Page 5 of Troublemaker
Well, me. When Coach looked at me, it was like he’d swallowed sour milk at the exact same time someone shoved a broken hockey stick up his ass.
“Why am I here, Blake?” I snapped.
He immediately stopped laughing.
“The dean told me you got caught last weekend gorge jumping over at Reina U.”
It was true. Reina had a much prettier campus than we had, with several gorges that drunk or high students would dare each other to jump into in the warmer months. I’d dragged Leslie there while Coach, and Mason, our center, were at an away game, and convinced our friends Tovah and Aviva to join us. Sure, it was risky, but it wasfun—until campus security caught us.
Clearing his throat, Blake added, “And that you were all naked.”
That also was true. We’d given the security guard a real show.
Shit.
Blake reached for a glass of water on his desk and took a large gulp.
“I’m hardly the first Tabb student to partake in recreational water sports,” I argued.
Blake choked on his water, spluttering. It spilled all over his pristine white button down, making the shirt stick to his chest. Girls on campus whispered that Coach had a better body than any of the players on the team, and with the way his shirt clung to his muscles, I could see it. I couldalwayssee it.
Blake was still choking on his water. I replayed the last thing I said, not sure why he?—
Oh.Water sports.
I didn’t have to see myself in a mirror this time to know I’d gone bright red. I usually was able to hide when I was embarrassed, except for when Coach was watching. Then, I lost any ability to control my reactions. It made me feel vulnerable, and I hated it.Hated it.
“That’s not what I meant.” This time, I was the one to splutter.
Recovering, Blake swallowed. God, even his throat was sexy. I hated him so fucking much. Why couldn’t he be ugly?
“I have no idea what you possibly could have meant,” Blake said smoothly. “What I do know is that I had to argue with the dean to keep him from putting you and your friend Leslie on probation. You’re lucky. Not only could you have lost your place at Tabb, you could havedied.”
I crossed my arms over my chest. “People gorge jump all the time!”
“And get hurt all the time. If I can’t trust you to take care of yourself, Lucy…” he trailed off.
“Then what? What are you going to do to me,Coach?” That fantasy of being forced over his lap appeared in my head briefly before I banished it.
His eyes darkened for a moment, brushing over my body, and if I didn’t know better, I’d think he was checking me out. I shivered from his indiscernible expression.
“You don’t want to know, Lucy. That, I can promise,” he said, voice thick.
He cleared his throat again. I wanted to believe it was because he was so taken with me and his own fantasies he could barely speak, but like I said, I knew better. The only fantasies Coach had of me were of me disappearing from his life forever, so he didn’t have to feel responsible for me anymore. He’d certainly made that clear over the past six years.
He wasn’t done. “From now on, you have a curfew. You will text me where you are, atalltimes. You will go to class, the library, the cafeteria, and back to your dorm room, where you will stay, all night, byyourself.No more parties, no more causing mayhem. No more trouble. Period.”
I snorted. There was no way he could enforce that. I’d be more careful from now on. No one was going to control my actions or my life, least of allhim.
“Yes, sir,” I said sweetly, bending low in a curtsy…and making sure to flash him a bit of cleavage. I couldn’t help myself.
His eyes remained on my face like he hadn’t even noticed.
“Don’t call me sir,” he said. “You haven’t earned the privilege. Now, get out of my office. You have class.”
“Why do you know my schedule?” I asked.
“Because it’s my duty to know everything about you, troublemaker,” he said.
