It was my turn to drive and I was glad for the chance to stay out of the conversation for a while. I needed to think. I needed to figure out what to do with Allie, but with her sitting so close to me and this damn sexual tension between us, it was distracting, to say the least. I glanced over at her and smiled. Was it just me, or did sexual energy ooze from this girl? I was smitten, which meant basically, I was screwed. The look in her dark, soulful eyes tore at my heart every time I looked at her. It started in the bar when she walked through the door. This thing, this whatever it was, felt like I’d been hit with a sledgehammer. This couldn’t happen for me right now with my focus on football. Had to keep my head on straight.

This trip was supposed to be one last, beer-infused party before my life would become consumed with training camp for the NFL.

Was that too much to ask?

Now, I had one of life’s biggest problems; a hot girl, on a hot drive, to a hot town, full of tempting alternatives to my goal. I had to stay focused and show my mom that she’s wrong about me.

I’m not like my older brother, Ryan. I’m not a military man. I’m meant to be a quarterback, throw long easy passes, set plays into action. I love the feeling of being under enormous pressure the moment my hand touches the ball to decide which play to call.

I knew I could make it in the NFL. I had to. It’d been my dream since my days as a kid playing Pop Warner football. Well, except for that one period of time in high school when teenage hormones took my body captive and my little pecker abducted all sense and logic from my brain. Like every boy starting puberty, I was a slave to out-of-control hormones, and they were merciless. I jacked off three times a day, morning, after school and night. It’s all I thought about. That—and later—chasing pussy. Then around eighteen, it subsided, became more manageable. That’s when my brain and logical thinking came back for a visit.

So my single-minded pecker was getting me in over my head, and at the peak of the hormone infestation, I almost lost my dream. I began to lose interest in football. There I was in a brain fog, little pecker head leading the way saying, “Come on. It’ll be fun!” All I wanted to do was to be with Cindy Parker, the local pass-around cheerleader and find ways to explore her perky tits. My brother, Ryan, intervened with his older brother wisdom, having experienced the same hostile takeover, and talked me down from the ledge. I continued in football and made it out of high school alive, testosterone fog cleared and headed off to college.

Allie’s voice pulled me out of my trip down memory lane. “Hey, thanks again for letting me come with you.”

I glanced at her and smiled. I think she’d been staring at me the whole time I was lost in my trance. “Glad to be of service.”

She turned toward me as much as her seat belt would allow, long silky hair falling over breasts that strained against the fabric of her top. “Like I said earlier, you’re nice, one of the good guys.”

No fucking kidding. Look what she had to compare me to. “Well, next to your ex, I guess I come out looking like a saint.” I glanced at her again. I liked her long hair, more to hold onto when... I swallowed hard. My fingers twitched, longing to grasp her hips. I wanted to hold her gaze, hold her in my arms and get lost in her kisses, but I had to keep my eyes on the road.

I furrowed my brow and said, “You deserve better. How’d you hook up with him anyway, if you don’t mind me asking? He doesn’t look like your type.”

“He shouldn’t be anybody’s type,” she said shaking her head. “But…well, it’s so complicated and stupid, really just stupid of me. You don’t really wanna know.”

Even as I watched her delicious lips form the words, I was thinking it probably would’ve been better if she hadn’t come along. What a shame Scary Ex got to dig his fingers in all that gorgeous hair, tilt her head back until those lips parted for a kiss. I should’ve been an asshole, turned the car around and taken her back, scary ex or not.

Before I could ask another question, Phoebe’s head popped through between our seats. She held an unlit joint in her fingers like she was offering us a hot dog on a stick. “Wanna smoke some weed?”

I turned to look and caught Allie’s eyes. Phoebe gave us a dreamy smile and waited for our reply. “Good stuff. Home grown at the commune.”

“Uh…I’ll pass,” I said.

Phoebe didn’t move. She wasn’t giving up that easy. “It’s the least I can do for the ride and the roadside assistance. At the commune, we believe in sharing, giving back, creating good karma.”

AJ said, “Yeah, Cam. Have some good karma. I won’t rat on you to Saul.” AJ was leaning back in his seat, toying with me.

I let my eyes travel over Allie’s body, snatching glances, then back to the road, not giving a fuck if she noticed. I started at her long legs, imagining her wrapping them around me. Wild thoughts popped into my head of being high with Allie, kissing her, fucking her. It was enticing, but I couldn’t get caught with drugs in my system when it came to Draft pick weekend in April, just around the corner. I’d be going to a training camp. As much as I wanted to have fun, I also had to be level headed about this, and I was a little annoyed with AJ for suggesting I get high. He knew what I was up against with the NFL picks. A ton of other guys, three hundred to be exact, wanted to make a team just like me. He knew how important this was to me, and like he said earlier, Saul would freak if he found out, so why was he pushing the drugs? I didn’t have the luxury of a high paying career ready and waiting after college, like he did with his family's business.

“I can’t get caught smoking weed, you know that AJ.” I frowned at him in the rearview mirror.

Damnit. I knew something like this would happen. I’m the Good Samaritan and karma kicks me in the balls. This Phoebe chick was trouble, indeed. She’s gonna get me busted.

“Cam, don’t be ridiculous,” AJ said. “Here we are at the end of the world, at the edge of fucking civilization. No one’s gonna know if you take a hit off a joint. The piss test won’t be until long after spring break.”

“Easy for you to say. Have you put your name on any NFL Draft lists lately?” I said. It was a rhetorical question. “Didn’t think so.”

“No one’ll know,” he said and took the joint from Phoebe’s hand. She shrugged and leaned back in her seat. I heard the click of a cigarette lighter and the skunk smell of weed followed. Phoebe rolled down her window, and AJ followed suit, letting the noxious smoke get sucked out the windows. Considering we were in close proximity, it was possible I’d get a contact high.

AJ continued, “You know, the odds of making it are ridiculous.”

“Oh, thank you Downer Dan,” I said.

“I’m just saying. In 2014, forty-four of the one hundred and seven underclassmen who entered the draft went unselected and forfeited their remaining eligibility. If you don’t get picked, you can’t play college ball ever again.”

“Yeah and this year, there are like, three hundred of the very best college players, the cream of the crop, who were invited to the Scouting Combine in Indianapolis when I went in February.” I threw AJ a glance in the rearview mirror. “So what?”

“It sounds like kind of a gamble,” Phoebe interjected.

“Yup,” I said. “But I’ve got expert skills, like...wickedly great skills. I can drill a ball down the field like you've never seen before. I’m not bragging. Just saying.”

“You mean if you’re not drafted, you can’t go back for your senior year and play football for the Longhorns?” Allie asked.

I shrugged. “Hey, they gotta pick someone and it may as well be me.”

I shot a glance at Allie. She smiled and said, “I’ve heard NFL players make the big bucks.”

AJ cut in, “It depends on if you are in the first round pick or last, you know.”

I took my eyes off the road just long enough to roll them at Allie, then addressed AJ. “Yeah, I know, duffus. I’ve been around the block.” Then in a lowered voice I said to Allie, “Just because he knows a thing or two about historic Route 66, he thinks he knows everything.” She smiled again, and I continued louder this time for AJ to hear, “James Wilson was selected by Florida Bay as a first pick and got a contract of twenty five million plus. There’s crazy money to be made here. I’ll show my mom. Being a football player pays better than a Marine.”

AJ slapped the back of my head. “Hey, cock sucker, your brother serves his country. Show some respect.”

“Ow!” I winced, and grabbed the steering wheel with both hands. It didn’t hurt, but I had to make a show of it. I hoped Allie wasn’t offended with our rough language, but then considering the ex, probably not.

“I’m just kidding. I know that and I admire my brother for doing a job most people don’t want to do. It’s just that I’ve worked at this and wanted it for so long.”

AJ said, “I get you, man. Some of the last picks got like, two million and some change.”

“I’d settle for that. Two mil? Duh, that’d be fantastic.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t sneeze at that amount of money, if I were you.”

I glanced across the front seat at Allie, again. She was smiling at me with that delicious look in her eyes. I wondered what she’d feel like under me in a hard, noisy fuck. I bet she’d be wild and her pussy’d be tight.

AJ ruined my moment and stuck his arm between the seats, holding the lit joint in Allie’s direction.

“I’ll pass on the weed too,” she said. “I’ll support you in your beliefs, Cam. Don’t let anything keep you from what you want in your life.”

“Thanks, Allie. I won’t.”

But then, there’s you.

She snapped her eyes to mine, pressing her soft, pink lips together, tucking back a strand of hair that escaped the braid. I’d been thinking of her lips, pulling on the bottom one, sucking it in a kiss. Her mouth was driving me insane this entire time. I forced my gaze back to the road. What the hell was I going to do with this woman and all the temptations she exuded?

AJ and Phoebe continued smoking, bodies closer together the more the joint whittled down. Laughing, they snuggled into each other and at one point, I wasn’t sure if they were kissing or just doing the blow the smoke into each other’s mouth thing. I could only get glimpses and pieces of what they were doing from looking in the rearview mirror. I wouldn’t put it past a “free spirit”—her words, not mine—like Phoebe, to go with the flow and do whatever came up.

Literally.

If she moved onto his lap, I’d know they were back there fucking and I’d have to put my foot down. That’d be too weird for me. I didn’t even want to think about my buddy’s stiff cock, waving around in the back seat as I was driving.

I shuddered.

Too weird for me.

Aw, great.

Now I had that image in my mind.

I shook my head, blew out a breath and tried to focus on the road.

Finally, Phoebe’s giggles and AJ’s voice faded into a background blur as Allie and I continued our conversation.

“Allie,” I said. “I don’t even know your last name. I’m taking you across state lines and I don’t have a clue.”

She smiled and said, “Artemis. Allie Artemis. Glad to make your acquaintance.”

“Hmm…” I thought for a moment. “Artemis, that sounds familiar. What is it, Greek?”

“Well, I think so, yes. Artemis is a goddess of the moon, and...water, too. Maybe that’s why I like being around swimming pools and water fountains.” She giggled.

“Well, you’re in the wrong place, my dear,” I said. “Arizona’s not exactly a place that comes to mind when you think of water.”

She gave a short laugh. “I know. Tell me about it.” Her eyes darted to the side. “Sometimes I think I was born into the wrong family, at least geographically that is. My family’s content to be in Flagstaff until they die, but I’ve always been different.”

“Is that so? In what way?”

“Always had a dream to leave Arizona. Felt like a landlocked lover of the ocean. The water thing, like I said. Even had an aquarium in my bedroom as a kid.”

I nodded picturing her working at the gas station again. Didn’t seem to fit with her needs. No fountains, no water, and no place for a beautiful young girl like her.

“Working nights at a gas station doesn’t seem to be a place to fulfill your affinity for water, unless you consider the gas pumps as a bizarre kind of fountain. They do have running liquids.”

Her mouth curved into the smile I loved to see. “I work there for the money, and the night shift leaves my days open for classes.”

“Ah, of course. What’s your major?”

“Theatre Arts, lighting for theatre productions, stage design, stuff like that.”

I raised my brows. “I can see that.”

Now that fit her personality, at least what I’d known of her so far, but not the biker lifestyle of her ex. Most college girls I knew didn’t seem to fall into the biker category, anyway.

When we meet people for the first time, our brains like to categorize them, wants to drop them into some neat little box to help us understand them. So it was no wonder I’d been struggling with this biker thing. It just didn’t fit with the way my mind worked.

Allie pulled her long hair to the side, raking her fingers through it, twisting it into a braid as she talked. “A theatre degree is my ticket out of the slow, hometown strangulation. When I graduate, I’m gonna move to L.A. and look for a job in the entertainment industry. Well, that’s my plan but…” She paused for a moment and gestured with a palm up, indicating her present situation.

“I see. So jumping in a car with two strangers, doesn’t exactly move you toward your goal. What about school? Aren’t you missing classes right now? Or is your college on spring break, too?”

“Yea-ah, well, life gets in the way.”

“You mean like, Jade?”

She nodded and her chest rose with a deep breath. “Let’s just say...in the past, I used to be more impulsive. You know, like a dieter who sees a cupcake in the bakery window, piled high with frosting and then blows it by doing something rash. Well, I’m the dieter and Jade is the cupcake...hence the crazy ex. I always have good intentions, but you know what they say about that.”

I smiled at her and said, “The road to Hell?”

She wasn’t on the road to Hell. The ex maybe, but not her. Not unless she’d gotten mixed up in some crazy shit as his biker girlfriend. Maybe that had something to do with her running away. I didn’t know what to think.

“Sooo, still, aren’t you missing classes? How you gonna handle that? I know a full load can be difficult to juggle with a job, even if it’s part-time. I have classes and football, and you have work. I can imagine…”

She pushed the palms of her hands down her thighs as if trying to wipe away sweat. “I sort of quit college. You’re the first one I’ve told. Made it official when I found myself hiding under that blanket in your backseat.”

I’d almost forgotten. AJ, in his OCD moment of packing for the trip, had thrown an old blanket in the back seat. Said we had to be prepared. For what, I didn’t know, but dammit, we were gonna be prepared.

“And FYI, you guys should lock your car doors. Anyone could jump in the back seat and rob you.” She smiled, teasing me.

I smiled back at her and nodded.

I was quiet for a minute. The ex must’ve made things really bad if she had to jeopardize her dream of graduating college and getting out of Flagstafff, lose her ticket out. Or maybe not. Maybe AJ’s car was her way out. Maybe I was too.

“Don’t give up. You can go back and maybe still finish the semester. Talk to your professors and explain, say you had a family crisis or something. I mean, hell, you did have a crisis.”

“I don’t know if I can. My grades weren’t looking good. I skipped too many classes, due to crazy boyfriend and partying too late. Couldn’t make it to my early morning classes. So I tried to rationalize it, thought maybe Jade and me might make a go of it, get married and take a break from school, get back to it later. Then I bailed. Caught him fucking one of my friends and didn’t want anything to do with his ass ever again. That was about a week ago. The next time I saw him was when he caught us together, and I ran. So here I am. Not the brightest plan, but whatever. I was only taking a couple classes anyway. Couldn’t afford full-time tuition.”

“What about your family, couldn’t they help?”

“Naw, my parents, well my mom and my step-dad only make enough to get by themselves, and I don’t want to be a burden to them. If I want to finish my degree I’ll have to work my way through college.”

“I meant, help you with Jade. Don’t you have some brothers or someone who can get him off your back, convince him to leave you alone?”

“I have two step-brothers from Mom’s second marriage, she’s on husband number three now, but I don’t have much contact with them. My step-brothers from that marriage don’t live in the Flagstaff area. I’m pretty much on my own, but I can handle it.”

“I bet you can. You have that kind of kick ass and take no prisoners attitude,” I said with a smile.

Well, sometimes she did. Other times, she’d soften, seem vulnerable like now, open up and let me in. But then it’d change in an instant, the wall would go up, and she’d be back to hard core and mysterious. Too much drama reminded me—no chicks. No relationships. Keep your eyes on the prize. But I still wanted to kiss her, and hold her, and fuck her. The more I thought about it, the more my little peckerhead began to come to life again.

I caught her staring at me as I drove. My right arm was extended to the steering wheel, my hand gripping it at two o’clock. I glanced down at my bicep, the edge of my ink slipping out from under the sleeve of the shirt. She was looking at it, too.

Her eyes met mine and she smiled. “Nice,” she said.

“The tat? Thanks.” I looked back to the road ahead trying not to be pulled in by those eyes that looked straight to my soul.

“That and your…muscles. I guess football training keeps you…well, pretty damn hot. I bet all the girls want to kiss those lips too.”

Oh gawd, did she just say that? I bit my lip, embarrassed by her bold flattery, yet boosted by the realization that she wanted me too. There may be hope. Little Peckerhead might have his way after all.

I stole a glance. Her hand was at her chest, stroking the area between the swell of her breast and collarbone.

“I noticed you were in great shape the minute you came in the gas station. That and your eyes, they’re so blue, crystal, like…” She thought for a moment, then said, “Kind of like water in the ocean.”

I basked in her compliment, my cock giving a twitch. “Ah, yes, water.”

“Guess I’m a sucker for a pretty face,” she teased.

If she didn’t stop now, I’d pull off the road and bend her over the hood of the car. I’d already imagined my hands in her hair, ripping away her clothes, hands on tits, plumping, stroking, teasing. It was entirely possible and the two horn dogs in the backseat wouldn’t even notice, too busy getting high and sucking face. Stranger things had happened in college dorm rooms. I’d heard stories about one roommate banging some hot pussy on the bottom bunk while roomy slept up top, though I doubt any real sleeping was going on up there. But still, I needed to stop this and drive.

Before I knew it, we’d driven as far as the next town, and I could keep Little Peckerhead in the barn before he did any damage.

I pulled up to the tow truck place, which Allie had located earlier on her cell. We all got out of the car, ready to stretch our legs. I was anxious to solve Phoebe’s problem and get back on schedule to Vegas. I hated to admit it, but AJ was right. We’d had too many interruptions, and if we didn’t get back on schedule soon, our whole break time would be blown.

I turned to Allie. “You should go find the restroom before we get back in the car.”

Stifling a grin she said, “Good idea,” then spun around and headed to the building. I watched her firm ass twitch as she walked off, then turned back to look for AJ. He was inside the office helping Phoebe make arrangements with the towing service. I met the two of them as they came out the front door.

I tagged him on the shoulder and said, “Everything good to go?”

“Yeah,” he said. “The tow truck’s gonna leave in a few to pick up her van.”

“Good. Meet you back here in a minute. I’m gonna use the can.”

He nodded and I went inside to look for the restrooms. When I got close to the car, there was AJ and Phoebe, standing close together and talking. A sinking feeling hit my stomach. He was supposed to be saying goodbye, but I could tell from his body language, he didn’t want to leave her.

No, no, no.

I strode over to where they stood.

No more chicks. Too much trouble!

I was already on the verge of compromising all my standards for Allie. I couldn’t handle any more complications.

When I reached them, Phoebe lurched at AJ, throwing her arms around his neck, landing a big lip lock on him.

Oh, no.

That looked like a “you’re my hero” move. What’d he tell her? AJ looked all happy and shit, and I was close enough to hear what was said next. Phoebe said she’d love to come to Vegas with us. Why the hell did he ask her that?

Oh, hell no.

I gave him the squint eye and took him by the arm. “Um, AJ can I have a word with you? Excuse us, Phoebe.”

“Sure,” she said.

I towed him a few yards out of earshot and said, “No way, man. We don’t need any more extra baggage.”

“Why not? You have a girl. Why can’t I?”

“Geez, you’re like a child, picking up stray cats. I don’t have a girl. Allie’s just going to her cousin’s. You heard her. We’ll drop her off when we get to Vegas. Then it’s just me and you, buddy and the booty pumpers.” I gave him my best sales pitch.

AJ looked over to Phoebe, longing in his eye. He didn’t want to let her go. She smiled and ran a hand down the front of her top, her fingers lingering at the edge where her breasts were swollen like melons. Oh yeah, he wanted a piece of that ass and she was egging him on.

“But I like her,” he whined. “You know these free spirit types. I bet she’s kinky as shit, like...has a ginormous hippie bush. You know, a huge 1970’s Playboy bush.” He wiggled his brows.

“Hippie bush? Fuck. You wanna jump her bones right now, don’t you? You’re pathetic.” I rubbed my fingers to my temple, resting my other hand on my hip. I knew how this would end. Badly, for me.

AJ furrowed his brow. “Why you tryin’ to shut me down? You know how this works. I can’t help if my testosterone is powerful shit. Come on, let her come with.” He shifted and laid a hand on my shoulder. “Look, I’ve been thinking…”

“Don’t think,” I said. “Thinking is bad for your complexion.” I dropped my hand from my temple. “And dammit, don’t look at me with those puppy dog eyes.”

I saw the dopey look on his face every time he looked in Phoebe’s direction. It was a losing battle, but I gave it one last-ditch effort.

“Listen, don’t bring sand to the Sahara. There’ll be lots of hot girls in Vegas.”

“What about you? You’ve got Allie.”

“We’re not together. How many times do I have to tell you?” I said. “You know my rule.”

“Like hell she’s not. I see the way you look at her,” he shot back. “You side with her against me and back her up all the time. She wants to stop to pee...you say stop. She wants to come with us...you say come. She has your fucking balls, man. You’re breaking the rules.”

“I make the rules,” I shot back.

AJ shook his head. “Dickhead.”

“Asswipe.”

We both turned and looked at Phoebe one last time and she winked at AJ. Back from the restroom, Allie walked up and joined Phoebe.

Shit.

AJ was probably right about me and Allie.

I caught Phoebe’s gaze and gave a head jerk, signaling for her to come with us, although, in no way was it a good idea.

I turned back to AJ and said, “I’m fucked. Get in the car.”