Fourth and Goal: A Bad Boy Sports Romance (Pass To Win Book 4)

by Roxy Sinclaire

She giggled, and we touched our flimsy paper cups together.

  “We have to drink all of this,” I said. “It cost me a whole seven dollars.”

  “You are surprisingly sophisticated, aren’t you?” she teased.

  As we ate, we filled each other in on everything that had happened since I left the basement of that building. We talked about how it was inevitable that we would both have to spend a good amount of time in court testifying against Chris and how we were glad we could do it together.

  We finished our food and lay back on top of the bed, sipping the last of the champagne. I wondered if all of my partying and playboy ways were the reason that I had never been able to do something like this before. I felt deprived. Still, I was glad everything had worked out the way it did, or else I wouldn’t have been here with Alice.

  We considered renting a movie on the pay-per-view, but then we just decided to watch more college football on the basic cable. I liked explaining the game to Alice. She was smart and was starting to get into it. A lot of the girls I hooked up with were more interested in the social aspect of the game.

  At halftime, I turned to look at her. I needed to tell her that I loved her, but I was so nervous. I didn’t want her to think that I was any less of the tough guy I let on to be. This was the kind of thing I used to make fun of other guys for.

  “What do you want, creep?” Alice joked. It was obvious that I was staring at her.

  My stomach churned. I didn’t know if I could do it.

  “I have to tell you something,” I said, frowning. I wiped a thin layer of sweat from my forehead.

  She looked concerned. “What?”

  “I love you,” I said as quickly as I could.

  “What was that?” she asked.

  I tried again, slower this time. “Alice, I love you too.”

  A smile spread out over her face. “Wow.”

  “What?”

  “I was feeling really embarrassed for announcing my feelings for you, just to find out that it was a one-sided thing. This is really great.”

  “Yeah, it is,” I said, putting my arm around her shoulders.

  “You’re not saying it out of some sort of obligation, are you?”

  “Not at all. I really mean it. I absolutely love you, Alice.”

  We kissed, and I gently took her head in my hands. With all the injuries she received today, I was worried about hurting her.

  She pulled off my shirt and then her own. I hovered over her on my hands and knees and kissed her neck and chest.

  “Don’t worry,” she said. “You’re not going to break me. I’m not that fragile.”

  She rolled me over, putting her full weight onto my body. I ran my hands along every curve of her body. Everything about this moment was perfect. We finally had some privacy, and we were in love and didn’t care who knew it.

  She wrenched off my pants and I helped her slide out of hers. He body quivered as I put my mouth on her soft breasts. She showed her enthusiasm by grabbing ahold of me and gently stroking up and down.

  “I want to make you come so hard the whole floor hears,” I breathed into her ear.

  “Then show me what you’ve got,” she challenged, slowly spreading her legs for me.

  I entered her, and she let out a small groan.

  I paused. “Am I hurting you?”

  “No, it feels so good. Don’t stop.”

  I sped things up, grabbing her butt with one hand and her breast with another. I flicked my tongue around her taut nipples.

  She closed her eyes and grasped at the sheets. She was close. I just hoped I could hold on that long.

  She wrapped her legs around me, pulling us closer together. The added friction was just what we needed. We both came, and for once, we didn’t have to worry about keeping it quiet.

  I lay back on the bed, smiling to myself.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I’m just glad to know that love doesn’t change anything between us in bed. If anything, it makes it so much better.”

  Exhausted from our long day, we both fell asleep in minutes, the soft sounds from the television lulling us to sleep.

  24

  Alice

  News about my attack had spread throughout campus like wildfire. In the papers, Shawn and I were called heroes for stopping Chris before he could cause any more harm. If anything good came out of what had happened to me, it was that there was a campus-wide discussion about dating violence. I didn’t want to be the poster child for campus assault, but if it could help anyone else, I supposed it was worth it.

  I had already been interviewed by another detective assigned to the case. This one was looking for more of Chris’s victims, so she wanted to see how our stories matched up.

  Shawn and I were also questioned by a few lawyers, both Chris’s and the state’s. The prosecutor seemed very pleased with what we told him. He said that the case wouldn’t be tried for quite some time, but we would definitely be called in to testify.

  I asked him what had happened to Chris. I couldn’t imagine him sitting in a jail cell. To be honest, I knew he’d get the crap kicked out of him in prison.

  He said that Chris’s parents had paid his bail, but he was still under house arrest. I felt relieved. There was no way that Chris could come after me again. I had already had a few nightmares where he came after me with needles. Whenever I had one of those dreams, I would call Shawn and he would talk to me until I fell asleep again.

  About a week after the incident, the chair of the Psychology department wanted to sit down and talk with me. She wanted to make sure that I was okay and offered resources to help me with any long-lasting effects of the assault. I also suspected that it was an effort to make sure I wasn’t going to sue anyone for what happened.

  “If you ever want to talk about it,” she said, “feel free to schedule office hours with me.”

  “Okay,” I replied.

  “Do you have any other questions for me?” she asked, shuffling the papers on her desk.

  There was something I wanted to ask, but I didn’t know how she’d respond. I took a deep breath and went for it.

  “Actually, there is.”

  She raised her eyebrows, so I continued.

  “I have a ton of research on my hands, and I really want to develop it into a bigger and better study than Chris ever could have. I really think I could frame the research and add additional survey questions that could help prevent what happened to me.”

  The professor tapped her chin and thought for a moment.

  “I like that idea. You would have to find a lot of willing participants to talk about a tough subject, but I like where you’re going with this. I think with a little more work, you could have a good proposal to submit in a year or two.”

  “That’s what I wanted to discuss,” I said hesitantly. “Since Chris is obviously ineligible for the grant now, is there any way I can just take over and apply for the scholarship myself?”

  She frowned. “I’m sorry, but we can’t do that. Since the scholarship application deadline has long passed, there is no way we can get you in for this semester. Also, it’s really rare for us to even allow sophomores to apply. There are too many eligible juniors and seniors who apply to let a freshman in a study. I wish we could let you in, especially after all you’ve been through, but it’s too late.”

  I was really disappointed, but I was trying not to show it. It was just one more thing that Chris had ruined for me.

  “I understand,” I said, getting up from my chair. “Thank you for meeting with me.”

  “Wait,” the professor said, taking off her reading glasses. “There is one thing I might be able to offer you.”

  I sat back down. I hoped that whatever it was, it wasn’t given to me out of pity.

  “Every summer, the department sets aside some funding to allow students to attend conferences, free of charge. I think you’re a great candidate for a couple of them. If you want, I can waive your application since I know
you’re qualified. All you have to do is listen to lectures and learn as much as you can. Is that something you’d be interested in?”

  “And it won’t cost me anything?” I asked.

  “Nope. Think of it like a free vacation with the bonus of getting to attend conferences with the biggest names in the field. Should I put your name down?”

  I grinned. “That would be amazing. Thank you.”

  “It’s the least I can do. I looked over some of your work. You have a very bright future ahead of you. It’s our job to make sure students like you get the help they need to succeed.”

  I walked away from the office feeling like I was floating. Not only had the chair of the department invited me to chat, but she was giving me their funding to send me on conferences across the country. I couldn’t wait to tell Shawn.

  On my walk back to the dorms, I called Shawn. I knew this meant that we would have to spend some time apart, but I knew that he’d be pleased for me.

  “Hello?”

  “Hey, Shawn. How’s it going?”

  “That’s so weird that you called. I was just about to call you.”

  “What for?”

  “I have some big news for you,” he said.

  “Me too,” I responded.

  “Really? What is it?” he asked excitedly.

  “I asked about submitting my research for the scholarship. They said no, but I was offered a paid vacation to go to a few conferences this summer. Every expense in included and I can talk to some experts in the field.”

  “Are you kidding me?” he said. “That’s incredible. I’m so happy for you, Alice.”

  “Thanks. I’m pretty excited too. What was your news?”

  “A talent scout was at the game on Saturday. He saw how well I played in the second half, and I’ve gotten a scholarship to attend a good running back camp this summer. It’s a month long, and there are even some professional players who attend. This could be my big shot into making it to the pros after college, maybe even before that.”

  “Shawn! I’m so proud of you.”

  “You know that I have you to thank for that. I really think your being there at the game made all the difference.”

  “That was all you. You’re such a talented player. I’m just glad I could watch you do your thing.”

  My cheeks hurt from smiling. I couldn’t believe that we had both gotten such great news at the same time.

  “We should celebrate,” Shawn said. “Let’s go out for dinner tonight. You pick the place.”

  “I have a better idea,” I said. “Meet me at my dorm in an hour.”

  “Okay,” he said hesitantly, “but I have practice two hours from now.”

  “That gives us plenty of time,” I said, not giving him any more details. “See you then.”

  Exactly an hour later, Shawn showed up to my dorm room. I answered it in nothing but my robe.

  “What’s going on?” he asked.

  “We’re celebrating, silly. You’re going to be a big football star one day, and I want to be able to say that I’ve slept with a professional athlete,” I teased.

  “What a coincidence,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to say that I’ve slept with a psychology scholar.”

  I smacked him on the arm and we both laughed.

  “Come here,” I said, slowly untying my silk robe.

  He pulled it off my shoulders. “Where’s your roommate?” he asked.

  “She has a lab this afternoon. She won’t be back for a while,” I said, kissing his neck and nibbling on his ear.

  He stripped down and grabbed me by the hips, pulling me into him. Our tongues intertwined and I felt his member pressing into me. He was ready to go.

  Seeing as the dorm beds were lofted, there weren’t many options for places to have sex. We tried it standing up, which was incredibly sexy but difficult due to our dramatic height difference. We ended up on the floor, giggling.

  He kissed my body in a straight line from my lips to between my legs. Relationships definitely had their benefits. I wanted Shawn to be around to do this to me for years to come.

  Just as I was about to come, I heard a key turn in the lock. Shawn yanked the comforter from my bed and covered us in it.

  “Seriously?” Lori asked after she caught us in the compromising position. “I’ve been gone for ten minutes.”

  “I thought you had lab,” I squealed. I wanted to curl up in a hole. I was beyond embarrassed.

  “It was canceled,” she said, turning to face the door. “Don’t worry about it. You guys take your time. I’m going to the library. Meet you back here for supper, Alice?”

  “Sounds good,” I said weakly, still clutching the blanket.

  The second she left, Shawn erupted into laughter.

  “It’s not funny,” I said. “I’m absolutely mortified.”

  “Don’t worry,” he said kissing me on the head. “This is college. It happens to everyone. It’s not like she actually saw anything.”

  “I guess.”

  “Now,” he said, wiggling back underneath the blanket. “Where were we?”

  We finished even quicker than originally intended. I was still a little embarrassed, but the thrill of getting caught somehow made things even hotter.

  Afterward, we laid on the floor for a moment, catching our breaths and cuddling together in the glow of our lovemaking.

  “What’s going to happen to us this summer?” I asked. “I’ll probably have to go home and work, and then I’ll be away at conferences for a lot of the time. You’ll be at football camp, and when you’re not, you’ll be busy with workouts. Will we ever see each other?”

  He kissed me on the nose. “It will be hard, but if anyone can make it work, we can. In a few short months, we’ll be back on campus.”

  “You aren’t worried about the distance?”

  “Not one bit. I love you, Alice. That means I’m committed to making this last.”

  “Okay,” I said, a little relieved.

  “Besides,” he said. “We don’t have to worry about that for a long time. We still have the rest of the school year to be together.”

  “Yeah, once football season is over, you’ll be seeing so much of me that you’ll get sick of me.” I laughed.

  “I can’t wait,” he said. “Although, we should probably avoid hooking up over here. At least while Lori is in the vicinity.”

  We kissed one last time before he had to leave for practice.

  “There’s never a dull moment with you, is there?” he asked.

  “I could say the same about you,” I responded.

  If Shawn and I could make it through this year, I was confident that we could make it through anything. I had never been with anyone who was so genuinely sweet and caring but never afraid to laugh at himself. Mostly, I just liked being around someone I could just relax and have fun with. I could really be myself around Shawn.

  I wasn’t sure what our future would hold, but I was excited to find out.

  Epilogue

  Alice - 1 Year Later

  “What are you doing next Friday?” Shawn asked me during our weekly date. Today, we met for a quick cup of coffee and a muffin. We didn’t have time for much else at the moment.

  “I have my last final exam,” I said. “It’s for my Child Psychology class, and it’s going to be tough.”

  “I mean after that.”

  “Nothing,” I said. “I’m all yours.” I smiled and interlocked my fingers with his. His big hands dwarfed my small, slender fingers.

  “Good,” he said. “I have a surprise for you.”

  I groaned. “We’ve been together for almost two years, and you still think that I enjoy surprises?”

  “Come on, Alice. It’ll be fun. I love seeing your face when you’re surprised.”

  “I don’t think my nerves can take it right now. I can’t handle the stress of finals and preparing myself for whatever shenanigans you have planned.”

  “Fine,” he said. “I’m taking
you to the lake house for the weekend. My parents will be gone, and my mom is already planning to make those cookies that you like.”

  “The ones with the butterscotch chips?” I asked hopefully.

  “Those are the ones. I know you can’t resist them. Are you in?”

  “Yeah, that sounds good. Will the water be warm enough to swim?”

  “Hopefully. Otherwise, I’m going to make you paddle me around in the canoe.”

  “I think you have that the other way around. You’ll be the one paddling since you have the big biceps.”

  “Good. We can leave here once you get your dorm packed up. You can just bring your suitcases with us, and then I can drive you home on Monday morning.”

  “When does your camp start?” I asked, eating a big bite of my blueberry muffin.

  “Not until the week after. We have plenty of time to hang out before I go to camp and you start your internship.”

  “A week and a half doesn’t seem like plenty of time to me,” I said glumly.

  “Before you know it, we’ll be back together again. We did it last summer, and it was just fine.”

  “Yeah, but this time, make sure your phone isn’t on speaker when we’re having phone sex. I still have nightmares about that.”

  He laughed. “It’s cute when you get all embarrassed.”

  I rolled my eyes at him, but it was hard to be annoyed with someone so goofy.

  We had successfully navigated another school year together, and things were better than ever. We were more comfortable around one another, more honest. Not to mention, the sex was better than ever. In the offseason, when we had all the time in the world, we’d have marathon sex sessions well into the night. Everything was perfect.

  Except for one thing—I thought about our future together nearly every day. Shawn’s football career was going to take him places. Since he had just finished his junior year, he had the option of going pro right away. Some scouts had already talked to him and told him that he could get a lot of money if he signed on for next season.

  I wanted him to be happy, and it was hard to pass up millions of dollars. Still, I wanted him to stay in school for another year. On top of being able to get his degree, he would have the chance to get even better as a player, which could lead to a higher draft pick.