Campus Heartthrob (The Campus Series)

I shrug. As far as I’m concerned, you reap what you sow. And that girl sowed a whole hell of a lot of deceit and trouble.

“Even if she does come back,” I say, “we’ll be long gone. We’ll never have to worry—”

I squeak in surprise when a brawny arm is slung around my shoulders, and I’m hauled against a rock-solid body.

What the—

Before I can make sense of what’s happening, firm lips crash into mine. When I gasp and my mouth opens, a velvety soft tongue slips inside to tangle with my own. The way they mingle together is almost enough to make me forget we’re in the middle of campus. In fact, I’m a little embarrassed to admit that all of the noise and chatter surrounding me instantly fades to the background.

It’s only when the catcalls and whistles grow more insistent that they finally penetrate the thick haze that has descended, clouding my better judgment before propelling me back to the present with a painful thud. I blink and attempt to find my bearings. It’s only then that Brayden pulls away enough to search my gaze.

Demi clears her throat when I continue to stare. “So,” she hitches her thumb over her shoulder, “I’m gonna get moving.”

“All right,” I mumble, still feeling stunned, which is ridiculous. It’s not like I haven’t been kissed before. “Are we still planning to meet up for lunch?”

“Are you sure you’ll be free?” she asks with a smirk, humor threading its way through her voice.

Heat slams into my cheeks and I nearly wince. I really need to get a grip. “Yeah, I’ll be there.”

Brayden grins as if realizing how easily he was able to muddle my thoughts.

It takes everything I have inside me to tamp down the rioting emotion attempting to break free. Our conversation at the diner has only complicated matters. It was so much easier to keep my attraction in check when I thought Brayden was nothing more than a conceited jackass who enjoyed nailing as many girls as possible. Now that I know the truth and everything he’s struggled with over the years, my heart has undeniably been cracked open. Whether he realizes it or not, he’s managed to crawl inside and burrow there.

And that cannot be allowed.

Maybe we’ve straightened out the past and I’ve let go of my anger, but it doesn’t change the fact that this isn’t a real relationship. We aren’t going out. In a couple weeks, we’ll pretend to break up and life will go back to normal. It would be smart to remember that and not read too much into the affectionate gesture. That kiss was nothing more than the PDA we agreed to.

With his arm wrapped around me, we stroll toward our accounting class. It’s disconcerting how people’s heads swivel in our direction as we walk by. Students call out greetings to Brayden, attempting to grab his attention before waving. We might both be Division I athletes at Western, but I’m able to move around campus without a hint of fanfare. Brayden, on the other hand?

He can’t walk ten steps without attracting interest. The guy is recognized everywhere. Probably even the bathroom. It used to aggravate the hell out of me that the male athletes around here received so much love. And not just the football players either, although they do receive the most. Hockey, baseball, basketball, even lacrosse...they all have their fair share of jersey chasers, cleat sniffers, and puck bunnies.

Now I’m experiencing this craziness firsthand and realize how much I dislike the intense scrutiny. I enjoy moving through the crowd anonymously. I wouldn’t always want to be on. People are always watching, waiting for something to happen, something that will feed the gossip mill. Even at the diner, people were stopping by to say hello or talk about the game. It was annoying, but Brayden handled it with ease and humility, never seeming bothered by the attention. Maybe he didn’t want the waitress to hover over us, but he was never rude about it.

Ethan was a baseball player, and his fandom wasn’t nearly at this level.

And that, I remind myself, is precisely why Brayden kissed me in front of everyone. He knows that it’ll spread like wildfire and hopefully get back to Kira, helping to give this sham of a relationship authenticity.

Once my heart stops racing, I clear my throat. “Was that really necessary? A peck on the cheek would have gotten the job done.”

“Are you kidding?” he scoffs good naturedly, beaming a smile in my direction. “When I’m trying to sell something, I go all the way. There’s no half-assing it for me.”

If I needed anything more to confirm my suspicions, that comment does the trick.

“Nine o’clock,” Brayden murmurs. “There she is.”

My gaze roves over the groups of students loitering outside the business building. It only takes a moment to seek out Kira in the crowd. Her gaze is already trained on us. The closer we get to the building, the more her brows pinch together.