Campus God (Campus)

When he reaches out to trail a finger down the front of my sweater, I jerk out of the strange stupor that has fallen over me and knock his hand away.

“Don’t touch me,” I growl, baring my teeth like a rabid dog. He’s lucky I don’t take a chunk out of him. At the very least, he’d think twice about messing with me in the future. Then again, nothing seems to deter him. He enjoys taunting me.

A slow grin spreads across his face as dark humor dances in his inky-colored irises.

Unwilling to get drawn into any more of a verbal skirmish, I spin on my heels and stalk through the crowd. Now that Easton has captured Sasha’s attention, it’s doubtful she’ll notice my abrupt departure.

There’s only so much of Crosby Rhodes I can take.

2

CROSBY

I stare after Brooke as she shoves through the crowd in order to get away from me. Her long, caramel-colored hair floats around her shoulders and down her back in bouncy waves. The urge to reach out and twirl a thick lock around my fingers had thrummed through me like a heavy drumbeat. My hands are still clenched at my sides so I wouldn’t do just that.

Have I fantasized about wrapping the wavy length around my fist while thrusting deep inside her body?

You bet your damn ass I have.

Even now, I have to tamp down the boner rising in my boxer briefs.

Would she have bitten off my hand if I’d even attempted to touch her?

Yup. I risked both life and limb just stroking my fingers over the front of her sweater. That girl hates me with the passion of a thousand burning suns. Most of the females on this campus fall at my feet, begging for my attention, wanting to get fucked by yours truly.

She’s the exception.

By design.

I’ve spent the last year doing everything in my power to piss her off, so she’ll keep a healthy distance between us. Especially when she was dating my roommate, Andrew.

Call it a defense mechanism of sorts. I’m not saying it’s right, but it was, in fact, necessary.

The only girl at Western I’m interested in is the very same one I can’t have. Andrew still has a hard-on for his ex. If he has his way, he’ll convince her to give him another chance. We’ve been friends for too long to let some good-looking chick with a nice rack wedge her way between us.

So…if that means I need to drop a few nasty comments to make certain she steers clear, then that’s exactly what I’ll do. From the disdainful way she glares at me to how she snaps and bares her teeth, it doesn’t take a genius to realize my plan has worked like a charm. If there happens to be a flicker of guilt attempting to flare its way to life inside me, I stomp it out before it can take root and do permanent damage.

Just as Brooke disappears through the sea of students, Easton throws an arm around my shoulders. When I glance at him, he nods toward the last place I saw Brooke before she vanished from sight.

“I’ve never met a chick who hates you more. It’s kind of comical. Although, let’s be honest, you’re a real dick to her.”

He’s not wrong. He just doesn’t understand the rationale behind my actions. And I’m not about to fill him in, either.

I shrug, pretending I couldn’t give a shit about her or her feelings. “And?”

“Just saying that she wouldn’t spit in your mouth if you were dying of thirst.”

Again, I have to stomp out the remorse attempting to take root inside me. I’d prefer to avoid Brooke until graduation, but that’s not possible. Plus, as much as I hate to admit it, there’s a tiny part of me that enjoys trading insults with her. That enjoys having her ire directed my way. Because let’s face it, if she’s focused on me then I don’t have to worry about her with someone else.

Don’t think I’m not aware of how sick and twisted my behavior is.

I totally get it. There’s just nothing I can do about it. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say there’s nothing I’m willing to do about it.

Before I can shoot back with a comment, he continues. “What’s the deal between you two anyway, huh?”

I plow a hand through my hair.

Yeah…there’s no way I can admit the truth.

When I remain silent, he says, “Brooke is actually a super sweet girl. You know what Andrew did to her was fucked up, right?”

Of course I do. It’s not even a question in my mind.

“Who’s to say she didn’t know what was going on and was cool with it?” Believe it or not, there are girls who enjoy the status of dating a Western Wildcat. Especially when the guy has a chance of being drafted and making millions a couple of years down the line. You can’t believe some of the shit these chicks are willing to put up with. As long as they’re the ones walking around with them on campus, they don’t give a damn. Or they’re willing to let it slide.