Well then, she could wait and wish and hope Chris would find her, or she could go find him herself. So she did. All day, Robyn searched for Chris, but she never found him. They didn't have any classes together, and he never went to the library. Where would he be? The football field, dummy. Now that she thought about it, she'd only ever seen him around the gym and the athletic fields. She got away from track practice as soon as she could and hurried over to the football field. Chris spotted her right away. "Hey, Robyn, go deep!" He launched the football at her. Robyn kept her eye on the ball, took two steps to her left, one step back, and caught it with ease. "Nice shit." He jogged over to her. He lifted her face in his hands and touched his lips to hers—soft and gentle—promising more in the right time and place. That kiss erased any doubt that Chris wanted to see her again. She didn't even mind that he'd kissed her in front of the entire football team. She'd said she didn't care what other people thought of her. Start living up to it, Robyn. "I, um, came over here for a reason, but I can't remember what...." She raised her lips for another kiss, and he responded without hesitating. "You miss me." "Besides that." Chris laughed. "I wanted to apologize for Mel's bitch ass for the way she treated you. That was fucked up." He nodded but didn't say anything. "She's never acted like that. Every other guy I might have once had an interest in she's so excited that I even like a guy. I don't know why she doesn't want me going out with you." "She's just looking out for you." He shrugged, but avoided her eyes. "Not the first overprotective friend you've pissed off?" His smile held a tinge of remorse. "It's the price I pay for choosing to play the field." She decided to let that go. "I told her I could take care of myself." "You don't need to." "Yeah, because if you do hurt me, I'll kick your ass through the goal posts." His eyes turned playful again. "You can try." "Don't tempt me." Such a cute ass too. "Ah, Robyn, I know so many ways to tempt you." "I believe it." His standing there looking at her with those dangerous blue eyes was doing the trick quite well, thank you. "Hell, I was awake all night thinking of ways to tempt you." He moved closer and ran his fingers down her spine. "And thinking of ways to make you give in." Her heart beat faster. "Really?" "I got no sleep at all. How about you?" "I slept great." Her skin suddenly felt as if she'd stepped into an oven. "Huh." "After I... um...." What am I saying? Do not tell him about that! "Never mind." Chris cocked an eyebrow and flashed a smile. "After you what?" "Nothing." She clapped her hand over her mouth to hide the naughty little smile coming on and her eyes widened as she glanced at the sky. "After you took matters into your own hands...." Robyn shook her head, but her quick breath and hot face betrayed her dirty little secret. "Damn, you didn't even Skype a nigga.... Do you have any idea how big a turn on that is?" Is that just his protective cup in his pants or...? "Was it good for you?" He gave her a sinful smile. "Too bad we're not alone, or I would definitely—" "Hey Chris!" "Kill someone." Chris swore, and shot a look at Mike that stopped him in his tracks. "Oh, sorry, didn't mean to interrupt. Keeis and Jared want to know if we want to pitch in for pizza tonight." "Sure. Sounds good. See you later." Mike waited. "I don't have any cash on me, so bye." Mike shook his head. "Aren't you going to introduce me?" He winked at Robyn. "No." "No class." Mike took Robyn's hand and lifted it to his lips. Chris rolled his eyes. "I'm Michael, this niggas roommate and lifelong friend. You must be—" "Mine." Chris pulled her hand away from Mike. She laughed. "I'm Robyn. It's nice meeting you, Michael." Mike was around the same height as Chris, maybe shorter, he had slim shoulders and sticks as legs. His light brown eyes were playful and his pink full lips surrounded his beautiful smile. Robyn found his smile more than attractive. Maybe Chris saw him as competition. He certainly could be. "The pleasure is all mine." He turned to his roommate. "She's even prettier than you said. Be good to her or I might have to steal her away from you." Chris laughed. "Good luck with that." Mike leaned close to her, but not so close that Chris couldn't hear. "When you get tired of this guy, let me know." He winked at Chris. "I know how to treat a lady." Chris pulled her close. "It's a good thing you're no lady or— Damn!" Robyn served him an elbow to his ribs for that. "Mike, go away. Robyn—" His eyes hid nothing. "—you need to be punished." She caught her breath. His smile made her ache. "I see you remember that." "Okay, I am outta here." Mike slapped Chris between the shoulders. "It's about time," he grumbled. "Robyn, nice meeting you. I'm sure I'll see more of you." Mike gave her a suggestive smile. Chris stepped between them. "Nigga, lets not" "Do something about her knee, nigga. She's bleeding all over the place." "What the hell, Robyn? What happened?" All three of them looked at her right knee—bruised, swollen, and dripping blood all the way down to her sneakers. "Oh, I jumped the hurdle and bumped my knee against the top. Must've got me." "You just noticed that?" Mike cuffed Chris upside the head. "Some sports doc you're gonna be." "I wasn't looking at her knees," Chris growled through his teeth. "Robyn, sit down. Mike, get me a towel, a bandage, and an ice pack." He helped Robyn to the bleachers, then flexed her knee up and down, making sure nothing was broken, and that she had full range of motion. He wiped the blood with the towel and sent Mike for some soap and water. "This will sting a little." He cleaned the dirt from the wound and wrapped her knee with the bandage. A tear escaped her tightly closed eyes, but she didn't complain. "Keep the ice on as long as you can. Walk on it, but don't put your full weight on your knee. Don't let it get stiff." "Yes, doctor," she teased him. "I mean it. You have to keep it moving if you don't want any permanent damage." She laughed. "What's funny? Did you get kicked in the head too?" "I'm sorry. There's a dirty joke here somewhere about playing doctor with you." She wiped tears from her eyes. "This isn't quite how I imagined it." "You won't be laughing when this thing wakes you up throbbing in the middle of the night." They both laughed at that one. "Believe me, I know." He winked. "All right, woman, get off your ass and try to walk." Chris and Mike took her arms and helped her walk to the gym. "It doesn't really hurt that much guys." She hadn't even noticed she was injured until Mike pointed it out. "It will," the guys said in unison. "I gotta hit the showers," Mike announced, breaking up the party. "I'll see you two later." "Bye," Robyn called after him. "I like him. He's a lot nicer than my roommate." "Can't argue with that." "So you're interested in sports medicine?" "Yeah. I blew out my knee during a game freshman year, and Coach took me to a clinic specializing in athletic injuries. The doctors were amazing. They helped me recover fast enough to finish the season and start again the next year, but...." He looked at her, and then held her arm a little tighter. "I'll never play beyond college. I'll never make it to the NFL." "I'm sorry." She put her arm around him. Robyn remembered that game. The whole school feared they'd lost their most promising quarterback, and everyone cheered when Chris came off the injured reserve list. "I can't scramble like I used to. That's why I depend on my arm and a good running back like Mike. So when I had to figure out what else to do with my life, I decided I wanted to help other athletes like me." She hadn't expected Chris to be the one with a plan, with goals, with a purpose. "And here I thought you stayed in school for the cheerleaders." "Yeah, that's a definite perk." He leaned back against the gym wall, taking her in his arms. "I'm a pre-med major, so I don't spend all my time at the gym. I even go to class now and then." "That's why we never see each other. I'm a business major." "What kind of business?" "I haven't decided." She had an idea, but she wasn't ready to tell anyone about it, so she changed the subject. "So, have you changed your mind yet?" "About sleeping with you?" Chris nuzzled her neck. "Hell yes, first chance we get—" "No!" Robyn laughed and pushed him away. "Have you changed your mind about lo—" Good lord, what am I asking him? Her smile faded and she looked down at her bandaged knee. Of course, his first thought was about sex. What had she expected? "Forget I asked." "No, I won't forget." He frowned, his brown eyes penetrating her. "Did you think you changed my mind already?" She shrugged, not looking at him. "I hoped." "Hope is a useless emotion too." She stepped back and searched his face. "What made you so cynical?" "Life did. Real life, Robyn." His eyes narrowed. "There was this girl in high school...." He shook his head and started over. "The night my parents split up, my dad told my mom he loved her, but it didn't do any good. They still got divorced and they still hate each other." "It doesn't have to be like that." "Does anyone have a choice? Do I?" "I believe we can choose to be happy." She looked into his doubting eyes, hoping he would see her confidence and believe it too. He shook his head. "I'm glad you believe that, Robyn, because I don't." "What do you believe in?" A wicked grin lit up his face as his gaze slid over her body, stripping her defenses. "Hot sex, cold beer, and the last-second Hail Mary pass." But his grin faded all too quickly. "I believe—I know—that dreams can be shattered in a moment." He took a determined step toward her. "I believe in taking what I want with both hands and never letting go." He grabbed a fistful of her hair and pulled her head back, kissing her lips, her neck—whatever his mouth could reach—then slid his other hand down her back, grabbed a handful of her ass and pulled her up against him. His passion and conviction thrilled her to the core. "Wow! I can't believe how much that turned me on." As quickly as it had started, their fight ended... for now. Chris half-laughed, half-groaned, and turned her back against the wall. He slid both hands under her thighs, picked her up, and wrapped her legs around his waist, pinning her against the wall with his body. Her knee throbbed, but she ignored it, focusing on the throbbing between her legs. She couldn't tell if the aching pulse came from her body or his. Didn't matter. It felt good either way. "Tell me you want me." He whispered the words on her skin. "I want you, Chris." "Tell me what you want me to do to you." He rocked against her, imitating what he wanted to hear. "Oh...." She bit her lip and shook her head. "I know you want to." She nodded. "But you just can't say it." "Not yet." He kissed her, exploring her mouth with his tongue, teasing her with his lips. "I will hear you say it." She saw the sparkle in his eyes and turned away. That devil was using her own words against her. Her heart pounded and her knee throbbed. "Ow!" "That's not what I wanted to hear." He set her down gently, and put the ice pack back on her knee. "Sorry, Robyn, I wasn't trying to get you so excited." "Yes you were." She pouted and he laughed. "Damn right." He kissed her lower lip and her heart started pounding again. "That cute little pouty lip makes me wanna do things...." "Ow!" "Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you." "You can make it up to me." "Mmm... I will." His lips twisted into a grin and his laugh sounded like pure evil, pure sex. "But I can't tonight. I have an exam the day after tomorrow I gotta study for." She raised her eyebrows and laughed. "Of all the excuses I imagined hearing from you, studying never even made the list." "Hey, I'm a serious student... sometimes." "I'll believe it when I see it." "Yeah, whatever. I need to focus on this exam for the next couple of days, but after that you're fair game." His gaze swept her body, making her tingle. She gathered her thoughts enough to continue their conversation, but struggled to put a sentence together. "What class is it for?" It took him a while to answer, and when he did, an embarrassed smile screwed up his face. "Anatomy." She laughed so hard her ribs hurt. "Anatomy? Aren't you already an expert?" "You tell me." Ooo. Robyn stopped laughing and grabbed his jersey to pull him close. "Maybe I can help you study." She slid her hands down his chest. "Believe me, I'd like nothing better." He pulled her wandering hands away from his shorts. "But you are too much of a damn distraction. Stop that." "No." "The fuck? So you want to play dirty, is that it?" He stopped fighting her off and let her have what she wanted, moving close and trapping her hands against his thighs, waiting to see what she would do. He was looking at her. She couldn't do anything while he was looking at her. She kissed him and, when he closed his eyes, hesitantly slid her hand between his thighs and up—cupping, rubbing. Oh, he feels so good—hard, hot, and— Damn! My knee is throbbing again. "Ow." Robyn pouted. Apparently she couldn't play his game. "I think I should take you home so you can get some rest." "That's not what I'm thinking." "Oh, I know what you're thinking. Badass!" He kissed her softly, slowly. "Come on." He pulled her away from the wall and spanked her ass. "Go change your clothes and meet me out front. I gotta get you off my hands so I can have some peace." "Good luck with that." She stuck her tongue out at him as she disappeared into the locker room.
