Page 41 of Dirty Player

“We’re going to kick the Tigers’ asses!” he replies, and the next minute Jackson Billows and he are high fiving one another.

I glance down at my blue jeans, Adidas sneakers, and Hawkes jacket. I look plain and boring beside these guys. Many of them are decked out in designer gear. Some of it blingy, some bright and abstract.

All of it is excessively expensive.

I see Levi ahead of us. He’s wealthier than all of them, despite what some of them earn and for how long. As a newbie, he doesn’t yet have a sponsorship deal like many of the others, but he had his trust fund.

I know this from what he shared while we dated.

Oh, and Steph googled it.

Perhaps that’s why he’s wearing a stylish low- key gray suit, white shirt, and white sneakers. No doubt the Verity & Co. luxury brand owned by his family.

Or Tom Ford.

What did I know?

Levi seemed to prefer the spotlight off him when he wasn’t on the field. When he was, that was a whole other story. I’ve loved watching him play when the coach put him out there this season.

It was decided he wouldn’t start the first game, but after a knee injury put the star quarterback out, Coach said he wanted to put Montgomery in while Carson Lott gave it a rest.

What a game.

They won that day and Levi had two touchdowns. The crowd loved him. Surprising all of us after each touchdown, he ran in a circle and did this stupid little dance.

Next minute, kids everywhere were doing theLevitate...as they called it. I loved that for him.

We slow, waiting to climb on the bus, while Gleeson is towering over me.

My phone beeps and I tug it out of my pocket. Then my heart skips a beat.

Levi.

I glance up and find him watching me.

Sit with me

I stare at the message, frozen on the spot, and I swear I would’ve stayed in that position if someone behind me hadn’t nudged me forward.

Like a robot, I walk down the aisle and when I see him, I stop. Levi slides over and tugs me down into the seat.

Gleeson doesn’t react, simply tosses my bag on the overhead shelf and keeps walking.

I stare at the seat ahead of me.

“Hi.” Levi leans closer as the bus begins to move.

“Hi,” I reply.

He wiggles, getting comfortable, and my eyes dip to his huge thighs and back up at him.

“Do you guys really need to spread your legs that much?” I ask without thinking.

He lets out a laugh, glances out the window trying to hide his smirk, and fails, then leans back and whispers. “I think you know the answer to that, Kaylee.”

I choke.

On nothing but oxygen.