couldn't keep his eyes open. Was he good enough for Janie? Maybe. Could he risk that rejection again?
He wasn't going to figure this out tonight, not with his body still revved-up and his brain spinning its wheels. He dragged his sorry ass to his room, undressed, and crawled into bed exhausted—completely drained, and not in a good way. Every time he closed his eyes, images of purple lace, pretty toes, and perky nipples bombarded him. Sweet dreams.
A goodnight blessing? No, a curse.
Sweet dreams, yes. Sleep, no.
***
Well then, she could wait and wish and hope Austin would find her, or she could go find him herself. So she did.
All day, Jane searched for Austin, but she never found him. They didn't have any classes together, and he never went to the library. Where would he be? The football field, dummy. Now that she thought about it, she'd only ever seen him around the gym and the athletic fields.
She got away from soccer practice as soon as she could and hurried over to the football field.
Austin spotted her right away. "Hey, Janie, go deep!" He launched the football at her.
Jane kept her eye on the ball, took two steps to her left, one step back, and caught it with ease.
"Nice moves." He jogged over to her.
She laughed. "I just came from soccer practice, so I had to resist the urge to kick it back to you."
"I'd love to see that." He lifted her face in his hands and touched his lips to hers—soft and gentle—promising more in the right time and place.
That kiss erased any doubt that Austin wanted to see her again. She didn't even mind that he'd kissed her in front of the entire football team. She'd said she didn't care what other people thought of her. Start living up to it, Jane . "I, um, came over here for a reason, but I can't remember what...."
She raised her lips for another kiss, and he responded without hesitating.
"You just can't get enough of me."
"Besides that."
Austin laughed.
"I wanted to apologize for Sara, for the way she treated you."
He nodded but didn't say anything.
"She's not usually that mean. I don't know why she doesn't want me going out with you."
"She's just looking out for you." He shrugged, but avoided her eyes.
"Not the first overprotective friend you've pissed off?"
His smile held a tinge of remorse. "It's the price I pay for choosing to play the field."
She decided to let that go. "I told her I could take care of myself."
"You don't need to."
"Yeah, because if you do hurt me, I'll kick your ass through the goal posts."
His eyes turned playful again. "You can try."
"Don't tempt me." Such a cute ass too.
"Ah, Janie, I know so many ways to tempt you."
"I believe it." His standing there looking at her with those dangerous blue eyes was doing the trick quite well, thank you.
"Hell, I was awake all night thinking of ways to tempt you." He moved closer and ran his fingers through her hair. "And thinking of ways to make you give in."
Her heart beat faster. "Really?"
"I got no sleep at all. How about you?"
"I slept great." Her skin suddenly felt as if she'd stepped into an oven.
"Huh."
"After I... um...." What am I saying? Do not tell him about that! "Never mind."
Austin cocked an eyebrow. "After you what?"
"Nothing." She clapped her hand over her mouth to hide the naughty little smile coming on.
"After you took matters into your own hands...."
Jane shook her head, but her quick breath and hot face betrayed her dirty little secret.
"Why you little.... Do you have any idea how big a turn on that is?"
Is that just his cup or...?
"Was it good for you?" He gave her a sinful smile. "Too bad we're not alone, or I would definitely—"
"Hey Austin!"
"Kill someone." Austin swore, and shot a look at Jack that stopped him in his tracks.
"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to interrupt. Aaron and Greg want to know if we want to pitch in for pizza tonight."
"Sure. Sounds good. See you later."
Jack waited.
"I don't have any cash on me, so go away."
Jack shook his head. "Aren't you
He wasn't going to figure this out tonight, not with his body still revved-up and his brain spinning its wheels. He dragged his sorry ass to his room, undressed, and crawled into bed exhausted—completely drained, and not in a good way. Every time he closed his eyes, images of purple lace, pretty toes, and perky nipples bombarded him. Sweet dreams.
A goodnight blessing? No, a curse.
Sweet dreams, yes. Sleep, no.
***
Well then, she could wait and wish and hope Austin would find her, or she could go find him herself. So she did.
All day, Jane searched for Austin, but she never found him. They didn't have any classes together, and he never went to the library. Where would he be? The football field, dummy. Now that she thought about it, she'd only ever seen him around the gym and the athletic fields.
She got away from soccer practice as soon as she could and hurried over to the football field.
Austin spotted her right away. "Hey, Janie, go deep!" He launched the football at her.
Jane kept her eye on the ball, took two steps to her left, one step back, and caught it with ease.
"Nice moves." He jogged over to her.
She laughed. "I just came from soccer practice, so I had to resist the urge to kick it back to you."
"I'd love to see that." He lifted her face in his hands and touched his lips to hers—soft and gentle—promising more in the right time and place.
That kiss erased any doubt that Austin wanted to see her again. She didn't even mind that he'd kissed her in front of the entire football team. She'd said she didn't care what other people thought of her. Start living up to it, Jane . "I, um, came over here for a reason, but I can't remember what...."
She raised her lips for another kiss, and he responded without hesitating.
"You just can't get enough of me."
"Besides that."
Austin laughed.
"I wanted to apologize for Sara, for the way she treated you."
He nodded but didn't say anything.
"She's not usually that mean. I don't know why she doesn't want me going out with you."
"She's just looking out for you." He shrugged, but avoided her eyes.
"Not the first overprotective friend you've pissed off?"
His smile held a tinge of remorse. "It's the price I pay for choosing to play the field."
She decided to let that go. "I told her I could take care of myself."
"You don't need to."
"Yeah, because if you do hurt me, I'll kick your ass through the goal posts."
His eyes turned playful again. "You can try."
"Don't tempt me." Such a cute ass too.
"Ah, Janie, I know so many ways to tempt you."
"I believe it." His standing there looking at her with those dangerous blue eyes was doing the trick quite well, thank you.
"Hell, I was awake all night thinking of ways to tempt you." He moved closer and ran his fingers through her hair. "And thinking of ways to make you give in."
Her heart beat faster. "Really?"
"I got no sleep at all. How about you?"
"I slept great." Her skin suddenly felt as if she'd stepped into an oven.
"Huh."
"After I... um...." What am I saying? Do not tell him about that! "Never mind."
Austin cocked an eyebrow. "After you what?"
"Nothing." She clapped her hand over her mouth to hide the naughty little smile coming on.
"After you took matters into your own hands...."
Jane shook her head, but her quick breath and hot face betrayed her dirty little secret.
"Why you little.... Do you have any idea how big a turn on that is?"
Is that just his cup or...?
"Was it good for you?" He gave her a sinful smile. "Too bad we're not alone, or I would definitely—"
"Hey Austin!"
"Kill someone." Austin swore, and shot a look at Jack that stopped him in his tracks.
"Oh, sorry, didn't mean to interrupt. Aaron and Greg want to know if we want to pitch in for pizza tonight."
"Sure. Sounds good. See you later."
Jack waited.
"I don't have any cash on me, so go away."
Jack shook his head. "Aren't you
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