Pucking Parker (Face-Off Legacy/Campus Kings 1)

“Who invited them?” I ask the guys.

Drake follows my line of sight. “They’re with Tucker and Trent.”

“All of them?” There’s at least six girls. “Where’s Trent and Tucker?”

“You didn’t see them on your way up here?”

I shake my head, and he continues, “They’re dealing with some chick they were both hooking up with.”

I cock an eyebrow at him. “At the same time?”

“No. They weren’t fucking her at the same time, like in the same room. She thought Tucker was Trent. I guess she didn’t know they are identical twins.”

The Kane twins are known on campus for swapping places—and not just in class.

I laugh so hard it shakes the table. “You’ve got to be kidding me. How is there a girl left on this campus who doesn’t know the Kane twins by now? They’ve played this game with how many girls?”

Drake shrugs. “I was wondering the same thing. It’s common knowledge at Strick U. Maybe she’s a transfer student.”

“Or a freshman,” I add.

“I’d love to hear their conversation,” Jamie says, taking a sip from his water bottle. “Can you imagine her reaction? But your dicks looked the same. How was I supposed to know?”

Drake snorts and soda sprays from his nose.

With a disgusted look, I wipe it from my arm and onto my track pants. One of the girls at the end of the table squeals, stealing my attention. She’s a knockout blonde, with long hair past her shoulders. Her clothes are so tight they look like they would be a challenge to remove. She catches me staring in her direction and smiles. I turn away from her, uninterested, because for once, I don’t care about another meaningless hookup.

The only girl I want is across the cafeteria, showing off. Bex is out of her seat, dressed in mesh basketball shorts and a fitted Under Armour tee, with both hands raised in the air. She pivots her left foot, pretending to fake out an opponent, and then demonstrates a jump shot. Her feet leave the floor, her form perfect, as she makes the imaginary shot.

My face hurts from smiling. I’m in awe of her, and now considering going over there. But I don’t want a lecture about how Saturday night was a one-time thing. She’s told me so in every text message. I should accept it, heed Coach Bryant’s warning. But I don’t care. I keep telling myself he will understand. That he will make an exception for his favorite player.

“You look like a creeper, Parker.” Drake snaps me back to reality.

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

He points at Bex. “You like Coach’s daughter.”

I laugh. “No, I don’t.”

“She slept at the house,” Jamie says. “In your bedroom. Don’t give us that shit about being friends, because you don’t have any friends that are girls.”

“I do now,” I challenge.

I hate pretending like we’re friends, when all I want to do is rip Bex’s clothes off every time I see her.

“I call bullshit,” Drake says. “Man up and go over there.”

“I’m good right here.” I shovel a forkful of chicken into my mouth, avoiding Drake’s gaze.

“We’ve known you for how long?” Jamie asks. “Oh, wait, your entire life. You don’t think we know you well enough by now to see you’ve got it bad for Bex Bryant.”

“Keep your voice down,” I growl. “Do you want everyone in the cafeteria to hear you? Coach will lose his fucking shit if he finds out.”

“She did more than sleep in your bed,” Jamie smirks. “I share a wall with you, remember?”

“I didn’t think anyone was home.”

“You two were fucking all night and most of the morning. It was hard to miss the show you put on for the house.”

I’ve been denying I had sex with Bex for days. But these guys know me better than anyone. Even if Jamie didn’t hear us, he could read the lies on my lips, see the deception on my face. We’re too close for him to miss the signs.

“Keep that information to yourself,” I spit back, annoyed. “What happened this weekend doesn’t leave our house.”

Jamie holds up his hands. “No argument here. I don’t want you to lose playing time over a girl.”

“Me either,” Drake says. “No girl is worth fucking up your career.”

An awkward silence passes between us, where we eat our food, too busy chewing to speak. And it’s nice. The interrogation about Bex was getting on my nerves. All it would take is one person to overhear our conversation and tell Coach Bryant I betrayed his trust. I already feel guilty about what I did. But being with Bex felt good. It still does.

Bex spins around, and our eyes meet. I haven’t been able to steel them away since I first noticed her in the cafeteria. She raises her hand and waves.

Her simple gesture tugs at something inside me. A wave of nerves shoots through my body, and my mouth goes dry. Why does she do this to me? I smile in return. She licks hers, focusing on my face.