by L A Cotton
Jason was already in the Penn Quaker Hall of Fame; he’d already made Quaker history. But with that kind of accolade came the pressure to always do more, to constantly be better.
“You’ve got this, Jason,” I said with complete conviction, ignoring the niggle of doubt that this was going to take my boyfriend away from me even more than football already had.
Didn’t captains have to spend more time with the coach, watching game footage and devising plays? And then there would be the rest of the team. The captain was a leader, a father figure, the guy everyone went to when they needed an ear to listen or a shoulder to lean on.
But if anyone deserved it, it was Jason.
So how could I even contemplate feeling anything besides pride for him?
The answer was, I couldn’t.
I knew what football meant to him. Jason had given everything to the game he loved. Hours of conditioning and practice. He was one hundred and ten percent committed to his team, to forging a successful football career for himself. And I was the lucky girl who got to stand at his side and watch him flourish. So I stuffed down my reservations, plastered on my best smile, and said, “I’m so proud of you.”
“And I’m so fucking lucky to have you in my corner.” Jason captured my lips in a slow, deep kiss. The kind of kiss that we sank into, exploring each other’s mouth with easy familiarity. But like every time we touched, it soon turned into more. Heat simmered between us, rising into an inferno neither one of us could control.
Jase slid his hands to the hem of my t-shirt and began working it up my body. His lips brushed a path up my stomach, his tongue dipping into the valley of my breasts as he pushed the material over my head.
“God, Jason,” I moaned, jamming my fingers into his thick, dark hair. He continued painting my skin with his lips, tracing letters of love and promises of forever over my chest and collarbone.
“I need you.”
He pulled away, leaving me cold, to yank off his jersey. My eyes traced over his body, his chest, shredded with muscle, all hard lines and deep grooves.
“Sometimes I forget how gorgeous you are,” I whispered, reaching out to touch him.
He’d always been physically fit, a sculpted work of art thanks to all the conditioning and hours spent in the gym. But since playing college ball, his body had matured and refined in a way that left me breathless every time I saw him naked.
“You look like you want to devour me.” He smirked, holding my heated gaze with his own.
“I do,” I confessed.
Jason dived for me and we became a clash of limbs, fighting to undress the other, desperate to touch and feel and taste. I was hardly surprised he got me naked first, pinning me to the bed and dipping his head to flick his tongue over my nipple. I cried out, arching into his mouth. His smooth chuckle reverberated around my sensitive skin, sending shivers skittering up my spine.
Nothing would ever compare to this, to the feel of him touching me... owning me. I loved it, almost as much as I loved him.
“I want to take my time,” he rasped as he punched his hips forward rocking into me, “but I’m not sure I can.”
“So don’t,” I practically pleaded. We could play afterwards. Right now, I needed to feel him inside me, above me, riding me hard and fast until neither of us knew where I ended and he began.
Jason ripped my panties off; ripped them clean off my body before sinking inside me without warning. We both groaned, his hands tangling with mine either side of my head. “I love you, Felicity, so fucking much.”
“Then show me...” My voice cracked as he pulled out and rocked forward again, sheathing himself deep inside me.
Jason loved like he played football. With complete determination, skill, and confidence. He knew exactly how to play my body, the way he played on the field, and he knew exactly how to make me come every damn time.
“Fuck, babe, nothing... nothing will ever feel as good as this.” He thrust into me again, over and over, splintering my body apart in the best kind of way. Jason kissed like a man starved, dragging the oxygen from my lungs and taking it for himself. One of his hands slipped down my thigh, hitching my leg higher, letting him drive deeper.
“Jason... God...” I breathed, trying to ground myself, but it was too much.
It always was.
“Let go, babe.” He kissed me slower, mimicking the shallow rock of his hips as he drew pleasure from my body.
My legs began to tremble, sweat beading on my skin and slipping down my body. I pressed my lips together, trapping the moan building into my throat. I was so close.
“I can feel you, Felicity, feel you squeezing my dick.” He whispered the dirty words against my ear as I unraveled. “Come for me, babe. Come all around my…”
I shattered around him, crying out his name, over and over.
Jason flattened himself against me, slamming into me with renewed vigor as I rode the lingering waves of pleasure.
His body locked up tight, his jaw tense with concentration as he jerked inside me.
We lay there, silent and sated and I’d never felt happier. We’d had an amazing freshman year together, and now we had three years of living as a couple, in a cute little off-campus apartment a few minutes’ walk away from Penn.
But no matter how happy I was, how madly in love with Jason I was, there was always a little voice of doubt in the back of my mind.
Jason was already Quaker royalty. In one season he had won the hearts of his teammates, coaches, and fans. And now he was captain. He would soon be thrust into the public eye more than ever.
No matter how hard I wanted to believe in the fairytale, the truth was he would always be in the spotlight, and I would always be the girl at his side in the shadows.
But it was something I was just going to have to learn to live with, because giving this up—giving him up—wasn’t an option for me.
Ever.
Felicity
Veterinary medicine was both my dream and nightmare. I loved animals. I loved them with every fiber of my being. There was something about being surrounded by crates of four-legged friends that brought me peace, and it had been at A Brand New Tail in Rixon that my dream to become a vet had been born. However, the truth was, I was barely staying afloat. The course was naturally science-based but I’d underestimated just how hard it would be to stay on top of multiple classes. This semester alone, I was studying general pathology, parasitology, and microbiology.
If I wanted to stay on track, I needed help.
Which is why I’d signed up for the tutor program.
Butterflies zipped around my stomach as I headed for the Hill Pavilion. I was meeting Darcy for coffee nearby and to discuss a schedule. All tutors were fourth year or post-grad students, and I was hoping she could help me keep my head above water this year.
But when I reached the coffee shop, I saw no sign of her. I checked my watch. I was almost five minutes late. Glancing around the place again, I decided to wait by the noticeboard. It was chock full of advertisements for roommates, social clubs, and local bars hosting live music nights.
Someone tapped my shoulder and I spun around. “Can I help you?” I frowned at the guy.
“Felicity Giles by any chance?”
“Um, yeah.”
“I’m Darcy, your tutor.” The guy smiled and my eyes widened.
“You’re Darcy? But I thought...” I stopped myself. How rude and presumptuous I’d been.
His smile grew timid. “You thought I was a girl?”
“Sorry.” My cheeks pinked.
Darcy shrugged. “I'm used to it. Unfortunately for me, my mom had a strange affinity for Jane Austen in her younger years.” He held out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“That’s... I really don’t know what to say.” My awkward laugh echoed around the high ceilings.
“Shall we?” He motioned to one of the tables. “I already got myself a coffee. What would you like?”
“Oh no, you don’t have
to do that. I’ll just—”
“Felicity, relax. I can afford to buy coffee for a pretty girl.” His eyes twinkled.
“I have a boyfriend,” I blurted out. God, this was beyond awkward. I bet he thought I’d lost my mind.
“Good thing I’m only here to tutor you then. What’s your poison of choice?”
“Latte, please,” I conceded. “Cream and sugar.”
He gave me a reassuring nod before heading for the line while I got comfortable at the table. My phone pinged and I dug it out of my bag.
QB#1: Hope tutoring goes well.
Me: Just arrived. Shouldn’t you be practicing, Captain?
I smiled.
QB#1: You can tell Darcy from me that she'd better take care of my girl.
The knot in my stomach tightened. Jason thought Darcy was a girl, just like I had when I pulled one of her—his—tickets off the advert pinned to one of the course noticeboards.
Crap.
He wasn’t going to like this. It wasn’t about not trusting me. Jason had a problem trusting anyone with a dick around me. But it worked both ways. If I knew Jase was getting tutoring from a girl, that he was spending a lot of time with someone who wasn’t me, I’d be jealous too.
It was just the way we loved each other. Deeply. Obsessively. Completely.
Darcy chose that exact moment to return, placing my latte down in front of me. “I didn’t know if you’d eaten or not, so I grabbed two blueberry muffins.”
“I already had breakfast, but thank you.”
“Hey, more for me, right?” His smile was easy, his eyes warm. Darcy didn’t give off creeper vibes. He was nice, friendly, even if a little forward.
“So, Penn Vet, how’s that going for you?”
“I want to say it’s a breeze, but then I wouldn’t be sitting here.”
“Yeah, freshman year can be a shock to the system, but it gets easier, I promise.”
“Why do I feel like you’re sugarcoating the truth?” Our laughter swirled around us. “Thanks, for the latte.” I brought the glass to my lips, reveling in the bittersweet smell of cream and coffee beans.
“Anytime. So why don’t you tell me what you struggled with last year and we can look at your classes for this semester and figure out a plan of action.”
“Sounds good.” Some of the tension left me. Darcy was my tutor. This was strictly a business relationship. Jason couldn’t get pissed about that. Besides, he knew I was his.
I felt a lick of determination skitter up my spine. I needed this if I was going to be able to survive sophomore year. I needed help.
And Darcy Bannerman came highly recommended.
After almost two hours, and a rigorous plan, Darcy and I packed away our things and left the coffee shop. “So I’ll see you Wednesday?” he said, waiting for me to move ahead of him.
“Sounds good,” I said, ducking around him and stumbling straight into—
“Jason?”
“Hey,” he shot me a smile that made my knees weak. “How was tutoring?” His arms went around me, as he dipped his head to kiss me.
“It was good. I... uh... this is Darcy, my tutor.” I wriggled free of his grasp to step aside and introduce them.
The second Jason’s eyes landed on Darcy his expression darkened. “You’re the tutor?”
“Darcy Bannerman.” He held out his hand. “You must be the boyfriend.”
Jason narrowed his gaze, staring at Darcy’s hand as if it was contagious.
“Jase.” I hissed, elbowing him in the ribs.
“Jason. Jason Ford.”
“As in starting quarterback Jason Ford?” Darcy’s brow went up.
“Felicity didn’t tell you?”
I rolled my eyes at that.
“No, it never came up.”
“Okay,” I rushed out. “This has been fun and all, but if you’ll excuse us, Darcy, I need to talk to my boyfriend about the etiquette of conversation.” He chuckled as I pulled Jason away. “What the hell was that?” I hissed once we were out of earshot, marching down the street.
“You failed to mention your new tutor was a guy.” Jason fell into step beside me.
“That's because I didn’t know.”
“Yeah, I suppose Darcy is a pretty girly name.”
“Jason.” I glowered at him. “Is this going to be a problem?”
“Will you get a new tutor if I say yes?” His brow arched in challenge. I wanted to believe he was joking.
I knew he wasn’t.
“If I’m going to pass this year, I need all the help I can get, and Darcy comes highly recommended.”
“I bet he does,” Jason grumbled, his eyes going over his shoulder, but Darcy was long gone.
Usually, I loved this side of him. Possessive and dominant. But now he was just being stupid.
“Jason, look at me.” I stopped, gripping his jaw, forcing his eyes to mine. “There is nothing to worry about.”
“And if our roles were reversed. If it was me spending time alone with a tutor who just so happened to be a hot girl?”
“You think Darcy’s hot?” I hadn’t really noticed.
“Don’t push me, Giles.”
Giles.
A shiver ran up my spine. He only called me that when I’d really pissed him off.
“I’d hate it, okay? But I would trust you. Because that’s what you do when you love someone. You trust them.”
His hard expression melted away, giving way to something that looked a lot like regret. “Shit, Felicity, I trust you, I do.” He pulled me into his arms, brushing his nose over mine.
“I know you do.” My hands curled into his Quakers hoodie. “But I need this Jase. I need to get a handle on classes before I sink too deep.”
“And he’s really the best?” He studied me.
I nodded.
“Okay,” he breathed. “But if he so much as looks at you the wrong way, I will—”
“Ssh, my Neanderthal.” I kissed him softly, but Jason took control, sliding his hands into my hair and slipping his tongue past my lips.
“Get a room, Ford,” someone yelled, and we both turned to find a group of football players.
“Are you guys working out today?” I asked.
“Yeah. With Linc out—”
“I get it.”
“Tonight. Me, you, and our favorite takeout?”
My smile fell. “I’m volunteering at the shelter.”
He mumbled his displeasure under his breath.
“I won’t be late. Why don’t you hang out with the guys at The Gridiron and I’ll meet you afterward?” The sports bar was on my route home from Paws, the animal shelter I helped at sometimes.
“Yeah?”
I nodded, and Jason leaned in capturing my lips again. “I know I’m a lot,” he whispered, “but it’s only because I’m so fucking crazy about you.”
Love wrapped around me like a warm blanket as I fisted his hoodie tighter. “The feeling is entirely mutual.”
“Yo, Ford,” Gio yelled. I liked him. He was American-Italian and hailed from Verona County in Rhode Island. He had an adorable habit of cussing in Italian. It wasn’t any wonder they called it the language of love; his accent was so freakin’ dreamy.
“Yeah, yeah, Abato,” Jase shouted back. “That’s my cue.” He stole another kiss. “I’ll see you later.”
Pressing my lips into a small smile, I nodded. “Go show them who’s boss, Captain.” I smirked. Jason chuckled, giving me a flirty wink before taking off toward his friends and teammates.
I watched them jostle him, fist bumping and laughing. He looked so happy, so free. He’d slipped into college life with ease. Even with his intense athletic schedule, he was doing well in his classes and keeping up with the workload. Nothing fazed him.
Unlike me, who had almost failed my freshman year.
I shook off the feelings of inferiority. This year would be better. This year I would give my studies everything, and now I had Darcy in my corner, everything wou
ld work out.
Except as I headed for my first class, I couldn’t stop the seed of doubt taking root in my stomach.
Jason
“What’s up, man?” Gio asked as he spotted me on the weight bar. “You seem... tense.”
“Felicity got a tutor.”
“And that’s a problem wh—” Realization dawned on his face. “The tutor is a guy?”
My jaw clenched as I pictured that fucker’s face. I didn’t know him from Adam, but I already didn’t like him. He’d be spending time with Felicity. My woman, the other half of my fucking soul. Possessive asshole or not, I was not okay with some guy spending quality time alone with my girl.
“It’s just tutoring.” He snorted. “You don’t have anything to worry about.”
“Don’t I?” My brow rose.
Felicity was gorgeous. All seductive curves and wild spirit. I saw guys around campus watching her, wishing they could have a taste. They soon backed the fuck off when they saw me, but still.
“Seriously, bro, Fee wouldn’t look twice at another guy. She doesn’t get all crazy possessive when we hang out with the cheer squad.”
Oh, she did. I just didn’t advertise the fact. Freshman year, Felicity had almost attacked a girl for trying to get my number at a party. Instead, I’d dragged her to the nearest bedroom and fucked the anger right out of her.
Our love was like wildfire. It burned constantly. Throw water on it and it simmered to a gentle flicker, but add a strong wind and it became an inferno. Ferocious and unpredictable.
“This is why I don’t have a girlfriend,” Griffin joined us. “Too much drama for my liking.”
“Dude, you don’t have a girl because you’re a walking, talking STI.” Gio exploded with laughter but it became muted when Griffin punched him in the arm.
“I had chlamydia once. One fucking time. She told me she was—”
“Rule number one, Griff,” I said. “Always wrap it.”
“Yeah,” he dragged a hand through his hair, “And what’s rule number two?”
“Get a steady girl and then you won’t have to worry about wrapping it.”
