Page 371 of Unexpected Ever After

“Yeah, you punk.” He pops me in the arm. “All I’m saying is she has a lot going on in her life here lately. On top of losing her dad, she’s playing catch-up with her classes and trying to get acclimated to a new team. You know how tough that is. Don’t fuck it up for her. You have a way of making smart girls stupid.” His pointed look has me grinning.

“Damn, Dad, tell me how you really feel.” He’s not wrong. I just like to bust his balls. As his only son, it’s my job. With a shake of his head, he claps me on the back and walks back to watch the girls practice. I get a couple of flirty waves and air kisses from some of his team, which gets me a death stare from him. I just shrug and flash a smile as I lean back against the cool metal bleachers and wait on Briggs.

After about thirty minutes of me being mesmerized by all of her finger licking before every pitch—clearly, it’s her thing—she goes over to talk to my dad, who points a finger in my direction. Even from here, I can see her shoulders tighten. When she turns, her eyes are already narrowed. I just flash her my dimples and try not to laugh. I haven’t even said anything to her yet, and she’s pissed. Saffie nods at something my dad says and comes over to where I’m kicked back, watching her move with a new appreciation for spandex.

“Why are you smiling?” she asks in a clipped tone.

“Am I? I didn’t realize,” I lie. “Would you rather I glare like you are?”

“I’m not glaring.”

“Oh, my bad. Scowling, then? Or maybe that’s just your face.” My smile widens, and her face darkens as if a storm cloud is hanging over her head.

“Cut the shit, Sexton. Did you bring the book?” She plants her hands on her hips, drawing my attention to the curve and dip of her waist. Before I answer, I allow my gaze to travel over her. Sweat dampens the collar of her shirt, glistening across her collarbones and dipping down into the valley the sports bra creates. I find myself wondering if her nipples are the same dark pink as her lips. The need to find out is powerful and will most likely get me into a world of shit. Trying to hide my wince, I adjust my now semi-hard cock and drag my eyes up to meet her gaze. Gray eyes flashing like lightning in a storm, she holds out her hand. “The book, Levi. I have an exam before practice in the morning, and I haven’t even read the chapter,” she says impatiently.

“Well, then, we should go over it,” I offer. The look on her face screams no before the word even leaves her pretty mouth.

“No.”

“Come on, we’ll go to my place and order takeout while we study.” My offer is genuine. I’m not sure why, but her ice queen bullshit makes me want to be around her more. For some reason, I either want to be the one to make her thaw out or really give her a reason to be frosty toward me. Whichever. I think both will be fun. “I’m your tutor, after all. If you don’t do well, it reflects poorly on me.”

She rolls her eyes at me, but, to my surprise, she agrees. “Fine. I need to stop by my dorm and grab my notes and a shower first, though.”

“I’ll drive you.”

“I’ll drive myself.”

A retort is on the tip of my tongue, but I know the minute I make even one sexual innuendo, she’s done, and I’m not ready for her to be done before we even get started, so I just nod. “I’ll see you in a little while then.”

Not waiting for a response or to give her a reason to change her mind, I take the bleachers two at a time and wave to my dad on my way out of the basement. Keeping my dirty-ass thoughts about Saffron Briggs from slipping out of my mouth tonight is going to be hard as fuck. I’m seeing some more cold showers in my future. Unless of course I can convince Briggsy that I can teach her more than what’s in those anatomy books.

Chapter 7

Saffie

“Wait, you’re going over to Sexy’s house? To study? Is that code for something?” my roommate Carrie asks.

Nose curled in disgust, I turn to her. “Ew. Don’t call him that. And no, it’s not code for anything. I have an exam tomorrow morning, and I’m not ready for it. My book didn’t come in, and I have shit notes. He’s my tutor. Coach told me to let him help me so I can focus on the team and finding my footing.” Even to my own ears, it sounds like an excuse, but it’s not. Not even close.

“Umm, that’s his name. And I’m pretty sure it is code, so you might want to wear something else.” Her cute heart-shaped face is scrunched up in what I think is sympathy? As if I don’t know how to dress to catch a man. I guess it’s a good thing I’m not trying to catch Levi or anyone else, for that matter.

“His name is Levi, it’s not code, and I’m not changing,” I tell her as I slip a hoodie over my head. My hair, in a messy bun, is even messier now. “And I have a boyfriend.”

Carrie looks at me in horror. “You can’t be serious about going over there like that.” She flicks manicured fingers in my direction. A photography and film major, she looks more model than photographer with her long dark hair, almond-shaped eyes, and perfect olive skin. “And you cannot tell me that Levi Sexy Sexton”—she puts extra emphasis on the sexy part— “does not set your skin on fire. That boy is so hot he should be illegal. And from what I hear, he’s a beast in bed. He’s straight up ruining girls for all the mere mortals of the world.” She’s serious. What is wrong with the chicks here?

“He’s not a god, Care! He’s a jock. A braggy, entitled, fuck boy jock.”

“I’d let him fuck boy me alllllll day long and twice on Sunday.” That’s her response. “And you’re a jock! You can’t hate other jocks.”

“I don’t. I just hate ones like him who use it to get girls out of their panties.”

“Oh honey, if you think that has anything to do with his hockey stick and not the one in his pants, you’re so wrong.”

Laughing at her ridiculousness, I grab the keys to my dad’s truck, the one thing of his that makes me feel like he’s still here. “I’ll be back in a bit.”

“I won’t wait up,” Carrie calls as the door closes behind me.

She can wait up or not all she wants. I’m going there to study for this exam. I wouldn’t even be going if it wasn’t for the little talk I had with Coach earlier. He’s determined for me to let Levi help so that I can concentrate on my game instead of worrying about my grades. It’s a “help me help you” situation. I can handle Levi Sexton. After a while, my resting bitch face should be enough to deter him. Right?

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