CHAPTER 7

EMMA

I looked around the campus as the others wandered off in groups. I’d just finished my tour and it was beautiful and intimidating all at once. I was looking forward to starting classes.

I played back the casual tour as I started to walk to a group of buildings. I smiled as I looked around at all the grass and trees in this part of the campus. It was huge here compared to the small community college that I attended in Chattanooga.

I pulled out my phone to take some pictures for Willow.

“Hi. Emma, right?”

A girl from the tour was walking up to me with a smile. She reached out her hand and I shook it.

“I’m Bella. Want to grab some lunch in the cafeteria? It’s not too bad, believe it or not.”

“Yeah. Sure. Thanks,” I turned off my phone and followed her. Bella was chatty and talked about her upcoming classes, adding that she was majoring in literature.

We got in line and I ordered a turkey sandwich and she got a grilled cheese. We both grabbed iced tea, and I fought the urge to giggle as she bounced over to a table. Bella was bubbly, and I liked it. She was the first person I’d met on my own since arriving here.

A friend could get me out the apartment and away from the sexiness that was Jackson. At least I could keep away from him physically, if not mentally. I was finding myself thinking of him all the time.

Bella was wearing a Trojans cheerleader shirt that clung to her curves and I smiled a little as I looked down at my tray.

“Are you a fan?” Bella asked.

I laughed.

“I share an apartment with one of them. Second string, but part of the team. An old friend of the family.”

Bella raised an eyebrow. “The hottest backup I know is Jackson Cooper.”

I nodded and she gasped.

“You lucky girl. I went out with one of the other players for a brief minute. It was fun but with those guys, the team comes first. You will always be an afterthought. I mean, I wasn’t that involved to where I went through all that pain, but I’ve seen other girls do it.” She shrugged. “I’d rather just have fun. Are you dating Jackson?”

“No, not at all. He offered me a place to stay,” I replied as I thought about the reality of dating him. It would be great when he was home, and we were together, but there were so many away games and practices. There were the girls who would do anything to sleep with the players. I remembered Jackson as a teenager. I think that would be much worse being young and a pro player. I didn’t even know why I was wasting my time with this. It wasn’t as if he was interested in me. We were just friends.

I came back to reality as Bella was beaming at me.

“Are you in?” she asked.

I blinked, not knowing what she was talking about. How long had I been daydreaming? If it was about Jackson, probably since I was a young girl.

“Sure,” I said cautiously, wondering what I was agreeing to.

“It’s going to be so much fun. We’ll get to see all the games and travel with the team. Don’t get another job because you won’t have time for that. Are your parents paying for school?”

“Yeah. They aren’t rich or anything but staying with Jackson for a while is saving a lot of money.”

What had I just agreed to?

“No, you want to have fun while you’re in college. I imagine that Jackson does well and if he’s willing to take care of you, live there forever,” Bella suggested with a wink.

“I don’t know about that. I’m pretty sure it’s just temporary.”

We talked about the school and Nashville, and traded phone numbers at the end of the meal. Bella sounded fun. She went out a lot and I needed someone light and fun in my life to hang around. She gave me a hug and ran off to see a guy for coffee.

When I got home, Bella sent me a text telling me to be at the Trojans stadium the following day at one.

Jackson wasn’t home, or at least, his truck wasn’t there, and I assumed that he was at practice. They were doing a lot of that right now.

I put my purse on the table and got some water. I looked at the contents of the fridge and pulled out some beef. I went to the pantry and got out a few cans of tomato sauce and pasta. I didn’t know when Jackson would be home but having some dinner ready might be nice.

As the sauce simmered I thought again about dating Jackson, or any of the players. Was it that hard? I knew some of the guys were married with kids. It was possible, but it was not even worth talking about since Jackson and I were never going to be anything more than roommates.

I fixed myself a plate of spaghetti and called Willow after I ate.

“So, I met someone today.”

“What’s his name? Will Jackson be jealous?”

“Don’t be silly, she’s a girl and her name is Bella.”

“Do I need to be jealous instead?” Willow said with a laugh.

“I wish. She’s roped me into going to the Trojans stadium with her tomorrow.”

“Jeez, I miss you so much. But I am proud that you are striking out on your own. I’m going to have to find new friends myself.”

“I’ll be back soon, once I get a grip on my classes.”

“By the way, I ran into your parents and your mom almost cried when she saw me.”

“I wonder if my mom ever cried when she saw Jackson around town?”

“Gosh, you’ve got Jackson on the mind. Speaking of him, I also saw your brother.”

“Let me guess…” I started to say.

“He asked if you’d gone on any dates,” Willow replied.

“He’s always been overprotective. I need to start living my life.”

I missed Willow so much, and we talked late into the night.

I realized that it was eleven and that Jackson was still not home. I started to worry that something happened. I put the leftovers in the fridge and decided to have a glass of wine and read in bed.

Jackson had no reason to tell me that he was going to be home late or not at all. It was ridiculous to even consider but I sighed heavily as I let the idea of him spending the night with a woman cross my mind. I wanted him so badly but there was no way it could work out. He deserved to be with someone who he could be out and open about. I knew that if family ever visited us, I’d be too worried about them finding out about us and ruin everything.

I should just stop thinking about it, but I wanted him. I wanted Jackson to kiss me the way I’d always imagined. I longed for slow, deep kisses that led to the hungry kind that I read about in books. I dreamed of his mouth on my body, claiming places that even my ex hadn’t. My skin burned at the thought of his touch and I dropped against my pillow as I breathed out.

Back in high school, I’d heard things about Jackson. Girls who slept with him said that he was great in bed. They bragged about being a notch on his bedpost and I wondered what he’d feel like inside me.

I sighed and slid my hand down my body as the desire hit me. I didn’t touch myself often but tonight I was horny and a little buzzed from the wine. I made a point of listening for the front door as I slipped my hand into my underwear, finding my folds wet and slick. I moaned as I stroked myself, finding my swollen clit and pressing down on it as pleasure burst through me.

In my imagination, it was Jackson’s hands exploring me.

My hands moved faster as the heat rushed to my thighs, needing the release that had been a constant ache since moving in here. I thought it was bad when I was in high school when I thought about Jackson but now it was near unbearable. I closed my eyes and rocked against my hand as I searched for the orgasm that was buried inside me.

I played the fantasy of his mouth on me as I kept going, longing for Jackson to be the one pleasuring me. I wanted his face buried between my legs, licking and tasting me. I wanted his mouth on my nipples, sucking and biting. I wanted everything that no man had given me before and I felt the shift in my body. I was very wet now, and my hand slid easily inside myself as I pressed my palm against my clit.

If it had been Jackson touching me, he might have already managed to get me off by now. I kept thrusting with two fingers as I rocked with the movement. I cried out as I came, forgetting all about listening for the door as my heat washed over my hand. It was powerful, and I dropped my head back as I rode through the aftershocks.

If that was good with just my hand, I couldn’t imagine how good it would be with Jackson. I breathed deep as I felt my body relax for the night. Reaching for my wine, I drank that last long sip and set the glass on the dresser beside the bed.

I listened to the quiet of the apartment as I closed my eyes, continuing to dream about Jackson.

I woke up to the sound of the front door. I glanced at the clock to see that it was past two. I wondered where he had been as he closed and locked the door, continuing to listen as he walked down the hall. I swore he paused for a moment outside my door and I stared at it longing to tell him to come in. Perhaps he didn’t know if I was home and was wondering where I was.

Or was he on the other side wanting me as I wanted him. I just wanted to give myself to him without the fear that I’d been dealing with. I remained quiet as he walked away, closing his own door as I sighed in my empty room.

In the morning, I woke up early and got a text from Bella about our plans. I had agreed to meet up with her without really being aware of what I had agreed to do. I sat up with a gasp as I looked at the Trojans web page and read that they were hiring a new cannon girl for the team to add to the three that they already had. The cannon girls were the ones who shot the shirts into the air throughout the games while the cheerleaders did their thing. Those auditions were today. My mouth dropped open as I realized what I was doing and just how much I was not meant for that kind of job.