Campus Hottie (Campus)

Willing down the growing erection is another thing altogether.

So, yeah...I know exactly how men think and what they want.

“I could always drop by during office hours and have a little chat with the guy,” he says with a grunt, lifting the weight above his head.

I snort as the edges of my lips quirk. “I’m sure that would go over well with your sister.” And by that, I mean not at all.

He flashes a tight smile. “She’s used to my overprotective nature by now. In fact, I think she probably enjoys it.”

We both know that’s a lie.

“You know damn well she hates you interfering in her life. You keep it up and you’ll push her right off the edge one of these days.”

I glance in his direction, wondering if he’ll heed my warning.

“That’s tough shit. I don’t care how old she is, it’ll always be my job to look out for her.”

I shake my head and mutter, as I lift the bar, “I almost feel bad for any future daughters you might have. They’re gonna hate your ass.”

“Correction,” he shoots back with a grin. “They’ll love me because I’ll always keep them safe.”

Before I can say anything else, he brings us back to the original topic at hand. “So, about this professor...you think I should get involved? Cause you know damn well I will.”

Oh, I have zero doubts in that regard. Even before their father died, Brayden always watched out for his sister. That behavior only intensified after Jake’s death.

I think if he did that, Elle would totally lose it. She’s already out of sorts with what happened between us and her mother springing her new relationship on them out of nowhere. I don’t think she can take much more.

“Nah, I wouldn’t. It’s probably just like she said.” My mind tumbles back to the coffee shop. “It’s not like they were grabbing a drink together. He was helping her with homework. Pretty innocent.”

He grunts in response before we both finish up our sets and switch places. I guzzle down a quarter of my water before moving on to the next rotation.

As I take my place on the bench, I say, “One of these days, you’re gonna have to loosen your hold on her.”

He frowns. “Who says?”

“Come on, Bray. Your sister is almost twenty years old, and to my knowledge, she’s never even had a boyfriend. Don’t you think you’re—I don’t know—stunting her growth or something?”

“That’s not true. There have been a few boyfriends over the years,” he mumbles, focusing on the weight he’s lifting.

“Maybe one or two, whom you promptly chased away.”

“Tell you what, when she brings home someone who’s actually worthy of her, I’ll consider it.”

“You realize it’s not your decision to make, right?”

He keeps his gaze trained on the ceiling as he straightens his arms, steadily pushing the bar above his chest. “Sure, it is.”

Frustration churns inside me. It’s tempting to blurt out the truth. I’m tired of pretending I don’t have feelings for Elle. This secret has become more of a heavy weight, and every day it grows more burdensome. At some point, it’ll be too much to bear.

If I were smart, I’d shut my mouth and focus on my own workout. “What if she got involved with someone you knew who was a good guy?” There’s a pause before I add through stiff lips, “Would that make a difference?”

His forehead furrows as he scowls. “What do you mean? Like one of my friends? Or someone from the team?” His voice rises with each question.

Sweat breaks out across my forehead. “Yeah, I guess.”

There’s a moment of silence before he sets the bar on the holder and sits up to face me. His expression morphs into a scowl. “Have you lost your damn mind?”

It’s entirely possible.

When I remain silent, he continues to foam at the mouth. “Over my dead body is Elle going out with some jackass from the team. You know what most of them are like. They’re out to screw as many jersey chasers as they can. Look at Andrew.” He shakes his head. “I’ve already warned her to stay as far as she can get from the athletes on campus. Elle knows better than to even look twice in their direction. And more importantly, they know to stay the hell away from her. At least, the ones who enjoy having their balls intact do.”

Even though I realize that what he’s saying—for the most part—is true, it still rankles me. Is Bray forgetting that he spent the better part of his college career screwing all the groupies he could get his hands on? Most of the students on campus were shocked when he called it quits and decided to settle down with one female.

And now look at him...

The guy is totally domesticated.

He’d never look twice at another girl besides Sydney.