When Rivals Love (Bayshore Rivals 3)

“What’s wrong with him?” Oliver asks out loud what I was wondering silently.

Banks shrugs, clearly not worried about his brother’s behavior. “His grades are probably slipping. His mind has been occupied as of late,” he grins at me, and I can tell he’s trying to lighten the mood. “You know how worried he gets about his perfect GPA.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean he has to be rude,” Oliver growls, shoving a spoon full of soup past his lips.

“I just hope he’s okay. I’ll talk to him later tonight,” I announce before taking a sip of my soda.

“We better get going too,” Banks leans over and whispers into the shell of my ear. His hot breath fans against my skin and goosebumps erupt across my skin. The next class we have together, and the thought leaves me feeling all warm inside. I’ll be able to hold his hand for the next hour, and if that’s not a good way to make it through calculus, then I don’t know what is.

Even with Banks by my side, calculus is unbearable. Numbers are just not my thing, and while I luckily have Banks here to give me a little extra help, it’s not going to help me pass the tests that I’ll have to take on my own. I need to focus, to digest the words that are being spoken.

If Banks can sense my confusion and disappointment in myself, he doesn’t let on. Class seems to go on forever, and come the end when I’m gathering my things, the only thing I want to do is go back to the house with the guys and sleep.

With everything in my backpack, I step into the aisle and head for the door. I’ve made it a total of five feet when Professor Clarkson calls my name.

Gritting my teeth, I walk to the front of the room where his desk is. As soon as I reach his desk, my stomach starts to churn. The smell of his cologne is overpowering. It’s like I’m stepping into a cloud of some cheap masculine fragrance. The odor is so overwhelming that I don’t even want to open my mouth and talk.

“Miss. Lockwood,” Mr. Clarkson greets, “I just wanted to make sure you are doing okay with the work now. Your homework from last week was inconclusive, and you seemed to be having a difficult time in class today as well.”

Great. Of course, he needs to point out how horrible I am at this.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” I say, concentrating on not throwing up all over his brown suit.

He looks at me like he doesn’t believe me, heck, I don’t even believe me.

“Are you sure? I can recommend you to some study groups or assign you a student tutor. If you start to fall behind, catching up will be difficult, and I don’t offer extra credit. I would hate for you—”

“I’ll help her with her homework,” Banks cuts in his blue eyes blazing. “She’ll be fine.”

Mr. Clarkson’s eyes narrow, and it seems like he wants to say something else, but instead, presses his lips into a firm line. He stares at me for a long second before speaking again.

“Very well, then. I expect your grades to be up in the coming weeks. I’ll see you next week,” he says while closing his laptop.

I take that as my cue to go, and hastily leave the room holding my breath along the way. Only after I’ve taken a few steps into the hallway do I release the burning air in my lungs and suck in an even larger breath of oxygen.

“Hey, wait up. Are you okay?” Banks calls after me.

“I’m fine,” I gasp, my lungs still burning as I lean against the nearest wall, my body swaying like a building during an earthquake. “I just couldn’t stand the smell of his cologne. It was so strong, he smelled like he poured the whole bottle on himself.”

“Are you sure that’s it?” Banks eyes me wearily, “Because you look like if the wall wasn’t holding you up that you’d be on the ground.”

Letting my eyes fall closed, I focus only on my breathing for a moment. Once my chest has stopped rising and falling like I’ve run a mile, and my stomach isn’t churning anymore, I open my eyes again. When I do, I find Banks has boxed me in with his body, his muscled arms frame my face, and suddenly my pulse starts to race for an entirely different reason. My cheeks heat at the indecent thoughts filling my mind.

Him taking me against the wall.

Me calling his name out as he brings me to orgasm over and over again….

“Is this too much for you?” Banks’ husky voice fills my ears and interrupts my thoughts. He’s staring at me with a hunger that only I can quench, and I want him, even now, right here in the middle of the hallway. Then it hits me, he asked me a question…