I don’t know what time it is when I wake up with my face plastered to my book. I lift my head and swipe the drool off my mouth with the back of my hand, and that’s when I hear my phone vibrate.
I reach for my phone under my books and see I have five text messages from Landon.
Hey, beautiful. I hope you’re getting in your studying and not sneaking out.
I’m teasing.
You can call whenever you have time.
I guess you’re busy and I’m coming off pretty fucking pathetic.
Goodnight.
Unsure of the time, I shoot one back. Sorry, fell asleep on my books.
Less than thirty seconds later, my phone rings and it’s him. I smile like a fool. “Hello,” I answer with a raspy voice still full of sleep.
“Hello, Lara,” he mutters sleepily, and I feel like a dick for texting. I actually check the time and see it’s three in the morning.
“Oh, no. I’m sorry, Landon. I didn’t mean to wake you up.”
“No, I wanted to hear your voice and know you’re safe.”
“Still, it’s late, or rather, early. I shouldn’t have called and woken you.”
“It’s okay. It’s not like I’ve slept well since you left. I can smell you on my sheets.”
“Sorry, maybe you can change them.”
“I don’t want to change them. I want you in my arms.”
“That sounds nice,” I sigh. “Maybe Tuesday night.”
“Do you have classes Tuesday?”
“Only half the morning.”
“Good. Get some sleep, Lara. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Okay. Goodnight, Landon.” I linger on the line, waiting for him to be the one to end the call.
“Goodnight, my sweet Lara,” he grunts, finally ending the phone call after a few more brief moments of silence.
Chapter Eight
Landon
I’m at the office with the guys as we debrief the day’s meetings and the new clients, but my mind’s on Lara. Fuck, it’s been on her since we met. I know I pushed her too far, and yet I still can’t pull back. There’s just no fucking way I can reel it in now that we’ve taken it all the way. She’s mine, and even if I hadn’t spent Saturday night drilling into her tight virgin pussy, she would still be mine.
“Hey, let’s put on the game.”
“Oh, I’d forgotten about it.”
“I think you’ve forgotten about everything but a petite little beauty.”
“You got me there.” We’re watching for a couple of minutes when I get a glimpse of the audience, thanks to the broadcasters.
“In the clubhouse, we have QB Robert Simmons’s wife, and the sister of Tobias Reynolds, who is a student here at Northwestern. Brains and beauty. He’s got his hands full.” Then I see someone leaning in to whisper to her, and she laughs. I fucking toss the damn beer bottle at the television, sending glass everywhere and putting a giant crack in the screen.
“Well, that went well.”
“So I’m guessing you didn’t know where she was going to be tonight.”
“No. I didn’t dig. I promised myself I’d be good when I truly wanted to know everything about her. She told me she was having dinner with her brother. Dinner?”
“Um. They could be going to eat after the game. It’s going to be over at ten.”
“Bullshit. He’s going to be exhausted. I pushed her too fucking far, and she clearly wanted to keep her options open.”
“Just give it some time.”
“Not going to happen.” I get up and leave the office. It’s time to go to the game and get my woman. The drive to the stadium seems to take forever, but it’s actually only fifteen minutes. Since I have actual security clearance because my people work with their security, I get into the stadium and wait. The game is over and I stand just outside the door of the private box as everyone files out, and then there she is. Turning around, she sees me and gasps, eyes widening, knowing she’s been caught.
“Dinner with your brother?” I ask, feeling betrayed.
“Landon?” she asks as if her ass doesn’t remember me.
“Yes, that’s my name.”
“You’re here.”
I close the door and turn the blinds, shutting them so no one can see us. “Yes, I am. You lied to me.”
“No, I didn’t.”
There’s a knock at the door. “Lawless, come on, let’s go. I’m tired as fuck and hungry.”
“I’m coming.”
She tries to move past me, but I pull her body firmly against mine. God, I missed her. “Lawless?”
“It’s just—” I don’t let her finish because as mad as I am, I need to kiss her. My mouth lands on her and she moans.
“Why the fuck is the door locked? Who else is in there?” Tobias snarls from the other side of the door.
She blushes. “One minute.”
I walk to the door and open it for Tobias Reynolds, who’s freshly washed and in his sweats with a winter coat. “Who the fuck are you?” her brother barks out, glaring me up and down.