases his hold. “How? She’s my sister. Our sister.”

  “Oh, my God, Braxton,” Shannon shouts. “We’re not related. Just because he’s your best friend—”

  “That’s right. My best friend.” He turns to face me, but the anger is gone, replaced with hurt. His expression is like a sucker punch to the gut. I’d rather have him angry than look defeated and betrayed. “How could you betray me like that?”

  “It just sort of happened. Look, I’m sorry you found out like this. I should’ve been straight with you from the beginning.”

  “You’re damn straight you should’ve been.”

  “But I’m not sorry for it happening.” I love her. I can’t say that aloud. At least, not until I tell Shannon first.

  “You’re the one who said you don’t ever want to settle. I know you too well. You’ll end up breaking her heart, and I’ll be the one to clean up the mess.”

  There’s a lot of truth behind his words. I will end up breaking her heart regardless if I stay with her or not. My fate has been decided.

  When I speak, it’s low and definite. “It’s different this time.”

  “Have you fucked her?”

  “Braxton,” Cara warns.

  Shannon gasps. And I flinch, clenching my jaw. I know what he’s thinking. He’s wondering about the other day when I stayed out all night. A denial would pacify him, but I won’t lie to him. He must take my silence as a yes.

  “So, the other morning, when you came home, you were with my sister?”

  I nod, knowing full well this will agitate him further. He moves so fast I don’t see the blow before it lands on my cheek. But I sure do feel it. Pain radiates through the entire side of my face. I still don’t fight back. I still deserve it.