Rushed (The Rushed Series) (16 page)

But there was something about Alexis' face as she watched the plays. Like she was really, intently watching the game. Every once in a while she leaned over to say something to Dak. And when she did, his face lit up. He gestured toward the field and looked like he was making some kind of point. Showing off his knowledge. His chest even puffed out.

Seeing them together reminded me of how much I'd lost. I looked away and focused on the game just as we made a fifty-yard gain. Seth handed me our flask.

"I'll drink to that!" I took a long, cool pull of cheap whiskey.

At halftime some of the girls from the house stopped by to say hi. Seth flirted with them as usual. It was pointless, but there was no use reminding Seth. He knew what our status was.

The third quarter got interesting. Seth and Dillon "left for the snack bar." Which meant they were trolling for girls. I was so absorbed in the game I didn't look up when someone scooted right next to me on the crowded bleacher bench. The student section was always packed and in motion.

"Yes!" I sprang to my feet and pounded my fist in the air as our quarterback broke through a pack of defenders and sprinted to the ten-yard line before being tackled.

The person next to me put their fingers in their mouth and let loose with an earsplitting whistle. And then she squealed and hooted. My heart pounded into overdrive as I recognized that voice and caught a whiff of a familiar perfume. When I turned to look at the newcomer, Alexis smiled back at me.

"Hey, stranger!" she said. "Do you guys always segregate yourself from the girls? Is it by choice? Or another one of those dumb unwritten rules?"

I stared her down. "I'm off duty and trying to watch the game, pledge."

"So am I." She grinned at me. "And apparently I'm the only one. Have you ever tried to watch some serious football with that crowd?" She rolled her eyes.
 

I couldn't help grinning at her. Why did she have to be so perfect? "A time or two. Why do you think we're down here?"

"Then you know what I mean." She grinned back at me. "They don't know a shotgun formation from a homerun."

I laughed. "That's two different games, pledge."

"That's my point." Her eyes sparkled. Her lips were moist.

I couldn't stop thinking about kissing them. Damn dangerous thoughts. "What happened to
QB2
?" I couldn't help reminding her he'd been number two.

"He's no fun to talk football with when he's drunk. I ditched him."
 

"Playing hard to get? Nice move. Not many Double Deltsies have the guts to make the president of Tau Psi chase them."

"I don't want him to chase me," she said. "I want him to leave me alone." She glanced at the field as they got ready to snap the ball. "Now either talk football and watch the game or shut up."

"Yes, ma'am."

Alexis surprised me with her insight and knowledge of the game. I found myself discussing plays and strategy with her. "Where did you learn so much about football?" I asked her.

"I like sports. And athletes." She grinned at me. "I watched a lot of football with my dad. And I played summer league girls' rugby."

I turned and stared at her. She was, like, maybe 110 pounds soaking wet. "No."

Her grin deepened. "Yes. Wing. I'm fast and I have game sense."

"At least you weren't in the scrum." I couldn't believe her. "If you tell me you like to tackle—"

"I do! I love it." Her eyes lit up.
 

I couldn't tell if she was teasing me or not. "I don't. I'd rather carry the ball and run."

"That's because you're a showoff." She bumped me with her shoulder.

She was driving me wild with the way my body reacted to her. Worse was the way my head couldn't resist her. If I had been able to conjure up the perfect girl, Alexis Turner would have been it. I liked her way too much. If we hadn't been in public, I would have kissed her. Instead I balled my fists and made myself watch the game, trying to block out her nearness.

Halfway through the quarter, I saw Dak looking for her. When he spotted her with me, he scowled and turned away. But I knew Dak. The prize was suddenly even more valuable now that he thought I wanted it. I cursed silently. For two years I'd avoided him. I didn't want to get in a pissing fight with him now.

"You just made Dak mad," I said to Alexis.

She shrugged. "So?"

"You're not using me to make him jealous?" I asked.

She turned her gaze on me. Her eyes snapped fiercely. "Never."

Then something happened on the field and the crowd erupted. "Crap! Worrying about Dakota made us miss the play." She stuck her tongue out comically.

That's my girl
, I thought, wishing she could be, as the two Tau Psi pledges who'd tried to dunk her in the river walked by in the aisle and gave me the evil eye.

We won the game with a nail-biter last-minute field goal kicked from the outer edge of our kicker's range. The crowd was on its feet. Beside me, Alexis jumped up and down. Everyone was hugging everyone else. Somehow Alexis ended up in my arms. She fit just right beneath my chin. I picked her up and swung her around as she picked her feet off the ground and hollered for the team. I had to make myself put her down.

We walked back to the house together. "Come out with us tonight and celebrate!" she said when we reached the door.

I shook my head. That was such a bad idea. "Sorry, pledge. Only the chapter president has the power to invite the houseboys along."

"Crap! This isn't a house event. Just some of us hanging out. It's not like you're a servant." She was cute when she was indignant.

"Yeah, technically, I am." I winked at her. "Besides, I have dinner duty."

She wrinkled her nose. "You mean you have to set the table?"

"Are you trivializing my work?"

She blushed.

I shook my head. "On Saturdays, dinner is a buffet. I put the casseroles Betty left in the oven and set out the bread and salads. But it's way more important duty than that. The main thing is to make sure the girls eat something before they go out drinking."
 

I arched an eyebrow. "The girls like to skip dinner to save on calories. Drinking on an empty stomach is asking for trouble. I'm damned tired of being woken up at four in the morning by drunk girls who've been locked out."

"Shouldn't our house mom do that?"

She was so naïve.

"Yeah. But why would they wake her and get in trouble when they can tap on our windows and avoid the whole mess?"

"So you're all softies?" Her voice was full of tease.

I liked the way she smiled and teased way too much. "Don't let it get around. The last thing we need is the pledges catching on."

She grinned. "So you what—force-feed the girls?"

"Ply them with bread." I sounded so damn responsible. "Eat a roll before you go."

She laughed. "Dinner doesn't last forever. After you're done scrubbing the pots and pans—"

"I'm on call."

"On call? You really are an indentured servant." She was hot even when she frowned, and especially when she pouted on my behalf. "Like, what kind of emergencies are there likely to be around here tonight?"

"The usual kind of dire situation that requires clear thinking and immediate action," I teased. "Too many blow dryers, curling irons, and flatirons plugged into one circuit at once, blowing the breaker."

"That is dire."

"Yeah, the hair must be perfect before the girls go out. You can see it's hopeless. I'm absolutely essential personnel around here tonight. Without me, what would the girls do?"
 

"You know how to fix these circuit breakers?" she said.

"A flip of the switch."

She arched one eyebrow. "So it requires skilled labor?"

"Absolutely. See you around, pledge." I walked off toward the basement. It was safer down there.

Paul was on shift with me. We took turns with Saturday and Sunday dinner. He was off after the dishes were done. He took off to party with friends. The house cleared out about ten. Yeah, it was shitty having to work Saturdays. But sometimes I enjoyed the time to myself when the house was nearly deserted. I microwaved a plate of dinner and sat in the living room to watch the big-screen TV as I ate.

I had just started to eat when Morgan staggered down from upstairs. "Zach? Are you on duty tonight?"

"Yeah. I drew the short straw." I set my plate on the coffee table in front of me. "Shit, Morgan. Have you been drinking alone again?"

She walked over and slid into my lap, straddling and facing me. Her breath stank of gin as she pressed her forehead against mine. "My bad."

"Why, Morgan? You're funny. You're hot. Get out there with the girls. Go pick up a guy." I reached past her and picked up a roll from my plate.

"I don't want just any guy, Zach." She cupped my face. "You know who I want. Why don't you want me?"

When Morgan was drunk, all her social regulators failed. Fortunately, she usually didn't remember what she said.

"Morgan, baby." I broke off a piece of roll and held it out for her to bite. "Eat something to absorb all that alcohol you chugged."

She pushed my hand away and inched her lips toward mine. "You're the only guy I've wanted since I came to school." She rubbed her crotch against mine. "I could make you feel so good, baby. So, so good."

"Morgan, you know it's no good. I can't have a relationship with the girls in the house." I'd been using this excuse since we met. For all her Double Deltsie looks, Morgan and her neediness had never tempted me.

I pulled her hands away from my face as she kept doing a bump-and-grind in my lap. I would have had to be a eunuch for my body not to react to what she was doing.
 

She felt the bulge growing uncomfortable in my jeans. "You like it, baby. Let me take you all the way. No one has to know. Everyone's gone," she whispered. "No one will see us." She leaned down and kissed me as she tried to unzip my jeans. The next thing I knew, her tongue was down my throat.

Chapter Ten

Alexis

I ignored three texts from Dakota before I finally responded and begged off, claiming a migraine. Then I shut off my phone. He could think I was flirting or playing hard to get. Or he could realize the truth—I wasn't into him. I only wanted to spend time with Zach.

I used the same migraine excuse to bail on going out with the girls, claiming the sun and the booze had brought one on. When the house finally quieted down, I started down the stairs to find Zach. I was halfway down them when I spotted Zach in the living room, sitting on a sofa with Morgan on his lap. I didn't think it was possible to literally see red, but I did.

The little bitch!

She was clearly bombed as she did a bump-and-grind on Zach's lap. And oblivious to how not into her he was.
 

Zach's voice carried over the volume of the TV up the stairs to me. "Morgan, you know it's no good. I can't have a relationship with the girls in the house."

I swallowed that down, knowing he was right. And I was wrong for pushing one. But there was an attraction between Zach and me that couldn't be ignored.
 

Zach was way too understanding and kind with Morgan. But she kept pushing. I glared at her. She wouldn't get away with this. I was going to stop her.

I turned and silently went back to my room. I looked around, wildly searching for an idea. My blow dryer caught my eye. I grabbed it and Em's. And both our curling irons. My flatiron. I ran next door and borrowed Sarah's, too. I took them all back to my room, plugged them in, and turned them all on at once.

When the breaker tripped and the blow dryers went silent, I turned my phone on and called Zach.

"Yeah?" He sounded breathless when he picked up. I heard him mumble something to Morgan.

"I have an emergency," I said. "I can't do a thing with my hair, and my blow dryer just died."

"Died?" He sounded relieved.

"Yeah, I think I tripped a breaker."