His New Jam

by Shannyn Schroeder

  Chapter 10

  After grabbing some comfy clothes from her room, Syd went to the bathroom to clean up and change. And refocus her brain. If she could keep things simple with Hunter, she’d be fine. Sex was simple. It was pleasure, nothing more. But when he started digging into her life, things got complicated.

  It wasn’t that she had secrets. Sharing the personal stuff muddled any relationship. While she stepped into a pair of sweats, she made a mental list of safe topics for conversation. School worked, mostly because with the exception of getting her degree, school didn’t matter all that much to her. Work was safe because no one wanted to hear her stories of her job in the campus bookstore. Music . . . Normally, she could discuss music with anyone because it became a discussion of likes and dislikes. However, with Hunter it evolved into explaining and understanding a shared passion. Could get sticky.

  How could she avoid it, though? They were both on the marching band, she was filling in on the weekends, and she was teaching him to play drums. She supposed if she kept it surface-level stuff, it would be okay.

  A knock on the bathroom door startled her.

  “You okay?”

  “I’ll be right out.”

  “Better hurry or there won’t be any pizza left.”

  She swung the door open. “You just ate two sandwiches.”

  “Sex makes me hungry. Especially when I haven’t had dinner. Gotta keep my energy up.” A smile bloomed across his face that melted her.

  She pushed past him to ignore what his smiles did to her. In the kitchen, she grabbed a plate and put two slices of slightly overdone pizza onto it. Hunter came up behind her and snagged a piece. His warm body crowded her, and she tried to muster the energy to be bothered, but in fact, she wanted to lean back into him.

  “Mmm. Smells good.” His nose pressed against the side of her neck, sending shivers through her.

  She bumped her hips back to create space. “Did you find a movie to watch?”

  “Captain America.”

  “Really?”

  “I live with a comic book artist. He makes me see all the Marvel movies. I like this one.”

  “Whatever.”

  She carried her plate back to the living room and settled on the couch, pushing all thoughts of what they’d just done there out of her mind. Hunter sat next to her, shoving the last bit of crust into his mouth. The guy ate like a machine.

  He put an arm around her shoulder so their bodies touched from torso to calf. He was warm and solid and comfy enough to snuggle against, and she almost fell asleep.

  Except he kept a running commentary going through the movie. It should’ve annoyed her, but he was funny. Near the end of the movie, Trish came home. She looked at them on the couch. One eyebrow shot up and she offered a stiff, “Hi.”

  After taking off her coat, she turned back to Sydney. “Can I see you a minute?”

  Using Hunter’s thigh to push up—she loved the muscle beneath her palm—she followed her sister into the kitchen.

  In a harsh whisper, Trish said, “What are you doing?”

  “Watching a movie. What’s your problem?”

  “I see what’s going on.” She pointed at the empty pan from the pizza and then back over Syd’s face and body. “You stayed in.” She lowered her voice even more. “And had sex.”

  “God. You’re the one who told me to go out and have fun. I’m having fun.”

  “I wanted you to go on some dates, not fall into bed the first time you were alone with a guy.”

  “This isn’t the first time we’ve been alone. It’s no big deal.”

  Trish crossed her arms and stared.

  “Don’t worry. I have a couple of finals to take this week and then we’re on break. Even I can’t screw this up.”

  Trish huffed. “I worry about you.”

  “This isn’t like Tony. Hunter’s a senior. He’ll probably get bored with me by the time break is over. I’m not giving him any power over me. I learned my lesson.” At least she wanted to believe that.

  “Be careful.”

  “Always.”

  “I’m going to bed.”

  Sydney got back to the living room just as the credits started to roll.

  “You want me to rewind it? I didn’t want to pause the movie because then it would seem like I was trying to listen.”

  “No. The movie was okay, but I don’t need to see the end.”

  “Everything all right?”

  “Yeah.” She took her seat beside him, but he stood.

  “I’m gonna go home.”

  Crap. He’d heard Trish. “You don’t have to.”

  He smiled a goofy grin. “Yeah, I do. You said you had to study. I don’t want you to be up all night because of me.” He paused. “Well, yeah, I do, but not because you have to study. I want to keep you up doing other things.”

  She stood and grabbed his hand. “Other things sound good.”

  He bent and kissed her cheek. “Next week. After finals.”

  “Huh?”

  “I’m leaving so you can study.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Of course. I want you to do well. Maybe we can meet up for lunch or something tomorrow when you’re ready for a study break.”

  She felt all warm and gooey inside. She’d given him an opening to have more sex, to spend the night, and he’d turned her down so she’d have time to study.

  “What’s that look?”

  She didn’t know what he saw on her face, but she smiled. “Nothing.”

  “You know I want to, right? I’m going to sleep tonight thinking about all the other things we can do, but I don’t want to get in the way of your finals.”

  Double crap. Her throat tightened. He was not supposed to care about any of this. He was supposed to be a good-time guy.

  “Call me if you need a break.” He pulled away from her and went to the bedroom to get his shoes.

  When he came back and put on his jacket, her throat was clear enough that she could speak. Instead, she chose to grab a handful of worn black leather and haul him in for a kiss. His arms came around her and her whole body hummed with pleasure. She swiped her tongue along his in a long slow glide.

  She couldn’t tell him how important it was to her that he wanted her to study, but she could show him how much she wanted him.

  He suddenly gripped her hips, fingers squeezing a bit, and pushed her away. “I really need to go now.”

  His pupils were dilated so big that she could barely see the blue of his irises. He leaned in and pressed one more quick kiss to her lips. “Next weekend, you’re all mine.”

  She liked the sound of that.

  After he left, Sydney cleaned up a little and turned off the TV. She was tired and relaxed, but she needed to study. If she left it until the last minute, she’d bomb the test. Her brain needed the slow build of information to retain it. It would help if it weren’t so damn boring.

  She opened up her notebook and the binder of handouts she’d received over the semester. Thirty minutes in, she was dozing.

  Her phone buzzed on the table. Who the hell would call her this late?

  A text from Hunter. How’s the studying?

  It sucks.

  Why?

  Too much information. Too many terms. Brain too tired. Then she snapped a photo of the papers spread all over the table and attached it.

  Flashcards!

  She stared at the word. The guy was crazy. What man ever used an exclamation point, especially in a text?

  Before she could figure out how to respond, he sent another. Seriously. By making the flashcards, you’re reviewing the information. Then you can drill yourself for more practice. I know what I’m talking about. I’m a teacher.Almost.

  She laughed out loud with a snort. What, am I in third grade?

  Trust me. I wouldn’t steer you wrong. Now get back to work. We’ll talk tomorrow.

  Her stomach knotted. She already trusted him more than she had anyone in a long time. Par
t of her felt good, but mostly she was afraid of that trust. Trish was right to be worried. She had asked Hunter to stay even though she was supposed to be studying.

  And now, she was ignoring her notes to read texts from him. If he kept it up, she’d get nothing done. Lucky for her, he kept walking away. That back-and-forth was the biggest problem. She didn’t know what to do with it.

  He came on hot and heavy and left so she could study. Then he interrupted studying for what purpose? To make sure she was thinking about him? That had been Tony’s signature move.

  Of course Hunter had been all over her brain. He’d been all over her body and it was an experience she’d very much like to repeat. Lust often clouded her brain and her judgment.

  Yet Hunter backed off without her having to remind him she had work to do. He reminded her. Was it possible that he was a good guy who cared?

  She’d heard of such a species of man, although she’d never encountered one in the real world.

  She had no idea what to do with him.

  The following morning, Hunter got out of bed with a smile on his face. He went to the kitchen wearing only his boxers. Adam was already there finishing a bowl of cereal.

  “What are you doing up so early?” his roommate asked.

  Hunter smiled.

  “Are you sneaking out because you have a woman in your room? I am not playing go-between. There’s nothing more awkward than having to explain to a stranger that her bed buddy took off.”

  “That only happened once. And there’s no one in my bed.” At least not yet. He’d love to get Sydney in his bed for an entire night.

  “You’re too happy not to have gotten laid.”

  “I never said I didn’t get laid. I just said there wasn’t a woman in my bed.” He let Adam process that while he looked for coffee. The container was empty. “Fuck.”

  “You finished it.”

  He remembered now. He’d finished it off yesterday before going to the game. He’d meant to stop on the way home but forgot. “I’ll grab some later.”

  “Get more cereal, too. We’re running low.”

  That was one of the great things about living with his best friend. They didn’t argue about stupid shit like groceries. If there was beer in the fridge and cereal in the cabinet, they were fine.

  He really wanted coffee right now, though. Then inspiration hit. Since he’d have to go out for a cup of coffee anyway, he could bring one to Sydney. She’d been up late studying.

  Adam stood and rinsed his bowl in the sink. “What the hell was that?”

  “Huh?”

  “You had this look like you were plotting to take over the world.”

  “No world domination for me.” He patted Adam’s shoulder on his way out of the room. He had a different plan in mind.

  Less than an hour later, he was buzzing Sydney’s door and hoped he wasn’t waking up Trish. Although the woman had seemed to like him fine when he arrived, her attitude had definitely shifted when she’d come home.

  The outer door buzzed and he went through. When he got to the top of the stairs this time, though, Sydney wasn’t waiting for him with an open door. Balancing both coffees and the bag of donuts in one hand, he knocked. He heard shuffling inside, waited a beat, and then put on his best smile for her to see through the peephole.

  The door swung open and Sydney stared at him. She wore the same clothes he’d left her in last night and she looked sleep rumpled. “What are you doing here?”

  “I ran out of coffee at home, so I had to go out to get some. Since I was out, I figured you might be ready for a study break.” He held out a cup for her.

  The look she offered was filled with suspicion, but she stepped aside to allow him to come in. Inside, he took in the mess of papers and books all over the table and floor. The picture she’d sent last night didn’t do the disaster justice.

  “I’m kind of afraid to ask how it’s going.”

  “Still horrible. I tried to study, but just like in class, I kept falling asleep.” She walked around him and sat on the couch, pulling her legs up in front of her. She sipped the coffee. “Thanks for this.”

  “I also brought donuts. Maybe not the breakfast of champions, but definitely the sustenance of crammers everywhere.”

  “I’m not cramming. At least I’m trying not to.”

  He shook off his coat and sat beside her. “How are you with your other classes?”

  “Fine. It’s just this one that’s killing me.”

  He reached over and pulled out the pack of index cards he’d shoved in his jacket pocket.

  She laughed. “Coffee, donuts, and index cards?”

  “I know you think it’s silly, but it can’t hurt, right? It might even help. You won’t fall asleep if you’re writing notes on the cards.”

  She laughed so hard she had to put her coffee down. “You don’t even know,” she said unevenly. Then she handed him her notebook.

  He flipped through the pages and saw what she meant. She’d been in the middle of writing something and the ink went off the page. She actually had fallen asleep while writing notes.

  “You won’t this time. I’ll help.”

  “Don’t you have your own finals to study for?”

  “I have a paper to write and a history final. I’ve got it.” He peeled back the plastic on the cards and handed her a small stack. “Start with relevant vocabulary words. Term on one side, definition on the other.”

  She sighed but accepted the cards.

  As resistant as she was at the beginning, an hour and a half later Sydney had a pile of flashcards to study from and they’d spent most of that time laughing. While she finished up her last card, he straightened the mess of papers strewn around. He handed her the stack of cards.

  “What’s this?”

  “Your flashcards.”

  She fanned them out like she didn’t believe him. “We did all these?”

  “You did them. I watched.”

  “Wow. I remember stuff.”

  “That happens when you stay awake.”

  Her face brightened with a sweet smile. He stood and looked around. He’d seen the entire apartment last night, except for Trish’s room, but a thought occurred to him.

  “Where are your drums?”

  Her smile dropped and her mouth opened, then closed. “I don’t have any right now.”

  “How do you practice?”

  She lifted a shoulder. “School.”

  He couldn’t imagine not having his instruments.

  “Not all of us can tap parental guilt.”

  But she must’ve had a kit at some point. She danced along a line of answering his questions without revealing too much. “Why don’t you have any right now? You used to have some.”

  She bit her lip. He could tell she was debating how much to say. “I sold them.”

  Her lips wobbled with the admission.

  There was no way someone who loved to play as much as she did would’ve sold her drums. He sat down again and laid a hand on her leg. “Are you in trouble?”

  She shook her head. “It was a long time ago.”

  The pain on her face still looked fresh. He ran his hand down to her knee.

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  He wanted to push. He wanted to know what could make her give up the one thing that was important to her. He’d seen her play through anger and frustration. She didn’t have that outlet at home. It irritated him that she wouldn’t open up.

  “It’s fine.” She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. Rubbing her hands across his chest, she tried to push him back and climb onto him like she had last night. Although he’d thoroughly enjoyed the outcome then, he realized she used sex to avoid talking to him. Yesterday, she didn’t want to talk about the trouble in biology. Today it was her drums.

  He gripped her hips and set her back onto the couch.

  “What?”

  “Break’s over. You have studying to do.”

  “I spent
the last couple of hours working.”

  “And now you’re set to review.” He reluctantly stood and pulled on his jacket.

  She had the same weepy look she gave him last night when he left.

  “I’m not rejecting you, you know this, right?” He felt ridiculous saying it, but he needed to reassure her. He wasn’t ready to walk away from what they had.

  “Yeah,” she said unconvincingly. She followed him to the door.

  His good-bye kiss was more involved than he planned and they were both breathing erratically when he pulled away again. “After finals, I want a whole night with you. No jobs, no school, no tests. Just us naked and sweating and fucking all night.”

  Her breath shuddered out and she licked her lips. They were definitely on the same page. And then, when her defenses were down, he’d get her to spill her secrets.

  Chapter 11

  The next few days both flew by and dragged. Sydney didn’t see Hunter because of their school schedules and the end of football season. He texted her Monday night to ask how the biology final went—very well—but he made no move to see her. They skipped band practice on Tuesday night because everyone had finals. They still held Thursday’s practice, and she assumed they’d do a drum lesson after. She’d missed hanging out with Hunter.

  Jay and Lance had just left and Sydney sat behind the drums. “Ready for your lesson?”

  He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “As much as I’d love to, I have a paper I need to finish. It’s due tomorrow and I got bogged down doing research. I need to take a rain check.”

  “Oh.” She tried not to sound hurt, but she’d been looking forward to this for days. She’d missed his jokes and laughing with him and the heat of his body pressed against hers. He was only doing what she’d done this weekend, so it shouldn’t bother her. “Okay. I’ll get out of your hair then.”

  Damn, she sounded stupid. The guy just needed to finish his homework.

  “I’d ask you to stay, but I wouldn’t get any work done with you here.”

  She perked up. “Really?”

  “Oh yeah.” Then he grabbed her and kissed her breathless.