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His gaze cut to me, and I could practically see him moving past the part where I kissed his brother. “He said you needed a second ticket for a date.”
“I agreed to go on dates with guys of my dad’s choosing in exchange for them paying for my final year of college.”
“Why does he care who you date?”
“It’s more about who I’m not dating. His campaign manager dug up the pic of me and Mac kissing, and he lost it. He’s never liked Mac, and according to him, scholarship athletes shouldn’t be worth my time.”
Gavin chuckled. “If he could only see you now.”
I dug my finger into his side, a futile exercise because it was like trying to poke a rock, but otherwise, I didn’t move. “You and I aren’t dating.”
The silence stretched for a beat, two, then, “What if we were?”
“Gavin, I don’t date. For a lot of reasons, but in this case, I can’t afford for my dad to think I’m breaking our agreement.”
“What about the guy tonight?”
“I’ll spend a few hours with him at a party, thank him politely for a nice time no matter how not nice it ends up being, and come back here alone.”
His hand trailed down my side to the hem of my scrunched-up dress. “If you’re coming home alone, why the sexy dress?”
“I have a reputation to uphold. Can’t be intimidating if I show up to a frat party in sweats. Besides, what if he’s cute and I change my mind?”
Gavin’s fingertip grazed the bare skin of my thigh, and I stopped moving. Shadows had darkened the room while we talked, warning me I was running out of time, but I didn’t want to move. I wanted to see if Gavin’s hand felt as good a second time.
“Is that all it takes to change your mind?” He dipped under the material, and my inner muscles squeezed at his teasing tone.
“Sometimes.” I forced myself to think with my head instead of my vagina and tacked on a warning. “With cute roommates it takes a little more. As a rule, the dick isn’t worth the mess.”
He brushed his lips over my hair and moved his hand back to safer territory. “My dick has nothing to do with whether or not you live here. When do you need to leave?”
With his hand on my back again, I fought off disappointment that he’d taken my warning seriously. “Soon. I still need to do my makeup and find my shoes.”
Gavin nodded, catching a few strands of my hair with his stubble. “Guess I’d better go then.”
My hand clenched the material of his shirt as I fought the urge to ask him to stay. He didn’t move me on his own, and I knew he wouldn’t. Gavin was giving me the choice.
I hesitated.
In the stillness, Henry’s quack echoed off the bathroom walls, and I remembered my actions had consequences. If I blew off the date, I could be sacrificing everything I’d worked for up to this point.
I let go of his shirt and slid off his lap, adjusting my dress as I stood. “Thank you.”
His dark eyes followed me back to the mirror before he rolled off the bed himself. “Be careful tonight.”
I didn’t watch him leave. The knot in my stomach said I’d made the wrong choice, picking a blind date over my roommate, but Gavin was still the bigger wild card. Getting involved with him could come with so many problems if feelings got involved. I’d learned that lesson the hard way with Mac.
If I needed a release, I could always find someone at the party once I played the role of dutiful daughter. I ignored the voice laughing at me in the back of my mind and grabbed my makeup case to start repairing the damage I’d done when I’d let Gavin past my defenses.
15
Leaving Eva’s room after she’d hesitated was one of the hardest things I’d ever done. I hadn’t planned to float the idea of dating, but I didn’t regret the words—only the outcome. She’d nearly killed me when she broke down, and I wanted to be the one to make sure she never felt alone again.
I waited until Eva left in her Uber to text the guys. Reece would know where the frat party was happening tonight. As hockey players, we had a standing invite to all parties, but the few I’d attended hadn’t seemed worth the energy. Until now.
Me: Reece, where’s the party tonight?
Reece: Whaaat? You in?
