My Lucky Catch (University Park #6)

by C. M. Doporto

  I pressed my hands together in prayer mode. “I promise, no more wild parties.”

  “Delaney, the answer is no.” Veronica was adamant this time. Usually she could persuade Martin or convince him to do something he was dead set on not doing, but this time, he wasn’t budging, and neither was she.

  “What if my roommate is some type of freak?”

  “I thought you said you two had talked?” A perplexed expression washed over her face.

  I pushed out my lips, forgetting I’d told her that she seemed really nice. “Yeah, we did, but you never know. She could be some type of stalker-crazy person.”

  Martin’s eyes narrowed with disbelief. “If you have any problems with her, we can talk with the university and have you reassigned with someone else.”

  My shoulders dropped. Martin’s mind was set solid. I had royally screwed up this time. My parents helped me unpacked, probably making sure I hadn’t snuck any liquor into my room. Little did they know my stash was in the trunk of my car.

  “Call us if you need anything.” Veronica squeezed a hug from me.

  “I’ll be fine.” I smiled and then turned to Martin. Placing a kiss on my cheek, he said, “I have an automatic deposit going to your account every other Friday. Please budget your money because I will not be giving you anything extra.”

  “Okay, I will.” I gave a slight roll of my eyes. It was the same lecture every time, and although I’d gotten better at controlling my spending, Veronica always spotted me if I needed more money. “Thanks for everything.” I opened the door for them to leave and was promptly greeted by a girl with brown hair that was twisted in a bun on top of her head.

  “Hi, you must be Delaney.”

  I nodded my head. “Yep, and you must be Lexi.”

  She struggled to extend her hand, shifting a box to her side and readjusting the strap of a duffle bag on her shoulder. “Nice to meet you.”

  We laughed as we tried to figure out how to shake hands. “Here, let me help you.” I extended my hands.

  “Thanks.” Her big brown eyes relaxed with relief as she handed me the box.

  “Come in.” Veronica urged her husband to take a step back.

  “Thanks.” She stepped inside, and two people followed behind her carrying a few bags.

  “Hello, I’m Veronica Dukakis.” She introduced herself.

  “And I’m Martin, Delaney’s father.”

  Lexi’s mother set the bag she had in her arms on the coffee table. Pushing her blonde hair out of her face, she corrected her posture and said, “Nice to meet you. I’m Olivia Thompson.” She shook my parent’s hands, “And this is my husband, Travis.”

  “Hi.” Lexi’s dad stepped forward for a quick handshake and then retreated behind his wife.

  “What a relief to meet you both.” Lexi’s mom pressed a hand to her chest. “We were worried that . . . well, you just never know about roommates.”

  Veronica let out a soft laugh. “Oh, I know. We had the same concern. The girls she lived with last year were wild and crazy.”

  “Well, you have nothing to worry about.” Olivia wrapped an arm around my new roommate, pulling her close. “Lexi’s a good girl. She doesn’t go to parties or drink.”

  My parents’ eyes went wide. “Oh, that’s great news.” Veronica gave me a stare that said it all. Don’t screw this up. They continued to chat, and immediately I saw the too-good-for-you attitude in Olivia’s mannerisms. She bragged about almost everything and claimed to be a follower of Christ. My parents took the high road and just agreed with her. Internally, I shook my head and tried my hardest not to roll my eyes. She had fake written all over her, and the smell of her bullshit was filling our dorm room suite to the point that I was ready to kick her out.

  By the expressions on my parents’ faces, I could tell they were comfortable with Lexi and her family. Any hope of moving into an apartment was out. I was stuck at Charter Hall for my junior year, and that sucked balls. At least I didn’t have anything to worry about, but the Thompson’s on the other hand did. I could tell my roommate was dying for some fun, and I knew just what she needed.

  As soon as our parents left, I wasted no time going to my car to retrieve my liquor stash. I had to be careful because if I got caught with it, I could get kicked out of school. That was the last thing I wanted, but since my parents took my fake ID and my twenty-first birthday wasn’t until next August, this was all I had. Unless I could sweet-talk one of my guy friends into buying me a few bottles.

  “Back already?” Lexi asked as I entered our dorm.

  “Yep. Just had a grab a few things from the car.” I slipped off my backpack, careful not to rattle the bottles. “What do you like to drink?” I asked walking into my bedroom. A few bags were still on my bed waiting for me to unpack, so I shoved them aside and unloaded my stash. I lined up the bottles on my dresser, trying to decide what I wanted to drink. There was a big frat party tonight, and I was ready to get the party started.

  “Um, I’m not a big on sodas or coffee so I guess water.” Lexi stuck her head into my room.

  I picked up a bottle of Malibu Rum, one of my favorites, and said, “Are you sure you want to drink this with water?” I gave the bottle a little shake.

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh, I thought you meant what I like to drink daily. I had no idea you were referring to liquor.”

  I laughed. “If we’re going to be roommates, you have to loosen up.”

  Lexi smiled and then leaned against the frame of the door. “We’ll I don’t drink so—”

  “What?” My head jutted back. “You’re a junior, right?”

  “Yes, I am.” She glanced at the floor, her hair falling over her eyes. I sensed I had embarrassed her so I changed my tune.

  “Hey, better late than never.” I took the lid off my Subway cup and filled the half watered-down Coke with the fruity liquor. “There’s a party tonight at the Kappa Sig house. There’s going to be a lot of hot guys there. Wanna go?”

  She glanced at me with a timid smile. “That’s okay, I don’t go to parties.” Her voice trailed off, but I heard a hint of curiosity. Maybe she didn’t have any friends or her parents had brainwashed her.

  I stirred my drink with the straw and then sampled it. “Mmmm. That’s good. Are you sure you don’t want a sip?” I offered her my cup, hoping to entice her just a little.

  “No, thank you.” She shook her head. “My boyfriend is picking me up for dinner, so I better not.”

  “Does your boyfriend care if you drink?”

  She pressed her lips together, as though hesitating to answer. “He prefers that I don’t.”

  I released the straw from my lips. “Wow. You must really be in love, or he must be damn good in bed.”

  Lexi’s face flashed red, and her jaw dropped. By her reaction, I guessed I had offended her. This girl was definitely living a sheltered life.

  “I’m sorry.” I covered my mouth. “I need a filter for this thing. I tend to just say whatever the hell I want, so just ignore me. I didn’t mean to pry.”

  “It’s okay. No harm done.” She started to back away from my room. “I’m just going to take a shower . . .”

  “Yeah, me, too.”

  A sudden knock at the door startled us. “Expecting someone?”

  “No. But maybe it’s your boyfriend.”

  “I doubt it.” She smirked. “Collin doesn’t show up unannounced.”

  I followed her to the front door. Lifting up on the tips of her toes, she looked out the peephole. “Oh, it’s my brother.” She opened the door, and I started to turn around, but stopped when I was greeted with a set of light blue eyes that I’d seen before. Blue eyes that had seen me before.

  Not just me.

  But all of me.

  Naked me.

  This wasn’t good.

  Chapter 2

  Luke

  There were those eyes. Those mesmerizing blue eyes that I had seen before. That had seen me before. There was no way I
could forget those eyes. Hopefully, her eyes hadn’t forgotten me, either.

  “Hey, Brother, what are you doing?”

  “Nothing, Sis.” I stepped into my sister’s dorm trying not to stare at the woman I’d been searching for all summer. “Thought I’d come and check out your new digs.”

  “They’re nice.” Lexi shut the door behind me. “Much larger than a standard dorm room.”

  “I see that.” I smiled at the drop-dead gorgeous brunette eyeing me from head to toe. She had to remember me. Recall the incredible night we had together. And if she didn’t, I had no problem helping her remember.

  “Oh, this is my roommate, Delaney Dukakis.”

  Delaney Dukakis.

  So, that’s her name.

  My heart thundered in my chest, like the roar of a crowd stomping their feet on the metal bleachers. The walls of the entryway narrowed to the point of seeing one thing: Delaney. I took my time capturing every part of her. She was just as I remembered. Petite with curves in all the right places. Her long dark hair was in a lose braid, and my skin shivered, recalling how her silky strands tickled my chest.

  “Hi. I’m Luke Thompson,” I announced, even though she already knew my name. She didn’t say anything. Just stood there, clenching a Subway cup to her chest. “Lexi’s twin brother,” I added, hoping to shock her a little more. It must have worked because her jaw dropped, and it took her a few seconds to finally shake my hand.

  “Hi, Luke,” she said in an alluring voice that caused my smile to deepen. “Didn’t realize you two were twins.” She batted her thick eyelashes and did a little shoulder action that took me back to the night we met. Damn, this woman was hot.

  “Oh, yeah, I guess I forgot to mention that,” Lexi said.

  Neither of us said anything, just stared at each other. Somewhere in that awkward silence a look was exchanged, which hinted to keep our previous rendezvous between us. I didn’t like complicated, and since she was my sister’s roomie, I went with it.

  “So, what did Mom and Dad say?” I did a quick scan of the living room and then stepped into my sister’s room. She had everything decorated in black and white with a few hot pink items. Lexi was creative so decorating came natural to her.

  “They liked it, but they’re worried about me living on campus.”

  I walked back into the living area, glancing at Delaney a few times. A flirtatious smile emerged from her lips as she played with the straw in her cup, pulling it up and down in a way that made me adjust my shorts.

  Oh yeah, she remembered me.

  “I told them they had nothing to be concerned about and if I needed anything I could always call on you.” Lexi continued unpacking, removing a few things from a box, unaware of the fact that Delaney and I were eyeing each other purposely.

  I grunted, already hearing my parents nag me about keeping an eye on Lexi. Not that I needed to. Her boyfriend, Collin, who happened to be my teammate and good friend since middle school, was practically a saint. Coming from a preacher’s family, he worked hard to do the right thing. My parents were equally demanding, my mom more than my dad, except I wasn’t as cooperative as my sister.

  “You can always call on Collin, ya know,” I reminded her.

  “I think that’s part of their concern.” She arched a brow. “But I reassured them none of that would be going on.”

  “Don’t they know him by now?” I laughed as I walked to the couch and took a seat. “Because they have nothing to worry about.”

  “That’s what I told them.” Lexi shrugged.

  “So, what are you ladies doing tonight?” I kicked up my feet and placed them on the coffee table.

  Delaney stopped slurping her drink. “I’m headed to the Kappa Sig party. What about you?”

  “Not sure. I might head to 7th Street with a few friends.” I thought about asking her to come, but decided to play a little hard ball with her. I could always swing by the Kappa Sig party later if I wanted to see her.

  “Collin is taking me to dinner at seven.” Lexi pulled her phone from the back of her pocket. “I better hurry up. He’ll be here in an hour.”

  “Okay. I’m going to grab something eat.” I lowered my feet and inched toward the edge of the sofa.

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.” Lexi started toward her bedroom.

  “What’s tomorrow?”

  “Church?” Lexi stopped and turned around, shooting me a dumbfounded look.

  I sighed. “Yeah, well, if I get up in time.”

  “Whatever.” Lexi waved me off. “Delaney will you lock the door when he leaves?”

  Delaney’s brows arched. “Sure.”

  Lexi went to her room and shut the door. Sweat covered my palms, and I rubbed them against the legs of my shorts. I had no idea why I was feeling nervous. Something about her had my heart, stomach, and head in a different state. “I can’t believe you’re my sister’s roommate.”

  “I can’t believe you two are twins.” Delaney shook her head.

  “You know what they say . . . three degrees of separation.”

  “I thought it was six?” She narrowed her eyes and shifted her weight.

  I hated to admit that she was too damn cute. “Well, Delaney,” I stressed her name, glad I finally knew it, “I guess I’ll head out.” I stood up, and she stepped in front of the door, gripping the knob as through prepared to stop me from leaving.

  “I was kind of hoping you wanted to see my room.” Her eyes darted to the left. “Help me test the bed.”

  I turned toward her room but stopped at the doorway. It was totally opposite of my sister’s room. The comforter was hanging off the bed, and the pillows were thrown on top. Boxes covered the floor, and nothing was on the walls.

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” I totally lied but kept a straight face. Something I was good at doing.

  “Oh.” Disappointment laced her beautiful features. “Is there a reason why?” She cornered me, until my back pressed against the door.

  I started to push back, but stopped. I’d never had a domineering woman before, and the more I thought about it, the more I liked it. “For one, I’m starving, and two, I don’t think it would be wise with my sister in the next room.”

  “She doesn’t have to know.” Her hungry eyes pinned me with a deep desire that had me ready to scoop her in my arms and toss her on the bed. “I can shut the door, lock it, and turn up the music.”

  “And you don’t think she’ll hear us?” I inclined my head, bringing our faces closer together. Her scent filled the space, and my knees nearly buckled. I took a deep breath, trying to mask my labored breaths.

  Why is this woman making me feel weak?

  “As long as I don’t scream, and you don’t moan.” She latched on to her lower lip, knowing exactly how to tempt me. It took all my strength not to capture those lips with my teeth.

  I grinned. “I think that might be hard for us.” I moved forward, trying to break away, but she pressed her hand against the door, blocking me.

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.” I wrapped my fingers around her arm and brought it down. I quickly spun her around and pinned her against the door, showing her she didn’t have the upper hand. “Because I recall you being really loud.”

  “Not me.” She shook her head, rounding her eyes with a plea that nearly made me bow down to her request. But I didn’t want Lexi to know we hooked up. It could complicate their living situation, and it was better if she didn’t know.

  I chuckled. “I clearly remember you screaming my name, repeatedly.” I arched a brow and lowered my lips to her neck, but I didn’t kiss her. I allowed my breath to spread over her pulse as my lips grazed her skin. “I think it was when I sucked on your neck and hit a certain spot that sent you over the top.”

  A whimper escaped her mouth followed by a soft laugh. “I think you need to show me again because I faintly remember.” She laced her fingers through my belt loops and pulled me closer, until our bodies pressed together.

/>   Oh yeah, she wants me.

  “You’re making this hard for me you know that?” I was certain she felt my hardness press against her. Being this close to her had me ready to hit a home run. By the way things were going right now, it would be more like a grand slam. I’d skip all the bases and just hit home over and over again.

  “That’s the point.”

  “Maybe later,” I reluctantly answered, hoping I wasn’t blowing my chance to be with her.

  Her fingers relaxed and dropped to her side. “Okay.” She shook her head and let out a disappointing sigh. “Maybe I’ll see you tonight.”

  “Maybe.” I winked. “But if I don’t, I know where you live.” I brushed the tip of her chin with my thumb and walked out the door.

  ***

  Delaney

  “Damn him!” I stomped my foot as soon as the door shut. I hated the effect he had on me.

  The way he made me feel.

  The way my body melted into his.

  The way he said my name.

  Delaney.

  That game was over now. He knew my name. Not that I had the opportunity to play it out. Thanks to my little apartment mishap that landed my ass in community college for the summer. Not to mention, what were the chances I’d be rooming with his sister?

  What was it about him that had my mind spinning in a thousand different directions? I pulled the lid off my cup and took a huge swallow. The fruity liquor eased down effortlessly, and my mind relaxed, even if only a little. I gathered my clothes and headed for the bathroom. I ripped off my shirt and shorts and jumped in the shower.

  The more I tried not to think about Luke the more I did. He purposely teased me and loved every minute of it. But the worst thing was so did I! I flipped the handle to the faucet to the right. It’d be a cold day in hell before I allowed someone like him to get to me.

  “Asshat!”

  He sucked balls. No, wait a minute. I sucked balls. I was smarter than that. I hated when guys turned the tables on me. Having the upper hand was key to controlling them—having them at my beckon call. But for whatever reason, Luke Thompson must have figured out what I was doing and decided to take charge. If he thought for one minute that I’d allow him to call the shots, he was so wrong. I’d show him.