Campus Flirt (The Campus)

“It might have taken me a while to realize that the girl I’ve always wanted was right in front of me, but I’m there now. And you’re that girl, Sash. You always have been.”

My heart melts at the sentiment.

It feels like I’ve been secretly waiting to hear those words forever.

And now here we are.

My hands slide upward until they can tangle in his short, mahogany-colored strands.

“You’ve always been it for me. And after a while, I didn’t think it was possible for you to see me as anything other than a friend.”

Our gazes stay locked as he rests his forehead against mine. “You’ve always been the most important person in my life. Maybe the kind of relationship we have is changing, but that never will.”

“Promise?”

“Always.”

10

Easton

My arm is slung across Sasha’s shoulders as we walk through the first floor of the house I share with four guys from the football team. With another playoff game victory under our belt, everyone is pumped and ready to party.

Having her tucked against my side feels more right than anything else ever has. It’s as if everything has finally clicked into place. I could kick myself for being blind to the girl who has been a constant in my life since grade school. Who has stood by me every step of the way. Who, if I have my way, will continue to be there for years to come.

I understand her concerns about the two of us getting involved. She’s the last person I want to lose. And since I don’t have a crystal ball, there’s nothing I can do to reassure her that won’t happen. Although, if I were a betting man, I’d say that we have a pretty good chance of defying the odds. I already know and love everything about this girl. She’s my world. Always has been. But the connection between us is deeper now. Stronger.

When Sasha tips her head and glances at me, everything inside my being stills. I just want to cup the sides of her face and kiss the hell out of her. Now that I’ve had a taste, I’m addicted to her sweetness.

Just as I’m about to do that, a voice interrupts, “Well, look at you two. Must have finally decided to make it official.”

“Can’t get any more official than this,” I say as Crosby hoists a bottle of beer to his lips.

Unable to resist, I brush my mouth against hers. If we weren’t in the middle of this crush, I’d take it further. But I want Sasha to be comfortable with the pace we’ve set. When she’s ready for more, then that’s exactly when it’ll happen. For the time being, we’re exploring and getting to know each other. And yeah, that includes a whole lot of foreplay.

Sasha strokes her fingers against my cheek, capturing my attention. “I see Brooke across the room. I’ll be right back.”

As she steps away, my fingers tighten around her wrist before tugging her to me for one more kiss. “Hurry back,” I growl, hating the idea of her being out of my sight for long.

Color floods her cheeks. “I will.”

And then she’s gone, disappearing through the crowd. I can’t help but track her movements as she reaches her friend.

“Jeez,” Crosby grunts. “You really have it bad.”

“Yup.” There was a time when being so wrapped up in a girl would have embarrassed me, but that’s no longer the case. With Sasha, everything is different.

I glance at my teammate, only to find him staring through the crowd at Sasha and Brooke.

Crosby can be a real moody SOB when he wants to be. Couple that with the lip ring, and the girls on campus go wild for him.

I’ll be honest—I don’t get it.

Since Sasha and I have always been friends, Crosby is cool with her. Although, I can’t say the same for Brooke. Even when she was with Andrew, Crosby always seemed to have an issue with her. I’m not sure what the deal is. I guess with my teammate, he either likes you or he doesn’t.

There’s no in between. And for some odd reason, he doesn’t care for her.

When she was dating Andrew, our teammate and Crosby’s childhood friend, he avoided her like the plague. Now that they’ve broken up, he seems to go out of his way to poke and irritate her. It’s not like she was the guilty party in that relationship. It was all Andrew.

What a dick.

When a guy throws his arm around Brooke and pulls her close, the expression on Crosby’s face darkens.

I nod toward the girls. “You really don’t like her. Why is that?”

Since Brooke and Sasha have roomed together for three years, I’ve known her just as long. I feel somewhat responsible for introducing her to Andrew.

His gaze flickers in my direction before arrowing to her again. “I don’t have feelings about that girl one way or the other.”