Page 81 of Uniquely in Love

“Yeah.” Ellie gave me a small smile.

After introducingher to all of my housemates—as my girlfriend, so those horny fuckers wouldn’t get any ideas—I took Ellie to the dining hall to grab dinner. We sat in one of the two person booths in the back.

It was so easy to imagine us like this next year. Spending time with each other on campus. Sneaking a few kisses in between classes. Seeing her all the time. Damn, but I couldn’t wait. I wanted it to be like this between us for the rest of our lives.

“Tonight was fun.” She rested her head on my upper arm as we walked back to my off-campus house. The box of condoms I’d bought was in my back pocket, and my dick swelled in anticipation.

I leaned in close, brushing my lips over her ear. “It’s not over yet, baby.” I squeezed her hand.

She looked around, like she was making sure no one was listening to our conversation. “You’retoosmooth, you know that?”

I grinned. “Learned from the best.”

My mom being a romance author had perks, after all. It was bound to rub off. I knew exactly how to treat a woman after growing up listening to her and her best friends talk about all of their book boyfriends. They were basically instruction manuals.

Ellie rolled her eyes. “I like you just the way you are, you know. You don’t have to try to impress me.” She scrunches up her nose again. “I’m already your girlfriend.”

“Damn right.” I puffed up my chest, glancing down at HARPER written across her back. “And I won’t let you forget it.”

“Hey, Harps!” a voice shouted behind us, and when I turned I saw my teammate Jackson Turner—though we called him Turnip for some weird reason—jogging to catch up with us. He wasn’t home earlier when I’d introduced Ellie to everyone.

“Hey, man.” I fist-bumped him.

He looked at Ellie. “This your girl?”

She was the one who answered. “Yeah. I’m Eleanor.” Ellie stuck out her hand. I chuckled the way she introduced herself with her full name. No one ever called her Eleanor. Maybe her parents, but she’d always just been Ellie or El.

“Hey, sweetheart.” He winked at her, and I held back a growl. “I’m Jackson.”

“Turner,” I warned.

He held his hands up. “Relax, man. Not going to steal her.”

“Better not,” I muttered, tightening my grip around Ellie’s hand. She squeezed mine, like she was reassuring me, and I felt a little better.

Luckily, Turner waved goodbye, heading off towards the other end of campus.

God, next year was going to be torture, wasn’t it? How many guys were going to be flirting with her? I needed to get a grip. Something was seriously wrong with me feeling this possessive about her, when she’d never given a single indication that she’d even looked at another guy. And she thought I’d been with other women without telling her. That I’dcheaton her? There was no way. Not when she was the one I wanted.

My favorite nights were the ones where I fell asleep listening to the sound of her voice on the phone. When she told me all about her skating routine. How excited she was to continue her training at the college level next year. About her dreams of the future.

“Sorry, I know I’m being crazy,” I mumbled in her ear. “I just can’t help it. I don’t get enough time with you, and seeing all these guys around you…” I clenched my free hand into a fist. “I feel so crazy territorial and possessive.”

She batted her eyelashes a few times, leaning in close to me to whisper, “Would it help if I let you pee on me?” Iburst out laughing. “You know, like a dog, mark your territory?”

“Ellie.” There were tears in my eyes. I couldn’t hold back my laughter, nor could I stop it. “Baby. I already did that.”

“What?” She frowned.

I tugged on the sweatshirt. “You’re wearing my clothes.”

She always wore my jersey back in high school, too. I loved seeing it on her. It felt right. Like a reminder that some day, she’d have my last name too.

“Is that why athletes like when their girlfriends wear their jersey?” Ellie scrunched up her nose again.

I chuckled. “Yes. Drives me fucking crazy. Always has. You look so cute in my clothes, it makes me want to kiss you all the damn time.”

“I want that too,” she murmured.

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