The Rivalry

When my folks said their goodbyes, Kayla stood and endured my mother’s python-squeeze hug. I didn’t have to ask if they liked her. My mom beamed at Kayla like she was already planning the wedding in her head.

We watched them go, and after I shut the door, I turned my full attention on her. “Hi.”

“Did you tell your parents I’m your girlfriend?” She put her hands on her hips.

“I dunno. Maybe.”

Her mouth went slack. “But—”

“What did you want me to tell them?”

Her annoyance flagged. “That we’re friends.”

She was pissing me off, and I needed to prove a point. “Oh, is that what we are?”

I didn’t give her a chance to respond. I slid a hand down her back, gripping a handful of her ass and hauled her up into my hard kiss. Her little yelp of surprise ended as soon as our lips met, and her arms banded around my neck. Then, her legs folded around my waist, like she needed to hold on for dear life against the attack of my mouth.

I’d tried not to push Kayla on our relationship status, but she’d also told me she only slept with a guy when he was her boyfriend, so wasn’t I now slotted in that position?

The facemask call had gotten her worked up, and maybe not entirely in a bad way, and my tongue moving over hers made her forget all about the penalty she’d wanted.

“What was that about?” She said it between kisses. “What your dad said.”

My bed was shoved in the corner of the room, and she clung to me as I shuffled to it and took a knee, lowering us to the mattress. I’d had enough to eat of the burger and now was hungry for something else. Lust made my brain slow. What was she asking about? Oh, yeah.

“Just stuff about graduating,” I said, “and getting a job after.”

She sat upright, forcing me to do the same, and looked stunned. “They don’t want you to try to go pro?”

I was so fucking hot for her, I didn’t want deep conversation right now. I needed to be face-down in her pussy, hearing her moan. I wanted her lips wrapped around my dick. Having her in the stands, watching my game today turned me on like crazy. I was proud as a caveman, showing his woman his impressive kill. The adrenaline of my touchdown still pumped in my system, itching for release.

“My parents want whatever I want, but they also want me to be realistic.” I shifted beside her, trying to find a good position so I could maneuver her back down.

“They want you to get your degree in case stuff doesn’t work out.”

I nodded, and moved again, annoyed at the lack of space. “You made this twin bed look big. I forgot, you’re travel-sized for my convenience.”

“You’re a riot. Hey, any chance you’d let me redecorate in here?” She eyed my U-M stuff on the walls like they were Nickelback posters.

Really? I temporarily gave up on my plans. “Okay, we need to talk.”

“Uh, oh.” She said it with amusement, but I watched the swift change in her mood.

“This rivalry thing was cute at first.”

She took in a serious breath. “But not anymore?”

Kayla needed to get her school loyalty in check. “Darius is cool with us. Well, not cool. More like, tolerant. The rest of the team . . .” I frowned.

“Aw, are they giving you a hard time?” She batted her eyes at me, as if saying I told you so.

“Let me put it this way, I get more shit than the kicker does when he misses an easy three.” I put my hand on her leg, and watched her fight her desire at my touch. Good. I wasn’t going to play fair to get her on my side. “I need you with me, Kayla.”

“I am with you. I mean, come on.” Her tone was laced with aggravation. “I’m here, aren’t I?”

I cocked an eyebrow and dropped my gaze down to her red OSU shirt. “Do you get that when you shit on Michigan, you’re shitting on the whole team? Which includes me.”

“No, I’m not.” She straightened her shoulders.

“Feels like it to me.”

The moment hung.

The quiet got more awkward by the second.

She sighed and her shoulders dropped. “Maybe it doesn’t seem like it, but I am trying. I hung out with your parents all day without you, and your freaking QB’s parents, which, by the way, you should have warned me about. I don’t like being blindsided.” She leaned into me, setting her chin on my shoulder. “Coming here today wasn’t easy for me, but I did it for you. Because you asked me to.”

Well, shit. Was I sort of being an asshole? “Okay, I might have been too excited to have you in the stands, I didn’t really think about . . . all that.”