“So, what are we doing over break?” Mia asks, as she swipes lip gloss over her lips.

I shrug, holding the door open for her. “I’m not sure. I was thinking about heading out.”

“Yeah?” She cuts a weary glance at me.

I nod and stop next at her locker so she can swap out books.

“Anywhere specific?” she asks, her eyes focused on putting in her combination code.

“Mia...” I tilt head and wait.

Her shoulders drop, and she releases a deep sigh before turning to me.

“I just need a good old-fashioned drive. Clear my head a bit. Maybe visit the stadium, I don’t really know yet.” I shrug, giving her a reassuring smile.

She chews the inside of her cheek, but nods in understanding. “So, all’s good?” she asks, squinting.

“Peachy.” I wink.

“Good,” she smirks, shifting to lean against her locker, and jerks her chin. “’Cause it looks like someone’s coming for you, Lolls.”

“Trust me, Meems...” I turn, my eyes scanning over Nate’s approaching body. “He always comes for me.”

I glance back at her and we both start busting up laughing.

“What’s so funny, ladies?” Austin asks as he, Parker, and Nate step up next to us.

She takes a deep breath and stands, red-faced. “Lolli was just telling me she has no issues pleasing a man.” She just gets the last word out before we’re cracking up again.

Austin and Parker laugh while Nate groans.

I glance at him, dabbing the corners of my eye with my sleeve.

He raises a dark eyebrow in question.

When I give him nothing but a full teeth smile, he crowds my space and backs me against the locker, his eyes narrowing in on me.

Too bad for him it’s more on the sexy side than it is scary or intimidating.

“You do realize I like you like this, right?” I run my tongue over my teeth playfully.

“Like what?” His dark eyes drop to my lips, leading him to lick his own.

I kick off the locker so I’m flush against him, craning my neck to look in his eyes. “All demanding and tough guy.” I lower my voice. “It’s quite sexy.”

One side of his mouth lifts. “I’m always like that.”

“Then maybe I always like you…” I tease with a grin.

“You do.”

“Yeah?” I raise an eyebrow, semi-surprised by his resolute tone.

“Yep.”

“You guys are like the script before the sex in a porno, only better.”

All our gazes fly to Mia, who shrugs. “What? You two are hot as hell just standing next to each other.” She flails her hands around. “Add in Nate’s sexy voice and Lolli’s smooth, sultry rasp, you got a real wet money maker.”

“You are so bizarre,” Austin grins, bending to kiss her hair. “I like it.”

“I gotta talk to Mr. Blan before class, I’ll catch you guys later.” Parker gives us a wave and walks off.

Nate turns back to me, looking a little hesitant and maybe…nervous? Which is strange for the Alpha.

“Talk to me, Handsome,” Grinning, I grab ahold of the sides of his letterman jacket, swaying slightly.

He nods, standing tall. “The dance is on Saturday.”

My brows pinch. “Uh-huh…?”

“Go with me.”

“Why?” A laugh bubbles out of me.

“Because I want you to.” The way his steady gaze is anchoring mine has me swallowing hard and unable to look away.

I nod lightly. “Okay.”

He tips his chin down, his eyes flicking back and forth between mine. “Okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Yeah?” He grins and it’s so adorable, I have to reach out and touch him.

“Yeah, Handsome.” I keep my eyes locked on his. “I’ll go with you.”

The smile that spreads across his face is the best I’ve seen yet, and equally infectious.

He nods several times, clearing his throat in an attempt to play it cool, but it doesn’t work and he smiles wide again. He begins walking away, but stops, looks back at me for a long moment, takes a few backward steps, then walks off with more swagger than usual in his sexy strut.

“Did he-” Mia points after him.

“Yep.” Austin laughs and walks off.

Her brows jump. “Wow. Okay.” Then she turns to me and a grin takes over. “Bitch, we’re going shopping!”

I laugh and head toward my locker, unable to wipe the smile off my face, ignoring the fluttering going on in my stomach.

On my bed, I cross my legs Indian-style and hand Nate a set of chopsticks.

“You’re really gonna make me use these?” he groans, moving his fingers like some kind of alligator chomp.

I laugh, dropping a noodle into my mouth. “Uh-huh…no chopsticks, no Chinese food. It’s a law.”

“Where?” he scoffs. “China?”

I shrug, smiling and he pushes my shoulder playfully.

“Fine, but if I get shit all over your bed, you can’t be mad at me.”

“Deal.”

He sighs and does his best to eat, only succeeding in getting a noodle or single piece of meat at a time.

“So, you went shopping with Mia after school today?”

I nod, taking a quick drink of my Dr. Pepper. “I did. Dress, shoes, check.”

His brows jump, and he gives me a dumbfounded expression. “Really?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t girls normally, I don’t know…cry and shit before they find the dress they want?”

“How do you know I didn’t cry?”

When all he does is raise a brow, I start laughing.

“When are you gonna realize, Nathaniel?” I grin, taking a bite of my egg roll.

“Realize what?” The single piece of meat he managed to pick up slips from his utensils and he scowls down at our takeout.

My bottom lip pokes out as I shift onto my knees. Grabbing a decent size bite with my own chopsticks and hold it out for him, dropping it into his mouth as he stares at me.

“I’m not like most girls. I found one I liked. It fit. I bought it.” I shrug and sit back on my heels. “It doesn’t have to be complicated.”

He nods, his eyes roaming my face as he chews.

The previews end, so I reach over and press play on the DVD.

“So, what are we watching?” he asks, turning back to his food.

I twist my shoulders back and forth, winking at him. “Switching things up a bit.”

“You gonna tell me or do I have to guess?”

Straightening my spine, I give him my best Jafar voice. “Patience, Iago.”

He puts food in his mouth to cover his grin and turns to the TV right when the opening credits begin. With a groan, he throws himself back on the bed, shielding his eyes with his right arm while I laugh at him, and move the food to the floor.

“Don’t do this to me,” he whines.

“You know what they say...” I sing song, dropping next to him. “Life is like a box of chock-o-lits-” I’m cut off when Nate reaches over, quickly pulling me onto his chest.

Laughing, I let my forehead fall against his pecs.

He’s quiet for a few minutes before his fingertips start running up and down my forearms. I lift my head, resting my chin on my hands to look up at him.

“I learned a long time ago, by the way,” he tells me, his gaze dropping to my mouth as he lazily runs his middle finger over my bottom lip.

When my brows pull in slightly, he continues. “That you were different.” His eyes come back to mine. “Rare. Better.”

I let out a shaky breath, unable to comprehend what’s going on with my body. While my chest seems to relax more into his, my pulse starts to race, and my face pinches. When I try to push off him, his hands wrap around my lower back, holding me in place.

We lay there, unmoving, for a few minutes. His eyes burn into the top of my head while I face the wall, unable to look at him, and irritated because I can’t figure out why. Once he’s confident I won’t move, he starts to massage me.

His hands make their way under my shirt. Lying his palms against my skin, he inches them to my shoulders, the pressure becoming firmer on their descend.

The second time they slide up, he unclasps my bra, and rubs back down, and this time, rough palms slide over my ass. The pads of his fingers lightly scratch where my skin meets my spandex shorts, sending a shiver down my spine, but his hands don’t stop there.

His grip finds the back of my thighs, those rough hands sliding down to pull my legs up over his, my knees on either side of him.

I squirm a little and feel him start to swell underneath me.

Nate’s right hand grips my chin, forcing me to look at him.

His dark eyes roam my face, reveling in what his simple touch does to me.

I’m hot all over, and the only thing on my mind now is the feeling of his skin against mine.

I push off his chest, pulling my shirt over my head. Allowing my bra to slide down my arms, I toss it to the side. When I tug on the end of his shirt, he lifts just enough to tug it off, then drops back on the pillow.

My eyes on his, I lean down, kissing his chest lightly. His breathing turns heavy, his chest rising and falling rapidly under my hands.

His right hand slides into my hair, pulling my lips to his.

“You want me,” he whispers against my mouth.

He’s not asking, but I answer with a nod anyway. Pressing my lips into his, I kiss him hard and deep.

His left hand grips my ass, pushing my body down, grinding me into him.

When a deep moan leaves me, he reaches for the side table, grabbing a condom from his wallet.

I sit back and pull his shorts and briefs down to his knees, then scoot back up.

Taking his dick in my palm, I run my hand up the length of him, then back down, grinning when his leg twitches beneath me.

Staring at him, hard and ready, my mouth starts to water. My eyes slice to Nate’s.

His heavy lids drop to my exposed chest then back to my face. He shakes his head. “Not tonight. I want inside you,” he rasps, taking the condom from my free hand.

I nod and stand above him, pulling my shorts off.

“Leave the panties on.”

“On?”

He rolls the condom on, nodding.

I drop back down, once again straddling him. He pulls my hands until I’m leaning over him, my hard nipples brushing his chest, our hands behind his head.

His fingers abandon mine to skim down the length of my arm, following the shape of my body until he reaches the hem of my underwear. He reaches between my legs with one hand, pushing them to the side, and runs his fingers over me, feeling how wet and ready I am for him, before positioning himself, then slowly guiding me down. His eyes close.

It doesn’t take long for us to lose it, our moans blending together in satisfaction.

I drop to his chest and his hands fall to our sides.

Once our breathing has slowed, he kisses my head and I lift off of him, throwing myself on the bed beside him. He rolls up the condom and drops it next to the bed.

“Well,” he begins, still out of breath, his eyes on the TV screen. “If I’m ever forced to watch this movie again, I don’t think I’ll complain.”

“Yeah?” I laugh, turning to look at him with a brow raised. “What’ll you tell your parents when you’re suddenly sporting wood while watching Forrest Gump?”

His brows pinch. “Yeah, didn’t think about that.” He looks over at me, grinning. “But I’ll watch it with you anytime if it starts out the same.”

With a playful eyeroll, I stand and drop my ruined undies, pulling a San Diego State t-shirt over my head.

He eyes it curiously. “California, huh?”

I nod and turn to my dresser, setting some clothes for tomorrow on top.

“Is that where you want to go to college?”

I laugh with little humor. “No, Handsome. I’m not going to college there.” I crawl back onto the bed, lying on my side to face him.

He pulls his shorts up without standing. “Where do you want to go?”

“I’m not going to college.”

His brows jump. “Seriously?”

“Yep.”

“Why?”

“I have other plans. Responsibilities,” I tell him, hoping he’ll drop it.

He doesn’t.

“Is it because...” he swallows, seemingly unsure. “You know... money?”

A laugh bubbles out of me, and I shake my head. “No, Nate. It’s not about money.”

He nods, but the pull in his brows tells me he’s not sure if he believes me, which is fine.

“Do you want to go to college?”

“No.”

“No?”

“No.” Biting my lip, I decide to give him a bit more, “I did take some online business classes at the community college near my house last summer.”

“Business classes?”

Lips pursed, I look at the wall behind him. “Um... yeah, just to help me understand decisions I had to make about some stuff after my parents and grandpa died. There weren’t many available for a high school student, but I learned what I needed to.” Picking at some invisible lint on my t-shirt, I aim for a subject shift. “Anyway, college isn’t necessary for me, so why deal with the drama, stress of school, and grades, if I don’t have to?”

He nods politely, but I can tell he’s confused, and I can understand why.

Most kids - athletes especially - are drilled about the importance of college growing up. For athletes, it’s the beginning of everything. A make or break experience only a select few have the opportunity to participate in. But for me, it was different growing up. Everything I did, all the places I went as kid, were passion-driven. Even if it wasn’t expected of me, if an empire hadn’t landed in my lap, I would still choose to live that lifestyle. I couldn’t imagine a better life than one that revolved around football and photos – and photos of football. It’s in my blood and I’m happy with that. I don’t think I necessarily want to be the one taking the pictures, but fully-involved for sure.

When Nate’s hand gently rubs across my cheek, I blink away my thoughts, grinning at him as he tucks my hair behind my ear.

Tonight, his brown eyes are softer than normal, brighter somehow, and I can’t look away.

I have to admit, he’s not what I expected him to be. While he’s arrogant and conceited, he’s also... more.

“What are you thinking?” he whispers, his thumb caressing my cheekbone with soft, feathery strokes.

“You should go,” I tell him quietly, looking down at my comforter, avoiding the crestfallen, confused look he gives me every time I tell him to leave. “We have school tomorrow.”

When he doesn’t move, I peek at him through my lashes, allowing his eyes to flick back and forth between mine.

With a sigh, he pulls himself off the bed, bending to pick up our garbage. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”

Once he reaches the door, he looks back at me over his shoulder.

“I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, Handsome. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

He smiles and walks out of my room. I hear him lock my door before shutting it, get into his truck, and drive away.

I pull out my camera from the bedside drawer, gently setting it on Nate’s pillow.

It takes me hours to fall asleep.