Page 29 of Rookie Mistake

I reach past him to grab a banana out of the fruit bowl and offer a wide smile. “Nice talk. Gotta run, I’m going to be late for class.”

I don’t even bother to wait for his response because even if he was going to try and fight with me, it wouldn’t matter. I said exactly what needed to be said. What I honestly probablyshould’ve already said way before now. Like the time he took out a ruler and measured my skirt like a total psycho.

I texted Davis this morning with the hopes of apologizing, and he agreed to meet me in the quad so we could talk after my musical theory class. I find him sitting on a bench outside of the fine arts building when I walk out of the doors.

He looks absolutely delicious, to absolutely no surprise, wearing a pair of faded jeans with a red OU T-shirt and that backward baseball hat that I’m quickly realizing how much I like.

I love seeing him without a hat and running my fingers through his hair, especially when he’s between my thighs, but I love him in the hat almost as much. The ends of his hair curl from beneath it, and when he glances up, a dimpled smile overtakes his face as if he’s happy to see me.

“Hi,” I breathe as I sink down onto the bench and set my backpack beside me, turning to face him.

Being this close to him, being surrounded by the fresh, woodsy scent of him, already has my senses on overdrive. It’s impossible not to think about the last time we were together and how much I want it to happen again.

And again. And again.

“How’s your day?” he asks.

I laugh with a shake of my head, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m tired, and I basically told my brother to fuck off and to stop trying to control my life over breakfast this morning. But you know, other than that, it’s been great. I texted you to meet me here because I wanted to apologize for the way he acted. So embarrassing, honestly.”

“You don’t have to apologize for him, Zara. Shit with us is… tense, but it doesn’t have anything to do with you,” he says.

I nod. “Yeah, but I just didn’t like how it went down, and that’s kind of what I wanted to talk to you about. My brotherdoesn’t make decisions for me.” I pause, rolling my lips together. “And truthfully? Hanging out with you has been really fun, and if you wanted to continue to see each other, then I’m down. This thing with the two of you is between you two, not between us.”

His lip tilts as he lifts a brow and leans closer. “I’m down. Fuck yeah, I’m down.”

“And like we said, we keep it casual. No strings attached.Fun.”

“I love fun,” he breathes cheekily.

Laughing, I run my fingers along the edge of my leather miniskirt before dragging my gaze back to his. “But I do think we should keep it on the DL? Even though I’m staying out of this whole thing between you two, he’s my brother, and as stupid as he can be at times, I love him, and I don’t want to make things worse. It would probably make it even more difficult when the season starts. So, I figure it’s easier if he doesn’t really know we’re still hanging out.”

Davis nods, his warm honey eyes softening. “I get it. No more fun at your house. You can always come to my apartment. It’s not as clean and definitely doesn’t smell as good, seeing as how I live with a bunch of sweaty assholes, but you don’t have to worry about sneaking out of any windows.”

“God, you’re never going to let that go, are you?”

“Nope.” He grins, reaching for my hand, and threads his fingers in mine. The pad of his thumb sweeps over the tattoos on my fingers, something he seems to like to do since he’s done it so much since the night we met. “I’ve got to get to class, and I’ve got a pitching session right after, but come over later? Honestly, I can’t cook for shit, but I can order Jack’s? Maybe we can watch Netflix or something.”

“Jesus, Loverboy, did you just try to Netflix and chill me?”

A laugh rumbles from his chest. “God, you’re such a fucking brat.” A beat passes, and he leans in, ghosting his lips along mine, inhaling. “Tell me why I like it so much?”

“Because you like trouble.”

“Mhmm,” he hums. “Seems like I’ve got a thing for it. I think I told you what I was going to do to see if you’d still be a brat. I’ll see you tonight. Wear the lipstick, Trouble.”

Shit.

I clench my thighs together as he presses a hot, lingering kiss against my lips and then rises to his feet. He picks up his backpack off the sidewalk, shoots me a wink, then strides off, leaving my heart racing and anticipation surging through my body.

Davis’s apartmentis just outside of fraternity row, in a building that’s original to campus. Obviously, it’s older, but it has a certain charm that a lot of the new construction places lack.

It’s cute, and quaint, and not at all what you would expect a group of college athletes to live in, but I’m pleasantly surprised by how clean and tidy everything is.

“I like your house,” I tease, repeating his words back to him from the night at my house.

When he doesn’t respond, I drag my attention to where he’s standing, leaned against the doorframe, his gaze hungrily running down my body in an unhurried perusal.

“Fuck, Trouble, you can’t come over here wearing that,” he murmurs, crossing the distance between us in a few steps. “I don’t wanna have to fight my roommates.”

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