Chase Lovett Wants Me, page 8
“I don’t know. But I didn’t see you at all yesterday and I didn’t like it, and I also didn’t get a chance to get your phone number and I’ve spent the last twenty-four hours in worst-case scenario-ville,” he admits.
“Oh.”
Brody drops into the seat next to him. His hood is pulled up to conceal his face. Looks like we’re both hiding from the world, but probably for very different reasons.
“Hey, Cammie. Hey, Chase.” He waves and starts pulling things out of his backpack.
“Hey,” we say in unison.
Another large guy sits down who I presume must also be on the school hockey team based on his size and haircut—most of these guys sport a slightly shaggy mop covered with a Tilton University or Terror ball cap. Except for Brody. He usually sports a plain black one.
He greets Brody and Chase, then leans forward to give me a two-finger wave. “You must be Cammie.”
Chase’s head whips around in his direction. “Dude.”
Brody stifles a snicker.
“What? This is the girl you were talking about at the gym earlier, right? The edgy one you can fit in your pocket?”
Chase called me edgy? And that he could fit me in his pocket? Both are true, I guess. My wardrobe is fairly monochromatic and next to him I’m pretty darn small. But what else did he say about me?
“I’m Mac. I play defense for the Blaze. Chase couldn’t stop talking about you through our entire workout. I get it, you’re cute.” He winks.
“I will end you if you keep it up,” Chase growls.
My entire body likes that sound.
I lean into Chase and extend my hand. It means my boob is pressed against his forearm and my cheek brushes his chest. Brody leans back, smirk firmly in place as Mac’s grin widens. He takes my small hand in his giant mitt and gives it a light shake. “I’m Cammie, the pocket-sized edgy girl Chase apparently couldn’t stop talking about. It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Cammie.” Mac is ridiculously flirty. Everything about him screams one-night stand.
“Don’t use that tone with Cammie,” Chase grumbles.
Mac gives him a two-finger salute. “Sir, yes, sir.” He winks at me again and leans back in his seat.
The professor takes her place at the front of the lecture hall, ending any further conversation. It’s hard to focus on her with Chase sitting beside me. He rests his knee against mine and leans into my space to look at my notes every few minutes. He smells divine and it takes literally every ounce of resolve not to reach out and trace the thick veins on the back of his hand.
After class, Mac throws out a blanket invitation to go to the campus pub.
“Who will be there?” Brody asks.
“A few of the guys from the team.” He adjusts his ball cap. “And probably those girls from your dorm, Barbie and what’s her name?”
“Annabelle,” Brody supplies.
“Yeah. That’s right.”
“I’ve got a chemistry assignment I need to tackle, but thanks,” Brody says. “I’m going to hit the library so I can grab a couple of research books, but I’ll catch you all later.”
Mac turns to Chase. “You’re going to bail too, aren’t you? Don’t make me ask Gage to come with me.”
“Oh yeah. Definitely bailing. Have fun.”
“You suck.” He fires the bird at Chase, then turns his megawatt smile on me. “You want to ditch him and come with me?”
“It’s a tempting offer, but I’m good, thanks,” I deadpan and hug Chase’s well-developed biceps.
“That was a test, and you passed. I like this one.” He claps Chase on the back and ambles off. He doesn’t make it ten feet before he’s accosted by a group of girls.
“He’s…interesting.”
“He flirts with literally everyone.”
“Yeah. I gathered that.”
“I’ve never seen him hook up with someone though.”
“Wait, seriously? Not even kiss anyone?” It’s hard to believe, but I guess you can’t always judge a book by its cover, or its flirtiness.
“Nope. Not even a peck.” Chase looks at me. “You heading back to res?”
“Yeah. I have a night class but I’m stopping by my room first. How about you?”
He nods, gaze moving over my face as he tucks his finger under my backpack strap. “I can carry this for you.”
“I have a black belt; I can handle a backpack.”
“I know. But I’d like to carry your books for you, all nineteen-fifties-style chivalrous like.”
I tip my head. “Is this to make up for the unchivalrous face fuck on the hotel bed?”
His eyes flare.
“Which I loved, by the way,” I tack on, in case he thinks otherwise. I’m pretty sure all my moaning and humming and generally pleased noises should have tipped him off to that fact already.
“Yes. No. Yes. I loved that too, so fucking much. But we shouldn’t talk about it right now or I’ll need to use your backpack or maybe even your body as a shield because it’s making things happen in my pants.” Chase half-groans that statement as his eyes heat.
I lick my lips and glance down at his crotch.
“Don’t do that; he’ll know you’re looking and embarrass me,” he whispers.
“We don’t want that.” I hand him my backpack and he falls into step beside me as we make the trek across campus to our residence building. “So you were talking about me to your hockey bros,” I say conversationally. I can’t believe he’s walking me back to res. And carrying my books for me. I feel like I’m in a movie right now.
“I thought you were avoiding me. Which you were, and I wasn’t sure what I’d done wrong or if I could fix it,” he admits. “So I told the guys about you, and Brody mentioned that Barbie and Annabelle, while sometimes helpful in keeping the hard-core fans at bay, can also be super bitches to basically everyone who isn’t a hockey player.”
“They don’t exactly exude warmth.”
“They really don’t. He also mentioned that not everyone is a high-level extrovert like myself, and that sometimes it’s important to check in on my quiet friends to make sure they’re not swimming in a mental lake of terror when they’re put in situations that are outside of their comfort zone,” Chase adds.
“That’s an astute observation.” Brody seems nice.
“Brody is an astute guy,” Chase agrees as he adjusts my backpack straps.
It’s not light. I have three textbooks in there and each one must weigh eight pounds. But he’s a hockey player so he can handle it, I’m sure.
Some guy comes up to Chase to ask him about an upcoming game, and we end up stuck chatting for a couple minutes. Chase keeps looking at me as he talks about the other team. It feels uncomfortable just standing here, while he’s told how well everyone needs to play or risk disappointing the entire campus.
“Is it like that for all of you?” I ask. “You had to be the best of the best in your high school to play here. Is it overwhelming to have everyone put their expectations on you like that?”
“It comes with the territory. We’re all used to being the best. Now most of us are at the same level, with a few standouts.”
“Are you one of the standouts?” I ask out of genuine curiosity.
“I want to be. Brody definitely is. Even as a first year, the potential is there. He has so much natural talent. I think he’ll be even better than his brother at some point, as long as he doesn’t get too in his head about it.”
I nod slowly, absorbing that information. “Do you get in your head about it?”
Chase shrugs. “I think we all do at some point. University is tough. Between classes, practice, workouts, homework, and a social life, it’s hard not to get swept up in all the fun stuff and forget that this is step one of a much bigger goal.”
“To finish a degree and make the pros?” I ask, fascinated.
“Basically, yeah.”
“You’re an interesting guy, Chase.”
“You think so?” The smile that lights up his face makes my heart flutter.
“Definitely.” I’ve never been friends with an athlete before. It’s a lot of responsibility and dedication. They have to function as part of a team and juggle all the same things I do on top of that.
He opens the door to our residence building. Half a dozen people say hi to him while we wait for the elevator. People ask if he’s coming out tonight and he deflects saying he has assignments and early practice. We cram ourselves into the elevator and Chase pulls me into a corner and moves me to stand in front of him, settling a hand on my waist while we ascend.
More people say hi to him and give me curious looks as we walk down the hall to my room.
The note I didn’t notice from yesterday is still on my whiteboard.
Can I please have your number?
CL
I tip my head up and smile, feeling shy. “Yes, you can have my number.”
“Cool.” He pulls out his phone, snaps a quick picture, adds my name, and passes me the device.
I key in my number and hand it back. My phone pings a second later.
I pull it out and show him the text he just sent me. “Got yours now, too.” It’s only five thirty. I don’t have to leave for class for another hour. “Do you want to come in for a bit?”
“Yeah.” Chase nods, then shakes his head. “But no.”
I try not to let the disappointment show on my face, but I’m pretty sure I fail.
“If I come into your room, I’m going to want to do things.”
“Kinda the point.” I wish I had my backpack to hold on to so I don’t fidget.
Chase smiles. “I want to show you I like you more than just a hookup.”
He looks so determined, and I like it. “Okay.”
“So maybe tomorrow morning I can meet you for coffee after my practice?”
“Sure. Yeah. I’d like that.” I think he just asked me on a coffee date.
“Cool. Awesome. That’s great. I’ll text you later.”
“Okay.”
He bites his lip and his eyes dart to mine.
“Can I kiss you, though?”
“Yes, please.”
He drops both of our backpacks and nods at someone as they pass. He glances over his shoulder, waiting until they disappear around the corner before his warm palm curves around the side of my neck. I tip my head up as he drops his.
He brushes his lips over mine, then pulls the bottom one between his, sucking softly. We make matching needy sounds as our bodies gravitate closer. We angle our heads at the same time. Our tongues meet and brush against each other. I settle a hand on his biceps and give it a happy little squeeze.
“Lovett, Lovelock, if you do that on the other side of the door, no one has to witness it,” Colby shouts from not very far away.
I free my lips from Chase’s and pull my hood up. Chase’s lips press into a line and he gives Colby the death stare.
“I’m helping you out here, man. Your buddy Gage just snapped a picture. You’re welcome. If you need condoms, you can visit the health center.” He saunters past us, wearing a satisfied grin.
Chase thumbs over his shoulder. “I’m going to go beat up Gage.”
“Good luck.”
“Thanks.” He kisses my cheek and grabs his bag, rushing down the hall as he shouts, “Steele, I’m coming for you!”
I can’t stop smiling. I have so much to tell Tally.
CHAPTER 13
CHASE
“So what’s the deal with you and your hotel roomie?” Gage asks as we’re changing back into street clothes after practice.
“Her name is Cammie,” I correct.
“What’s the deal with you and Cammie?” He stresses her name.
“I like her.”
“I figured that with the way you were sucking face in the hall. You sure it’s a good idea to hook up with one of the girls on our floor? Sort of limits your options unless you’re aiming for awkwardness when you move on to the next one.” He pulls a shirt over his head, covering the tattoo on his chest.
“I’m not planning to move on to the next one.” I spray deodorant under my arms, then give it an extra courtesy spritz for good measure.
Gage stops messing with his hair to gape at me. “Dude.”
“What?”
“We’re two months into four years of fun times.”
Brody rolls his eyes.
Gage points an accusing finger at him. “Don’t even. Your monk status is ninety percent of the reason girls won’t leave you alone. Mac at least flirts with them.”
“I don’t want to spend the next four years racking up a ridiculous number of one-night stands,” I say, and mean it. I thought a lot about what Cammie said about my reputation and it just isn’t what I want for myself.
“This,” Brody agrees.
“But I need a wingman at parties!” Gage argues. “Someone other than Mac because all the girls want him more. Please. I beg of you.”
“You’ll be fine without a wingman,” I assure him. “Honestly, the last couple of months were fun, but it gets old fast.”
Running into former hookups sucks. It’s awkward and uncomfortable and I started to feel used. I want more than someone to get off with. I want to watch movies and study and hang out with Cammie while she writes a new chapter as much as I want to feel her lips on mine. I want her to be my person, and I want to be hers.
“You guys suck.” Gage stuffs his hair supplies in his backpack. “I gotta roll. I have tutoring in fifteen.” He flips us both the bird and takes off.
Brody and I finish getting dressed and leave the locker room. I check my phone as we step outside. “I’m meeting up with Cammie for coffee and walking her to class,” I tell him.
“Good,” Brody replies. “Have you asked her on a date yet?”
“Isn’t coffee a date?”
“I mean, I guess. But you’ve sort of jumped over the whole coffee-get-to-know-you phase since you’ve already spent the night together.”
“So you think I should take her on a date date?” I run a hand through my hair.
He side-eyes me. “Yeah, you definitely should.”
“I haven’t been on a date since the beginning of senior year,” I admit.
“I know this. And taking a girl to Mickey D’s doesn’t count as a real date.”
“It felt like a date. I paid,” I say defensively.
“For fries and a milkshake.”
“It seemed legit at the time,” I grumble.
He exhales his annoyance through his nose dramatically. “Take her out for dinner and go to a movie or something. Spend some time with just her. And don’t be in a rush to get her back into a bed.”
I blow out a breath. “What if she wants to get back into a bed with me?”
“You haven’t had sex yet, right?” I didn’t give Brody details, but he knows things happened.
I shake my head. “We just did other stuff.”
He nods his approval. “Do more other stuff. And always take care of her first. My brother may not have been the best role model when it came to how he handled relationships until he and Rix became a thing, but that was the rule he stressed. Always take care of her before you get yours. Give before you get. He also says it’s important to listen first and react second.”
“It’s solid advice.”
“And make sure you take her somewhere the team doesn’t go. You don’t want to run into a former hookup when you’re on a date with Cammie,” Brody advises.
“Good call.”
We arrive at the coffee shop and Brody continues to his next class. I wait outside until Cammie arrives. She’s wearing a black Lord of the Rings hoodie and a pair of wide-leg jeans. She looks fucking adorable.
A beautiful smile lights up her face as she approaches. “Hey.”
“Hey, yourself.” When she’s close enough, I tug on the loose end of a backpack strap and pull her into me.
She tips her head up and I bend, but she leans away. “What are you doing?”
“Saying hi.”
“People are going to think we’re a thing.”
“Good. I want us to be a thing.” I stroke her cheek with a single finger. “Can I please kiss you?”
“Right now?” She glances around.
“Yeah. Right now.” She’s so cute. I can’t remember the last time a girl didn’t want to kiss me in front of everyone. It’s refreshing to be wanted for more than my athlete status.
“Okay?”
“You don’t sound very sure about that.”
Her tongue darts out. “You can kiss me.”
I dip down and brush my lips over hers. Little electric bursts of pleasure zing through my veins. I slide my fingers into her hair and tilt my head, my tongue stroking along the seam of her lips. They part on a soft gasp and she grips my shirt, tipping her head, letting me in. I sink into the kiss, into the feel of her lips on mine, relishing the softness and the sweet aftertaste of strawberry on her tongue.
“Get a room, Lovett!” one of my asshole teammates shouts as he passes by.
Cammie pushes on my chest and steps back, quickly pulling her hood up to hide her face.
I flip off my teammate, then wrap an arm around her shoulder and guide her into the coffee shop. I’m hit with the scent of slightly burnt cheese and coffee. And I’m suddenly starving. Which is a common occurrence.
We get in line and Cammie fidgets nervously.
“You okay?”
“Yeah. Great. Awesome. Good.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.” She gives me two thumbs-up.
A couple of girls and a guy stop to say hi. One of them wishes me good luck at the game tonight.
“How was your first class this morning?” I ask.
“Good. It was good. Except for the pop quiz. That wasn’t awesome, but I think I did okay. How about yours? Oh wait, you had practice, not class. How was practice?”
“It was also good. One of the guys put a poster of Scarlet Reed in Gage’s locker and his face turned bright red before I watched him secretly fold it up to save for later.”
