Page 31 of Faking It with the Forward

I tip back the shot, allowing the burn in my throat to avoid acknowledging any of the nonsense Axel is spewing. He’s a huge player and spends every night with one of the girls he’s talking about.

“Speaking of… did you get any of Linkletter’s presentation on ligaments last week?”

Axel is in my anatomy class. He spends the majority of each class with either his headphones on listening to music or sleeping.

Before I can answer, a strong arm wraps around my shoulders, tugging me into a hard chest. I’m engulfed in the best, sexiest scent known to man. Reese Cain.

“There you are, Sunshine.”

I look up into Reese’s face. His, if I’m not reading it wrong, annoyed face. “Yep. Here I am.”

Axel’s gaze drops to Reese’s arm and the way his fingers tighten around my bicep. He smiles. “Hey, Cap.”

“What are you guys talking about?” Reese asks, looking between us.

“TG and I both have Linkletter for our anatomy class.” Axel grins. “We were just comparing notes.”

Is it me, or does Reese pull me a little closer to his side. “I didn’t realize you had class together. That’s cool.”

“To be fair,” I say, “we’re both in class, but only one of us is awake for the majority of it.”

“You know how it is. Late nights. Early practice.” He shrugs like every player in the room does the same. “Plus, Linkletter bores the fuck out of me.”

“It’s a little like listening to paint dry,” I admit. Unlike Axel Rakestraw, I need to pass the class and get my degree. He’s already been drafted.

Axel and I share a knowing look and we both laugh, but he adds, “Maybe we could meet up and go over some of the notes before the midterm—"

“We should go,” Reese blurts, sliding his hand from my shoulder down to my waist. His fingers brush over the bare skin above my waistband. I stiffen at the contact, fighting off the shiver that threatens to run down my spine, but I don’t move away.

Then he takes it a step further and presses a warm kiss to my temple.

“Now?” I ask, my voice a squeak.

“Yep. All this talk about anatomy is giving me ideas.” He winks and licks his bottom lip, forcing my eyes to zero in on his mouth. Fuck. Reese overload.

With his arm firmly around my waist, he nudges me toward the door. “Later, man.”

“See ya, Cap.” He grins and claps me on the shoulder. “You too, TG. We’ll talk about class later.”

“Bye,” I call out as Reese continues toward the door, barely acknowledging his teammates as he passes. “Wait.” I stop. “Should I tell Nadia we’re leaving?”

“You can text her. Let her and Reid finish their date,” he says, pushing me outside. The cool night air feels good against my overheated skin. He doesn’t stop moving until we’ve passed the pizza parlor next door and are close to the crosswalk.

I wiggle out from under his grasp. “Okay, what the hell was that?”

“What?” he asks. If he’s playing dumb, he’s super good at it, because his expression is a mix of innocence and confusion.

“What’s with the rushed exit? I was talking to Axel… doing what you said I should do. Socialize a little. Gain some confidence.”

“I did say that, but…” he weighs his words, finally adding, “…not with Axel.”

“Why not? He’s popular and social. We have a class in common and something to talk about. He—”

“He’s out of your league.” He cuts me off like he can’t bear for me to continue.

It hits like a slap to the face. Eyes stinging, I say, “Oh. Right. Okay.”

Reese grimaces. “Fuck. No. Wait, that’s not—”

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