Contents
Title Page
Dedication
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Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Epilogue
Book Club
About the Author
Other Titles
Rebound Therapy—Sneak Peek!
Convenient Fall
Players of Marycliff University Book 2
Jerica MacMillan
Copyright © 2016 by Jerica MacMillan
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
To my parents and brother, without whom I would know even less about football.
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CHAPTER ONE
Megan spread the comforter over her bed in her new room and collapsed on top of it, one arm thrown over her eyes. She kicked off her shoes and let out a deep sigh. It was only three in the afternoon and she was already so tired. She and Abby had moved out of their shared apartment so Abby could move in with Lance.
Things had moved fast once Abby and Lance had decided to move in together. They found an available apartment a couple of days after Lance came back and moved in less than a week later. Matt, one of Lance's roommates, had suggested that Megan take Lance's room. It seemed like an easy and convenient solution for everyone, so she’d agreed.
It was definitely going to be an interesting year. She’d need to stop by the tutoring center to rearrange her work schedule now that she lived farther from campus. She had set up her class and work schedule so she had a break in the middle of the day, but she was too far to make the trip home worthwhile, so she’d work during that break and come home earlier in the evenings.
At least she’d gotten Abby's comforter out of the deal. Abby had given it to her right before they'd left their old apartment. She'd said it was the least she could do since she’d left Megan to scramble for a new place to live and forced her to move in with Chris and Matt. Plus, she knew how much Megan loved it and had used it most of the summer. Megan rolled over and snuggled into the comforter, smiling at the memory, too hot still to get underneath. It was so snuggly and cozy. Way better than the quilts she'd used before.
A knock on her open door had her lifting her head and looking over her shoulder. Chris stood in the doorway, letting his hands hang from the top of the door frame by his fingertips. His stance caused his t-shirt to raise a little, a strip of tanned skin on display above the waistband of his shorts that hung off his hips just right.
A frisson of arousal skittered down Megan's spine as her eyes wandered up Chris's form. She resisted the urge to lick her lips. They were roommates now, so she needed to tamp down her attraction. Giving in would be a sure fire way to mess up their living arrangements. She didn't want to do that, especially not the day she moved in. “What's up?”
Chris's hazel eyes finished their perusal of her sprawled body and came to rest on her face. She watched his Adam's apple bob while he swallowed and then his tongue came out to run along his lower lip. “Hmm?”
She raised her eyebrows and rolled over so she could sit up. That was an interesting reaction from him. “Did you need something?”
“What? Oh, yeah.” Chris dropped his arms and leaned against the doorjamb, his eyes on her face now. “One of our teammates is having a pool party at his parents’ house tonight. Matt and I are both going. Wanna come?”
“It's not just for the team?”
Chris lifted one shoulder. “The team and invited guests.”
“Sure. You know I'm always up for a party.” She shot him a cheeky grin.
He smiled back. “Great. We'll take my car since we won't all fit in Matt's truck. You hungry? We can order pizza or hit a drive-thru before we head to Bryant’s.”
Megan's stomach let out an audible growl. She laughed. Perfect timing. “Uh, yeah. I could eat. Pizza's fine or grabbing something on the way. Whatever you guys want to do. I'm easy.”
Chris's smile grew wider, and a mischievous glint entered his eyes. “You are, huh? That's good to know.”
Megan got off the bed. “Yup. I'm easy when it comes to food.” She walked over to Chris and patted his chest, stretching up on tiptoe so she could bring her mouth close to his ear, just to mess with him a little. He leaned his head down in response, one corner of his mouth curled up and his breath came faster. “Just food.”
She went back on flat feet and pushed at his chest. “If we're going to a party, I want to shower first. I'm all sticky and sweaty from moving.”
She stood close enough to see Chris's eyes darken, and his Adam's apple bob again. “Right. Well, I'll leave you to it then. Come out when you're done and we'll figure out food.” He straightened and stepped back out into the living room.
Megan closed the door behind him and paused a moment before heading for the shower. Huh. That whole exchange was unexpected.
Chris had started flirting with her when they’d met at the Fourth of July party, but it hadn't progressed beyond that. She would have to be careful about how things played out, though. When she'd decided to move in she hadn't thought it would be a big deal to live with the two football players. They were attractive, sure, but Matt reminded her of her older brothers. And her flirtation with Chris hadn't seemed like anything to take seriously. He flirted with everyone, and she'd seen how they treated Abby, whistling at her and doing everything they could to try to make her blush or make Lance act jealous. She had figured his flirting was just an extension of that.
But the way Chris had looked at her made her wonder if it wasn't more than that after all.
* * *
Megan threw on a t-shirt and cut-off denim shorts over the top of her favorite two-piece bathing suit. She figured the red halter-style top with little white polka dots in a vintage pin-up style would be perfect. It was cute and sexy, but wouldn’t have a wardrobe malfunction in a pool full of guys. She stuffed a change of clothes, a towel, and an extra pair of flip flops in a bag and was ready to go.
Matt looked up from his place on the couch when she opened the door and smiled at her, blue eyes twinkling. “Roomie!” Megan laughed and stepped closer to the couch. He took in her outfit and backpack. “Ready for the party?”
Megan nodded. “Thanks for letting me tag along.”
Matt stood. “Of course. What kind of roommates would we be if we abandoned you on your first night with us?” Megan couldn't help
but admire the fit of his board shorts and the t-shirt that skimmed over his well-defined torso. He looked like a surfer with his longish, messy blond hair, Hawaiian print board shorts, and the tribal tattoo peeking out from under his shirt sleeve. He might act like he was her older brother, but that didn't mean she couldn't notice how attractive he was.
“You guys ready?” Chris's voice came from behind her. Megan turned around in time to see him pull on a t-shirt, hiding what looked very much like a six-pack. He wore a pair of blue board shorts with the Captain America shield on the left side. When Megan dragged her eyes back to his face, Chris gave her a knowing smirk. She rolled her eyes, covering her embarrassment at being caught checking him out with a show of disdain. His grin only grew wider.
Matt stood watching their interplay, his eyes bouncing back and forth between them. When Megan turned to face him, he raised an eyebrow at her.
“What?”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Nothing. Let's go.”
He turned and headed for the front door, and Megan followed behind him. When she got to the door she stopped and turned around to crash into Chris's chest. With her nose even with his sternum, the spicy scent of his cologne filled her senses. She fought back the urge to breathe deeper. She looked up at him. “Sorry. I forgot my keys.”
He smiled and Megan's eyes locked on his lips. They looked soft and kissable. Before she could think more about that he turned her around and ushered her through the door. “We're all going together. Matt and I both have keys. I promise we won't lock you out.”
Megan decided to cover her attraction and embarrassment with arrogance again. “Right. You better not, or you'll be sorry.”
Matt and Chris both laughed. Matt held the passenger door open for her to Chris's Chevy Impala. She moved some napkins and a couple of protein bar wrappers off the seat before she climbed in.
Matt took the trash out of her hand and rolled his eyes. “Dude, clean out your car,” he called to Chris before climbing in the back seat.
Chris just shrugged. “Oops.”
It took about twenty minutes to get to the house on the south side of town after stopping at a drive-thru to get some dinner on the way there. Megan passed most of the ride in silence, watching out the window, listening to Chris and Matt talk about the upcoming football season and what the fall semester was going to look like.
When they arrived at the party there were shirtless football players everywhere. Megan was mesmerized by the various shades of skin tones. It seemed like the full range of colors were laid out before her, from milky white on the guys with farmer's tans, various shades of golden brown and bronze, a couple people with sunburns, to several examples of darker browns.
Megan had always been fascinated by the different shades that existed, thinking how she would blend her oils or pastels to bring out the highlights and shadows on a particular person. The models for her figure drawing classes were almost always white girls. She considered it a treat when she got to see different shades and try to paint them. Maybe that should be her project for this semester's art class—a study of different skin tones in the same set of poses. Her excitement built as she thought about it more. Matt and Chris might even be able to help her convince some of their teammates to pose for her. A range of hot, shirtless football players posing for her wouldn't be a bad project for this semester from any angle she could see.
“Enjoying the view?” Chris's low voice rumbled in her ear and caught her off guard. She whipped her head around, her gaze colliding with his. His brows were pulled down in a scowl. Maybe scratch the idea of trying to get his help. She looked past him to see Matt watching them again, his face bland.
She cleared her throat. “What are you talking about?”
One corner of his mouth turned up, but it wasn't a nice smile. “You're staring, Megan. Are you going to start drooling next?”
It was Megan's turn to scowl. She compressed her lips and lowered her brows to match his. Not wanting to explain her real thoughts, she went with a secondary truth. “I was just seeing if I saw anyone I know. You're not the only football players I've ever met, you know.”
Chris didn't say anything, and Megan took a step back to put a little more space between them. Matt angled himself into the space she'd left. “Come on. I'll show you where we're stashing our stuff and give you a tour before we get in the pool. There'll be food later, but we usually start off in the water.” She saw him cast an unreadable look back at Chris as he ushered her inside.
* * *
Chris stood off to one side of the pool deck and watched the crowd mill around and drank a beer. It was a cheap brand, but that was what you got at a big party. No keg today, just a bunch of cans in coolers full of ice. You don't want glass around the pool, after all.
“Watkins!”
He lifted his chin in greeting to Sullivan, one of his teammates. “Hey.”
Sullivan made his way through the crowd, a couple of bikini-clad girls close behind him. “Have you met Brianna and Sarah?” He wrapped his arm around the blonde named Sarah, while Brianna, the redhead, stood off to one side. Both girls had drinks in their hands and flirted with him with their eyes over the tops of their cups. Brianna's eyes roamed over his naked torso with appreciation, and he couldn't help looking her over in return. Her bright bikini top almost couldn’t contain her large breasts. The bottoms tied on the sides, meaning it was designed for easy removal.
He nodded at the girls. “I’m Chris.” Brianna smiled and stepped closer to him. Sullivan started talking about something, but Chris was distracted by the sight of Megan walking out of the house with Matt. Matt had his arm around her shoulders, and they were laughing together. Chris's mouth went dry when she turned in his direction, and he got his first view of her in her bikini.
Chris interrupted whatever conversation was going on around him. “I’ll catch you guys later. I gotta go do something.”
He stepped past Sullivan and the girls and headed toward Megan and Matt. He had to suppress the urge to growl at the fact that Matt was touching her. He shouldn't feel jealous. He had no claim to her, but there it was.
The laughter died on Megan's face when she saw him approach. For some reason that pissed him off even more. Matt was eyeing him the same way he had been since they were getting ready to go, and he let his arm slide off Megan's shoulders. “Hey, Chris. What's up?”
“Nothin'. You guys get drinks?”
Megan shook her head. “I wanted to get in the pool before I start drinking.”
Matt smiled down at her. She looked so tiny standing there between the two of them. The top of her head was just about even with his armpit. Matt was a little shorter than him, but not much.
“Cool. I'll go in with you.” Chris drained the rest of his beer, tossed the can toward a nearby trashcan, and let his hand fall to her back to guide her toward the pool. Her bare skin felt soft and smooth under his hand. He had to stop himself from caressing her and turning the gesture into something more intimate. She cast a glance over her shoulder at Matt, but went along with him without protest. Good.
Chris hopped into the shallow end and turned to help Megan in. She sat down on the edge and put her feet in, hesitating for a moment before accepting his help off the edge. His hands bracketed her waist and her hands went to his shoulders as he lowered her into the water. He knew she didn't need the help, but wanted an excuse to touch her again. Once she was in the pool he forced himself to let go, even though he wanted to keep his hands on her, stake a claim on her, let the others know that she was off limits. But he didn't, and they walked toward the deeper water, closer to the rest of the group in the pool. More girls sat ringing the edge with their feet dangling in the water. “Who's up for a chicken fight?” one of them yelled.
Chris turned toward Megan. “Want to do it?” She looked up at him, her lower lip between her teeth. He almost groaned. “C’mon. It'll be fun.” He didn't give her a chance to protest, just grabbed her hand and dragged her over to whe
re the others were already pairing off. Guys disappeared under the water to let their female partners climb on their shoulders.
Chris looked at Megan. “Ready?” She nodded. Without letting go of her hand, he squatted down with his back to her and helped guide her onto his shoulders. Her legs came around the back of his neck, over his shoulders, and she hooked her ankles behind his back. She got on like a pro. She'd obviously done this before. He held onto her hands while he slowly stood, helping her keep her balance. He could feel the muscles in her thighs working to help her steady herself. He stood still for a moment until they both felt stable, then let go to rest his hands on her legs just above her knees. Again he had to stop himself from running his hands over her thighs, managing to content himself with a short stroke of his thumbs. After that he managed to keep his hands still, trying to be matter-of-fact in the way he touched her.
Tompkins was the one in charge of this. They waited while Sullivan and his blonde, whose name Chris had already forgotten, hopped into the pool to join in. Tompkins yelled, “Go!” and they were all at each other.
Chris waded into the fray. Megan grabbed at the shoulder of a brunette on top of one of the linebackers. She caught her by surprise when the other girl wasn't looking and easily pulled her off. Chris smiled at Megan's cry of triumph before he moved on to find their next opponent. Megan grappled with three other girls, winning each time, before she got taken out by Sullivan's blonde.
Sullivan waited until his girl got a good grip on Megan's arms and stepped backward as fast as he could in the water. It was enough that Megan lost her balance and Chris couldn't keep her upright with the other chick dragging Megan down by her arms.
She came up laughing, pushing her hair out of her face and wiping the water out of her eyes. She splashed water at his chest. “You let me fall off!”
He grinned down at her. “I couldn't help it! You got taken out.”
Convenient Fall (Players of Marycliff University Book 2) Page 1